bobomeal

[bobomeal]

GEC/ADI-AI: Javne konsultacije o Nacrtu preporuke o jednakosti i veštačkoj inteligenciji

Upravni odbor Saveta Evrope za borbu protiv diskriminacije, različitost i inkluziju (CDADI) i Komisija za rodnu ravnopravnost (GEC) dobili su zadatak od Komiteta ministara Saveta Evrope da pripreme Preporuku o jednakosti i veštačkoj inteligenciji.Preporuka će pružiti neobavezujuće smernice za države članice i druge ključne zainteresovane strane i nadovezuje se na Studiju o uticaju sistema…

[bobomeal]

Da li znate ko je izgovorio: Pucajte, ovo su komunističke grudi!

Revolucionarka, partizanka i narodni heroj Sofija Sonja Marinković rođena je u Striježevici kod Požege 3. aprila 1916.Streljana je u Bagljašu kod Zrenjanina 31. jula 1941. Sonji je prilikom rođenja bio iščašen levi kuk, a kako je to bilo primećeno kasno, do kraja života je hramala na levu nogu. Poreklom je iz svešteničke porodice. U Somboru i Novom Sadu je završila osnovnu školu i…

[bobomeal]

Sedam činjenica o Nadi Dimić, revolucionarki i heroini

Nada Dimić bila je revolucionarka, učesnica Narodnooslobodilačke borbe i narodni heroj Jugoslavije. Činjenica 1: Rođena je u Divoselu kod Gospića 6. 9. 1923, a umrla u ustaškom logoru Stara Gradiška 23. marta 1942. Činjenica 2: Sa 15 godina postala je članica Saveza komunističke omladine Jugoslavije. Zbog teksta u kome je napala upravu Trgovačke škole izbačena je iz škole i uhapšena. Bio joj je…

[bobomeal]

Kineska revolucija u proizvodnji proteina - hrana od CO2

Da li ćemo probleme gladi i klimatskih promena rešiti tako što ćemo od ugljen-dioksida (CO2) i struje da proizvodimo hranu? Nova studija otkrila je inovativnu metodu za pretvaranje CO2 i električne energije u jednoćelijske proteine (SCP). Ovaj revolucionarni bioproces obećava ne samo prehrambenu bezbednost, već i rešavanje ekoloških izazova emisije gasova staklene bašte. Sistem sa dva reaktora…

[bobomeal]

Solarni pastiri povezuju poljoprivredu i energetiku

U današnjoj nestabilnoj ekonomiji, sigurnu zaradu često možete da nađete na neočekivanim mestima – kao što je povratak tradicionalnoj ulozi pastira. Nedavna studija u Kanadi pokazala je da moderni solarni pastiri mogu po zaradi da se takmiče i sa lekarima, višim inženjerima ili čak advokatima. Ovi solarni pastiri su predvodnici novog tipa poljoprivrede koji se naziva agrovoltaika – spoj…

[bobomeal]

Solarna energija će dominirati već 2035. godine

Novi alat za izradu klimatskih modela, koji je razvio jedan od osnivača softverske kompanije OpenSolar iz Sidneja, predviđa značajnu promenu u globalnim energetskim obrascima. Alat prognozira da će sunčeva energija činiti više od polovine svetske proizvodnje energije do 2035. godine. Osnivač i izvršni direktor OpenSolar Endrju Birč izjavio je da novi model “S-krivulje” pokazuje da je prelazak…

[bobomeal]

Švedska se vraća na štampane udžbenike i za to izdvaja 104 miliona evra

Švedska je prešla sa štampanih udžbenika na digitalne uređaje 2009. godine kako bi pripremila nove generacije na vrli novi svet u kome dominira tehnologija. Međutim, petnaest godina kasnije, zabrinuta zbog negativnih uticaja digitalnog učenja Švedska je preispitala ovaj pristup. Istraživanja ukazuju da čitanje sa ekrana može izazvati zamor očiju, smanjenu koncentraciju i slabije razumevanje u…

[bobomeal]

Na Tibetu puštena u rad najviša solarna elektrana sa skladištenjem energije

Druga faza najvišeg svetskog projekta solarne energije sa skladištenjem počela je sa proizvodnjom električne energije na 5.228 metara nadmorske visine. Ovime je pomerena granica za obnovljivu energiju u ekstremnim uslovima. Projekat se nalazi u gradu Šanan na Tibetu na nadmorskim visinama od 5.046 metara do 5.228 metara. Ovo nije samo tehnološki podvig, već je i dokaz da projekti obnovljive…

[bobomeal]

Vetroturbina prenamenjena u dom

[bobomeal]

Koliko nam je znanje engleskog jezika

Nivo znanja engleskog jezika na pojedinačnom i nacionalnom nivou je od velikog značaja, pošto je on lingua franca za skoro sve oblasti života. Nadam se da je znanje svakog od vas dovoljno da znate da se stručnost na engleskom piše proficiency, a ne kao na slici koja ilustruje ovaj tekst. Švedska kompanija Education First, prisutna u preko 100 država, svake godine objavljuje izveštaj o poznavanju…

[bobomeal]

LIJEPA VEČER, LIJEP DAN - trejler i klipovi

[bobomeal]

Svetu je trebalo 68 godina da dostigne 1TW kapaciteta solarne energije, a samo dve da ga udvostruči

Globalno instalirani solarni fotonaponski kapacitet navodno je dostigao dva teravata (TW), prema procenama Globalnog saveta za solarnu energiju (GSC) i SolarPower Europe. Iako je trebalo 68 godina da se dostigne 1TW instaliranog solarnog fotonaponskog kapaciteta, trebale su samo još dve godine da se dostigne 2TW, govore podaci GSC. “Uvođenje solarne energije širom sveta u do sada nezabeleženim…

[bobomeal]

Zli pomoćnik Milićević na rejvu

Nekada davno kao zli poručnik Milićević vrlo često sam išao na rejv ove (prvi mi je bio avgusta 1991. godine u Camden Palace-u u Londonu). Onda sam počeo da se povlačim u sebe, da se sklanjam od svih, tako da je zli poručnik okačio plesne cipele o klin. Posle dužeg vremena sinoć sam kroz inkarnaciju seksi zlog pomoćnika Milićevića konačno otišao na rejv. Osim što sam se veličanstveno proveo,…

[bobomeal]

A deep analysis of Konstrakta's "Novo, Bolje"

I know that there are maybe many articles about this song already, considering it came out a week ago or so, but I am so in love with both the song and Konstrakta herself that I needed to put my two cents on this song and why I think it's such an awesome entry. I'm also going to make a comparison to In Corpore Sano and relate both of the songs. I hope you'll enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Btw, I've gotten the necessary translations from here and here.

Let's start out with the title: Novo, Bolje means New, Better. It's already an indicator that sets the pace for what is coming.

Musically, the song is quite simple - It has only three chords that keep repeating in an uniform pattern, with a distinctive synthesizer that repeats itelf throughout the song as well. It's fast paced and eclectic, very modern, to fit the theme of the lyrics. It's worth noting that the backup singers are taking a very important function here. I'll explain it later on.

Now, let's get to the lyrics. Through the entirety of the song, Konstrakta is speaking to an imaginary doctor, to which she's telling of her latest affliction: She craves novelty. She only wants new things, new improvements, nothing seems to be enough for her, and she considers this as something wrong, something to be cured. This is about addiction to novelty and consummerism - modernity has made us addicted to updates, the newest phone, the newest device, the newest social media, every new thing is exciting and we eventually run for it.

The chorus is proof of it: New, better, faster, bigger, higher, prettier, stronger. The things she has aren't somehow enough, and she claims that all of this is coming. She wants something better than good. Good isn't cutting it anymore. It needs to be better.

Konstrakta proceeds to elaborate on her point saying that if she was smarter, she could turn a kilo of bread into two, and that ever since she was born, she has been knowing about better than good, which is another jab at modernity: New generations are addicted to new things since they are little. Let's think back, how many of us in our childhoods wished for better, bigger toys or electronic devices? It's an actual reality. And with the rise of phones, tablets and similar devices in infancies, this is more present than ever.

This also speaks about self-pressure about being better than good, the line "the performance could've been better" is a reference to our modern perfectionism, and the wish to reach even higher heights everytime, with innovations that sometimes aren't necessary. Why would the Pacific ocean need to be more pacific, anyway? The grandiosity and the exaggeration are marketing elements to draw you in, to try and show you that you can, indeed, be better than good. It's exploitation disguised as motivation and self help.

Then she says that she feels set up everywhere, because she is seeing anomalies, which is another point. Consummerism is a social issue, but if you point it out in a consummerist society, you're most likely to get laughed at or gaslighted in the sense that you're not being brainwashed by the consummerism. Which leads us to the next line, Konstrakta asks the doctor what's wrong with her, why is she seeing anomalies everywhere? Why is she addicted to novelty and perfection? She's trying to break the cycle of self-awareness, and at the same time, she wants her head to shut up about the pressure of novelty and perfectionism. She might believe nobody else is going through this, which is, ironically, an anomaly on itself.

When she sings the word "better" over and over again, it eventually gets distorted by the end of the phrase, which shows us that she's losing herself. In trying so hard to reach better, to improve, she's losing and destroying pieces of herself to try and build something new. The backup singers are repeating the other adjectives: better, faster, bigger, higher, prettier, stronger. Another proof that her head presses her further than she can actually reach.

In a more calm section of the song, she says that everything is fluid, and if she stops, she'll fall through, stating that she needs to constantly go full speed, up, towards higher heights. This is very telling. At the beginning of the section, the music gets calmer, almost quiet, but as Konstrakta starts repeating the words "going up, constantly going up", the synthetizers and the fast pace are back again, supporting her claim and her "illness" - the need for speed, novelty, perfection. Nothing is enough. Nothing will ever be enough. Konstrakta is trapped on a cycle of perfectionism and addiction to novelty. In trying to break the cycle, she's perpetuating it at the same time. It's a vicious cycle from where she can't escape.

When Konstrakta asks again what's wrong with her, this time she doesn't even get to explain what affects her. Here is where the backup singers reveal their real role: They are the voice of society. While Konstrakta tries to figure herself out, the singers appear to reinforce her need for novelty, the need for something new coming, the thought that nothing is never and will never be enough. And in this final section of the song, they shut Konstrakta up: "For God's sake, there's nothing wrong with you". They're gaslighting Konstrakta into thinking it's all in her head, and that she needs to keep striving for more.

During the final section of the song, the singers chant, almost like madness, that it's coming. Novelty and progress are coming, and nobody, not even Konstrakta herself, can stop it. While all of this is happening, she screams, calls out for the doctor to help her, but she receives no help - she's being consumed by the spiral. She's being dragged by the tsunami of society, the fast paace of consummerism devouring her as she screams in agony. And then, she says the most beautiful phrase I've seen in a song in a while:

"The wish doesn't know about what is unreachable."

We can strive and wish for perfection all we want, but wanting something and being realistic about it are two completely different things. We can try to reach the moon, but we are too far to actually do it. And in our search for perfection, not only can we lose ourselves, but we can go to dangerous heights: Security breaches, the end of individual liberties, violence, stepping over people's heads to get whatever we want, however we want. The wish doesn't know what's unreacheable. Therefore, there are no limits to modernity. This is a hurricane, and it's going to destroy us all.

There is no escaping this. Which is why she closes by saying "it's coming" - Modernity is coming. We can't do anything to stop it.

Now, let me compare this masterpiece to her former Eurovision entry, In Corpore Sano.

It's curious to notice that both songs have the same length. In Corpore Sano, in case you need a reminder, speaks about how an artist must keep themselves healthy, appreciating our health and the moments in which we have it, to be thankful for being healthy and our body properly functioning. It's a jab at the Serbian medical system for it's negiglence with artists and the lack of medical insurance for them, also stating how health is a privilege, citing Meghan Markle's hair as an example to kick off the song and start speaking about hydration and health problems and how to identify them.

A healthy mind in a healthy body, a sick mind, a scared mind... Where do we go from this?

This song is more ominous, and the beautiful staging was also very ominous, setting the atmosphere for Konstrakta to become an advocate for Serbian artists and their health system. Art and social criticism, hand in hand.

Both In Corpore Sano and Novo, Bolje speak about health, one being physical, the other being mental. In the case of In Corpore Sano, the background singers don't take as big of a role as they do in Novo, Bolje, and when they do, they reinforce Konstrakta's message, instead of being dismissive about it or trying to shut it down. Both the songs are written in minor keys and are limited to a couple chords, keeping it simple.

In Corpore Sano is slower paced, as if trying to get people to understand the point. We also get a hint of grief - Konstrakta lost her bandmate and friend Miroslav Ničić to leukemia in 2019, which inspired this song to come to fruition. Novo, Bolje, is faster paced, showing us the chaos and the need to rush that the song tried to criticize, and it's repetitive, highly repetitive, to catch people in. The catchy tune is meant to make you forget the point of the song, showcasing how tone deaf society can be sometimes.

At the same time, In Corpore Sano has a hint of divinity. God grants us health, but I don't have medical insurance. Latin has always been a language related to holiness, to purity. Novo, Bolje, has no divinity to it, it's quite banal, vulgar if we try to compare it to Latin - in the Middle Ages, any language that wasn't Latin was called vulgar, meaning "of the people". This song is nowhere near God. Our society has killed God, and has gone beyond divinity. Holy Modernity, mother of our Society, has taken over.

In Corpore Sano is meant to be a ritual song in all of its aspects - we see Konstrakta moving and clapping her hands, cleaning them ritually with her backup singers as assistants, overseeing the process as if to take care of her. They are dressed in black, Konstrakta in white, showing herself as a pure, healthy being, trying to teach others about health and how to keep it. We haven't seen anything about Novo, Bolje's staging, but the concept Konstrakta has shown with her in blue skin and an eccentric white attire, with the caption "The Kilimanjaro could be higher" (a brilliant reference), is meant to scandalize, to be weird, to make you think about the absurdity of things. Again, there is no holiness, no ritualism, nothing. It's banal. It's empty. And that banality, along with the message, is what makes this whole concept beautiful on itself. It's what makes it so brilliant and so well crafted.

I hope you've made it so far and that you have liked this analysis. In short, Konstrakta is a genius, a musical and lyrical genius, and I can't wait to see her again setting foot on Eurovision's stage. I hope this helps you look at her song with new eyes.

She's definetely gotten newer and better.

[bobomeal]

Napad na radnika obezbeđenja Prajd info centra

Juče je još jednom napadnut Prajd info centar, a ovaj slučaj se razlikuje po tome što je počinilac napao radnika obezbeđenja koji je pošao za njim. Nadam se da je napadnuti radnik obezbeđenja Prajd info centra dobro i da neće trpeti trajne posledice današnjeg napada. Takođe, hitno hapšenje bahatog napadača je očekivano i sve drugo bi moglo da ugrozi ugled beogradske policije. Ovaj napad bi morao…

[bobomeal]

Najoštrije osuđujem Božićni napad na Prajd info centar

Najoštrije osuđujem najnoviji kukavički napad na prostorije Prajd info centra, koji je izveden na Božić, najsvetiji praznik za Srbe pravoslavce, ali koji poštuju i pripadnici drugih verskih zajednica, kao i ateisti upravo zato što je njegova glavna poruka mir. Država je dužna da zaštiti sve svoje građanke i građane od nasilja i da sankcioniše nasilnike. Naša država se nalazi u jednom od…

[bobomeal]

U tami disko kluba samo bezobrazluk

Odem ti ja noćas u Musk Machine gay klub i u nekom trenutku prilazi mi naočit mladić i pravi kontakt očima. Ja znam da ga od nekud znam, ali već je previše ljudi prošlo kroz moj život, godine gaze, premotavam u glavi… I on mi pruži ruku, predstavi se, kaže ja sam iz Beograd prajda, naravno krenu odmah kritike… I izlaganje iz dva dela, koje je prekinuto odlaskom u WC, dobije poentu u tome kako ja…