Compact archive November 30, 2007

Freezing weather ended Charles Bridge repairs

Friday 30 November 2007 17:53

right now, one half of the bridge is closed, so you have to push your way through the other half Snow and cold ended this year season of Charles Bridge repairs.

Long prepared works on the Charles Bridge started in August. “Up to now, we looked at the bridge floor, stone rail, and we have also done little archaeological investigation “ said a leader of Mott MacDonald company, which reconstructs the Bridge.

Workers took the first layer of paving stones off, under which the wooden isolation is going to be replaced in spring.

“We are going to prepare new block-stones during the winter from sandstone, which is the original stone used” the leader Tvrznik adds.

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Radio 1 party in Roxy

Friday 30 November 2007 16:37

radio 1 logo Some of our readers asked lately, why do we announce so many events that have so little to do with Czech culture. So here you go – a party of Prague Radio 1 in Roxy.

“Radio 1? Is it any good?” “Definitely.” If you are used to radio stations that serve the same set of songs every day every hour like penicillin, well, it’s your choice. Radio 1, on the other hand, has balanced commercial and alternative songs for 15 years and there are various shows every night focusing on various styles of music. Anything but boring.

You ask for genre? It is announced as a smart dance combination of house, breakbeat and electro, always with a good groovy feeling and focused on mixing.

So here you go – that would be the typical Prague radio show for you. You wanted some show including people hoping around wearing traditional costumes? Well… maybe next time…

The entry is free until 23:00, after 100CZK. Roxy, Dlouha 33, Prague 1.

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Proposal of Change of Czech Electing system

Friday 30 November 2007 14:20

jiri pospisil The party which wins the elections to the parliament should get a few more parliamentary chairs. So called bonus for winners is probably going to appear among the new set of proposals, how to change the voting system, and so lower the risk of after-elections stalemate.

“We work on some variations, how to solve the thing. We explore, for example, how the winner’s bonus (the system works well i.e. in Italy) works in European countries.” minister Pospisil ( ODS, Civic Democratic Party ) announced.

Pospisil, Czech Minister of Justice, announced the decision of passing the new law will be on whole situation, which implies the system is designed so it wouldn’t harm the small parties.

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This is Sparta vs Spartak

Friday 30 November 2007 12:03

sparta prague Spartak Moscow Yesterday UEFA cup battle was a draw, but not without action.

There were not many people watching the duel at Prague Letna, but those who came saw a dramatic show, unfortunately more in the auditorium than on the grass.

Moscow Spartak fans had to be calmed down by a special police pack. Six people were injured, the police took ten foreigners with them.

According to TV Prima, 2-3 thousands of Russians arrived to Prague. Part of them got drunk in an airplane so much the airplane didn’t touch down at Prague Ruzyne, but it had to land in Pardubice. The fans arrived to metropolis with police assistance.

Riots were from the beginning of the game, when one of the Spartak fans threw a flare at the ground and passed by Sparta player just close.

After half an hour, other Spartak fan jumped into the gamefield with a flare and run the whole ground to the Sparta’s goal, after which was pacified by the organizers.

The biggest riots started before the halftime. The stadium resonated with petards. Organizers tried to calm it down, but the situation ended by fighting, which had to be pacified by the anti-riot police.

Blob - No way smaller or moved said Kapilcky

Friday 30 November 2007 09:45

jan kaplicky zdroj ct krasny ztraty The architect Jan Kaplicky announced to introduce changes of the Blob library, but at the end he stood by his old design. And again, he commented the idea of moving the library ‘somewhere else’ as not very wise:

If you find a place in Europe, or in the world, where they have their National library at a periphery, please tell me. I’ll make it easier for you – such a place doesn’t exist. Modern transport and short distances are essential. It is not necessary to talk about moving the building. If the city doesn’t want the library, it won’t have it 1

The other point, where Kaplicky again demonstrated he has some balls on one hand, and no will to compromise on the other, was the height of the building: “ Compared to the planned stadium at Letna the library design is petite. The height is the same as the height of the National Theater

Kaplicky also said Blob library should be much smaller than Petrin observation tower, and that his design was really at the small side.

Vaclav Havel went to see the debate and described it is as ‘civilized’.

1 Kaplicky is a renowned architect and his Blob design would be appreciated not just by other Czech cities like Brno, but deputies of three foreign cities have already showed interest as well.

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Americans, Geography and Prague

Friday 30 November 2007 07:39

It is true, that Americans sometimes are rather lame in the matter of Europe’s geography, but to be honest, if a Czech is asked, what are the neighbours of i.e. Nebraska, he/she never knows. But that story is something. Just a starter:

… people – mostly American students – would ask me were:
1. Do you guys have traffic lights? ( I would answer: “No, we just dance naked around the fire”)
2. Is Czechoslovakia (I gave up correcting them on that one) next to Turkey?
3. You guys speak Russian?
4. Oh yeah, that’s by the sea, right?

The rest is here and it’s quite unbelievable