Compact archive April 25, 2008

Anti-Eco prizes award Klaus and Neumannova

Friday 25 April 2008 17:55

The annual prizes Ropak for those who always put money before the environment were given away. To whom the Ropaks went? First is Jiri Hlodac, the second Katerina Neumannova, third was Vaclav Klaus.

16th year of the Anti-Eco enquiry was organized by Deti Zeme organization. Deputy of the Transportation minister Jiri Hlodac won for forcing of motorways into protected nature areas and threatening everybody who disagrees with courts and fines.

Katerina Neumannova is the second because she got the snow for Prague Ski competition from protected nature area in Sumava, south Bohemia, where they loaded it into sixty trucks.

The third is President Vaclav Klaus, he got the ‘Green pearl’ for the most Anti-Eco statement of 2007: “I don’t see any planet devastation, I have never seen it and I don’t think any reasonable person could say there is such a thing.”

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Die Ärzte in Prague club Roxy

Friday 25 April 2008 17:06

Die Ärzte (German for “the doctors”) is a punk rock band from Berlin. Along with the Düsseldorf outfit Die Toten Hosen, Die Ärzte are among the best-known German punk rock bands. They have released 15 albums. The band consists of guitarist Farin Urlaub, drummer Bela B. and bass player Rodrigo González. All three write and sing. Die Ärzte were formed in 1982 by Jan Vetter

In 1987 the German Federal Centre for Media Harmful to Young Persons put the songs “Geschwisterliebe” (“Sibling love”, a song about incest, from the eponymous album Die Ärzte), “Claudia hat ‘nen Schäferhund” (“Claudia has a German shepherd”, about zoophilia, from Debil) and “Schlaflied” (“Lullaby”, about a monster coming and eating you after falling asleep, also from Debil) on the German List of Media Harmful to Young People (often called “the Index”).

Some tour posters were considered misogynistic and were also put on the list. They contained a drawing of a tied up and gagged woman called Gwendoline that was inspired by bondage artist John Willie and is the mascot of the band. Since then, Die Ärzte have used a skeleton version of Gwendoline in the artwork of most of their albums.

In 1998 their single “Männer sind Schweine” (Men are pigs) became their first number 1 single in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with the album 13 also being number 1 in Germany and Switzerland.

In 2000 they came back with the album, Runter mit den Spendierhosen, Unsichtbarer! (“Stop feeling so generous, invisible one!” For the third single from the album they released the 30-second-song “Yoko Ono”, which, according to the Guinness Book of Records, is the shortest single ever released—another example of their sense of humour.

Ticket start at: 300czk at Ticketpro, 19th August 2008, Club Roxy Prague

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The Thief of Terezin Bronze Memorial Busted

Friday 25 April 2008 12:49

terezin memorial Twelve days of searching, but the 28 years old Miroslav Daňo, suspect of the Bronze Plate hunt, when 824 bronze plates with names of victims of Terezin atrocities, was still on he run. Until Wednesday evening.

The court seats today, Daňo will be proven guilty or not, but if he is the thief, he will be imprisoned for up to eight years. The police don’t know yet, whether he was alone at the theft, or if somebody helped him with moving the few hundred kilograms of plates.

This case could bring a law change, which would make it much harder for a collection centre to buyout large amounts of stolen materials. Finally.

Widening of footways in Prague

Friday 25 April 2008 10:55

footway sign If you go to Prague very old centre, you know the situation – you want to make a picture of some sight, but than you hear a car horn and realize you stand in a street. Those of us who are used to other western-type cities of Europe, expect to walk or ride a bike freely in the old part of a city. The reason why it is not so in Prague is lack of by-passes, but this will soon change. At least according to Prague councilman Karel Kozeluh.

“We have studies ready for widening the footways for the next year already.” About 10 streets should be changed to footways in Vienna style – the street will be limited to two narrow lines, lifted to the level with the pavement. This will happen at the bottom of Wenceslas Square, as well as below the Central railway station.

What we, who prefer to walk or take a tram, should really look forward, is when the tunnel circuit below Strahov will be finished (2011) – the whole area by the river from the National Theatre to Rudolfinum will become a boulevard.

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Prague Shopping Malls Retrospective

Friday 25 April 2008 09:10

A short hindsight to our toady Czech culture reveals already known: Our church is a shopping mall, our god is commercial success and Bata is our prophet. Nevermind expressed in numbers it goes like this: 250 shopping centres in the Czech Republic, from which 50 contain at least fifty different retainers.

Czech most buy clothes, second are shoes, third are computer components. Prague Hosts 38 percent of those centres. It is hard to believe twenty years ago a whole slab block estate would be supplied with one middle- sized grocery store. Now the same area is often surrounded by several supermarkets and in case that would not be enough, there’s a hyper- one within reach.

Read the whole article More ‘Market – Temples’

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