Compact archive July 2008

The Young Gods on Sazavafest

Thursday 31 July 2008 17:50

The Young Gods is a Swiss Industrial music band. The band’s lineup has generally consisted of a vocalist, a sampler operator and a drummer. Their instrumentation often includes sampled electric guitars, drums, keyboards, and other samples. The lyrics are a mix of English, French and a bit of German. Their most notable hits are: “Did You Miss Me?”, “Envoyé!”, “Skinflowers”, and “Kissing the Sun”.

Their newest album Knock On Wood was born from a moment the trio was invited to play some special concerts and to perform their own repertoire in an acoustic set-up for the very first time, the band was so delighted with the outcome, that they decided to record these acoustic versions in studio

They like it here in the Czech Republic, and so it is no wonder they are going to appear on Sazavafest festival. If you want to go, they play there on Saturday.

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O2 Sazavafest 2008 - summer open-air festival

Thursday 31 July 2008 15:38

From original one day event in 2001 with one stage and 1800 people capacity of the area Sazavafest progressively became a prestigious multicultural festival for more then 20 000 people with 4 days programme on up to 6 stages. The interest in the festival grows every year which is a big challenge and big commitment at the same time for the promoters.

Festival’s dramaturgy has a definite target to build a multicultural festival with dominant role of music, which is not afraid of variety and on the contrary bets on multigenres.

MULTICULTURAL: music, theatre, film, author’s reading, photo and art exhibitions
MULTIGENRES: world music, rock, pop, reggae,ska, jazz, blues, dance, hip hop

SazavaFest offers every year the best from the home scene, brings interesting musicians from abroad but at the same time gives space to interesting young bands and projects. Since 2005 SazavaFest is not only one summer open-air event, but yearlong network of logically consequent events: Jarni SazavaFest, Bitvy o SazavaFest, letní SazavaFest a Klubobrani alias autumn SazavaFest.

The Festival Takes Place From 31st July to 2nd August in Kacov, Czech Republic. For more information, read on

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Metro In Prague Video from Cockpit

Thursday 31 July 2008 13:32

Prague Metro is something one remembers. The whole project was made in cooperation with the USSR, and so it looks up to it – huge, overlarged halls encased with an imitation of marble are undoubtedly impressive. There are three lines of Metro, always being lengthened, upgraded, polished.

Tickets are available to be bought from a vending machine, at newspaper kiosks and also via a mobile phone. When one enters the area, he has to validate the ticket otherwise he may get a fine of about 1000 czk (40€) one ride is worth 26 (two rides or a long one) or 18 (one ride).

But you know all that; what you want to know, of how does it look like when you drive one of these. And here, you can have a look:

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Alleged police Murderer goes to court for killing American

Thursday 31 July 2008 11:24

The Police officer, who reportedly murdered an American in February, finally goes to the court. Until now, he has been investigated at liberty. The sitution have looked like this:

The murdered Mike Murray knew Prague, he went there almost every weekend. He also liked to play paintball, and that night he wanted to park his car close to the paintball station, where was no place, so he parked the car close to O2 Arena. He prepared to sleep in the car, because he had bad experience with thieves and he protected his car that way.

The drunk policeman who passed by didn’t like the way Mike parked, but as he was off-service, there was not much he could do. But he managed to anger Mike to such extent, he went out of the car and beaten him. The ex-policeman strikes back in a moment – with a massive pocket knife.

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Bic Mac Index – czk is too strong

Thursday 31 July 2008 09:54

The famous burger and the governor of the Czech National Bank have a thing in common – they both demonstrate that the Czech currency is too strong. Meanwhile the second said that it will be necessary to lower the interest rates in August if the corona won’t stop strengthening, the first one simply demonstrates by its price something is not right.

mac donald at old town of prague The price of the burger in the USA is 3,57$, but a Czech BicMac costs 4,56$, a dollar more. An important thing to mention – in 2000 the price was half the price in the USA. The burger prices were 1:1, when the dollar sells for 18,50 czk, but right now the price is 15,39. That means the czk is overestimated towards the usd by 28%.

We have caught up with the US in the price, but salaries are a different thing. A new employee of the CR branch of Mac Donald’s earns 0,85 of Big Mac an hour, in the US it is for the same job 2,59 of the burger.

Titanic - The Artefacts Exhibition

Wednesday 30 July 2008 16:59

Wandering amongst the Titanic treasures you begin to realise that the cold chill isn’t from the recreated wall of ice. The artefacts belonged to people, many of whom lost their lives during the early hours of 15 April 1912.

Preserved for 92 years, this is the bronze bell that Frederick Fleet rang three times before he shouted, “Iceberg right ahead”. As you enter the first part of the exhibition and catch sight of the massive section of the ship’s hull, any thoughts of Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio are replaced by the awe of what lies ahead. Yes there’s romance, the beauty of the first class accommodation and trinkets, but there is also the stark reality that these things were abandoned by people in fear of their lives.

The exhibition Titanic Artefacts in Prague Lucerna offers a mixture of ship parts – ranging from plumbing and metal bench supports – to personal belongings and items of clothing such as a top hat and a single shoe. Around every corner is another fascinating artefact with another story to tell. A pack of playing cards, a clarinet – perhaps abandoned by the ship’s orchestra – miniature jars of perfume, bottles of wine, pans from the galley, money and crockery.

All the items have been recovered from the debris field of the wreck site 453 miles Southeast of the Newfoundland coastline and lying 2.5 miles beneath the ocean surface.

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Prague top 10 According to The Guardian

Wednesday 30 July 2008 14:10

The Guardian’s ladder of ten surprises, that wait for a tourist in Prague, completely ignores traditional sights of the metropolis. The list of pearls was put together by the British reporter Sarah Johnson. She recommends solid sights, but also experiences. For example the Zizkov Carnival is at the third place.

This list is for those, who are familiar with Prague, they know the traditional sights and want to see the hidden ones. British tourists are the second most numerous group of tourists; a half a million came to Prague in 2007 only.

The first place was given to David Cerny, whose artpieces can be seen in the whole Prague. Guardian mentions especially his 3-metres long babies crawling up the Zizkov television tower, or the couple peeing into the Czech Republic at Kampa.
Also, shops of young designers close to Karoliny Svetle street were evaluated quite positively during shopping and in atmosphere of surrounding restaurants.

Continue reading and find the info here

Czech Pes Foto – Dog Photography with an attitude

Wednesday 30 July 2008 11:38

The Exhibition refers to the Famous exhibition Czech Press Photo, but the photography focus is clear: Czechs as a nation of dog-lovers.

Traditionally, it is put together by the respected dog photographer Antonin Maly, featuring photos of dogs in all kinds of situations. The exhibition opened at Prague’s Josef Sudek Chamber Gallery on Tuesday.

Antonin Maly is famous for his images of dogs, including his own, Misa and Cecilia, the first a French mastiff, the second an American bulldog. At times, his pictures capture both in action, flying through the air, maws wide, jowls flapping. Antonin Maly says: “Most of the dogs featured in the show are the most horrible-looking ones including mine! Misa and Cecilia are really quite silly sometimes. Cecilia’s really fat and when you see her sitting back on the couch with her belly, well it’s kind of pathetic. I guess that I choose dogs which visually have a bit more personality: flat-snout dogs with lots of skin or overhanging flaps, who look like they just got punched in the nose, are good for this kind of thing. The pictures are supposed to be funny, so the dogs have to have some kind expression.”

Not all people appreciate dog photography but most visitors should find something fun in Czech Pes Photo. Besides, work by Antonín Malý, the show also features work of famous 20th century photographers like Václav Chochola, or the more recent Jan Saudek. Czech Pes Photo continues at the Josef Sudek Chamber gallery through July and August.

source: www.radio.cz

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'Czech Beer' to become a trademark

Wednesday 30 July 2008 09:49

Lidove Noviny presented a study of a label proposal.

The European Union is, with high probability, going to entitle the Czech Republic to use Ceske Pivo / Czech Beer as a trademark for beer brewed using the certain technologies in the certain latitude. It won’t change much for export of the well-known labels, however it should lead to higher customer satisfaction.

The reason is; beers like Staropramen or Pilsner Urquell are made in Russia, Poland or Slovakia, its externals however do not say much about the possibility of slight taste change. The Ceske pivo sign would say it all. If it is passed, we are probably going to see that label in half a year.

The other purpose is to distinguish similar labels, like the famous Budejovicky Budvar / Budweiser dispute. If both the beers use the same name and technology, the one directly from the Czech Republic should clearly say so.

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Prague – The city of Sex shops

Wednesday 30 July 2008 08:21

Have you ever thought, when walking in Prague, who buys all that stuff? I remember that there was one small sex shop at Andel ten years ago. Now, the Andel store is called Sex city, it has became a three- floor enterprise. New shops of this kind open all the time, starting in one room under the name ‘Sex Shop’ which is going to be ‘Sex Market’ in two years having two more rooms, than ‘Sex Supermarket’ (no kidding) and finally, after ten years, becoming a massive megastore, ‘Sex Megamarket’. Who buys all these things?

Ihned informed about increasing demand of Czechs, they want especially clean medical silicon equipment, as it is hypoallergenic and without smell. Increasing demand? From what I have seen, this means we are going to need a ‘Sex Shopping Mall’ in the next ten years! The official data of how much Czechs spend in sex shops aren’t available, but estimations go up to hundreds millions of czk. The biggest company in the business City Realex earned 215 millions czk last year.

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Test: Klaus is politician with best public speaking

Tuesday 29 July 2008 17:34

Westminster company tested, with help of language experts, the language abilities of Czech politicians. They evaluated their public speech dignity, quality, and coherence. Who is the winner? The president Vaclav Klaus gained very nice marks, his average is 2,08. What he only got criticized for is his famous repetition, his overall speech abilities are aristocratic.

The Prague Mayor Pavel Bem wasn’t bad, he gained the mark of 2,64. The person that ended up last was Jiri Cunek, the leader of KDU-CSL, who was evaluated as hopeless. For example, when he was explaining to news reporters, why he had two same id cards, the whole room was laughing. And not with him.

The prime minister Topolanek didn’t get good score either – 4,08 is the mark for a government leader, who sometimes falls into a loop and cannot find a way out.

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Edinburgh festival Fringe featuring Czech theatres

Tuesday 29 July 2008 15:47

Every summer, the capital of Scotland Edinburgh becomes an epicentre of cultural events, hosting one of the biggest and most famous theatre events of this kind, the theatre parade Fringe.

Every at least a little usable space changes into a theatre stage – from cafés through blow-up tents to churches. Fringe offers up to two thousand performances, that usually attracts about a million and a half visitors every year.

Czechs were able to successfully get to the line-ups of the festival, some even got prizes, like Teatr Novogo Fronta and Farma v Jeskyni.

This year should bring about eight Czech groups, so lets see if they win something. Success on Fringe Festival is decided by numerous factors, including those non-artistic, like to clean up the stage as fast as possible, because the groups have sometimes less than 20 minutes to exchange.

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We didn't collect endangered beetles in India, claim Czech arrested scientists

Tuesday 29 July 2008 13:35

Two Czech entomologists Petr Svacha and Emil Kuchera, who were on Friday placed on probation from the jail in Dargeling, India, object to charges of India court. It was the court, that pressed charges against them for illegal collection of beetles in the National Park Singalia, the scientists claim they never done such a thing.

According to a statement of Svacha, they never even entered the park, they moved with other tourists on the marked road. The luggage they were carrying with them even didn’t contain any endangered beatles, what they collected were only casual species for science purposes.

The scholars, who can get up to seven years in prison, are on probation in Dargeling, they have to report to the police twice times a week and they can’t leave the city.

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Brothels in Prague are Camouflaged. They have to be.

Tuesday 29 July 2008 11:59

the typical picture - is it a pension, a restaurant, or a brothel? you can guess... As the Czech state acts like the fancyhouses do not exist, they exist as bars or clubs. Even when it is completely obvious from the external signs the enterprises server primarily for sex, according to construction administration those are bars, wellness centres or massage salons.

It is the way it works in the Czech Republic – if there is forbidden something clearly natural, people find their own way to it. A lot of prostitutes moved away from the streets, but they haven’t vanished. Brothels in Prague have their way of survival, the appearance can be regular, but their papers state they are some other business premises.

The building office can approve of a restaurant, fitness centre or bar, but there are no hygiene regulations for an erotic saloon, nobody simply defined them. The main reason the places have to be masked as ‘Massage Salon Red Light’ or something similar is they simply need a permit for the place. The proposals of legalization can be hear quite often nowadays.

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Czech Football Coach Bruckner trains Austria

Tuesday 29 July 2008 09:55

It was six weeks ago, when the football coach of the Czech Representation only frowned on everyone. Yesterday, he made an appearance with a happy face; he came forward the news-reporters as the new coach of Austria representation.

“I went over to Austria, because I don’t feel old yet, I still feel strong and now I am full of verve again.” Said the sixty-eight old coach.

According to his other words, his family was surprised that he wants to get back again, but when they thought about it, they told him to go for it. During those six weeks that passed since the Czech team lost the Euro, Karel Bruckner rested, and now, he returns back to work. He always said he is not a person for vacations.

The Blob library will be build after the elections, Paroubek promised to Kaplicky

Monday 28 July 2008 08:52

it may be build after all The leader of CSSD Jiri Paroubek surprisingly offered cooperation to Kaplicky. Kaplicky accepted and he will become the new Paroubek’s advisor for culture. According to the architect, their cooperation will help the never-ending discussion about the National Library construction, and also modern architecture as a whole.

According to Kaplicky, Parouber’s words were the first positive ones about the library he has heard in the last 14 months. Paroubek promised to find up to four billions czk in the state treasury.

“I don’t want to be a bad prophet, but you will probably have to wait for us, mister architect” said Paroubek, and Kapilcky agreed with him. From the moment President Klaus stood against the building, there was no chance it would be build, when ODS is the ruling party.

An interesting remark at the end: At the beginning, Paroubek didn’t care about the library. He started to be an advocate in the moment, Klaus stood in it – and as Paroubek got married again to a very attractive young translator with art feeling, who even started to raise a fund for the library, he became a men who is really into defending the Blob.

Recent pool demonstrated CSSD is probably going to win the next elections. They are going to be in three months.

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Exhibition of Various Faces of the Metropolis

Friday 25 July 2008 08:31

Prague – an architectonic jewel, for some represented by the Gothic Prague Castle, for many others, however, it means the Dancing house, hotel Metropol on Narodni Trida or the administrative building Muzo at Strasnice. Those three got into the top 50 most significant Prague buildings, objects or projects, that originated in the past twenty years. Those fifty were carefully selected by curators of Jaroslav Fragner Gallery, who have opened the exhibition New Face of Prague in the Czech Centre Prague in Rytirska ulice yesterday.

What is the new face of Prague, so? “There is no distinctively Prague style, and quite probably there will be no in the future. The exhibition shows the variety, appearing in Prague architecture. The problem is, from those great numbers of objects being build in Prague, only a few are worthwhile.” The exhibition curator Dan Merta stated for Lidove Noviny. The present face of Prague will be presented here in Czech Centre Prague in Rytirska, next year in Slovakia, after in Berlin.

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