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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Art Phone = Phone boots with an attitude

Thursday 24 July 2008 09:35

gamekeeper’s lodge phonebox still in atelier Walking around summer Kampa Park, a walk-by’s interest focuses on strange objects, resembling phone boots from distance, as the skelet is of the same dimension. There is seventeen of them and they are a part of the exhibition called Art phone, supporting Linka Bezpeci – telephone line for kids and teens in hard life situations alias Safety Line Association

Starting and renown artists participated on creating the boxes, which will be exhibited in the streets until 25th August. At the same time, there is the Internet auction www.aukce.linkabezpeci.cz where are these sold.

One of the boxes is a charity object by itself, as its design includes a huge moneybox. After the exhibition ends, it will serve on, placed in O2 Arena. The boxes, who more or less changed their face, are more than anything else unusual artifacts. The most significant is a booth close to John Lennon’s wall, that changed into a gamekeeper’s lodge. With antlers, incased with wood. Or a box called Ecological with compost, or Cushiony, focused on interior comfort.

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Czech Crown falls a bit after years of strengthening

Wednesday 23 July 2008 16:48

The Czech currency strengthening paused for a moment, after a season of reaching new heights it got back from 23 to 23,50 per Euro. Behind such a sudden fall is the speech of the governor of the Czech National bank Zdenek Tuma. He said for Bloomberg agency, that because of strong currency the interest rates are probably going to be lowered in August. The crown immediately weakened.

Czech Crown have strengthened by incredible 23% to Euro during the last half year. Strength, which brakes inflation because of lowering of costs of import influences also salaries and fuels.
It bring problems to Czech economy; Skoda Auto announced that even when they sold more cars, their gross profit decreased of 13,2 percent.

Prague Tourism and 'Dark Sightseeing'

Wednesday 23 July 2008 09:03

New touristic destinations have appeared in the metropolis, new and quite morbid ones. What connects sv. Cyrila a Metodeje church with Vysehrad Slavin cemetery ? People were dying in there. The agency CzechTourism made a research of Dark places and found out ‘most dark and favored’ Czech place is Terezin memorial, visited by 300t every year.

Three places in Prague got into the ‘Darkest Top Ten’; the Cyrila a Metodeje church where the Czechoslovak para-shooters died after assassinating Heydrich. The upper part of the Wenceslas square is notorious as the place where Jan Palach set himself to fire as a protest against the communists.

Attractivity of dark touristics is based on bringing something new, and providing strong emotional experience. You certainly not find an adequate counterpart to the Edinburgh Dungeon, which really can make people of weaker nature sick, we stand at the beginning, but Prague is definitely a place with Gothic energy and a little of horror belongs in here.

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Primal Scream come to Prague

Tuesday 22 July 2008 17:35

Primal Scream’s career could in many ways be read as a microcosm of British indie rock in the ’80s and ’90s. Bobby Gillespie formed the band in the mid-‘80s

Primal Scream specialized in infectious, jangly pop on its early records. After a brief detour to punky hard rock, the group reinvented itself as a dance band in the early ’90s, following through on the pop and acid house fusions of the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays.

Primal Scream created the ultimate indie pop and dance fusion album, Screamadelica, in 1991. Screamadelica broke down boundaries and changed the face of British pop music in the ’90s, helping to make dance and techno acceptable to the rock mainstream.

Their was the title track to the hit 1996 film Trainspotting. Primal Scream’s contribution to the soundtrack was a return to the dance stylings of Screamadelica, only darker. The last album was in 2008 Beautiful Future with the hit Kill it Back.

You can hear them in Prague Club Roxy close to Namesti Republiky, on 3rd October 2008. Tickets at Ticketpro.

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Summer House in Prague

Tuesday 22 July 2008 15:40

mecca people Club Mecca is the biggest Czech house music club, so the fact that during holidays there are no great names doesn’t mean, there is no great fun – quite the contrary, on free Wednesdays the place is pumping and vibrating. Not only the entrance is free during the holiday Wednesdays and some of holiday Fridays, Sundays and Saturdays, but also girls get 1 free cocktail before midnight.

Mecca focuses on parties. The club main room is large, black and illuminated by various lights. The place is dominated by a massive bar. Equipped with solid music installations it provides good sound for its visitors, who are Czechs mixed with foreigners, who all form a kind of ‘good society’. Though there’s no dress code, many people who do come, like to make an impression.

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Unique Classical Music Concert at Prague Castle

Tuesday 22 July 2008 13:50

It is Called: Hudba na habsburském dvoře. Karel VI. v Praze, Neapoli a Barcelone – Music at Hapsburg courtyard. Charles VI in Prague, Naples and Barcelona. The prestigious Spanish set La Real Cámera created together with an excellent singer Raquel Andaluzea the programme, connecting music tradition of Baroque Bohemia and Spain.

The programme of the second concerto refer to relation of Houses of Habsburg during the region of Charles the VI. The pieces that are going to be played that evening are the same ones that were performed during Charles VI in Prague.

The concert is organized in cooperation with Spanish Embassy.
Tickets: 280,- czk, students: 150,- czk. The tickets are also valid for an exhibition at the Prague Castle, but not for the permanent exhibitions of the Castle.

Event: 9th September 2008, Rudolfova galerie of the Prague Castle

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Prague Zoo plans: One of the best to become even Better

Tuesday 22 July 2008 11:39

us seal show If you like Zoos in general, the Prague one is renowned enough to be liked, but the golden era is not going to last forever, and the manager Petr Fejk is very aware of the fact. His plans for future enhancement of the Zoo are quite extraordinary for such a small country the Czech Republic is. Judge for yourself – to make a seal pool in the American style, with platforms and performances few times a day. Expect no circus – the performances start from the idea animals should move naturally, and should enjoy it in the first place. The future trainers will be send directly to the USA, to learn from the masters.

Fejk also came with the idea of letting people into the new huge parrot aviary that should be finished next year; if it will work, that would become an integral part of the Zoo. Another news will be the planed lookout tower, and not an ordinary one – it is going to be a replica of the over a hundred years old wooden lookout tower of Jizerske hory. The list of goodies ends with a sweetshop, which is to be placed in a newly reconstructed historical cabin in the Zoo.

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Bem Plans Changes in Order to Win the Olympic Candidacy of 2020

Tuesday 22 July 2008 09:51

It has been two months, since the Czech Republic was announced the Olympic Games of 2016 won’t be in Prague, but it seems the Prague Mayor Bem has a plan for year 2020 already. He said for Aktualne.cz: “At the beginning of the next year, the Prague Olympic Society is going to undergo some personal changes. We are going to prepare for the year 2020 with greater ambition and with a stronger team at our back”

However, Pavel Bem will have to persuade other representatives as well, as the Green Party and European Democrats request Prague to give up on the Olympics. Not even the Prime miniser Mirek Topolanek, which is quite an essential for the financial guarantee. The other thing is, that the pools say if elections were now, ODS would lose to CSSD, and they would probably not support Bem, who is so much ODS.

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Czech Roma People heading to Canada again

Monday 21 July 2008 18:05

When, ten years ago, hundreds of Czech Gypsies emigrated to Canada, the country tried to resist by establishing visa necessity. However, visa requirement was cancelled last year in November. And the number of Gypsy people heading towards the socially-focused state have increased rapidly again, Denik informed.

That wouldn’t be a problem, if they automatically didn’t ask for asylum. This threatens the no-visa state – in the contract is, the number of asylum seekers mustn’t be higher than 2% of the total number. Because since May, there was 449 requests from Roma families, and 2% maximum means 570 per year, it is possible Canada will re-establish visa requirement again.

Dianne Finley, the Canada minister for emigration have already send a warning – no one should ask for an asylum, when it is clear he/she doesn’t need it. By this, he/she only takes the very needed support form people who are real refugees.

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Joan Baez calls Havel and Mandela pillars of 20th century

Monday 21 July 2008 15:15

The former president Vaclav Havel is known for his liking of Rock music, and he got a very nice present when he went to the Trencin festival – the U.S. folk singer Joan Baez said Vaclav Havel and Nelson Mandela are the moral pillars of the 20th century.

Baez is a 67 yo human rights activist, who remembers how it looked like in the communist Czechoslovakia first hand – she was concerting in 1989 before the Velvet Revolution. She met Havel than – Havel carried her guitar there. He later commented that the police recognised him, but didn’t arrest him, because it seemed bad to them to arrest Joan Baez’s servant. Back in 1989, she was courageous enough to pronounce her disagreement with the regime. Now, after all those years, she praises Havel for what he have done for the world.

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Who is Martin Bursik?

Monday 21 July 2008 13:43

Martin Bursík (born 1959 in Prague) is a Czech politician and the current chairman of the Czech Green Party (Strana zelených).

In the 1980s Bursík studied environmental engineering at the Charles University in Prague. In June 1989, he joined the dissident movement and signed the declaration of the anti-Communist movement. During the Velvet Revolution in November of that year, he was one of the founders of the Civic Forum (OF).

Martin Bursik Bursik has concentrated on protecting the environment since his studies in the later 1980s. He was in charge of ecological questions on the Prague municipality and in 1998, he was appointed Minister of Environment for the first time, in Josef Tosovsky’s caretaker government, which lasted for several months. Those days he was in Christian Democratic Party, which he left in 2003 and joined the Green Party. He became a chairman of the latter in 2005 after the party undergone several shifts in direction and was in a state of chaos. If nothing else, he managed to put it back into one piece and led it towards a successful election.

Educated, well- spoken and capable of intelligent debate, he seems to resemble western professional politicians rather than the rather arrogant brutes which tend to dominate our politics. His eco- policies are mostly moderate and decidedly non-idealist, focusing on efficiency and incentives instead of interventions. Read on about Martin Bursik

Leonard Conhen Heading to Prague

Monday 21 July 2008 11:25

The famous Canadian songster Leonard Cohen finally confirmed his schedule of concerts, so his first concert in Prague should be for real. The date is 27th September in the HC Sparta Prague Arena, the songster announced on his webpages. This is a change to the originally planned venue of Prague Castle, the reason is probably high interest in tickets, sold at Ticketportal online. Prices vary from 1100 to 5000 czk.

Leonard Cohen goes on tour after fifteen years. Cohen’s earliest songs (many of which appeared on the 1967 album Songs of Leonard Cohen) were rooted in European folk music melodies and instrumentation. In the 1970s his music encompassed pop, cabaret and world music. Since the 1980s his high baritone voice he has typically evolved into lower registers (bass baritone and bass), with accompaniment from electronic synthesizers and female backing singers. His work often explores the themes of religion, isolation, sexuality, and complex interpersonal relationships.

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Weather in Prague in August

Monday 21 July 2008 09:55

It is cloudy again, there are rain showers and temperatures to 25 Celsius. The weather forecast for August 2008 in the Czech Republic is only slightly better than forecast for July. People who were preparing for hot summer at a dam or a lake at the Czech republic change their plans, either for other kind of vacation, a bike or a wellness one, or they change for last minute trip abroad.

According to weather specialists, there is no reason for being annoyed. Summers of the last years were extremely hot, now it returns to the normal state. So, how is the ‘normal’ August going to look like? At the beginning there will be some improvement, after the fist few days temperatures will go down to 20-26 Celsius. For up-to-date forecast for Prague click here.

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Tom Waits heading to Prague

Friday 18 July 2008 15:25

Incredible becoming reality – on 21st and 22nd July, the American songster Tom Waits comes to stop at the Prague Congress Centre. Tom Waits is by many appreciated more than Bob Dylan, Cohen and Simon combined.

He brings thirty member team and five member group for his tour called Glitter and Doom. Skeptics are going to believe he is really coming, only after they will see him with their own eyes – that he is coming could have been only another gag of Waits, the well-known joker. For example he informed about him going on tour by a press conference on his web page – but at the end we see the hall is empty and that he was just playing the reporters from a tape.

Waits is a remarkable figure on the music sky, something like a apparition. If your music feeling is ‘anything but ordinary’ you like Waits.

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The new no-public-drinking law can be eluded

Friday 18 July 2008 13:24

The newest public notice of the Prague city hall, which forbids alcohol drinking at chosen places of Prague, still shows sign of the ‘new kid’ there is still quite a lot of bugs to sort out.

To begin with kiosks – some of them are swarming with the homeless, but the public notice doesn’t sort out, how far they can take their alcohols. So the drunkard can say ‘Yo no I drink at this kiosk’ even when he is tens of metres away.

Another problem is to prove, the person drinks the alcohol he/she has. Or- they simply pour the alcohols into pet bottles and act it is mineral water- the passing city police officers have no means to prove it is not.

The media informed there has been no persecution of ‘normal people’ who would drink in public, yet. Which is good. Yet I still feel Kampa park should be withdraw from the list.

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How does it look like, if one wants to move to Prague?

Friday 18 July 2008 11:30

Even when the Czech GDP is still growing, the folks are still dissatisfied. Why? Low salaries compared to rising prices of everyhing. To rent a flat in Prague, I mean a small flat with a kitchen in the living room, costs 12 000 czk, 500€/month at least.

Allow me to present a little calculation here: the Average Czech salary is 20 000czk, which is 833€/month. After paying the state taxes, one is left with 15 000 czk, 625 € a month. The very cheapest flat 1 room 1 bedroom in the most ugly part of Prague in the most ugly Russian block of flats costs 1 800 000 czk, which is 75 000€. If we count in the charges for a decent mortgage, we must count in another 200 000 czk, about 8300 €. So, if an average Czech wants to buy the cheapest flat in Prague, let’s say he/she will live on bread and water and give one third of salary away every month to pay 5 000 mortgage, the flat will be his/her in 33 years. So, if a Czech buys a flat when being 25 yo, he/she will be out of the debt two years before the retirement.

Never-ending painting in Manes Gallery

Friday 18 July 2008 09:55

a fragment of neverending painting Antonin Stiburek returns to Manes after 36 years. This 66 yo legend, who once was a student of Arnost Paderlik, returns to show, why he gained seven various individual prizes of the World Art Triennale in Osaca.

The name of the Exhibition, Nekonecny Obraz (The Neverending Painting) indicates, what is going to be seen there. That is the author’s life work, the two metre tall canvases which individual pieces use – apart from classical painting – combined techniques, like ceramics reliefs, or even originals made from egg shells.

In Manes, it is possible to see a part of the Neverending painting, 54 pages to be specific. The total is made of 86 component pieces and it is longer 130 metres. Manes Gallery, Masarykovo nabrezi.

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Prague deputies – Taxi will be more expensive

Friday 18 July 2008 08:30

The prices of fuels are climbing new peaks, and the taxi drivers even demonstrated for the possibility of increasing the fares. They claim the price of one kilometre increased twice.

The problem is, the increase comes in time, when tourists and locals often report the taxi drivers prey on them, and at the same time the central office advocate their drivers and do not make any steps for improving the situation.

On one hand the taxi companies say the increase in fares will allow their drivers to do their job properly without stealing, on the other hand we know this would only be efficient if there would be effective laws preventing the industry preying.

Taxi prices for one kilometre in Prague
In 1991 – 7 czk
In 1993 – 10czk
In 1996 – 12 czk
In 1997 – not regulated = astronomical
In 2000 – 17czk
In 2004 – 22 czk
In 2007 – 25 czk
Nowadays probably – 28 czk

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Three day festival of street theatre Started

Thursday 17 July 2008 17:45

The three day festival with masks, jugglers, dancers, musicians, allegorical stuff and many more, mostly theatre and circus nuevo. They go every day from 10:00 to 21:00. Fiveteen companies from the Czech Republic, Germany, USA, South Africa, Island, Austria and Australia. All the performances are done for free. This is the only street performance festival in the Czech Republic, so if you like this kind of things, don’t miss it.

For Example from Germany arrived jugglers in musketeers costumes, dancing robots Metroccolis and a cabinet of twisted mirrors Fatalia. Claun Conc from South Africa is said to have the power of making all the audiences laugh.

For the seventh year, Teatrotoc will bring street theater to Prague. This year, the festival will take place from 16.7. to 18.7. 2008 in the center of Prague on Kampa Island.

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Serious Shop of Photography Equipment in Prague

Thursday 17 July 2008 16:05

There is a big photographic shop called Centrum FotoSkoda. They sell various cameras, both digital and classic and both, brand new ones, bit older ones as well as used one (both classical and digital), and there is really wide range of items and staff is quite able to give you useful advices if you are looking for something.

It is possible to buy even an old famous Practica. They obviously do not sell only cameras but also camera equipments, bags for cameras, films, different camera filters, paper for those who like to make their photos on their own and many other things like this, and they also have here books and magazines about photography, as well as postcards with photos of big photographers any many many other things related to photography you can thing of.

Centrum FotoSkoda is not only a shop, it is also a minilab – a place when you can let your pictures to be printed. And they can make them in a really wide range of formats, small, big, huge, panoramas… Both from classical films as well as digital photos. And if you need or just want to have your pictures fast, you can ask for an express services and have them in one hour, and it is not that much more expensive. Continue Reading

THE CRÜXSHADOWS (USA) in Prague

Thursday 17 July 2008 13:52

The Crüxshadows is an independent music group from Florida. Their sound is made up of a combination of moody male vocals, electric violin, guitar, and synth. They have enjoyed a great deal of success within the New Wave, goth, and Dark Wave music scenes. Centered around vocalist & songwriter Rogue, the Crüxshadows blends 1980s inspired synth-pop and modern rock with poetic and introspective lyrics.

The band has enjoyed global popularity, releasing CDs worldwide and touring extensively throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. Often referred to with the acronym CXS, their motto is Live Love Be Believe.

They return to stages again with their new single Immoral within their „Immortal World Tour 2008“. During the tour, they are visiting Rock Café, where they are going to play on Wednesday 30th July 2008. There is going to be the group core and also the new members.

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Noise Map of Prague

Thursday 17 July 2008 11:45

click for enlargement MF Dnes brought an interesting insight to our attention; which place is the noisiest? Of course, it is around train stations and expressways, but that is not the whole truth.

The Prague city hall have published a noise map of the capital. The most outcrying is e.g. Smetanovo Nabrezi, Zitna Ulice or Evropska. Simply said, the new centre and wide streets. The main source is automobile traffic.

Together with the map, the city hall has published _The Action Plan of Noise Reducing _ that comprehends tens of streets. The plan deals with anti-noise moves like speed reduction, replacing the present surface of the streets with super smooth and so silent one.

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Biedermeier Arts and Culture Exhibition now with concerts

Thursday 17 July 2008 09:55

The Biedermeier Arts and Culture in the Bohemian Lands exhibition is the first ever to present the wealth of art made in the Bohemian Lands in the first half of the nineteenth century.

Supporting concerts to the Biedermeier exhibition take place in the Riding Schoool of the Prague Castle.

Concerts are going to be focused on two musical attitudes or trends of the Biedermeier period. The summer ‘ambulacrum’ or ‘mall’ concert of selections of Wienna Waltz will continue into the phenomena of cultural lounges of nineteenth century.

17th July 2008 at 18:00 ‘Gingham promenade’ at the Jízdárna Pražského hradu (Riding School of Prague Castle)

21st September 2008 at 18:00 ‘Intimate lounge’ Smetana Tryo at the Jízdárna Pražského hradu (Riding School of Prague Castle)

Tickets to the concets can be purchased in the Infocentre SPH on the second coutryard of the Prague Castle

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Czech Prime Minister go to OG in China after all

Wednesday 16 July 2008 15:51

The Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek changed his mind, when the sportsmen union asked him to go to Peking with them. He explains: “The sportsmen, who prepare five years for the Olympics deserve to have their prime mister’s support” Topolanek explained.

The readers remember, how he spoke about definitely not going to the OG in May. He said that the OG in China can go without him, as he disapproved crimes against Tibet. However, yesterday Topolanek announced at the Olympics press conference he goes to the Olympics after all, however he had a Tibet flag button on his jacket.

Topolanek however refused to attend the opening ceremony. His whole performance, as I see it, goes: well I have to go there as a Prime minister, but personally I don’t agree with it.

Dropkick Murphys in Prague Roxy

Wednesday 16 July 2008 14:25

Dropkick Murphys are a Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts, USA. They blended traditional Irish music, Oi!, and punk. Their influences include Stiff Little Fingers, The Pogues, The Clash, Thin Lizzy, The Dubliners, and the Swingin’ Utters.

The band has made a name for itself and built a following as a result of their non stop touring all over the world and their famous St. Patrick’s Day weekend shows, which are held in Boston. Dropkick Murphys also support unions and some of their songs reflect this.

Dropkick Murphys come out swinging with their 6th studio album “The Meanest Of Times” a collection of tales about family, loyalty and remembering where you came from. “The Meanest Of Times” contains all the best elements of the DKM sound: a complex distillation of classic punk rock, Celtic folk and American rock’n‘roll, this album puts the band’s diversity, intensity and sincerity on full display.

“We always wanted to be that band that didn’t forget where it came from and we keep it in the forefront of our minds that we’re all in it together, audience and band members, as one, no one better than the other. That’s the M.O. of a lot of punk bands, but I think sometimes it gets lost the minute a band has any kind of success. We never want to let it go to our heads. We know how lucky we are to be doing this. It’s because of the people that listen to the band’s music we have this opportunity to see the world. I don’t care if we’re playing to 10 people or 10,000 people, those kids that are up front singing our songs are the reason we’re doing this.

And you can come to suport them to Prague Roxy on 12.08.2008, tickets for 150 czk.

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Summer Of Love 2008 will be ‘Closer To Your Heart’

Wednesday 16 July 2008 11:30

Saturday 16th of August is the day when Pardubice Racecourse means a big day in for all mid Europe clubbers. Yes, this day and this place hosts 12th year of popular open air electronic music festival called Summer Of Love 2008.

First announced informations include headliners like Stereo Mcs in live concert, touch of trance from Blank & Jones, DJ Rush in sunrise dj set, M.A.N.D.Y. in 3 hours dj set, Teebee & Calyx in back2back dj set, great talent of Apparat live, French hero Scan X live and today’s Best German Producer – Gregor Tresher.

Do you like drum and bass? Then there are 3 big names for you: Ed Rush & MC Ryme Tyme, DJ Marky & MC Stamina and Noisia. Plus there are new names like Lynx & MC Kemo or Break.

Techno fans are going to appreciate Felix Kröcher & Eric Sneo in Connected show, Space Djz or Renato Cohen. Trance progressive fans get what they want with Richard Durand, Menno de Jong or Matthew Dekay.

To read about Summer Of Love general information go here

Line up:
Stereo MCs live (Graffitti Recordings, UK)
Blank & Jones (Soundcolours, DE)
DJ Marky & MC Stamina (Innerground Rec., BRA)
DJ Rush (Kne’Deep, USA)
M.A.N.D.Y. (Get Physical, DE)
Ed Rush & MC Ryme Tyme (Virus, UK)
Felix Kröcher & Eric Sneo (Connected tour, DE)
Scan X live (F-Communication, FR)
Richard Durand (Integrity AM, NL)
Matthew Dekay (DK Recordings, NL)
Teebee vs Calyx back2back set (Subtitles/Momentum, NOR/UK)
Menno de Jong (Intuition, NL)
Noisia (Vision, NL)
Apparat (Shitkatapult, DE)
Gregor Tresher (Familly Affairs, DE)
Renato Cohen (Sino, BRA)
Ben Long & Jamie Bissmire aka Space Djz (Potential, 50 Hz, UK)
Lynx & MC Kemo (Soul:R, UK)
Break (DNAudio, UK)

16.08.2008 The Pardubice Racecourse, Czech Republic
tickets: TICKETPRO – www.ticketpro.cz – www.summeroflove.cz – SUMMER OF LOVE 2008 ‘Closer To Your Heart’ – Open air electronic music festival. To download the anthem of 2008 click here

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McCain forgets time to time that Czechoslovakia isn’t a country….

Wednesday 16 July 2008 09:55

john mccain doesnt know During a press availability, Sen. John McCain said that he’s been concerned by “a couple of steps that the Russian government took in the last several day,” including “reducing the energy supplies to Czechoslovakia.”

Russia of course can’t “reduce energy supplies to Czechoslovakia.” Czechoslovakia, of course, doesn’t exist. It split into two countries more than 15 years ago. McCain has actually been to the Czech Republic and Slovakia since they became independent countries, and he has also met with their leaders (!).

This isn’t the first time McCain has made this mistake. At a debate in Oct. 2007, McCain said that America needs to “have a missile defense system in place in Czechoslovakia and Poland.”

What is the striking part of the news, John McCain’s entire presidential campaign is the notion that he’s an expert on foreign policy, thanks to his decades of experience as a Washington insider. When the foreign policy expert keeps referencing a non-existent country, it’s not unreasonable to mention that maybe his expertise isn’t quite as impressive as his campaign and the political media establishment would like us to believe.

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There are sales in Prague now...

Wednesday 16 July 2008 08:24

To shop clothes and shoes in Prague is now even more pleasurable, as summer sales are now on. Probably almost anybody likes to get, at least from time to time, some new and lovely piece of clothing or a pair of shoes. And if you can save some money while buying that, the pleasure is usually even higher. Now you can get pieces of collections from spring/summer season 2008 with discounts which range from 50% to 70%.

Luxorious shops, like Gucci in Prague, also see the beauty of summer sales, so it is possible to get a piece of clothing that would normally be too expensive. In the most shops, sales just started recently, so they now have “just“ 50% discount, well… but to get the desired item for half price sounds good. And you still have quite wide range of choices. Or you can wait for bigger discounts, which usually enable you to get items with a 70% discount, but then the range is usually already quite limited. Continue Reading

Prazske Schody - Prague Steps - Bicicle race in Prague

Tuesday 15 July 2008 17:35

In the context of the recent news of the first Czech gaining good scores at Tour de France, I can’t not recall the bicycle race, that takes place every year in Prague historical centre.

It is called simply Prazske schody, ‘Prague steps’. And as the name indicates, a significant part of the race are the hideous steps that await for locals and tourists for example around the Prague Castle.

That means about sixty competitors meet with huge applause from about ten thousand visitors every year.

Most popular is the tradition of descending the 189 Castle steps. Prazske Schody is unique to this discipline as all similar competition take place in an open country.

A First Czech who Scores well in Tour de France

Tuesday 15 July 2008 15:33

Roman Kreuziger rides with the best, Roman Kreuziger climbs the well-known mountain peak of Tourmalet and so on and on. The media say his name, every now and then. The Czech rider from Plzen (Pilsen) is the first Czech who battles for the first steps of the ladder in the legendary Tour de France.

He has never ridden harder phase in his life. Two devilish uphills on Pyrenees peaks Tourmalet and Hautacam took his power and speech, he wasn’t able to talk for quite long in the end. But again, he walked with pride, he is at 21st place so far, and in duel for the best young rider to 25 years he is fourth.

So far, the leader of the race is Australian Cadel Evans.

Mighty Sounds 2008 Festival Drawing Near

Tuesday 15 July 2008 13:32

mighty sounds girls 2007 Mighty Sounds 2008 has six stages – three live stages, two djs’ stages and the theatre chapitaux.

On live stages, there will be more than 100 bands from 14 countries of the world. Genres like ska, punk, reagge, dancehall, rock’n’roll and hard core, but the organizers do not hesitate when it comes to good guality hip hop or indie guitar music.

You will also be able to hear more than 100 djs on reproducted stages . First stage – Radio 1 stage is focused preferably on ska, reggae, dancehall, latino and during night jungle and breakbeat. Second one – SM stage has much wider range of music styles to offer – from soul over breakcore to heavy metal.

Read on the detailed info about Mighty Sounds

This year it will be from 18.7. to 20.07.2008. Official beginning is on Friday 18.07. at 3 p.m., but it is also possible to arrive already one day before that, in order to get the place of your choice at the camp site. Festival ends on Monday morning 21.7. around 08:00.

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Czech Miss Buckova was among the finest at Miss world Competition

Tuesday 15 July 2008 11:30

Eliska Buckova was quite successful at the most prestigious beauty contest of the world Miss Universe 2008 in Nha Trang, Vietnam. In competition of eighty girls from all around the world she made it to the elite fifteen. At the same time she was eleven in the ‘best body in bikini’ competition.

Buckova is a 18 year old high school student, comes from the most Eastern part of the Czech Republic, and she was quite happy and sweet; “I am happy, as to get so far is a great victory for me. The finals was a huge and unforgettable experience” The new Miss Universe became Dyana Mendozao from Venezuela.

Tickets for finals of Miss universe were should out weeks ago.
Czechs usually score high in natural beauty competitions.

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Charles Bridge Reconstruction

Tuesday 15 July 2008 09:49

The problem of Charles Bridge is greater than expected. Rain water runs into the unique Gothic monument and the stone blocks are loosening. Because of the state of the bridge there has been large reconstructions going on for over a year, getting more difficult, as they progress.

The ex-representative of Prague Vladimir Hruska watched the ongoing works and because he appealed to the Ministry of Culture, the reconstruction of Charles Bridge is being scanned. According to Hruska, use of pneumatic drill on a bridge from sandstone makes more harm than good.

The preservationists who work on the bridge admit they have problems with the monument – “… disassemble of the bridge was made difficult by the last repair in the 70’s – cement was used as binding material, and it cannot be removed simply by hammer and chisel.

Whether they will find any professional misconduct is a question.

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QUEEN and Paul Rodgers in Prague

Friday 11 July 2008 13:05

THE QUEEN and Paul Rodgers were in Prague in 2005 already, after a successful concert they return for The Cosmos Rocks Tour 2008.

The Queen and Paul Rodgers collaboration began in late 2004 when Queen were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame. Guitarist Brian May had previously performed with Paul Rodgers on several occasions, including at the Royal Albert Hall. Roger Taylor, drummer of Queen, and Brian May have been active in the music industry since the death of Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury in 1991 and the retirement of bassist John Deacon in the late 1990s.

With a new album in the pipeline – the first new studio album to carry the Queen name since the Freddie Mercury sessions – Queen is heading back on the road for a four-month tour, once again in the company of musician, Winter and songwriter Paul Rodgers, who joined the band for the highly successful 2005-2006 world tour.

In all, the tour of Paul Rodgers and the band was attended by more than a million people.

The Queen + Paul Rodgers 28-date arena tour will take in 14 countries in just seven weeks, and take the band to Northern Eurasia, Central and Southern Europe, and the UK, and is expected to wind up at the end of the year with the band’s highly anticipated return to South America, the setting of some of its most historic tours in the early 80’s.

Paul Rodgers’ voice is one of rock’s platinum assets and as a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter as front man of Free and Bad Company and as a solo artist he has written, produced and recorded some of radios biggest hits.

Between them, Queen and Paul Rodgers have released more than 50 albums during their long careers and sold in excess of a staggering 300 million records.

Tickets prices: standing: 990-1190 czk seats: 1090-1690 czk. The big event takes place on 31st October 2008 in O2 Arena at Prague Holesovice.

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Brussel Dream Exhibition in Prague

Thursday 10 July 2008 12:54

Do you like old fashioned exhibitions? At this moment, there is an interesting exhibition in the Municipal library (Mestska knihovna) in Prague. This exhibition is called Brussel Dream and shows how Czechoslovakia presented itself on the world exhibition Expo 58 in Brussel in Belgium. It was fifty years ago, so now comes an ideal time to remember this event, which was pretty important for Czechoslovak culture .

So if you want to get to know more about it, you should visit the Prague Municipal library. The exhibition is on until 21th of September 2008.

Opening hours: Monday – Sunday, 10 am – 6 pm.
Entrance fee: 120 CZK Adults, 60 CZK others.
You can reach the Municipal Library easily from Staromestska metro station.

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Opera Mozart at The Estates Theatre

Wednesday 09 July 2008 15:45

The summer season of the Opera Mozart at The Estates Theatre has been the highpoint of Prague’s cultural life for nearly a decade. During that time, there has been a revolution against the overly conservative opera productions of the 1980s, leading to the birth of a professional artistic ensemble that, in spite of having given thousands of performances, is still maintaining an avant-garde approach to creation and to non traditional productions, and its continually giving many young artists the opportunity to confront classical opera and the opera world’s leading personalities.

The list of productions has included not only such world famous operas as Don Giovanni, Die Zauberflöte, or Cosi fan tutte, but also lesser-known, rarely Mozart’s operas like la clemenza di Tito and Il re pastore (Czech premiere – Opera Mozart, 15th August 1999).

Thanks to the universality of the operatic genre and the attractiveness of Mozart’s operas, as well as to the professionalism of the organisation behind Opera Mozart, the company has made a stable place for itself in the world of the arts. Online tickets at Ticketportal, performances every day.

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Opposers of the Radar had a big day yesterday.

Wednesday 09 July 2008 13:57

If Franz Kafka would be living, he would be surprised, and maybe got some inspiration for a new book. The year is 2008, exactly 40 years from the Russian occupation. Meanwhile humanists devote their efforts to commemorate the victims of communism, Jiri Paroubek from CSSD invited a Russian general, to speak against the US Base. The Kafka-like fact is, he invited the general to the building of the former Lenin Museum, and they let him speak literally at the same place where Lenin declaimed war at American Imperialism in 1912 at the opening ceremony.

Why is Jiri Paroubek against the radar ? He says “… the new American administrative won’t be going on crusades like the present one.” Crusades? Who used this before? Of course, it was Osama Bin Laden. To connect Lenin and Osama, just to get publicity or whatever, seems very Kafka to me. Inspired by article by Zbynek Petracek

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The Mair Radar treaty signed yesterday

Wednesday 09 July 2008 11:34

The historic moment, which is by its supporters labeled as similar to the Marshall Plan, by the opposers to Russian occupation in 1968, took place yesterday. Karel Schwarzenberg and Condoleezza Rice met in Prague to sign the main treaty about the us military base at Czech territory. The main purpose of the base is to locate possible flying military rockets that could be fired e.g. from Iran.

The contract yet needs to be signed by the parliament, which means its future is not 100% clear – the opposition would do anything to stop the radar form being build. Jiri Parobek invited a Russian General to speak about the dangers of cooperating with the US military, there was a demonstration on the Wenceslas square. And it wouldn’t be Russia, not to threaten the CR with use of their militia, so also their diplomacy send some new threats.

The ruling part of the Parliament has a reason to celebrate, but the matter is not over yet. The main show is to come, when the treaty is to be agreed by the whole Parliament.

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Questions and Answers about the US Radar base in the CR

Wednesday 09 July 2008 09:23

What has to be done yet?
If the radar is to be build, the politicians have to sign and accredit two international contracts. The main agreement was signed yesterday by Karel Schwarzenberg and Condoleezza Rice. The second contract is the Agreement between the Czech Republic and the USA about the status of military forces, so called SOFA. The negotiations continue, for example the problem of taxes is still not solved.

What is the resume of the main contract?
The Americans commit themselves to, using the anti-rocket defense, protect the Czech Republic against the possible attack of ballistic rockets. The Maximal number of soldiers present at the base is 250. The main command is in the hands of the USA anti-rocket defense department.

When the contract actually start to apply?
When it is ratified by the parliament.

How does the radar work?
Radar should be able to ‘see’ a military rocket about four minutes after it starts. It does it by continually transmitting radio waves. Source: LN

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Prague charity project - buy a brick, help to build

Wednesday 09 July 2008 08:35

You may have noticed it when walking through the streets of Prague. It looks like a rather strange happening with a chimney-like structure in the middle of the street. This “chimney” is made of colorful bricks which are covered with names and pictures. The people who hold a patrol there many try you and ask if you are able to pull it down, but I have seen may people trying, and even when the bricks are not glued or anything, the round structure holds firmly.

You can notice various signatures and pictures at the bricks, which were written by people who contribute to the charity project. The Brick Action is a fund-raising action of a civic organization called Portus Praha. The aim of this organization is to help people with mental handicaps to live normal lives and integrate them into everyday life of the society.

The places where it is possible to see them would be e.g. Old Town Square and at the bottom end of Wenceslas Square. You can’t miss it. Read one here

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Love, Erotica, Passion Exhibiton in Prague

Tuesday 08 July 2008 17:34

Various forms of relations between men and women is the topic of the new exhibition at Laska – touha – vasen at the Clam Gallas Pallace in Husova Street. The subtitle of the exhibition is Erotic Themes in 15th to 19th Century Art.

The exhibition takes place in exhibition spaces of the Clam Gallas Pallace in Husova Street and was prepared by Prague City Archives and National Gallery in Prague in cooperation with the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague.

Love, desire and passions fascinate humans since the beginning of ages, some ways how those themes were depicted in European western culture from 15th to 19th centuries can be seen on the exhibition. The exhibition does not really try for some “higher intellectual aims” – as to come with new discoveries in the field of Art history. The main aim is to make an attractive event for visitors, who can enjoy beautiful pieces of Art, sometimes even quite provocative ones. Although, there are some pieces, which are exhibited on the public for the very first time, because of their provocative topic.

There are to be seen for example works of British Artist Aubrey Beardsley, who made very erotic illustrations to antique comedy Lysistrata (written by famous Aristophanes, the story is about women who decide to stop pleasing their men unlit they stop their fights). It is said that Beardsley did not want this illustrations to be preserved after his death, but they were and now you can enjoy watching them. Among other famous Artists whose works are exhibited on Love – Desire – Passion exhibition can be named Albrecht Durer, Fransisco Jose Goya de Lucientes or Joos van Cleve. And there is also a separate section which shows works done by Czech Artists of 19th century as Josef Manes, Vaclav Brozik, Vaclav Hynais and so on.

Read on here

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Taxi drivers plan rise, km ->31 czk

Tuesday 08 July 2008 13:39

Prague cabs are going to increase their prices after this holidays already. From the current 28/km to 31/km, a minute of waiting from 6 to 7 czk and the starting fee will go from 40 to 45 czk.

The new prices have a logical reason – rising prices of fuels reflect rising prices of services. The taxi drivers even demonstrated by blocking the expressway to the airport.

Of course, the taxi rivers would increase the prices much radically if they got a chance. But with consideration of those stories one hears, about the taxi drivers being the dark stain of Prague, it is no wonder severe regulations are in place.

We are going to inform you about the mater development.

Czech Government welcomes Condoleezza Rice

Tuesday 08 July 2008 11:44

The Czech Government is going to confirm the contract of building the American radar of anti-rocket defense. Today afternoon, the foreign minister Karel Schwarzenberg is going to sign the treaty with the leader of American diplomacy Condoleezza Rice.

At the same time, the opposition CSSD is going to make an opposite event – they have invited a Russian general, who is traditionally going to speak about how Russia doesn’t like their ex-colonies making pacts with some other countries, when they did so much to us and we should be grateful and invite them over again anyways. I exaggerate of course, but basically the Russian military is the greatest critique of the planned radar base.

The interesting part of the story is Rice wrote a book about the Czechoslovakia security – The Soviet Union and the Czechoslovak Army, 1948-1983: Uncertain Allegiance. In 1985 the Czechoslovak ‘book reviewer’ criticized it very much, obedient to the will of the USSR. Anyway Rice knows about the situation here in Eastern Europe and she is the right person to subscribe the radar treaty, maybe better than George W.

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Avril Lavige 2nite in Prague

Tuesday 08 July 2008 09:49

Twenty three years old Canadian brings energetic punkrock to Prague. The cheeky and self-confident songwriter and singer is to perform energetic show for her last album The Best Damn Thing.

The concert is going to be probably a big one, as the organizing agency announced the O2 Arena, where it takes place was almost sold out yesterday.

Avril moves to Prague from Budapest, where she sung yesterday, and she probably arrives to Prague during the day. Her show arrives in six trucks and two buses. Her equipment includes huge projecting screen and a few dancers.

“I can’t wait to be on tour again. The biggest adventure for me is making a concert in front of fans, when I feel, the energy flows from both sides.” Avril says. She has gone on tour in May, and she returns to the Czech Republic after three years.

The ticket prices vary from 550czk to 790 czk and the venue is O2 Arena.

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Bathory - the most expensive Czech film

Tuesday 08 July 2008 08:30

Director Juraj Jakubisko directed the most expensive film of Czech cinematography. His drama and historical movie is called Bathory and tells the story of Elizabeth Bathory (Ersebet Bathory), a Hungarian countess who lived in today´s Slovakia in 16th/17th century.

Bathory is very infamous for murdering and torturing her vassals. She is also said to kill many innocent young girls to get their virgin blood, which she believed should help her to preserve her beauty. But now, for almost hundred years later, historicians´ opinions about her and her life are not that uniform. Some say that she got extremely rich and independent, and thus become a target of jealousy and then evil machinations of her enemies. So who really was she?

The film with budget of 10 000 000 Euros, which makes it the most expansive film in the history of not only Czech, but as well Slovak cinematography, was made in international coproduction of companies from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and United Kingdom with additional funding provided by European Union´s Eurimages, the State Czech funding for cinematography (Statni fond CR pro podporu a rozvoj ceske kinematografie) and the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic. If you want to know more, read on

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Public Drinking in Prague Banned at some Places

Monday 07 July 2008 15:55

carefully.... Since Monday the new public notice of the city hall come into operation. For most of us who, once in while, go to have a romantic bottle of wine while watching the sunset from Kampa Park there is a question we would like to know an answer to – will the new law be a tool against the homeless, or a tool against decent people?

Kampa park was the controversial park of the public notice, however the resolution was passed, so there is no alcohol drinking allowed since. The other places are the area at Narodni Trida around Tesco, the park in front of the main train station, at Petrin hill, at I. P. Pavlova square or at Karlovo namesti.

The parks that were spared of the ban are for example Letna and Stromovka by the Exhibition ground. The general places where drinking is banned in Prague are in areas around schools, medical facilities, metro stations, children playgrounds and bus/tram stations.

Meanwhile everyone probably agrees public drinking ban is necessary if we want to keep our metropolis at higher level, we are can but hope this law won’t be abused for repression, but used for getting rid of various unpleasant individuals.

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Another musical Giant in Prague: Seal

Monday 07 July 2008 13:59

British singer Seal, who is among the biggest stars of contemporary soul, performs this Tuesday in Prague. He returns to the same place where he sung three years ago, to the HC Sparta arena at the Exhibition ground in Prague

This time, he prepared repertoire from his last year published album System. The almost two metre tall man with the face covered with scars can look forward to Prague – his new album was among the most selling twenty for quite a few weeks.

45yo Seal was born in London to parents of Brazil and Nigeria origin. The typical scars on his face were caused by a serious dermatological disease of his early childhood.

Seal Tomorrow in HC Sparta Prague! Read on for info about tickets etc..

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Vaclav Havel Interview for Financial Times

Monday 07 July 2008 11:49

The Ex president Vaclav Havel feels sorry, the former communist states weren’t able to finish the revolution from 1989 by reforming post-communism; to get rid of ex-communists with economic power. He said that for Financial Times interview.

“As the young generation grows up, the society needs to get rid of people in power deformed by communism” he states. According to him, it is a trend of two faces; at one side it brings benefits to certain people, at the other side it generates danger for the other.

Havel also spoke about changes that brought technical development to the society, e.g. about mobile phones, compared to little development the society did on humane fields.

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UNESCO honours Prague for its care of historical landmarks

Monday 07 July 2008 09:55

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) committee have honoured Prague for the state of Sights and Monuments at their meeting in Quebec. UNESCO approves of Prague, and Czech Republic heritage organization.

The Prague mayor Pavel Bem and the leader of municipal preservationists Jan Knezinek are very pleased with the results.

“Prague sight reservation is very unique and the extent and quality of sight keeping is very extraordinary in the world context. The note from UNESCO made me very happy.” Bem wrote.

Skalsky, who criticizes building of the new skyscrapers at Pankrac, commented the report is surprising in the context of UNESCO last year deliverance about the planned construction at Pankrac. They expressed their “serious discomposure”with the new skyscrapers. Later on, the skyscrapers were granted a licence.

Jugglig Festival in Prague

Monday 07 July 2008 08:54

Since the right hemisphere is normally associated with creativity, then any activity which helps to awaken this suppressed hemisphere is certainly welcome. Enter juggling. Who could argue juggling does not use both sides of the brain? Both hands are used in juggling, aren’t they?

Jugglers learn in a narrow focus situation. Recall how most people learn to read. First, they learn to recognize the letters (the ball or pin). Then they learn to recognize the word (the juggling pattern). However, once this basic juggling “pattern” (the word) has been learned, then the focus can shift to a higher level still (the words become a sentence). An example of this would be a juggler on a rola-bola.

If an accomplished juggler now wants to learn a new trick, once again the focus must become narrow, the ball or pin must capture the attention (enter left-brain activity). Like a beginning new juggler, he or she must focus on throwing a double flip with the right hand before the left hand can throw a pin behind the back.

It appears juggling, like life itself, is a paradox. To catch we must not reach. To see the pattern we must not look at its parts. To learn we must unlearn.

If you like juggling and street art, there are some good news for you. From 24th to 27th of July there is going to be 8th year of Czech Juggling Convention and Street Festival in Prague. It is, as organizers states, a big celebration of juggling, acrobatic, new circus and other street art forms. Not only Czech people will be performers, the event is international. It consists not of performances on streets of Prague, some workshops, but also evening programs, lectures and gala shows. Read on

LOCATION/PLACE:
· TJ Sokol Zizkov – Konevova 19, Prague 3, Czech republic
· Park on the Vitkov hill in the centre of the city

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Yesterday storm flooded Mustek Metro in Prague

Friday 04 July 2008 15:49

The expected rainstorm, which brought yesterday cloud burst, stroke the life in the metropolis. The metro vestibule at the lower part of Wenceslas square, at Mustek Station, traditionally wasn’t able to deal with so much water and got a decent amount of water inside.

Fire brigades had a lot of work to do when unwatering the station, but it wasn’t the only place where they had to go. A few houses in central Czech Republic needed to unwater as well, also a lighting set a shed close to Prague on fire. Luckily, no one got seriously injured.

Dry and hot weather of the last days increased the danger of fire. The record came on Wednesday, when fire brigades had to go to 148 fires.

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World Cup Skateboarding stared

Friday 04 July 2008 13:44

And don’t worry, the whole skatepark is roofed, so the storms won’t matter. At Prague Stvanice, the Mystic SK8 Cup, one of contest of he World Cup Skateboarding started. It is the 15th year of the event, with he 1st prize still of 50 000$ of which about 200 riders from various countries are going to compete in vert, street and bowl.

The rides of skaters from over 20 countries will be accompanied by concerts, djs, workshops and and a graffiti wall. The director of he race Tomas Rejman said for LN we can look forward for the best riders of the world, which means this could be one of the best years of the competition

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Seal's concert in Prague

Friday 04 July 2008 11:49

Londoner Seal, the Grammy-avarded singer , songwriter and composer sppeared at British house scene with his hit Killer, followed by Crazy, which hit top ten and Seal became famous with critics and public as well. His four suessful albums brought a typical fusion of soul, pop, rock and rnb.

He comes to prague armed with his new album System, published in 2007 in cooperation with Stuart Price, the co-author of Madonna’s Confessions on a Dancefloor and an author of remixes for No Doubt and Coldplay.

His music has undoubtable art value, so much lacked by most of the pop artists you hear every now and then from a radio. Seal is able to compose very complex melodies, often spiced with melodical pearls, hidden, waiting until you have listened it closely. Seal’s a little rusty baryton multiplies the dreamy atmosphere in new songs.

Tickets: 1.600 – 700,- czk
Venue: Arena HC Sparta Praha
When: Tuesday 8th July 2008, 21:00

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Women in the Sun. Three Women Sculptors at Prague Castle

Friday 04 July 2008 09:43

Alina Szapocznikow Three different stories, three different artistic expressions. Confronted with each other, they reveal common themes and motivations. Vera Janouskova, Eva Kmentova, Alina Szapocznikow present their exhibition. They all studied under Josef Wagner at Prague’s UMPRUM immediately after the war, and although their work each followed its own path, their art and their relationship to the world and the present day show clear parallels and correlations. Their distinctiveness, which grew out of the female experience, is expressed in three different ways of understanding the physical nature of this experience.

Informed by the cubist composition of forms, they in particular emulated the voluminous figures of Otto Gutfreund. Under the unmistakable influence of abstraction and informel, however, they moved away from statues and classic figures towards objects, only to return in a radical manner to the figure, now conceived as an object. They created assemblages, experimented with materials and invented new ways of using them.

In the 1960s, Szapocznikow became involved in the New Realism in Paris, while Janouskova and Kmentová helped to establish the New Figuration. They developed themes related to the figure, the body, imprints, traces, identity, birth and decline, ephemerality and permanence. Kmentová’s and Szapocznikow’s work in particular share a certain kinship, even though they are in some ways antithetical to each other. Both artists found a source of ideas and an important expressive tool in the human body, the parts of the body, the torso and imprints of the body, in particular their own bodies. The works of Szapocznikow and Janoušková, meanwhile, share a common use of found materials and mixed media, although Janoušková expresses her relationship to physicality with a greater level of abstraction.

Event: 31.07.2008 – 31.10.2008
Venue: Royal Summer Palace

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Have you tried to buy an SMS Ticket?

Friday 04 July 2008 08:00

If yes, you may be interested in the plain fact the Prague City Transport company keeps your number for 10 years. Apart from this curious fact, the SMS tickets became a serious business, which sells 22 000 a day. That, yearly, brings the Prague Transport Company profits of about 200 millions czk.

The SMS are kept for the case travellers would argue with controllers, that they bought the ticket. That doesn’t explain, why to keep the numbers for 10 years, but it makes sense. It is presented like a price for more comfortable buying.

The Office for personal data logically disapproves the doings – according to it piling up telephone numbers of people who didn’t give agreement to it is not kosher and started to investigate it already.

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Do Czechs speak English? Hot video with models included

Thursday 03 July 2008 17:50

Doing some research, I found that the official European Union numbers regarding whether a person speaks English or not:

18 and under ~ 80%
19 to 35 ~ 50%
55 and older ~ 5%

But this is slanted. People in Prague tend to speak more English than the rest of the Czech Republic and they make up 10% of the population. In Prague it is easy to find someone who speaks English on the Street. In Brno, 1/2 the population of Prague it drops off substantially on the street. If you are doing professional business, working with the Universities, Government, etc you will find English speaking in Bohemia everywhere. But not on the street.

However I found also something else during the research – how does the rest struggle with the total basis of English. So I decided to include also something else – a video done by LSG Models, including some hot Czech girls struggle with pre-school English level. Enjoy!

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In the end the Sausages from Wenceslas square have to go

Thursday 03 July 2008 15:22

Not even a petition, where loyal customers subscribe they really do want to keep the kiosks there, won’t prevent the Prague Town Council from closing them. The kiosks should have been gone on 1st July, at the present moment they are still there, but that is not going to last long. From the present 26 there should be only a few left, only now it is not clear when.

There is also a lot of people, who welcome the proposal of closing the kiosks with a relieve. They say the kiosks attracted, together with tourists, a weird sort of people who were getting drunk there. The owner still keeps protesting, he doesn’t like the idea he should take the kiosks away, when he recently bought new ones.

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An Extraordinary Storm This Evening

Thursday 03 July 2008 13:42

Massive storms accompanied by strong wind are heading to the Czech Republic today from the west. It should strike Prague as well this evening. The meteorologists recommend to prepare well, especially if you reside close to Lipensky or Orlicky lake, in a camp or an auto camp.

Stefan Hadzak from Czech hydro-meteorological institute warns it will be no fun from evening to morning in Central and Southern Bohemia. Tomorrow, temperatures are about to drop 10 Celsius, which means the tropical 30°C will go down to more enjoyable 20°C.

If you are looking for up-to-date weather in Prague, take a look here.

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The Street Art Festival of Prague

Thursday 03 July 2008 11:52

From 16 to 18 July in the street Na Kampe by the Famous Charles Bridge is possible to something you would expect in Paris or Barcelona – a street art festival. Performers are traditionally street actors, puppet actors, puppeteers, mimes, jugglers and stilt walkers, who turn the area of Kampa into big theatre stage.

This year it will be the VII year of Teatrotoc festival, bringing 70 performances from 15 Czech and international groups from the Czech Republic, Germany, USA, South Africa, Island and Austria. No need to say All the performances are free entry. Prague citizens and visitors have the unique chance to get entertained by the very old traditional way, which we tend to forgot about in our uber-urbanized society.

Event: Teatrotoc festival
Date: 16 – 18 July
Place: Na kampe street and Wenceslas square

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The police really checks if the new law is adhered

Thursday 03 July 2008 09:16

a clean one The first polluters were surprised, when a police officer told them to lift that cigarette bud according to the new law, otherwise they would have to pay the fine. Most of them cooperated and lifted it from the ground, but still the self-confidence of 13 polluters didn’t allow them to bow before the police officers, so they rather paid the fine of 500 czk.

As a matter of fact, this may be a real change. I was skeptical to the proposal at first, because often some new laws that pass won’t get through to the people, like laws about prostitutes, drugs etc. But it seems Prague will get cleaner hopefully. But what I still miss in Prague, is a good old-fashioned car with a tank and a hose, which would clean the streets with Vltava water every evening. If that will be another step, I am happy.

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Angels sleeping - Gottfried Helnwein in the Rudolfinum Gallery

Wednesday 02 July 2008 17:58

Works by Austrian artist Gottfried Helnwein are now to be seen in the Rudolfinum Gallery on the exhibition entitled Angels sleeping. He is a phenomenon in the field of hyperrealistic painting.

Working in a technique of oil and acrylic painting, he makes extremely precise canvases of a big measure, based on photographs. Their topics are taken from history as well as from pop-culture and he also often deals with theme of a child in extreme situations.

The realistic look of painting is startling; he is very precise and technically extremely skilful. But the paintings look bit too strange… well, but I let you to make your opinion on your own, after the visit of the exhibition.

The exhibition lasts until 31st of August 2008. More informaion on Angels sleeping is here

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Mars Volta Concert moves to Roxy from Mala Sportovni Hala

Wednesday 02 July 2008 15:39

The concert will go as planned on 26th July, only the venue changes. The appearance in Roxy will offer almost intimate meeting with this, for many people, legendary formation. Mars Volta is going to introduce their latest, and quite mystic, album „The Bedlam In Goliath“. The core of the group plays music that resembles pure madness, but concerts prove that behind that crazy composing is hidden excellent musicianship. Crushing energetic power of the sound with professional jazz solos, hardcore, punk or salsa and especially no will for compromise.

26th of July 2008, 20:00. The duration of the concert is usually 2,5 – 3 hours. The original tickets stay valid, new are possible to buy for 750 czk at Ticketpro. The Venue change to Roxy in Dlouha street.

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George Lucas will shoot in Prague

Wednesday 02 July 2008 13:56

New Hollywood action movie will be screened in Prague again. In 2009, George Lucas with his staff is going to shoot a WWII movie in Prague. Barrandov Studios matches the requirements for a Lucas’ spectacle; they are very large in size, the level of equipment and staff take wold ranks, and all that for reasonable prices. Many internationally renown films like Narnia were shoot in Barrandov.

George Lucas has been preparing this movie for a few years – it is a story of black men at the military air-forces. The project called Red Tails speaks about problems, which the Afro-Americans had to overcome at the time when racism at the army was not unusual. Those 14 black pilots from Tuskegee show that a black man not only can fly, but can belong to the top pilots.

Condoleezza Rice is going to Prague

Wednesday 02 July 2008 11:43

She is going to spend one night in a hotel, probably in a luxurious one, like Hilton, where George Bush was accommodated last year. Mandarin Oriental or Four Seasons are the other most v.i.p. Prague hotels. She will most probably have increased safety measures, like bodyguards.

The minister comes to sign another Radar treaty with the Czech side, which means she must prepare not only for politicians supporting the radar but also the opposes – the Ne Zakladnam (No to Bases) motion prepares a demonstration at the Wenceslas Square. At 18:00.

The American special with Rice on the board arrives on Tuesday the next week, on Wednesday, she is to leave early to Poland, for the matter of Polish-American base.

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Fines for chewing gums and pigeons feeding in Prague

Wednesday 02 July 2008 09:50

there you go...that will be 500 czk The Holidays have started, and with them, the new fines started to be given awy. Perhaps, a cigarette bud thrown away can be the reason. Or a chewing gum spitted on a pavement. Or even throwing some bread to pigeons. If there appears to be an oily pool under a vehicle, the owner can find a fine behind his windscreen wiper. All this due to the new public notice for clean Prague.

The police officers can fine a caught litterer up to thousand czk at the place. If the person refuses to pay it, the offense is dealt with at the town council, the officers can lift it up to 30 000 czk. Anyway Prague municipal council proclaims the public notice is not intended for persecuting decent folks. The idea is the police should have a tool for people who litterbug usually one spot on everyday basis.

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The jubilee 15th Year of Mystic Sk8 Cup in Prague

Tuesday 01 July 2008 17:42

This years contest is, as usual, linked to the World Cup skateboarding 2008. Mystic Sk8 Cup traditionally belong to the most favorite holiday action in Prague.

Since Friday 4th to Sunday 6th July, the world best riders will compete in three disciplines – streetstyle, vert and bowl for the main prize of 50 000 $. The bowl discipline is new here, and very attractive, as the park was designed by legendary characters of Skateboarding Dave Duncan a Brian Patch.

Every year, about 10.000 will come to form the audience, the atmosphere is unique also because the audience knows what is going on the in the skate world. And also because the world comes to them – over 200 professional riders from 25 countries, including the world top from the USA Brazil, Australia a Europa.

There will be also workshops, music will be played by Vladimir 518, Sunshine, Apple Juice, Chilla Killers, Czeck Beatbox Allstars, DJs Loutka, Robot, Trafik, Kuba Soulcheck and others.

Event: Mystic Sk8 Cup in Prague
Venue: Stvanice Island
When: Friday 4th to Sunday 6th July
Tickets: 290/day, 590/3days at Ticketpro

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Czechs do not need work permit for France anymore

Tuesday 01 July 2008 13:48

France now widens the list of countries, which citizens do not need work permit for job in the country. This work liberation concerns especially countries of Middle and Eastern Europe. Czechs, who joined the EU in 2004, need the permit only in Germany, Austria and Belgium.

“Economic situation and employment in France was very different in 2004. Unemployment was reaching 10%, meanwhile now the situation is much better at 7,5% of unemployed. Modernization of farming, modernization of labour market and employment, France is now better prepared for workers of new member states” the business council of French embassy Bernard Boidin sates.

Free migration is one of four base freedoms of the united Europe.

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New Laws in Prague - No Chewing gum spitting!

Tuesday 01 July 2008 13:18

The first of July brought the changes into effect. Since today, to spit out a chewing gum on a street, to throw away a cigarette bud or just feeding pigeons equals a possible fine.

The new public notice of cleanness takes itself seriously, and so the police officers of Prague will be ready to check it from the first day.

The fines which are possible to get at the spot go up to 1000czk. This is a common practice in all good European metropolises. Prague police is hardening, and we can look forward to other limits, too – drinking alcohol at public places ban will be probably passed as well, soon.

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Festival Rock For People this Weekend

Tuesday 01 July 2008 11:30

One of the biggest Czech festivals and the owner of Music Event 2007 prize Rock For People moved from the capaciously insufficient place in Cesky Brod to comfort space of Festival Park, previously known as a military airport.

The volume of this year takes place 3th – 5th July. The international stars are 2 oldschool groups, Offspring and Massive Attack, and a contemporary one Kaiser Chiefs.

Other international groups are Enter Shikari, Black Mountain, Donots, Flogging Molly, H2O, Holy Fuck, Helmet, Madball, Locos and almost thirty others. Czech and Slovak music is supplied by Kabát, Aneta Langerová, Divokej Bill, David Koller, Kryštof, Wohnout, Xavier Baumaxa, Tři sestry, Horkýže slíže and many others.

Tickets: At the entrance for 1100 czk. More info about Rock For People festival here

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Czech Golf Player Kordova didn't get her 43 000$ but still is a miracle

Tuesday 01 July 2008 09:36

Because she is so young! Just Fifteen years old sportsgirl Jessica Kordova, the daughter of the ex-tennis-player player Petr Korda have chosen golf when she was eight. This Sunday, she was 19th in the US Open, the best position a Czech player got to. Her father, who once won the Australian Open, is surely proud of her, she now holds one of the best successes of the Czech golf.

On Sunday, she got those 18 holes in 69 shots. Ochoa than went to congratulate her, and she also said she hopes they meet again on the Tour in a few years. But there is one condition – Kordova would have to go professional, and that won’t be very soon as she still goes to school. Also – if she were a professional, she would earn 43 000$ for 19th place – as an amateur she didn’t get anything. What she says is more important she automatically proceeds to US Open of 2009, where she will be one year more experienced.

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