Compact archive July 18, 2008

Tom Waits heading to Prague

Friday 18 July 2008 16:25

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 14:24

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 12:30

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 10:55

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 09:30

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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