Czech Update

Czech crooners (dead and alive) on YouTube

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 13:37:28 +0100

Karel Hála, a star of Czech big band pop music since the 1950s just died as reported by Lidové Noviny. Here's a cliop of him and another stallwart of Czech pop Karel Gott. read more »

Czech president sulky over same sex unions

Dominik Lukeš — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 07:19:27 +0100

For an atheist and reasonably liberal country, same-sex unions are having a tough time in the Czech Republic. Finally, a new laws gives some rights to same-sex couples but it sent the president Václav Klaus into a tizzy. The president, as always happy to bolster his typical opportunistic populism with inherent homophobia, decided to signal his opposition by not signing the bill. read more »

Czech animation reviving rich history

Dominik Lukeš — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 07:12:05 +0100

Czechs have always been on the cutting edge of animation (even helping with some of the Tom and Jerry cartoons in the 1950s and 1960s) and now it seems, things are looking up again, as this short article in Variety suggests. The name from the past to take note of is Jan Švankmajer who's cited as an influence on Tim Burton and Terry Gilliam. read more »

Škoda again heads list of top Czech companies

Dominik Lukeš — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 07:53:04 +0100

With almost 10 billion Czech crowns (roughly 649 million USD), the Škoda car manufacturer heads the Czech Top 100 (worth 42 billion EUR) in size and value followed by the energy giant ČEZ and computer manufacturer Foxconn CZ. The only other tech company and the top one dealing in bits only was the former Czech Telecom. No internet companies made the top 10. read more »

Masaryk's name not for sale

Dominik Lukeš — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 07:45:12 +0100

Here's an interesting example of how history can be important to the present.

To have a glass of Masaryk? In ČR not possible - Czechnews - Aktuálně.cz Czechs are so proud of their first democratic president Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk that they will not let anyone use his surname as a trade mark.
read more »

Irglová: Czech singer and actress reaps fame rewards after Oscar win

Dominik Lukeš — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 10:55:19 +0100

"Co Čech to muzikant" (Scratch a Czech, find a musician) goes an old Czech saying (going back to 1800s at least) that used to be known around the musical world. And now it is again! read more »

How and where Czechs travel on holiday?

Dominik Lukeš — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 07:47:10 +0100

How Czechs travel seems to be impacting on where. The most popular destination for vacationing Czechs has been and still is Croatia. However, a recent Croat ban on importing certain kinds of foods has caused almost 10% of the 900 thosand Czechs planning a trip to cancel their holiday there (in favor of Italy or some other place). Why? read more »

Mašín brothers, history, present

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 03:08:00 +0100

The International Herald Tribune offers a very good write up of a rather small event in the history of early communist rule in Czechoslovakia that has caused much controversy in more recent times. read more »

Police respond to Prague tourists's needs

Dominik Lukeš — Sat, 31 May 2008 02:37:09 +0100

A new unit of Prague police will focus on the needs of tourists, particularly in crime prevention but also in helping them get around. read more »

Czech Healthcare Update

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 26 May 2008 23:35:38 +0100

An interesting write up of the Czech health system in the NY Times. read more »

Over a third of Czechs consider themselves poor

Dominik Lukeš — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 11:02:28 +0000

Although two thirds of Czechs have a problem making ends meet on their monthly earnings, only a third consider themselves poor. read more »

Record car pile up on Czech motorway

Dominik Lukeš — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 10:57:03 +0000

The main Czech motorway (dálnice) witnessed a record car pile up when 116 cars ran into each other (reminiscent of Blues Brothers) with no fatalities. This was due to unseasonably late snow storm.

30 people injured in 116-car collision in Czech_English_Xinhua read more »

Czech Republic experiencing biggest Baby Boom in 25 years

Dominik Lukeš — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 10:10:10 +0000

More than 10,000 more people were born in the Czech Republic than died which is the most since 1983. The 114 thousand newly borns take the total number of inhabitants to 10 million 381 thouthsand. This upward trend has been going on for the last 5 years. read more »

Ostrava: Former coal-mining town sees boom in IT

Dominik Lukeš — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 19:32:14 +0000

Prague has been such a dominant presence in Czech life so it's nice to see the regions pick up pace. read more »

Czechs no longer shrink shy

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:41:51 +0000

According to new stats, the number of Czechs seeking the services of a shrink has grown by almost a third since 2000. Experts claim that one of the reasons for that is more information about psych treatments. Supposedly almost half a million Czechs ended up on the couch in 2006 including 17500 hospitalisations due to mental illness. read more »

Can you teach an old president new tricks?

Dominik Lukeš — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 13:56:21 +0000

"Starého psa novým kouskům nenaučíš" goes the saying. But the freshly re-elected right-wing nationalistic populist Václav Klaus isn't particularly interested in anything new: “I will fight to retain the Czech koruna for as long as it is advantageous for Czechs,” he boasted. read more »

Czechs under stress

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:28:13 +0000

Turns out Czechs are just as susceptible to stress at work as people in other industrialized nations. What a surprise! read more »

Czech real estate more popular with foreigners

Dominik Lukeš — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 19:40:18 +0000

More and more properties are being snapped up by foreigners residing in the Czech Republic. What exactly that means for the economy and culture is not clear yet. More readers for this blog perhaps.

More foreigners now keen on buying Czech real estate - Czechnews - Aktuálně.cz read more »

Translating Prime Minister's profanity

Dominik Lukeš — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 02:28:22 +0000

Now, the prime minister Topolánek is getting sued for saying this: "Češi obvykle ale vidí všechno negativně a když k něčemu dojde, podělají se". read more »

Karel Gott, the never-aging pop star, marries in Las Vegas

Dominik Lukeš — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 02:08:39 +0000

He's been a fixture on the Czech, German and general East European music scene since at least he mid-1960s. Started off with Rock'n'Roll and descended into broad pop in the 70s. Sold millions and millions of records and is the subject of adoration and derision in equal measure. Most Czechs and their parents have grown up listening to him and watching him win music contests. read more »

New resource for Czech exile literature online

Dominik Lukeš — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 23:08:47 +0000

A complete text (all in Czech) of a book survey of Czech exile literature between 1971 and 1989 was made available by the author on the University of Glasgow's Slavonic Studies Department website. read more »

Half of Czechs are proud to be Czechs

Dominik Lukeš — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 07:45:26 +0000

One of those glass half-full half-empty surveys.

Proud to be Czech, but leave the politics aside - Czechnews - Aktuálně.cz read more »

Czechs end 2007 with EU freedom of movement

Dominik Lukeš — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 07:38:48 +0000

Finally, Czechs can leave their passports or IDs at home when travelling to any of their neighbouring countries. The Schengen zone has embraced a bunch of new countries including all those that share a border with Czech Republic. read more »

Šťastný Nový rok 2008 na Bohemica.com

admin — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 07:22:34 +0000

Bohemica.com a Dominik Lukeš vám spolu přejí Veselý nový rok 2008. PFko najdete na DominikLukes.net/2008. read more »

Czech inventor of the 'drunk tank' dies aged 91

Dominik Lukeš — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 22:07:26 +0000

Záchytka is a wonderful Czech word that stands for the institution for the collection of drunken (and possibly disorderly) individual wondering city streets occasionally referred to in English as 'drunk tank' or ' read more »