Dominik Lukeš's blog
Czech crooners (dead and alive) on YouTube
Author: Dominik Lukeš Posted: July 7th, 2008
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.
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Czech president sulky over same sex unions
Author: Dominik Lukeš Posted: June 27th, 2008
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
Author: Dominik Lukeš Posted: June 27th, 2008
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 »
Spread Bohemica.com with new widget!
Author: Dominik Lukeš Posted: June 23rd, 2008
You can now help spread Bohemica.com by sharing this widget on your site or on Facebook.
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Czech Worldmusic via Čankišou on YouTube
Author: Dominik Lukeš Posted: June 23rd, 2008
Categories: Music
• You Tube Pick
Czech folklore music often counts as World Music but this is Czech musicians having fun with what they perceive to be the music of the world. I found out about this video via an American friend who saw it on a World Music channel. read more »
First Czech gay pride parade to take place in Brno
Author: Dominik Lukeš Posted: June 22nd, 2008
Categories: Gender relations
Another step towards greater prominence of gay rights in the Czech Republic that also highlights the latent homophobia still present in some Czech circles. read more »
Škoda again heads list of top Czech companies
Author: Dominik Lukeš Posted: June 20th, 2008
Categories: Economy
• International perspectives: Czechs and the world
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
Author: Dominik Lukeš Posted: June 20th, 2008
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.
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Irglová: Czech singer and actress reaps fame rewards after Oscar win
Author: Dominik Lukeš Posted: June 14th, 2008
Categories: Culture
• Film
• Idioms
• International perspectives: Czechs and the world
• Music
• National identity
• You Tube Pick
"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 »
People speaking Czech on YouTube 1: 10 Survival Phrases
Author: Dominik Lukeš Posted: June 8th, 2008
Sometime ago I started a theme of Czech music on YouTube but never followed up on it. Here's an extension of it: People speaking Czech on YouTube. There are lots of people speaking Czech on YouYube, sometimes the clips are funny, sometimes interesting and informative, and sometimes obscene. The first example is a run down of top 10 phrases from travellinguist.
