Posted in Life, Politics on February 29, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Czech energy drink producer has violated protection of privacy laws of Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg when it featured him on a billboard that promotes the drink.
The politican is depicted napping and the slogan says “You can last [stay awake] longer”.
Schwarzenberg did not give his consent that the photo that was taken during the recent presidential [...]
Posted in Life on February 28, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Czech Health Minister Tomas Julinek witnessed a traffic accident in which a man on a motorbike hit a pedestrian. The minister ordered his driver to stop the car and he rushed to assist the victim.
When the paramedics arrived they did not recognize him!
Julinek himself used to work as emergency ambulance doctor. Last time I actually did [...]
Posted in Life on February 28, 2008 | No Comments »
Tomorrow is February 29.
Obviously, there must be some legal rules as to when leaplings celebrate their birthdays (which is less important) and HOW THEIR AGE IS COUNTED. I have no idea what the rule is in the Czech Republic. Any special arrangements in your country? It does make sense to count only leap-year birthdays…
In the [...]
Posted in World on February 27, 2008 | 1 Comment »
Czech soldier named Martin Palik who is from my home town of Olomouc [or he might be stationed there, maybe I didn't catch it right] blogs from Iraq where he is with the Fourth Contingent of the Czech Army within the Multinational Forces.
Really interesting stuff if you can read Czech. He talks about missile attacks, [...]
Posted in Sports on February 27, 2008 | No Comments »
That was some asskicking…
Czech tennis player Petra Kvitova who is number 143 on WTA beats Venus Williams in three sets in Memphis!
I don’t like the Williams sisters, I always hated the marketing hubbub that surrounded them and that was created by their father. So — YAY!!!
Posted in Politics, World on February 26, 2008 | 2 Comments »
The governments of the Czech Republic and USA signed a memorandum on a new visa-free regime that should most definitely become effective as of this fall. There will be no visa, but people who want to travel to the States will need to fill out a questionnaire. They shall wait a few days from an e-mail [...]
Posted in Economy, Politics, World, tagged Bush, dollar, PM, Topolanek, visa on February 25, 2008 | No Comments »
Among the reasons for tough U.S. visa regime against Czechs was the fear of illegal workers. Czechs did come to the States as tourists and they stayed as cheap labor.
That was back then, when one dollar used to cost 37 crowns and people who worked hard could bring home pretty good money.
Now, 1 dollar costs [...]
Posted in Culture on February 25, 2008 | No Comments »
Czech songwriter and composer Marketa Irglova and her boyfriend Glenn Hansard have won an Oscar for the best song…
YOU GO, GIRL…
NOTE: For some reason, possibly due to some internal error, the whole name of the Czech artist would sometimes not display here. If this is the case, the name goes
MARKETA IRGLOVA. Sorry about that…
Posted in Life on February 24, 2008 | 1 Comment »
I just experienced the most unique Sir-can-you-spare-some-money encounter ever…
A forty-something man. Ten yards from my front door, on the street. You wouldn’t notice him in a crowd. He was not the latest fashion, but he didn’t wear anything that gets you kicked from a tram, either…
To make it short: Good day, sir. I am not [...]
Posted in Law on February 23, 2008 | No Comments »
Czechs are masters when it comes to system outsmarting… Like in case of speeding or parking tickets: if they are clocked or given the ticket, car owners can refuse to pay the fine, because they might say that their close person (husband, wife, parent, child… 
was driving the car at the time the traffic offense [...]
