Topic Archive Society
The Little Clown Project – a new generation of Czech volunteers at work
In the Czech Republic, where the state controlled everything under
Communism, volunteering does not enjoy a long tradition. But some 20 years
after the demise of the former regime, more and more young volunteers are
actively changing the face of their country. One of them is Petra
Milsimerová, who runs a project called Little Clown. More
Mailbox
Today in Mailbox: The Czech composer Julius Fučík, the answer to our
April competition question, a new quiz question for May. Listeners/readers
quoted: Karl Strauss, Paul R Peacock, Li Ming, Charles Konecny, Mary Lou
Krenek, Colin Law. More
Czechs top global addictions index, says Bloomberg - nonsense, say health workers
The news agency Bloomburg has given the Czech Republic the inglorious
distinction of first place on its Global Vice Index – a combined list of
alcohol, drug, cigarette and gambling prevalence in 57 countries. While
Czech primacy in beer consumption may be incontestable, the index also
cited the country as 12th in the world in gambling, 5th in cigarette
smoking and 2nd on the planet in drug use. What’s more, the amalgamated
information from the World Health Organisation, the UN Office on Drugs and
Crime and others, gave the Czech Republic a damning six point lead on the
second most depraved country, Slovenia. Humbug, say public health workers,
among them Dr. Tomáš Zábranský from the Centre of Addictology. More
Should the famous baroque plague column be returned to Prague’s Old Town Square?
Prague’s Old Town Square may be famous for its grandeur and architectural
beauty, but it is, in fact, a shadow of its former self. A great chunk of
the Old Town Hall building was decimated by the Nazis at the end of the
war, and has never been rebuilt. To this day, a rather bare park stands
where most of the building once did. And across from the famous Jan Hus
sculpture used to be a towering Marian column, built in 1650 and felled in
1918, by Czechs who felt it symbolized the country’s Habsburg past. More
Stephan Delbos- a Prague-based poet, teacher and reporter
Stephan Delbos is a Prague-based poet. Five years ago, he moved to Prague,
where he edits the Prague Review, teaches literary writing at Charles
University, works as a business reporter at the English language newspaper
The Prague Post and occasionally hosts the Alchemy poetry reading series at
the Globe café. I talked to Mr. Delbos about the English language poetry
scene here in Prague and what initially drew him to the city. More
Magazine
In this edition of Magazine: a security guard hand-cuffs himself by
accident; a man is arrested after failing to notice that his passport
contains an inconceivable expiry date and Brno tests a pissoir for dogs. More
Head of STEM polling agency: Czechs are ashamed of their politicians
Half-way through the government’s term in office Czechs are so fed up
with political infighting and corruption scandals that 80 percent of them
now support early elections. For this week’s Panorama I spoke to Jan
Hartl head of the STEM polling agency about the mood of the public, what
people think of Czech politicians and whether the developments of the past
few months have robbed them of any illusions they may have had regarding
politics. More
Learning Czech at UC Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley is one of 11 American universities
where students can study Czech language, literature and culture. Small but
dedicated groups of students grapple with the challenges of Czech grammar
and pronunciation in up to three classes per week. Despite budget cuts
throughout all departments of public universities in California, Czech, a
niche central European language, still has its place at the Department of
Slavic Languages and maintains enthusiasm amongst those eager to learn it.
More
All tastes catered for in Prague coffee museum
In today’s Spotlight we take a trip to a hidden gem of a museum in a
Prague suburb which traces the often surprising history of coffee. The
private Coffee Museum Alchymista takes you through coffee’s history,
cultivation, production and industry covering the many different strains
and its progress from a devilish concoction to everyday drink. More
Luciela Taschen - a new leather bag brand with a brand-new showroom
It was some six years ago that Lucia Jamrichová started making crochet net
bags – they became a huge success and soon, her brand Luciela Taschen was
featured in magazines and newspapers. Now, Lucia has decided to take her
passion for designing hand bags one step further. Her new designs are made
from quality leather – and can be touched, smelled and purchased at her
showroom on Letná’s Veverkova street. That is where I recently met her
to talk about bags, her love for crafts and fashion and what it feels like
to be sitting in front of one’s newly opened showroom. More
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