Slovakia is making the last preparations to switch to the euro on January 1 in a feat for the country of 5 million whose recent history serves as a blueprint for economic success.
Category: News
tina b.
When I saw the site tina-b.com in my referrers, I thought, Oh, I didn’t know my friend Tina B. had her own web page. Turns out its The Prague Contemporary Art Festival, and tina-b stands for “This Is Not Another Biennial.” Maybe if I kept up on my contemporary art news this wouldn’t be a surprise to me (sorry, alma mater). In any case, thanks for the link, tina-b!
Police to investigate Czech National Library competition
The architects just as other competition critics mind that the winning project by Czech-born British architect Jan Kaplicky, dubbed “octopus” due to its shape, did not meet one competition condition.
Worth a click just for the rendition of the proposed building in its natural habitat. I think I’m happy for anything that will derail an attack of the Blob.
I married a Nazi — the comedy
I Served the King of England on the big screen. This is one of the many Czech novels I tore through while I was in Prague. Salon reviews.
You’ll have to live someone other than southeast Ohio to catch it, I assume.
”I had to do a miracle.”
From the New York Times:
”Aug. 21 is a very special day for the Czech Republic — it’s the 40th anniversary of the Soviet invasion in 1968,” she said afterward. ”I of course had a Russian competitor against me. She was winning with such a long throw,” she added, and said she wondered if she’d be able to turn the date to her advantage.
via Kottke
The Cabinet of Wonders
The Wall Street Journal reviews The Cabinet of Wonders, a new novel for tweens loosely based on the story of Prague’s Astronomical Clock.
EU not to protect smelly Czech delicacy for now
“Olomoucs syrečky, sometimes also called tvarůžky have to be kept in a special glass jar for their strong odour. … For the moment, the special “little cheeses” of Olomouc…will not enjoy the protection of the EU.”
That’s one I hadn’t heard of. I need some more schoolin’ in Czech foods.
Not the recommended method
You may have seen this already elsewhere, but I couldn’t resist posting it here: Czech crash victim wakes up speaking English. Disappointing that his newfound talent didn’t stick with him. Although if I hadn’t read that part I might be asking myself how bad a crash would it have to be to get me speaking Czech fluently? Or would I just end up speaking perfect English?
Czech or Slovakia
From the Prague Post: Czech or Slovakia “Low taxes and a cheap, available labor force are making Slovakia more attractive to foreign investment.” It sounds like Slovakia is (with good reason) eager to take advantage of those factors to try to attract more business. I worry, though, about designing a tax system around attracting business. American cities and states have often taken that path with good intensions without analyzing the true costs–for instance, the negative cost of giving a tax break to a company in order to attract it to the area. The taxes lost in the deal often outweigh the job gains.
Gaston’s Progeny
Remember Gaston, the sea lion from the Prague zoo that rode floodwaters all the way to Germany? The story ended sadly when, after being recaptured, Gaston died of exhaustion. But there is a happy addendum: it turned out that the father of seven had already conceived his eighth, who was born in June.