In Magazine: Want to be successful in politics? It can’t hurt to be young and pretty… and nude! A Czech brewer promises free beer to get out the vote, but will it be enough? So as a kid you collected butterflies, coins and stamps? How conservative, when you could be collecting barf bags! The legendary British actor Christopher Lee, whose long resume boasts turns as Dracula, Saruman and Count Dooku, will attend one of the country’s most beloved film festivals; and while Moravia and Silesia were suffering the brunt of heavy floods this week, it’s hard to believe it was snowing on Lysá Mountain.
Pirate Party candidate bares all
Olivie Brabcová
Olivie Brabcová, running in the elections for the Czech Pirate Party, has likely become the grouping’s most famous personality after it was revealed the twenty-four-year-old student had posed in the buff in various shoots for numerous websites, going under the names of Olivie, Olivia or Olyfka. An analyst told the media that he didn’t expect the news would hurt the candidate’s chances, quite the contrary. It certainly true that racy pictorials never hurt Czech model and radio host Diana Kobzanová or other entertainers who decided to bear all; many would probably also agree that the Czech Pirate Party needs all the extra boost it can get.
Brewer tries to get out the vote
Stanislav Bernard
Speaking of the elections, this station and other media reported this week on a plan by brewer Stanislav Bernard to get young people to come to the polls in less than one week’s time. Mr Bernard has promised kegs of his respected brew to the first 250 secondary school classes in which 85 percent or more of eligible voters pledge to go to the polls. All they have to do is send in a list of signatures confirmed by their teacher and of course both the voting and drinking age are the same - 18. Bernard makes no secret he favors more liberal right-wing parties, but said he has no intention to tell anyone who to vote for; he just wants to inspire young people to come to the polls to take part in the democratic process.
Collector proud of more than 1,500 barf bags
Miloš Kubišta, photo: CTK
Some people can’t hear anymore about politics or they begin to feel nauseous… if so, this next story might be for you! Miloš Kubišta from Plzeň recently made headlines as the owner of one of the most unusual collections we’ve ever heard of: more than 1,500 air sickness bags or “barf bags” from all over the world! His collection covers several walls in his home and took 40 years to put together. Rarities include bags from Air France and Air Italia, and some he has even framed. Now, tell me if that doesn’t give new meaning to conceptual art!
Count Dooku to attend Zlín film festival
Christopher Lee as Count Dooku in Star Wars
This year’s Zlín film festival – the oldest children’s film festival in the world – will boast a visit by legendary actor Christopher Lee, famous as Hammer Film’s Dracula or more recently as Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequels or the evil wizard Saruman in the Lord of the Rings. His visit should be a real treat – just don’t make any jokes about garlic or creatures of the night making beautiful music. This year the Zlín festival will also celebrate its 50th year, as well as commemorate 100 years since the birth of the Czech filmmaker Karel Zeman, the author of the famous Cesta do pravěku (Journey to the Beginning of Time), a film that combines real actors with stop-motion animation. It may not be able to quite compete with Jurassic Park in terms of special effects today, but was extraordinary in its day and its dinosaurs have been loved by generations of Czech children.
Half metre snow falls on highest peak in flood-stricken Moravia
Lysá Mountain, 19 May 2010, photo: CTK
Fifty centimetres of snow fell on the 1,323 high Lysá Mountain, the highest peak of the Beskydy Mountain range in northern Moravia, putting a bizarre twist to events there, as torrential rains and floods hit other areas in the region, seeing extensive damages to homes and putting life and livelihood at risk. A member of the Mountain Rescue Service told the Czech News Agency Wednesday that snow on the peak was “a very curious and unusual thing at the end of May”, adding that none of his colleagues remembered anything like this. The rescuer confirmed that the snow on Lysá Mountain would last for a couple of days before spring temperatures melted it away. It’s likely he and only a few others in the area will have time to appreciate it; lower down in the region locals face the difficult task of clean-up and recovery now that the floods have begun to recede.
