Waldemar Matuška: RIP

Sadly, Czech singer Waldemar Matuška (born 1932 in Košice, Slovakia, emigrated to the U.S. in 1986) died of pneumonia and heart failure today in Miami, Florida.



Nightingales of Madrid and 30+ other songs. See additional songs or more LM playlists.



Václav Klaus and the Holy Father

The Czech president met with the Holy Father in the Vatican today. They agreed about most things in the world. There are some differences. In one of them, I share the opinion of the Pope rather than our leader: the origin of species.

While the administration of Benedict XVI recently endorsed Darwin's theory and slighted Intelligent Design, Václav Klaus finds it impossible to consider Intelligent Design articles to be trivial silly texts because they appear in his favorite journals.




As you may expect, your humble correspondent is fully on the evolutionary side. A week ago, I participated in an exchange of views with Klaus's secretary, Petr Hájek, on pages of the Czech journal Reflex.

Interview with Hájek CZ, EN
LM's essay about the topic CZ, EN

Petr Hájek seems to be a deeply believing person. Recently he gave an inspiring talk arguing that he didn't originate from a monkey (CZ). He knew it for sure - just like the fact that the living God was upon him. Be sure that President Klaus's opinions are not that colorful although they don't contradict Mr Hájek's beliefs as obviously as mine.



Topolánek and Lisbon

Mirek Topolánek, the chairman of the main Czech center-right party (ODS) and the recently resigned prime minister, attended a rally of Polish conservative party, PiS (Law and Justice). Although Topolánek is the Czech person who has done the maximum for the Treaty of Lisbon to pass in Czechia, today he said it was a dead document, even if it is ratified, because it simply doesn't fulfill the needs of the 21st century Europe. That's surely a hypocritical attitude - on the other hand, I understand the reality behind these changes and so does Topolánek.

In the afternoon, David Cameron (U.K. Tories' boss) came to Prague to support ODS in the Euro-elections that will be held next week. Topolánek noticed that Cameron was also collecting votes for himself, among the British tourists in Prague. :-) ODS (CZ), PiS (PL), and the Tories (UK) will intensify their synchronization.

I will probably be choosing between ODS, Petr Mach's Euroskeptic Party, and Ms Jana Bobošíková's ticket (with Libertas CZ being a backup). Petr Mach et al. have a more ethical record than others - but I am afraid that they lack the sense of political reality and strategic skills.

Yesterday, Topolánek invented a new version of "shut up", namely "lock up your mouth". That's what he told "his friend" Silvio Berlusconi after the Italian leader said some stupid and wrong things about the Czech EU presidency that has been very good so far and that is going to continue under our temporary bureaucratic government for one more month.