Archive of articles - August 2003, page 4

Trying hard not to sink

Starring: Robert De Niro, Frances McDormand, James Franco , Directed by: Michael Caton-Jones, Running time: 108 min., Rating: 5 out of 10INSPIRED by the 1997 Esquire article Mark of a Murderer, written by Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Mike McAlary, City by the Sea tells the dark story of a dedicated New York City police detective who discovers that the chief suspect in his current murder investigation is his own son.As Vincent La Marca (Robert De Niro) investigates the murder of a Long Beach drug dealer, it becomes obvious that his junkie son, Joey (James Franco), is the prime suspect.

A natural beauty presented in an uncommon way

BURIED in the green hills outside the eastern Slovak town of Prešov is Bad Hole (Zlá Diera), a place that serves as an entrance to the underworld. Neither a mafia meeting point nor a drug den, Bad Hole is a cave in which a private company offers guided tours.One of the main attractions of the cave is its natural state, which allows visitors to see an environment that is usually hidden in the cracks."We teach people a little bit about the natural life of a cave," says Rudolf Košč, the manager of the cave.

Reader feedback: Three cheers for Palko

Celebrations in the Hont region

PRESENTING the traditional way of living and culture of Slovakia's south-central region of Hont is the focus of the 8th annual Hontianka paráda festival, which will take place next weekend in Hrušovské Lazy.From August 22 to 24, visitors can observe typical harvest gathering and straw thrashing, taste freshly baked bread, as well as see performances delivered mostly by local folk groups. Folk artisans from all around Slovakia will demonstrate their skills and photographers will exhibit pictures showing life as it used to be.The festival's main attraction, though, is the Hont Yards, places where different municipalities in the region offer local specialities along with live music. According to the organisers, this year's number will be the highest in the festival's history.

Website urges violence on

POLICE are investigating a case in which unknown perpetrators put a list of "enemies of the white race" onto a neo-Nazi website and encouraged skinheads to kill those named.The Interior Ministry said police would not provide any further details; claiming that it would "negatively influence the investigation," said the ministry's spokeswoman Jana Pôbišová.The website, which exists on a Russian server, was still accessible on the Internet when The Slovak Spectator went to print, having moved from its original address at www.nsinfo.nm.ru to www.nsinfo.narod.ru and later to www.nsinfo.by.ru after the Slovak media reported the case.

Is the marriage of the right heading for divorce?

LESS than a year since the triumphant (and more than a little surprised) Mikuláš Dzurinda announced the formation of his right-wing government, a year of attrition tactics by the New Citizen's Alliance (ANO) and Christian Democrats (KDH) has left the right-wing coalition hanging by a thread.Despite the high profile foreign policy successes, including an invitation to join NATO, the coalition has failed to rebound from a number of squabbles ranging from asinine bickering over cushy posts in state companies to serious allegations of political involvement in the tapping of politicians' phones.

Hot autumn ahead

THE POLITICAL manoeuvring of Pavol Rusko, the head of the New Citizen's Alliance (ANO), has put into doubt the stability of the ruling coalition as well as of his own party, leading to the prospect of unforeseen alliances between government parties and the opposition."I think the autumn will fully demonstrate whether Rusko and ANO wish to remain a part of the ruling coalition or not," Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda, the head of the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ), told journalists at a press conference on August 5.

Communists defend 1968 Soviet invasion

Fatal bus crash documents destroyed

Eastern capital of culture

PREŠOV claims to be the "cultural capital of east Slovakia", and this title is defensible. The city's central square is an urban renewal area, containing an attractively designed pedestrian zone bordered by brightly painted buildings from different periods. In the centre is the Gothic Cathedral of St. Nicholas and the church of St. John the Baptist, which houses the first Slovak to be beatified by the Pope - Bishop Pavol Gojdič.The city also boasts two theatres, the Jonáš Záborský Theatre, which has one of the largest stages in Eastern Europe, and the Aleksander Dukhnovyc Ukrainian National Theatre, which hosts performances in Ruthene, Ukrainian, and Slovak.

Events countrywide

BRATISLAVAWESTERN SLOVAKIACENTRAL SLOVAKIAEASTERN SLOVAKIA

Former minister to sue media for libel

Reader feedback: A certain level of tourism

Csáky calls for use of minority languages

Bratislava prepares for New Year celebrations

Around Slovakia

Fire alert: Ministry restricts entry to woodsManagers too tired for sexLower visitor numbers for Slovak camping sitesHeating the dead back to lifeStudent hostel catches fireStolen mobile in knickersStudent returns anorexic from USPolice hunt for iguanaSweltering city hits 100-year highHungry wolves

Hungarian ad off the air

IN EARLY August Matica Slovenská, a state-funded organisation focusing on the preservation of traditional Slovak culture and customs, sent Culture Minister Rudolf Chmel and public service Slovak Television (STV) director Richard Rybníček an open letter, asking them to stop the broadcasting of a Hungarian-language TV advertisement for weekly Vasárnap. STV ran the ad with Slovak subtitles.That wish has since been fulfilled, although perhaps only temporarily."The law on the state language says that radio and TV broadcasting on Slovak territory has to be in the state language," reads the protest prepared by Matica. The state language is Slovak.

Quote of the Week

E-learning takes first steps

DESPITE facing numerous obstacles and lagging behind the West, e-learning is becoming a sought-after teaching and training method used by both educational institutions and corporations in Slovakia.E-learning is a term used to describe the use of information technologies in the educational process. Insiders cite the main advantages of e-learning as low costs, the ability for students to study at their own pace, objective evaluation of study results and the fact that information can easily be updated.