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*Please see the detailed information available below for an important note about program dates.
If you attend the school where Einstein taught, will some of his genius rub off on you? That's just one question we answer on our Central European Studies program in Prague. If physics isn't your passion, maybe living in the same town where Mozart, Milan Kundera, and Rainer Maria Rilke plied their crafts will inspire you. CIEE places you into Prague's intellectual and performing arts communities so you get a taste of the city's fascinating past, present, and future.
Study abroad in Prague and you will:
We want as many students as possible to benefit from studying abroad. That's why CIEE awards more than $5 million every year – more than any other international educational organization – to make study abroad affordable.
Applicants to this program are eligible for the following scholarships and grants:
For minority students from minority-serving institutions who demonstrate financial need based on estimated family contribution (EFC)
For students who want to pursue study abroad in Africa, Asia Pacific, the Caribbean, or Latin America, and who demonstrate financial based on estimated family contribution (EFC)
For students with a GPA or 3.8 or higher who excel in academic pursuits devoted to socially important areas of study
For students who demonstrate financial need, CIEE provides direct support for travel.
Awards: Up to $1,500 per student
For high-achieving students who want to combine an academic internship and study abroad
To be considered, simply check the "Scholarships and Grants" box on your program application.Apply now
In addition to Czech language, choose from a wide selection of courses at Charles University on Czech culture and society including history, media, art, religion, literature, and politics. Interested in cinema or the performing arts? Take up to four courses from among those offered to international students by FAMU, Central Europe's preeminent film school.
Get out and see Prague close up during visits to sites of historical and cultural importance, such as Prague Castle, Old Town, the historical halls of Charles University, the theater, and the opera. Academically coordinated field trips to locations in Bohemia and Moravia will allow you to gain a wider perspective and understanding of the region.
We make it easy to get to know your fellow students and the Czech people. Join Charles University's International Students Club (ISC), which brings together Czech and international students to provide opportunities for friendship, understanding, and social interactions. Give back to the local community – and practice your language skills in the process – during volunteering opportunities. You might teach kids ranging from kindergarten to high school, or work with people with disabilities. Or gain critical work experience with an internship. You might assist with public relations at Forum 2000, help with digital database preparation at Film Studios Barrandov, research for the People in Need Foundation, or work on presentations for the Fulbright Commission.
We want to make sure you get the most out of your experience when you study abroad with CIEE, which is why we offer the most inclusions in our fees.
The program fee includes:
This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time.
Students required to study on CIEE programs through a School of Record will be charged a $500 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed.
* non-refundable
** Meals vary by housing choice: Includes two meals per day for homestay students. Breakfast is included for dormitory students. No meals are included for students in apartments. Additionally, students who opt for and are placed in single-occupancy dorm or apartment rooms will be billed a supplemental fee of approximately $500, 4-6 weeks after the program starts.
The estimated additional costs indicated are intended to assist students and parents in budgeting for those additional living and discretionary expenses not included in the program fee. Actual expenses will vary according to student interests and spending habits.
* For students in apartments. Students placed in homestays are provided with breakfast and dinner; additional meals for homestay students are estimated at $550 per semester. Students placed in the dormitory are provided with breakfast only; additional meals for dormitory students are estimated at $1,500 per semester.
** round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure
*** average cost
**** Required Czech insurance
**** Required Czech insurance
***** academic year students who wish to stay onsite are responsible for arranging their housing and meals during the semester break
Students are required to take 16 semester/24 quarter hours per semester.
CIEE area studies, CU, and some FAMU courses have 45 contact hours for 3 semester credits/4.5 quarter hours per course. Some FAMU courses have 24 contact hours for 1.5 semester credits/2.25 quarter hours per course. CIEE language courses have 60 contact hours for 4 semester credits/6 quarter hours.
Study abroad students are required to take two weeks of intensive language training during orientation and five courses. Students take a minimum of two CIEE courses, and may be able to enroll in up to six credits outside of CIEE courses at FAMU or Charles University.
Because of its innumerable characteristic steeples, Prague is called the city of a thousand spires. This European Union member is a perfect example of the steady development of a society that recently transitioned from a communist past. With a population of only 1.2 million, Prague has an unusually rich cultural life – festivals, operas, concerts, and cultural programs, many of which are accessible on a student budget. Study abroad students experience life similar to that of Czech students and frequent numerous neighborhoods in the city like native Praguers.
Jana heads the CIEE Study Center in Prague, leading study abroad programs through partnerships with Charles University, the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts (FAMU), and other local educational institutions. Jana is a double graduate of Charles University in Prague, where she studied theory of culture (anthropology) and Czech language and creative studies. Jana was a Fulbright scholar at the University of Kansas and has expertise in training language teachers and leading projects in immigrant communities. Prior to being named Center Director in 2011, Jana served as CIEE Student Services Director for three years. Before that, she taught and led Czech language instruction through the CIEE Study Center at Charles University. In addition to her duties as Center Director, Jana currently teaches the Intercultural Communication and Leadership course. She served as a chair of Association of Czech Teachers Teaching Czech as a Foreign Language in 2003–2009.
Alicja, who joined CIEE in 2014, assists in the overall management of the Central European Studies program and is primarily responsible for the day-to-day operations of the CIEE Study Center, program support, academic day and overnight field trips, excursions, volunteering program as well as administrative and editorial support. As a part of regional CIEE team, provides front line services to students and faculty. Prior to joining CIEE Alicja has spent several years living and working abroad. Alicja has an undergraduate degree in History of Art and postgraduate diploma in Art and Business from the University of Aberdeen. She has several years of experience in customer service sector, which she gained during her work in the Scottish art galleries and auction house.
Lenka joined CIEE in 2014, and is mainly responsible for housing management (dorms, apartments, residences and homestays), housing assignments, housing-related issues, and the Flat Buddy and Homestay Buddy Programs. Lenka graduated from University of Hradec Králové with a bachelor in management of tourism. During her studies, she was an exchange student at Chang Jung Christian University located in southern Taiwan for a semester. She also studied at Universidade de Coimbra in Portugal. Her previous working experience was abroad in Canada working in administrative field and in Portugal where Lenka gained experience in customer service working for IBM. During her studies Lenka volunteered as a buddy for the Erasmus study abroad program.
Ivana joined CIEE in 2015 and assists with enrollment, visa processing, course registration, and interest group activities. Ivana is a graduate of Charles University, with a bachelor's degree in Czech language and literature. Prior to joining CIEE, Ivana worked for three years at Charles University as a program coordinator for international and exchange students, gaining valuable insight and experience in the field of international education.
Rick is originally from the Chicago area, but has lived in the Czech Republic since 1998. Rick received his B.A. in Teaching of English and his M.A. in Literature and Theory from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Rick defended his Ph.D. dissertation at the Charles University Faculty of Arts, and is an Assistant Professor in the English Department at the University of South Bohemia. His research and teaching interests are in contemporary American literature and literary theory. Prior to joining CIEE as Academic Director in 2015, Rick worked at CERGE-EI in Prague as Assistant Professor and Head of the Academic Skills Center, Director of the Ph.D. program, and most recently built the MAE program. Rick also has taught in other private, English-language universities in Prague, and at CIEE teaches a course on Franz Kafka.
Eva has been part of the CIEE team since 2011, and is responsible for office management, logistical management of the CES program, and management of Faculty-Led and Custom programs in Prague. Eva also oversees the student services team. Eva is a graduate of the Technical University in Liberec, the Faculty of Education, with a master´s degree in social studies and English language. Prior to joining CIEE, Eva gained extensive experience in human resources and educational field not only in the Czech Republic and internationally.
Petra Uvírová joined CIEE Study Center in Prague in 2014 and is responsible for overall coordination of Central European Studies program. Petra is also manages health and safety services for students enrolled in all Prague programs. Petra studied at the Metropolitan University of Prague and graduated with a master´s degree in International Relations and European Studies. Petra brought her experience in international education from the U.S. where she lived for past five years, where her professional experience included serving as an International Student Advisor in Boston, Massachusetts.
CIEE works closely with Charles University, the oldest university in Central Europe, to deliver courses to study abroad students at the CIEE Study Center in Prague. All CIEE courses are held at the CIEE Study Center, located at the historical site of Vyšehrad. Although the CIEE Study Center is not located in a Charles University building, CIEE courses are recognized by Charles University and taught by faculty from various Charles University faculties and institutes. Participants have the opportunity to take some classes outside of CIEE, directly at the Charles University campus and at Prague Film and Television School at the Academy of the Performing Arts (FAMU), Central Europe's preeminent film school.
Housing is included in the study abroad program fee. Provision of meals depends on the housing option. Students have several housing choices and are asked to select an option prior to departure.
Homestay with a Czech Family — This option provides an excellent opportunity for immersion into the local culture, and is strongly recommended for students who wish to take full advantage of their Czech experience. Dinner and breakfast, on the family's schedule, are included, as is a single room. While families will help students practice their Czech language skills, many family members also have basic English communication skills. Homestays are typically located in residential areas, so students will have up to a 45 minute commute to the CIEE Study Center.
Charles University Dormitory — Students who choose this option reside in single or double rooms (singles are limited and at an additional fee). This dormitory houses CIEE and local students (CIEE Dorm Buddies). Vyšehrad dormitory is located in a residential neighborhood with a number of local restaurants and is a 10 minute walk to the CIEE Study Center. Dormitory facilities include Internet access and modest kitchenettes. A simple breakfast is included in the dormitory option. The dormitory is a 10 minute walk from the CIEE Study Center.
CIEE-Administered Apartments — CIEE apartments house CIEE students as well as Charles University students (CIEE Flat Buddies). Kitchen and bathroom facilities are shared with apartment mates. Please note that meals and Internet fees are not included with this option. CIEE apartments are located in various neighborhoods and require a maximum 35 minute commute to CIEE.
CIEE-Administered Residence Hall — There are two options in the residence: one-bedroom apartments for two CIEE students and two/three-bedroom apartments that house three to five CIEE students as well as Charles University student (Flat buddy arranged by CIEE). Singles are typically very limited and available for an additional fee. The commute for residence hall students to CIEE is a maximum of 35 minutes; the downtown area can be reached in 10-20 minutes. Internet is provided by the landlord, for a fee students pay to CIEE at the beginning of the semester.
It is important for students to be aware that commuting is a part of daily life in Prague and most housing options require daily use of public transportation. A transportation pass is provided by the program. While every effort is made to fulfill the student's housing preference, alternative housing may be assigned due to capacity limitations. Housing is not co-ed and housing allocations are made on a first come, first served basis. Students from the same institution are not put in the same housing unless necessary.
You'll begin your study abroad experience in Prague even before leaving home by participating in a CIEE online pre-departure orientation, during which the resident director will share information about the program and site. A mandatory three-week orientation session, which includes an intensive language program, is conducted in Prague at the beginning of the program and will introduce you to the academic program, country, culture, extracurricular options, program faculty, and provide practical information about living in the Czech Republic. You'll receive ongoing orientation on aspects of Czech culture through the elective course and individual appointments with the resident director.
You are encouraged to bring a wireless-enabled laptop. Internet connections are available in the dormitory for free, and may be available in the apartments for an additional fee. Service is often shared with CIEE flat buddies and other roommates. You will have free access to wireless connections and a computer laboratory during the week at the CIEE Study Center and at other Charles University facilities. In addition, Prague offers a good network of Internet cafés for a small fee.
The CIEE Study Center in Prague offers are wide-range of immersive opportunities.
The program includes visits to sites of historical and cultural importance in Prague such as Prague Castle, Old Town, the historical halls of Charles University, the theater, and the opera. In addition, academically coordinated field trips to locations in Bohemia and Moravia are arranged, allowing participants to gain a wider perspective of the region and a greater understanding of studied academic topics and Czech culture. CIEE also organizes optional guided field trips to Krakow and Vienna with CIEE professors at an additional cost.
An International Student Club organized by CIEE promotes and encourages cultural exchange between CIEE and Charles University. The focus of the club is on cooking, culture and holidays, and local trips. The many extracurricular activities organized by ISC provide opportunities for friendship, understanding, and social interactions. The club organizes activities based on student interest and works with other CU International Clubs to bring Czech and international students together.
Volunteer options are numerous, from teaching English at a local elementary school to working at various film festivals. Internships are an option if you are looking to get involved with Czech nonprofit or non-governmental organizations. They can be highly competitive. Students have volunteered at film companies, schools, and English language training programs. You can choose from several pre-screened volunteering positions with local, mostly non-governmental organizations, which may be involved in education, organization of international political conferences, local and global human rights issues, or library and administrative work in the field of economics.
You can choose from several pre-screened internship positions with local, mostly non-governmental organizations, which may be involved in education, organization of international political conferences, local and global human rights issues, film, the library, or administrative work in the field of economics. You'll record your experiences in a journal, which is evaluated weekly during the internship, and complete a final research paper that includes what you learned during your experience at the organization. Evaluation is by assigned CIEE faculty, the internship supervisor, and the resident director. Students interested in a CIEE internship must complete applications upon admission to the program and get approval from their home institution and CIEE prior to the start of the semester. Internship placements are made following an interview with organizations after arrival in Prague.
CIEE recruits and trains a group of local Charles University students who live with CIEE students in apartments and the dormitory. These flat buddies share day-to-day issues, help you better understand local cultural norms and standards, and assist you with immersion into the Czech culture and Charles University student life. CIEE Flat Buddies organize weekly activities in line with students' interests in politics, economy, society, sport, film and theater, music, and art. There is never a boring moment thanks to extracurricular student activities!
Interest groups of Czech and international students help smaller groups become more integrated into Prague culture and society. These groups include politics, economy, and society, sport, film and theater, music, and art.
The Central European Studies program offers students a series of specially designed courses in a wide range of academic disciplines taught in English by local faculty. Although there is no language prerequisite for participation in the study abroad program, students are required to take a Czech language course in order to better immerse themselves in local culture. The combination of Czech language and academic courses allows students to explore the dynamics of this Central European nation and its culture.
CIEE courses are taught by professors who are experts in their fields of study. Classes are often lecture-based, though professors welcome student-initiated questions and discussion. The lectures go beyond course readings and demand that students independently link together lecture content with readings.
Some instructors use videos, slides, and excursions as teaching aids. Courses meet twice a week for 90 minutes, or once a week for three hours. Class sizes at CIEE and the Prague Film and Television School at the Academy of the Performing Arts (FAMU) range from five to 30 students per course. Study abroad students experience differences between the U.S. and Czech educational systems. This new academic environment is part of the challenge of studying in Prague and learning about the Czech Republic. Students must be aware that a high degree of self-motivation and self-discipline is required and that independent learning and active participation in class are necessary for achieving a satisfactory academic performance.
Resources such as library holdings in English and Internet access may be limited and students may need to seek these resources outside the CIEE Study Center at public libraries or other CU faculties.
CIEE classes are predominantly with other CIEE students. Occasionally there may be a local or international student in the class as part of the Bridging Perspectives program. Charles University and FAMU students take classes with CIEE, allowing all students involved to get a more international perspective.
Grades (A-F with pluses and minuses) are assigned based on mid-term and final exams, research papers, class presentations, and/or additional assignments depending on the course. Class attendance is mandatory and is factored together with class participation into the final grade. Some academic trips and guest lectures are also part of the courses.
Note: This course listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract between CIEE and any applicant, student, institution, or other party. The courses, as described, may be subject to change as a result of ongoing curricular revisions, assignment of lecturers and teaching staff, and program development. Courses may be canceled due to insufficient enrollment.
To view the most recent syllabi for courses taught by CIEE at our Study Centers, visit our syllabi site.
Art and Architecture of Prague
This course provides a survey of art and architecture, especially housing styles, which have influenced the development of Prague and other major European cities from the Middle Ages through the 20th century. Excursions to art galleries and related architectural monuments are combined with classroom lectures.
Modern Czech Art: Czech Modern and Contemporary Art and Architecture
Combining classroom lectures with gallery visits, this course acquaints students with 20th century art movements and tendencies. Based upon the analysis of the oeuvre of key Czech artists and various topics, ranging from the expressions of Czech national identity in the finde-siecle art to the art produced under the Communist regime, the course tackles the social and political development of the Central European region.
Czech Architecture and Design
The course focuses on the development of, and formal changes in, the built environment: architecture, interiors, furniture, and other objects of daily use (glass, fashion, metalwork, cars) from the Middle Ages to the present. It examines the transition of the Czech decorative art to mass produced design including the way of life and social changes in the 20th century and includes guided visits to related museum collections and galleries.
Anthropology of Czech Society and Culture
This course aims to introduce students with some of the most relevant historical and contemporary issues of Czech society and culture from an anthropological perspective. Based on ethnographic case studies, among other literary and visual sources, connections are made between memory and history, narrative and experience, change and continuity, past and present.
Czech and Central European History
This course gives an overview of the national history of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown, inhabitants of the region, and their neighbors, from the arrival of the Slavonic tribes to the present. It provides an overview of political, social, and cultural developments that have influenced the current state of affairs in the Czech Republic.
Contemporary Czech Culture: Alternative Literature, Music, and Lifestyles
For this class, contemporary Czech culture is studied not as the "most refined human endeavors," but as "everyday culture." The instructor, an urban anthropologist with hands-on experience in local subcultures, provides her analysis of the roots of Czech underground and alternative on the background of Prague's genius loci. Current hot topics such as graffiti and street art, squatting, and the alternative music scene are discussed. Students study how young non-conformist Czechs have made use of popular culture, how they create their communities and identities, and how they try to join the creative stream.
Collective Identity in a Totalitarian Regime
This course examines the totalitarian oppression from the point of view of ordinary citizens in socialist Czechoslovakia. It focuses on the construction of collective mentality through everyday official/public and unofficial/private activities, including mass parades, ceremonies and performances, work relations, children's education, housing schemes, or collective vacationing. The goal is to demonstrate the consequences of life in an oppressive regime: suppression of fundamental forms of civic interaction, such as independent public communication, and distortion of moral and behavioral norms.
Ethnic and Religious Identity and Prejudice in a Central European Context
The course will teach students how ethnic and religious affiliations shape group self-image and how they influence the way they are perceived by others. Students will be introduced to a number of insider's and outsider's group perspectives relevant to Central European context. They will learn how analyzing communication patterns helps to detect group prejudice. Students will be involved in practical qualitative research assignments. After finishing this course the students will be able to identify and describe religiously and ethnically shaped world views and their role in group self-perception and perception of religious/ethnic groups by others. They will be able to design proper methodology and to research communication patterns, thus allowing them to articulate an informed and scientifically justifyable opinion about the group attitudes related to ethnic/religious identity.
Czech Cinema
Students learn about the most important trends and moments in the history of Czech cinematography and examine films within their historical, political, and cultural context. This course includes weekly screenings of Czech films. The emphasis is put on the postwar period, particularly on the 1960s and contemporary cinema.
East European Cinema
This course studies the most important trends and movements in the history of Eastern/ Central European Cinema and puts film production within its historical, political, and cultural context, focusing on the postwar contemporary period. Subjects of study are featured films of Czech, Slovak, Polish, Hungarian, former Yugoslavian, and Soviet/Russian production.
Intercultural Communication and Leadership
In this class, participants will develop skills, knowledge, and understanding that will help them communicate and engage more appropriately and effectively in Prague as well as in other intercultural contexts. Students will explore various topics in intercultural communication in the context of their experience abroad, and will practice intercultural learning processes that they can apply when working across difference in a wide variety of contexts. Participants will increase their own cultural self-awareness and develop personal leadership skills to help them become more effective in an interdependent world. Learning will involve in class exercises, active reflection, discussion, readings, field reports, short lectures, and out-of-class activities that engage students in the local culture on a deeper level. Contact hours: 42. Recommended credit: 3 semester / 4.5 quarter hours.
Media Impact in Central Europe: Past and Present
This course examines the role and impact of international and domestic media on political developments in Central Europe, examining the way of doing journalism at Prague-based Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and comparing it to the approaches of other media companies. The course looks at journalism, technology, and logistics used by RFE/RL during the Cold War, and at its current ways of providing information to areas of the world where the press is restricted or tightly controlled. Journalists from RFE/RL and other media are frequent guest speakers. A key aspect of the course is the focus on coverage of religious, ethnic, and other emotionally sensitive issues, and students gain special insights into coverage of current events. They learn about the dynamics of social tensions in transitional and post-communist societies, and how the media is contributing to shaping the history of countries faced with their legacy and with the new challenges of EU membership.
Comparative European Economic Systems
This course integrates two topics: economic analysis of European integration and comparative studies of economic systems of European countries and their dynamics. The course focuses not only on institutions of the EU, its policies, and economics of their functioning, but also on implications of differences between economic and social models of the member countries for the future stability and international role of the EU.
The Economics of the European Union
The EU as we know it has been formed by three creative processes—deepening of the integration, enlargement of the EU, and economic transformation in former socialist countries. After introducing those processes and some theoretical background, different international and internal EU economic activities are broadly analyzed.
European Environmental Studies
This course examines the relationship between human society and the natural environment with a specific focus on the Czech landscape as a place for human-nature interaction. In addition the course explores European integration from an environmental perspective, the ecological footprint and problem of climate change, and environmental ethics in contemporary European society.
Gender in the Czech Republic and Europe
This course focuses on the definition and redefinition of gender norms and how these influence both expectations and actual lives of people in the Czech Republic and Central Europe, paying attention to how gender roles have been shaped by communism, post-communism, etc. It also examines the state of feminism in the post communist period and issues of minority women.
Europe and the United States: Transatlantic Relations Past and Present
Topics discussed include Europeanism and Eurasianism; the relationship between religion and politics in Europe and the U.S.; Czech, Polish, and British Pro-Americanism versus origins of German and other Anti-Americanisms; and the Cold War between communism and democracy as a conflict and solidarity between Europe and the U.S.
Qualified students choose from several pre-screened internship positions with local, mostly non-governmental organizations, which may be involved in education, film, organization of international political conferences, local and global human rights issues, and library and administrative work in the field of economics. Students record their experiences in a journal, which is evaluated weekly during the internship, and complete a final research paper. Evaluation is by assigned CIEE faculty, the internship supervisor and the Resident Director. Pre-approval must be obtained from the Resident Director and the student's home institution.
Modern Czech Literature
This course focuses on Czech literature of the 19th and 20th century within the framework of European historical and literary developments and the phenomenon of literary modernism. It provides insights into the history of Czech cultural space. Experience with conceptual thinking on literature is recommended. Instructor:
Technology, Totalitarianism, and Individual
The course explores the relevance of philosophy on day-to-day social, political, economic, and cultural life. It focuses on the philosophical foundations of political and economic movements, as well as major cultural movements such as science and technology, post-modern art and literature, and popular culture in general. Among the themes discussed are the ontology of objectivity and subjectivity, relativism, consumerism, capitalism and communism, scientific positivism, philosophy of language, and art. Selected writings from the Czech poet/ dramatist and political activist/leader Vaclav Havel and the Czech philosopher Jan Patočka are studied alongside of the principle text Escape from Freedom by Eric Fromm.
Czech Politics
This course covers the roots and development of the political system now operative in the Czech Republic. Topics studied include: Czechs, Slovaks, and other national groups; political parties; the Velvet Revolution, and the Velvet Divorce.
Czech Concepts of National Identity
This course looks at issues related to the construction of the Czech national identity. The 19th century Czech national revival, the Czech/German conflict, and the women's movement are studied, as well as the First Republic, German occupation, the Prague Spring of 1968, Normalization and the Velvet Revolution, and religion.
The Politics and Economics of the European Union
This course explores the history, main institutions, and policies of the European Union. It focuses on the principal issues facing the EU today, especially with respect to enlargement into Central Europe.
Central European Politics
The course focuses on the comparative assessment of Central European political development. Discussion includes the problems and mechanisms of transition since 1989, the institutional and international framework of transition, and specific problems of democratization in Central Europe.
Central Europe and the Balkans in the Short Twentieth Century
What image did Central Europe and the Balkans have at the dawn of the 20th century and has this image changed ? If so, what were the changes leading up to its decline? Were these regions seen as lands of progress and prosperity, or merely as Europe's backward periphery? In order to see a broader picture, this comparative course will go beyond national histories to trace common trends and the transformation in Central Europe and the Balkans. It will combine the perspectives of political, social and cultural history and will link macro-context with the history of everyday life and experiences of different social groups. Central Europe and the Balkans will be seen as a laboratory for social and political ideas, among them modernization, nationalism, federalism, nazism, fascism, communism, and democracy, with the European Union as the latest experiment.
Psychology of Transition and Transformation
The psychology of transition and transformation (political psychology in the Czech Republic) is studied with emphasis on the recent transition from totalitarianism to democracy. Topics include: political socialization, moral development and dilemmas, coping and ego defense mechanisms, immigration and cross-cultural adaptation, traumatic influence of the totalitarian past on the Czech society, post-totalitarian syndrome, and psychological problems of transformation.
Psychoanalysis and Society
This course seeks to explore the relation between psyche and society through an analysis of crucial contemporary and historical issues in Central and Eastern Europe, with a focus on the Czech Republic. Topics such as racism, sexuality, ecology, history, and politics are studied from a variety psychodynamic perspectives, juxtaposing the stark reality of the region's history and culture with various psychoanalytic tools for understanding. The overarching theme of how mind and society co-evolve remains as a thread running through the course.
Psychoanalysis and Art
This course studies the area of overlap between psychoanalysis and art, including the mutual influences and inspirations between these two domains. It includes the psychodynamics of the creative process, psychoanalytic aesthetics and criticism of art, literature and film, and the therapeutic aspect of art including the contemporary clinical practice of art therapy with special reference to the Czech scene. In addition to topics such as Czech Surrealism, fairy tales, Kafka, and Svankmajer, the course offers experiential workshops in art therapy and a chance to make a stop-motion animation film.
Introduction to the Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism
The course, Introduction to the Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism, aims at introducing students to one of the main aspects of Jewish religion. The beginnings of the Kabbalah can be traced to the early Christian era, and the main centers of the Kabbalah during the Middle Ages were in Germany and Spain. The student is not required to have any previous knowledge of the Kabbalah; knowledge of Hebrew is very helpful, but is not mandatory for the course. Whereas the three monotheistic religions often fought or even oppressed one another, the mystics of all three religions have always found a common language. The fact that the course will take place in Prague is of great significance, because of the Kabbalistic tradition, especially Rabbi Judah Loew Betzalel and Ezechiel Landau. The course objective is to show the student the profundity and beauty of Jewish Mysticism.
The Third Force Psychology in a Central European Context
Environmental and biological naturalism have been the most prominent philosophy of science in the last hundred years. According to naturalism, human behavior and experience should be studied just like any other phenomena in the nature (e.g. living cell, chemical molecules or physical forces). Contrary to this belief, humanistic and existential psychologists insist that the study of human beings needs to be approached in a different way. The fact that human beings are largely aware of themselves and of their living situations make them a unique subject of study. In this course we will look at the necessary philosophical and psychological concepts and theories, such as limit situations, but we will connect them with real stories of people who lived in the Central European context in last 60 years. It will be our effort to understand the psychology of dissent and opposition towards totalitarian forces within society and individuals.
History of the Jews in Bohemia and Central Europe
Through lecture, seminar, and excursions to historical sights, we examine the history of the Jewish community in Central Europe from the Middle Ages until modern times with a special emphasis on the role of Prague in the religious, political, and cultural life of the community.
FAMU Cinema Studies Courses
Participants with an interest in cinema and performing arts may take up to 6 semester credits (up to 2 courses of 3 semester credits or 4 courses of 1.5 semester credits) from among those offered to international students by FAMU. A final list of FAMU courses is available at the time of enrollment. Some FAMU courses have prerequisites. Following is a representative sample of FAMU courses that have been available in past terms.
Acting Studio
This is a practical course for directors, producers, scriptwriters, cinematographers, or editors to understand the actor's craft. Students proceed from exercises and various improvisations to a given text, a dialogue, and a monologue. At the end of each semester the student performs a piece in front of the camera and assesses the work on video. Recommended credit: 1.5 semester / 2.25 quarter hours.
Acting Theories
This course aims to cover essentials of acting theories—some historical, but mostly contemporary— in order to help film directors communicate effectively with actors from varying pedagogical and cultural backgrounds. Recommended credit: 1.5 semester / 2.25 quarter hours.
Subversive Subjections
The course explores notions of individual and colletive identity, subjectivity and the self in the context of modern Czech literature. Following (and possibly contradicting) various aspects of the argument of 'minor literature' (Deleuze – Guattari), students will discuss the writing of Kafka, Hašek, Škvorecký, Kundera or Hrabal as conflictual sites of identity and difference, solidifying discoursive structures and invisible lines of flight and subversion, transcendence and immanence.
Central European Cinema
This course provides a general overview of the primary trends, aesthetics, protagonists, and history of post-war Central Europe. National cinemas examined includes Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Czech, Slovak, and Yugoslav filmmaking. Recommended credit: 3 semester / 4.5 quarter hours.
Chapters from Film History and Criticism
This course presents the most important trends, moments, and personalities in European film history. Both film style and production modes are analyzed. Students watch films in their entirety or short examples illustrating particular topics. Recommended credit: 3 semester / 4.5 quarter hours.
Cinematographer's Influence
This course gives an explanation of the cinematographer's craft in the fields of exponometry, processing, and other postproduction technologies. It analyzes the use of various exponometric (photometric) methods and their effectiveness on the aesthetic of cinematographic image. It is a lecture/seminar format and students are given theoretical and practical assignments. Recommended credit: 1.5 semester / 2.25 quarter hours.
Circulating within the Modern Cinematic Image
This inter-disciplinary seminar is modeled on the epistemological notion of a U.S.-American informed postmodernity/globalization, which for ill or for better informs the conditions of possibility of our contemporaneity, and which by extension for us as such produces our individual-class-misson that pedagogically focuses a select band of becoming authenticallyglobal films from the following 20th century world directors: Sergei Eisenstein, Carl Theodor Dreyer, D.W. Griffith, Buster Keaton, Fritz Lang, Friedrich Murnau, Dziga Vertov, and Orson Welles with special consideration given to those cinematic moments that teach and that train us in new non-dominatory viewing strategies, in new creative ways of circulating (our term for moving). The role of silence and of the unconscious in film culture is given special coverage. Clips and special features from the DVDs are also shown. Recommended credit: 3 semester / 4.5 quarter hours.
Circulating within the Post-Modern Cinematic Image
This seminar is a select examination of eight major films in pre-1950 Euro-American film with special emphasis given to those cinematic moments that might teach and train us in new viewing strategies, in new ways of circulating, and in new ways of engaging with the cinematic image. Film criticism and film philosophy from Bersani-Dutoit and Gilles Deleuze is discussed. All films are either in English or have English inter-titles or sub-titles. Clips and special features are shown. Recommended credit: 3 semester / 4.5 quarter hours.
Documentary: Connection
This course is focused on exploring documentary cinema within its broad range of artistic and rhetorical methods toward representing reality – from both a theoretical and empirical standpoint. At its foundation, the course will consider the theoretical approaches of Nichols, Bruzzi and Gauthier within the context of theories of representation (mostly Jost).
Introduction to The Soundtrack 1
The first part of the course focuses on the fundamentals of using sound to furnish meaning, whether for narrative, documentary, or abstract works. We follow the thread of production through the various elements that comprise a soundtrack, based on our real time limitations and available tools. Basic precepts, tips, and tricks: from conception to sound capture to edit to mix to output via the building blocks of the soundtrack including dialogue, narration, music, foley, ambient sound, and most importantly sound effect/sound design. Readings, bibliography, URLs, DVD examples, hardware, and software are provided. We work in the Final Cut and Soundtrack programs. Recommended credit: 1.5 semester / 2.25 quarter hours.
Introduction to The Soundtrack 2
The second part of the course on the soundtrack focuses on viewing/listening to primarily narrative feature films and analyzing their various approaches to making the soundspace. We also read theoretical texts on the soundtrack and film music and see how today's technology has made much of older existing theory somewhat redundant. In many classes we watch a single film, stopping and starting it and using it as a basis for both technical and aesthetic discussions: "How did they do this and why?" Recommended credit: 1.5 semester / 2.25 quarter hours.
Practical Analysis: Directing
This course shows students the way that experienced directors handle some of the most common film situations, such as introduction of the main character, first and last shot in the film, chasing scene, four persons talking around the table, a man getting out of the car, etc. Recommended credit: 1.5 semester / 2.25 quarter hours.
Principles and Technology of Photography
This course provides a better understanding of the technical and scientific aspects of photography and cinematography. It combines lectures with experiments, tests, and practical demonstrations. Subjects are treated from the standpoint of technique rather than science. Recommended credit: 1.5 semester / 2.25 quarter hours.
Producer's Craft
This course focuses on the work and art of a film and television producer, the craft of the person who serves as a) highly skilled and organized project manager, b) counterpart and/ or partner to director and screenwriter, and on occasion, c) creative author of a project. The key areas of information for a producer (and this class) are marketing, financing, budgeting, legal, and business affairs in the stages of project development, pre-production, production, post-production, and distribution.
The Realm of Montage (Editing)
"Film is like a battlefield: love, hate, action, violence, death... in one word—emotion," says Samuel Fuller playing himself in Godard's Pierrot le fou. Montage sequences create emotions in film, and they show not only the work of the editor but also the specific film language, thinking, and philosophy of the director. We study excerpts from well known films that express interestingly extreme and emotional life situations. Recommended credit: 3 semester / 4.5 quarter hours.
Script Analysis
This course analyzes feature length films from a practical dramaturgical perspective, demonstrating dramatic structures, narrative techniques, and genres, while examining the process and craft of screenwriting. Recommended credit: 1.5 semester / 2.25 quarter hours.
Tools of Directing
This course provides students with an in-depth perspective to many forms of directing: from directing newscasts to directing feature films. This course explores directing methods, the director's tools, and his/her relationship with the actors and crew from a variety of perspectives including practical, theoretical, psychological, and physiological points of view. Recommended credit: 1.5 semester / 2.25 quarter hours.
Topics in Animation Film
Students gain a deeper knowledge of film animation, its possibilities, and priorities. The course consists of lectures followed by screenings of Czech and other animated films. Students write short analyses on special subjects of animation, which are then used as material for discussion. Recommended credit: 1.5 semester / 2.25 quarter hours.
Topics in Avant-Garde Cinema
This course portrays the evolution of avant-garde film during the 20th century: different strains in avant-garde film movement (i.e. cinéma pur, non-objective film, surrealist film, formal film, structural/material film, found-footage film, assemblage and collage film, etc.) with the aim to illustrate possibilities of the film language (filmic devices, film technique, methods of montage, or animations, etc.) of non-narrative cinema. Every lesson is accompanied by many examples, screened on VHS. Recommended credit: 3 semester / 4.5 quarter hours.
Visual Theory
This course explores how photographs are constructed, analyzing the use of various aesthetic and design elements and the effects of these on the viewer. The format is lecture/ seminar, and students are given practical as well as theoretical assignments. Slide and video presentations support the content of the lectures. Contact hours: Recommended credit: 1.5 semester / 2.25 quarter hours.
FAMU Weekend Modules
These intensive courses are led by visiting film specialists (directors, screenwriters, producers, cinematographers, etc.). New modules are organized each semester. Current offerings are made available upon arrival in Prague. Examples of previously offered modules include: Cinema Dance Workshop; The Transmutation of Light: Alchemy and Cinema; and Marcus Bergner: What Would Happen If…? Investigating New Possibilities for Narrative Film.
Charles University Area Studies Courses
Students have limited access to a select group of elective courses at Charles University. Participation in each course is limited to a few CIEE students. CIEE students may take a maximum of six semester credits outside of CIEE courses. Classes are taught at Charles University and allow CIEE students to study alongside other international students. The following list is a sample of courses that may be available to CIEE students. A final list of available courses is distributed during orientation.
Art and Culture
Czech and European Art and Architecture Highlights of the Czech Theatre: Performance Analysis From Modernity to Avant-garde: A Survery of Modern Poetry Hollywood and Europe (Mostly Czech) Photography and Genius Loci Myth and Mythization in Central European Context Romanticism and National Identity in Central Europe Snapshots of Changing Landscape: Currents in post 1989 Czech Literature
Economics and Politics
CComparative Politics: Transformation of Czechoslovakia and Czech Republic Contemporary Central European Politics Political Philosophy of Central European Dissidence Recent Economic Development
Archaeology of Central Europe: Paleolithic Period
Jewish History in Central and Eastern Europe"MITTELEUROPA": Germany and East Central Europe in the 19th and 20th Century
American and Czech Literature from European Perspectives: Identity and Role Play
Czech Short Stories
Great European Writers: The Life and Work of Karel Čapek
City Palimpsests: Prague, London, Petersburg in Modern Fiction
Sociology and Psychology
Landscape Sociology: Understanding of Czech and European Landscapes
Language, Culture and Social Cognition
Selected Topics of Social Psychology: Soft Skills
Sociology: Globalization
Topics in Education: Multicultural and Gender Issues in Central Europe
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I have tried a physical version of the device (Clicking countdown clock, in the shape of an apple.) and I found that sometimes get distracted by the clicking sounds of the timer.
For a digital version of the pomodoro timer (FocusBooster), I find myself distracted sometimes when I constantly look at the timer.
Are the any techniques to avoid losing your focus due to looking at the timer itself or the recurring sounds of it?

subset: commoncrawl


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''Staycation'' Ideas for Families
These days, travel budgets are tight for most families. Try one of these ideas for a "staycation," a way to have the fun of a vacation without the cost.
1 of 11
Backyard Camping
Pitch a tent in your backyard for the ultimate getaway, without really going anywhere. Kids love the adventure of sleeping outdoors, while still having the security of knowing that home is right nearby. Plan a night of classic camping activities: build a fire, roast s'mores, and tell scary stories.
Read more backyard camping ideas.
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closed as not constructive by MichaelT, Robert Harvey, Frank, gnat, thorsten müller Apr 9 '13 at 7:21
As it currently stands, this question is not a good fit for our Q&A format. We expect answers to be supported by facts, references, or expertise, but this question will likely solicit debate, arguments, polling, or extended discussion. If you feel that this question can be improved and possibly reopened, visit the help center for guidance.If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
If all you know how to do is write glue code, you may call yourself a code monkey. Lots of glue code needs to be written and you can make a decent living as a code monkey. To call yourself a Real Programmer TM and be trusted when code needs to be written from scratch, you have to know algorithms, data structures, memory management, pointers, assembly language, etc. and understand how to use this knowledge to evaluate tradeoffs.
those who don't know history are condemned to reinvent it
Well, working in a language like JavaScript makes this quite obsolote, since an Array is a mix between a vector, a hash and a tree and can be used as a stack or queue. It is very unlikely you will ever need to or be able to implement a data structure in JavaScript that outperforms the Array class. This is also the case in PHP.
For Java OTOH, there's a difference. I suppose Java's standard library provides you about any datastructure your need. However:
When it comes to sorting algorithms, there isn't much need to know or understand them, because there's no need to ever implement one on your own. However, if such an algorithm is given to you, you should be able to understand and implement it.
Two things are certain:
Data structures and algorithms are simply a thing, that is good to understand. And it is something extremely clear and formalized and thus quite trivial compared to the intricacies of application or systems engineering. They are just one small piece in the puzzle, but they are easy to grasp - if you're willing to invest some time.
So no, you don't need them, but it would only be for your benefit to know them.
This might be an occasion where there can be a semantically-meaningful distinction between 'programmer' and 'software engineer.' In this context, specifically, we see that you have a knowledge of several programming languages and related technologies and that you can use them to produce desired results. This is a fine operational definition of 'computer programmer.'
I consider myself to be a software engineer. In most of the day-to-day aspects of my work, I probably do the same things that you do. I use computer language and related technologies to produce some desired result. However, I do have an understanding of data structures and algorithms, and I consider that knowledge to be a fundamental underpinning of my ability to do much more.
Often -- though not ever day -- my job involves finding solution to complex problems for which there are no obvious solutions, nothing that is directly addressed by the features of the framework that I am using or the capabilities of the language that I am working with. In this, I need to analyze the problem and devise a solution and occasionally this process goes in the realm of large-scale architecture.
While an excellent understanding of these deeper issues is necessary to doing that kind of work, it is not sufficient. In other words, just knowing how a hash table works or why a heap sort usually has good performance characteristics isn't enough to be a systems architect or a senior engineer. It's the logical starting place, and from there you can start to dig deeper and travel more widely and gain the experience that is also necessary to tackle the larger issues.
I suppose that in order to answer your question, you should ask yourself, "What do I want to be? Where will I go with my career?" If you are content to continue doing what you are doing, then you might just want to learn enough data structures and algorithms to get through the largely arbitrary interview questions that you are faced with.
If you want to grow in your career and you have the passion for it that is essential, you should embrace these subjects as tightly as you can. If you have some time to work on them, an open mind and true enthusiasm, you'll find some wonderful and exciting things. I'll never forget the day that I first understood quicksort. The feeling of excitement and discovery set the course for much of the rest of my life, and I couldn't be more grateful for that. Now, I can't imagine doing anything besides working as a software engineer.
Best of luck with whatever you choose.
It depends what the jobs are for. This sort of things are fairly standard interview questions but they're also fairly unimaginative and probably don't relate to the job at all - certainly not a job using the technologies you list.
For me as interview questions go they're a good judge of whether you did a Computer Science degree (and can remember it) rather than any measure of general programming ability or knowledge.
I'd suggest that either you learn this stuff so you can get through the interview, or you just accept that anywhere asking these things isn't for you, but no, you don't need to know them to call yourself a programmer.
Great question. Javascript or Java or VC++ are super smart programming languages where you will never need to create a linked list or hash table from scratch. But you still need to have the ability to decide when to use one over the other, the performance penalties and bonuses each accrue etc.
I have interviewed a lot of API programmers aka code monkeys, and in most of the interviews they have routinely failed to design systems that are performance efficient and scalable. Bottom line: knowing loads of API will get you the bread, but for butter you need to start from the basics of computing.
I'll add "yes, of course you can still call yourself a programmer". But what sort of a programmer do you want to be? I think the very best programmers have at least some grounding in the theoretical basics. They know why they chose a particular data structure/algorithm as well as the trade-offs that come with that. I expect any developer I interview to have at least a basic understanding, even if they don't use the same jargon (although not knowing the jargon means you'll find it more difficult to communicate with other developers).
Knowledge of algorithms allow you to confidently say how your choices Will scale! I personally consider this to be necessary to be a senior programmer
Good advice from Analysis of Algorithms By Charles E. Leiserson - MIT
It depends of the project: I'm a BEng in Computer Engineer and I work as analyst programmer.
I spent a lot of time for to work in design (testing, doc, code design). But, when I find a bug (or bad performance) or I have to coding a new data structure (because the requirement is very NEW for the application), I must to understand where's the problem in the algoritm and I must to correct him (I did this not very good, so :))
The classical algorithms and data structures are a kind of "dictionary pattern" in the world of developer.
Some excellent links:
You may well be a good programmer right now, but knowledge of Data Structure, Algorithms and knowledge of other topics in computer science would certainly help a lot in improving yourself in many ways:
You mention hashes, trees, stacks, queues and sorting algorithms. Well, the technologies you've mentioned are mostly webpage and web-scripting related. You should definitely understand trees at the very least, so you can work with the DOM well. But if scripting is all you need to do, then you're probably OK. You won't need most of the tools of the trade for a real programmer. But that's because there's a big difference between the string-juggling that makes up most of Web scripting and what most of us consider "writing programs."
I work with hashes and trees practically on a daily basis, and stacks and queues less often but frequently enough. Sorting is basically a solved problem; just about any language has a quicksort built into the standard library, a Sort method on basic collection types, etc, but you should know under what circumstances quicksort's performance can degrade severely and the right strategies to delay sorting.
If I didn't know these principles and how they work, I could probably hack up coding solutions that work, but they wouldn't be very good quality solutions. They'd run slowly, be hard to read, and hard to modify, reuse or extend. So if you want to learn to be a good programmer, you should definitely read up on your algorithms and data structures. They'll really improve the quality of your code.


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The 7 Dumbest Video Game Innovations That Actually Exist
Dark Room Sex Game is an erotic video game created by a group of students in Copenhagen who apparently never got over the fact that Nintendo's Wii remote sort of looks like a dong (if dongs were rectangular and had little buttons in them). However, even if you're the sort of person who has been waiting for a Wii porn game since 2006, you'll probably be disappointed to find out that this game has no graphics. (You might want to mute the following video if you're at work, though.)
The game is played by standing before a speaker that makes erotic sounds and whipping your Wiimote in tandem with a partner. There's no screen, so to an outside observer it might as well be a female tennis match simulator. If you and your partner follow the audio cues correctly and achieve a good rhythm, the game will let you know you have won by having a loud orgasm.
The winner is then rewarded by an overwhelming feeling of shame.
The designers, who classify this as a party game, say they took away the visuals to make it "more erotic" and force players to "user their imaginations" (but not too much, because no one likes the guy at every party with the visible boner). They also admit they were inspired by the "phallic shape (and rumble) of the Wiimote" and that the ultimate goal is to make players feel embarrassed and satisfied at the same time. A less obvious objective is preparing us for when the machines take over and robot handjobs become a thing.
For extra awkwardness, there's even an "orgy mode" where two couples compete to see who can reach climax the fastest (so it's more like "premature ejaculator" mode). While Dark Room Sex Game is designed to be played with Wiimotes, it's actually a PC game. Of course, if they do license it to Nintendo at some point, we're guessing they'd probably find a way to slap Mario on the cover.
"It's-a me, thumbing your brown eye!"
#2. Kiss Controller -- Turn French Kissing into Bowling
Bowling video games probably reached their zenith with Nintendo's Wii Sports mini-game -- once you are able to play by performing an actual throwing-ball swinging motion, where else can you go? Well, artist Hye Yeon Nam found the next innovation: kiss bowling.
One of the players wears a headset in front of his mouth and the other has to stick a little magnet to her tongue with some Fixodent. The one with the magnet then inserts her polarized tongue into the other person's mouth and uses it to maneuver the virtual bowling ball.
The strength of the throw is controlled by the potency of his boner.
At this point you have to try to keep your tongue as straight as possible in order to maintain the direction of the ball, while at the same time wiggling it as fast as you can to increase the ball's speed. This goes on for the most horrible 20 seconds of your life. It's like this was designed by someone who has only ever been kissed by overbearing psychopaths.
"Well, that score was definitely worth souring our relationship forever."
So, as impressive as this invention may seem, we're just not convinced that the tongue is the optimal choice for a controller, especially when you consider factors like bad breath, possible muscle cramps and the human need to breathe. Add that to the fact that the deep throating has to be carefully coordinated, and that you have to be wearing all that shit in your face and keep glancing at the screen to know how you're doing, and it's like someone really went out of their way to suck all the fun out of kissing and bowling both.
#1. Deep Sea -- The Creepy Gas Mask Game
Turns out sound-only games aren't just for porn: whereas Dark Room Sex Game wants you to feel aroused, Deep Sea wants to scare the living shit out of you. For starters, it forces you to wear this thing:
Via Populationgo.com
"Hello? Is there anybody in there? Just nod if you can hear me."
That is a gas mask, yes. So it's not just that you can't see the graphics: You can't see anything at all, and you can only hear the creepy sounds that come from the game itself (everything else is canceled out by the headphones). In Deep Sea, you are underwater and surrounded by unthinkable creatures coming at you from all sides. An AI character tells you which way the monsters are coming, more or less, and you have to try to shoot them down with your joystick. If there's a hit, you'll hear a scream -- if you miss, all you will hear is your shot drifting away into the sea (and, eventually, your own scream).
The game is extremely claustrophobic, and this is all quite intentional: In this interview, the game's creator admits that "It's meant to be a difficult, frustrating, scary experience." Even worse, he says, "I saw somebody rip off the mask and I realized ... I think I'm on to something here."
"The fear-urine was another big indicator."
In fact, the more scared you are, the harder the game gets -- the game actually keeps track of your breathing and plays back an exaggerated breathing sound that increases the more nervous you get, sooner or later drowning out the game's commands and getting you killed. Even if you're not claustrophobic at all, you might be after playing it.
And as if the experience wasn't traumatic enough, the game is also designed to be played in public spaces only, meaning that as soon as you take off your mask you realize people have been watching you lose your shit for the past 10 minutes.
Which is still less shameful than playing Wii tennis in public.
For more things we wished wouldn't happen in the gaming world, check out 5 Creepy Ways Video Games Are Trying to Get You Addicted and The 6 Most Ominous Trends in Video Games.
And stop by LinkSTORM to discover the things Bucholz does around the office that nobody ever asks or wants him to do.
And don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get sexy, sexy jokes sent straight to your news feed.
Do you have an idea in mind that would make a great article? Then sign up for our writers workshop! Do you possess expert skills in image creation and manipulation? Mediocre? Even rudimentary? Are you frightened by MS Paint and simply have a funny idea? You can create an infograpic and you could be on the front page of Cracked.com tomorrow!


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"Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me" SummerDocs
The Hamptons International Film Festival SummerDocs Series presented its third documentary of the summer, Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me. The film follows the uncompromising Tony and Emmy-award winner, Elaine Stritch, dominating the stage, tormenting Alec Baldwin on "30 Rock," sharing her personal takes on her struggles, and reflecting on her life. The evening began with a pre-screening cocktail reception at c/o The Maidstone before guests headed to Guild Hall for the premiere.
Photography by Tom Fitzgerald and Pam Deutchman / society-in-focus.com.


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Yes! You heard it right! The 4am Project is about to hit Manhattan. This is probably the project's (and my!) biggest goal to date.
I am so delighted to be able to bring the 4am Project to the heart of New York City.
Times Square will be pumping with energy and will promise some stunning images to early morning photographers who want to capture the exhilarating activity in a 24 hour city.
If you are a New Yorker with an interest in the unusual (and perhaps mild insomnia) come and take part in this innovative global photography project to record and document the world before dawn.
I'm going to be hosting a special event in the beating heart of Manhattan that is Times Square at 4am on October 17th, and I'm inviting bleary eyed photographers on an exhilarating early morning photography walk to capture images of the city that never sleeps.
I hope you can join me and other New York photographers in this extraordinary photo walk at the 'crossroads of the world'.
The 4am Project is an exercise in global solidarity to encourage the sharing of visual imagery that reflects the world we live in. This is the Project's second year, and word has spread like wildfire, with people picking up their cameras in over 40 countries across the globe including UK, Brazil, Italy, China, Swaziland, Libya, Germany, Laos and the USA.
It's a worldwide collaborative experience, aiming to capture a time of day that many people rarely see. At the heart of the 4am project is the aim to bring both photographers and non-photographers together, to create a global community which demonstrates how amazing our surrounding landscapes can be.
Time: 3.45 AM on Sunday 17th October
Meeting Place: Outside the New York Police Station on Times Square
Event ends at 5am, though I suggest it would be a nice opportunity to grab a coffee and meet the 4am Photographers!
Don't forget your camera!
Tell your friends too!
Looking for the Press Release? You can find it here.
Follow the 4am Project on Twitter. My number whilst in NYC is (001) 646 233 3478


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I gathered that it's not recommended to download torrents using an SSD (due to the high number of write operations, the SSD will be worn out pretty fast).
I've changed to an AirDisk connected through my Airport Extreme for downloading torrents (uTorrent for Mac). Does this wear out the SSD on my MacBook Pro?


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An annual tradition is making its return to Weirton this Saturday, and it's sure to be a "peachy" time for everyone.
St. Thomas Episcopal Church has been preparing for weeks for its annual peach festival, and we hope to see the community come out and support the event.
The annual event, being held for nearly 50 years, will include many peach-themed treats, including ice cream, short cakes, pies and other desserts.
There also will be hot dogs, roast beef and sausage sandwiches, cabbage rolls, haluski, french fries, zucchini fries and other treats.
The festival is put on each year by volunteers with the St. Thomas church, but it helps many more in our community.
In the past, it helped to raise money for both the church and its food pantry. These days, the money raised goes out into the community, with organizers donating it to local charities.
On top of all this, the festival is another opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate what we have: our residents, our traditions and our faith. It is one more way we can show what makes Weirton and our area special.
We thank the members of the church for continuing to put together such a wonderful event and encourage our area residents to come out and show their support.


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If someone has short or long sight, is it possible to tune image on a computer monitor in such way, that a person could see it sharp as if they were wearing glasses? If not, will 3d monitor make it possible?
Let's take a simple original picture to look at - just two nearby dots on a white background. If you have bad vision, the dots look blurred.
The way good vision works is to ensure that all the light hitting any particular small area of your retina comes from the same direction in front of you. Conversely, all the light coming from one direction hits one specific spot on your retina.
When you have bad vision, the light from a locus of nearby directions all hits on the same part of your retina, and the light from a particular direction is smeared out over an area on your retina. Hence, blurred vision is an averaging effect. When you look at the dots, you'll see them smear out into each other.
You might try to compensate for this by making a "counter-blurred" image where the source dots are smaller, but if the original dots are close enough that light from the center of one dot is spilling over to overlap light from the center of the second dot, making the dots smaller won't fix that problem. Hence, the dots will always appear blurred. You can't create the impression that the original has for someone with good vision.
A photograph is really just a bunch of nearby dots, and so the same problem applies.
I don't know about the 3D monitor, though. I suppose if it can control the direction of light coming off it, it could be modified to focus the light some and create a sharp image for someone with blurred vision.
Not on regular monitor screen. The technology necessary to achieve such effect would be holographic display, holographic in the sense of wavefront synthesis. Although this device would be a 3D display, not all 3D display are holographic. You would need technologies such as spatial light modulator. Which only exists as low specs laboratory devices.
This is a cold thread, but I think some of the answers are off base. Blurring of an incoherent image can be mathematically represented as a convolution, and if the blurring kernel is known and is invertible (no spectral zeros) then a deconvolution filter can be developed. Mathematically it does not matter the order in which the two linear filters are applied, so you could apply the deconvolution filter first. The problem is that a real image cannot have negative intensities, whereas the pre-deconvolved image is not guaranteed to be positive. One would have to bias the image upwards to preserve positivity. Then the observer would see a sharp image it would appear whitewashed.
The light source with this properties exists in technology named "Adaptive Optics".
So the answer is yes, if your monitor (not existing on market yet) has controllable phase source for each pixel on screen (like phased array antenna), and even more. Each pixel actually needs multiples of phase values, depending on angle of look. So for megapixel display you may need gigapixel of phasing elements which follow and compensate phase exactly to errors on the ray trace to location of retina cell of each individual eyeball, looking at screen.
No, if you are someone who needs glasses the effect without them would be like a blur effect which can not be reversed the same strongly blurred picture can not be rendered to its original detailed focus.
Taking a picture without focusing the lens would have the same effect. You can neither create an image that will be sharp with an unfocused lens nor reconstruct the detailed image taken with an unfocused lens.
Apparently there is software solutions for regular displays that somehow distorts the image in a way that makes it sharper for people with eyes out of focus:
New Scientist: Good looking: Phone screens that do the focusing for you
There are some examples at the website of the start-up, including a video: https://youtu.be/Vqd5VjXmKMw
As user1631 explains, deconvolution will yield the required image, but this will contain negative intensities. However, if you just raise the background gray value then it should be possible to deal with this issue. So, if we imagine a picture of the night sky and me watching it with my glasses removed. If the stars are deconvolved with the correct point spread function they turn into fringes that alternate in brightness dipping below and rising above the background gray value. If I watch this with my glasses removed, then the blurring will cause the fringes to cancel out relative to the background leaving only the center pixel sticking above the background.
Well, I think that it is possible to create a "blurred" image from a real one in order to be correct for someone with short/long sight.
It is "only" an optical problem, and, as long as we can apply the paraxial approximation, it is a linear system, very suitable to a computer program. We know the laws that focus the rays in one point, so we can disturb these rays so that they arrive at a different point, and it would be possible to "tune" this point to be correct to every people.
I think that the point is that, from a correct and well-defined image, we can do a lot of things with it. If we have a blurred image, and we want to make it correct, it will be more difficult, because now we haven't got all the information as in the first case.
Consider the system: monitor -> eyeglasses -> eye. Assuming these are the correct glasses, the monitor is clearly in focus. Now move the eyeglasses towards the monitor, transforming them as necessary to keep the optical path the same. For that person, I'd argue the monitor remains sharply focused.
protected by Qmechanic♦ Mar 3 '13 at 20:58
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Shaping solutions together
Managing a profitable coffee farm requires investment and just like in any business, this requires a long-term view. However, many coffee farmers, especially smallholders, focus on short-term gains at the expense of making investments that bring better returns in the long run.
Because it can be difficult for farmers to make essential investments to meet the standards required by the Nespresso AAA Sustainable Quality™ Program, we are committed to facing challenges together. This means working with our partners to invest in projects and initiatives that create long-term value for coffee farmers, by improving quality, increasing productivity and creating efficiencies.
- Helping farmers to share their workload in Jardín, Colombia. Read more
- Helping farmers improve their business skills in Hueheutenango, Guatemala. Read more
- Accelerating progress on AAA in Central America. Read more
- Empowering small-scale coffee farmers in Caldas, Cauca and Nariño, Colombia. Read more
- Gaining a better understanding of coffee farm profitability, with INCAE, the leading international business school in Latin America.
- Ensuring that the AAA program brings economic, social and environmental benefits to coffee farmers in Chikmagalur, India with coffee supplier Jayanti.
Accelerating AAA progress in Central America
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A few cards I whipped up for the weekend! I took these photos from my phone, I was in a pretty big rush to get these done for all the birthday parties/events this weekend.
This one is a cased card (original here):
My usual little boy card, slightly varied:
This card is a work-in-progress. I whipped it up fast because I was in a rush, but in the future, I think I'll probably alter the design a little bit more. Some of the elements don't really flow as well, but for now, it's good enough, I suppose.


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Valerie Cotsalas
Recent and archived news articles by Valerie Cotsalas of The New York Times.
Condos in Sight in an Old Port
Sag Harbor took a step into an uncertain future this month when the village zoning and planning boards approved a plan to convert a 19th-century factory into condominiums.
August 31, 2008, Sunday
Preservation Deal for Cavett's Land
Dick Cavett, the former talk show host, agreed to sell a 77-acre tract of pristine real estate in the Montauk moorlands to create public parkland.
August 17, 2008, Sunday
The Web as Real Estate Trove
Multiple Listing Service Web sites have expanded the information available to the public, offering recent sales prices, complete with maps, addresses and photos of sold homes.
August 10, 2008, Sunday
Seeing Signs of Stability
Real estate professionals say they see at least some glimmers of stability in the Long Island residential market, although nobody is ready to declare that the decline is definitely over.
August 3, 2008, Sunday
A Farm, and Its Market, Preserved
Some local merchants on eastern Long Island are unhappy about a deal to sublease the Amagansett Farmers Market to Eli Zabar.
July 27, 2008, Sunday
'Walkable Community' Is a Hard Sell
Jerry Wolkoff is trying to convince planners that his design for a project in mid-Suffolk County will get more Long Islanders walking, biking and bus riding.
July 20, 2008, Sunday
A Downtown for Neglected Hamlets
Southampton is proposing a downtown-style center with housing and stores, a village green and a main street, but many residents worry that the stores may never show up.
July 13, 2008, Sunday
Greenwich Village Co-op
July 6, 2008, Sunday
NoHo Co-op
July 6, 2008, Sunday
Clinton Hill Loft
July 6, 2008, Sunday
Rss Feeds On Valerie Cotsalas
Subscribe to an RSS feed on this topic. What is RSS?


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A proud Fernando Alonso concedes that Ferrari lost the title long before the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix
The Spaniard missed out on the 2012 Championship by three points to Sebastian Vettel after he finished second at Interlagos with the Red Bull driver coming home in sixth place.
Although the season went down to the final race of the year, the Ferrari man had just about managed to hang onto Vettel in the standings as the German won four of the previous six grands prix while he finished on the podium in the other two.
Alonso, meanwhile, managed five podiums and a retirement in that same time.
The 31-year-old concedes that the title wasn't lost in Brazil, but he is nevertheless proud of the Maranello squad's performance.
"First of all I'm very proud of the team," he said.
"We lost the Championship before today, not in Brazil, this is a sport after all.
"When you do something with your heart and do it 100% you have to be proud of yourself and your team and we'll try again next year."
He later added on BBC Sport: "I feel satisfied with the job and I feel proud of myself and the team.
"I think we gained so much respect from everybody this season. It was a good season. It was 20 races close to perfection, but we missed a little bit of performance through lack of ideas but we enjoyed it and fought until the end.
"We have to feel proud. We finished second today but it just wasn't enough."
Related Links


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I know WHISKY LIVE TOKYO 2011 just ended, but for me planning is crucial.
Does anyone know the dates for next years (2012) event?
It would be a once in a lifetime thing for me and I need to start saving coin and checking transport and hotels.
Any and all info on 2012 dates would be much appreciated.


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30 Nov 2011 1:00 PM #1
Progress bar in Sencha2
Is three any possibility we see such component in Sencha2? (I see that Ext JS 4 has ProgressBar)
If no, what should I use ?
Thank you.
30 Nov 2011 4:14 PM #2
This is not on the roadmap for ST2. However, it would be fairly simple to implement.
- Extend Ext.Component
- Override the initialize method to add in some extra dom for the "bar"
- Add appropriate CSS for the bar
- Add a configuration for the "value" of the progress bar.
Done.Sencha Inc.
Robert Dougan - @rdougan
Sencha Touch 2 and Ext JS 4 Core Team Member, SASS/Theming Wizard.


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Why are Zombies so "in"?
I'm just curious why every where I look online there are so many references to Zombies? Has "The Waking Dead" sparked this? Is it all the online games and Apps making all this so popular? Or, is it simply that I am just a blind fool incapable of recognizing that there really is some kind of actual Zombie apocalypse already taking place?
What do you think this Zombie phenomenon is about? (and no one is allowed to answer... BRAINS!)
15 Answers answer
because nerds want a reason to own a sword/gun and a reason to use them
I think it fits into the world is ending-apocalyptic pessimistic theme but has a sense of humor to it. Vampires and werewolves are a bit played out and have lost their fangs thanks to the Twilight movies. Frankenstein is a singular creature.
The Zombies are hear to eat the wussy Vampire's that are contaminating the earth!
@mommyleah: It would be "here" not "hear" but, I agree.
I think it was really Shaun of the Dead and Zombieland that sparked it, with Walking Dead a timely entry to take advantage of the popularity. 28 Days Later may actually have planted the seeds, and I am Legion brought some gravitas back to the idea. This is my personal opinion on the vampires versus zombies popularity contest:
We women like vampires because we get to live forever, beautiful and never aging.
You guys like zombies because you get to shoot your neighbors in the head without remorse.
@moondrake: You have absolutely nailed the difference between the sexes!! Well said!!
I can't really answer why zombies are so popular now. I've been a fan of zombie movies FOREVER. My Mom was a big fan of all of the old Romero movies, so I grew up watching them.The fact that zombies have entered mainstream popularity is cool to me, but I don't know how it happened. To me there is something creepy about zombies that I don't think that you have in any other horror genre. Good zombie stories also manage to make you think "what would I do in that situation?" and the zombies become the symbol of the stories that we love.
I am honestly not a big fan of the zombie genre, its a bit of a convoluted premise. But, it combines two genres together into an intellectual exercise that is very appealing. It takes the post apocalyptic viewpoint of mad max, a survive by your wits, ingenuity and found objects approach and adds to it the horror aspects of a non human enemy that appeals to gore hounds and thinkers that like to have a set of parameters to work in.
People that love zombie movies tend to either just love the blood and guts genre or they have spent a good amount of time thinking about survival schemes, discussing with friends and developing fun ideas that revolve around the things and places in their life. All in all its a fun exercise in pretend that appeals to almost everyone... what would you do if you had to survive... but you have all your stuff???! where would you go, where would you stay? what would you bring?
Now discuss with friends... look its a night of social interaction!
Here a timeline of select movies and a book and their years.
28 Days Later was 2002.
Resident Evil was 2002.
House of the Dead video game and the crappy movie that followed in 2003.
Dawn of the Dead remake in 2004.
Shaun of the Dead was 2004.
Resident Evil: Apocalypse in 2004.
Doom in 2005 if you want to include that.
Zombieland was 2009.
Pride & Prejudice & Zombies was 2009.
The science articles about fungus controlling ants after it kills them, or of larvae taking over certain insects lends a bit of truth... but the thrill of post-apocalyptic planning is what appeals to many. I've seen war, and don't care for the gore, but the intellectual pursuit of a SHTF plan has always been stimulating. No matter how unlikely we are to see a complete stop (our society is more likely to end with a whimper, and break down as in Argentina than a complete overnight abrupt halt), it sparks the imagination to go to the extreme in the comfort of one's home.
The scenarios presented are everyday people being the "hero" against overwhelming odds. That sort of thing always sells, and the zombie formula fits that without the complexities and required in many other genres. It's a simple plot device too- a seemingly limitless enemy that doesn't require much back story or character development (allowing more focus on the development of the hero).
@moondrake: Perfectly answered!!
Not sure, but I don't think it was The WAKING Dead. :)
Has to do with a lot of different things in my opinion..
1. Cannibalism is an ultimate fear and taboo.
2. The ability to kill "humans" without remorse.
3. The horror that loved ones would turn to a monster that would eat you, and then you would have to kill them.
4. The parallels with real apocalyptic fears.
5. The inner fantasy many people have of being released from the constraints of modern day society to enter a survival situation.
6. Zombies represent our ultimate fear; death! They are a moving, attacking, eating version of what we fear most.
Personally, I love zombie films, but I love the entire horror genre. George Romero was definitely the director that gave birth to the modern day zombie, although they go back in film to Bela Lugosi in White Zombie. They've been represented culturally across the world over thousands of years, you can find evidence in ancient Egypt of zombies.
I feel like Resident Evil the game started a lot of this as well.
Ever since I watched my first Zombie movie I've always liked zombies... Recently I admit more so than normal.
I think Zombies have become mainstream lately because the Mayan Calendar thing has spread. I also think once the end of the world does or doesn't happen the Zombie idea will become less mainstream and spread.
The fungus I do believe has become more well known so that has somewhat boosted the idea that zombies can be around. You can blame it's popularity more so on Halo.
But historically Zombies have happened.. It's just not as cool as you might think. The drug in Romeo and Juliet was actually real and there are drugs out there that fake your death. It was discovered from a type of blowfish, I believe African Blowfish but I could be wrong. The "dead" would come back to life and people back then, decades ago, called them zombies because they were not actually ever really dead.
Zombies became popular as well because of video games which sparked a TV show for the 1st time.


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Is the movement to curb gun violence just a smoke screen?
I am concerned that all the hoopla about gun-control legislation at the state and federal levels is just a smoke screen to take our attention away from the overwhelming debt and the financial abyss. The states and nation are sliding into this abyss and may never climb out of it.
The U.S. dollar, which is used worldwide to buy and sell goods, will become extinct. If this happens, the dollar will be worthless.
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Bob wrote on Apr 23, 2013 8:24 AM:
" Don't worry, be happy. Why do you save money? Do you fear that the government will force you into a pool so you will pay till you are poor and those of us who did not save will get the same or better treatment. It is best to be as extended as the system will let you. They will erode the value of savings because it erodes the massive value of servicing the debt. Be happy in your knowledge, they have the same knowledge. That just means you invest in physical material things you can exchange into dollars, pesos, ameros or anything that comes down the pike. A stack of bills may not buy what it does today, but fine art, metal, property, will buy another stack of bills worth the same amount or more due to rarity. So be happy in your knowledge, go into debt, and keep "stuff", whose value is only determined at a tag sale or private negotiation. "
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Stephen Covey's book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People recommends the following exercise:
Say "I like myself" to yourself 50 times a day for at least 14 days.
I've tried it and contrary to my belief, it had a very positive result on my self-esteem. Which is awesome! Is there a scientific explanation for why it worked?