Balkan Barbie

Croatia is the Brazil of Europe... Coastline Food Women Football... Vatroslav Mihacik, a football school professor and former goalkeeper, said: 'Our nickname is the Brazil of Europe because of the style we play. Conditions in Croatia are far worse than in England where you have better facilities, better pitches, experts on nutrition and physiology and so on. But we are creative. Creativity is the deciding factor in growing a good player.'

I recommend this article in Central Europe Review: Fuck this Article: The Yugoslav lexicon of swear words: http://www.ce-review.org/00/41/nezmah41.html The article is hilarious and accurate. I never adjusted to hearing the violent swearing that is part of daily life (i.e. riding the tram) in Zagreb. I did pick up the habit of saying f***, which I had to give up for Lent to break the habit. Anger is fine, but swearing might be too violent an expression. I often miss living somewhere that people are free to have their own thoughts and expressions, including the not-nice ones.

every time i see you falling, i get down on my knees and pray. i'm waiting for that final moment when you say the words that i can't say... started the work day at 6am with a New Order song on the radio, ending it at 7pm the same way. erases exhaustion of the work in-between ... I love the radio. The unexpected song. The right song. At the right time. At the unexpected time. Video won't kill the radio star. (especially Radio Nigel dot com and 107.1 at U of Illinois)

This is Buza, the best bar on the Adriatic Coast. It is in Dubrovnik, in/outside the city walls. Hanging over the opening in the city walls that leads to this bar is a sign that reads: Cold Drinks With The Most Beautiful View. And it is. Especially at sunset.

pencilnpaper: Museum of Broken Relationships

I walked out of my back door Sunday afternoon, on my way to my tennis match. I saw this image of my neighbor's laundry line. Of little C's overalls. The scene captured my mood that day. Life is good. Simple things are good. A spontaneous dinner the night before with good neighbors. A sport I enjoy very much. I wrote all day on my dissertation, and the writing is past the point of crisis. Winter is almost over, spring is almost here.

Punk Goddess Debbie Harry in a scout's uniform on The Muppet Show. Word up.