10) Reclaiming Democracy: Civil Society and Electoral Change in Central and Eastern Europe, edited by Joerg Forbrig and Pavol Demeš ( Read more... )

8) Café Europa: Life after Communism, by Slavenka Drakulić ( Read more... )

When I was working in the Balkans, the Croats would always complain abut Carl Bildt, and mutter that he really had it in for them.

Well, I see he's cheering Croatia against Brazil tonight.

( Read more... )

According to ReutersCroatia has launched a new reality show on the Internet, starring sheep instead of people ( Read more... )

Google Earth is great, but I notice a few limitations - in particular, the overlay of borders doesn't always exactly match the reality on the ground. Here, for instance, is a screenshot of the Albanian/Macedonian border on the south-eastern shore of Lake Ohrid (40°54'41" N, 20°44'27"E):


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10 January 1661/62: So home to dinner, and in the afternoon to the office, and so to Sir W. Batten’s, where in discourse I heard the custom of the election of the Dukes of Genoa, who for two years are every day attended in the greatest state; and four or five hundred men always waiting upon him as a king; and when the two years are out, and another ( Read more... )

Last year I was a speaker at a conference with these people:

( rogues' gallery )

...but it's perfectly true:

Croatia's Euro 2004 squad warned against "acrobatic sex"

Off to Zagreb for two days. It never seems to stop...