Local peace activists plan trip to Croatia

Court House in Pakrac

ENGLEWOOD -- Local residents who helped raise more than $30,000 to clear a mine field in Pakrac, Croatia, now have the opportunity to see the fruits of their labor. 

In September, Mario Spalatin, president of the Croatian-American Society of Sarasota, will volunteer as tour guide on a two-week trip to the former Yugoslavian republic. The cost of the trip, which will include no fees to any travel agencies, will be approximately $2,100 per person. 

Besides visiting the 3.5-acre defused mine field adjacent to Pakrac's only hospital, the group will also travel to Preko, Croatia, the birthplace of the Rev. Sebastian Loncar, former pastor of Englewood's St. Raphael's Catholic Church.

At Preko, located on the island of Ugljan in the Adriatic Sea, the group will dedicate a memorial plaque in honor of Loncar. Ordained a priest in 1937, Loncar moved to the United States in 1940. He served as administrator at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Port Charlotte and Epiphany Cathedral in Venice before taking over as St. Raphael's second pastor from 1970 to 1977.

Loncar moved back to Croatia in 1999. There, he died of cancer in February 2001.

"He was a great believer in peace," Spalatin said. "During the war, he put a lot of monetary support toward helping the refugees in Croatia."

Peter Duisberg, a longtime member of the Florida Southwest Peace Education Coalition, said the Croatian trip would appeal to "people who are interested in a vacation with a purpose."

"We're hoping they will come back with ideas on how we can have a sister-type relationship with that city (Pakrac)," Duisberg said. "We hope to follow through. We don't expect this to stop with this trip."

The Englewood community's involvement with Pakrac began on New Year's Day 2001, the 15th annual World Day of Prayer for Peace. That day, Jo Williams of the Sarasota-Manatee chapter of United Nations Association-USA appeared at St. Raphael's to talk about the land mine clearing project. 

At the time, Duisberg said that chapter's fund raising effort was stalled at about $8,000. Within months, the group had the $30,240 necessary to clear the mine field, including $8,000 in contributions from the Englewood area.

"The whole thing picked up steam again because of that," Duisberg said. "It showed the power of prayer and dedication." 

A British firm hired by the Croatian government cleared the Pakrac field in late 2001. On January 1, 2002, the 16th annual World Peace Day, Pakrac Mayor Damir Spancic and his wife, Dubravka, traveled to Englewood United Methodist Church to thank the community. 

Spalatin has also made several trips to Pakrac and has toured the mine field. 

"I noticed when I was there, that there were several other areas of the city that were being de-mined," he said.

During his visits, city officials told Spalatin that 114 people in the city suffered fatal injuries from mines and other unexploded munitions, with one out of five victims less than 18 years old. He said that, prior to clearing, the mine field was also covered with other unexploded munitions, many of which were World War II vintage. 

Before the fighting between Croatia and Serbia broke out, Pakrac had a population of more than 27,000 people. By 1995, the population had shrunk to 4,700.

Now the town is working to rebuild. Duisberg said that United States Ambassador to Croatia Lawrence G. Rossin wrote in a letter that the U.S. planned to give a grant to the city to build a factory, contingent on that both Serbians and Croatians be employed there. The trip to Croatia will also include a visit with Rossin in Zagreb. 

For more information on the trip, call Peter Duisberg at (941) 474-5204.

You can e-mail Chris Curry at ccurry@sun-herald.com 


By CHRIS CURRY

Staff Writer

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http://www.sun-herald.com/NewsArchive2/070302/np6.htm?date=070302&story=np6.htm
 

CroatiaCaptures Last-Second Victory Over U.S.

Croats Come Back from Four Goals Down in Hard Fought Game 

Los Alamitos, Calif., June 30, 2002—TomislavPrimorac buried an extra-man goal with two seconds remaining to give Croatia a10-9 FINA World League victory over the U.S. before 1375 spectators at the USAWater Polo National Aquatic Complex in Los Alamitos (Calif.) on Sunday (June30). 

The U.S. picked up where it left off onFriday, jumping out to a quick 2-0 lead on goals by 2000 Olympians Tony Azevedoand Wolf Wigo. By the end of the first quarter, the U.S. had secured a 5-1 lead.

 But a string of goals at the startof the second quarter by Croatia’s Igor Hinic, Tihomil Vranjes, and KresimirZubcic brought them back to within striking distance at 5-4 with 5:44 to play.USA’s Layne Beaubien halted the 3-0 run with an extra man goal on the nextpossession to put his squad ahead by two. But Croatia’s Hrovje Koljaninbounced in a goal and Aljosa Kunac scored from two meters to tie the game at 6-6with 3:21 left in the half. 

Adam Wright found the goal on athird-chance shot for the U.S. with 1:47 to go, giving them the lead at 7-6.With 26 seconds remaining in the half, a four-meter penalty was called onAzevedo, and Wigo was called for a game exclusion immediately thereafter.However, Croatia’s ensuing penalty shot by Teo Dogas was blocked by U.S.goalkeeper Genai Kerr, his second penalty block of the day, holding the score at7-6. 

The U.S. didn’t get the third quartergoing they way they would have liked, turning the ball overon its first two possessions. But Beaubien picked it up for the U.S. with hissecond goal of the day to give the U.S. an 8-6 advantage. Croatia’s NikolaFrankovic began chipping away at the U.S. with a goal at the 4:11 mark. Twominutes later, Dogas went through Kerr’s arms to tie the game at 8-8. 

Hinic netted his second goal halfwaythrough the fourth quarter to give Croatia its first lead of the game at 9-8.With 35 seconds remaining in the game, Bailey and Hinic were caught in a tussleand called on a double exclusion. But after a six-minute delay about re-entriesafter exclusions, Azevedo was awarded a penalty throw with 24 seconds to play inthe game. Azevedo converted the attempt to knot the score at 9-9.  

Beaubien was ejected with 11 seconds onthe clock, giving Croatia a man-advantage opportunity. After moving the ballaround the perimeter, the ball landed in the hand of Primorac, who slipped agoal past Kerr with two seconds left.

 Azevedo’s backcourt shot at thebuzzer was field blocked as the U.S. fell to Croatia, 10-9.

 Team USA will be back in action thisweek as they play host to 2000 Olympic silver medallist Russia in a pair ofgames in Los Alamitos on July 4 & 6. Croatia will head home to host Hungaryin Dubrovnik on the same dates.

 U.S. goalkeeper Genai Kerr andCroatia’s Igor Hinic were voted by attending media as the Players of the Game.

 For Croatian coach Veselin Duho, itwas his first win as the head coach for the men’s senior team.

 For more information, please visitthe official FINA World League website at www.fina.org/worldleague.htmlor the U.S.  site at www.usawaterpolo.com.

Individual Scoring

Man Advantage Scoring

Goal Saves

Attendance: 1375

Notable Quotes:

Ratko Rudic (USA Head Coach)

“We started off well, but we couldn’tsustain it. They played a better game tonight against us. They changed theirman-down defense on Tony Azevedo and that was very effective for them.”

“We are still a very young team, so gameslike this are actually good for us. They have to learn how to deal with thistype of play, with the referees, and with the pressure. This was an educationalresult.”

Genai Kerr (USA Goalkeeper)

(on stopping two penalty shots) “I’vedone it once before in a game against Canada. But that was a good feeling.”

“The object of this league for us is toprepare for the World Cup and the Olympics. These games are excellent steps inthat direction.”

“Games like this help water polo to becomea more visible sport in the U.S.”

Tony Azevedo (USA Driver)

“We missed a lot of opportunities tonight.We missed some shots and they played good defense.”

(on Wigo’s game exclusion) “We did losea little steam when Wolf went out. He’s a leader in the pool and when he left,we started slipping a bit.”

Veselin Duho (Croatian Head Coach)

“Again, we got off to a bad start. This isdue in part to the fact that we have a young team as well.”

“It’s difficult to stay in a game whereyou are not making your penalty shots. But by coming back, we showed just howmuch character this team has.”

Dalibor Percinic (Croatian Goalkeeper)

“That was the first time in my career thatwe had to play 25 extra seconds in a game that was already over.”

“We just needed time to get back intothings. This game for us was much better than our first.”

http://www.usawaterpolo.com/manual_news/020630-NTMcroatia_winoverusa.htm 

CroatiaCancels Deal With Iran
The Associated Press, Wed 19 Jun 2002

    ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Following aU.S. request, Croatia has canceled a $12 million deal with Iran to buildamphibian military patrol ships, local media reported Wednesday.
``Croatia gave up a business deal with a Middle East country, worth severalmillion U.S. dollars,''  because of cooperation with the U.S.-ledanti-terror coalition, Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula told a parliamentcommittee Tuesday.
Picula did not identify the country, but the Vecernji List newspaper, citingunidentified government officials, said Wednesday that Croatia was supposed tobuild amphibian military patrol ships for Iran worth $12 million.
    Washington has offered another deal, worth about $10 million,as a sort of compensation, Picula told a committee in charge of foreign policy.
Picula, who was asked whether the country of 4.5 million people suffered anyeconomic damage for siding with the United States in its war on terror, declinedto say more on either deal.
    The Vecernji List said the boats were to be armed withcannons and heavy machine guns. Iran apparently opted for Croatia because two ofits shipyards have military-oriented capabilities and because its boats wereknown to be of high quality.
The deal would have been a desired financial injection for Croatian shipyardsand the entire economy, ruined by war, corruption and failure to seriouslycompete on Western markets.
    In January, President Bush said Iran, Iraq and North Koreawere part of an ``axis of evil.'

Uglesich's Restaurant

http://www.nola.com/dining/reviews.ssf?2237?2237  

An Urban Legend
For a neighborhood seafood joint, it doesn't get any better than Uglesich's

05/03/02
By Brett Anderson, The Times-Picayune
Warchester! Come on! Help me out!"

Meet Anthony Uglesich: Second-generation restaurateur, local seafood
evangelist ("I don't buy Chinese crawfish. It's against my religion"),
darling of foodies from Martha Stewart to Paul Varisco, a local regular
after whom Uglesich named a glorious dish of pan-fried trout topped with
grilled shrimp and new potatoes. Many consider Uglesich brilliant.

"Get me some Warchester!"

OK, so he struggles to pronounce Worcestershire. He's also a bit of a crank.
But can you blame him? He's at work at 4 a.m. and often doesn't leave until
it's dark again. Yet still people rib him for only keeping Uglesich's open
for lunch.

"I'm in here every day of the week," Uglesich recently told me over the
phone. "In 47 years, I think I've missed two days."

He wasn't griping so much as trying to explain the almost freakish nature of
Uglesich's national renown. He traces his success to hands-on commitment:
Both he and his wife, Gail, stage-manage a daily "lunch" rush that can last
more than five hours. In their downtime, the couple take turns thinking up
new dishes such as Muddy Water, an unexplainably delicious concoction
involving trout sauced with a reduction of chicken stock, anchovies, garlic
and gutted jalapenos.

The restaurant was opened in 1927 by Sam Uglesich, Anthony's Croatian
immigrant father. For decades, Uglesich's chugged along like so many other
small New Orleans restaurants. It was family run. Its customers were people
in the neighborhood. Its menu contained little more than fried seafood
po-boys and plate dinners.

When Anthony took over the restaurant in the late ‘60s, the central-city
neighborhood was in decline. In the ‘70s he started to tinker with the menu.
The neighborhood went into further decline. By the ‘90s, Anthony and Gail
were the only Uglesiches interested in the family business and the
neighborhood was a paragon of urban decay. At the same time, Uglesich's
found its way onto the to-do list of just about anyone who came to New
Orleans hoping to experience something real.

This improbable series of events led to Uglesich's ascension from
neighborhood institution to a kind of temple. It's where people go to pay
homage to the city's warts-and-all splendor, an activity that almost always
involves eating something fried.

In a city that will never run short of restaurants claiming po-boy
supremacy, Uglesich's stand-apart. The extra degrees of greatness are earned
in the fryer. Order the fried softshell crab -- in sandwich form or alone
with some of the house slaw and tartar sauce -- and what emerges is a
creature with a distinctly darker shell than one normally finds, cooked not
quite brown but to a savage, Coppertone tan.

There's no arguing that the food gains something from Uglesich's singular
environment. New Orleanians like their neighborhood joints to be worse for
the wear -- think Domilise's and Franky & Johnny's -- and Uglesich's
heralded ramshackleness is, if anything, undersung.

Judging from the cases of beer in the corner and the sacks of potatoes and
onions clogging the entryway, the place is lacking storage space. The floor
is straight-up concrete, and the lighting has the look of being filtered
through soot. This time of year, count on it being busy, which means waiting
for your table on the uneven sidewalk and breathing in a hot bisque of
humidity, car exhaust, street dust and, one hopes, oxygen. Gripe all you
want about tourists adopting the restaurant (Uglesich figures 80 percent of
his customers are out-of-towners).

The beauty of the setting is that it underscores Uglesich's greatest
accomplishment, which is proving that culinary ambition is not exclusive to
high-brows. Enjoyed with a glass from a list of surprisingly high-quality
wines (or, if you prefer, a bottle of Chimay beer), dishes like the hot
pesto-swathed oysters and trout Anthony, an exquisitely prepared filet of
butter-grilled fish set under a tangle of sweet onions, are as refined as
anything you'll find in, say, one of Emeril's places.

That said, the real appeal here isn't that the food is only a nice plate and
a fancy garnish away from costing twice as much someplace else. Uglesich
innovates unlike any other neighborhood restaurant proprietor I know of, but
his food is far from precious. Shrimp Uggie, for example, is a devilish
concoction of head-on crustaceans slicked in an oil so spicy that it could
only be red.

The crunchy shrimp-and-sausage patty and the fried block of grits under a
cloak of shrimp in cream sauce further demonstrate the kitchen's frying
expertise, but Uglesich's affection for oil extends beyond the stuff found
in bubbling vats. The house versions of barbecue shrimp and oysters are
testaments to the grandeur of olive oil infused with herbs as well as the
sublimity of fresh seafood.

It's rare that you find food this intensely flavored without it being
brutish. The remoulade, best enjoyed over shrimp and fried green tomatoes, a
dish Uglesich admits he copied from Upperline, carried the bright citrusy
notes of good wine vinegar. The flavor of firm, sweetly juicy white corn
came through clearly with every bite of crawfish maque choux. The secret of
Uglesich's improbably light pan-fried fish? "Egg Beaters," Anthony says. "It
holds bread crumbs. Plus, it's healthy and it's pretty."

While Uglesich's menu should certainly be bronzed for inclusion in some
yet-to-be-created restaurant hall of fame, not everything on it is
fantastic. A recent order of crab au gratin amounted to a glob of
fish-flavored cheese. I have yet to try an Uglesich pasta dish that I'd
order again. And while the best plate of raw oysters I've ever eaten was
enjoyed at one of the plastic tables outside, I've also had a batch that
suggested the quality can wane.

One of the oyster shuckers runs a side hustle selling his mother-in-law's
sweet potato pies, a stash of which he keeps in a box atop a stack of
Heineken cases. But dessert is not an "official" course at Uglesich's.
Anthony has enough trouble turning over tables without giving people license
to linger longer.

And with none of his offspring interested in getting into the family
business, the time is near when he'll serve nothing at all. Curating what
amounts to the finest hole-in-the-wall restaurant you're ever likely to
visit could turn any Teddy into a bear. This June, Uglesich will close for
the summer. Next June, or maybe the June after that, Anthony could close for
good.

"You get to a point where you can't do it anymore," he said.

http://www.yatcom.com/neworl/dining/uglesich/uglesichreview_rod.html 

Uglesich's Restaurant
1238 Baronne St. (at Erato), New Orleans 
(504) 525-4925
Open for lunch Monday-Friday, 11:00-4:00; no credit cards.

Click on the photo or here to receive a 237K JPEG version of the photo.
One of the great things about New Orleans cooking is that we treat not only our haute cuisine, but also our everyday, with total seriousness. Take for example the poor boy. 'Nuff said. But when you take your poor boy, by all means take it at Uglesich's - by far the funkiest and the best poor boy joint in New Orleans.

Anthony Uglesich's parents opened in 1924. In Louisiana, Yugoslavians (as we once called them) are the heart and soul of the seafood industry. For one thing they make up 90% of the oyster fishermen at the mouth of the Mississippi River where, as we all know, the most succulent and the saltiest oysters in the world are farmed. So when a Yugoslavian opens those dozen raw oysters you're slurping, or confects that oyster loaf (that is, poor boy) you're crunching, you know you're in good hands. Now situated just outside the business district, Uglesich's was once on the other side of Canal on Rampart Street. When Anthony's mother told me that, it occurred to me that that was the time and that was the place where jazz came into its own. "Sure," she said, "there were plenty musicians around. Once my husband was watching TV and ol' Louis Armstrong came on. 'Look,' he said, 'There's a man I've shucked a lot of oysters for.'" Once Satchmo's favorite oyster bar, Uglesich now often serves the musical elite of New York and LA who, haivng "discovered" it now often throw as large a party as you can imagine is such a little place. Those parties are private of course; but if he's in town you're quite likely to see Aaron Neville who grew up nearby. Maybe it's the oysters that give Aaron that lovely voice. . . .

Be forewarned however, Uglesich's locale and decor are part of the reason we call it funky. Obviously Anthony has used his profits to send his kids to college rather than to renovate. But locally we think the look - with cases of Barq's root beer stacked on the concrete floor of the 10 table dining room - is just right. Too, be warned to come early or late. After 11:30 and until 2:00 you will wait to be seated, or even to stand at the tiny oyster bar - there's room maybe for three if you don't mind an elbow in your ribs. But come expecting to see the political and business elite of New Orleans. What to order? Well, or course expect nothing but seafood, most of it fried (though all fried in canola oil), and all of it with generous caloric counts. The only menu is on the back wall which includes this classic placard, a favorite of many New Orleanians:

Grilled and Spicey!
Trout Anthony $ 8. 75 
Shrimp Gail $ 8. 75 
Anthony and Gail $10. 75 
By the way, don't believe a word of it: Gail and Anthony are not the spiciest, but rather the sweetest couple you'll ever meet. The poor boys are hard to get around because they are so outstanding, and hard to get through because they are so large. Still, it would be a shame to miss their appetizers. Anthony's shrimp remoulade, rich in Creole mustard, paprika, and minced green onions, rivals - dare I say it - the remoulade at Ruth's Chris. And Anthony and his wife Gail have added some incredible and extremely creative tidbits on the appetizer menu. If your pockets are deep ask for an appetizer platter which might include some or all of the following: fried green tomatoes topped with grilled shrimp and their exquisite remoulade; fried mirliton (a favorite local squash) covered with crawfish sauce; or toasted French bread rounds with shrimp and black olives in a vinaigrette. You may not get to your main course!

But their new plate lunches are exquisite, too. Paul's Fantasy - named after a local businessman who eats there daily with his extended family - is delicious: grilled shrimp over speckled trout with brabant potatoes. Their soft-shelled crab is truly the most succulent you will ever put in your mouth. But your best bet is to put yourself in Anthony's hands: give him the general directions your tastes go in and he'll send out what just came in off the truck from down the river that morning. 

At some point, however, the point here is to eat some oysters, raw, fried, or sauteed. After all, who could pass up the opportunity to eat oysters where Baronne meets Erato - the muse of love poetry.

http://www.yatcom.com/neworl/dining/uglesich/uglesichreview_ed.html 

Uglesich's
1238 Baronne St. (corner Erato)
New Orleans, LA USA
+1.504.523.8571

Click on the photo or here to receive a 237K JPEG version of the photo.
My favorite story about Uglesich's sums up the classic impressions of the place very quickly. A nice older lady called up food critic Tom Fitzmorris' radio program and told him she wanted to take a couple of friends from out of town to some place in New Orleans that would be a bit of an adventure. Tom suggested Uglesich's. I chuckled as I drove along, thinking what a group of unsuspecting senior citizens would think of the place when they got there.

You see, Uglesich’s is a dump. Now, here in New Orleans, there are dumps and then there are dumps. Uglesich's is the standard by which all other dumps in town are measured. Located on the corner of Baronne and Erato (1238 Baronne), the Uglesich family has been making some of the best seafood sandwiches and plates here since 1924. Uglesich's has some great food, but it’s still a dump. The neighborhood around the place has really gone down the drain. Time and the expressway leading up to the Crescent City Connection bridge (over the Mississippi River) have separated the "central city" section of town from the Central Business District (CBD), and the housing projects around the neighborhood have encroached to the point where this is really not a very safe area to be in at night. Daytime's no big deal, however, as the crowds at lunch time at Uglesich's will testify. The restaurant fits into the dilapidated neighborhood quite nicely. The exterior hasn't been painted in 24 years, and it looks it. We New Orleanians pride ourselves on preferring less atmosphere in favor of better food and lower prices, but Uglesich's carries this to an extreme.

The bar runs down the left-hand side of the building from the door, long enough for about 6 or 7 people to stand at it. It then turns right for another eight feet or so, which is the oyster bar. The station for the oyster shucker is very important at Uglesich's, since freshness is very important to making this work. I stopped in relatively late (1:15), and the place was still pretty crowded. There were three parties ahead of me waiting to get one of the ten tables, all of which were occupied. Mrs. Gail Uglesich was working the bar with her husband, Mr. Anthony, and she took my order for an oyster po-boy, full sized. I also ordered a Barq's to drink. The menu is relatively easy to read, since it consists of a bunch of signs on the wall. There's a bit of a system to ordering and getting seated at Uglesich's when the place is crowded (and it always is): you place your order at the bar, then move up along the bar as tables clear and the people in line sit down. When you hit the end of the bar, you're up for a table. Since everything is cooked to order here, there's not much chance that your food will be ready before you sit down. This leaves you plenty of time to contemplate the decor behind the bar, which consists mainly of old plastic Falstaff beer trays mounted on the wall. This is a great place to listen in and absorb some New Orleans culture. Uglesich's is so small that there's no way you're going to have a private conversation. After about twenty minutes or so, a few tables cleared out, and I was able to sit down. My sandwich was about another twenty minutes in coming out from the kitchen after that. Most of the delay was because the place is small and it was crowded, but some of it was from some out-of-town woman who ordered a plate and what came out of the kitchen wasn't what she expected. It was a broiled fish dish, perhaps Trout Anthony (I was curious, but not so nosy that I was going to stick my nose in the plate!) I have no idea what she thought was wrong, but the chef actually came out from the kitchen to talk to her about it. The food looked OK to me. Anyway, once that was settled and the people who ordered ahead of me were served, my oyster po-boy came out.

I'm a firm believer that life is too short to wait long periods of time for food. That's one of the reasons I refused to eat at K-Paul's until he started taking reservations. I'm particularly fussy about this at lunch time, and am downright irascible if the lunch in question is a po- boy. With the exception of Uglesich's, of course. Oysters for a po-boy at Uglesich's are all but shucked to order. They don't leave the oyster bar until they're ready to cook your food. When the plate is set down in front of you, steam rises from the sandwich because it's that hot. There's ketchup on the table, but it would be a sin to cover oysters so perfectly breaded with such a condiment. Uglesich's puts out both Tabasco and Crystal hot sauces on the tables. This gives it a special place in my heart, because I don't care at all for Tabasco on prepared food. I prefer Crystal on sandwiches, red beans, etc., leaving Tabasco as a spice for cooking. Like any good po-boy place in town, Uglesich's uses high-quality french bread for their sandwiches, warmed just a bit. Chased with a cold Barq's and you get a truly platonic meal.

And it better be, because there surely isn't any ambiance. The floor's concrete, the bar is covered with sheet metal, the tables and chairs are all old wood, and the plates are low-rent. So what. The food rivals Galatoire's. Since I was by myself, I passed on extras such as onion rings (large, beer-battered) or french fries (big, fresh-cut). The portions are just too large for one person and are best enjoyed split among two or three.

Service at Uglesich's is haphazard. There's only one waiter/bus- boy/jack-of-all-trades working the tables. He gets a bit of help from the guy behind the oyster bar, but the oyster shucker's got duties of his own. Miss Gail is behind the bar taking orders, and Mr. Anthony rotates in-between the front and the back. I paid Mrs. Uglesich when I ordered, so I didn't have to wait for the check when I was finished. I'd advise you to do the same, since trying to get back through to the bar to settle up can be difficult. My sandwich and drink, plus tax, came to $8.77, and I left a buck-fifty for a tip. As po-boy lunches go, this is on the high side, but not out of bounds. Mother's sandwiches are in the $6-$7 range these days. Plates at Uglesich's run around $10 (Trout Anthony and Shrimp Gail, the house specialties are $9.75 each). Many uninitiated visitors are shocked by the prices, mainly because they don't expect that level in such a dump.

Uglesich's is open for lunch (the posted hours are 11:00am-4:00pm) Monday through Friday. I overheard Mr. Anthony saying that they were going to experiment with opening up on the first Saturday of each month, to accommodate the requests from regulars to open on weekends. If you're in town on the first Saturday of the month, give a call and they might be open. Dress is casual, of course, in typical New Orleans fashion. Cash only, no credit cards.

Getting to Uglesich's: From the Quarter, Baronne St. is what Dauphine St. turns into when it crosses Canal (just like Bourbon turns into Carondelet and Royal into St. Charles). While twelve blocks off of Canal doesn't sound all that far away, the neighborhood is really pretty seedy. It's not a twelve-block walk you'd do for a mid-morning stroll. Catch the St. Charles streetcar to Erato, then walk the three blocks down, or better still, take a car or cab straight to the restaurant. If you're a seafood lover, or just an admirer of things that are completely New Orleans, you'll enjoy Uglesich's.

    WASHINGTON - A massive solar eruption, more than 30 times the length of Earth's diameter, blasted away from the sun on Monday, and a satellite captured graphic images of the event.

    The eruption occurred at 9:19 a.m. EDT Monday and showed up in a picture taken by one instrument of the SOHO satellite as a fiery-looking "leg" in the lower-left corner of the image, scientists said in a statement.

    Pictures taken over the following 90 minutes by another SOHO instrument show a loopy-looking eruption taking place and then dispersing. 

    The "leg" is what astronomers call an eruptive prominence, which is a loop of magnetic fields that trap hot gas inside. As this prominence became unstable, it erupted into the area around the sun and appeared to dissipate.

    If eruptions like these are aimed at Earth, they can disturb Earth's magnetosphere, but this one was not directed at our planet, a spokesman for SOHO said by telephone.

    SOHO -- short for Solar and Heliospheric Observatory -- is run by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the European Space Agency.

Zagreb: a capital place   for contemporary music M U S I C: Continuing Traditions Contemporary Music in Croatia William A Everett Since its independence in 1991, Croatia has maintained a very active and vital musical culture. Most of the present-day activities are the result of the establishment of institutions over a century ago and a musical heritage that extends back to the Middle Ages. This survey will begin with a discussion of performing organizations and festivals before continuing with remarks on some of the most influential composers and concluding with details on music promotion, recording and scholarship. Performing organizations and institutions Performing organizations are at the heart of any viable musical culture. In Croatia, Zagreb is the hub for professional music-making. The capital city alone boasts numerous orchestras, an opera company and other musical ensembles. In the orchestral realm, the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra is the nation's oldest orchestra, its origins coinciding with the founding of the Zagreb Opera Orchestra in 1870. The orchestra gave programs of excerpts from larger works (Quodlibet concerts) and presented its first formal concert on 8 April 1884. Its reputation grew during the 20th century under a number of distinguished conductors, including the legendary Lovro von Matačić, who led the orchestra during the 1970s. The orchestra's reputation has continued to grow since 1991. It is not an orchestra limited exclusively to Croatian performers and conductors, however; under the Japanese-born Kazushi Ono, who led the orchestra from 1990 to 1996, the orchestra made a successful tour of Japan in 1992. Programming for the 1999-2000 season of the Zagreb Philharmonic reflects a blend and balance between standard literature and works by Croatian composers. Eight works by Croatian composers are on the season's schedule: Natko Devčić's Istrian Suite (17 September 1999), Milko Kelemen's Delicate Clusters (19 November 1999), Stjepan ` ulek's Eighth Symphony (26 November 1999), Bo~ idar Kunc's Overture to the Mournful Game (10 December 1999), Ivo Malec's Sigma (17 March 2000) and Movements in Color (31 March 2000), Milan Sachs' Pastoral and Dance (24 March 2000) and Luka Sorkočević's Seventh Symphony (2 June 2000). Two world premieres are scheduled as well: Dubravko Detoni's Musica Danieliana for piano and orchestra (26 November 1999) and } eljko Brkanović's Concerto for Violin, Cello and Orchestra (31 March 2000). Zagreb's other orchestra, the Croatian Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra (Simfonijski orkestar HRT, also known in English as the Zagreb Symphonicists), has roots in the early 20th century. In 1930, a small ensemble known as "The Radio Orchestra" began playing on the Zagreb radio. This group was the predecessor to the present-day orchestra. The Radio and Television Orchestra has been integral to the promotion of new music in Croatia both before and after 1991. The orchestra specializes in contemporary music, as is evident by their large discography of this repertory. Most established 20th-century Croatian composers have written for the ensemble. The Zagreb Soloists, also known by the Italianized name I Solisti de Zagreb, was founded by Italian ex-patriate cellist-conductor Antonio Janigro in 1954. The orchestra champions both 18th-century and 20th-century music. Their repertory, like that of the symphony orchestras, includes a great deal of Croatian music in addition to works from the broader European heritage. The ensemble maintains a very proactive role in the renaissance of the 18th-century Croatian musical heritage (composers such as Ivan Mare Jarnović and Luka Sorkočević) as well as serving as a model for the resurgence of conductorless chamber orchestras in the late 20th century. Since 1968, the ensemble has performed without a conductor, a lead followed by groups such as the New York-based Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. Founded in 1991, the Croatian Army Symphony Wind Orchestra is the official orchestra of the Republic of Croatia. In addition to official protocol assignments, the ensemble is involved in a wide range of concert activities. Mladen Tarbuk is the orchestra's principal conductor. The orchestra regularly commissions new works from leading composers. In addition to concert-giving ensembles, the Croatian National Opera maintains a visible presence in the country's musical heritage. Four opera houses in Croatia bear the title "National Opera": Zagreb, Osijek, Split, and Rijeka. The Rijeka company adds the name Ivan Zajc to its formal title, an homage to the Rijeka native who founded the Croatian National Opera in Zagreb in 1870. Numerous other musical societies exist as well. Zagreb alone is home to the Zagreb String Quartet, the Zagreb Saxophone Quartet, the Zagreb Double-Bass Duo, the Zagreb Guitar Trio and numerous choral ensembles such as the Akademski zbor (Academic Choir) "Ivan Goran Kovačić." Festivals In addition to the permanent ensembles enumerated above, Croatia hosts a number of internationally known music festivals. These range from ones which champion contemporary music to ones which celebrate the musical past. The Zagreb Music Biennele is one of the world's major contemporary music festivals. Composer Milko Kelemen established the event in 1961 to provide an opportunity for dialogue between Eastern and Western blocs in the musical world, and to establish Zagreb as a center for new music. Ivo Josipović is the current director of the Festival. The Biennele has a strong tradition of having leading composers in attendance. Igor Stravinsky, Dmitri Shostakovich, Witold Lutosławski, John Cage, Olivier Messiaen, Karl-Heinz Stockhausen, Luigi Nono, Krzysztof Penderecki, Iannis Xenakis, Luciano Berio and Robert Moran are among those who have participated in the Biennele. Penderecki was an honored guest at the 1999 festival. The Dubrovnik Summer Festival is one of Europe's foremost music festivals. Set in one of the greatest walled medieval cities on the Adriatic, theatrical, concert and operatic performances are constituent parts of this annual summer event. Of the numerous other festivals which take place in Croatia, only a few can be mentioned here: Vara~ din Baroque Evenings, Pula International Music Festival (formerly held in Opatija), Zagreb Summer Festival, Čakovec Days of Croatian Music and International Jazz Days. Composers It goes without saying that Croatian composers each have their own personal styles, but there are some broader general stylistic traits at play as well. During the 20th century, Croatian composers have usually followed the compositional principles of their Slavic contemporaries. Polish composers have been especially influential in this regard. Ivo Josipović honored Penderecki in his Drmes za Pendereckog (Drmes for Penderecki, 1986) for tamburitsa orchestra and } eljko Brkanović's Second String Quartet (1994) is intentionally modeled after Lutosławski. From senior figures though a middle generation of composers to significant new voices, Croatian composers are quite active in the creation of new music. In this brief survey, only a few of the many Croatian composers who have added to the musical life of their homeland since 1991 will be discussed. Senior figures in contemporary Croatian music include Milko Kelemen (b 1924), Miroslav Miletić (b 1925), Ivo Malec (b 1925), Adalbert Marković (b 1929), Stanko Horvat (b 1930), Petar Bergamo (b 1930), Anđelko Klobučar (b 1931), Ruben Radica (b 1931), Dubravko Detoni (b 1937) and } eljko Brkanović (b 1937). Stanko Horvat and Milo Cipra (1906-85) have special significance not only as composers but also as teachers at the Music Academy in Zagreb. Horvat received his training with Stjepan ` ulek (1914-86) in Zagreb and René Leibowitz in Paris. After writing in both post-Romantic and serial styles, he embraced the Eastern European sonorist style. Cipra studied with Blagoje Berse, and while his early works are rooted in a post-Romantic national style, his later works reflect the post-war European avante-garde. These two different musical approaches served as models for younger Croatian composers. Continuing with the output of senior figures, the work of Milko Kelemen can be divided into three stylistic periods. His early works, written mostly for the Zagreb Soloists, are rooted in folklore. His "middle-period" compositions are characterized by dodecaphonic and modal constructions, while his more recent work follows Eastern European sonorist models. Kelemen studied with Stjepan ` ulek in Zagreb before continuing his training under Olivier Messiaen in Paris and Wolfgang Fortner in Freiburg. He currently resides in Stuttgart. Typical of Kelemen's recent work is Archetypon II "Für Anton" (1996), written for the centennial of the death of Anton Bruckner. It is also an homage to the afore-mentioned Croatian conductor Lovro von Matačić, one of the great interpreters of Bruckner's music. The twenty-three minute work in one movement is in six parts, each of which reflects a particular primordial archetype: Tremendum, Mirum, Energicum, Sanctum, Fascinans and Majestas. The opening "Tremendum" suggests something ominous through an emphasis on the lower registers of the orchestra while the following "Mirum" exploits high sonorities to suggest everything strange and unusual. The third section, "Energicum," emphasizes the percussion in an evocation of annihilating restlessness and intensity. The contrasting "Sanctum" that immediately follows depicts an inner calmness that comes through order and tradition. Kelemen quotes Bruckner's Seventh Symphony in the trombone as a direct reference to Bruckner, Matačić and the tradition that they represent. The penultimate "Fascinans" suggests something enticing, while the final "Majestas" provides a resolute conclusion achieved through brass-dominated orchestration. Adalbert Marković, like some of his contemporaries, did not enter the mainstream of avant-garde modernism during the 1950s and 1960s. His most frequently performed work is Snijeg na Mirogoju (The Snow at Mirogoj, 1986). His style, fundamentally linear and tonal, includes frequent pedal-points and ostinatos. Marković continues, in his 60s, to be a very active composer. Moj grad (My City, 1994) is a three-movement tribute to the city of Zagreb. Aquarius (1995) for large string orchestra received its first performance by the Volga Sinfonietta Orchestra at the Zagreb Music Biennele.  The work also exists in a version for smaller string ensemble and was first performed in this guise at the International Music Festival in Opatija in 1997. Moj grad is in three movements: Gradec, Kaptol, and Podgrađe. The 28-movement oratorio for narrator, mixed choir, children's choir and orchestra was written for the 900th anniversary of the Zagreb Archdiocese and the 750th anniversary of the city of Zagreb. Historic texts such as the Golden Bull of Bela IV from 1242 are the basis for the libretto. Recorded sounds of trams, cars, crowds and the bells of Zagreb Cathedral are included in the work. Cries of "Libera civitas" permeate the oratorio. Like Marković, Anđelko Klobučar did not follow the tenets of the European mainstream during the third quarter of the century. Active as an organist as well as a composer, Klobučar has written a great deal for his own instrument. A student of Milo Cipra and André Jolivet, Klobučar has a style that remains accessible to audiences while at the same time exhibiting a sophisticated level of compositional technique. The last of the senior generation to be discussed here is Dubravko Detoni. A fine pianist as well as a composer, Detoni studied in Zagreb with ` ulek before continuing his work with Witold Lutosławski in Warsaw and Karl-Heinz Stockhausen and György Ligeti in Darmstadt. He worked at the Experimental Studio of the Polish Radio in Warsaw and subsequently with John Cage in Paris. He is the founder and artistic director of the Acezantez Ensemble, a group organized in 1970 to promote multimedia artistic endeavors. Detoni has also written numerous poems and essays on a variety of topics, both musical and non-musical. His music espouses a postmodern aesthetic, evident in his Piano Concerto (1989), written for Ivo Pogorelić. The Concerto consists of a series of 22 variations on an invented mazurka which become increasingly playful as the work progresses. Three representatives of a "middle generation" of Croatian composers are Marko Ru~ djak (b 1946), Zoran Juranić (b 1947), and Frano Parać (b 1948). Composition is not the sole creative activity for this group, for Ru~ djak is also an accomplished clarinettist and Juranić is an established conductor. In his compositions, Marko Ru~ djak demonstrates a passion for musical styles from both the past and the present. A student of Cipra in Zagreb, he continued his training in Paris with Malec and Pierre Schaeffer and in Cologne with Kelemen. His recent works in the chamber music realm reflect his concern with the many facets of intimate self-reflection. Partita (La Gioconda) for solo violin (1993) exemplifies the co-existence of the past and the present, for it is a modern interpretation of a Baroque form. The series of sophisticated variations demonstrate the self-sufficient capabilities of the solo violin. In the Trio Seraphim for clarinet, viola and piano (1995), an 11-minute work in one movement, a sense of pulse akin to a human heartbeat underlies the numerous changes of tempo and texture. Zoran Juranić, in addition to his activities as a conductor at the Croatian National Opera houses in Zagreb and Osijek, is responsible for the revival of many works of the Croatian musical heritage, particularly the operas of Ivan Zajc. Among his recent original compositions are Fanfaronata for wind orchestra (1997), Pladoyer pour Caliban for two double basses (1997) and the opera Govori mi o Augusti (Speak to Me about Augusta, 1999), first performed at the Zagreb Music Biennele. The three-act work on a libretto by Juranić and Luko Paljetak is based on a farce by the latter that concerns the immutability of government. Neoclassical in style, the juxtaposition of comic and tragic elements is emphasized not only through the sparseness of the musical resources but also in the innovative stage design by Stephanie Jamnicky. Frano Parać, a student of Horvat and currently a member of the composition faculty at the Academy of Music in Zagreb, incorporates a variety of diverse influences in his music. Of late, his work is rooted in the Eastern European sonorist tradition while maintaining modernist elements from mid-century composers such as Shostakovich and Britten. His Symphony (1992) ushered in a new era for the symphonic genre among Croatian composers. First performed by the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Shao Chia Lu on 19 February 1993, Parać wrote the 17-minute, four-movement piece during the war in 1991. The first movement is based on a recurring six-note motive that takes place over a pedal ostinato. After the initial presentation of this principal melodic material, the motive is combined with a syncopated countermelody derived from itself. This type of organic growth occurs throughout the movement. Following a contemplative slow movement and an angst-ridden Shostakovichesque scherzo, material from the first movement reappears as the basis for the final movement, but in a transformed guise. Other works by Parać to appear in the past decade include the Sonata for Violin and Piano (1992), Music for the Guitar (1996) and a Horn Concerto (1996). He is currently completing an opera on the biblical character Judith. In addition to these established figures in the compositional realm, significant new voices to carry Croatian music well into the 21st century have emerged. Among these composers are Ivo Josipović (b 1958), Berislav ` ipua (b 1958), Alan Bjelinski (b 1964), Srđan Dedić (b 1965), Olja Jelaska (b 1967), Dalibor Bukvić (b 1970) and Antun Tomislav ` aban (b 1971). Ivo Josipović, a student of Horvat, infuses his music with passionate joy and demonstrates an acutely keen awareness of the possibilities of timbre. Since 1991, Josipović has been the director of the Zagreb Music Biennele. Josipović's penchant for the quality of sound itself is evident in works such as Samba da camera and Hiljadu lotosa. In Samba da camera (1985) for either 13 strings or string orchestra, Josipović relies on the listener's ability to associate certain rhythmic and melodic patterns with the popular Brazilian genre. Josipović treats these stereotypical figures through aleatoric (chance) means and combines them in unexpected ways. Hiljadu lotosa (A Thousand Lotus Flowers) for six-part chorus, instruments and tape, though written in 1987, received its first performance at the Zagreb Biennele in 1995. Based on ancient Indian texts, the work includes both improvised and notated sections and is certainly eclectic in its source material. The work opens with an evocation of the Orient which is achieved through an improvisatory atmosphere, a particular choice of pitches and a distinctive use of percussion. Subsequent sections include random speech patterns in the chorus and aggressive tone clusters in the piano. The final part of the work, primarily hymn-like, is distinguished by its polyphonic and jazz-derived interjections. Srđan Dedić, also a student of Horvat, continued his studies in Strasbourg, Amsterdam and Tokyo. He has written in many genres, and has also composed for film and television. Cantus fractalus for saxophone quartet (1998) was written for and is dedicated to the Dutch Aurelia Saxophone Quartet. Based on the mathematical concept of fractals (as evident in the work's title), identical vertical and horizontal constructs provide the work with a sense of unity that underlies its numerous contrasting episodes. Promotion, publishing and recording For the promotion of Croatian music, two organizations play significant roles: the Croatian Music Information Centre and the Croatian Composers Association. The Croatian Music Information Centre is a non-profit organization dedicated to the documentation and promotion of Croatian music domestically and abroad. Their activities include maintaining on-line databases; publishing and distributing books, sheet music and CDs; and collecting unpublished scores by Croatian composers. The Centre is a member of the International Association of Music Information Centres, and functions like its equivalents in other countries. The Croatian Composers Association, founded in 1945, has 250 full members and about 2500 associate members. Its primary activities include the promotion of cultural and artistic activities, the organization of performances, festivals and symposia, and the publication of music (printed music and recordings) and music-related works. Among the most important events it organizes are the Zagreb Music Biennele, the Pula International Music Festival, the Croatian Music Days, the Zagrebfest, the International Jazz Days and the Jazz Club Zagreb. The Association publishes two series of music, Ars Croatica and Popular Melodies, and the newsletter Cantus. Two labels for art music exist in Croatia: Croatia Records and Orfej/HRT. Croatia Records emerged in 1991 out of Jugoton, a company established in 1947 in Zagreb and the only record-producing company in the former Yugoslavia. Orfej began in 1989 under the auspices of RTZ (Radio Television Zagreb), the predecessor to HRT (Croatian Radio Television). Since 1997, it exists as a record company owned by HRT. Its focus is mainly on popular and rock styles, but its catalogue also includes classical, jazz, folk, spoken word and other types of recordings. The Croatian Composers Society and the Music Information Center also produce recordings of Croatian music for promotional use. Scholarship The Department for the History of Croatian Music (Odsjek za povijest hrvatske glazbe) of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts (Hrvatska academija znanosti i umjetnosti, abbreviated HAZU), founded in 1980, has as its principal mission the research and documentation of Croatian music in a European context. The Department employs seven specialists in various areas of Croatian music. Another important organization regarding Croatian music is the Croatian Musicological Society (Hrvatsko muzikoloa ko drua tvo), established in 1991. The Society has sponsored several international musicological symposia, including "Off-Mozart: Musical Culture and the Kleinmeister of Central Europe, 1750-1820" in 1992 and "Zagreb and Croatian Lands as a Bridge between Central-European and Mediterranean Musical Cultures" in 1994. The Society has also held two cooperative symposia with the Italian-based Fondazione Ugo e Olga Levi, one on medieval music, held in Split in 1997, and the second on Baroque music, held in Venice in 1999. Future symposia are planned-the next one will be held in Dubrovnik in 2001 on music of the Classical era. The Department for the History of Croatian Music and the Croatian Musicological Society sponsor two international musicological journals: International Review of the Aesthetics and Sociology of Music, unique in its scope among scholarly musical journals, and Arti musices, which focuses on Croatian-related topics. The two organizations are very active in the production of books on Croatian music. Future musicologists are trained in the Department of Musicology at the Academy of Music of the University of Zagreb. The Department boasts four full-time professors and six part-time lecturers. To conclude these remarks on music and musical life in Croatia since 1991, it is obvious that the country possesses a very active musical culture. Its performing organizations and festivals provide a musical infrastructure which supports the work of living composers. Various organizations exist to promote both the work of living Croatian composers and the legacy of the Croatian musical heritage, a momentous task indeed. William A Everett, 10 January 2000 William A Everett is assistant professor of music history at the Conservatory of Music, University of Missouri, Kansas City, USA.

http://www.ce-review.org/00/2/everett2.html 

HRVATSKI POGLEDI NA HOMOSEKSUALNOST 

Prof. Antun Pinterovic
Psihoanaliticar

Citajuci zanimljivi interview g. Dorina Manzina, predsjednika udruge hrvatskih homoseksualaca ťIskorakŤ (ťGlobusŤ br. 600, 7. VI. 02., str. 30), koji se vraca na nesnošljive (i neukusne!) ispade o homoseksualcima nekih naših poznatijih politicara, osjetih se nekako primoranim da i ja, sa stanovišta svoje dugogodišnje psihoanaliticke prakse, iznesem o tom pitanju i svoje mnijenje, sa svjesnom nakanom da time u neku ruku ťiskupimŤ blezgarije doticnih politicara i posvjedocim tako da nisu ipak svi Hrvati na kugli zemaljskoj zatucani i natražnjacki primitivci.

Pretežno dvije predrasude onemogucuju ispravno pristupanje ipak izricito ljudskoj pojavi homoseksualnosti. 

Prva ju odbacuje (i osuduje!) kao ťprotunaravanŤ cin. Ta je predrasuda ťfilozofskeŤ ili ťteološkeŤ prirode. Usput budi receno da se tu teologija (koliko kršcanska, katolicka, toliko i islamska) nahodi u protuslovlju sa samom sobom: Naucavajuci naime opcenito da je covjek prvenstveno duhovno bice, u slucaju homoseksualnosti pak, definira ga paradoksalno i implicite kao iskljucivo naravno, nagonsko bice, pružajuci mu kao uzor – životinju! 

Tu se opcenito postavlja pitanje kako definirati pojam ťnaravŤ (ili ťprirodaŤ) u vezi s ljudskom spolnošcu, jer ova nije istovjetna sa životinjskom, buduci da covjek raspolaže umom i fantazijom, te ljudski spolni poriv (Trieb) – kako je Freud pokazao – nije istovjetan s nagonom (Instinkt) rasplodivanja, odnosno razmnoživanja vrste. S druge strane valja ipak upozoriti takoder na cinjenicu – o kojoj je bio pisao vec relativno davno (1924.) jedan André Gide u svom eseju o homoseksualnosti (ťCorydonŤ) – da ni kod životinja neposredna svrha spolnoga ponašanja nije nagon razmnoživanja, nego takoder potražnja užitka. A da i ne govorimo o tom koliko je, iz noetickoga gledišta, razluka priroda/uljudba posve teoretska apstrakcija, odnosno neprimjenjiva na ljudsku vrstu, a ni na više životinjske vrste, kao što su, na pr., covjekoliki majmuni, kako su pokazala novija etološka istraživanja, jer se i kod njih moglo promatrati ťizumŤ i širenje oponašanjem ťkulturnihŤ ponašanja.

Druga je predrasuda ťlijecnickeŤ naravi, ukoliko naime nastoji pojavu homoseksualnosti medikalizirati, navlastito patologizirati, odnosno oznaciti ju kao nastranost, kad ne i kao bolest, te se tako nesvjesno ta predrasuda zapravo stavlja u službu prve, ťfilozofsko-teološkeŤ, pružajuci joj neke vrste ťznanstvenuŤ podlogu, buduci da je u današnjoj našoj uljudbi, dakako, jedino znanost ovjencana aureolom ťvjerodostojnostiŤ!

Seksologija XIX. st. shvacala je homoseksualnost kao degenerativnu opterecenost (Krafft-Ebing), sad genetskoga, sad moždanog, sad pak endokrinološkog podrijetla. Takovi stavovi prema homoseksualnosti, unatoc napretku psihijatrijskih i psiholoških istraživanja, a koja su pokazala da homoseksualci nemaju ni drugacije žlijezde, ni drugaciji mozak, ni drugaciju konstituciju, nisu ipak nimalo zastarjeli, kako bi se naivno moglo pomisliti. I dandanas, na samom pocetku XXI. st. imade još – inace vrlo ozbiljnih – znanstvenika koji se nadaju – sada kada je konacno uspjelo odgonetnuti genetske upute DNK-pletenice – da ce pronaci i ťgen homoseksualnostiŤ i, dakako, ljudski soj osloboditi od te ťpošastiŤ! Mit je naime uvijek bio jaci od znanosti, kako je vec davno bio ustanovio Goethe. 

A ipak, homoseksualni pacijenti, koji odlaze k psihoanaliticaru, ne razlikuju se bitno od heteroseksualnih. I njihovi problemi, zbog kojih se obracaju psihoanaliticaru, slicni su, ako ne uvijek i istovjetni, onima heteroseksualaca: traumaticno djetinjstvo, obiteljske razmirice, nesuglasice i sukobi s partnerom, neuroticni sukobi s okolinom, poteškoce u profesiji, gubitak smisla i traženje novoga smisla životu, i t. d. Jedinu razliku predstavljaju gdjekad i teški psihicki problemi društvene prirode, a koji proizlaze iz vecinski negativna stava prosjecnoga covjeka prema homoseksualnosti i homoseksualcima, te u nekim krajnjim slucajevima i ocita proganjanja. Iznimno su rijetki naprotiv homoseksualci koji odlaze k psihoanaliticaru s izricitom molbom da ih ťizlijeciŤ od homoseksualnosti, što je uostalom nemogucnost i utopija. Štoviše, ta se molba manje odnosi na samu homoseksualnu praksu (koja im sama po sebi niti nije odbojna), koliko na nepodnošljive psihicke patnje zbog ťrazlicitostiŤ, odnosno ťodbacivanjaŤ i (umišljenog ili stvarnog) proganjanja sa strane tzv. ťnormalnihŤ kod narocito osjetljivih i emocionalno ranjivih pacijenata. No valja odmah dodati da na taj nacin ustrojenih licnosti (tzv. borderline licnosti, odnosno ťgranicnih slucajevaŤ) imade isto toliko i kod pacijenata heteroseksualaca. 

S psihoanalitickog gledišta, odbojnost prema homoseksualcima zapravo je tek još jedan – suvremeni – obrambeni mehanizam protiv vlastite latentne homoseksualnosti, koja postoji u podsvijesti svakoga ljudskog bica ab origine, a u vidu njezina opredmecenja, a uistinu olakšavajucega ali prividnog odstranjenja iz svijesti subjekta: time naime homoseksualci postaju oni drugi, oni abnormalni! S tim je u svezi zanimljivo ustanoviti da se nerijetko u našem tisku susrecemo s izrazom homoseksualizam umjesto homoseksualnost. Docetak –izam u tom slucaju imade dakako izvjesnu (nesvjesnu) ideološku konotaciju, kao da se radi ili o kakvom svjetonazoru, vjeri, pokretu ili sekti (liberalizam, komunizam, populizam, budizam...) ili pak – i opet – o bolesti (reumatizam, strabizam, aneurizam...). Najdrasticniji povijesni primjer jest sigurno Hitlerov obracun sa ťsmedim košuljamaŤ (S. A.) Ernsta Röhma prigodom tzv. ťNoci dugih noževaŤ, a koji je istovremeno i Hitlerov ťobracunŤ s vlastitim homoseksualnim porivima (za koje ima povijesnih svjedocanstava) projiciranim na homoseksualca Röhma i njegove sljedbenike.

Pravu revoluciju u tom pogledu predstavlja – i opet – stav Sigmunda Freuda. On shvaca homoseksualnost kao spolni izbor poput bilo kojega drugog i stavlja ga u okvir opce ljudske spolnosti, što svakako znaci, kako ispravno primjecuje poznata francuska povjesnicarka psihoanalize, Élisabeth Roudinesco, pravi spoznajni prijelom. Takav stav je uostalom u sukladnosti s Freudovim poimanjem ljudske licnosti i njezina razvoja. Freud shvaca spolnost djeteta, novorodenceta, kao ťpolimorfnu dispoziciju za nastranostŤ. Obicnim rijecima receno, dijete traži nasladu (Lustprinzip) u svim mogucim oblicima (polimorfija) i na sve moguce nacine (nastranost). Tek okoliš i odgojni (društveni) pritisak usmjeruju spolni poriv prema opredjeljenju za heteroseksualnost. To dakako ne znaci da homoseksualnost, kao uostalom i ostali nastrani porivi (sadomazohizam, egzhibicionizam, fetišizam, i t. d.), netragom nestaje. Ona je i nadalje latentno prisutna u podsvijesti svakoga pojedinca. Freud tako piše: ťPsihoanaliticko istraživanje suprostavlja se sa svom odlucnošcu pokušaju da se homoseksualci kao grupa posebne vrste odvoje od drugih ljudi. (...) Ono spoznaje da su svi ljudi sposobni za istospolni objektni izbor i da su takav izbor u nesvjesnom i izvršili.Ť I baš u tom epohalnom otkricu podsvijesti, te narocito njezine dinamicne uloge u životu pojedinca i skupina krije se odgovor na jedno zanimljivo pitanje: zašto se još uvijek nadu pojedinci koji, skoro stotinjak godina kasnije, troše tintu, papir i silnu energiju da bi napisali i objavili debele knjižurine od tristo i cetiristo stranica kako bi dokazali da se Freud zabunio, da nije imao pravo, da je pogriješio. Što ih to dakle toliko smeta u Freudovu opisu ljudske licnosti vec skoro jedno stoljece? Odgovor na to pitanje je dao moj švicarski kolega Adolf Guggenbühl-Craig: najveci skandal je sama cinjenica opstojnosti ljudske duše, takve kakvu ju je opisao Jung, ťnešto cega se bojimo i cime se radije ne bismo baviliŤ!

Takav vrlo hrabar i vrlo snošljiv Freudov stav nije naišao na jednoglasno odobravanje cak ni sa strane svih njegovih sljedbenika i ucenika. I dok je njegov ucenik, madžarski psihoanaliticar Sandor Ferenczi, prihvacao uciteljev stav i borio se za priznavanje prava homoseksualaca, mnogi drugi bijahu mnogo suzdržljiviji, pod utjecajem ideja poput onih Karla Krausa ili Otta Weiningera, koji su se pribojavali agonije europske uljudbe zbog feminizacije društva i opadanja tzv. drevnih ťmuškihŤ vrednota. Zbog toga je trebalo mnogo godina da Medunarodna psihoanaliticka udruga prihvati homoseksualce kao psihoanaliticare, premda je sam Freud vec 1920. bio glasao za.

Nadalje, nema tako dugo što su se ťklasicniŤ psihoanaliticari konacno sjetili da bi trebalo u ťEdipov kompleksŤ, taj utemeljujuci i univerzalni mit ne samo psihoanalize, nego i ljudske licnosti, kako je to odlicno pokazao francuski filozof i antropolog Claude Lévi-Strauss, upotpuniti i nekim važnim ali cesto u psihoanalizi dosada zaboravljenim motivima, kao, na pr., cinjenicu da se Edipov otac Lajos u mitu pojavljuje kao ťizumiteljŤ pederastije i pedofilije, otevši Pelopsu mladica Hrizipa, kojeg mu je Pelops bio povjerio na odgoj, a u kojeg se bio zaljubio, te s njim živio u homoseksualnom odnosu cak i nakon ženidbe s Jokastom, koju je zanemarivao. I citava je tragedija zaceta baš zbog toga homoseksualnog odnosa. Pelops je naime zbog otmice bacio prokletstvo na Lajosa, zabranivši mu da zacne sina, a ako zabranu ipak prekrši, sin ce ga umoriti, što se s Edipom i ostvarilo. S druge strane, zbog zanemarivanja svoje supruge (Jokaste), upravo božica Hera poslala je u Tebu glasovitu Sfingu, koja je sijala pošasti i svojim zagonetkama ubijala gradane, a koja ce Edipa i dovesti na prijestolje smaknutoga oca i u krevet majke! Jasno je da ta epizoda mita ocigledno stavlja kao iskon spolno-obiteljskoga ustrojstva homoseksualnu pedofilsku sastojinu. 

Ostaje cinjenica da kroz skoro stotinjak godina suvremena ťznanstvenaŤ psihijatrija nije našla alternative Freudovoj opcoj teoriji o homoseksualnosti. Suvremena psihijatrija smatra dakle još uvijek da je homoseksualnost ťstecena zastrana spolnoga poriva, koja izražava neuspjeh edipovskog iskustva i povratak (regresiju) predgenitalnim porivima i fantazmamaŤ (Henri Ey). Razloge toga neuspjeha valja tražiti manjim dijelom u konstitucionalnim cimbenicima (varijacije u fizickim oznakama muškosti-ženskosti) ili slucajnim, traumaticnim (produžena djetinjska bolovanja ili preuranjena spolna snubljenja), a mnogo vecim dijelom u obiteljskom ustroju i u znacajkama licnosti roditelja (uloga privikivanja cistoci, važnost odnosa izmedu uloga oca i majke, nacin odgoja, uloga brace i sestara).

Zakljucno to znaci da homoseksulaci nisu ni duševni ni geneticki bolesnici, ni nastrani degenerici, nego tek jedna vrsta ljudskoga roda koja se našla u takovim društvenim i obiteljskim okolnostima, da je izbor istospolnoga predmeta žudnje bio neizbježiv. 

No da se na kratko vratimo ophodenju prosjecnoga hrvatskog gradanina s homoseksualnošcu. Ono se ne razlikuje bitno od prosjecnoga ponašanja zapadnoeuropskih gradana, a narocito ne od ponašanja sredozemnih (tzv. ťjužnjackihŤ) naroda. Premda su kod tih naroda istospolni fizicki dodiri cešci nego li kod sjevernijih naroda, potiskivanje istospolnih poriva je tim korjenitije; ťmuškostŤ je – obrambeno – prenaglašena. Pogrdni nazivi za homoseksualce (peder) nisu, iz psihoanalitickog gledišta, ništa drugo do li obrambeni mehanizam, projekcija vlastitoga latentnog (nesvjesnog) istospolnog poriva na iskrnjega: ťVidi ovog pedera!Ť, što zapravo podrazumijeva osobno ťolakšanjeŤ: ťKoja sreca, ja dakle nisam peder!Ť 

Zanimljivo je takoder ustanoviti da je opcenito ophodenje sa ženskom homoseksualnošcu ipak mnogo snošljivije. Pogrdni nazivi tako rekuc i ne postoje. Ta se pojava može protumaciti cinjenicom da je naša zapadnoeuropska uljudba patrijarhalna, te se u njoj spolna zastranjivanja ženama, tim ťslabimŤ, ťnepostojanimŤ i ťhistericnimŤ bicima, nekako lakše ťopraštajuŤ. Citajte francusku spisateljicu Collette! Tomu valja na kraju dodati da u odbojnosti prema muškoj homoseksualnosti nemalu ulogu igra i njezin analni znacaj, odnosno – da se izrazimo nešto sirovije – njezina simbolicna povezanost s temom izmetina, premda, s jednoga nepristranog gledišta, nijedan anatomski sluzni otvor nije gadniji ni privlacniji od drugoga; postoje i usne i zubne, pa i vaginalne šupljine, koje su gdjekad u lošijem anatomskom i higijenskom stanju od šupka! 

Da zakljucimo. Naglašena odbojnost prosjecnoga hrvatskog covjeka prema homoseksualnosti opcenito i homoseksualcima napose, a koja je dosegla svoj divljacki i hitleroidni vrhunac u gnusnom ubojstvu francuskoga homoseksualca na zagrebackim ulicama sa strane zagrebackih skinheadsa, proizlazi, po mojem skromnom mnijenju, iz tradicionalnoga patrijarhalnog ustrojstva hrvatskoga društva, a potpomognuta krivo shvacenim (srednjovjekovnim) katolicizmom, jer dok službena katolicka teologija osuduje i odbacuje homoseksualnost kao takovu, apsolutno ne osuduje, ni ne odbacuje konkretne homoseksualce. To uostalom ne bi bilo u skladu s evandeoskom porukom. 


PSIHOANALIZA I HOMOSEKSUALNOST: MALA KRONOLOGIJA

1886: Izum pojma heteroseksualnosti po Richardu Krafft-Ebingu u opisu ťnormalnostiŤ.
1896: Freud osniva psihoanalizu.
1905: Homoseksualnost (inverziju) psihoanaliza smatra nastranošcu, ali ne i umobolnošcu.
1910: ťSubjekt sebe smatra objektomŤ: Freud teorizira narcizam.
1952: Prva nomenklatura Americke psihijatrijske udruge. Homoseksualnost je svrstana u ťSmetnje sociopatske licnostiŤ u rubrici ťSpolna zastranjenjaŤ.
1958: Psihoanaliticar Bergler: ťCitava licnost homoseksualca pati od neuroze.Ť
1968: Nova nomenklatura Americke psihijatrijske udruge. Homoseksualnost je još uvijek ťspolno zastranjenjeŤ svrstano u rubriku ťSmetnje licnosti i druge duševne nepsihoticne smetnjeŤ.
1973/74: Americka psihijatrijska udruga uklanja homoseksualnost iz službenoga popisa duševnih poremecaja.
1990: Svjetska zdravstvena organizacija ne smatra više homoseksualnost kao patologiju, nego, poput heteroseksualnosti i biseksualnosti, kao ťspolnu sklonostŤ. SZO naznacuje: ťSpolno opredjeljenje ne smije se smatrati samo po sebi patologijom.Ť
1993: Stupanje na snagu te nove nomenklature prihvacene 1990.

Nikola Šubic Zrinski

Staging Premier of the Croatian National opera Nikola Subic Zrinski in North America 
PROUD TO BE A CROAT - PROUD TO BE A PATRON OF THE ARTS 
Croatians of North America have thrown down yet another barrier for which we all can take enormous pride. This Fall the well known opera house, Opera Mississauga - Living Arts Centre, in a relatively young, but budding city of Mississauga nestled west of Toronto, will stage, as a part of their regular subscription season, Croatian opera Nikola Subic Zrinski. The event will take place October 5, 8, 10 & 12 (student preview October 2nd 8:00 PM & matinee Oct .6 at 3:00 PM) 2002. Opera Mississauga boasts one of the acoustically best theatres in the North America - a befitting place for "Zrinski" 
In the Opera Mississauga's promotional brochure "Zrinski" is advertised with a well-known image (by artist Oton Ivekovic) of Ban Zrinski on a horse with a drawn sword leading his faithful followers in the defense of Sziget and ultimately the rest of Europe. The image is accompanied with the following text: A favorite Croatian opera in three acts, based on the story of the death of Nikola Zrinski IV at Siget in 1566. Zajc's popular opera is a tuneful, dramatic, and colourful musical drama with National themes. 
General and artistic director of Opera Mississaaug, maestro Dwight Bennett traveled this spring to the capital of Croatia, Zagreb to audition Croatian opera singers for the principle roles, while the chorus parts will be sang by the Opera Mississauga Chorus who are diligently learning music and the Croatian text as the opera will be sung in the original Croatian with customary surtitles in English. 
One need not point out the significance of this undertaking for which the Croatian community had to secure about 100.000 CND dollars and Opera Mississauga has allocated further 400.000 CND dollars for a total budget of half a million dollars necessary to properly stage this production. 
After much pondering it was decided for all the stage props, as well as costumes be built in Canada, therefore making them the property of Opera Mississauga, and enabling the company to take this performance to other cities in North America and Australia. Croatian Fraternal Union of America has expressed their interest in the possibility of bringing the opera to the USA. A tour of Australian cities is being considered as well. 
The faith of smaller nations, especially those which have been incorporated into larger entities as was Croatia during its tumultuous history (Austro-Hungary, Italy, Yugoslavia etc.) is one of neglect especially regarding their achievements in the field of arts. The intention of this neglect was often political. Nikola Subic Zrinski falls well into that category. Like Verdi's Nabuko it too stirred nationalistic emotions whenever it was performed and for that very reason performances were severely and intentionally curtailed. Each and every Croat who has had the opportunity to see the opera couldn't remain indifferent when Zrinski with a small number of faithful soldiers rushes out from the safety of fortified Siget into sure death, with Croatian the "checkered" flag proudly fluttering in his outstretched arm. 
Who can forget Zrinski's famous lines: "Here under the starlit sky, I'll say my last goodbye. 'Thi's time for me like a Croat to die; my sacred oath I will not belie. Zrinski will fall, and his small troop too, But Croats will stand tall and bonds of slavery undo! 
And further on: "The Croat banner is flying high! Croats are ever ready for their homes and their kind to die! ... To die in glory, for our country is sweet to us ... We'll take on the enemy he'll fall, he must". 
This historic event would not have been possible without the trust and generous support of Opera Mississauga under the general and artistic directorship of maestro Dwight Bennet and the Opera's Board of Directors. The organization and its members had shown much sensitivity for cultural, achievement of a relatively small "ethnic" group, which makes the fabric of Canadian society. Likewise without a generous support which was immediately offered came from The John Zdunic Charitable Foundation who has presented Opera Mississauga with a cheque on 30.000 dollars thus expressing the community's full commitment. In Zagreb we have received unselfish assistance from Maestro Vladimir Kranjcevic director of the Zagreb Opera and Mr. Ivan Zivanovic director of the MIC (Information centre for Music) who has supplied all the music sheets and waived any royalty charges. Croatian Ministry of Culture, Embassy of the Republic of Croatia, Ottawa, The General Consulate of Croatia as well as many "ordinary" Croats have pledged their support either "in kind" (building sets, sewing costumes etc) or with monetary donations. 
Toronto Committee for the Promotion of Croatian Opera: producer Edward Mavrinac, with Aranka Lengyel & Srebrenka Bogovic. (e-mail:seb@boldinternet.com)  
Any help in staging the Croatian national opera Nikola Subic Zrinski is still welcome and much appreciated. Donations (regardless of the sum!) will be acknowledged in the commemorative booklet and for Canadian donors a tax receipt will be issued. There is also an opportunity to advertise (business, personal "... in memory of", congratulations etc.) in the Commemorative Booklet: black & white or colour. In Canadian funds: full page $400.00(b&w), $600.00 (color), 1/2 page $250.00 (b&w), $400.00 (color), 1/4 page $175.00 (b&w) $300.00 (color), 1/8 $100.00 (b&w), $200.00 (color). 
Please make your cheque payable to "ZRINSKI-OPERA MISSISSAUGA" 
Address: Zrinski-Opera Mississauga, The Living Arts Centre, 4141 Living Arts Drive, Mississauga, Ontario, L5B 4B8, and Canada 

OPERA NIKOLA SUBIC ZRINSKI - A musical tragedy in three acts or eight scenes 
The first performance of Nikola Subic Zrinski took place in Zagreb, November 4, 1876. The Croatian poet Hugo Badalic (1851-1900) wrote the libretto after a drama "ZRINY" by Theodor Korner (1791-1813). Ivan pl. Zajc composed the music. 
According to the notes on Zajc's score he composed the opera in a little over three months (July 2 - October 10 1876) and the premiere was performed after 24 days only; not a small feat indeed considering staging costumes and the necessary rehearsals! 
In his opera "Zrinski" Zajc has made use of tonal colouring derived from Croatian folk melodies (for example Jelena's subtle lullaby "The Red Rose Blossoms" and a melody from Podsused "The Magpie has a long Tail and Mottled Plumage"), ecstatic pathos (e.g. Zrinski's and Eva's duet "On Wings of Glory") as well as the crowning monumentality (the "Oath" of the town defenders). The leitmotiv (a recurring melody) technique common to other international operas of the time has secured for "Zrinski", among other tonal solutions, its rightful place amid similar contemporary works of other European countries. Zajc himself considered "Zrinski" to be a worthy achievement and befitting for staging abroad; his wish was granted a year before his death with "Zrinski's" performance in Prague (1913). 
"It would be fitting to see in the years ahead"; expressed Croatian musicologist Lovro Zupanovic, " that "Nikola Subic Zrinski" is performed more frequently abroad. Zajc's work indeed deserves such destiny" Almost a hundred years later this has become a reality yet again, now on the North American continent! 
Information from a booklet accompanying CD (Croatia records) 2CD-D-K 5022770: writer: Zupanovic, Lovro, Nikola Subic Zrinski 

Toronto Committee for the Promotion of Croatian Opera: producer Edward Mavrinac, with Aranka Lengyel & Srebrenka Bogovic. (e-mail:seb@boldinternet.com)  

The Scope of the Conference - See Below

Iznenadjujuce lijepe vijesti o hrvatskoj turistickoj infrastrukturi:

Organizirao sam s kolegama vrlo elitnu konferenciju fizicara u hotelu
'Croatia' u Cavtatu, http://bobi.ifs.hr/dubrovnik2002/ , pa sam tijekom
18 mjeseci intenzivno suradjivao s mnogim organizacijama a i tvrtkama
u Hrvatskoj, te mnogim ''nevidljivim osobama'' o kojima mediji ne govore.

Naglasavam da se radi o vrlo kompleksno hrvatsko-svicarsko, te sad vec i,
americko-europskoj suradnji koja mi je omogucavala provjeriti ponasanje
hrvatskog sustava u praksi; rezultati su bolje nego sam se nadao, ali ne
zahvaljujuci 'politicarima' ili 'sefovima' nego tzv. ''malim hrvatskim ljudima'':

Hvala svima koji su nam pomogli.

Kratka poruka:

Hrvatske elitna, turisticka infrastruktura, konkretno, grupa Luksic: hotel 'Croatia'
te 'ATLAS', pa i Croatia Airlines i cijela dubrovacka regija zasluzuju odlicnu ocjenu!

Naglasavam da imam i konferenciju u USA iduci tjedan (Seattle) i imao sam
jednu prije dva tjedna na francuskoj rivijeri, tako da je ovo ozbiljna pohvala,
utoliko prije sto mene politicari izbjegavaju; nitko nam nije 'politicki' pomogao.

Cak i na skupoj dubrovackoj rivijeri cijene smjestaja i hrane su u prosjeku
otprilike upola jeftinije nego ekvivalentne usluge u USA ili Euro-centrima.
Jedino nedostaje vise letova iz Euro-centara direktno za Dubrovnik.

Svi sudionici te cak Svicarci su izjavili da je bilo 'fabulous', te su odbili iducu
konferenciju u Montreux-u (2004) i zatrazili istu lokaciju - u srpnju 2004 !
----
Detaljnije izvjesce:

Paradoksalno u stotinjak telefonskih poziva nisam prakticno NIKAD dobio glavnog
duznosnika, nego smo morali komunicirati s tajnicama ili zamjenicima, no to
je islo jos i bolje jer su SVI, bez iznimke, cinili sto smo ih uljudno zamolili!

PORUKA: 
Svakodnevnu Hrvatsku de facto NE VODE sluzbeni manageri, nego ''mali ljudi''
koji ce Vam uciniti cuda, ako ih uljudno zamolite i objasnite da se radi o
projektu od strateske vaznosti za buducnost Hrvatske ! Ja sam tako i cinio.

Ponavljam da me niti jedna hrvatska osoba nije iznevjerila.

Opet konkretno, gospodin Luka Alaric (kojeg nikad nisam imao cast upoznati)
na Konzularnom odjelu Ministarstva Vanjskih poslova nam je pomogao
da vize dobiju predavaci iz Indije, Ukrajine (doticni su istaknuti profesori u USA),
te cak Taiwana, a nase Veleposlanstvo u Parizu je produzilo rad da bi Professor
Poonit Boolchand dobio vizu u 17:15, dan prije puta i same konferencije.


Gospodja Nina Dumancic (Atlas) je vodila kompletnu infrastrukturu konferencije
tocno po ugovoru, te po usmenim korekcijama u realnom vremenu, a sve se
odvijalo vrlo fluidno do te mjere da su Svicarci zatrazili da se i iduca
konferencija odrzi (u srpnju 2004) u Cavtatu, a NE u Svicarskoj
kako je planirano !?!?! Talijani, Francuzi, Spanjolci i Grci su
izjavili da oni ne mogu bolje organizirati a svi zajedno su rekli
da je ovo sto su vidjeli dozivjeli naprosto fenomenalno ...


Kompletno osoblje hotela Croatia je radilo savrseno (ponavljam savrseno
jer su mi se Nobelovci hvalili da nije bilo potrebe se zaliti na klimatizaciju jer
su sobarice SAMOINICIJATIVNO rjesavale probleme) ... Gospodja Marija Sebalj,
ravnateljica prodaje nam je takodjer u realnom vremenu pomagala, a
i pripremila nove datume za iducu konferenciju. Mnogi kolege ( a i ja)
su odlucili se vratiti u hotel na privatni odmor ove jeseni ...


Jedina tvrtka koja ocito ima nekoliko problema i to se odmah uocava kad
s njima radite jest Jadrolinija. da bismo promijenili karte za ferry
za Nobelovca Muellera (76g) morao sam osobno se odvesti do Dubronika,
dok smo u Svicarskoj istu stvar rjesavali telefonski ... Za razliku
od njih tvrtka BISTRA nam je poklonila sotitine boca ponajbolje
(znanstveno dokazano) izvorske vode iz nas domaje, a to su nasi
kolege znanstvenici znali cijeniti (na vrucini Dubrovnika :-)


Na kraju moram uociti da je Hrvatska ipak jos jako financijski nejaka:
Konferenciju su nam u pocetku podrzalo Ministarstvo znanosti i tehnologije
i iako su odrzali rijec i potpomogli nas (s ukupno sestinom troskova)
konferencija se ne bi odrzala da nije bilo ozbiljne americke i svicarske
'tvrde' financijske pomoci (gotovo dvije trecine budzeta) ...
Sada nam pomoc (za 2004) nude i Francuzi i Talijani i EU ... :-)


Zakljucak: u Hrvatskoj se mogu raditi ozbiljniji projekti, ali
morate imati 'tvrdo' financiranje iz inozemstva, a i tada redovi u
nasim bankama (konkretno Zagrebacka banka u Dubrovniku) su
nesnosni; paradoksalno, 'nase' banke vise nisu hrvatsko vlasnistvo ...

Bankarska infrastruktura i financijski sustav trebaju ozbiljna poboljsanja !
(Tu nema usporedbe sa Svicarskom ili bilo kojom jakom ekonomijom)


Ipak, konferencije i elitni turizam se mogu odlicno planirati u Lijepoj
Nasoj, a korekcije koje su jos nuzne je ipak moguce ispraviti.


Dr. Davor Pavuna
http://ipawww.epfl.ch/lpme/LPMESubPages/Pavuna/pav.htm 


P.S. Imena brojnih kolega fizicara, sponzora i institucija koje s nam pomogle
su na nasoj web stranici: http://bobi.ifs.hr/dubrovnik2002/ jer do
iduce konferencije (26.6. 2004) Internet koordinacija ostaje aktivna ...