Vote for Janica Kostelic

http://www.eurosport.com/

In the lower bottom right corner, find a voting square. Till January 1st 2006.

JANICA KOSTELIC VODI U EUROSPORTOVOJ ANKETI ZA SPORTSKU OSOBU GODINE
U izboru za sportasa godine na internetskim stanicama satelitske postaje Eurosporta uvjerljivo vodi Janica Kostelic sa cak 75 posto glasova, a do sada je stiglo vise od 25000 glasova. Koliko Janica znaci u svijetu sporta, govori i podatak da su iza nje po broju glasova najbolji nogometas danasnjice Ronaldinho, motociklist Valentino Rossi i tenisac Roger Federer. Zelite li i sami dati glas za Janicu, napravite to do 1. sijecnja, do kada traje glasovanje.

National Federation of Croatian Americans (NFCA)

in Final Stage of H. Res. 529 Campaign

Press Release
December 9, 2005, Washington, DC:

The National Federation of Croatian Americans (NFCA) is pressing forward with what will hopefully be the final stage of its campaign for approval of H. Res. 529. This Resolution is a “Sense of Congressâ€? Resolution commending the Republic of Croatia for the progress it has made since the end of its victorious war for independence ten years ago, and the Resolution recommends she be given full membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) at the earliest possible date. H. Res. 529 was introduced by Congressman Elton Gallegly (R-CA), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Europe and Emerging Threats. It is co-sponsored by 34 Members of the House of Representatives, including Congressional Croatian Caucus Co-Chairs Representatives George Radanovich (R-CA) and Peter Visclosky (D-IN). Caucus Co-Chairs Radanovich and Visclosky were prime co-sponsors of H. Res. 529.

Having been approved by unanimous consent in the House International Relations Committee (HIRC) on November 16, 2005, H. Res. 529 was moved to the House floor and had been tentatively scheduled for a vote this week, but it was deferred to next week due to scheduling considerations. In the interim, Croatian General Ante Gotovina was found in the Canary Islands by Spanish agents. This event necessitates a change in some of the language in H. Res. 529, and those amendments are currently being worked on in the Congress. In addition, the NFCA has been told that the U.S. State Department has informed the HIRC that it is dropping its opposition to H. Res. 529 due to the apprehension of the General.

NFCA President Ed Andrus said today: "The finding of General Gotovina in
Spain confirms the credibility of the Croatian government regarding their
persistent assertions that he was not in the Republic of Croatia. The NFCA
has in the past and will continue to strongly question the factual and legal
basis for the indictment against him. We urge the entire Croatian and
Croatian American communities to continue to work together to support his
defense."

The NFCA’s Andrus continued and noted that “after complying with 626 demands of the International Crimes Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the Republic of Croatia deserves better treatment from the world community including the United States. The strong support for Croatia expressed by the U.S. Congress within H. Res. 529 should be just the beginning. NATO will find an excellent partner for peace and stability in South East Europe with the Republic of Croatia as a full member. She has shown great leadership among her neighbors in this potentially volatile region through her implementation of individual freedoms, democracy, and the rule of law.â€?

The next order of business is to get H. Res. 529 approved by the full U.S. House of Representatives. It is expected to be scheduled for a House vote on Wednesday, December 14, 2005. “The NFCA, which has been at the forefront of this bill since its inception, must now pull out all the stops and re-energize our members and the entire Croatian American community to support this Resolution.â€? Andrus further requested: “All Croatian Americans should continue to help build the momentum that the NFCA has helped create on this Resolution. Please have your friends and families make contact with your Representatives in the Congress and let them know how much we want them to support this all-important H. Res. 529. We need all Congressional Members on board for a big win next week!â€?

NFCA Headquarters: 1329 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20036. Telephone: 202-331-2830. Web page address: www.nfcaonline.com . NFCA Government Relations Director Joe Foley can be contacted on 301-294-0937. NFCA Development Director Erik Milman can be reached at the NFCA Washington Office and via email:nfcahdq@verizon.net .

 

Bozicna Sreca - Christmas Luck

Klapa FA Lindjo sings for you. Listen to the beautiful harmonies of our female Klapa.

click hereLindjoFA-Bozicnasreca.mp3

Sreatn Bozic, Marry Christmas - Happy New Year 2006, Happy Holidays

The Rolling Stones of Klapa
Dalmatian vocal ensemble gives Washington debut performance

On Sunday, December 4, the all-male vocal  ensemble Klapa Sinj, which hails
from the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, made it's Washington, D.C. debut

By Frank Vinko Mustac

Croatian singer-songwriter Nenad Bach dubbed them the "Rolling Stones of Klapa music," and perhaps they are.

On Sunday, December 4, the all-male vocal ensemble Klapa Sinj, which hails from the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, made its Washington, D.C. debut with Bach sharing the stage at the Kennedy Center, the U.S. capital's premiere performing arts venue.

"Two concerts and both with standing ovations--two out of two, not bad," said Bach speaking at the Croatian Embassy for an a reception held in honor of the singers following their concert.

The group previously performed in New York City and will go to on to Chicago to complete its three-city U.S. tour.

Following their New York performance on December 1, Bach and Klapa Sinj recorded part of their upcoming CD "Everything is Forever," to be released sometime in 2006, at AllAire Studios Shokan, New York

"The intention is do what Paul Simon did with his 'Graceland' recording with traditional South African singers," Bach said about his collaboration with Klapa Sinj.

Croatian Ambassador to the United States Neven Jurica at the reception in Washington said that Klapa singing is something unique and original to Croatia.

"Unique and original to southern Croatia," he said.

Mojimir Cacija, the leader of Kala Sinj and a baritone singer with the group, said the ensemble had in mind for a long time to come to America.

"When we got here, the emotion was even higher, especially with the help of our producer," said Cacija referring to Bach, who as well as performing his original Pop Rock songs with the group, produced and organized the tour.

Klapa singing, which is relatively unknown outside of Croatia, has been performed so well for such a very long time in Dalmatia, but it takes a foreign tour and the media for the music to gain International exposure, Cacija said .

"We are all friends from a small place called Sinj," Cacija said, describing, in essence, how the vocal group was formed back in 1982. "The music we perform is almost secondary to our friendship."

Klapa Sinj and Nenad Bach USA Tour 2005 in pictures

Preston Bradley Hall, Chicago December 7th 2005

Full house, standing ovations

'Time Is All We Have, Love Is All We Need'

'Daughter's Eyes'

Rehearsing before the show in Chicago's dressing room.

Society for Ethical Culture, New York City December 2nd 2005

Full house, standing ovations

Tour Bus

Emcee: Jasna Culic Viskota

Brooklyn Bridge

More city than sex, Broadway, Manhattan (New York City)

Jana Water, our official sponsor

Leaving for Woodstock, after the first concert in New York City

AllAire Studios, New York, you have to see it to believe it.

Recording session, December 3rd, 2005. Klapa parts for 'Everything Is Forever' album

Victor Zimet, filming for his documentary feature

(Jana Water in the background, always with us...left few cases for David Bowie)

Ivan Klapez and Ivo bach, always on a computer

John Holbrook & Nenad Bach, decades of friendship and artistry.

Not always serious. Nenad Bach, Kruno Brkusic, Danny Bakovic. Danny and Kruno prepared two dinners for all of us. In Chicago Dec 5th and 6th, 2005. Last supper on Dec 7th was at Ana and Darko Petercic's home.

Cook County Session opened by Klapa Sinj as a guests of Tony Peraica,

running for the president of the Cook County in 2006

Another standing ovations.

Tony Peraica, Zorica Matkovic, consul general in Chicago, always ready to help.

The Kennedy Center, Washington DC December 4th 2005

Mojimir Cacija, Klapa Sinj's leader at The Kennedy Center

and a new friendship. Author of Lipo Ime and 'Vo je nasa zemja

Short rehearsal at The Kennedy Center.

Across the building at the same time, Robert Redford, Tina Turner, President of the US,

Willie Nelson etc had a Kennedy Awards ceremonies, just 30 yards away. December 4th 2005.

Mojimir, Mario and Boris from the back

Ivica and Ante

Quick rehearsal before they let the audience in. Few friends and the staff from the Embassy, watching us.

Full house and standing ovations again. They didn't let us take photos during the concert.

Mojimir Cacija with Fender Stratocaster

Stipe, Ivan, Mario

before the concert

All these photos from The Kennedy Center courtesy of LookPhotography.net

Victor Zimet was with us on every step we made.

piano was in tune

guitar needed some work

few Interviews.

Limelight, always seems to be more gratifying, after the concert, when you look at these photos.

Few stolen photos from the concert at The Kennedy Center

End of 'Gospe Sinjska , Snjezna Majko', song

The Kennedy Center. Beginning of the standing ovations. Full House again.

Moving constantly

Dino Rulli, a friend and a Tour Manager in a red sweater.

Capitol Hill, Washington DC December 4th, before the show.

Back of the White House, Washington DC December 4th, 2005

Waking from the White House

Croatian Church, Washington DC December 4th 2005

Waiting to sing again at the Mass.

Croatian Embassy, Washington DC December 4th 2005

Mojimir Cacija, Ambassador Neven Jurica, Nenad Bach

Short Interviews

photos by: Zoran Orlic, ZeroStudio.net  Victoria Rulli, Tom Heaphey, LookPhotography.net, Mario Novak, MarioNovak.com, additional photos, by Luko Simlesa for Croatian Chronicle, Daniela Urem, Dino Rulli and Ivo Bach

My gratitude to all of you who took photos. There are over 5 thousand photos taken on a tour and 30 hours of video tape.

Any volunteers to view all of this? Just joking.

Textual part in the other CROWN newsletter.

Weekly Bulletin from Croatian Embassy in Washington DC

Embassy_of_Croatia__Weekly_Bulletin___Vol._2__Issue_50_.pdf

Embassy_of_Croatia_Weekly_Bulletin_Vol[1].2__Issue_51).pdf

MARIO PRESKAR TKO WIN AGAIN

Moving up fast along Heavyweight Boxing ladder 21-year-old undefeated Croatian Heavyweight Mario Preskar won again Saturday, December 17 in Berlin's Max Schmeling Halle. Czech Ervin Slonka was the victim. Preskar who came in at 219 lbs overwhelmed his more experienced opponent (23 fights, Preskar's 10th fight) in barrage of assault that began in the first round. Throwing combinations from the start Preskar was looking for an opening. Slonka, who was afraid to exchange and therefore be exposed to an early knockout stayed in a locked stance throughout the match and absorbed tremendous punishment. 'At the start of the 6th round my trainer told me to go and finish him. Before that he was closed up. I felt super throughout the match. I was working fast and had excellent tempo. In the 6th round I came in with everything and he went down' The referee started counting. After another series of punches the second countdown did not go to ten as referee mercifully stopped the fight. TKO win Mario Preskar who improves his record to 9-0-1. The fight was televised by Croatian TV (HTV) and is a first in a series of fights that will feature Mario Preskar. Television deal signed by HTV and DKP (Don King Productions) is an indication that Preskar's career is about to take off. 'We are going to take of couple of weeks off said Preskar's manager/trainer Leonard Pijetraj. Mario has been training very hard the whole year. It was a good finish, 3 knockouts in the last 2 months.' Zeljko Preskar, Mario's father said friends and neighbors were calling all night and offering congratulations.
In the feature fight undefeated Nicolay Valuev became the tallest and heaviest world champion in boxing history by winning the WBA heavyweight title over John Ruiz. The seven-foot tall, 324 lbs. Valuev (44-0, 31 KOs) who goes by the nickname 'Beast from the East' or simply 'Beast' was able to use his huge reach advantage to become the first Russian Heavyweight Champion.
 

Book Review 'Zagreb, Exit South' by Edo Popovic

By Katarina Tepesh

Enormously gifted writer, Edo Popovic, introduces us to a group of characters in 'Zagreb, Exit South.'

We meet Vera, who has worked for years as a junior professor in the English department. 'That sounds great, I mean the junior part, but unfortunately, that only applies to my status and salary, not my age. It seems like I’ll be going into retirement as a junior professor.'

Robi, meeting a new woman, studied her face, 'It was a pretty face. So pretty that Robi started drooling, sensing a wounded doe that has trustingly taken refuge in the lion’s den, and the lion has noticed her, is showing her his benevolent face. Oh yes, he would have her, why not? First he’d lick her wounds, and then go in for the kill…'

Magda, she was like those old island women who had never swum in the sea, for years and years. And then a typhoon showed up, lifted her off the ground, and dropped her right in the middle of the deepest ocean. Stjepan! It was nice in the beginning. Stjepan told interesting stories about the sea and faraway harbors, he was polite and all that, and then one night…..

Elza, with a heart of a lioness, who’s husband died in Petrinja, because it didn’t occur to him that the war was being waged so that new gang could throw the old gang out of the villas that the gang before had thrown the Jews out of.

An alcoholic, nicknamed Baba, was thinking about how he’d rather walk through a minefield than go home and face his wife.

Strolling the streets, Baba and his buddy noticed two policemen with Kalashnikovs over their shoulders standing in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Baba said, 'Little Red Riding Hoods are working inside, and they need to protect them from the two of us and all the other wolves out on the streets.'

Later, Baba felt the cans of beer lined up inside the refrigerator. Right the way, he felt better. And his headache subsided a bit. He took out a beer and a bottle of vodka. To the Slavonian soul, vodka and beer. To the wounded heart, vodka and beer. To the jet-black eyes, vodka and beer. To the cracked carburetor blocks, vodka and beer. He got up and went for a new can of beer. To the vodka and beer. To the landlord’s dentures, vodka and beer. To you, my friend, as he raised the glass toward the shadow that passed in front of the window, vodka and beer.

In addition to the fascinating characters, described with great details and humor, 'Zagreb, Exit South' is the exceptionally well done translation by Julienne Eden Busic.

Edo Popovic was born in 1957 in Livno, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He has lived in Zagreb since 1968. His previous books include Dream of Yellow Snakes (2000) which was dramatized by Canadian theater director Danijel Margetic for Reeve Secondary Theatre in Calgary, Concert for Tequila and Prozac (2002), and A Dancer from the Blue Bar (2004). His fiction has been translated into German and Slovenian.

Ooligan Press, Portland State University www.publishing.pdx.edu $12.95

****

Hrvatska božićna večera - Harvard Club, New York
Američki novinari Hrvatsku proglasili
"velikim otkrićem!"

By Višnja Miočić

Hrvatska božićna večera koju je Hrvatska turistička zajednica priredila u prestižnom Harvard Clubu na Manhattanu drugog prosinca svojom je grandioznom prezentacijom dostojno obilježila kraj ove, za hrvatski turizam, izuzetno uspješne godine. Ova večera je okupila oko 200 uzvanika i niz predstavnika američkih turističkih medija, a prije same večere održana je konferencija za novinare, na kojoj je predsjednik Hrvatske turističke zajednice Niko Bulić održao kratku i sažetu prezentaciju hrvatskog turizma danas, te odgovarao na brojna pitanja novinara.

Trend uspjeha hrvatskog turizma u Americi potvrđuje i već iskazano zanimanje Amerikanaca. "Mnogi touroperatori posvjedočili su da su rezervacije za 2006. u tijeku, a neki su već rasprodali kapacitete i sigurni smo da će trend Hrvatske kao popularne destinacije samo jačati", rekla je Komarica. Dodala je da bi se još veći broj Amerikanaca odlučio za Hrvatsku kada bi se uspostavile izravne zračne linije između SAD-a i Hrvatske, što bi je učinilo pristupačnijom američkim turistima.

Odličnoj atmosferi u Harvard Clubu doprinijela je svakako izvrsna hrana koju je pripremao vrsni Anđelo Ljubičić, dugogodišnji vodeći šef ovog prestižnog newjorškog kluba. Osim istarskog tartufa gosti su okuse Hrvatske mogli osjetiti i ispijajući Malvaziju Kozlović 2004, a kao desertno vino na stolu se našla i Violeta iz Grgichevih vinograda.

Autentičan ugođaj upotpunio je nastup dubrovačke klape Maestrali koja je specijalno za ovu prigodu doputovala u New York s gospodinom Bulićem. Osim brojnih uglednih članova hrvatske zajednice božićnoj su večeri nazočili i predstavnici hrvatske diplomacije predvođeni veleposlanicom pri Ujedinjenim narodina Mirjanom Mladineo i generalnim konzulom Petrom Ljubičićem.

Ured HTZ-a iz New Yorka imat će prigodu i dalje popularizirati Hrvatsku kao turističko odredište predstavnicima američkih turističkih agencija i medija na konferenciji Američke udruge touroperatora (USTOA) sljedećega tjedna u Orlandu na Floridi. Na skupu će se sastati predstavnici njezinih više od 800 članova, koji na godinu imaju više od 10 milijuna putnika i ostvare zaradu od oko osam milijardi dolara.

Serenading New York, Dalmatian Style
Klapa Sinj and Nenad Bach sing their hearts out to sold out audience

Klapa Sinj and Nenad Bach performing at The New York Society for Ethical Culture, Friday, December 2

By Josip Bogovic

Klapa music has many dimensions of expression. It can be sung at weddings, music festivals and is soulful enough to send one off into the eternal life. Klapa Sinj’s performance drew the audience into their world of peace and beauty. It allowed the mixed Croatian-American audience of over six hundred to relax, meditate and reflect on the grand beauty of life. This is what their harmonious voices allowed and inspired.

Nenad Bach also performed his emotionally fulfilling song whose message of peace and love were unmistakable. Klapa Sinj accompanied Bach on his every song. The group sang mostly Croatian lyrics while Bach sang in English, playing guitar or the piano while accompanied by a small band. The combination works and creates a new musical flavor which, judging from the response of the audience, was enjoyed thoroughly by everyone. Nenad Bach’s voice is harmonically rich, unique and very pleasing.

The vocal group, which takes its name from the town in the Dalmatian hinterland where its members reside, and Mr. Bach are on a small U.S. tour that also includes stops in Washington, D.C. and Chicago as well as a recording studio where the two talented forces will combine their souls. The tour was made possible through the cooperation of the Croatian Ministry of Culture in conjunction with Jana (a Croatian natural water company), and the Consulate General of Croatia.

I highly recommend you see these wonderful performers.