Skoal! ---pix--->>>

[Stephanie]

Presidentting is hard werk, so it helps to enjoy a cocktail at lunch. Na zdrave!



http://news.yahoo.com/photo/070611/481/bulev10706110857


http://news.yahoo.com/photo/070611/481/bulev11006110909



U.S. President George Bush toasts Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov at the start of a social
luncheon in Sofia, Bulgaria Monday June 11, 2007. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

http://news.yahoo.com/photo/070611/481/bggh11706111023

[YOY]

1. I hope that Rakia burns

It better not be kaisiova. That would be like pearls before swine...

[peekaloo]

2. Why can't the world be more like Albania!

Instead the dearest of Leaders has to put up with these stupid questions that he doesn't and won't have to answer. Then he has to pretend to care about what Vulgarians have to say and drink their crappy excuse for liquor and pretend to enjoy their local "qwiz-een".

It takes its toll on a man, I tells ya.

:sarcasm:

[havocmom]

3. To be fair, looks like water in his glass. Clear rather than golden like other chap's drink

But, it could be vodka (or Everclear ;) )

[YOY]

6. It's Rakia: Bulgarian Plum Brandy

It could be apricot or apple though. Maybe even pear. It's not unlike Slivawitz.

[havocmom]

7. What is in other man's glass? Not same color as bush*s drinkie

:shrug:

[YOY]

9. Bush's appears to be cloudy. I highly doubt it to be water

It could be 'Maztika' if it's cloudy like that. I'm not too sure what it's made of but it's not unlike Greek 'ouzo' (anisette). It gets cloudy with ice crystals when you freeze it. Sometimes they add some other stuff to it (forget just what) and call it an 'oblok' (cloud).

Bulgarians consider a toast with water (or any non-alchoholic drink for that matter) to be an insult anyways.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakia

Then again it could just be a trick of light.

BTW. The other guy is Georgi Pervanov. My wife and I call him 'Gosho'.

[havocmom]

11. Thanks for identifying the other man. I have been out of the news loop for over a week

And I am woefully ignorant of Who's Who in Europe.

[YOY]

12. He's not that bad of a president (Parvanov)

He's not the problem in Bulgaria. Bulgaria's concerns are 1) Getting into full EU status and 2) Playing up the support role in NATO at the same time. 3) Keeping their economy from falling into crisis again.

These mother f***ers have been getting parliment seats recently. They scare the s*** out of me: ATAKA ('Attack'): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_National_Union There is fear that they may gain more ground in regions such as Razgrad and Kurdjali: both areas with mixed Bulgarian and Turkish populaces. The Bulgarians in that region are getting more nationalistic and hateful towards the Turkish population as well as weary of the local Turkish party (BCP) putting in some policies they view as anti-Bulgarian. It's easy to get pissed off when the governor of your region doesn't even speak Bulgarian.

My wife and daughter are there now (Razgradski Region) visiting family. I guess they can't get away from Commander Dippy Dog...

[Bucky]

13. Are you sure it's cloudy. It just looks like condensation from cold water

Not trying to be snarky (and certainly not trying to defend Bush for anything!) but it just looks like a glass of cold water to me.

[YOY]

15. Could be but like I said: Bulgarians consider this to be rude/very bad luck

Balkans folk tend to be rather supersticious...to say the least.

Other strange Bulgarian superstitions include

-Dreaming about a baby is a bad omen.
-Never shake hands across a door's threshold.
-Don't clean the house while a family member is traveling.
-When surprised a Bulgarian spits down their shirt three times (usually mimicked without saliva...that would be gross if it were real!)
-On a child's first birthday, many items are laid out (books, tools, musical instrument.) The first thing they go to is their career vocation (hypothetically...not enforced!)
-When you have the hiccups you say 'Sofka' and picture a white horse...this supposedly stops them.

There are others...they get really weird. Perhaps the alcohol can be negated by international protocol.

[Stephanie]

16. I dont' see how his luck could get any worse

But if it does I won't cry for him!

[Batgirl]

4. With his weird facial expressions and bodily contortions

It's like he comes pre-Photoshopped.

These day, there's nothing that can be done digitally to his image to increase the ridiculosity.

[Kali]

5. Probably it is just my crappy monitor but that top photo

makes that oval crest thingy look like a big ole Texas belt buckle on the chimp. Wonder if he is wearing his manly footwear with the presedential logo?

[Ezlivin]

8. "I'd rather be working with something of my intellectual capability..."

"The brush on my ranch."

[madrchsod]

10. when`s he leaving?

[Bucky]

14. January 2009. And not a second too soon.

Unless you meant that in terms of his legacy. In which case we'll be cleaning up his shit for years.