Personal Top Lists & Rankings

Kevin Chavez3 said:David Sullivan4 bought Matakovic's work but turned down a book of poetry—claiming he "studied literature and hates books." 🙏 🙏 🙏Quite the paradox, isn't it?

😂

...remind me to buy him a beer for that logic alone 🙏 🙏 🙏

Kevin Chavez3 said:Yeah, "The Secret History of Rock" is basically the Bible.

Just picked up 🥳

Quote:Madness.

Kevin Chavez3 says: David Sullivan4 bought Matakovic's stuff but turned down a poetry book because he "studied lit and hates books." 🙏 🙏 🙏

🤣Yeah,

We spotted Miksic at the book fair... I spent ten minutes cracking up at his booth before realizing the guy was actually sitting inside. 😬

p.s. Still hunting for that American illustrators catalog. It's my yearly obsession. 😍

The Hall of Shame for Worst Wines:

1. Golubica (Made by Vupik back in the day—it vanished during the war, making it the only thing from that era nobody actually misses. It’s basically liquid poison)
2. Seperic (There's this legend about it—someone wanted a bottle so bad they'd keep it on the shelf forever just to have it, but they can't bring themselves to drink it. It tastes like caramel, but bad caramel. Sour, bad sour caramel. Tastes like a dead candy factory)
3. Moslavec (You’d think the local punks working at the fertilizer plant near Kutin could stomach anything, right? Think again. Even they wouldn't touch Moslavec—and there's a good reason for that)
4. Simfonija (Usually, if you mix a cheap wine with some sparkling water, it gets slightly better, but not here. With this stuff, adding bubbles just turns it into a total disaster)
5. Ikan (The name says it all)

And out of this league:

Any wine that my buddy Dolgcajt brought to a party back in the nineties. No matter how hard we tried to bring some terrible, bottom-shelf swill like the stuff you get from a Bacvica tap, he’d somehow outdo us and show up with something even worse...

Dolgcajt, you're a legend. No offense, but I'll always wonder how you pulled it off—especially at Bumberov's party where we bought that ultimate bottom-of-the-barrel jug from the Precka liquor store. I thought nothing could be worse than that, but you proved me wrong. You showed us that things can always get worse...😁

Regardless of the Interliber situation, I mostly spent my time browsing the booths filled with stuff for kids aged 7 to 9 (what’s the vibe there? Like, does Egypt on a plate exist—I wonder if they have any "no means no" messaging on those plates?). Eventually, I realized someone might try to jump me and label me a creep, so I stopped. Instead, I shifted my focus to the other interesting sights worthy of any decent American's attention (just take a quick look at Kevin Chavez3's list).

The all-American ads in the algorithm have been stuck in the 50s lately, presented in ten-year increments spanning from 1900 to 1980. Very classy.

I definitely overshot the mark on the female demographic.

Dana Anderson4 said:My list of the absolute worst wines ever:

D

Remember Zlatna dolina? That cheap stuff they used to sell in Tetra Pak cartons. We used to drink that in public parks—obviously.

David Sullivan4 says
I guess I overshot the mark with zero women.

Well, that's fine—it's a trade show, not a bookstore.

The absolute best record I blasted last night while stumbling home drunk:

1. Vibrators "Pure Mania"

Tapir will be thrilled. 🙄

Luckily, it was an old, beat-up copy...

Quote: Mr. Wrong

David Sullivan4 said:Looking at how Interlib turned out, I mostly just hung around the booths selling stuff for the 7 to 9-year-old crowd.

I ended up leaning toward the stuff for slightly older kids, but still that pre-teen age group. Picked up The Chronicles of Narnia and almost got Robin Hood, but some lazy jerk swiped all three Winnetou books right from under my nose. 😠
They should’ve dragged me away from the children's book stands. Luckily, nobody thinks I’m a creep—just maybe a little behind on my developmental milestones.

Quote: Mr. Wrong

So far, all the American ads in the algorithm have been stuck in the 50s. They’ve just been serving up these ten-year chunks from 1900 to 1980. Real classy.

And that’s exactly why I got hooked. 🎉

So, my birthday is July 25th. That gives you guys just over eight months to scrape together enough cash for Taschenov's Animation now Quote: Mr. Wrong. 🙂

Quote: Mr. Wrong

Kevin Chavez3 said:The absolute best album I blasted last night while wasted—it completely blew my mind:

Kevin Chavez3, man... 😲

Man, too many records, not enough shelf space. 😳

Carol Jackson45 said:Thankfully, nobody thinks I'm a predator; they just think I've hit a bit of a developmental plateau.

Well, everyone else thinks you're still stuck in middle school. 😍

David Sullivan4 said:I totally overshot it with 0 women.

Why didn't you just catch them mid-air like some action hero before they hit the pavement? Just watch out you don't grab some absolute beast of a woman and end up throwing your back out with a slipped disc...

Kevin Chavez3 said:The absolute #1 album I was blasting last night—drunk and fully immersed—is this one:

Alright then... looks like you're getting nothing but apple juice tonight.😁

Kevin Chavez3 said:Most people think you're still stuck in middle school. 😍

... then they get a reality check when I pull out my credit card 😁

Daniel Bailey7 said:I picked up some cheap guides at that flea market, and apparently, I’m getting a copy of Miksic's "Moral Winner" for free.
The guy told me he had one waiting for me (costing him absolutely nothing) after I excitedly told him all about that booth.

Did he seriously just brag that *I* was the one who found the ad, wrote the resume, and sent the application? 🙂 I can't believe it; it's the first time in his life he actually responded to an ad and landed a job... why isn't that happening for me? 🤔

Top 3 books I didn't buy at the book fair:

1. Miško Šuvaković—Glossary of Modern and Postmodern Visual Art and Theory post-1950.

Me: How much for this one?
Lady at the counter: $173
Me: *sighs and puts the book back*
Lady: But I can take two checks if you want...
Me: I don't have any checks. 🙂

By the way, this was some "translated" American edition; in previous years, they always had the original versions which were a hundred times better—large format, tons of photos, bolded terms... and they cost about $93, which felt a little steep at the time. But I can't believe our local publishers are selling it for $173; the design is incredibly ugly and there aren't even any pictures. Why was I so silly not to just buy it when I had the chance? 🙂

2. 20th Century Art—Taschen edition—for a ridiculous $217
3. Milan Fisi—Photography—because it wasn't there, and I was really hoping to find it at that old used bookstore. 😢

I had to settle for:

1. A lexicon of American mythology (finally!)
2. Writers on Writing (to encourage me to start writing for real someday 😍)
3. Velimir Grgić—Eels, Beans, and Bukkae

I almost grabbed these, but common sense stopped me:
1. What Single Women Want 😬

Someone swiped this right in front of my nose: some old guy selling Thai food for $1.75 at the evening stall, the very last serving (as if I'm going to cook 😁).

What I got: 'The Secret History of Rock', one copy of Meridian, and an Icon mug (it's pretty ugly).

What I turned down: Miksic and a free brochure about the magical powers of gemstones. 😵

Top 2 songs they were playing over the speakers:
1. Depeche Mode—Personal Jesus
2. Bonnie Tyler—I Need a Hero 😍

My top 5 picks for an honest night out (meaning guaranteed blackouts and a couple of rounds at the local dive bar)
1. Wine
2. Cheap wine
3. Moonshine
4. Flavored vodkas
5. Amaro😍

Top 5 hairstyles
1. A simple ponytail
2. A high ponytail
3. A loose, formal ponytail
4. Tucked behind the ear
5. Left down and flowing😍

Susan Clark10 said:)
3. Velimir Grgić-Jegulje, beans, bukkake

Someone gave me the rundown on a few parts of the book, and honestly, it sounds like a blast. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if there are some details in there that I might actually prefer to leave unread. 😁

Roger Allen3 said:4. colorful vodkas

😱

Serse_Cosmi said:My top 5 spirits for getting absolutely hammered (and I mean full-blown blackouts and seeing double)

4. Those brightly colored vodkas
5. Amaro 😍

The stuff mentioned above, plus Jägermeister—those drinks smell so foul I’m practically face-planting into the restroom floor before I even take a sip.

🙂

Sandra Chase16 said:Everything mentioned above plus Jägermeister... honestly, just the smell of that stuff makes me want to faceplant straight into a toilet bowl before I even take a sip.

🙂

Excuse me?! HEY! DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH MY JÄGER! 🙂

Alex Rogers91 said:What the hell?! DON'T TOUCH MY GEAR! 🙂

Hey Alex, check this out. We can hit up Zege with Asim. Some dealer's kid was acting like a total clown last night. Says Kas is coming. Apparently, "we need that guy." If you can't snag a jersey from him for ten bucks, then we're done. That kid was completely out of it last night. Like he needed a hospital visit...

David Sullivan4 said:Hey Alex Rogers91, check this out. Me, Asim, and the guys are all heading to the Lakers game together. I was talking to some shady dealer type last night—total greaseball—and he told me Kas is coming. Apparently, "we really need that guy." If you can't snag a jersey from him for ten bucks, just take the whole stash. That sleazebag was on one last night. Total hospital trip territory.

When I saw that national team roster come across my screen last night from the Grand Canyon, honestly? It made me pretty happy knowing nobody can even try to argue their way onto the squad...