AtD p845 "bottom dead center of the European Question"

[Dave Monroe]

On 4/13/08, Mark Kohut <markekohut at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Gabrovo Slim....nice Bulgarian name, yes?

Welcome to the official web-site of Gabrovo Region.

One of the most impressive attractions, peculiar to the town is the
popular House of Humour and Satire in Gabrovo. Works of authors from
153 countries are exhibited in 10 halls with an area of 8000 square
metres. The House collects and popularizes the humour and the satire
from all over Bulgaria....

http://www.visitbulgaria.net/en/gabrovo/gabrovo.html

Gabrovo (Bulgarian: Габрово) is a town in central northern Bulgaria,
the administrative centre of Gabrovo Province. It is situated at the
foot of the central Balkan Mountains, in the valley of the Yantra
River, and is known as an international capital of humour and satire
(see Gabrovo humour) ...

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

The citizens of Gabrovo, Bulgaria are notorious for their unique sense
of humour. Their jokes are related to stinginess and rivalry with
neighboring city of Sevlievo. During the second half of 20th century
jokes have been largely popularized due to the House of Humour and
Satire in Gabrovo. The city is now known as an international capital
of humour and satire....

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

Gabrovo is the main city of the Province of Gabrovo. Long known for
producing leather articles and textiles that earned the town the
sobriquet of the "Manchester of Bulgaria", Gabrovo is a charmingly
laid-back provincial place.

To the Bulgarians, Gabrovo is mainly known as the home of Humour and
Satire, which opened on Aprils Fool's Day 1972 in recognition of the
position traditionally occupied by the town in the Bulgarian humour.
People in every country tell jokes about the supposed miserliness of a
particular community, and in Bulgaria the butt of the jokes has always
been Gabrovo.

A Festival of Humour and Satire takes place in May, comprising masked
actors, folk music, animated cartoons and the giving of prizes ....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabrovo_Province#Main_city
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabrovo_Province

The House of Humour and Satire (Bulgarian: Дом на Хумора и Сатирата;
Dom na Humora i Satirata) in Gabrovo, Bulgaria, is an exposition of
traditional local humour art, including cartoons, photographs,
paintings, sculptures, and verbal humour. The House combines features
of a museum and an art gallery. The city of Gabrovo is also known as
an international capital of humour and satire. Its motto is "The world
lasts because it laughs"....

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

Coming into the world on April 1st, 1972, the House of Humour and
Satire (HHS) is a proud successor to the local folklore humour and the
merry carnival traditions of the town of Gabrovo - the Bulgarian
humour capital. Today it is an international cultural centre that
successfully combines some features of a museum and more of those of a
busy art gallery. The House is a place that serves not only to
perpetuate the celebrated Gabrovo anecdotes, but it is also a meeting
ground of examples of contemporary humorous and satirical art from the
world over.

Here we honour the joke, merry-making and carnivals; collect humour
and satire in cartoons, photographs, paintings and sculpture from all
four corners of the world; hold international humour events, and
encourage both young and established artists to create humorous works;
exhibit, promote and sell humorous art; publish albums and collections
of visual and verbal humour; offer educational programs for small and
"grown-up" children; maintain lively contacts and beneficial
cooperation with similar institutes in the world; and though we hold
that humour is a serious business to do, we make earnest attempts to
look at the funny side of human problems. Therefore, our motto is THE
WORLD LASTS BECAUSE IT LAUGHS....

http://www.humorhouse.bg/engl/englindex.html

Gabrovo Slim

Gabrovo is a city in northern central Bulgaria, 100 miles east of
Sofia. Another AtD character named for his physique (like, e.g., Flaco
= "slim" in Spanish).

Apropos of Flaco: This web site remarks on the number of people named
Slim who were involved in the Mexican Revolution.

http://against-the-day.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=ATD_821-848#Page_845

There were several soldiers of fortune named Slim in Mexico ...

http://www.netdotcom.com/revmexpc/fortune.htm