I have long promised myself not to write in Croatian ever again, but I do break my promise every once in a while. Yesterday I wrote a tirade against the No. 1 politician in Istria in no more than one-hundred and sixty words, and it got picked up by one of the on-line newspapers in the region. On-line newspapers are of great value because one can quickly judge the response to what one has written. So far, I have received fifteen comments, which fall in three broad groups. Some challenge my authority: who am I to attack the valiant fellow who now rules the roost? Others challenge my motivation: is it not my budding political ambition that fully explains my brazen attack? And the last group challenges my intelligence: do I think anything I write can make any difference on this forlorn peninsula? Of all my critics, I appreciate those in the last group the most. Which is precisely why I have long decided not to write another word in Croatian. For no-one among those who have commented on my attack so far has had a single word to say about its substance. To wit, the No. 1 politician in Istria is safe and sound for quite some while.