Picture: Armenian Soldiers in Iraq

Well, not soldiers per se. If you recall, they are: "...truck drivers, 10 sappers, 3 medics and 2 officers" or some combination thereof.

DIY: Build Your Own Sputnik

If the relevance of this post doesn't blow your mind then its content surely will.

In 1957 the Sputnik 1 satellite was seen as a technological marvel, the result of many years work by some of the Soviet Union's most talented engineers and scientists. But by today's standards, was it really such a big deal? In 2007, how hard would it be to build a fully working Sputnik in the comfort of your own living room?

Armenia spent the greater part of the last century as a part of the mighty Soviet Union, so it's only fitting to pay tribute to Sputnik. I'm certain that many nameless Armenians worked tirelessly to make it a success, so this one's for them!

Here's how to build your own Sputnik

Armenian to Auction Adolf Hitler's Personal Globe!

This is one of those hard to believe stories. Here are the facts:

Barsamian found the globe in May 1945 in the Berghof, Hitler's home in the Bavarian Alps town of Berchtesgaden. He boxed it up with a few other keepsakes, including a pistol and a dagger, and shipped them home.

"Literally, the place is all bombed out and here this globe is sitting there on the desk," said John Barsamian, now 91.

If you have some money burning in your pocket, the globe will be auction in November with estimates ranging up to $20,000.

Source: Yahoo! News

The Top Secret Armenian Google!

This is not a joke! It turns out Google has a version for just about every language and country, including Armenia. See it for yourself: google.am.

"Google Hayastan" is the official name. Neat, eh?

Soviet-era Arcade in Yerevan

This photo brings back a lot of good memories! Before Nintendos, Ataris, and Colecovisions made their way into private arcades, these were the games that we'd play.

Original and higher resolution version can be found on Flickr

Miss Armenia 2007 Crowned!

Who cares about passing the genocide bill? Honestly, there are far more important things in life, like Miss Armenia.

Margarita Sarukhanyan, the “Miss Armenia 2007,” was handed the crown by Marina Vardanyan who was announced the best during Miss Armenia – 2006 contest. The crown costs $7,000. It has 425 diamond stones, 14 ruby and carbuncle. It is made of white gold.

Thus, Margarita Sarukhanyan was awarded the right to represent Armenia during "Miss Europe."

I hope they missed a zero in the crown cost or I'm going to hide my head in shame. Oh, and pictured is last year's winner, Marina Vardanyan.

Source: Panorama.am

Armenia Blog: What's Happening?

Oh no, what's happening? Quite a bit! As Armenia Blog nears its 1st birthday, it's only fair to make it even better. So if things look a little funky over the next few days, please bear with me. As the previous design only made use of a tiny bit of space in the center, the new design will hope to cover your entire screen in Armenian goodness.

Now, doesn't that sound great?

3rd Annual Armenian Festival Today & Tomorrow in Laguna Hills!

Here's an event that you probably shouldn't miss: an Armenian Festival in the OC! The festival, now in its third year, features food, dancing, arts and crafts, merchants, and other fun stuff!

Have a look at their photo gallery to get an idea of what to expect.

I'm no way affiliated with the festival, but it sounds like a fun way to spend one's weekend.

Here are the essentials:
Date & Time: October 13, 12PM to 10PM and October 14, 12PM to 8PM.
Address: 25555 Alicia Parkway, Laguna Hills
Phone: 949-309-2900
Admission: $3, 12 and under free.

For more information, check out the website: ArmenianFestival.org

Brief History of Armenians and Astronomy

ArmeniaNow has a really interesting article that briefly looks at some of the many accomplishments of Armenians in the field of astronomy and space sciences. Here's an excerpt:

...long before – IV-III millennium BC -- some 30 kilometers east of Yerevan, one of the world’s oldest observatories looked to the sky perhaps for the same reasons the Russians and Americans would later fight to dominate it.

Though sadly deteriorating, patterns of night skies carved into rocks that became celestial maps for early astronomers can still be seen on a Metsamor hill. Fifty years? Hardly a flash compared to the centuries Armenians have been interested in the heavens.

I found this article very informative and interesting, to say the least. Check it out here.

Video: Stepan Partamian - Genius or Idiot?

You either love him or hate him. Personally, I don't understand how people can respect this guy. See for yourself.

Armenian Boy Raises Money for Charity

Check out this Armenian kid and his fund raising efforts for his community. What a great model for everyone!

You can see the video story on CBS4. Be patient, because it takes a while to load.

Victory for Armenians: Genocide Bill Passes First Step!

Earlier Bush had this to say, but it seems his even his superior persuasive skills could not prevent the bill from moving forward!

It passed through the House Foreign Affairs Committee by 27 votes to 21 - the first step towards holding a vote in the House of Representatives.

After the vote, the US Undersecretary of State, Nicholas Burns, told the BBC that the Bush administration was "deeply disappointed".

Of course, there was predictable opposition from some, especially the anti-Armenian Jewish members of Congress:

"We have to weigh the desire to express our solidarity with the Armenian people... against the risk that it could cause young men and women in the uniform of the United States armed services to pay an even heavier price than they are currently paying," he said.

That was said by Tom Lantos, a Holocaust survivor and chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Source: BBC News

Bush Urges Against Armenian Genocide Resolution

I haven't blogged for a while, but what better time to restart than now?

"This resolution is not the right response to these historic mass killings," he said hours before a vote by the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

It is highly unusual for the White House to make such a dramatic last-minute intervention in Congressional business...

With the opposition Democrats now in charge in Congress, they could force a vote, dealing a potentially grave blow to the Bush administration's efforts to keep Turkey on side...

By the way, this story is the top story on BBC right now. Obviously Bush knows how close it is to getting passed and is doing everything he can to prevent that from happening.

Source: BBC News