Merry Christmas!

I wanted to wish everyone a Merry X-Mas! Stay safe, drink a lot of alcohol, and have a great time.

Normal service will resume in the new year.

Karabakh Agreement Signed

This just in!

At Sunday's talks hosted at Meiendorf Castle, the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia agreed "to speed up further moves in the negotiating process" over Nagorno-Karabakh, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in a statement.

The two country's foreign ministers would work with Russia, the US and France, co-chairmen of the Minsk Group of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), which is seeking a diplomatic solution to the conflict, he added.

Sounds like a waste of time to me, unless one side gives up. We all know it won't be Azerbaijan and we all know that Serzh has indicated that he would trade or willingly give up some lands altogether.

Probably a non-event, but we'll see.

Source: BBC News

Turkish Hotel Denies Accomodation to 120 Children

When was the last time you heard of an Armenian hotel doing this? Then they say I'm biased!

Monaco Beach Hotel of Turkish Kemer was to accommodate the Moscow youth. But the busses with children and teens were going from one seaside resort to another till 6:00 p.m., as the children were banned from entering the hotel hall. The youngest of them were losing consciousness due to the lack of water.

...another reason of delay was the desire of hotel authorities to get $16,000 compensation for the previous group.

Filthy. Disgusting. Genuinely Turkish.

Source: Kommersant

Armenia's Newest Sniper Revealed

About a year and a half ago I blogged about Armenia's purchase of some weapons from the famous Zastava factory in Serbia. Very few details were available at the time.

The picture above is a Zastava M93 Black Arrow sniper rifle, believed to be part of that large order. It shoots the mighty .50 caliber round and can engage targets over 2 kilometers away.

Oh, and who are those two fellows eye raping it?

More information on the rifle can be found here.

Is Kim Kardashian Dating Vanes Martirosyan?

There have been rumors circulating that these two are seeing each other. We've found this picture which makes things even more complicated. What do YOU think?

Armenia Exports Bananas...NOT!

You must be thinking that I've gone B-A-N-A-N-A-S! Hetq found this bit of statistical curiosity and decided to investigate:

In 2006, Armenia exported 3002 tons of bananas to the Bahamas and 91 tons to Georgia. In 2005, 594 tons of bananas were exported to the Bahamas. The Republic of Armenia’s State Council on Statistics provided these figures.

If you're thinking WTF, you're not alone. Surely bananas don't grow in Armenia, so how can they be exported to other countries? Funny you should ask.

...in 2005-2006 the "Ketrin Ltd" firm exported 59.44 kilos of banana oil to the Bahamas, an amount equivalent to the 755.4 tons of bananas imported on a temporary basis for reprocessing purposes...

So some statistical bluffing, then? Sure seems wasteful to ship bananas from the Bahamas to Armenia only to ship it back, especially given the high cost of trasportation in the last couple of years. But there's more!

The "Godfather of Bananas" was Grisha Harutyunyan, the former Deputy Chief of the National Security Service. He in fact owns "Ketrin Ltd". He has been lining his pockets with untaxed profits for years on end. We’re not talking about $1 or $2 million, but rather tens of millions of dollars.

A tale of greed and the shadow economy: that's more believable!

Source: Hetq

Armenian Churches Become UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Very happy about this one!

Located in Iran, the Monastic Ensembles are represented by three churches: St. Stepanos, the Chapel of Dzordzor, and St. Thaddeus, the latter being one of the oldest churches in the world, whose construction began 1700 years ago.

A terrific step towards preserving a bit of our culture from destruction, but still a long way to go!

Source: HotelClub

German Hostages Freed in Turkey

The Kurdish group PKK has released three German hostages in Turkey.

The tourists were seized from their camp on Mount Ararat in Turkey's eastern Agri province on 9 July.

The PKK had vowed not to release them unless Germany renounced its crackdown on the group, defined as a terrorist organisation by the US, EU and Turkey.

My first observation is that climbers are indeed allowed on Mount Ararat, contrary to popular Armenian belief, and the other that the PKK is becoming a real thorn on Turkey's political ambitions.

Source: BBC News

Armenian Man Strangles Girlfriend to Death

This is yet another story that I was to publish a month ago but didn't. A terrible, terrible crime out of Glendale.

Grigor Grigoryan, the 39-year-old man who was arrested Friday after a police pursuit ended in Hollywood, is scheduled to be arraigned on murder charges after an autopsy determined his girlfriend was strangled to death in her home.

The woman, whom Glendale police identified as 35-year-old Yvette Hakopian, was found dead Friday afternoon in her home on the 600 block of West Stocker Street, setting off a manhunt for her boyfriend.

Anonymous people writing to the blog have indicated that she was in a troubled relationship and wasn't allowed out by the boyfriend, who apparently has a long history of criminal acts. Unfortunately, when she decided that she had had enough, he killed her. Further sources have said that she was raped before being killed.

Source: Glendale Newspress

Chess Grandmaster Karen Asrian Dies

Karen Asrian died one month ago today, apparently suffering a heart attack while driving. Skeptical people have contacted me about the true cause of his death but unfortunately I don't have any further information other than what has been reported.

Karen Asrian was one of Armenia's leading grandmasters. Not only did he win the title of Armenian Champion three times but also won a gold medal at the 2006 Olympiad in Turin.

He was 28. May he rest in peace.

Source: ChessBase

The Armenia Blog Surpasses 100,000 Visits!

I am happy to report that this humble blog has surpassed 100,000 visits! That means that 100,000 different people have visited the blog since December 17, 2006, translating to over 6,000 unique visitors a month.

Can we improve on that number? Let's try!

We're Pirates, Ape!

Once in a while we hear about Armenians and their involvement in shady endeavors, no doubt obvious propaganda by the Turkish government. Surely we are incapable of fraud, crime, and dishonesty in general! Other times, we realize it's all too true.

[Software] Piracy was most prevalent in Armenia, Bangladesh and Azerbaijan, where more than 90 percent of PCs had unlicensed software.

Software piracy not only hurts software developers, it also harms local resellers, reduces government tax revenues and increases the risk of computer security problems and crime...

Weighed against the fact that it's free? I think this is one time we are agreed with our evil neighbors to the East.

Source: Orlando Business Journal

Video: Gary Kasparov & The Flying Phallus

Words fail to describe this.

Parking Tickets in Armenia are...Different

Click to enlarge.

Keep this little tidbit in mind the next time you're in Armenia: when the police or the parking people or whoever decide that you've parked in the wrong place, they take your license plate to the police station. That means you have to go to the station, pay your fine, and then get your plate back.

How neat is that?

Source: Flickr

Comic Mentions The Armenian Genocide

Click for full size.

The internet comic Subnormality references the Armenian Genocide in its latest edition. Not only does it refer to the genocide as "cruelly forgotten" but goes on to quote the famous line by Adolf Hitler in a typically humorous manner.

Check out some of the past comics: they're a hoot!

A Novell Armenian

This one is for the business and IT people amongst you!

Meet Ronald Hovsepian. Ronald is the current CEO of network software corporation Novell and has held management and executive positions in IBM for 17 years before that.

As you can tell from the image, he made $5,400,000 in 2007, placing him among the top earners in his field. That's more than $20,000 a day for every working day in a year. How's that for inspiration?

Here's some more information on WikiPedia

Video: Everything That is Wrong with Armenia

Here's a video, provided by A1+, of cars and trucks using a public park as a street because city services was incompetent enough to provide a proper detour: for me, this video highlights everything that is wrong with Armenia.

First off, we have the city or whoever is in charge of maintaining roads. Not only are they apparently poorly run, but they are unwilling or stupid enough to direct cars and trucks to drive through and damage a public park, while at the same time endangering civilians.

Second you have the drivers themselves, who care only that they get from point A to point B, without at all considering the damage that they are doing to a park. Since they are probably evading taxes anyway, their hearts don't hurt when they destroy the work of others before them, because it is not theirs.

And lastly you have the people in the park themselves or those who use it often, sitting idly by and doing nothing to prevent the traffic from raping everything in its path. Granted, that would be more of an activist role and that's too much to expect. Right, those people only come out during elections, when they have personal bones to pick with certain politicians, and not when material harm is being done here and now. Irreverent cowards.

What you have is a system where the average person does not care about their own country. Who cares if they drive through a park? Who cares if we destroy something that our fathers built? It's not mine, it doesn't cost me anything, and I have zero regard for it!

Chocolatier Nestle Upsets Azerbaijan

What can an international candy company possibly do to upset Azerbaijan? This one is sweet in more ways than one:

The CD-ROM [attached to a breakfast ceral as a gift] featured information about countries around the world but the data on Azerbaijan caused outrage there.

It said that Azerbaijan had started a war against neighbouring Armenia and that the hotly disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh belonged to Armenia.

Nestle has now issued a formal apology but some Azeris are still not happy. They accuse Nestle of playing Armenia's hand, and are demanding more than just an apology to chew on.

It looks like my choice of snack on those long days prank-calling the Azeri embassy is firmly and deliciously decided.

A free t-shirt to anyone who can produce an original CD from Azerbaijan for publication on TheArmeniaBlog.com and elsewhere!

Source: BBC News

Kim Kardashian to Visit Armenia

I just love Kim. Who doesn't? One moment she's getting her brains tucked out in a video intentionally released everywhere for popularity and in another she's declaring her love for Armenia and its culture, despite knowing nothing about anything, and announcing a visit to Armenia. Joy!

That night at dinner my sisters, brother and I decided it is mandatory that we go to Armenia. None of us have ever been, neither had my dad and neither have my grandparents!

I am also going to be honest, I don't speak Armenian (I know, a lot of you have asked). And I don't know all of the historical details -- so if you have some stories to share with me, I would love that!

What does the Armenian genocide mean to you? Let me know!

OMG, I'm so excited! I always get this excited when telling whores what the genocide means to me!!

Source: her blog (thanks whoever sent it in)

Peace Artist Killed in Turkey

Yet another murder in a backwards society that seems to value the killing of those whose opinions are disagreeable.

The naked body of Giuseppina Pasqualino di Marineo, 33, known as Pippa Bacca, was found in bushes near the northern city of Gebze on Friday.

Ms di Marineo was hitch-hiking from Milan to Israel and the Palestinian Territories with a fellow artist on their "Brides on Tour" project.

She had said she wanted to show that she could put her trust in the kindness of local people.

What is there left to say? Even peace inspires murder in Turkey.

Source: BBC News

April 24, 2008 Photos

First and foremost, it's been nearly a month since the last blog entry. Yes, it's annoying and yes, I hate it, too, but there's only so much free time to go around. However, expect at least an entry a day from this point on - and that's a promise!

Yours truly was unable to attend either of the marches on the 24th, but loyal reader and friend Vardui was kind enough to snap away excellent pictures from the march in the Little Armenia section of Los Angeles. The rest of the pictures can be found here.



Thousands participated.



A different kind of patriotism with a healthy dose of self-expression.



Even Canadians showed their support.

See the rest of the pictures here.

Thanks, Vardui!

Armenian Civilian Killed in Iraq

Thanks to Levon for bringing this sad event to my attention.

Albert A. Haroutounian, a 36-year-old civilian from Havertown who was killed in Iraq while working as a translator for the Army, was buried yesterday in the western Chester County town of Honey Brook.

Haroutounian was working in Iraq with Trinity Inc., a small company that employs translators across the globe. His dream was to make enough money to open a pizza shop in Delaware County, said a person close to the family.

May he rest in peace.

Mr. Haroutounian wrote a book called The Clock Doc: An Essence of Time Mended Properly! I encourage you to have a look at it.

Source: The Philadephia Enquirer

Make a Lavash Pizza!

I love to eat well and anyone who knows me can attest to that, so is it any wonder that this blog entry is devoted to a new interpretation of the pizza?

Jason writes:

Garlic, olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke crowns, olives, and some basil, with a bit of mozzarella and parmesan...

That does look good. Round it off with a bottle of Tan and you're in business!

Picture and text from Jason Truesdell's food site.

Armenian Reporter Loses It

Here's a hilarious video of an Armenian reporter - or the Circus director, perhaps - losing his mind on camera.

Put the volume up.

Edit: The crazy man in the video has been identified as Sos Petrosyan, the director of the circus in Armenia.

Update On Krtsats Kukuruz

If you recall I posted an entry about the now-destroyed krtsats kukuruz or corn cob building that was a veritable landmark in Yerevan until recently, when it was sold for a ridiculous amount and destroyed to make way for an expensive new hotel.

All that aside, it turns out the American Krtsats Kukuruz was used in at least one movie. This clip is from 1980's "The Hunter" with the legendary Steve McQueen.



Enjoy!

Armenia's 2008 Eurovision Entry: Sirusho's Qele Qele

Have a listen. To me this is the most un-Armenian song you can have. Why? First off, Qele isn't proper Armenian, and second of all, the whole song sounds Arabic.

What do you think?

Oh, and don't forget to vote for your favorite!

Picture: Evolution of the Armenian Alphabet

Click to enlarge. Full size is HUGE so be patient.

Here's a neat chart showing the evolution of our alphabet. Amazing, isn't it?

Video: Police Forces Shooting at Protesters

I promise this will be the last of these videos.

Update: A lot of people are telling me that some of the bullets used in these videos are rubber, meaning they would hurt but not injure or kill the person. Whether or not that is the case clearly cannot be determined.

Video of Protests in Little Armenia

Here's a short clip of the march in Little Armenia earlier today, March 2, 2008. Some claim up to 50,000 people showed, but I find that hard to believe.

Oh, and it seems that most people were...older. Figures, because younger people have better things to do than waste their time with a pointless march.

Imagine being there and not being Armenian.

Video of Riots in Yerevan, Armenia

Shot on March 2, 2008, in Yerevan, Armenia, in the wake of clashes between police forces and opposition protesters.

Yerevan Becomes Hell: Fires, Deaths, Misery

Way to outdo yourselves, guys. It wasn't enough that you protested after a relatively fair election, and you continued still even after the police moved in to move you out. And now this:

A police spokesman said that eight people were killed and 33 police officers injured in the clashes. He said several officers had been injured by gunfire.

Demonstrators hurled stones and petrol bombs, setting vehicles on fire, and police and troops responded with truncheons, tear gas and by firing bullets in the air.

TV pictures showed burnt-out cars and smashed shop windows in the city.

This is why foreigners are afraid of Armenia, whether visiting or investing. We mock some of the destabilized countries in Africa and Latin America, but what do we do when it happens on our own turf by our own people? Do we point fingers and blame the other guy? Do we kill people and destroy property to show dissatisfaction?

Source: BBC News

Armenian Police Clear Protesters

The dream is over, but not like the girls in the picture care. They're out protesting because their friends are there, happy with any outcome.

Scuffles broke out as police began forcing the demonstrators on to buses after 10 days of protests against the alleged rigging of the election.

Hundreds of police moved against the opposition camp on Freedom Square early on Saturday, dispersing the few hundred protesters still there. Media were kept away from the square as army lorries took away the protesters' tents.

But I thought Armenia was a democracy! That protesting would have an effect! That kindess would win over evil! What happened??

Reality happened.

Source: BBC News

Remembering Sumgait, 20 Years On

More information about the Sumgait pogroms in English and Russian.

The Path to Democracy: Dragunov Sniper Rifle

First let's identify the photo: it shows an Armenian Special Forces soldier with a Russian-designed Dragunov sniper rifle, a fearsome semi-automatic weapon that is effective to a range of one kilometers. Think about that for a second, which coincidentally is also the length of time it will take the bullet to get to its farthest target.

What does this have anything to do with Armenia? Besides a glimpse into one of the weapons used by our countrymen, quite a bit. You see, when a given government grows too powerful and too corrupt, it begins to act in a way which is not in harmony with the will of the people and it can get away with that because of its power and the fear that it inspires in people. But what if the government was to be held accountable for its actions, afraid of the very people who created it and who continue to support it, at least for as long as they choose? What if everyone had a Dragunov sniper rifle and the knowledge that anyone in power caught abusing it would be destroyed without questions asked?

Of course, this is all metaphor. Until such power is exercised by the people Armenian, we will continue to see a government acting in its own interest only.

Then again, maybe it's not a metaphor at all; after all, revolutionaries need to be well armed!

Source: mil.am

Ballot Stuffing Caught on Camera

This video has been making its way across the internet for the past couple of days. Watch it carefully.

Thousands Protest Election Results

It seems tens of thousands of people unhappy with the results of the election have decided to take to the streets in protest. It appears that this minority isn't happy with the fact that Serge Sarkisian received the majority of the votes in a landslide election or that Russia and the OSCE have approved of the election and its results. Nope, they demand new elections!

Election officials said a final count showed Prime Minister Serge Sarkisian with nearly 53 percent of the vote — enough to win outright and avoid a runoff. His main opponent, Levon Ter-Petrosian, had 21.5 percent.

Monitors for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said there were concerns about the vote count, but issued a generally positive assessment of the election. And Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country enjoys close ties with Armenia, congratulated Sarkisian on his victory.

"I would like to assure you that no one will be able to stop us from making sure that the rule of law is observed," Ter-Petrosian told cheering supporters.

Enough. Stop wasting your time. Serge had definite advantages going in, the election was relatively fair, and Levon lost. Advice to future candidates: don't make a surprise entry and expect the vast majority to take your side instantly.

You can almost hear the kid in the picture saying, "Mom, why are we out here wasting our time in the cold? I thought Mr. Sarkisian had won?"

Photo by Arthur Papyan

Serge Sarkisian is the President of Armenia!

Yes, my fellow Armenians, these results are not final, but you'd have to be insane to think that the final results would be significantly different so as to throw off the race. You'd also have to be instane to think that Levon wasn't drawing up the plans for a rally even before a single vote had been cast. The BBC had this to say:

Mr Sarkisian had gained 52.7% of the vote, with his nearest rival Levon Ter-Petrosian lagging on 21.5%. By early Wednesday, 97.5% of votes had been counted, according to official results given on Armenian public TV. Turnout was estimated at nearly 70% of 2.3m eligible voters.

But Mr Ter-Petrosian alleges widespread vote-rigging, and has called a rally in the capital, Yerevan. But Mr Ter-Petrosian - a former president - surprised onlookers with a lively and outspoken campaign, and now insists he is the real winner.

How do you say "bullshit" in Armenian?

As I said previously, there wouldn't be a drastic difference for the people of Armenia one way or the other. On the plus side, though, Armenia will not compromise on Karabakh and on the Genocide issue with Turkey. Oh, and a certain other person will not be returning.

Edit: It seems a few of you who are either still shook up or otherwise incapable of comprehending sarcasm believe that I support Sarkisian. That's simply not true: I only wanted Levon to lose. It seems the Armenian people wanted the very same thing.

Armenia "Votes" Today

Ah yes, today is the day where corruption, blind nationalism, and fraud all come together in the form of Armenia's Presidential Election! Who will win? Who will lose? One thing's for certain, this is not going to be a demonstration of democracy and whoever is elected will first and foremost get himself rich, then those near him, and whatever is left will be spread among the lower individuals in power.

Edit: It seems that BBC News went around and asked a dozen Armenians the things that they want with the new president. Recurring themes? Job creation and end to corruption.

Pic: Is this the future of Yerevan?

Is this the future of our fair capital? It would be a stretch to compare Moscow to Yerevan, that much is true, but the above picture is a possible glimpse into the future of a fast growing city, one that puts profits ahead of a sustainable, long-term growth.

Photo by Alexander Petrenko. Click for bigger version.

Jet Crashes in Zvartnots, All Survived

Not the kind of news you expect to see on a day as innocent as Valentine's Day.

A plane carrying 21 people has crashed on takeoff from Armenia's capital, but there were no deaths reported...

The plane, a Canadair CRJ-100, was heading for Minsk, Belarus, when it flipped over on the runway at Zvartnots Airport and burst into flames...

What a miracle that no one was injured, but it seems suspicious that they have not yet identified the airline to which the plane belonged. Armavia was at the tip of my tongue, to be honest.

Update: Thanks to reader AB, it seems that the airline was Belavia, the national airline of Belarus. It is also revealed that the airplane's wing clipped the runway on takeoff, causing it to crash. On board were 4 citizens of Belarus, 1 of Russia, 1 of Ukraine, 5 of Georgia, and the rest of Armenia.

Source: AP

Picture: Victoria's Secret in Armenia

Click to enlarge.

Ah yes, the infamous Victoria's Secret. Did I mention it's a knockoff, probably like most such "branded" stores in Armenia?

Anyway, this is probably not news to anyone who has been there recently, but enjoy it nevertheless! Oh, and do read the Armenian part.

Photo credit: uncorneredmarket on Flickr

Armenian Scenes in Juno Reactor Music Video

I don't know if you're cool enough to know of the band Juno Reactor, but it sees that in one of their videos, "God is God," the scenery and the people portrayed appear to be Armenian.

See for yourself.

Edit: Our smart readers have identified the scenes as being from Sergei Parajanov's The Color of Pomegranates. I humbly thank you, for I have not yet seen it!

Levon Ter Petrosyan - Dictator of the Month

It seems some four and a half years ago Levon Ter Petrosyan was chosen as the Dictator of the Month by a website called, wait for it, dictatorofthemonth.com. The website, which appears to be of German origin, brings to its audience, "the greatest and smallest dictators, autocrats and monarchs of the world since 1900!"

You may have noticed that I've kept from reporting on developments in the run up to the Armenian elections. Call me jaded, if you will, but reporting on one scum or another, essentially the same type of feces in different pots, won't change the outcome of the election. Knowing Armenia, even a direct vote will result in the same fate for the country.

That said, here are the charges against Levon:

His popularity waned during his rule as he sold Armenian electrical capacity to Georgia while limiting electricity's availability to Armenia to 4 hours per day in order to fund the war against Azerbaijan, a move regarded as necessary by the Armenian Army. He was also unpopular with many because he banned the nation's leading opposition party, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF- Revolutionary Federation-Dashnaktsutiune), jailed its leadership, and shut down Yerkir, the country's largest daily newspaper.

He was forced to step down in February 1998 after advocating additional concessions to Azerbaijan in the resolution of the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. Ter Petrosyan's key ministers, led by then-Prime Minister Kocharyan, refused to accept a peace plan on Karabakh put forward by international mediators in September 1997. The plan, accepted by Ter-Petrosyan and Azerbaijan, called for a "phased" settlement of the conflict which would postpone an agreement on Karabakh's status, the main stumbling block. That agreement was to accompany the return of most Armenian-occupied Azerbaijani territories around Karabakh and the lifting of the Azerbaijani and Turkish blockades of Armenia.

Hefty charges indeed. As someone who lived through the early 1990s in Armenia, anyone who considers voting for him because he is a voice of change, reason, or otherwise the lesser of two evils, is simply insane.

Video: Armenian Mig 29 Airplanes

Here's a neat little video that documents the Mig 29 airplanes in Russia's 102nd airbase. Not only are they considered by many to be among the best ever, but these airplanes help to safeguard Armenia day in and day out!

Oh yeah, it's in Russian - but you don't have to hear the guy to enjoy the video!

Art of the Day - Martiros Saryan

Still Life with Flowers by Martiros Saryan, 1928.

Video: Gagik Tsarukian's Daugher Getting Married - All Parts

You may have seen it and you may have not, but I present to you the wedding video of Gagik Tsarukian's daughter! I won't spoil the fun for you. :)















Related Links
Homes of Armenia's Richest
Armenia's Richest Men

Hockey: Armenia 13, Turkey 1

I'm happy to announce yet another Armenian victory over Turkey, but this time in an unlikely sport.

After a clear-cut victory over the Republic of South Africa, the Armenian under-20 hockey team beat Turkey 13:1 within the framework of the World Hockey Championship.

It is due to mention that our team won over Turkey during a 2007 tournament as well. Presently, Armenia and Australia top the fixture list. Armenia will compete with New Zealand on January 20.

One wonders how Australia can be anywhere near the top in an ice-based game! Oh well, we won and that's all that matters.

Source: A1+

Turks Remember Hrant Dink

It seems like yesterday but it has indeed been more than a year since Hrant Dink was assassinated in Turkey. Here is an excerpt from a BBC article:

At a short ceremony led by Mr Dink's close friends and family, crowds of people marked his murder at 1457 (1257 GMT) on 19 January 2007 with a moment of silence outside the offices of the Agos newspaper.

The trial, which began in July, is being held behind closed doors because the alleged gunman, Ogun Samast, is 17 years old.

Mr Dink's family has accused the authorities of collusion, and the court is also considering allegations of a cover-up.

Shouldn't something as crucial as this trial, at least to Turkey's future as a member of the EU, be highly public so that the entire world can see whether justice is being served or merely covered up? This simply inspires more due suspicion from the Armenians, Turks, and the world at large.

William Saroyan in "The Bucket List"

Yes, this is one of my "Armenian pride" posts, you know the kind: you hear an Armenian name mentioned in a movie, an Armenian name in its credits, or anything Armenian in the most unexpected of places. Well, in watching the new film The Bucket List, which I would wholeheartedly recommend to everyone, there is just such a mention!

You see, the movie is about two unlikely pals who are terminally ill but decide to live life to the fullest anyway. In this setting, William Saroyan's play,The Time of Your Life, is briefly mentioned. It turns out parts of the play were also used in Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End!

How great is that?

The Armenian Short Bus

Original source here.

It looks like the Armenians have a version of the Short Bus, too!

Of all the possible colors for that van-like thing, they had to choose yellow. Yellow! How could I resist making such an offensive post? For one, I enjoy reading hate mail; for another, it's yellow.

Armenia's Roads to be Upgraded

The only thing worse than the corruption in Armenia is the roads, which is small wonder why people pay top dollar there to buy vehicles with four wheel drive and a large ride height!

The Minister said that Armenian roads should be equipped in line with advanced international standards and give comfort to drivers. Manukian reported that the new road marking will be made with reflecting paints to lighten the traffic under the conditions of bad visibility.

Oh, and all of this is supposed to be done in the next four years and cost 5.5 billion AMD, or a little over $18 million with today's exchange rate. Call me cynical, but unless there is a fair bidding system for contractors, better yet separated by region, then this would serve as just another means of channeling funds to preferred businessmen.

Source: Arka

Video: Levon Ter Petrosyan Mocks Robert Kocharian

In this undated video, Levon Ter Petrosyan suggest that Robert Kocharyan is not Armenian, an obvious jab at Kocharyan's ancestry. Fast forward a few years and Kocharyan is the one in power while Ter Petrosyan is attempting to wrangle it away from him. That's politics for you!

Edit: I stand corrected. I did not read the Armenian caption and completely misconstrued the message. Thank you all for pointing it out!

Breeding Hamsters: The Business of Our Ancestors!

Most everyone knows that Armenians are a very business-oriented people and there is a certain level of pride associated with that, but now we can take that to an even higher level! You see, the following advertisement is from the June 1950 issue of Popular Mechanics. Seeeing as how there are many Armenians currently living in North Hollywood, California, it only makes sense to assume that Mr. Akopian (Hakopyan) was among the original businessmen in the area!

Still, the notion of raising these awesome creatures just to fulfill a "big laboratory demand" seems, at best, troublesome.

Stealing Armenia's Gold, Again

Ah, gold. What self-respecting Armenian doesn't have at least a few pounds of it stashed somewhere? As of this very moment, the price of Gold stands at $833.20, having made a mad rush to that position in the last few years, no thanks to the present economic uncertainties. So where does Armenia fit in all of this, you ask?

In the town of Ararat - about an hour's drive south of Yerevan, Armenia's capital - investors from Russia have moved in to take control of what is believed to be one of the biggest gold-mining operations in the country.

But there's more to it than that.

Azerbaijan says a considerable amount of the Zod mine is in its territory, at present occupied by the Armenian military.

And let's not forget the previous owners:

In 2002, AGRC was taken over by a company controlled by the family of Indian mining billionaire Aneel Agarwal. But its operations were closed down after the Armenian authorities accused the company of reneging on various licensing agreements. The company was charged with tax fraud and environmental violations and ordered to pay millions of dollars in fines.

Besides the laughable notion of the Armenian government charging anyone with tax fraud, this is yet another nail in the coffin that is Armenia's economic future. We've given away nearly everything in the name of short term profits, but what of the future?

Critics will contend that some of the assets are actually on a long-term lease, but this isn't the case with all of them. Besides, how absurd is it that to revitalize the economy and move it forward means giving control of important assets to foreigners? We only have so much left!

Source: BBC News

Yoga Arrives in Armenia

It seems yoga and pilates are no longer trends associated with the United States and European countries alone. That's right: Armenians now have their own refuge called Shunch or Breath, dedicated to yoga, pilates, and the ever-popular spa. The studio is located in Yerevan and inescapably their entire website is in English.

So not only are Armenians quickly becoming wealthier, more democratic, and definitely less Armenian, but they are also embracing ancient Hindu traditions and giant round balls. Wowee!

Here's more information: Shoonch Website

Build Your Own Armenian Church!

Ever wake up in the morning with an urge to build something. Hmmm, radio telescope? The neighbors might complain. A house for your doggy? Let him embrace the elements! How about an Armenian Church? Yes!

Well, now anyone can do just that, albeit big enough for ants and other critters, with wooden blocks! Apparently "your Wizard" will happily send you boxes of wooden blocks for a small fee.

Seriously, didn't your day just get better?