ARMENIAN COMMUNITY OF STAVROPOL ALSO TO HOLD EVENTS WITHIN FRAMEWORK OF YEAR
OF ARMENIA IN RUSSIA
STAVROPOL, AUGUST 1, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Regular sitting of
the information-consulting coordination council of Armenian communities
of the Stavropol region, which was more famous as the “Round Table”
took place in Mineral Vody on July 29. As they informed at the
editorial office of the “Yerkramas” (country) newspaper of Armenians
of Russia, three principal decisions were made at the sitting. So,
though the Republic of Armenia did not include the region of Stavropol
in the program of events to be held by it in the Russian Federation
within the framework of the Year of Armenia in Russia, Stavropol may
not stand aside. Holding of a scientific conference is scheduled for
December, 2006, it is supposed to be in Pyatigorsk, on the basis of
one of institutions of higher education. The theme recommended by the
“Round Table” is: “Armenians and The Stavropol.” It is envisaged
by data of the conference to release a book with materials of the
conference. It is planned to recruit to cooperation scientists not
only from regions of Russia but from Armenia as well.
The book which will become a result of that activity, will be given
to libraries and educational institutions of the region. Famous
Russian scientist Victor Hakobian is instructed to be engaged
in organization of the given project from the scientific point of
view. The second issue was the plan of holding the events dedicated to
the Year of Armenia being held in the Russian Federation, proposed for
discussion by the “Round Table.” Robert Yavrian, the Chairman of the
International Academy of Culture and Art proposed the idea of holding
within the framework of the given event Armenian concerts-festivals
in towns of the region. The third project discussed at the sitting,
was the concert of Armenian artists of the Stavropol region – the
Second Art Festival of Armenian communities of the Stavropol region
which already becomes traditional. It will be held late in 2006
in Min-Vody. The “Round Table” information-consulting coordnination
council of Armenian communities of the Stavropol region has existed in
Stavropol already for the second year. The idea of the “Round Table”
was born in March, 2005, and belongs to Mikhail Manvelov, head of the
“Urartu” Armenian community of Zelenokumsk, who is now the editor of
the “Armenian Panorama” regional newspaper as well, and to founder
of that newspaper Vladimir Bagiyev. The first sitting of the “Round
Table” which was held in Yessentuki, took place just then. Mikhail
Manvelov was elected the Chairman of the “Round Table.”

Monday, July 31, 2006
*****************************************
My intention is not to promote friendship between Turks and Armenians – I am neither a miracle worker nor a megalomaniac. My daydream, which is 99% illusion and 1% hope, is to promote friendship between Armenian and Armenian. But so far all I have succeeded in doing is provoking contempt, ridicule, sarcasm, intolerance, and insults.
*
“If you describe someone’s conduct,” Sartre tells us, “you expose him to himself – he becomes visible to himself.” Unless of course he is blind and deaf.
*
Speaking of dumb and deaf: we have been so catastrophically wrong so often that our aim should no longer be doing the right thing but avoiding apocalyptic blunders.
*
Whenever I refer to ourselves as perennial losers, I am reminded of our victory in Karabagh. Consider the Israelis who have won five wars against the Arabs, and so far all they have succeeded in doing is planting the seeds of future conflicts.
*
Since they bowed their heads and resigned to their status as underdogs for several millennia, the Jews find it difficult to understand why Palestinians don’t follow their example. Like the Jews, we too bowed our heads to a long line of conquerors. It doesn’t necessarily follow that the Azeris will do likewise. Now then, go ahead and brag about our victory in Karabagh.
*
Projection is a misleading tool of understanding because it fails to take into consideration the uniqueness or otherness of others.
*
Life advances on an infinite number of lines some of which are invisible to the eye of our awareness. To say “I never had it so good” is to make yourself vulnerable to the sudden and unpredictable blows of fate; or as the old saying has it: “When the house is finished, death enters.”
#
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
**************************************
It is incorrect to say that Einstein proved Newton wrong, or Jung exposed Freud’s fallacies. Newton and Freud explained one fraction of reality, Einstein and Jung another. To understand all of reality is to read the mind of god, which amount to saying to be gods. It will never happen.
*
André Gide: “If you want to understand something you must begin by loving it, after which you must distance yourself from it. This applies to countries, to people, and to oneself.” The trouble with most people is that they find it very difficult to distance themselves from what they love or from what they believe, that is to say, themselves.
*
“Some people,” writes Paul Valéry, “kill themselves because they don’t know when to let go of their umbrella.” Or, because they are too obstinate in their refusal to distance themselves from an insignificant object, they allow themselves to be run over by a bus.
*
If you believe what your government tells you, it may be because it flatters your ego even if in the process it makes of you a certified dupe.
*
The first and most important priority of all power structures is to maintain and whenever possible to increase their power. Everything they say, and even more important, everything they don’t say or everything they cover up, is adjusted to that project and nothing else. What they say may be true, but what they avoid saying may be even more true. There is only one way to avoid being a dupe, or being systematically moronized, and that is by not believing anything that someone in power tells you; and when a layman, who is not a member of an organization, tells you something, ask him where he heard it from.
*
What I said above applies not only to political but also to religious leaders. I once met a smart Armenian “khaliji” (rug merchant — I use the Turkish word because that’s how he liked to identify himself) who dismissed the Pope as “a biscuit eater” but who was convinced that his bishop was a saint.
*
Speaking of smart khalijis and saintly bishops: according to Darwin, it is the most highly developed organisms that are least adaptable. This may explain why it is the elites of nations or our “betters” that eventually lead the nation to destruction, and they do this because they are so infatuated with their own privileges, lies and half-truths that they refuse to adapt themselves to new truths or reality. Their gods are not gods but idols; and they lead their subjects to the slaughterhouse because they refuse to let go of their umbrella.
*
And now, let us go down on our knees and pray: “Our Father Who art in Heaven, give us humility and strength – the humility to admit that as wretched human beings we cannot read Your mind, and the strength to value Your most precious gift to us, our life, above that of a lousy umbrella.”
#
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
*******************************************
Honest Armenians don’t brag. They know better. Like all human beings we no doubt have our share of good qualities; but my guess is, the negatives in us far outnumber the positives, and this is especially true of our sermonizers and speechifiers who parade as role models and leaders. The only thing these charlatans have succeeded in doing so far is to teach us to brag, and to brag even about what others have done to us, such as being the first nation to experience genocide in the 20th Century.
*
When we discuss writers like Baronian, Odian, and Massikian, we treat them as humorists and not as objective observers and competent analysts of our character and ethos. As for writers widely recognized as nationalists and patriots: it is in their correspondence with close friends and diaries, only a small of which has been published so far, that they reveal their true sentiments and thoughts about their fellow Armenians – see above all Varoujan’s correspondence and Zarian’s notebooks, both published posthumously in Yerevan.
*
The only place Armenians are portrayed as loveable characters are in Saroyan’s fiction. In biographies of Saroyan even Saroyan himself emerges as a nasty piece of business who hated his own children. As for his relatives and friends: none of them may be remotely described as Saroyanesque.
*
If you want to meet real unSaroyanized Armenians, ignore their holier-than-thou pundits, folk dances, and cuisine; visit instead any Armenian discussion forum on the Internet.
*
Balzac: “Customs and traditions are a nation’s hypocrisy.”
*
Baudelaire: “Life is a disease. This is a widely known secret.”
#

Nizami Bahmanov makes serious remarks to Matthew Bryza
Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug 1, 2006
Head of Azerbaijani community of Nagorno Garabagh Nizami Bahmanov met
with the US co-chair of OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza in Baku today.
Mr.Bahmanov started the meeting with making remarks to the US
co-chair. APA reports Bahmanov told journalists. “My first remark
was that why our meeting was held at the Foreign Ministry not in
the office of the Azerbaijani community. The representative offices
of the executive powers of the occupied regions are located in our
office. We receive appeals from between 100 and 200 people every
day. So, I think our meeting there would be very efficient. As this
office directly reflects the consequences of the occupation it would
make the co-chair get some picture of the conflict,” the Azerbaijani
community head underlined. Bahmanov’s another remark was about the
ignorance of international organizations, Minsk Group member states
as well as the co-chairs and their not criticizing the Armenian side.
“The entire world ignored the deportation of Azerbaijanis from
Armenia. International organizations, including the UN ignored
Armenians pursuing ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Garabagh and adjoining
regions supported by Russian military units. Arsons were committed in
the houses, historical monuments in the occupied Azerbaijani regions.
Despite the co-chairs’ regular visit to the region, no reaction was
given to this savagery, this crime. Neither the co-chairing states nor
the international organizations reacted to Armenians for the Khojali
genocide and striking of two Azerbaijani helicopters in 1992. However,
they demand the Azerbaijani government to demonstrate a political
will. What will is concerned? Azerbaijan is the most powerful state
in the region for its economic and military development. However,
Azerbaijani President has demonstrated his political will. I mean
to say since the powerful Azerbaijan is participating in the peace
talks, there cannot be more political will than that. Despite all
the crimes, since official Baku agrees to grant the highest status
to Armenians within the framework of territorial integrity, what
political will is concerned? I brought the co-chair’s attention to
all of these underlining that he’d better address to the aggressive
Armenia not to Azerbaijan,” he said. Bahmanov also told the US
co-chair it is unacceptable to have negotiations under the flag of
the separatist regime. “My serious remark to the co-chair was that
he is negotiating in the cabinet of Arkadi Ghukasian, head of the
Armenian community under the flag of the separatist regime, which is
not recognized by any state, including the United States. Armenians do
not see any importance of these negotiations, it is like advertisement
for them. The co-chair agreed to these remarks saying that they wil
work on the plan of organizing meeting of Foreign Ministers after the
co-chairs’ meeting in Paris. He also added that Armenian authorities
have a political will to continue new proposals and the peace talks,”
he underlined.
Bahmanov also brought attention to Armenia’s intention to send its
citizens evacuated from Lebanon to Nagorno Garabagh. “Mr. Bryza
said the co-chairs will voice strong protest against this. He said
this is an unacceptable step contrary to international law norms. And
they aim to achieve peace through the negotiations between the heads
of states. He considers it impossible to send evacuated Armenians to
Nagorno Garabagh,” Bahmanov said. As coming to the US co-chair’s new
proposals, Bahmanov said the elements of the negotiations remain the
same, “There are problems regarding pull-out of troops from Lachin
and Kalbajar and regarding the referendum.”/APA/

OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to lea consultations in Paris
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Aug 1, 2006
OSCE Minsk group co-chairs are going to lead consultations in Paris
on August 2 to 4, Trend reports with reference to the Foreign Ministry
of Azerbaijan.
The main issue to discuss is the totals of visit of US co-chairman of
OSCE Minsk Group Matthew Bryza to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict region.
Diplomats will study the parties positions on their last proposals
and compile a plan of actions for the closest future. In particular,
they are going to discuss the next tour of talks between Azerbaijani
and Armenian foreign ministers.

U.S. Amb to inform his fellow OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs
about tour of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict region
TREND Information, Azerbaijan
Aug 1, 2006
Author: A.Mammadova
US Ambassador Matthew Bryza, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair, intends to
inform in Paris his fellow co-chairs about the results of the visit to
the [Armenian-Azerbaijani] Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Bryza briefed
about it in Baku on 1 August as a result of consultations held at
the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.
The diplomat said that the talks with Azerbaijani authorities did
not concern the Azerbaijani-U.S. cooperation. “As a co-chair of the
OSCE Minsk Group I want to hear the opinions by President and Foreign
minister on the peaceable resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,”
Bryza stressed.
Bryza informed that on 2 August he intends to hold an exchange of
opinion in Paris with the OSCE insk Group co-chairs on the results
of the visit.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Cher Auctions Off 700 Items For Charity
Playfuls.com, Romania
Aug 1, 2006
Top rated singer and actress Cher is to sell all the items in her
house, excepting five of them. They are mostly pieces of clothing,
jewelry, furniture and artwork. The auction is the start of a quite
radical redecoration to take place at her Malibu home.
The approximately 700 items will go on sale at Sotheby’s and Julien’s
auction houses, after being put on display until October 3rd, when
the actual auction will take place.
“My house is so full that there’s no way to do something different
unless I totally change it,” she said.
Among the items expected on sale are a Gothic revival brass bed,
made in about 1865, a 2003 H2 Hummer, outfits Cher wore on The Sonny
and Cher Comedy Hour in the 1970s, neo-Gothic art and furniture,
a 16th-century terra-cotta figurine of Jesus Christ and a Bob Mackie
gown that she wore to the Academy Awards.
“I’m truly excited about it, having had this stuff for so many years,”
she said.
“The amount of costumes I have is staggering, so this doesn’t even
make a dent.”
Among the 85 items of jewelry due on sale there will be pieces Cher
has herself made. There will be also around 200 items of clothing
on auction.
A “nice percentage” of the estimated $1 million revenues will go to
the Cher Charitable Foundation, which supports numerous causes.
Cherilyn Sarkisian LaPiere (born May 20, 1946), better known by her
stage name Cher, is an Armenian-American Academy Award-winning actress,
singer, songwriter, director and author. Through her achievements in
music, television and film, she has won an Oscar, a Grammy, an Emmy
and 3 Golden Globe Awards, among other trophies.
In 1988, she won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role
in the romantic comedy “Moonstruck.” In 1999 she got a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Cher frequently donated concert tickets’ revenues to families and
non-profit groups for children and youth with facial deformities.

D-Day near for GM
Toledo Blade, OH
Aug 1 2006
AUTOMOTIVE insiders mostly have disdain for investor Kirk Kerkorian’s
efforts to force General Motors into an alliance with Nissan and
Renault. The old coot doesn’t know what he is talking about, they say.
The conventional wisdom is that the turnaround plan set by GM’s Rick
Wagoner needs more time. That might make sense, until you look at
the numbers.
This is a company that has been in so much trouble for so long that
Americans have become almost numb to the terrible shape it is in -and
how badly it has been managed.
Last week there were actually headlines that treated as good news
the fact that the shrinking auto maker lost only $3.2 billion in the
second quarter. This is a company, remember, that lost almost $11
billion last year, or almost a million dollars an hour.
Kirk Kerkorian, on the other hand, knows how to take risks that
somehow end up making money, not losing it.
He flew unarmed bombers across the Atlantic during World War II’s
Battle of Britain for $1,000 a trip. The penniless son of refugees
from the Armenian Holocaust, Mr. Kerkorian then went on to make
billions building hotels and resorts in Las Vegas.
Whatever else you think of him, you have to have a touch of admiration
for a man vigorous and healthy enough that he is trying to gain
control of a major American corporation – at age 89.
Whether his proposed international alliance makes any sense, there
is little or no excuse for the state of GM’s management, especially
given that the company went through a similar crisis in the early
1990s. That time, a desperate board eventually turned to Procter &
Gamble’s John Smale, a one-time toothpaste salesman, to bail them out.
The present crisis is worse. In the second quarter alone, GM’s world
market share went from 15.1 percent to 13.8 percent. In the United
States, its share of auto sales is almost in free fall.
Back in the 1960s, more than half of all cars sold in the country
were GM-made. Today, they are under 24 percent, and the Chinese are
on their way with another competitive threat.
When one looks at General Motors, it’s hard to imagine that even a
bunch of former Soviet collective farm managers could have done a
worse job of positioning a major corporation for the future.
Kirk Kerkorian may not have all the answers, but this much is clear:
his track record is a lot better.
And at General Motors, something has got to give.

Day when Armenia has open borders with Turkey is not far off
ArmRadio.am
01.08.2006 19:50
“Armenia will make all the efforts, especially within the frames of
the New European Neighborhood Program for the issue of release of
the border with Turkey to always have much force in our dialogue with
the European Union”, Vigen Sarkissyan, Armenia’s President adviser,
told ArmInfo.
According to him, the fact that the EU negotiate with the country,
which grossly violate the ideology of the European family, was
initially unacceptable for Armenia. However, the EU leaders assured
that since Turkey had meet a number of preliminary conditions, it
may be dangerous to raise new issues as it can undermine the whole
idea of the negotiation process and the work with Turkey. “However,
there were affirmations that, when the negotiations start, the issue
of joining is out of question without meeting a number of criteria,
including the issue of borders opening “, Sarkissyan said.
Talking of specific terms, when the issue of Armenian-Turkish borders
release enters the agenda of EU-Turkey negotiation process, Sarkissyan
noted that it depends on the duration of negotiation process with
Turkey. “I am sure, the day when Armenia and Turkey have open borders
and normal neighborly relations, is not far off “, Sarkissyan added.
DAY WHEN ARMENIA HAS OPEN BORDERS WITH TURKEY IS NOT FAR OFF

GEORGIA DEMONSTRATES POLITICAL, MILITARY SKILL IN KODORI GORGE
Eurasia Daily Monitor, DC
Aug 1, 2006
By Vladimir Socor
Georgian authorities are beginning to restore normal conditions
for daily life in the upper Kodori Gorge, following the
successful law-and-order operation on July 25-27 that forced the
Moscow-manipulated rebel chieftain Emzar Kvitsiani to flee the area.
The upper Kodori Gorge is the only part of pre-1992 Abkhazia’s
territory not controlled by the secessionist authorities.
Conducted jointly by Georgia’s Internal Affairs and Defense Ministries,
the operation turned out to be remarkably clean, with only one civilian
death, two policemen injured, and no known casualties among Kvitsiani’s
followers, a small number of whom have apparently made their way into
Abkhaz-controlled territory. Russian propaganda clearly failed in its
attempt to build up Kvitsiani into a spokesman for the Svan ethnic
group that inhabits the Kodori Gorge.
Most Defense Ministry personnel are already being withdrawn from the
gorge in the wake of the successful operation. An Interior Ministry
unit, reinforced by a small military element, is to be permanently
stationed in Kodori in order to provide security for the population
and prevent organized crime. Substantial arms caches have been
found and continue to be discovered on a daily basis. According to
intelligence data, Russian and Abkhaz special services had delivered
weapons to Kvitsiani’s group in March, presumably in preparation
for the rebellion he had launched on July 22 against the Georgian
government. At least some of the weapons apparently originated from
Russia’s base at Gudauta in Abkhazia, where the arms stockpile of the
“Baghramian” Armenian battalion was ostensibly “robbed” and its rifles
and grenade launchers sent up the gorge to Kvitsiani’s group.
Kvitsiani and his nephew Bacho Argvliani, who operated criminal
rackets in the area, are being sought for investigation and trial.
Russian television has twice interviewed Kvitsiani at an undisclosed
location, presumably in Abkhazia. He used the interviews to urge
Georgian soldiers and policemen to turn their arms against their
commanders, ministers, and the Georgian president; and he continued
urging “Mingrelians” to rise against the Georgian government — a
line intermittently used in Russian psychological warfare operations
against Georgia since the early 1990s and that always fell flat.
Reverting, moreover, to one of Moscow’s themes familiar from the two
anti-Chechen wars, Kvitsiani alleged in these interviews that “Arabs”
and “Chechens” participated in the Georgian operation and that he
also spotted a “Negro,” presumably proving American involvement
(Russian TV Channel One “Vremya,” July 27; Imedi TV, July 30).
Georgian authorities are currently distributing flour, sugar, vegetable
oil, and other staples to Kodori residents as well as 200 lari ($115)
in cash per household. The authorities are bringing construction
materials into the gorge for an urgent program to rebuild schools,
roads, a medical clinic, and a disused airport, as well as restoring
bus service to Kodori from the rest of Georgia.
The Tbilisi-backed legislative assembly and government of the pre-1992
Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia is now moving from Tbilisi to the
Kodori Gorge. It shall be headquartered temporarily in the village
of Azhara, pending the construction of an appropriate building. These
pre-1992 bodies represent Abkhazia’s entire population, including its
Georgian population, which had formed 45% of the total (to 17% Abkhaz)
prior to the Russia-aided mass ethnic cleansing of Georgians. The
relocation of these bodies from Tbilisi to the Kodori Gorge, within
the pre-1992 Abkhazia’s territory, amounts to a strong political
signal that Georgia intends to reverse the outcome of that war,
albeit through a political process. Georgia will probably support the
participation of these two representative bodies in some role in the
negotiations toward a political resolution of the conflict.
In Sukhumi, delegations from Russia’s North Caucasus and southern
Russian regions held talks with the secessionist leadership in
recent days, promising to send “thousands of volunteers” to support
Abkhazia in the event of hostilities with Georgia. They declare that
they would in that case reach Abkhazia and Georgia itself not only
or not necessarily through Sukhumi (which would expose the Russian
political authorities’ complicity), but rather via Kabardino-Balkaria
or Karachaevo-Cherkessia. In that case, however, the hand of Russia’s
secret services would be exposed. Although Tbilisi is determined not to
initiate any such hostilities, Russian military intelligence may well
use its experience at provoking clashes so as to discredit Georgia.
In the aftermath of Georgia’s successful operation, President
Mikheil Saakashvili told the nation that a retreat from Kodori or
negotiations with Kvitsiani (as the latter’s handlers were seeking)
“would have been the beginning of the end of Georgian statehood.”
Thanks to the skillful operation, however, Kvitsiani seems set to
join the “brigade of political corpses” in a Russian safe haven.
(Rustavi-2 TV, Mze TV, Kavkas-Press, Interfax, July 27-31)

H2 ECOnomy Introduces New Fuel Cell Test Systems
Fuel Cell Works
Aug 1, 2006
Yerevan, Armenia — H2 ECOnomy is adding new Fuel Cell Test Systems
to its portfolio of fuel cell products. These affordable devices
are designed to satisfy fuel cell testing needs for a wide range of
customers. The Gas Control Units (GCU series) and Electronic Load
Banks (ELB series) can be used separately or together as a complete
fuel cell test system.
H2 ECOnomy’s Gas Control Units are equipped with humidifiers,
pressure gauges, flow meters and thermometers – all with digital
indication. There are thhree standard models designed to monitor
and control the pressure, flow rate, temperature and humidity of the
gases supplied to a PEM fuel cell.
The Electronic Load Banks are for monitoring and controlling the
voltage, current, and power of your fuel cell. ELB come in three
fuel cell power ranges; up to 1500 W, 500 W and 150 W, matching the
corresponding versions of the GCU.
PC interface for both series is provided optionally.
For more information about these innovative products contact
[email protected]
H2 ECOnomy is a vibrant research company leading the way to energy
resources for the 21st century. Located in the beautiful Ararat valley,
H2 ECOnomy was established in 2000 with the goal of developing energy
resources and investigating fuel cell technologies.
H2 ECOnomy has grown to become a productive research and development
company. The company’s expertise encompasses conductive composite
materials, catalyst chemistry, polymer chemistry, electronic design,
embedded systems and system integration. Knowledge in these fields
has led to the creation of fuel cells and related products for the
educational and research markets, sold worldwide through distributors
in the US, Europe and Asia.
For more information about H2 ECOnomy, please visit the company’s
website at or contact [email protected].
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