man

http://www.centralparknyc.org/visit/things-to-see/images/obelisk-l.jpg The Obelisk, nicknamed Cleopatra’s Needle, is the oldest man-made object in Central Park.

Nimrod married the beautiful Semiramis who was either a prostitute or a madam. Some legends indicate she was both Nimrod’s mother and wife. In a power struggle at Babylon, which was the world’s first one world government, one world economic system and one world religion, Semiramis murdered the powerful Nimrod. It appears Nimrod was far more than an ordinary man, he apparently was a Nephilim. The Nephilim was the hybrid race that were produced when fallen angels (B’nai Elohim) had sexual relations with human women. This act of interspecies breeding, which was forbidden by God, produced a race of supermen who were called the “mighty men of old,” or the Nephilim. ====== All of the ancient mystery or occult-based religions began at Babylon. Semiramis murdered her husband Nimrod, and to conceal this murder from the population of Babylon she told them that Nimrod had ascended into the heavens and become the sun-god Ra, who was to be worshipped. However, after Nimrod’s death, Semiramis became pregnant because she was carrying on an illicit affair. To conceal her affair, she told the people that she became supernaturally pregnant. Semiramis claimed she became pregnant by using a phallic symbol upon herself. This began the countless architectural phallic symbols and womb symbols that have been built around the world, including Cleopatra’s Needle in Manhattan, New York. http://www.newswithviews.com/McGuire/paul152.htm

http://www.kaloustian.eu/ARMENIAN%20HISTORY/Maps/arm_600-sm.jpg By the year 115AD Armenia was the land shown in orange color plus the pink colored on the west which was later taken by Byzantium; the white colored on the south which was later taken by Sassanids Persians; the light green on the east which was taken by Albanis/Aeria; the white on the north which was taken by Kartlia/Iberia. Between the years 387-600 AD Armenia was only the orange colored in the middle. What a decline! Below is a map "The Orient in the 6th Century" that was recently shown in Der Spiegel which was taken from Putzger's Historical World Atlas, this particular map being the work of P. Youle. Notice there is no marking of Armenia there which should have where the words "Sources: P.Youle" is written. http://cdn2.spiegel.de/images/image-441341-galleryV9-eseg.jpg In the article by Der Spiegel we read the sentence: "His most beautiful church was in Sanaa. It had gilded doors and a throne made of ebony and ivory. In the morning, the rays of the sun shone through an alabaster panel in the dome. The Byzantines supported the project, sending craftsmen, marble and mosaics." Certainly among those craftsmen were Armenians. http://cdn3.spiegel.de/images/image-440882-galleryV9-btey.jpgThe "crowned man" relief found in Zafar, Yemen is seen as evidence that there was a Christian empire in the region before Islam took hold. Archeologists are studying the ruins of a buried Christian empire in the highlands of Yemen. The sites have sparked a number of questions about the early history of Islam. Was there once a church in Mecca? 12/21/2012 Fortress in the Sky: Buried Christian Empire Casts New Light on Early Islam By Matthias Schulz http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/buried-christian-empire-in-yemen-casts-new-light-on-early-islam-a-874048.html The commandment "Make yourself no graven image" has long been strictly followed in the Arab world. There are very few statues of the caliphs and ancient kings of the region. The pagan gods in the desert were usually worshipped in an "aniconic" way, that is, as beings without form. Muhammad had a beard, but there are no portraits of him. But now a narcissistic work of human self-portrayal has turned up in Yemen. It is a figure, chiseled in stone, which apparently stems from the era of the Prophet. Paul Yule, an archeologist from the southwestern German city of Heidelberg, has studied the relief, which is 1.70 meters (5'7") tall, in Zafar, some 930 kilometers (581 miles) south of Mecca. It depicts a man with chains of jewelry, curls and spherical eyes. Yule dates the image to the time around 530 AD. The German archeologist excavated sites in the rocky highlands of Yeman, an occupation that turned quite dangerous recently because of political circumstances in the country. On his last mission, Yule lost 8 kilograms (18 lbs.) and his equipment was confiscated. Nevertheless, he is pleased, because he was able to bring notes, bits of debris and bones back to Heidelberg. Yule has concluded that Zafar was the center of an Arab tribal confederation, a realm that was two million square kilometers (about 772,000 square miles) large and exerted its influence all the way to Mecca. Even more astonishing is his conclusion that kings who invoked the Bible lived in the highland settlement. The "crowned man" depicted on the relief was also a Christian. Conquerers from Ancient Ethiopia Yule has analyzed the mysterious, robed figure in a report for the academic journal Antiquity. He is barefoot, which is typical of Coptic saints. He is holding a bundle of twigs, a symbol of peace, in his left hand. There is a crossbar on his staff, giving it the appearance of a cross. In addition, he is wearing a crown on his head like the ones worn by the Christian rulers of ancient Ethiopia. All of this suggests that the man with a strange, round face is a descendant of the conquerors from Africa who succeeded in making one of the boldest landing operations in ancient times. In 525 AD, the Negus, or king, of Aksum dispatched a fleet across the Red Sea. Soldiers and fighting elephants were ferried across the water to the East on un-tarred, raft-like ships to spread the gospel. In the ensuing decades, his army captured large parts of Arabia. The first spearhead was targeted at the capital Zafar. Like a fortress in the sky, the town was perched on an extinct volcano, at an altitude of 2,800 meters (9,184 feet) above sea level. Its walls, riddled with towers and alarm bells, were four-and-a-half kilometers long. About 25,000 people lived in Zafar. According to Yule, between the 3rd and the 5th century the confederation managed to complete a "meteoric rise" and become a superpower. Its merchants traded in sandalwood from Ceylon and valerian from Persia. The state controlled the port of Aden, where the ships of spice traders from India docked. Frankincense, which was made in Arabia, was also traded. It was a place of luxury. Yule found wine amphorae, the remains of precious fish condiments and palaces decorated with sphinxes and lions. A Peaceful Multi-Cultural Community The social structure in Zafar also appeared to be unique. The city had a large Jewish community, as evidenced by a seal with a Torah niche. Hebrew inscriptions were discovered. Zafar's residents also included Christians, who built a church there in 354 AD. Arabs who worshipped old idols lived in the alleys. But this peaceful, multicultural community soon came to an end, as tensions began to mount in the 5th century, and Arabia was transformed into a front. The Byzantine Empire, bristling with weapons, operated in the west, and its vassals kept making inroads toward the desert. They were accompanied by Christian missionaries, who brought the doctrine of the Holy Trinity to the shepherds on the edge of the Rub' al Khali, the sand desert that makes up much of the southern third of the Arabian Peninsula. These Sacred Heart imperialists confronted the Persian realm of the Sassanids, with its archers and armies of bearded soldiers clad in heavy metal armor. The Jews, who lived by the tens of thousands in the oases, were to some extent aligned with this power. It was a confrontation between east and west, and everyone was forced to choose a side. This also applied to Zafar. To stop the advance of Christianity, individual Arab kings initially converted to Judaism. The entire ruling class of the realm eventually followed suit. From then on, people were given names like Yehuda and Yussuf. Then they took up arms. In approximately 520 AD, they attacked the Christian colony of Najran, where there were churches and monasteries. Countless Christians were slaughtered. The shocking news traveled all the way to Europe. A 'Puppet King' Now the spiral of violence began turning more rapidly. The furious Byzantines and their allies from Africa were out for revenge. Kaleb, the Aksumite king of Ethiopia (who wore gold jewelry in his hair and had himself driven around in an elephant carriage) went on the counter-offensive. If the sources are correct, his first naval maneuver was a miserable failure. In 525 AD, with the help of additional warships provided by the Byzantines, he successfully completed the crossing to the other side of the Red Sea. The relief of the "crowned man" from Zafar was apparently created during this period of invasion. Yule interprets it as a representation of the Christian "puppet king" of the Ethiopians. The invaders continued their attacks. Southern Arabia's holy warrior, Abraha, had taken control of large areas before long. He even attempted to free bishops being held prisoner by the Persian enemy in Nisibis (in modern-day Turkey), some 2,500 kilometers away. The man embarked on a religious crusade at the same time. He rebuilt the churches that had been destroyed in Najran, and he had new ones built in Marib and Aden. His most beautiful church was in Sanaa. It had gilded doors and a throne made of ebony and ivory. In the morning, the rays of the sun shone through an alabaster panel in the dome. The Byzantines supported the project, sending craftsmen, marble and mosaics. The result was an architectural miracle, the likes of which all of Arabia had never seen before. Year of the Elephant After the triumph of Islam in the 7th century, the church was torn down and stripped of its treasures, and a mosque was built on the site. As Barbara Finster, an archeologist from the Bavarian city of Bamberg, discovered, some of the columns in the mosque came from the wrecked church, while some of the church's magnificent mosaics were sent to Mecca, essentially as booty. The enmity between Sanaa and Mecca apparently smoldered from the start. Medieval Koran scholars report that Abraha built his magnificent church to lure the pilgrims away from the Kaaba, Islam's most sacred site. Another Islamic source describes how the dispute eventually escalated: An angry native of Mecca relieved himself in the Sanaa church, prompting the furious Abraha to dispatch his warriors, mounted on elephants, to destroy the Kaaba. In the interpretation of Sura 105 of the Koran, the only reason he was unsuccessful was that Allah had armed a flock of birds with clay balls that rained down on the Christian army like bullets. Are these nothing but religious myths? There is historical evidence, in the form of a rock inscription, that Abraha conducted large-scale raids against defiant Arab tribes near Mecca in 552 AD. A few Western historians consider this to be the true year of Muhammad's birth. The scholar Ibn Ishak, who wrote the first biography of the Prophet, states that the proclaimer of the Koran was born "in the year of the elephant." Oddly enough, the scrawled rock inscription could be interpreted to mean that the tribe of the Kuraish, to which the Prophet belonged, sometimes fought for the Christians. Were they allies? Was Muhammad born in a city that stood under the banner of the cross? Hard Times There are indications that this could be true. For instance, a Christian cemetery is mentioned in the oldest history of Mecca, written by the Arab historian Asraki. What a mess. In ancient Arabia, the three Abrahamic world religions intersected in confusing ways. But the Koran prevailed in the end. But many things are still unclear. Our perspective is complicated by the fact that the birth of Islam occurred at a time of severe hardship. Climate data obtained from limestone caves in Oman prove that there was a terrible drought in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula in the middle of the 6th century. There was also a plague epidemic that began in 541 and afflicted the entire Orient. Other, smaller epidemics followed, causing thousands upon thousands of deaths. It was these horrors that probably triggered the demise of Zafar. Yule suspects that the drought devastated the "fragile ecology of the highlands." Cattle died of thirst and barns remained empty. Are the archeologist's suspicions correct? Even Muhammad, as a young child, was threatened by disease and hunger. According to Ibn Ishak, his wet nurse was deeply concerned when she was told to bring the little boy back to his native city. The reason, he writes, was the "plague in Mecca."

No, actually there is google PANAROMIC photo site where when in full page you can circle the image 360 degree, bring it close or far. I found this site, but when I put "Yerevan" in search box it came EMPTY, shame, nobody put something there, anyone can put after registration. When I put "Armenia" in search box -only when came, a nice Armenian church in Singapure, as if Armenia is nowhere to be found. I went visiting some European capitals though: http://www.panoramicearth.com/ http://www.panoramicearth.com/452/Singapore/Armenian_Church Panoramic Earth - Thousands of 360° virtual tour panoramas from all over the world. Each panorama is linked to Google Maps and comes with local and travel information. Contributed by different panoramic photographers, we provide a growing picture guide to the world. The resulting tours may be used by other websites. A growing collection of 360° panoramas showing the wonders of earth with free virtual tour hosting for panoramic photographers.

It is all over the media, mainstream and blogs; the talk about this Friday Dec. 21 Doom. Even parties are being organized all over to get drunk and fornicate as after Dec. 21 they will not be able to do it. So sober and in place of wasting your time in partying read this article posted here in this forum; because the insertion of some doom-talk in this forum would be appropiate now, and hopefully Armenians will seek refuge in Armenia, near Mt. Ararat, where Noah and his family survived. "A great red comet is being seen for 2013 passing Earth and it's closest point to Earth being at the North Pole and affecting Earth a great deal. When passing very close it will give a swooshing sound, likes blasts of wind. "As it approches Earth it will disrupt its gravitational force and the core of the Earth will have a violent reaction as this comet passes by, causing increased natural disasters. The Earth will experience an earthquake, in some parts it will be like a gentle rumbling, in other areas it will be severe. As this comet approaches it's gravitational pull on us has the core and the mantel and the crust, along with the atmosphere completely out of sync. "Why can we not see this comet now? Because right now it is so small, to the naked eye it looks like a star. But when near passing earth it will look like a really bright star, but the edges will look kind of pink and red, but that is just the very edge, the center actually does look like a star, white. Up close it will have the look of a fiery fireball. The last time this fireball comet visited earth we had a earthquake on a global proportion, with accompanying sound that was heard around the world, an earthquake that was truly felt around the world. As to the "Day After": "People will be more thankful for what they have, people being more active and healthier due to the limited amount of artificial food. This scare will make people want to be more self reliant. People will start to go back to the older ways of gardening, people will start to have a garden. Also something about prescription drugs, people will start to learn how to function off of them, they will still exist, but the usage will go down. The main thing is just the overall closeness that people with begin to get with people. People will be using entertainment -like TV and others- less and do more practical learning." "We will be going back to a more simpler time in life. After we go through this adjustment people will be humbled and begin to work on being self sufficient and that sort of thing, the whole humans being scared and being thankful and appreciating what they have. But after 20 years the lifestyle of excess and consumerism slowly will creep back up on us and we will have to make a strong effort to keep out priorities straight because people in power and people with money are going to try to get us hooked on all the junk that we have now. And we as people will just have to not let that happen." If this scary article has made you start packing your bags for a flight to Armenia before the comet strikes -then it has served for something!

Armchair tourists is reference to those who visit a place by watching a film or slideshow of that place. In the near future that can be quite an experience with new interactive photography --a sample of which is in the link given at bottom: In that page, in the middle there is photo of the Everest Mt. (hopefully the turn of Ararat would be coming) play with that photo, after enlanging it to full screen see how you can zoom, go left/right up/down and in circles and so on..quite an experience! The incredible interactive two BILLION pixel image of Everest that lets you zoom in as if you were on the mountain Astonishing image was created from 477 photographs stitched together Created by filmmaker David Breashears and nonprofit organisation GlacierWorks Read more: http://www.dailymail...l#ixzz2FYLW1tDG

Post-Armenia Blues Posted on December 15, 2012 Nathalie Kazandjian aka Nat K (Canada, AVC ‘ 12) The "Welcome Home Natty" poster along with friends and family were what greeted me as I made my way past the Arrival gates of the Montreal Trudeau Airport. In that instant, I felt pretty good about coming home. However, as the days went by, the post-Armenia blues violently kicked in as soon as I found myself doing the same old things I used to do. Suddenly, things that seemed so familiar felt foreign and strange. It was a whole new culture shock but it was real and unfortunately, there wasn’t much I could do about it. The problem was not coming home to friends and family. The problem itself was leaving Armenia. For the little bit that I was back, I couldn’t even look at my photos nor talk about it for fear of being overcome with even more heartbreak and anguish than I already felt. I missed everything and everyone that belonged to my life in Armenia. Before I know it, I found myself longing for Armenia. I missed waking up every morning to hearing my host mother say “ Parev parev garmir arev siroon jan”. I missed walking down 58 district to catch the marshrutka, 100 drams in hand and giving my regular Parev to the locals. I missed walking home from work and being greeted by the cutest little munchkins from my neighborhood showering me with hugs and kisses. I missed finishing the night off with a nice cup of MacCoffee alongside my host sisters while watching Armenian soap operas. I missed staying up with Nvartig, my baby host sister, till late at night drawing, coloring, playing cards, checkers, chess and teaching her English. I missed going to Ponchig Monchig and ordering a ridiculous amount of food. I missed going to the khorovadz place near the OLA center and engaging into a 45 minute conversation with the cook each and every time. I missed getting a ridiculous amount of daily texts and reminders from Allegra. I missed joining my Armenian brothers and sisters over weekend excursions. I missed running in the SAS supermarket and yelling like a crazy person “where’s the Ttvaser ?” before boarding our marshrukta to head back home. As well, as Heeng dzap, Marshrukta 9, besties crew, whatever your face, tracking down wifi, Le Cafe and Sevan’s inspirational speeches among many other things. The desire to connect to people and the joy of making the connection was life affirming. The physical intensity of the excursions was invigorating. The time walking alone, listening to my own footsteps, sitting in the marshrukta watching the sunset, gazing at the stars was refreshing. Most of all, I long for the way I felt when I was in the Motherland. I felt alive, free, inspired and grateful. Man oh man does Armenia have a way with you. Each and every day there was a goal and an accomplishment that could be measured in different ways: in kilometers, in hugs, in the number of times I laughed out loud. Although I was only gone for two months and while nothing has changed at home, everything has changed within me. Living in Armenia, gave me a deep appreciation of my life – where I live, where I work, my family and my friends. It also made me appreciate things that we too often take for granted such as the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, weeping eyes, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. To travel to Armenia is to truly take a journey within yourself. When we leave the comfort of home and everything that we have grown to be accustomed to, we often live more simply, with no more possessions than we can carry. We tend to surrender ourselves by becoming much more accepting to the twists, turns and little surprises that life has to offer. I came to Armenia searching for answers. Instead, I left in search of better questions. Sometimes, the unexpected is just what is needed to put life into perspective. So here I am, back to my same old routine of stop and go, impatiently waiting to graduate just to start a new adventure. All the while feeling nostalgic about my time in Armenia which can feel heavier than the far too many pounds gained abroad. When I think about it, perhaps the post-Armenia blues is something you can never truly let go of. For it that where we love is home, home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts. To sign off, I simply cannot say goodbye to those whom I have grown to love, for the memories we have made will last a lifetime and never a goodbye. None of this would have been possible without Birthright Armenia & Armenian Volunteer Corps. For those of you who are thinking of joining the program, I encourage you to take a leap and go for it. Armenia 2012 always in my heart.

Armtech Congress 2012 Highlights December 13, 2012 By Jason Paul Kazarian http://blog.farusa.org/2012/12/13/armtech-congress-2012-highlights/ I had the good fortune to attend Armtech Congress 2012 on December 10 at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. The conference is an annual discussion about the health of the Armenian IT industry. Here are some of the more salient points, noted in the order presented: Last year Armenia had 7% GDP growth with 2% inflation. The general economy fared well through and since the global crisis of 2008. According to World Bank reports, Armenia now ranks as the 32nd easiest country for foreign business investment. That doesn’t sound like much, except it’s a rise of about eight points from last year, just behind The Netherlands. Within the Commonwealth of Independent States, Armenia is number one in per-capita patents issued. We are quite creative! The Armenian National Engineering Laboratory has been launched, and will offer four floors of R&D facilities to engineering students. Pension reforms starting in 2014 will mandate 5% employer, 5% employee contributions to a 401K-style self-directed retirement account. This will result in about 1B USD of savings by 2024. Also starting in 2014, businesses will be able to use electronic invoicing and tax filing. This is a big change from the paper invoicing system I saw mandated as late as 2009. About 26M USD of venture capital will be available to Armenian entrepreneurs from new sources. This is in addition to the 24M USD the World Bank has already invested to date. Armenia’s wireless broadband infrastructure is faster and more competitive than that of India’s, thanks to licensing of three carriers (Beeline, Orange, VivaCell) as well as a minimum 3G network speed. Was this year’s Congress just another mutual admiration society? No, thanks to an intellectually honest panel session hosted by Raffi Kassarjian of Congress Bank. Raffi brought together a panel of on-the-ground realists (as opposed to feel-good cheerleaders) to discuss the future of “hye”-tech. It’s this kind of forthright discussion that made the entire Congress worth attending. Richard Bezjian, a serial entrepreneur in the best sense of the term, said future Armenian start-ups will face a number of challenges on multiple fronts. The era of cheap labor outsourcing is over. First-world countries are facing extreme resistance to sending work outside their borders. “Low handing fruit” is now gone. And to attract more direct foreign investment, Armenia must provide a market by consuming on a much larger scale the goods and services it produces. Thus Armenia will need to do more to grow in the future than perform contract work as we have in the past. Dr. John Kibarian, CEO of PDF Solutions (having nothing to do with Adobe or its Portable Document Format), was invited to discuss why his company was not doing business in Armenia. He said these factors include the difficulty finding Diaspora employees willing to work for extended periods in-country, the lack of local Armenian project management talent, and an ecosystem that is not competitive with other countries. But not all is doom and gloom. Bezjian also presented the basis for being optimistic about Armenia’s IT future: countries are including Armenia in forming alliances among themselves, Armenia knows and can present a highly skilled labor force, and growth in new deployment technologies such as cloud services can cross the geo-political obstacles that have previously kept Armenia out of some markets. Now it’s your turn: What do you think about Armenia’s IT future? Positive or Negative? And more importantly, why? Tell us in the comments!

OK, since there is no "food" section in this forum, the best thing would be to put in in 'life" section as without food life would be hard to live. December 11, 2012 The Land of Sweetness When the day is foggy, one can hardly see Yervandashat from the surrounding slopes. This spectacular village borders with Turkey at the middle west of Armenia. Before archaeological excavations may reveal more stunning facts about the Yervanduni dynasty, the village of Yervandashat can “only” boast of its neatly lined trees that in harvest times are loaded with sweet fruit that branches can hardly hold off the ground. 80% of Yervandashat residents are in the business of dried fruit, of which they produce around 60-70 tons every season. The dried fruits include apricots, peaches, pears and three different sorts of plums. Over the past years, USDA and UMCOR enhanced the creation of a local agribusiness network in Yervandashat. “We registered in UMCOR’s network in 2010, as they had a project of creating cooperatives. They provided us with trucks and agricultural equipment and set the model,” says Arkadi Khachikyan, President of “Yervandashat Agricultural Association” Consumers Cooperative. Arkadi remembers the start of the process back in 1994; the entire venture was underpinned by a small-scale grant from USDA channelled towards boosting apricot production. “Our cooperative unites 36 producers in Yervandashat and each year we produce 30-40 tons of dried fruits, 15 tons of which are our top quality products that we flagship as part of our “Sateni” brand.” Now there is interest from UNDP, CARD, OXFAM and UMCOR to start exporting our production abroad. But the process of production is often impeded by the small number of drying rooms. Because of the limited number of equipped facilities the Association has problems meeting large-scale demands of dried fruit in the present-day market and by such trivial elements as the packaging of products at the final stage. But Arkadi has a positive mindset. He has established cooperation with supermarket chains in Yerevan. He also participates in international trainings on agribusiness and dried fruit production and is also a trainer, himself. “We tried for the first time to produce apple chips with cinnamon. We saw the example in Poland and decided to implement it within our cooperative,” he enthusiastically points out. Arkadi is hoping to receive assistance to purchase advanced technologies such as vacuum drying machines and electric drying trays. The trump card in stating that this small agricultural network deserves support is their strong focus on the clean production of dried fruit without using additives, dyes, or sugar.

Artsakh January 10, 2012 by Alin Demirdjian Four days in Karabagh and my heart is no longer the same ... What can I say? How can I express so many feelings? Since I got on the marshrutka in Yerevan, the road to Artsakh was wrapping me and I was filled with feelings so intense that I can not express ... are things that just sit in the middle of the chest, and make you sigh ... Four days surrounded by those majestic mountains, and surrounded by so much history, the history of our Armenian people. How interesting and Intese is our story, no? Since I went to Karabagh I can not help thinking ... That is to be a special Armenian diaspora (a spiurkahay) ... because we have dual citizenship, and we feel love for two countries and two cultures ... How exciting to have grown all my life in Argentina, but always surrounded by Armenian culture, and now I'm here, in Hayasdan! And when I went to Karabakh that feeling was further intensified more, how much history those huge mountains have to tell us! How nice and comforting it is to know that despite many hardships, despite of wars andbeatings, our culture and our love of country is alive and intact! Thanks to the people who were convinced that united they will never be defeated. What I can say about Shushi? So many things and remberances that remain in my memory and my heart forever ... Thanks to Saro, who passed to me a little of his great "patriotism", his love for Karabakh and its ideals. And thanks to Ashod, a lover of the sun and the mountains,he transmitted to me his love for the land and the people living on it. Along with him i walked the beautiful Shushi, a bit of the city of Stepanakert, and also went to Amaras, which in Spanish means "g @ sires" ... how a nice name, no? Amaras ... the church and the ruins of the first college where they teach the alphabet Mashdots Mesrob Armenian ... How important to preserve our language, our alphabet, our religion and our culture! Anyway, I'm happy ... Karabakh, Shushi, the people I met, the mountains and the intense silence, reminded me once again that I, Alin Demirdjian, I am Armenia ... and now the blood that runs through my veins has become more alive than ever ... Artsakh will be forever in my mind, in my soul and in my skin ... and I'm sure some day I will return. ============= Alin Demirdjian (Argentina) The people I came to knew in Armenia, the people there saw me every day wearing my tricolor scarf or have heard me sing old Armenian songs, and in amazement they told me: -Alin, you're very patriotic, very "hayrenaser". And I think, why I will not be hayrenaser?, how else can we diaspora Armenians keep the Armenian people alive and keep the love of our Armenian homeland in a far country from where we live, if not that way: being hayrenaser? In a far land from Armenia it is necessary for the tie that binds us and of our feelings to be strong enough to keep our culture alive, despite the distance. So yes, the spiurkahay can become very hayrenaser , big fanatics , somehow be exaggerated ...But all that is a must!

Dear one: you may be able to read more such commentaries in this link: http://peacecorpsjournals.com/?Country&country_id=5&full_page=1 It is time-consuming as you surf there to get to the right commentary/article. ============================================================== Also of course the blog of Birthright Armenia has similar articles: http://birthrightarmenia.wordpress.com/2012/ http://birthrightarmenia.wordpress.com/2011/

A Gift that Keeps on Giving Posted on June 16, 2011 by birth right armenia Dawn Huckelbridge (Cleveland Heights, OH, USA) Growing up I was only vaguely aware of being Armenian. My grandfather would refer to it on occasion and sometimes we would eat dolma and tabbouleh at home, but I had no real understanding of my heritage. I didn’t know the language, knew very little about the country, and knew almost no Armenians in the Diaspora. I felt privileged to grow up in diverse communities and to be exposed to so many different cultures, and yet ironically, I had very little exposure to my own. Fast forward a couple of decades. Over a year ago I was attending graduate school in London, when I happened to make a new friend in a random encounter during a fire drill. Coincidentally, she was my first Armenian friend. She was really the first tangible connection I had to this country, the only person I knew who had lived in Armenia, let alone having been born there. Getting to know her and getting to know more about the country simultaneously truly opened up a new world to me. She will always be important in my life, and the life of my family, because she was the one who told me about the Birthright Armenia program. Months later, as I was finishing my Master’s degree and desperately looking for work, I was hitting wall after wall. I kept thinking the right job would come along, the right fellowship, perhaps the right PhD program. I felt like I was stuck, like I was waiting for my life to begin again. Then one day I remembered the Birthright Armenia program that my friend had told me about. It had seemed impractical at the time; I was married, paying off student loans, looking to get back on the career track. But as the months passed I also was starting to open myself up to new possibilities, to ideas that weren’t in my five year plan so to speak. It turns out that taking that leap into the unplanned and the unknown was one of the best decisions I have ever made. My time in Armenia exceeded any expectation I might have had. My graduate studies focused on international development and gender issues, and my time in Armenia afforded me the opportunity to build on those academic foundations with hands-on work and study. I found the volunteer work incredibly interesting and fulfilling, but I also fell in love with the country itself. I adore my host family and truly consider them part of my family now. I learned more than I could have imagined, in terms of the language, the history and the people of this country. I saw some of the most beautiful landscapes I have seen anywhere in the world; did some of the most exciting hiking, caving and exploring I have ever done; ate well, laughed often and felt moments of profound peace. http://birthrightarmenia.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/dawn.jpg I am now grateful that I didn’t find a job right when I thought I wanted to; I am grateful for this exquisite detour in my life. My experience with Birthright Armenia fit so perfectly with my own academic and professional background, and fit so well in my own life story, that I almost believe it was meant to happen this way. I left Armenia not only with a wealth of knowledge, but also a better understanding of where I come from – a better understanding of my family and of myself. And while it’s a cliché, this experience is a gift that really will keep on giving. I have established a connection to Armenia and many of its people that I know can last a lifetime, and that I hope will lead to many more of life’s detours.

Airing Some Laundry: Feelings of Uprooting and Rerooting Posted on Niv 23, 2011 by BirthRightArmenia Shoghag Jabrayan (Ontario, Canada) I volunteered teaching English in a few different schools last summer in Yerevan, Armenia through Birthright Armenia and Armenian Volunteer Corps. I am a Canadian born Armenian. I’m a teacher and have taught in Canada since receiving my Bachelor of Education in 2007. My experiences with teaching the children of Armenia created a bond I could not soon forget. When I left Armenia to go back home to Canada, I could not see the future without the possibility and hope of returning “home”. I was conflicted between my two homes and knew I had to make a decision as to where I wanted to continue my life. My husband shared the same dream of living our life in our homeland. After a few knocks on a few doors for several months, we opened one and one year later, we find ourselves living in Kapan, Armenia. I don’t know how this year passed us by, how we arranged to move our lives and how I am sitting in front of my laptop right now writing this in my apartment in beautiful Kapan, but I am. Through my window I am currently staring at, in bewilderment, the gorgeous and almost always veiled, Mount Khustup. When the clouds finally disappear from my view of Khustup, it’s the hundreds of hanging laundry that cover the striking wrinkles and crinkles of the mountain. Being raised in Canada since birth, strings of laundry stretching from one building to the next is an unfamiliar sight. Do I miss my dryer? Yes. But I wouldn’t trade what I’m looking at right now for any fancy appliance. I am more than delighted to be staring at strangers’ pants, t-shirts, baby onesies, socks and underwear that dance all day long when the wind blows against them. This place forces you to live more humbly. I can’t drive to the local supermarket, pick up my grocery, put it in my car and drive home. I have to walk up and down enormous pot-holed hills, buy my parsley from an old lady making barely any money in a given day, go to another old lady to buy my tomatoes and yet another old lady to buy my peppers. After making ten pit stops to pick up everything I need, it’s time to purchase the heavier items like cooking oil, jugs of water and canned foods. With several loads of grocery in my hands, I walk back up the hill to go home. My purchases nearly about to fall apart and tumble down the hill, a few scrapes and cuts on my toes along the way is common. Most of my trips related to grocery end up involving some form of injury. Would I trade it for the convenience of a car, enormous supermarkets and by the way, amazing customer service (which is a whole different story)? Nope. It may not be for everyone, but it’s definitely for me. I spend the majority of my time researching what I can about Armenia and more importantly, Kapan. Through such research I have found hospitals, schools, care centers and orphanages where I visit and provide my time. I work with orphans and children with various disabilities by working with them one-on-one. I am also working with shipping companies to see if I can have clothing and other supplies donated with free shipping for the less fortunate locals and establishments. The opportunities to help here are endless. There are more obstacles than one can imagine but I decided I had to start somewhere. I don’t know where this road will lead me but what I do know is that I’m not leaving any time soon. The fulfillment I get from spending time with the children and communities here goes beyond words. You have to experience it for yourself. I do not know if I can make a difference here but I will do whatever it takes to make enough attempts. Kapan is the 4th largest city in Armenia and most diasporans have never heard of it. Like many cities and villages in Armenia, it’s quite neglected. With a population of about 45,000, it really shouldn’t be. So while I’m here, I will make every effort to engage in community building, spend time with deprived children and show them that someone cares for them. Showing these children that you love them with no strings attached is usually all they need to feel any kind of self worth. Many have been abandoned in boarding schools and orphanages with no word from their parents since their arrival. Sometimes a piece of chocolate is all they need to feel the slightest bit of warmth. Spending 5 minutes and inquiring about their lives is enough to put a smile on their faces. If that’s the extent of what I do during my time here, then it’s enough for me. To put a smile on a child’s face is a privilege I just can’t get enough of. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vWQpyD07k0I/UKyyHT8T90I/AAAAAAAAA00/gcfOe45UGrw/s400/IMG_4860.JPGhttp://birthrightarmenia.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/sho-blog.jpg Another very important factor which forces me to fall in love with Kapan more and more every day is its historical background. Reading history is one thing; seeing history, is another. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet a group of locals who I’ve become good friends with. Many of the men in this tight knit circle have fought in our wars for the very land in which I currently live. Mount Khustup, which I described earlier, is not simply a beautiful sight. This is the same mountain that Armenian military commander, Tavit Bek rode on and fought against the Ottoman Empire to protect. Some of Armenia’s greatest heroes were from, near, or came to fight in this region. To walk on the same ground and breathe the same air that our own heroes did is a feeling one can not quite do justice by attempting to describe. I’ve met amazing people who have inspired me to my core. The men in our circle of friends have generously taken us to the edges of villages near Kapan which border Iran and Azerbaijan. They have pointed out exact locations where Azeri soldiers were standing as they fired their guns and hurled their bombs at our mothers and children. One of the kindergartens I visit still has war torn walls and gunshot holes in the windows. This school faces a gorgeous tall mountain in Kapan where our enemies were hiding and killing our children. This is a country which has been through so much pain and devastation. The bloodshed here makes one wonder how Armenia is even still around. But she is. She is glory herself and a pillar of strength and I am privileged, to say the least, to be living inside her. I feel inspired, fulfilled and reborn when the sun climbs up every morning to wake me. I feel at peace, cozy and comforted when she cradles me to sleep.

http://norluyce.com/ [The NOR LUYCE MENTORING CENTER FOR YOUTH, a Gyumri-based organization, seeks short term volunteers to support the organization's activities aimed at providing orphan children with mentoring relationships with professional adults -- helping to improve academic achievement, problem-solving ability, setting and aspiring to reach short and long term goals, preparing for college and a career, and improving self esteem] Our organization is named “Nor Luyce”, an Armenian phrase which translates literally as “new light” but has connotations of a new beginning, an appropriate name we think for an organization that is dedicated to improving the future of children. It was established by a retired professor and his businessman son who are, respectively, the son and grandson of 1920 immigrants from Turkey to the United States. Richard Chackerian, Ph.D., taught and did research at Florida State University for thirty four years before his retirement in 2003. His research and teaching reflect his life long interest in how the large tides of history effect our institutions and in turn how individuals define who they are and what they value. Ara Chackerian is an active angel investor and board member of many young entrepreneurial companies. The co-founder and Executive Chairman of Pipeline Healthcare LLC, Ara has 20 years of experience in healthcare and in building entrepreneurial companies. Ara was also the Founder, President, and CEO of BMC Diagnostics, a leading diagnostic imaging provider until its sale to Health Diagnostics in 2007. Prior to BMC, Ara founded Embion/ProviderLinks.com, a B2B e-commerce company focusing on the healthcare industry. Prior to BMC and Embion, Ara held various senior executive positions at PSS/World Medical, a publicly traded international medical products distributor. Ara received a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Business Management from Florida State University. Shoghik Mikayelyan, Executive Director of Nor Luyce, is a native of Gyumri, with an advanced degree in psychology. She speaks, in addition to Armenian, English, Spanish and Russian. In her spare time she plays classical piano. OUR PURPOSE Our purpose is to help orphaned children in Gyumri, Armenia, by providing them mentoring relationships with professional adults. These mutually satisfying and developmental relationships mean many things which are discussed below, but at its’ core, it is as simple as spending a few hours every month sharing feelings, thoughts and ideas. Many studies show that children who have role models are more likely to improve in school and in their relationships. These benefits translate into a more confident child who is better prepared to transition into to independent adulthood. WHAT WE DO We recruit and train adults (mentors) and match them with orphaned children (mentees) living in orphanages. We cooperate with orphanages that see mentoring as important for their children’s development into responsible and self-sufficient adults. The adults who volunteer to spend time with children are called mentors. The word “mentor” comes from the epic poem “The Odyssey.” ”Mentor” was the name of a family friend of Odysseus, to whom he entrusted the care of his young son when he left to fight in the Trojan War. Children must cope with many personal and social pressures even in the protected environment of the orphanage. This isolation limits them in developing the social and practical skills necessary to prosper after they leave the orphanage. A close relationship with an adult mentor helps to guide them away from negative behaviors to those which will give them life experiences outside the orphanage which are necessary for the development of their self-sufficiency. Emotional support from a mentor is the first fundamental step in providing the children with the positive experiences and skills which will help them to become self-sufficient adults. Children have to cope with many personal and social pressures. More particularly, orphans are deprived of life experiences outside the orphanage. This limits them in developing the social and practical skills necessary to prosper after they leave the protected environment of the orphanage. Getting emotional support and social experiences from mentors help the children overcome these challenges. Specifically our objectives are: To help children living in orphanages by providing emotional support from responsible adults in the Gyumri, Armenia, community. In addition to providing the emotional support, we also expose the children to experiences which will prepare them to become self-sufficient adults. Activities will vary depending on the needs of each child. But they may include a focus on: academic achievement self-esteem problem solving ability exposure to the cultural, educational and work worlds set short-term and long-term goals prepare for a career through job shadows teach the children how to resist negative behaviors such gang involvement and drug use teach the value of volunteer work in our community http://norluyce.com/

Judy and Dave are two volunteers, they are serving in Armenia desptide being seniors of age. Here is their Thankgiving-Day letter-- Armenia is a Peace Corps assignment wrought with challenges as well as blessings. What are David and I grateful for as we continue our 2nd year of service in Armenia? The first is the blessing of good health, unlike Thanksgiving 2010 which we spent in Niger, Africa during our first Peace Corps assignment. On that first Thanksgiving, David was being released from the hospital on Thanksgiving Day. Music and Art: Armenia cherishes music and art and encourages its young people to study both. David and I have come to anticipate attending occasional concerts of the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra in Yerevan and the Dilijan Music School in our town. Dilijan Art School is a fine example of available training for young talented students as they join the ranks of other famous Armenian artists. Music soothes the soul and art brings a different perspective to life in Armenia where strife and stress abound. Mountains: Visible from our apartment are lofty mountains which surround our town. Their majestic peaks will soon be snow-covered, but we are thankful for their mighty presence as we watch the seasons change throughout the year. Flowers: Prolific profusions of flowers from early spring until the snows of winter make Dilijan, Armenia a haven for flower lovers. I am thankful for that blessing of beauty which brightens our days yet is taken for granted by many Armenians. Hospitality of the Armenian people: Warm welcomes, a kiss on the cheek, an invitation to have coffee , small gifts brought to every encounter even by those with little money…… we cannot be grateful enough for those expressions of acceptance by people with whom we become acquainted. Tutors: Without our tutor we’d be lost. Our tutor not only teaches a foreign language to older learners such as David and me, but is also a link to the community in which we live, to the people we want to meet, to her family, to events we enjoy and to life in Dilijan. For Knarick’s presence we are grateful. Children: loving, laughing, curious, shy, ever present…..they are Armenia’s future and must be encouraged in the pursuit of more than basic education and life without hope. We are thankful to meet so many and to see them grow. http://pic.1in.am/upimg/2012/11/08/eng135237042125.JPG Heat: we have gas heat, expensive and warming. We are grateful to able to afford it in our old age!! Many volunteers rely on wood stoves and must balance staying warm with the scarcity of wood as the winter progresses. Most Armenians we know also struggle with staying warm in a cold country. Peace Corps: without this organization we’d not be in Armenia. We are thankful for the opportunity to be in the Peace Corps and hope our time in Armenia means something to others. Happy Thanksgiving to all. May your day be blessed with loved ones wherever you may be on the 4th Thursday of November, 2012. Judy and Dave

International Christian Family Network http://www.icfn.tv This is an Armenian Christian TV also broadcast by internet in the link above, by an Armenian family, mostly in Armenian language, both western & eastern dialects, and in English, with some Russian and Farsi.

http://www.keghart.com

Syrian Revolution Is A Movement To Kill Christians By Ted on December 2, 2012 By Theodore Shoebat http://shoebat.com/2...ill-christians/ The Syrian Revolution is for the establishing of an Islamic state, and in so doing, Christians are being killed by the Islamist. But I fear the future, knowing that the time is coming in which a full out massacre will be implemented by the Islamist in Syria. The fall of Assad will mean a mass cleansing of anybody who believes in the Bible, since the Assad regime protects the Christian population. Just in late November, two car bombs went off in a Christian and Druze suburb of Damascus killing forty-five and injuring 120. In a recent report by the UK’s Independent, one Syrian said that the rebels “wanted to kill us because we were Christians. They were calling us Kaffirs [infidels], even little children saying these things. Those who were our neighbours turned against us”. Archbishop Issam John Darwish said that there has been “an influx of jihadists in the rebels in the last six, seven months”. On November 8th of this year Agenzia Fides reported that the Catholic Church was trying to rescue ten Christians who were abducted by Islamists as they were traveling from Aleppo to Beirut. According to an article written by Beatriz Schiava "Christian neighborhoods like Bab Touma, Qatana, the Christian Quarters of Damascus, Hamidiye, and neighborhoods of Aleppo such as Sulaymaniya, AL Jarbiriya, Al Tilal, Villas, and many others have been targeted with bomb attacks and snipers that kill and injure hundreds of innocent bystanders."On September 25, the Vatican News stated that 150 Greek Catholics, working in their apple fields near the village of Rableh between the Lebanese border and the city of Qusayr, were kidnapped. The next day, another 130 Christians from Rableh were kidnapped by armed thugs. The perpetrators behind this was a Sunni Islamist group from Lebanon called Ahmad Ammoun. Though Ahmad Ammoun was said to have no known connection with the Free Syrian Army (FSA), it turns out that they do have a relation. As I reported on the event, both Ahmad Ammoun and the FSA are Salafist, and both have waged attacks on Christians and Alawite Muslims. Attacks on churches, looting, the seizing of private property, and murder, are now common crimes done against Christians. Christians who are not wealthy enough to leave Syria have stayed behind, becoming an easy target for rebels, who have blocked their homes. In September, it was reported that 150 Christians took up arms to prevent rebels from entering major areas of Aleppo. In the Christian quarter of Jdeidah, Christian militia, with Syrian military assistance took out Free Syrian Army thugs who were hiding in the Ferhat Square of the area. The reason? FSA members were hiding in buildings killing random Christians. According to one Christian witness named John, "FSA snipers were on the rooftops and they were attacking the Maronite church and Armenian residents there"Manaf Tlass, a very famous rebel in Syria, has a cousin named Abdul Razzak, who commands the notorious al-Farouq brigade of the opposition, which was responsible for the forced exile of 80,000 Christians out of Homs. In Aleppo about 100 rebels invaded a Christian area of the city. One report on Syria had this to say: "The violent situation deeply hurts the entire Syrian population, the Christian community as well as other people groups. But about two or three weeks ago we observed an increase of violence that specifically is targeting Christians or Christian neighborhoods. Bombs now are placed in Christian areas where there is no strategic or military target at all."Also in Allep, in November, a bomb went off near a Syriac Orthodox Church leaving between 20 and 80 people dead. An Armenian church was also bombed after being raided and vandalized by rebels. One Christian named Michel said that the persecution toward Christians began after the first protest against the Assad regime. He continued to say: "Then suddenly arms were being used and there were Arabs from different countries,” he said. “They broke into Christian houses and accused them of blasphemy." …Michel also recounted a horrific event which happened to his family while he was gone from his home: "It was indescribable fear. They burned tyres in front of the house and wanted to burn the house,” he said. [My wife] took the children and was jumping over walls from one street to another until they managed to escape."The St. Gevorg Church in Aleppo’s Armenian Nor Kyugh district was put to flames by rebels, being almost put to ashes, while the Mesrobian Armenian school next to the church was also attacked. Moreover, in the Armenian district of Damascus a bomb went off which killed 10 people, and wounded another 50. Agnes Mariam, the Mother Superior of the Melkite Greek Catholic monastery of St James the Mutilated in Qara, said that while the Assad regime does “not favour Christians”, “The social fabric of Syria is very diverse, so Christians live in peace.” Right when Assad’s regime topples, the Christians will be amongst the greatest victims. While Israel has not gotten involved in the revolution, it is not optimistic either. Syrian rebels have taken almost all of the villages near the frontier with the Golan Heights. Ehud Barak said: "Almost all of the villages, from the foot of this ridge to the very top, are already in the hands of the Syrian rebels "One rebel named Mateen said that the rebellion has "a big fight against the Jews ahead of us. We will take that up, God willing."Pope Benedict XVI has in fact objected to any giving of arms into Syria, where they will be given into the hands of the rebels: "The import of weapons has to finally stop, …Without the import of arms the war cannot continue. Instead of importing weapons, which is a grave sin, we have to import ideas of peace and creativity."Where are the voices from major contemporary churches? Where is Rick Warren, Joel Olsteen? America and Europe have not offered any help for the Christians, and while mainstream churches stay silent, the U.S. government and Western allies are making matters worse. Within hours of Obama’s second victory, Western allies had already designed a development for Syria, expecting a much more aggressive approach to Syria by the president. England and Turkey have been discussing the use of NATO against Bashar al-Assad, expecting more support from Obama. Lets not forget that Obama last month recognized the official Syrian opposition as a legitimate group, saying "I’m encouraged to see that the Syrian opposition created an umbrella group that may have more cohesion than they’ve had in the past, …We consider them a legitimate representative of the aspirations of the Syrian people. We’re not yet prepared to recognize them as some sort of government in exile, but we do think that it is a broad-based representative group."What will this do? Remember Egypt. What caused the Muslim Brotherhood in the Egyptian revolution to be so confident? They got Obama's approval in his famous “New Beginning” speech of 2009 which he did in Cairo (a speech which, I believe, will be judged by history as one of the most destructive acts of a U.S. president). While Obama has been vocal on his support for the Syrian revolution and the toppling of Assad, his administration is now considering giving weapons to help the rebels. The New York Times reported in November: "While no decisions have been made, the administration is considering several alternatives, including directly providing arms to some opposition fighters."Turkey wants NATO to provide them with surface-to-air missiles to supposedly protect the country from the Syrian military, and State Department spokeswoman, Victoria Nuland said that the Patriot missile system would not be “for use beyond the Turkish border.” But I fear that the Obama administration’s and NATO’s involvement will go beyond just talk, and enter into them working with terrorist groups, just as they did when they worked to oust out Gaddafi, as Walid Shoebat reported: "Appointing Libyan fighters to oust Qaddafi was akin to appointing the same individuals with the same ideology as Al-Qaeda. That ideology was established by the fighting groups that were involved in the Afghan-Russian war. It was these groups that were aided by NATO forces and supported by the Obama administration, which wanted the removal of the Gaddafi regime."From what I have heard, the reasons why America is in support of toppling Assad is because they see him as a brutal tyrant who needs to be removed. Also, because America sees the Shiites as the major threat, and believe that by removing Assad, Iran will then be weakened significantly. But what America and the rest of the West needs to realize, that that by getting rid of Assad, this will pave the way for Turkey to invade Syria, and begin to arise as a major superpower in the Middle East. With all of this said, the point is clear. Islam is anti-Christian ideology, and by allowing its fundamentalist followers to take Syria, the Christians living under it will live the lives of slaves and victims of genocide. Theodore Shoebat is the author of the book, For God or For Tyranny

There is a huge cement (concrete) factory in Armenia that supplies all the needs of Armenia plus there is overproduction for export like to Georgia for example. However what the Armenian factory managers and the Armenian construction architects are not aware of is that the concrete made by their cement can be made much more stronger by adding tiny pieces of metal wires into the cement before pouring it into concrete structures, so much stronger that the building can withstand everything from big tornadoes to bomb blasts. The info is in the linked article below that says: "The building materials include a concrete additive that contains tiny pieces of wire that will allow the structure to withstand everything from an F-5 tornado to a bomb blast." There is a video in the link that shows those tiny pieces of wires. The company that introduced this technology and produced it is in USA, in Wisconsin is known as "TF Forming Systems" and it hopes to put this disaster-proof mix (they call it 'Insulated Concrete Technology') to use in building schools, hospitals, and houses. Another construction innovation is the heating and cooling system which something Armenia needs badly because of her cold climate in winter and hot climate in summer. As the article puts it: "Plastic tubes containing liquid antifreeze powered by solar energy are embedded in the home's walls. They will alternately cool or heat the house without using any electricity." For large building like hospitals this plastic tubes system can be powered by solar energy in order to save costs, however for house size building it can be powered by traditional electric methods. Here is the article, it also has an embedded video: http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/277617/71/Take-a-tour-of-billionaires-high-tech-castle-in-Ozarks

Ukraine and the $1.1bn Fake Gas Deal By Jen Alic | Thu, 29 November 2012 Certainly the folks at Gazprom are having a good snicker, reveling in the mockery that has been made of what should have been a landmark Ukraine-Spain gas deal that would have loosened Russia’s gas grip on Kiev. Everyone wondered how Russia would respond to Ukraine’s attempt at gas independence. But this is what happens when you mess with Gazprom. It was a horrible moment for Ukraine on Monday—all the more horrible because the whole event was televised—when the historical $1.1 billion deal it was about to sign with Spain’sGas Natural Fenosa turned out to be fake. Why was the deal historical? It would have secured $1.1 billion in investment for the construction of Ukraine’s first liquid natural gas (LNG) terminal on the Black Sea and a pipeline connecting the country’s vast gas network to the terminal. More to the point, this would enable Ukraine to import by tanker up to 10 billion cubic meters of European gas at a price 20% cheaper than Gazprom. Even more to the point, it would be a major first step toward reducing Ukraine’s dependence on Russia. The deal was that investors had apparently signed agreements through a newly formed consortium for the construction of the $1.1 billion LNG terminal. Here’s how the ill-fated signing ceremony went down: While Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov and Energy Minister Yuriy Boyko were cutting the ribbon on the construction of the terminal in a live televised ceremony, the country’s investment chief, Vladislav Kaskiv, was attending the official investment signing ceremony elsewhere, also via live video feed. This is where walls caved in very suddenly. Signing on behalf of Fenosa was one Jordi Sarda Bonvehi. At the 11th hour, Fenosa let it be known that they have no idea who Bonvehi is and that he certainly does not represent the company in any way. Fenosa apparently had no idea it was signing a landmark agreement with Ukraine. Kiev was necessarily taken aback, and Bonvehi remained conveniently silent at the signing ceremony once the news broke out. Of course, what no one knows is how Ukrainian authorities were led to believe—during multiple rounds of negotiations—that Bonvehi was a Fenosa representative. The story being bandied about by authorities in Kiev is now that Bonvehi was under the impression that Fenosa would sign the deal with Ukraine and that he would be given the authority to sign the deal retroactively. But Fenosa denies it has ever considered such a deal and continues to deny any relationship at all with Bonvehi. So where does that leave us? It leaves Ukraine in the lurch. There is no way it can fund this terminal on its own, despite its claims to the contrary. We probably don’t have to look much further than Gazprom and the Ukrainian oligarchy to find where this beautifully crafted charade was hatched. In the meantime, Bonvehi—if such a person of that name even exists—remains elusive. No one knows who he really is or who he really works for. More than anything, it’s an advertisement for due diligence. By. Jen Alic of Oilprice.com http://oilprice.com/Energy/Natural-Gas/Ukraine-Crushed-in-1.1bn-Fake-Gas-Deal.html Related Article: South Stream Pipeline will Increase Gazprom's Control over Europe

Press Trust of India| Updated: November 29, 2012 NDTV Updates--Washington: Quashing the 'doomsday' rumours, top NASA scientists have assured that the world won't end on December 21, 2012. "The world will not end in 2012. Our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, and credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012," NASA said on its website. The 'doomsday story' started with claims that Nibiru, a supposed planet discovered by the Sumerians, is headed toward Earth, scientists said. This catastrophe was initially predicted for May 2003, but when nothing happened the doomsday date was moved forward to December 2012 and linked to the end of one of the cycles in the ancient Mayan calendar at the winter solstice in 2012 - hence the predicted doomsday date of December 21, 2012, they said. The US Space agency also specified that the Mayan calendar does not end in December 2012. "Just as the calendar you have on your kitchen wall does not cease to exist after December 31, the Mayan calendar does not cease to exist on December 21, 2012," NASA said. "This date is the end of the Mayan long-count period but then - just as your calendar begins again on January 1 - another long-count period begins for the Mayan calendar," it said. Scientists also clarified that the rumour of a planet or brown dwarf called Nibiru or Planet X or Eris approaching the Earth and threatening our planet with widespread destruction is just an "Internet hoax". "Nibiru and other stories about wayward planets are an Internet hoax. There is no factual basis for these claims. If Nibiru or Planet X were real and headed for an encounter with the Earth in 2012, astronomers would have been tracking it for at least the past decade, and it would be visible by now to the naked eye," scientists said. "Obviously, it does not exist. Eris is real, but it is a dwarf planet similar to Pluto that will remain in the outer solar system; the closest it can come to Earth is about 4 billion miles," they said. On danger of Earth being hit by a meteor in 2012, NDTV Updates. ....or in 2013, well, we are not off from the under hook of fear yet, in order to keep the people subjugated the fear factor is necessary among them, if there is no comet or an asteroid about to hit earth, and annihilate life in it, then there is the possibility always of ETs , like the anunnaki reptilians, invading earth from space and doing to us what a rogue planet like Nibiru or a comet would have done. By fear we conquer says the dark.

Someone, an expert of ME, is interviewed in this link and he speaks about religious genocide in Sudan and religious genocide in middle east (first there is an advertastment for seconds then the interview comes, be sure volume button is on by clicking volume) http://www.blogtalkradio.com/radio-jihad/2012/11/28/the-jamie-glazov-show

The clash of the Caliph with the pharaoh http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6062/6084987198_85d81b9d7a_m.jpg It is clear that Turkey's Erdogan is seeking slowly a leadership role in the Middle East as sultan or caliph over a neo-resurrection Islamic Turkish empire based on Islamic Sharria Law as the Ottoman empire used to be. So far it looks like nothing could stop him; "Erdogan has systematically dismantled the most well-established secular form of government in the Middle East....Already in the works are Erdogan’s plans to radically alter Turkey’s present parliamentary system to a presidential system, while placing himself on the ticket to be the next president. Beyond this, the present five-year term for president will expand to a seven-year term. If successful, this will guarantee that Erdogan will be able to maintain power until at least 2021" writes a writer. On the contrary I am of the opinion that another dark Turk leader will arise after Erdogan who will fulfill his vision of a new Islamic empire that will invade at the start countires locatated at its south like Syria, Israel, Egypt, Sudan and north Africa. And after the consolidation of its power in the region of Middle East will start its long-planned invasion of Greece, Vienna, Italy, France and Spain. On November 25 Ordogan said: "We must go everywhere our ancestors have been. We can not take [Ataturk's philosophy of] peace at home, peace in the world as passivity." The Ottoman Turks have been at Vienna and the previous Arab caliphs have been to Spain and France. Muslims do not believe in peace, they only belive in truce or "hudneh", this truce can extend for few dacades or few centuries or a millenium or more, but never everlasting peace. In a recent interview with Russia Today, Syrian President Basshar al-Assad said of Erdogan, “He personally thinks that he is the new sultan of the Ottoman and he can control the region as it was during the Ottoman Empire under a new umbrella. In his heart he thinks he is a caliph.” However, Erdogan looks more like the messanger of the Caliph or the precursor of Caliph. While in the south, just recently the Egyptian President Morsi appeared on television and issued a presidential decree stating: "The president can issue any decision or measure to protect the revolution. … The constitutional declarations, decisions and laws issued by the president are final and not subject to appeal." It is clear that Egyptian people have traded a more secular autocrat, Husni Mubarak, for an Islamist dictator. Secular Egyptians have accused the president of establishing himself as a new pharaoh. The question is now that sooner or later the Caliph from the north and the Pharaoh from the south are goimg to head-butt or clash head on like two battling he-goats jumping at each other with their horns. It will be some amazing show this coming/unfolding competion & conflict between the north & south; between the Caliph and Pharaoh. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3065/3069626054_7aca36d3ec_m.jpg

In a recent report in Hurriyet Daily News, we read: The Turkish prime minister said during the opening ceremony of Kutahya Zafer Airport on Nov.25 "Turkey should follow in its ancestors’ footsteps and go everywhere they have travelled to," . “We move with the minds of our Dumlupinar martyrs,” Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said. “We move with the spirit that founded the Ottoman Empire.” Erdogan then criticized the opposition for asking “what [Turkey] was doing in Gaza, Syria and Sudan.” “We must go everywhere our ancestors have been,” Erdogan said. “We can not take [Ataturk's philosophy of] peace at home, peace in the world as passivity.”

In rural Armenia dried cow dung is still used to cook food. There is a better way for it: The free energy of the sun can be used and harnased by cheaply made solar cookers, details are in the links below http://solarcooking....ans/default.htm http://solarcooking....com/wiki/CooKit http://solarcooking....lans/funnel.htm