Nakharar

There are many good things Chavez did.

Who is this prominent Armenian? What cover-up? How come I never heared about this incident?

I'm still amazed that people make it a Christian/Muslim thing. It's never been that. Any slight difference that sets you apart from the other "tribe" is reason enough for slaughter. In this regard the Balkans are not much different than the Caucasus. The Serbian bloodlust of the nineties is another version of the Croatian one in the forties. What comes around... They are a world unto itself. Emir Kusturica's metaphor of an island that drifted apart in one of his films couldn't have summed it up more perfectly.

Who in their right mind believes that such a referendum will ever take place? I can't imagine Azerbaijan agreeing to this considering their constant sabre rattling.

You scared me for while there Gams. I thought Morrocans were coming to Armenia.

This doesn't make sense at all. Aliyev knows what the outcome of the referendum will be. Why would he sign his death warrant?

Live and let live Shkara.

Is this place still intact? It looks awesome. I would definitely like to visit it one day.

I was referring to the real big fish not some imaginary one like you have mentioned. You give them more credit than they are due. Underestimating the Turks is what got us to this pitiful state in the first place. (And I don't mean this DVD affair in case you can't read between the lines.) I'm curious which person or organization is behind this whole thing.

How they did this I don't know. We can learn a thing or two from them. I've got to hand it to them they really pulled off a coup here. Instead of concentrating on one e-bay seller and trying to ban him (how very typical of us) we should go after the big fish.

Let's not deflect the responsibility of the real perpetrators.

From what I understand is that this is more like a protest vote on behalf of the Bulgarian population. They seem to lost out a lot in the EU accession talks where there will be seemingly very few benefits in the short run if not in the long run. Plus preserving the national interest seems almost a taboo word nowadays. They are more of an anti-establishment party than an anti-Turkish one. The poor Turks are just used for symbolic reasons. They are however virulently racist against the Roma. But after you see the folks who represented the Roma in the elections you can't agree more. Vassil Boyanov, 27, alias singer Azis, is the honorary head of the Evroroma party http://bgpopfolk.free.fr/azis/azis_m9.jpg http://bgpopfolk.free.fr/azis/azis_m4.jpg http://bgpopfolk.free.fr/azis/azis_m7.jpg http://bgpopfolk.free.fr/azis/azis_m10.jpg http://bgpopfolk.free.fr/azis/azis_m15.jpg Would you have this man as your prime minister? Here is a picture gallery. Enjoy! http://bgpopfolk.free.fr/azis/bgazis.htm Boyanov's entourage includes the party's deputy leader, Yuliana Kancheva, a model turned porn star who has appeared on the cover of Bulgaria's Playboy and starred in a Boyanov video wearing red lingerie. Also included is Ustata, a rap star, best known for the hit Clothes are just an obstacle to me. http://www.vg.no/bilder/bildarkiv/1119542556.49877.jpg Yuliana Kancheva, Deputy Leader of Evroroma

Gams, I've got a slight suspicion that this party is the one you've been looking for all these years. Look what they have on their main page: http://www.atakabg.com/images/4sale/sale.jpg Now don't tell me that you forgot to vote.

Bulgarian nationalists reject criticism By Lawrence Smallman A Bulgarian political party that secured almost nine percent of the vote in parliamentary elections – despite its formation just one month before polls - has rejected criticism of its nationalist agenda. Speaking at the party's first post-election news conference, Ataka party chief Volen Siderov told journalists on Sunday that the 400,000 Bulgarians who voted for his party were no fascists. "They saw in us a defender of their interests … Ataka has won Bulgarians' confidence with its patriotic positions", Siderov said, hours after learning that his party would qualify for at least 22 seats – making Ataka as the fourth largest party in parliament. Before results were announced, most analysts had described Ataka as a "fascistoid" and "ultranationalist" ethnic party that had found support by focusing negative attention on the country's ethnic Turkish regions. Leading Bulgarian TV journalist, Niolay Barekov, had even referred to Siderov as a racist on Saturday - after his bTV channel showed an Ataka rally in which the party chief shouted out slogans against the Turks, Jews, Roma and homosexuals. Ataka party officials have demanded an apology and say they will not appear on the channel until it is given. But the local population to the south and north-east of the country – for centuries a mix of ethnic Bulgarian and Turkish peoples - have recently become the main battle ground for new parties such as the Democrats for Strong Bulgaria and Ataka. Analyst comment However, one analyst has played down talk of a growth in ultranationalism. Sofia University lecturer and political analyst Vassil Penev said he believed Ataka's new support came at the expense of the Bulgarian Socialists. He said nationalist success should be considered more of a protest vote than a radicalisation of society. "As soon as the possibility of a post-election coalition between the Bulgarian Socialist Party, led by Sergey Stanishev (BSP) and Ahmed Dogan, the leader of the [Muslim-minority] Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), both party's were wide open to a major protest vote." "I don't think people should read anymore into Ataka gaining over 8% in next parliament, even though it has become the fourth largest political force in the country. It is just an expression of disagreement with a BSP-MRF", Penev said. MRF view Coming in third, behind the Socialists and the Simeon II National Movement, MRF's Dogan said his predominantly ethnic Turkish movement would always continue to support the "Bulgarian ethnic model because it is a European model". Speaking to the Bulgarian news agency on Saturday, Dogan added that the responsibility for extreme phenomena such as Ataka in part rested on the country's political elite. Meanwhile, MRF has sent more than 40 complaints for violations of the electoral law to the Regional Electoral Commission, mostly referring to people with permanent address who are absent from the electoral registers and whom the district election commissions refused to enter. Those prevented from voting include the names of six mayors and all residents from the villages of Boyno, Chiflik and Enchets.

Armenianclub is no match to Hyeforum. Not only is the atmosphere much more abrasive, but it is totally devoid of any warmth or familiarity that you can see here. They see themselves as some sort of antithesis to Hyeforum. They constantly mock and defame Hyeforum and is full of bitter, dejected members like Steve and Thoth. Some of their members go even so far that they don't refer to Hyeforum at all but replace it with asterisks.

Thanks a lot guys!!! That really meant a lot to me. I freely admit it, I'm touched.

You've got to hand it to them. That they thought of something like this. That's some excellent publicity stunt on their behalf. We were badly caught off guard. I know that the International Herald Tribune and all its subsidiaries (El Pais, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Ha'aretz, etc.) was initially going to publish a special edition on the Armenian Genocide on April 24th, but it was never realised for some reason. I think the Turks got hold of the news beforehand and derailed the whole thing. Then they struck back with this. The special edition was prepared by the Armenian Weekly and is very extensive in scope and length (5000 words+). I read the whole thing and there are some excellent articles in there.

Nice seeing a fresh breeze of air for a long while. Keep up with the interesting posts. Daron

I think many people would not even change their daily routine let alone lift a finger even if they think they have found love. Most do not even entertain such illusions. Such are the times we live in that even this term is becoming void of any meaning due to instant "love" if you can call it that. Ok more sex perhaps, but love? It's a give and take really and wears off after a short period. Not to mention the psychological strain after a burnout. I think none of us would dare sacrifice their lifestyle and career choice for someone we have fallen in love with especially if we are going to become less off financially and otherwise. Even in love we constantly measure the pros and cons and our own benefit so it's becoming tainted from the start. If the profit maximization for oneself doesn't pay off then it's off. The notion of love that has been romanticized may have existed in another time, but in this day and age our own self-aggrandized egos, quick pace of life and globalization having a relationship let alone maintaining one is becoming more and more a thing of the past.

Don't quote from sources that only serve to support your belief system. Republika Srpska was hardly a third-party to these events.

Searching for the Father Jesus decides to go make a turn in the paradise in order to find Joseph, his father, whom he hasn't seen since his crucifixion. Jesus goes from cloud to cloud when suddenly he sees a little old man sitting quietly and carving a piece of wood. Jesus approaches the old man and tells him: - Hello, this is pretty what you do, was it your job to carve wood on the earth? - Yes, I was a carpenter - Ah... and did you have children? - Yes, I had a son without even fertilizing a woman. My son had an extraordinary destiny and he is still very known on earth. By hearing these words Jesus has tears in his eyes. he puts his hand on the shoulder of the little old man and tells him with emotion: - Dad! And little old man answers with a great joy: - Pinocchio!!

I never made this a Christian/Muslim thing. According to your reasoning 250,000 Bosnian Muslim lives count for nothing? Don't tell me they were your average mujahadeen. The Bosnians paid a high price for what the Croats did in WWII. Like it or not the Serbs took their revenge out on them. Educate yourself first. I'll pity any victim, be they Serbs, Azeris, Turks, Jews, etc.

True. But the Serb irrationality and warmongering of the 1990s is a class in itself. It should be studied further and serve as a lesson and warning to those who would attempt such follies. The Serbs remind me of the late 19th century Ottoman mindset or Hitler's Wahnvorstellung about constantly encroaching enemies trying to dissolve their very existence and thinking that everything is at stake they become the butchers of millions. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. I can understand it, but they sure don't deserve anyone's sympathy. The Krajina Serbs are the least to complain when they established their ethnically cleansed puppet state on Croatian soil. They should have seen it coming. They reaped what they sowed.

I was referring to what the Serbs did today. Not yesterday, nor the day after. What has happened before and after that is taking things out of context. We can use reverse logic in any given circumstance. There is no right or wrong in these matters. It's a chicken or egg question really.

"It was a civil war" and "Armenians were massacring us" is hardly a valid reason for what the Turks did in 1915. Nor are Serbian sob stories about their massacres by the Ustashe during WWII reason enough to mete out their vicious wrath on innocent Bosnians.