Em

dzyevushka pye....

Sip jan, I know. But my nine year old group of 20 (third graders) usually got it far sooner. Lol. J/k. I just wish we coudld respect each other's right to believe or not believe as we see fit. I think that is the point behind living in this "free country". To each, his own.

Does anyone here know the definition of insanity? Just in case... it is repeating the same actions whilst expecting different results. Like a mouse going round and round in the wheel...chasing itself. No point in continuing this convo any further. MAybe you guys should get together and direct all this energy and "intelligence" toward a more worthwhile cause. Just my two cents...

...

Zara jan, I went back and reread the questions I had asked. I was just thinking out loud after reading your post. Disregard. Not going to touch the God part. THought I don't agree with one part of what you said... "I won't believe in anything that I don't understand or know." I don't understand or know a lot of things that occur, but they are occuring nonetheless. But if you menat that since it cannot be proven that is why you cannot believe, then I understand what you meant. ~~~~~ My main point was that sometimes we shock ourselves. I thought I knew myself so well. I thought I knew myself far better than I do. And sometimes I do things which I thought were beyond me, my abilities, and I understand that i never pushed or have never seen myslef outside/beyond the box that I was put in. As an adult, I see how damagaing that was for my personality, my ego and my ability to strive for something more challenging, something “a girl shouldn’t necessarily do”. And other times I disappoint myself. I know I’m better than my actions but I make mistakes anyway. Something which doesn’t necessarily harm me, but which inflicts it’s mark deeep enough to cause me worry and to make me question myslef- whether I know theperson who I am and ll I am capable of. When I was your age (I saw) I was so sure of everything. The questions I asked were not to myself but to the world. I thought I had all the answers. “They” were in the wrong, not I. But the older I get older, the more I realize I don’t know much... I have just learned a major life lesson in the past few years...I have been too trusting, to open and willing to accept people. I so wanted to see the good in them and to prove to myself that people are good for the most part. But life has proven otherwise. So now I am selective as to who I care for, who I pay mind to , who can associate with my daughter and be in our lives (especially so called “relatives”). I have lived and learned. And things are falling into place. Aging is a privilege, a gift, wisdom, contentment, security in one’s self. I am happy that I am not seventeen or even 21 anymore. I look forward to aging. Enough rambling. Where is the other stuff?

Mer Komitasi tunn@na hishacnum..voch deghin, bayc shat nmana tan es aj koxmi mas@..yev mihat mets tsaar er ajum hents patic durs poghoci koghm. Yerani en orerin vor yes u qurikk@s xaxum,eynq, vazvzum., irar MIS UTUM! Lol. Yev amarr@, arevic xoter@ varrvum choranum eyn, menqel lutskiyov varrum eynq heto vraz poqr pazarr@ votqov hangcnum.. Inch gizz bannerenq arel erku qur..etqanel Mamas Gestapo er...achjkic vochinch cher paxnum...lav tsets keranq yerb dzerqneris mej gtav mi or lutskin....lol. ehh..inch lav er mankutyunn@s, inch urax eyn Hayastanum aprac orer@s... P. Bonnard

Isn't it such a beautiful morning in L.A.? I have been grinning like an idiot all morning from sheer joy. I am so thankful for this forum and the people here who have become friends and barekamner. I feel very blessed. I am thankful that you guys put up with me and my rants. May you all have an amazing day! And a special hello to Eva! HI! This is for you. It is a prescription to smile. Shall I make it my mission to have you laugh/smile once a day? Let me know. No more painful days, chica! Maya daragaya padruga: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_r2psdrQkM (WHENEVER you come out to L.A. you have to let Ani and I know.. we have to go out. Try to come out soon.)

Do I really want to get inot this, or not? I really don't, but I have to. I respect Anoushik and Sip and consider them as friends. I am not directing this post to anyone in particular- just to everyone in general. A few thoughts/ inquiries.... !. Bing Bang theory...please.... what happened .000000000001 seconds prior to the Big Bang? Why then and when and how? How is most important. 2. I see Desing in every small thing. I cannot look inot this vast world and believe that all this just came to be on its own and in and of itself... please don think that I am dismissing evolution, Religion deos not say evolution dd not occur...they say that a dog could not have evolved from a cat...ie., we could not have come from Apes... maybe our ancestors from antiquity were very simplified versions from ourselves..I dont deny evolution just dont tell me tha jsut becuase they can use tools and mimic language that they are our former selves. Don't you see the connecting thread in all organisms..isn't nature i ad of itself proof that there is a design and plan to all this? 3. I think NAture is the very essenec of God. God is in everything (please dot confuse this word with the Christian/ Catholic God). I meam God as in something greater than ourselves, the Dude or the Dudette. lol. Everything is part of God, and in essence, worshipping nature (Pagans) is just a simplified version of Religion. Instead of saying we whorship The Creator of it all, we used to say that we whorship the wonder ad magic that is the rain, the trees, etc.... Our being PAgan and whorshipping fire just means we did not have the ability to comprehend mora than that... Which brings me to the biggest problem that I face when presented with "there is no god" arguement. The fallacy lies in thinking that we know enough to rule out God. It is very amusing to me that someone thinks that even the most intelliget being knows enough to state with utmost certainty that we already kow enough to be able to say without a shadow of a doubt that there is no way that ther cannot be something greater thatn ourselves. THat science has not been wrong enough times to shift the burden of proof on them. Has mainstream science not been wrong enough times? Can we not rule out that we may not know all that we think we know? And if there is the slightest possibility that our limited knowledge and limited ability to undestand this vast universe or mulitverses leaves a single shred of doubt that ther may be soething greater than ourselves, than why am I not smarter than you or he or she to believe that which cannot be ruled out? Why can't I use beliefe as a weapon? Why is that so unreliable? Why can I not believe there is more to me tha the matter which makes up my parts? I know I have a soul. When science can prove that I do not have a soul, then I will give up my belief and profess to have been a fool. 'Till the, I admire you guys, i comend you for your beliefs ad yor pursuit of something greater than ourselves. The last thig we need is human beings with Grandiose beliefs in their selves. To whorship yourslef...of course you have to rule out God. Thanks for endulging me. Knereq avel pakasi hamar.

1 Type your HF screen name into Google. What’s the first link that pops up? Link to HF? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Em_(typography) 2 Bottled water: yes or no? Yes. 3 If you had a choice would you come back next time as an Armenian? Most definitely! But as an Armenian Male. 4 Hand- written love letter or e-mailed version? Hand written. 5 Who was the last text message in your phone from? My best friend. 6 What’s your favorite season? Summer. 7 If your sibling was a stranger would you be friends with him/her? No. She would intimidate me and we would have nothing in common. 8 Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi. Hands down! 9 Favorite subject in school? English & World Lit 10 Last concert? Tata’s- last year. I need to go out more. J 11 Motto in life? Live , love, laugh. 12 Last book you read? Something by P. Coehlo 13 Cats or dogs? Dogs. Not a cat person. 14 Would you like to inflict pain on someone right now? No comment. I plead the Fifth Amendment. 15 Favorite sports team? ????? 16 City you most want to visit? YEREVAN! 17 When do you shower? Morning. 18 What’s your dream job? Book critic working out of bed. 19 What word in the dictionary best describes you? Unknown. 20 Current addiction? My daughter’s eyes and my phone. 21 Are you a better talker or better listener? Listener. 22 Obama or Clinton? Anyone but Bush OR McCain. 23 Were you popular in high school? Yes. Popular but still a nerd! 24 Do you pray? Yes. Often. 25` Is there something lacking in your life right now? (Non-materialistic) Yes. Balance. 26 What do you miss most about childhood? Lack of responsibility and innocence. 27 Do you enjoy your car? Yes, very much. 28 Are you a good liar? No. But I am getting better. 29 Can you cook? YES. 30 How much time do you spend online a week? Too much on HF. 31 Last time you danced? Today, with my daughter. 32 Warm or cold weather? Warm. 33 How many pairs of jeans do you own? Too many! 34 Did you have more occasion to laugh or frown today? Laugh. 35 Root canal or taxes? Taxes. Bonus… Have you introduced the real “you” to anyone? J Yes. Unfortunately for her! J

Pre-election Sociology and Post-election Psychology Hrach Bayadyan/ HETQ April 07, 2008 Armenia is witnessing the dawning of a period of gloom. The indications of this are numerous - the incessant persecution of those in any way linked to the Movement, the continued labeling of a “certain segment of the nation” and its leaders, the detention of people either strolling, reading or playing chess along Northern Avenue and the interrogation of schoolchildren participating in local protests in Vanatur. printable version email to friend It particularly manifests itself in the increase in the number of those speaking on behalf of the nation and those either making pleas, sounding the alarm or wildly ranting in the name of the nation. Even during the days of the State of Emergency the pages of the press were open to them, as well as the television and radio outlets. Suddenly, one day they (those who now speak on behalf of the nation) discovered that in “our nation” there was a 21% segment of our politically active electorate that had been “zombified”, who were “suffering from memory loss and who were driven by the rage to “destroy”. This 21% group had the potential to betray the nation and they were overwhelmed with “righteous anger” regarding this fact. Here are some examples of the language employed by those speaking on behalf of the nation. “We call on all patriotic forces to struggle against the movement of Levon Ter-Petrosyan that is detrimental to the nation”; “We must create a patriotic and a national opposition” (the words of G. Sargsyan and Hayk Babukhyan); “…Azerbaijan is overjoyed that Levon Ter-Petrosyan has succeeded in splitting the Armenian nation into pieces, of breaking its backbone. This is treason. And today, I am even more concerned that the events that have taken place can have much more severe consequences in terms of national preservation than we can imagine today” (Levon Melik-Shahnazaryan). In a word, patriotism, or more correctly, love of one’s nation, has again become the fashion of the day. What has evolved is something akin to a post-socialist form of post-modernism where everything is referenced from the Soviet-era without distinction (the formula sometimes used is, “socialist in form, national in content”; a formula which has been turned completely around from the original). As a result, we have witnessed everything from widespread interrogations and arrests, to people being called “traitors to the nation” and extending to a variety of absurd reminisces like “the years of stagnation”. There are of course differences between what is taking place now and the past. The dissidents of today have still not been carted off to the psycho ward and for the most part it has been sufficient to label them as “victims of psychological diversion” or “individuals who have been lobotomized”. During the Soviet era people were tracked down for reading books that were banned. Today, the reading of books at certain locations is banned. On the other hand, it’s not clear why they don’t interrogate the school kid from Gyumri who’s donated 100 drams of his milk money to the GALA TV fundraiser or why they don’t arrest the villager who walks several miles to Gyumri to donate a portion of his meager pension to that same fundraiser. For aren’t these actions equally subversive as the others? It’s been evident for some time now that sociology in Armenia has become a “pre-election science”. What’s new is the use of psychology in the post-election phase, to explain everything that sociology couldn’t predict or foresee in the first place. Putting it another way, if Armenian sociology explains the “norms” then the need was felt for psychology and psychologists to interpret the dangerous “deviations” or “anomalies” not accounted for. “They accept all gods without question. It’s a form of hypnosis which leads to destruction” (Karen Nalchajyan). The victory of Serzh Sargsyan, in these terms, was sociological, and that of Levon Ter-Petrosyan was psychological (with a negative connotation). It’s really not important who started the whole campaign of psychological “explanations”, but in the February 21st edition of “Azg”, on the day after the first public rally following the election, there were already hints of the psychological commentary to follow in the questions posed by reporter Susanna Margaryan to a psychologist. Here are some examples of her questions: “Is it possible that a person imbued with the qualities of a leader could possess more undesirable (I won’t say dangerous) opinions than any other candidate possessing beneficial opinions but having a weaker charisma?”... “I propose to speak in general terms, about the mass suggestion imparted to the crowd”... “Is it possible to keep a large segment of the electorate inspired for a given length of time?”. And if Albert Nalchajyan’s answers didn’t clearly correspond to then expectations of the reporter, a few days later, on February 27th at the “Hayatsk” club, Karineh Nalchajyan, another psychologist, explained everything that was possible to explain. She particularly described the various psychological devices used to influence the consciousness of the society and explained that for ten years straight Levon Ter-Petrosyan had been working to master those devices. On the other hand, psychologist Samvel Khudoyan had the following to say in response to the same reporter from “Azg” - “Such manipulation can be achieved by anyone who wishes to exploit another for his own ambitions. Such forms of manipulation are carried out during the elections of any given country. The only difference is that in the civilized world such crude manipulations (ballot stuffing, psychological intimidation and physical force) are replaced by more refined forms, But such sober evaluations didn’t correspond to the official version of things. The Public Prosecutor asserted, for example, that psychological offensive had been continuously unleashed on the people attending the rallies. In similar cases the exact wording used speaks about “widespread memory loss” and “general hypnosis”. If government officials and political and party operatives didn’t have the opportunity of expressing sociological knowledge when making insights, then, the psychological factor was clearly abused in the post-election answers. All this ultimately reached ridiculously comical levels and in this regard the satirical comments of Matthew Bryce were quite tame. I don’t know exactly how many people believe this psychological hypothesis but let me give one example of a similar type of reasoning. The reporter asks the following: “Most of the protestors had rallied around the former president not because they shared the ideas of Ter-Petrosyan but because they were displeased with the regime”. Levon Melik-Shahnazaryan replies that, “Yes, those hypnotized people followed Levon’s rhetoric, without listening to what he was saying.” It would appear that here the political commentator was just as “hypnotized” since he didn’t hear the question asked of him. In all these explanations the Armenian language is imperceptibly being cheapened. Given the very modest capabilities of both the current president and the president-elect regarding literate Armenian speech, well thought out language and the mastery of oratory, diversionary means and manipulation are being declared. Even while speaking about important social issues and the many other reasons (the corruption, injustice and illegality that is pervasive in the country) that could have fueled this social rebellion, they refuse to credit the Movement with any positive connotation. Here’s another quote from Karineh Nalchajyan, “The authorities were shaken and understood that things couldn’t continue as such, that the floodwaters could rise and destroy everything.» If Ter-Petrosyan is completely being demonized and equated with evil, those around him are being stripped of the most basic of things, i.e., logic, the ability to resist manipulation and comprehending what’s best for the nation. According to Aram G. Sargsyan, «If they had used reason they would have all together ruled out the possibility of voting for Ter-Petrosyan.» Accordingly, the entire Movement was one big irrational outburst, devoid of any constructive attributes. Of course, they forget to note the following clearly self-evident points in their explanations - the government's use of overwhelming force on the morning of March 1st in Freedom Square and that the division of society, its extreme polarization into the haves and the have-nots, took place during Kocharyan's term in office. It is understandable that they do not speak in terms of a civil society, democratic principles and other such things. The uniting factor is the nation - thus the terms «traitor of the nation», «national cleavage» and «defense of the national psyche». Ethnic commonality then, in and of itself, becomes the self-evident and absolute principle for unity. The term «we» is constantly bandied about and almost unconsciously used by many people - «our nation», «our people», «our shameful first day of spring», «our disgrace».... Again they forget to mention anything about the society. (Parenthetically, what is the function of sociology in all this when there is no society to speak of, where there isn't even a minimum of correlation to that type of society that gave birth to the science of sociology in the first place, to interpret that same society?) On March 19th, the reporter from the daily newspaper «Azg» proposes another explanation. Taking into account that Ter-Petrosyan's «promise to destroy and demolish was sufficient to gather such a respectable portion of the electorate around him», he asks, «Where does the frenzy, either latent or manifest, spring from to arouse this intent «to destroy?» Answering his own question he explains, «The main reason is our centuries-old lack of statehood.» I would like to refer to another excerpt from the above-mentioned interview given by Samvel Khudoyan in which he asserts that Armenians possess «traits specific to the Asiatic mentality». These are «servility, provincialism, the mind-set of the serf, toadyism». I have one important reservation. I believe that the «Asiatic mentality» isn't the reason. Rather, I would like to substitute the euphemism «lack of statehood» with a term accepted and understood by all - subjugation. It has been the Armenian people's longstanding colonial subjugation, rather than the «frenzy to destroy», that has instilled the above-mentioned qualities into many of our people, qualities that have been passed down through the generations. Thank God, however, these qualities are not found in everyone and in everybody.

Sorrowful Sunday: Church prays for March 1 victims amid allegations of defying ritual By Gayane Abrahamyan Published: 04 April, 2008 Leading churches of the Armenian Apostolic Church on Sunday performed requiem services in remembrance of the deaths of March 1 – a day of riots that ended in bloody clashes between protesters and police. Hundreds of faithful Armenians flocked to churches before and after midday liturgy April 6 also to pray for the eight people who fell victim to the application of deadly force in late-night battles in Yerevan central streets. Some of them, as the stories of their families revealed, were caught in the middle of the fray by chance. Others may have died for what they believed in. Traditionally, in Armenia a deceased person is remembered on the Fortieth Day after his or her death, which, in the case of the eight victims, falls on the day when Serzh Sargsyan is due to be formally sworn in as Armenia’s next president. The observation of the ritual by the Church on the 37th day aroused serious discontent among some. After the latest events, a statement was spread on behalf of more than a hundred detained oppositionists in which they expressed their resentment at the primacy’s decision. In particular, they called it a “sacrilege” and an “immoral step” which, they said, was aimed at “disturbing the eternal rest of the dead”. “The regime is in a ‘time-trouble’ situation. All of its hasty steps are aimed at one seemingly final outcome – the inauguration ceremony – whereby they hope to put a full stop in the ratification of a gangster state,” their statement says. “To achieve this goal, they have made up a diabolic trick to break the time order of Christian ritual enshrined since 301 AD – for Holy Etchmiadzin to mark the Fortieth Day of the March 1 victims on April 6.” According to the Press Office of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, no order was broken, but everything was done in accordance with tradition. “Church rituals on the occasion of the seventh day, the fortieth day and a year are performed on the nearest Sunday to those dates. All commemoration days are marked in accordance with this principle, with the exception of April 24, the Day of the Remembrance of the Armenian Genocide victims when regardless of the day of the week churches offer liturgy and requiem services,” Priest Ter Babken explains. However, Ter Babken says that the relatives of the dead can also come on the fortieth day proper and order a liturgy service. The explanation by the priest is not in line, however, with the practice of two years ago when more than a hundred dead in a Yerevan-Sochi plane crash (that occurred on May 3) were prayed for in Fortieth Day Church services on June 12, or the weekday of Monday, and not only in Armenia but also in the Armenian church in Adler, Russia. “This is not only a direct violation, but a sacrilege. Everything is being done to exclude any blot that may overshadow the inauguration ceremony of the non-elected president, but it is overshadowed from above. Is it a coincidence? Of course, it’s not,” member of the Intellectuals’ Forum Martin Yeghiazaryan contends. Still last week, this organization had issued an appeal for abstaining from “all sorts of solemn ceremonies and follow the traditionally defined order of church requiem services for innocent victims.” While it also has been announced that a private company-sponsored air balloon show is scheduled to take place in Yerevan’s Republic Square on April 9 evening, the detainees call on people to turn off the lights at their homes at 9.00 pm, April 9, for one to eight minutes in order to pay nationwide homage to the memory of the dead.

I picked eyes too!

Lol. This kid has game. Sooo smooth!

martiq, kentsagh, barqer........

13/20 I suck!

In the spirit of getting to know each other better, I have put together a survey. Please paticipate. And remember that honesty is the best policy! 1 Type your HF screen name into Google. What’s the first link that pops up? Link to HF? 2 Bottled water: yes or no? 3 If you had a choice would you come back next time as an Armenian? 4 Hand- written love letter or e-mailed version? 5 Who was the last text message in your phone from? 6 What’s your favorite season? 7 If your sibling was a stranger would you be friends with him/her? 8 Coke or Pepsi? 9 Favorite subject in school? 10 Last concert? 11 Motto in life? 12 Last book you read? 13 Cats or dogs? 14 Would you like to inflict pain on someone right now? 15 Favorite sports team? 16 City you most want to visit? 17 When do you shower? 18 What’s your dream job? 19 What word in the dictionary best describes you? 20 Current addiction? 21 Are you a better talker or better listener? 22 Obama or Clinton? 23 Were you popular in high school? 24 Do you pray? 25 Is there something lacking in your life right now? (Non-materialistic) 26 What do you miss most about childhood? 27 Do you enjoy your car? 28 Are you a good liar? 29 Can you cook? 30 How much time do you spend online a week? 31 Last time you danced? 32 Warm or cold weather? 33 How many pairs of jeans do you own? 34 Did you have more occasion to laugh or frown today? 35 Root canal or taxes? Bonus… Have you introduced the real “you” to anyone? 

Shnorhavor Aprili 7@- Gexetsik serri yev Mayreri tonn@!

I did as well. Thanks to Ani! She presented it to me as part of my Christmas present. I usually devour books. I will stay upl nights just to get to the end. But, as I told her as well, this book took me a very long time to finish. I wanted to examine certain things she brought up. I wanted those ideas to have a chance to rest in my head so that I could give them the attention they deserved. Certain parts of the book spoke to me on a very personal level. Loved it . Regarding the author and her simplistic writing approach- I like her candidness and her overall outlook on life. I have to remember to loan my copy to Ani. She has to read it too! ASAP! She is so like that...she bought everyone a copy except for herself.

Vot@s xerov lini qo nor ankyunum! So far, I like. Can you elaborate your post from 4:28 p.m.? I read in the God thread that you have given up or at least do not have faith in God anymore. Do you find those questions scarier in the absence of faith/ belief or is it easier to question them notwithstanding same? In relation to your identity, have you come to accept your inherent nuances/ personality quirks, or ar you in a constant battle w/ yourself? I have drastically changed in a very short period of time, and I sometimes look back at the ease of the transition. I am wondering whether you are going through that as well... if you see fit, please do let me know. Ok, lav, shat yerkar huyrutsyan eka, lol. Let's go visit others too.

I am curious, have you been succesful in your attempts at "enlightening the masses"? More specifically, do you know of any individual who has given up his/her faith as a direct result of your efforts in pushing your agenda and educateing him/her?

Love Story "Love means never having to say you're sorry."

Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IoScbnQ6uQ...feature=related (entire movie available with English subtitles) I love this movie soooo much!

Thank you Ashot! That is the one.

Gitem! Merk kanac vra sushi... hech vat chi! LOOOOOOL!

Vat axorjak chunes Mos jan. Hech dem chey lini.