Rubo

quote:Originally posted by Rubo:As a museum director, Geft said, she hews to no political agenda, just a mandate to reach visitors (BS!!!) Wiesenthal Center issued a release urging the European Union to admit Turkey as a member. In classical logic these two statements contradict eachother...

update on this story In response to an ANCA-WR campaign initiated last week, several thousand concerned citizens have visited the ANCA website to send free ANCA WebMail to the Museum. These messages have specifically noted that the Museum's exclusion of the Armenian Genocide runs counter to the mandate and mission of the Museum. The ANCA-WR is in discussions with a broad range of Los Angeles area, California, and national political leaders on this matter as well. The Director of the Museum of Tolerance, Mrs. Liebe Geft, has sent an email form letter to many ANCA WebFaxers that falls short of addressing the ANCA-WR's concerns: 1) the letter avoids the direct use of the proper term- the Armenian Genocide - to describe Turkey's systematic destruction of its Armenian population between 1915 and 1923; 2) She never responds to the request for a full explanation as to why the Armenian Genocide is absent from the museum 3) the letter cites the input into the "tragedy" (a euphemistic term used in place of the term "genocide") from Turkish scholars, despite the fact that it is common knowledge that, sadly, the vast majority of the Turkish educational establishment operates as part of the Turkish government's campaign of Armenian Genocide denial, and; 4) she makes no specific commitment to when and how the Armenian Genocide will be included in upcoming displays and exhibits. In the article that appeared in "The Los Angeles Times" on Monday, February 3,2003, the issue of the absence of the Armenian Genocide in the Museum was raised. In the article, written by Times staff writer Christopher Reynolds, the point is made that "The museum has backed away from its own pledges to include the first genocide of the 20th century -- the Armenian genocide of 1915 -- as a part of its permanent exhibition. That genocide is effectively absent, some of those critics suggest, because of a 21st century political alliance between Jewish leaders and the Turkish government whose predecessors carried out that genocide." The Times quoted Ardashes Kassakhian, ANCA-WR's director of governmental relations as saying, "It's kind of ludicrous, if you're going to talk about the 20th century, not to mention it. It's like teaching U.S. history and beginning with the Civil War.” Armenian Americans are encouraged to visit www.anca.org to send a free ANCA-WR WebMail to Museum of Tolerance Director, Mrs. Liebe Geft, urging that the Museum include a major exhibit on the Armenian Genocide.

Kind reminder that this forum is a place for diversive opinions and not a place for personnal vulgar comments.Stick to the subject please. Armenians Seek Place in Museum Wiesenthal center criticized for lack of 1915 Genocide exhibit By Christopher Reynolds LOS ANGELES—(Los Angeles Times)—Since the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Museum of Tolerance opened its doors in 1993, its founders have aimed to commemorate the Holocaust and to explore prejudice and persecution worldwide—a daunting dual mission that has won admirers from Jordan's King Hussein to Hollywood's Arnold Schwarzenegger. But as the institution's 10th anniversary approaches, a widening circle of critics has gathered to press museum officials with a single question: Where are the Armenians? The museum, those critics assert, has backed away from its own pledges to include the first genocide of the 20th century—the Armenian genocide of 1915—as a part of its permanent exhibition. That genocide is effectively absent, some of those critics suggest, because of a 21st century political alliance between Jewish leaders and the Turkish government whose predecessors carried out that genocide. "It's kind of ludicrous, if you're going to talk about the 20th century, not to mention it. It's like teaching US history and beginning with the Civil War," said Ardashes Kassakhian, director of governmental relations for the western region of the Armenian National Committee of America. Museum director Liebe Geft acknowledged that the Armenian genocide, once featured in an introductory film, hasn't been part of the museum's permanent display or introductory film presentation for five years. But she dismissed the criticism as "unrealistic and erroneous." Geft noted that the museum does recognize the Armenian deaths as an act of genocide—a view still contested by the Turkish government—and has taken many steps to acknowledge that. From 1993 until an update at the end of 1997, she said, the museum's introductory film included the genocide. Temporary exhibitions have touched on the topic, she said, and upon request, visitors will find that the museum's library and learning center have at least 70 books and two videos about the Armenians. Geft also said a display including the Armenian genocide will be added to the institution's permanent exhibitions "very soon." Most historians agree that the genocide of 1915 brought the deaths of up to 1.5 million Armenians, through executions, starvation and forced marches that occurred until the Ottoman Empire fell in World War I and was replaced by a Turkish republic in the early 1920s. The Armenian deaths have received renewed attention in recent months, following the release of the Atom Egoyan film "Ararat" and publication of the book "A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide" by Samantha Power. Seizing the moment, Armenian American activists have accelerated their campaigning. The result is a thorny three-way negotiation over history, memory and tragedy that touches an estimated 500,000 or more Jews, 150,000 Armenians and 5,000 Turks in Los Angeles County—and puts museum leaders under a microscope. "There's a struggle that is going on in the United States today about how to appropriately recognize the Armenian genocide, and it's all tied up in politics with Turkey and NATO and the Middle East," said John K. Roth, a professor of philosophy at Claremont McKenna College and veteran of about 30 years studying the Holocaust and genocide. "This is the politics of memory," said Elazar Barkan, professor of cultural studies and history at Claremont Graduate University. Whether or not the Armenian genocide is present in the museum, he said, "it's a political statement. Either way." The Simon Wiesenthal Center, a member-supported nonprofit organization founded in the late 1970s by Rabbi Marvin Hier, spends about $28 million yearly on a mission of "education and social action related to racism and prejudice within the context of the Holocaust." The center's ventures include the museum in Los Angeles, plans for a New York Tolerance Center (to open in mid-2003) and a Jerusalem Center for Human Dignity and Museum of Tolerance (to open in 2006-07). As a museum director, Geft said, she hews to no political agenda, just a mandate to reach visitors, in part by remaining topical. In recent years, she said, that has meant less attention not only for the Armenians but also for issues such as the Cambodian genocide of the late 1970s. Wiesenthal Center officials do acknowledge that because of Turkey's historically benign treatment of its Jewish population, and because of Turkey's status as an ally of US and Israeli interests in the Middle East, many US Jewish leaders are alert to Turkish sentiments. As recently as Nov. 10, the Wiesenthal Center issued a release urging the European Union to admit Turkey as a member. "When you have a society that didn't throw you into ghettos, there is a reservoir of goodwill toward Turkey among many Jews, including myself," said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, who serves as the Wiesenthal Center's associate dean and has worked on museum projects since before its opening. In the last five centuries of Jewish history, Cooper said, "interaction with Turkey is one of the bright spots in an otherwise horrible, miserable period of exile." When the Museum of Tolerance opened in 1993, Cooper asked, "Were the Turks happy that we put in a segment on the Armenian genocide in the Museum of Tolerance? Absolutely not. We had letters and we had visits." But none of those efforts played any role in any museum decisions, Cooper said. Meanwhile, in the Los Angeles Turkish Consulate office, Acting Consul General Ozgur Kivanc Altan said that, in recent years, "obviously, there has been contact between the consulate and the museum, but not in the dimension you are mentioning." Altan said the consulate has not contributed to the Wiesenthal Center or the museum and has made no efforts to influence museum exhibitions. However, he noted, he has visited the museum, and "our position is well-known by the Armenians and also by the museum itself." That position, in a nutshell, is that the crisis that began in 1915 "would not merit inclusion in the museum if it would be presented as Armenian genocide," Altan said. "What we are saying is, yes, a terrible tragedy took place, and yes, many Armenians lost their lives terribly. But also in that war, more than 2.5 million Turks and Muslims lost their lives." Meanwhile, at colleges nationwide, Turkish officials have pledged funding for professorships, drawing charges from Armenians that the gift conditions will taint scholarship. UCLA's history department, offered $1 million by Turkey in 1997, declined it on an 18-17 vote. In their book "The Holocaust Museum in Washington," that institution's founding director, Jeshajahu Weinberg, and co-author Rina Elieli recall intense lobbying by Armenian Americans seeking inclusion of the 1915 genocide, a counter-campaign by Turkish officials opposed to any mention of Armenians, and further lobbying from the Israeli embassy, weighing in on Turkey's behalf. Ultimately, the Holocaust Museum's leaders included three mentions of the massacre in permanent exhibits, including the display of a quote attributed to Hitler on the eve of invading Poland in 1939: "Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of Armenians?" From its first days as a proposed offshoot of the Wiesenthal Center, the Museum of Tolerance has stood out as a likely new ideological territory for the Turkish-Armenian struggle. At first, the Armenians seemed to have the upper hand. In 1985, when then-Gov. George Deukmejian, an Armenian American, granted $5 million for the museum start-up, the legislation noted that Californians should be informed about the hatred and prejudice "which have so adversely affected the lives and well-being of so many human beings, through such mass murder as the Armenian genocide and the Nazi Holocaust and other genocides." Also, in interviews before the eight-level, $55-million museum opened in February 1993, Hier was quoted repeatedly as saying that the Armenian genocide would be included. And so it was, for the next four years. Though no permanent exhibit at the museum has focused specifically on the Armenian experience, the events of 1915 were included prominently in an 11-minute introductory film at the museum: "It's Called Genocide." But at the end of 1997, museum officials made several changes, including the replacement of that film with a new 8 1/2-minute documentary "In Our Time," which omits Armenians and focuses more on horrors in the 1990s. Museum director Geft, the museum has been planning such an exhibit for more than two years, a "genocide wall," with information on many horrors through history, including the Armenian deaths. That project had been delayed by financial concerns and the press of other projects, Geft said, but should be completed "very soon." She said she couldn't specify a timetable. The museum's critics, however, are not persuaded. "I have two reasons to suspect foul play here," said Harut Sassounian, publisher of the Glendale-based California Courier, an Armenian newspaper. "If it was an innocent rearrangement of exhibits, and the leadership believed that the Armenian genocide was an issue, they would have some kind of reference.... But it's totally eliminated," said Sassounian. "And the second reason is knowing the degree of cooperation between the Turkish government and various Jewish-American organizations." Samantha Power, executive director of the Carr Center for Human Rights at Harvard, is more measured in her view, but said she, too, is perplexed by the museum's choices. "It's a mistake" to leave the Armenian deaths out of any serious look at 20th century genocide, she said. Because of Turkey's campaigning, the Armenian genocide is "the only hard one [for curators] that's out there, and it's conspicuous that the hard one is missing."

AS usual forum is seldom the right environment to expand any given subject before some ill-tempered member wants to point out that you are wrong etc before contemplating deeply about any subject. Politics is fundamentally about opportunity and inopportunity to advance one’s cause whether be it civil rights or the Armenian genocide and often lot of money and lobbing is necessary to achieve the desired objectives and morality has nothing to do with this process otherwise US would of recognized the Armenian genocide decades earlier. Is it right that US gives billions to Israel while they have been suppressing the Palestinians for years? of course not but this being the real world Jews have been playing the game pretty well. My point is that Armenians must and should act what is in OUR ITEREST and those interests can be shaped by competent professionals who I would assume will have the ability to think in cold logic, dissecting and arriving to most logical solutions. I am not going to waste time talking about morality, Turks etc. There is nothing wrong exploring and exploiting any given situation as long as one is trying to advance her country and that is what really takes place in the real world daily, in stock markets, in Washington, in Tel Aviv, in Ankara. It is about the time to use our brains…

QUOTE]As for your principles and what's in your blood, you're just full of s**t and should be ashamed of yourself. You're just about as "principled" as any politician, whatever it is you contribute to this world is merely a figment of your imagination Your verbal vulgarity makes no sense. As about my contribution to this world being figment of my imagination? Ask that question to my sons, wife, friends dope!

Chess and politics? Wrong analogy. Right analogy! Chess lovers and players know how every decision one makes affects the game as a whole and politics in Washington or anywhere is the same game played which only most skilled succeed.(I know the obvious differance lol) One talented foreign minister can do a lot. Nothing strange about my personal principals. I am and was always against the war as a human being but also I am Armenian, member of a tiny tribe hence my preference will always be supporting her before my personal morality or interests. AS long as Turkey denies the Armenian Genocide and does not provide any compensation then I will always pounce on Turkey on every opportunity. It is in my blood I can’t help it…Call me vengeful if you will it does not bother me. Korn thanks for understanding my message.

Steve Politics is like chess good opportunity is not presented often and the game has nothing to do with morality but winning it. Armenia must and should maximize every opportunity it gets to advance her interests and if we did that properly in the past then we would not have been in this craphole now. I always view politics as means to advance forward. Nobody talks about the morality of the Turkish massacres or the thousands of Kurds killed or displaced (US and EU can care less) France’s stand has nothing to do with morality of saving Iraqi lives (they killed thousands of Arabs during the Algerian occupation) but everything to do with investments and EU leadership.

You are a stinking bit of s**t. And much more. If I was to verbally express exactly what I felt about people like you then I'd be banned from this forum. So if it was Armenia rather than Turkey that America wanted to transport its troops through, then you would happily agree to it? That seems to be what you are saying. Wrong!!It is your assumption I don't doubt that you would allow hundreds of thousands to die in Iraq just so you can feed a little bit of your sad, ongoing hatefest against Turkey. For your unpenetrating mind I must say I was in the anti -Iraqi war rally in Boston among my friends! As for hating Turkey? Politics is about opportunity and Turks have played this game very well through centuries and there is no reason why strategic thinking can be characterized as hate. You are confusing personal feelings with issues!!! The world does not revolve around Armenia. Who said it does! Armenia could vanish tomorrow and it would make no difference to almost everyone. It makes a differance to me! The only power that Armenia can be certain of ever possessing is the authority it should possess by being morally correct in everything it does. But you (and the likes of Kocharian) would not have a clue about what I am talking about here. Correct I am clueless since I am not a phychic! If the Turksh parliament continues to hold fast against US intimidation then Turkey's standing with the rest of the world will be greatly enhanced. It has done its EU aspirations no end of good. Maybe Armenia in its present state would make an ideal "partner" for America - the same sort of ideal partner that a drunken whore would make for a murderous gangster. no comment As for your personal outbursts it garnishes no worthy reply. Steve

I agree both of you Stormy and Thoth that Turkey is and will be a US puppet but I was hoping with some facts backing me on this that Bush administration is not happy about the delay and millions wasted due to Turkish parliament vote. I believe US will see that Turkey is just a prostitute demanding money for perceived or unperceived reasons. I do hope that Greeks and Armenians make every effort highlighting the Turkey’s duplicity and hopefully tarnish the image for good.

I hope Turkey's standing with US greatly damages due to refusal to allow US troops for now. Apparently BUSH threatened visiting Turkish officials that Armenian lobby is waiting to reinstate the genocide bill in congress. I hope US finally realizes how unreliable Turkey is as an ally and hopefully looks towards Armenia for more reliable partner in the region. Turkey's Erdogan Hints at Vote on Troops SUZAN FRASER Associated Press ANKARA, Turkey - Turkey's top politician Recep Tayyip Erdogan, poised to become prime minister, said his country needs more assurances from Washington on the future of Iraq before agreeing to base U.S. troops for a possible war. Erdogan has backed the deployment of American soldiers to Turkey and hinted he would seek a fresh vote on the matter after parliament on March 1 rejected basing of 62,000 troops here to open a northern front against Iraq. But in an interview after Sunday's sweeping local election victory that won him a seat in parliament, Erdogan appeared in no hurry to resubmit a motion on deployment. "I cannot give a date. There are also steps that the United States has to take," he said. Erdogan said Turkey, a key U.S. ally and the only NATO member bordering Iraq, was still seeking assurances from Washington "on the role" it would play post-Saddam Hussein. He did not elaborate. Turkey, which fears northern Iraqi Kurds may declare independence in the aftermath of a war, has been pressing for a say in the future of Iraq if Saddam is ousted. Secession by Iraqi Kurds could inspire Turkey's rebel Kurds, who for 15 years have been fighting for autonomy. "What will Turkey's role be? If Turkey has no role in this, why would Turkey share such a risk? This must be clarified," Erdogan said. Turkey also wanted guaranteed rights for Iraq's Turkmen population, he said. Turkey has close ethnic ties with the Turkmens and is concerned their rights are being overlooked by the more numerous Kurds and Arabs. A Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Monday that U.S. Ambassador Robert Pearson had addressed Erdogan's concerns in a three-hour meeting Sunday. The diplomat confirmed the Turks were seeking further assurances from Washington. But Erdogan said his questions on Turkey's role and the Turkmen issue were not answered in his meeting with Pearson. Erdogan also said Turkey would wait for the U.N. Security Council to vote on a U.S.-backed resolution that would give Iraq until March 17 to disarm or face war. "We have the U.N. Security Council before us. We have the process of forming a new government," Erdogan told CNN-Turk television when asked about a new resolution. "We need to assess all these very carefully, and then we will take a decision." Turks overwhelmingly oppose a war, but snubbing the United States is a risk Turkey cannot afford to take. Ankara would strain ties with Washington and forfeit a $15 billion U.S. aid package offered to offset the effects of war on the frail economy. Erdogan blamed parliament's rejection of troop deployment last week on pressure from Washington. "On the issue of the motion, there was no need to act with such haste," he said. "The right atmosphere, environment needs to be created." Erdogan leads the Justice and Development Party, the dominant force in parliament which captured 84.7 percent of votes Sunday in a by-election in the southeastern town of Siirt. The party won all three seats contested there, paving the way for Erdogan - previously banned from running for office - to enter parliament and become prime minister. Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said he would resign Tuesday or Wednesday, after Erdogan had been sworn in as a member of parliament. "After he has taken his oath, I will go to the president and open the way for the formation of a new government," Gul said after what is likely the last meeting of his Cabinet. Erdogan, seen as already running Turkey from behind the scenes, said he planned to make changes to the government - predicted by analysts to be the sacking of ministers who opposed the U.S. troop deployment. "We will meet with Mr. Gul ... to assess the performances (of the ministers) and take steps accordingly," he said. Erdogan had been barred from running in November national elections because of a conviction for inciting religious hatred over a poem he read at a 1997 rally in Siirt, 60 miles north of the Iraqi border. He spent four months in prison in 1999. He was able to run in Sunday's by-elections after Justice lawmakers changed the constitution, and voting in Siirt was rescheduled after the election board ruled a ballot box there had been tampered with during the national vote. "He left with a poem, and his return was like poetry," headlined the newspaper Yeni Safak.

quote:Originally posted by ara baliozian:[QB]Saturday, March 08, 2003 ***************************** * Our inability to engage in dialogue is a collective blind spot. It has alienated more Armenians than victims of Turkish atrocities. * QB] Dear Ara It seems that you are practicing what you are condemning fellow Armenians for. Axel and Sasun brought up legitimate points and it is too bad that instead of understanding and dialogue, you might of distanced two more Armenians from yourself. I hope you do engage often not to argue but like you say mutual dialogue.Regards

The Place of Truth in Journalism: An Interview with Robert Fisk “RF: I have suggested that the Armenians recognize the Turks, of which there were many and whom the Armenians know, who helped the Armenians during the Genocide in a manner similar to that in which the Israelis recognize the "righteous gentiles" of World War II [note: the reference to "righteous gentiles" refers to those non-Jews who saved Jews during World War II]. This recognition would make it easier for the Turks to recognize the Genocide. It also makes it harder to deny the courage of their own people, who took great risks to assist their Armenian friends and neighbors.” “Stephen Kinzer published an article on April 24, 2002, in which he states that there is no need for a museum in Washington for the disputed Armenian Genocide, especially because a museum already exists for the undeniable Holocaust of World War II. This type of journalistic distortion by claiming a well-documented genocide is questionable while another is undeniable highlights the often one-sided nature of American reporting.” http://www.hairenik.com/armenianweekly/frames.html You can read this interesting interview in full at the site above

The sketch, which I wrote, is mostly based on true events, which took place recently in LA. The Jewish museum of tolerance “ironic name” removed all related Armenian genocide material due to Turkish pressure and certain Rabbi was instrumental part of it. While I certainly understand the knee jerk reactions due to political correctness I however transpose over those ordinary sentiments. There is a greater reality which lurks under every human soul and that is in essence where my interest rests.

Inspired by Sip's post The Pink Cadillac There was this grandiose old pink convertible Cadillac floating on Wilshire Boulevard with its equally colorful characters on board. Rabbi was sitting in the back, side curls bouncing off the wind-like a whining Hebrew prayer- going up and down hitting on his black hat, which he was holding against the wind. The front seat was down and his legs were stretched like a Turkish Sultan. The front driver must of been one of his students and his white yarmulke contrasted sharply with the Cadillac’s pink. Despite of the apparent relaxed scene the Rabbi was being tormented by his conscious. His silence during the board meeting at the “tolerance Jewish museum” about exclusion of the Armenian genocide exhibit was troubling him. He often rationalized about such matters concerning other people's sufferings but never the less he did not have the moral courage to object the board members composed of most devoted Jewish community members. He sat there at the far end of the table and listened the Turkish consulate’s grievances regarding the Armenians. The more he listened the content of the letter “civil war”, “no genocide occurred”, “both sides lost lives” the more he felt small, insignificant since he knew those lies were manufactured for decades by the Turkish government and the killings of the Armenians were as indiscriminate as those of the Jews killed by the Nazis. His believe in God was questioned. He knew deep down that the politics has little in common with morality but supporting the Turks in a most blatant way was going against everything he experienced and believed in his religion. He knew Jews were in a similar historical crossroads and he could not find any rational reason to go along with the decision of the board to exclude the Armenians and yet he sat there in silence unable to object, unable to think, unable to feel human… The wind was blowing his side curls and the sun was shinning bright on his forehead. Rabbi picked up his prayer book and started rocking back and forth murmuring prayers. The car passed an Armenian grocery store but the Rabbi did not notice observed in prayer time and events lapsed in Californian tranquility… your comments are welcome [ March 09, 2003, 10:50 AM: Message edited by: Rubo ]

I feel differently about the stores being open on 24th. They should be open and all the profits should be donated to worthy causes. I agree with you Azat and share your outrage. In Boston it is lot less products from Turkey.We do have plenty of products from Armenia that can easily compete with the Turkish ones. For example dried fruits, jams, dried herbs, dried pees, beans, tomato pastes are also available in Armenia and distributed in US.I believe bad habits established long ego has cemented the consciousness of these store owners but things have changed. Now we have a free Armenia and no reason not to support our fellow Armenians.

There can be more then one reason for Iraqi war 1. Oil 2. Control of the region 3. Future geopolitical objectives 4. Easy target for “revenge” for sept. 11 even though most of the terrorists were Saudis. 5. Reelection coming up soon… As for the mass weapons of destruction? Hallow reasoning since Sadam if he wanted he could of used real bio warheads on his scuds on Israel during the Gulf war but clearly he is not that stupid knowing well that Israel and US are capable of blowing up Iraq off the map.

Hi guys and galls since you probably know I am a somewhat a chess buff (working on improving my rating now)Here is what’s going on in chess world. Thursday February 6, 1:37 PM Kasparov, computer draw 5th game of chess By Grant McCool NEW YORK (Reuters) - Chess great Garry Kasparov was held to a draw by the chess-playing computer Deep Junior after the software program made a speculative bishop sacrifice in Wednesday's fifth game of their six-game match in New York. The match is tied at 2-1/2 points each with everything to play for in Friday's final game of the contest billed the International Chess Federation's Man vs Machine world championship. "The last game is very difficult for a human. It is a great burden on my shoulders," said Kasparov, who holds the world No. 1 ranking. He famously lost a match to the IBM supercomputer Deep Blue six years ago and is in the identical situation after Wednesday's game. "I hope I can do better than in '97," he said. Each side has won a game and there have been three draws. One point is awarded for a win and a half point for a draw. In October, world champion Vladimir Kramnik tied his eight-game match against a German-built program called Deep Fritz in Bahrain. Kasparov, considered by chess experts to be the greatest player in the history of the ancient game, is still ranked No. 1 ahead of Kramnik. Kasparov playing with the white pieces and having the advantage of the first move, and Deep Junior opened relatively quietly. But on the computer's 10th turn, it gave up a bishop for a pawn in what chess experts watching the game at the New York Athletic Club described as an unusually speculative attack on the king by a machine. Kasparov's king was sent scurrying up the board and, in a defensive posture, the former world champion decided to take a less risky course that resulted in the position being repeated three times, which is a draw under the rules of chess. Only 19 moves had been played in 90 minutes at the board. The Israeli programmers of Deep Junior, a software program that can run on a general purpose PC and calculates 3 million positions a second, said the computer's analysis showed Kasparov had made the best choice. "Garry is the toughest and everything is really open," programmer Shay Bushinksy said of Friday's crucial game in the $1 million contest. The winner will take home $300,000 and the loser $200,000. Each side will be awarded $250,000 if the match ends in a tie. Kasparov is also being paid a $500,000 appearance fee. Kasparov, as he vowed six years ago, has thrown out his cautious "anti-computer" strategy for bold, aggressive formations. Experts say that allowing complications when lots of pieces are on the board favors the machine's calculating powers. Computer programs such as Deep Junior playing at the level of a grandmaster instantly punish every human mistake.

Harout, Elly I am now also a ICC user but only as a guest so far.Lot of info to learn but I love it.I checked blitz games by Gasparov 3100 rating agaist Akopian.G. totally killed him.It is just great even to go over GM games.You should of not done this to me...now I am a captive

I thought somebody here (mj) did not care about the “symbols”…There are indeed more serious issues impending then worrying about some fanatic having our symbol placed on yogurt. Just my two cents. It is not worth placing your family in danger for some lunatic and his many incarnations. You never know what these fanatics might be capable of doing. I rather fight issues which have merit.

Loreley, I am jealous, you can read Garcia Marques, Miguel de Unamuno, Pablo Neruda in Spanish and I have to be content with second best versions. . BTW I agree with you on content

quote:Originally posted by Azat:Maybe you can tell him that there are some Armenian guys who think they can make a shish kebab of him when it comes to chess. (Rubo please start to practice) I am starting the push-ups 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...5-1/2...

quote:Originally posted by nairi: quote:Originally posted by Rubo:however had that person knew something more about who I really am in real live they might of showed greater restrain. Rubo jan, do you know who you really are in real life? If so, how did you find out? Nairi Jan, yes you got me there. At thirty eight I know less then what I knew at seven and I hope someday to see the world like a child again.

Thoth thanks for kind words. You made me reach and open a reserve Malbec from Argentina. No, I got no cellar more like a kitchen wire hanger. Vava jan we dance in the same circle. H.N.Y. to everyone!

Deeply tragic and sad.Is there anyone here who posts from Yerevan?Your views are highly anticipated since you are closer to this tragic event.

Vava, you have raised great points and something to think deeper…but my comments are driven from the experience of being personally verbally assaulted precisely because of issues on hand however had that person knew something more about who I really am in real live they might of showed greater restrain. Great Example is Ara Baliozian.He gets unjustly verbally abused on regular bases but few if anybody knows him as a living breathing person who we can hurt deeply by our vulgar comments. Unfortunately some people take advantage of the anonymous nature of the Internet and therefore feel free to reveal their worst possible traits. That is why I feel knowing more about the person beyond issues may remind one that there is a real person beyond those lines and not unfeeling, unmoving caricatures.