vava

Ok - that's what I thought, and that was exactly what I was getting at. However, I would not describe my view as skeptical exactly. I'm actually rather conflicted - part of me is truly inspired by Obama's words and really wants to believe that he will be the catalyst to AG recognition in the US. Everything he's done so far points in this direction. It's perhaps too much to expect him to bring about that kind of foreign policy change just a few mere months into his mandate. The other part of me feels, sadly enough, that I'm simply a member of the "masses" you previously referred to - far to eager to fall for a well crafted words of a politician. At least he's particularly gifted politician this time...

Good to see you again shiner. I'm not at all certain of what you mean by this statement (apart from the obvious truth). I can't help but think there's something else implied within... care to elaborate?

Thank you Arpa... I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who was slightly put-off by the generally negative reaction to Obama's statements. All we need now is to shake his resolve to "acheive a full, frank and just acknowledgment of the facts."

Yum!

For those who don't know of it, the CBC site here up north has a great series of concerts, recorded live, available on demand. Some of these are just amazing, and the breadth of genres and material is quite impressive. Our very own Isabella Bayrakdarian (I know, Arpa jan, let it be....) has some concerts listed. The link I posted is a performance of Armenian (and some greek) songs with the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra recorded this past march. Here's the link to Concerts on Demand (cbc.ca) Happy listening!

Actually, that's not what he said at all. While Obama's address leaves something to be desired from an Armenian perspective, he manages somehow to give us some tantalizing morsels of hope. Your rhetoric on the other hand is just way out in left field.

Bari taredarts! (belated as usual )

Happy Easter, Maralik

You take the carrots and onions to the gym, get on the tread mill, and... No, actually:

I just posted the following HERE. But i figured it was relevant in this thread as well. Sorry for the double posting...

Reading the last few posts - I keep asking myself, does anyone actually believe (I mean really believe, not just hopefulness) that the official US policy on AG recognition will change because of this man? He's an amazing orator, and he seemingly has an incredible ability to catalyze the american public towards change, BUT, the AG decision is hardly about your average "joe the plumber". It's a deep rooted political issue that has significant implications (foreign policy & otherwise). Ag recognition seems to have become a tool, (a pawn, a commodity, call it what you will) for negotiation. Apart from doing the "right" thing, what will Mr. Obama gain by supporting a policy change?

I was wondering the same thing. Is "lepne" like the lebanese "labneh"? They sound similar....

He said "line", not "list"

Thanks for the birthday wishes! It's always nice to hear from you folks! Shat shnorakalem Hima ourakh ke kenem...

So out of character for you!

Sip - the PC is provided by work - so no chance on the TT. Azat, I love the hidesign bags - they're leather and they look fantastic, but since I'm commuting by transit about 30 min each trip per day, I need something ultra comfortable that won't put my shoulders out of wack. Leather by nature is heavier than the synthetics they produce these days so I don't think I'll go that route. The grove is more what I had in mind, however I wish I could find something similar that *looked* less like a backpack... :/ Still searching... Oh, and thanks for the suggestions btw

Hey folks, I need suggestions for a new laptop bag. For years I used a pretty cool laptop backpack which held the machine close to my back and had formed and padded straps which made for a very comfortable fit. I didn't get a sore back or shoulders - or very rarely. Unfortunately, it's pretty worn out and I can't find another bag that's similar and yet still looks cool, and can also be used in a more formal business environment. Essentially here's are the features I'm looking for: 1 - comfort - needs to be comfortable, even with a fair amount of weight ie. laptop, charger, some files, notebook etc. 2 - look - needs to be stylish and yet suitable for business use - ie. not a sporty back pack 3 - size - not over-sized - my laptop is a 15" model and I don't anticipate getting anything larger in the near future. But I will carry a lunch to work regularly, so it should have enough capacity for the computer plus a small tupperware. Any suggestions that may fit the above would be helpful. Price is not an issue at this time but I don't anticipate spending loads of money on a mere bag. Thanks!

And I LOVE Azat's avatar

Great thread! I love chocolate - but try to limit my intake as it can quickly grow into what can be desribed as "addiction". There's an artisan chocolatier here in town: Genevieve Grandbois - she makes amazing chocolates, often times with more interesting ingredients like saffron, cayenne and seranno peppers, and white truffle oil. She used to have just one little store in the neighborhood, but now she's expanded all over the city.

Happy Birthday l'il lady!

LOL - I don't know whether it's funny 'cause it's only partially true, or if it's downright sad because it's partially true...

Yum! You guys are making me hungry Nairi - I dont' make Fesenjan. My wife (an odar) just loves it, so she's the one who makes it. And as a bonus, she uses my Mom's recipe... lucky me! I clearly favour Duck fesenjan over the Chicken variety - but both are delicious. Nan. your herb omelet sounds great too... man, I got to get me some food!

Ok, maybe not quite like tea Nevertheless, here ya go: koo koo sabsi (note, this version is baked, not fried - the leeks are fried only slightly to cook them) Ingredients: - Some olive oil, butter, or clarified butter (ghee) - don't need much - about 6 eggs - pinch of salt, some fresh ground pepper - a few cloves of garlic, chopped finely - a few leeks*, cleaned and chopped - a bunch of parsley*, chopped - a bunch of fresh coriander* (cilantro), chopped - a bunch of fresh dill*, chopped - Some dried fenugreek (it's hard to find fresh, but you can by a bag of it dried and then soak a small handful to re-hydrate it, or just use it dry) *For the fresh chopped herbs, I use approx equal parts (I would guess about 1 cup or a bit more, of each) Instructions: - Preheat oven to 350°F, put some olive oil or butter in a shallow baking dish (I use the ceramic bakeware like this one) - In a fry pan, lightly fry the leeks with the garlic in some olive oil or butter until they are beginning to sweat - allow to cool a bit - Break the eggs into a fairly large bowl. Add the salt and pepper. Lightly beat the eggs and add in the chopped parsley, coriander, dill, fenugreek and the leek/garlic mix. - Pour the egg and herbs mixture into the baking dish and bake uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes, until the edge is golden brown. - When you remove the koo koo, let it cool slightly before removing it from the baking dish. As it cools, it should unstick a bit from the sides - then you just invert it onto a serving platter Once you get good at chopping herbs, it really takes no time at all. If not, use a food processor - but in these amounts it's really not necessary. Yum!

I'm under the impression that true researchers and advocates studying the concept(s) of epigenetics feel this guy is out to lunch. But who knows, really? Scientists think they have a pretty good idea of what takes place leading up to and during gene expression, but there's still a lot left to learn... there could be some truth to what he's saying.

Spinach in koo koo? Sacrilege! I've always made it with parsley, cilantro, dill, leeks, and fenugreek (is that the farsi shambelileh?) Nairi - it's super easy to make! I can send you a quick & dirty recipe (healthy too, since I bake vs. fry) yum!