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  • ASBAREZ Online [01-14-2005]

    ASBAREZ ONLINE
    TOP STORIES
    01/14/2005
    TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
    WEBSITE AT <http://www.asbarez.com/>HTTP://WWW.ASBAREZ.COM

    1) Armenian Insurance Settlement Fund Board Delivers First $3 Million to
    Armenian Charities
    2) Armenian Refugees Appeal to European Court of Justice
    3) Turkish Press Continues to Fabricate Reports on Historians' Meeting
    4) Moscow Hails Progress toward Karabagh Settlement
    5) 'Always Drunk and Asleep Before Me, My Guardian Angel'
    6) California Armenian Woman Missing in Thailand
    7) UNESCO, Armenia to Celebrate 1600 Years of ABCs
    8) $500,000 Raised for USC Armenian Institute in Advance of February 13
    Inaugural Gala
    9) Ark Family Services Announces New Programs and Services for Youth and
    Families.
    10) Barnsdall Park to Host Series of Armenian Concert Events
    11) Hye Shakar IV Concert to Benefit Juvenile Diabetes in Armenia
    12) Hamazkayin Partners With Kennedy Center to Feature 'Zulal'
    in Washington, DC
    13) Hagop Hagopian at HARVEST GALLERY
    14) GROUNDS FOR SUPERSTITION AND SILLY BEHAVIOR
    15) Tidbits from The Diner
    16) The Elections Are Coming, The Elections Are Coming!

    1) Armenian Insurance Settlement Fund Board Delivers First $3 Million to
    Armenian Charities

    The Armenian Insurance Settlement Fund Board released the sum of $3 million
    last week for distribution to nine Armenian charitable organizations. The
    funds
    were the first distributions from the proceeds of the settlement in Marootian
    v. New York Life Insurance Co.
    The Marootian case was a class action suit filed in United States District
    Court by the heirs of Armenians who had purchased life insurance from New York
    Life in the Ottoman Empire prior to 1915. The heirs contend that upon the
    deaths of the policyholders, many of whom were murdered by Turks during the
    Armenian genocide, New York Life did not pay the benefits on these policies.
    Last year, New York Life agreed to settle the class action suit by paying a
    total of $20 million, including up to $11 million for the heirs of the
    policyholders, at least $3 million for specified Armenian charities, and $6
    million for attorneys' fees and administrative expenses.
    Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the initial $3 million
    distribution is to be divided equally by the AGBU, the Armenian Relief
    Society,
    the Armenian Education Foundation, the Armenian Missionary Association, the
    Armenian Catholic Church, both the Eastern and Western Dioceses of the
    Armenian
    Church of North America, and both the Eastern and Western Prelacies of the
    Armenian Apostolic Church. The Settlement Fund Board released these funds to
    the attorneys for the plaintiffs in the case, who will deliver the checks to
    the charities. In addition, the Settlement Fund Board released the funds
    allocated by the settlement agreement to various named plaintiffs, including
    lead plaintiff Martin Marootian.
    The Settlement Fund Board is an independent panel appointed by California
    State Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi for the purpose of evaluating the
    claims of individuals who contend they are heirs who are entitled to
    compensation from New York Life under the agreement and distributing the funds
    allocated by the settlement agreement. The Board members are attorney and law
    professor Berj Boyajian; attorney and Burbank Board of Education Vice
    President
    Paul Krekorian; and physician and health care activist Viken Manjikian.
    The Board is scheduled to begin considering individual claims in March.
    Anyone who believes there is even a possibility that they are the heir of a
    New
    York Life policyholder whose benefits were not paid must submit a "Notice of
    Claim" form to the Settlement Fund Board in order to avoid waiving the
    right to
    recover. All Notice of Claim forms must be postmarked no later than March 16,
    2005.
    For further information or to obtain a Notice of Claim form, please call the
    toll free information line at 1-866-422-0124 or visit
    <http://www.armenianinsurancesettlement.com/>www.armenianinsurancesettlemen
    t.com. The website includes a partial list of policyholders, but it is not
    necessary that your ancestor's name appear on the list in order to submit a
    Notice of Claim.


    2) Armenian Refugees Appeal to European Court of Justice

    BAKU (Noyan Tapan)--Thirty citizens of Armenia have appealed to the European
    Court of Justice, seeking compensation from Azerbaijan for their forced
    displacement from the Ketashen and Shahumian regions of Mountainous Karabagh,
    between the years of 1991 and 1994.
    The Trend news agency reports that, in their appeal, the refugees emphasize
    Azerbaijan's violation of their land ownership, residency, and other rights.
    According to procedure, the court's secretariat records the appeal and
    presents it for review.


    3) Turkish Press Continues to Fabricate Reports on Historians' Meeting

    ISTANBUL (Marmara)--The Anadolu news agency reported that a meeting between
    Armenian and Turkish historians, scheduled to take place in Vienna in order to
    discuss the Armenian genocide, has been canceled.
    The intent of the May meeting, according to the Turkish agency, was an
    exchange and review of documents by both sides. The reason for the
    cancellation, writes Anadolu, was the failure of the Armenian side to present
    documents as planned and promised. It adds that, although during their meeting
    in July 2004, Armenian and Turkish historians exchanged hundreds of documents,
    it remained unclear whether the Armenian side would participate in the
    upcoming
    meeting in Vienna.
    "Those who know of this issue also know that the [Turkish] press has
    consistently given false information," writes the Istanbul-based Armenian
    newspaper Marmara, and explains that the "first Vienna meeting" Anadolu wrote
    about never took place because Armenian historians refused to participate.
    The director of the Armenian Genocide Institute-Museum, historian Dr.
    Lavrenti
    Barseghyan has consistently denied that the meeting took place--which the
    Turkish press insists he attended.
    Armenian historians have categorically asserted that they refuse to
    participate in meetings that attempt to establish whether of not Armenian
    genocide took place.


    4) Moscow Hails Progress toward Karabagh Settlement

    MOSCOW (RIA Novosti)--A recently released report by the Russian foreign
    ministry highlights positive shifts in Armenia's and Azerbaijan's conceptual
    approaches to reaching a settlement in the Karabagh conflict.
    Noting the January 10 Prague meeting between Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan
    Oskanian and his Azeri counterpart Elmar Mamedyarov, the report hails such
    progress as it allows for dialogue to "take on a routine nature."
    Referring to the OCSE Minsk Groups involvement in negotiations between
    Armenia
    and Azerbaijan, the report states that international participation has proven
    that virtually all aspects of the Karabagh conflict are being considered.
    "These include such disputes as the withdrawal of Armenian troops,
    demilitarization of this territory, international guarantees, and the future
    status of Karabagh."
    It continues to commend both sides for their readiness to abate tensions
    created by the Karabagh conflict and consequently improve the situation in the
    South Caucasus region.
    "The sides can be praised for their agreement on the implementation of an
    earlier-made decision to send a fact-finding OSCE Minsk Group mission to the
    Karabagh zone, as well as on seeking to organize an Azeri-Armenian summit in
    Warsaw this summer."
    The Russian foreign ministry's report concludes by reaffirming Moscow's role
    to assist in an ever deeper mutual understanding between Armenia and
    Azerbaijan
    to attain a peaceful settlement of the conflict.


    5) 'Always Drunk and Asleep Before Me, My Guardian Angel'

    Leonardo Alishan wrote those lines five years ago. He died in a horrific house
    fire last Sunday, at the age of 53.

    By Jenny Kiljian

    Celebrated poet Leonardo Alishan died on Sunday, January 9, when a fire tore
    through his Salt Lake City, Utah home.
    Born in Tehran, Iran, Alishan came to the United States in 1973 for graduate
    studies. Alishan married Neli Assadurian in 1974, and had three children,
    Michael, Ara, and Eileen. The couple were later divorced in 1993 but remained
    friends.
    Alishan earned a doctorate in comparative literature from the University of
    Texas at Austin before moving to Utah, where he taught Persian literature and
    comparative literature for twenty years at the University of Utah.
    He published two books of poetry. Dancing Barefoot on Broken Glass was
    published in 1991, and Through a Dewdropa collection of haiku, tanka, and
    senryuin 2000. He also contributed his poetry to literary journals, including
    the Burning Bush and Aspora.
    His poems explored love and romance, the Armenian genocide, and feelings of
    isolation. Many people have characterized Alishan's work as being distinctly
    Armenian in feeling, even though the poems are in English. Alishan focused
    heavily on his grandmother, a genocide survivor who took care of him in his
    childhood. Her hands figure as a central motif in several poems from Dancing
    Barefoot on Broken Glass.
    Those who knew Alishan are reeling from the news of his death. "It's a
    terrible
    loss," said his friend Ara Oshagan, who interviewed Alishan in the early
    nineties for the Asbarez newspaper in Los Angeles. "We don't have that many
    accomplished poets in the English language and he was definitely one of them,
    both widely published and recognized. It's a great loss to Armenian letters."
    While he was in his basement apartment, a fire on the first level caused the
    floor to collapse, trapping Alishan under the debris.
    Firefighters arrived on the scene minutes after neighbors called 911, but the
    damage was insurmountable. "We don't know how long the fire had been burning
    before neighbors called 911," said Capt. Michael Jensen, public information
    officer of the Unified Fire Authority. "Our crews did the best they could, but
    it was too late to save him by the time we got there."
    Firefighters discovered Alishan's remains on his bed; officials believe he
    was
    not aware of the fire, according to Jensen. The cause of the fire will remain
    undetermined. "The floor had collapsed, and the evidence was destroyed in the
    fire," Jensen said.
    Leonardo Alishan is survived by his former wife, Neli, and their three
    children, Ara, Michael and Eileen. Funeral services will be held Saturday,
    January 15, 2005, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 3015 E.
    Creek Road. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Asian Tsunami
    victims in care of Red Cross, P.O. Box 38436, SLC, UT 84110.

    Tired Thoughts
    Leonardo Alishan

    They have buried ten million mines
    in Afghanistan, one land mine
    for every two or three Afghans,
    regardless of age or ethnic background.

    They have planted death in the womb
    of the mother. Prosthetic limbs are airdropped
    with food. They have planted a mine
    under God's pillow and his dreams of doves.

    Every night a new dark dream spreads
    its wings in my sleep. This morning I woke
    with a throbbing headache. I woke tired.
    I had defused or detonated mines all night.

    A dream so real, I checked my limbs.
    They were still mine. A dream so dark
    I checked my heart. God was still there.
    But also still mine and also still there

    was the problem of ten million mines,
    ten million limbs, ten million lives, ten million
    dreams, blown apart in the heart of a God
    who plows with the farmers and lives in my heart.


    6) California Armenian Woman Missing in Thailand

    By Jenny Kiljian

    Los Angeles resident Armine Kevorkian, 60, was vacationing at a beachfront
    resort in Khaolik, Thailand, when the tsunami hit on December 26, 2004.
    Krikor Kevorkian and his family, who live in North Hollywood, Calif., are
    waiting on news of his sister's whereabouts. Kevorkian has given a DNA sample
    to the US State Department so that they can identify his sister.
    The family received a letter from the hotel manager, according to her niece
    Talin Kevorkian, saying that the bungalow Armine Kevorkian and her boyfriend
    Richard Morris, 63, were staying in was destroyed. The couple was sleeping at
    the time the giant wave came to shore.
    Talin Kevorkian says her aunt liked to travel, and had been on a trip around
    the world since July. Armine Kevorkian contacted her family by e-mail once a
    month.
    According to the Armenian Embassy in Washington, D., Armine Kevorkian is the
    only Armenian missing from the region.
    One Russian-Armenian man was reportedly injured in Thailand and flown back to
    Russia for treatment, according to embassy spokesperson Haik Gugarats. He
    confirmed that no Armenians live in Madras, the capital of India's Tamil Nadu
    state that was most affected by the tsunami. Gugarats confirmed that one man,
    the former caretaker of the Armenian Church in Madras, had recently moved to
    Calcutta and was unharmed.


    7) UNESCO, Armenia to Celebrate 1600 Years of ABCs

    YEREVAN (Arminfo)--UNESCO and the government of Armenia will collaborate to
    celebrate worldwide the 1600th anniversary of the Armenian alphabet, according
    to the secretary general of the UNESCO national commission of Armenia's
    foreign
    ministry Karina Danielyan.
    Officials anticipate more than 20 events as part of the celebration, which
    will take place throughout 2005. "Alphabet Procession," a dramatic show, will
    start in the ancient city of Yervandashat and will end at the Holy See of
    Etchmiadzin. Translators' Day will be marked in the village of Oshakan, the
    home of Mesrob Mashdots, the creator of the Armenian alphabet. Since 1979,
    Translators' Day has been widely commemorated in Armenia once every three
    years.
    During this celebration, the authors of the best translations are awarded a
    special prize named after Yeghishe Charents.
    Armenians in Karabagh, Javakhk, and the diaspora will also participate in
    celebrating the 1600th anniversary of the Armenian alphabet.
    The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization will
    finance an international scientific conference on Armenian studies, according
    to Danielyan, which will be held jointly with the National Academy of Sciences
    of Armenia. An e-conference titled "Information Technologies and Armenian
    Letters" will also be held during the year.
    The celebrations will conclude with a show in October at the National Opera
    House.


    8) $500,000 Raised for USC Armenian Institute in Advance of February 13
    Inaugural Gala

    LOS ANGELES--The campaign leading to the February 13 Inaugural Gala Banquet to
    fund USC's Institute of Armenian Studies has gone into overdrive in
    response to
    unprecedented widespread financial support from the Armenian community. As a
    result of rapidly increasing commitments made during December 2004, over
    $500,000 has already been raised.
    In order for the Institute to begin its work as a distinguished center of
    Armenian academic, intellectual, and cultural life, the initial target is to
    raise $1,000,000 by the time of the banquet. An endowment fund of several
    million dollars would eventually be needed for a fully functional institute.
    The list of donors is growing exponentially by the ever-expanding ranks of
    Armenian Trojan alumni, students, parents, and friends of the University of
    Southern California.
    Prospective donors are invited to make their pledges as soon as possible
    to be
    included in the Institute's Honor Roll and program listings, and to reserve a
    place at the February 13 Inaugural Gala Banquet. Early reservations are
    suggested due to limited seating at USC's Town & Gown Banquet Hall.
    For further information contact
    Savey Tufenkian at (818) 956-8455
    Noelle Moss at (213) 740-4996 or
    Dr. R. Hrair Dekmejian at (213) 740-3619
    [email protected]

    Tax deductible contributions & reservations to be sent to:
    USC Institute of Armenian Studies Inaugural Dinner
    University of Southern California
    USC College of Letters, Arts & Sciences
    3551 Trousdale Parkway, ADM 204
    Los Angeles, CA 90089-4015


    9) Ark Family Services Announces New Programs and Services for Youth and
    Families.

    GLENDALE--Ark Family Services, Inc. celebrated the grand opening of its new
    center in Glendale on Tuesday, December 7, providing an opportunity for
    members
    of the community to gain a better understanding of the services and
    educational
    programs it provides. Among those in attendance were representatives of the
    City of Glendale Youth and Family Services Programs and from the office of
    Assembly member Dario Frommer, as well as organization supporter Hrach
    Khudatyan, MD and his medical staff.
    "We're happy to have a new home," said founder and Executive Director Dr.
    Edward Kudaverdian. "We at Ark have a profound respect for people and life
    itself. We are dedicated to empowering people in generating unlimited
    possibilities and making a difference. Our work provides limitless
    opportunities for growth and development for individuals, relationships,
    families, communities, businesses, institutions, and society as a whole," he
    explained.
    The private, non-profit counseling and educational organization has been
    serving the multi-cultural needs of the residents of Glendale and its
    surrounding communities for the past five years. Ark Family Services offers
    counseling services in English, Armenian, and Farsi, and plans to offer
    them in
    Spanish and Tagalog in the near future.
    Services include counseling and therapy for individuals, couples, families,
    and children. Workshops and group and individual sessions address a myriad of
    topics, including single and two parent family issues, domestic violence,
    anger
    management, marital and partner conflict, parent-child conflict, coping with
    family dysfunction, cultural and social isolation, identity confusion, and
    depression.
    Clinical Director Astik Kudaverdian, MA explained, " As an agency
    dedicated to
    aiding all who seek assistance and direction, Ark's fees are calculated on a
    sliding scale, based on monthly income and household size. This ensures that
    virtually all who cross Ark's threshold receive the support they need."
    Further, to better serve the diverse population of Glendale, Ark continually
    develops and implements new programs to offer culturally competent care.
    "This grand opening celebration allowed us the opportunity to let the
    community know that we are here to serve them at whatever level their
    counseling and/or life-skills training needs may be," commented Melina Sardar,
    MA Educational Director at Ark Family Services, Inc.
    Ark also offers educational programs and seminars in self-fulfillment and
    awareness. Its prime educational program is the "Curriculum for Awakening
    "(CFA), which is designed to train people to generate groundbreaking thinking.
    The CFA Seminar teaches and trains practical tools of how to create and
    maintain a balanced lifestyle, how to reach true potential, excel on the job
    and in school, and develop healthy relationships. The CFA programs are offered
    to all segments of the community--youth and adolescents ages 14-18 and adults
    over 18 with diverse backgrounds and professions. Ms. Sardar concluded, "Among
    the many programs and services we also offer leadership and self expression
    training, volunteering/assisting programs which include life skills coaching
    and mentoring."
    Ark offers free introductory seminars every Monday at 7:30 p.m. For further
    information call (818) 662-7045. Ark Family Services, Inc. is located at
    541 W.
    Colorado Street Suite 302 in Glendale.


    10) Barnsdall Park to Host Series of Armenian Concert Events

    LOS ANGELES--The Armenian Arts Fund released details of an unprecedented
    concert series that will be held at Barnsdall Art Park in Hollywood's Little
    Armenia.
    The series will kick off on Saturday, January 15, with a concert by
    contemporary folk singer Gor Mkhitarian and traditional folk singer Alexander
    Karapetian, as well as folk vocalist Araks Karapetian performing in her debut.
    A night of traditional troubadour music will be presented on Saturday,
    February 5, with performances by the Garni Folk Ensemble, featuring vocalists
    Anahid Shahnazarian and Gagik Badalian.
    The folk theme will continue on Friday and Saturday, March 11 and 12, at the
    Los Angeles premiere of Armenian-Greek classical guitarist Iakovos Kolanian,
    who will perform his renditions of Armenian Folk music. Kolanian will be
    joined
    by the critically acclaimed duduk quintet Winds of Passion.
    The series will conclude on Sunday, April 10, with a concert by world fusion
    artist Armen Chakmakian and his band. All four events will be held at
    Barnsdall
    Art Park's Theater Gallery (4800 Hollywood Boulevard, Little Armenia,
    Hollywood, CA 90027).
    "We'd like to see Little Armenia come alive with all the wonderful musical
    traditions that the Los Angeles Armenian community can offer," said Stepan
    Partamian, founder and president of the Armenian Arts Fund. "But this
    particular concert series is not just about preserving those traditions; it's
    about building on them with fresh energies and ideas. The artists gathered for
    the Barnsdall series represent some of the best talent in the diaspora, and I
    think Little Armenia is the perfect destination for showcasing them."
    Created in 2000, the Armenian Arts Fund is dedicated to fostering excellence
    in Armenian music, the visual arts, literature, and journalism. Supporting
    projects by up-and-coming and established artists alike, the Fund has
    organized
    several concerts since its founding and publishes the "Armenian Arts"
    magazine.
    Proceeds from the Barnsdall Art Park concert series will benefit an Armenian
    Arts Fund project to record "The Divine Liturgy" featuring Winds of Passion,
    which will perform the piece with the traditional Armenian instrument the
    duduk. "This will be a first," Partamian said. "The world-class Armenian
    musicians teaming up for this project will bring a whole new perspective and
    appreciation to one of the gems of Armenian music, 'The Divine Liturgy.'"
    Tickets for individual concerts at Barnsdall Art Park are $30, or $100 for
    all
    four performances. Call (818) 244-2468 for reservations.

    All performances will begin at 8:00PM, except for the Sunday, April 10
    concert
    which is scheduled at 7:00PM


    11) Hye Shakar IV Concert to Benefit Juvenile Diabetes in Armenia

    The Juvenile Diabetes Project of the Armenian American Medical Society of
    California will be sponsoring Hye Shakar IV at the Glendale High School
    Auditorium on February 27 at 3:30 PM. The project has been in operation since
    1993, supplying all juvenile diabetics in Armenia, Artsakh, and even those in
    southern Georgia, with human insulin, visual teststrips, supplies, and
    information about their blood sugars. The effort has dramatically reduced the
    short and long-term complications from this devastating disease.
    The concert will star the a capella singing group Zulal from New York and the
    amazing drummer Jacob Armen and his band.
    Before the start of the Juvenile Diabetes Project, juvenile diabetes in
    Armenia meant a life of frequent short term complications from low blood
    sugars
    (hypoglycemia) resulting in coma and even death, and long term complications
    from high blood sugars (hyperglycemia) resulting in weight loss, blindness,
    kidney disease, hypertension, nerve damage, stroke, and heart disease. Life
    was
    not only severely shortened, but was also very depressing and difficult.
    The program has supplied children with visual blood teststrips (which they
    split to get several readings), human insulin, syringes, lancets, and the
    proper books in eastern Armenian--to markedly reduce both the short and long
    term complications of the disease in children--allowing them to lead a near
    normal lifestyle.
    As a result, they have been able to plan their education, careers, and
    expect
    a normal life. No other program has made such a dramatic improvement in
    children with diabetes in the former Soviet Union.
    With the $12,000 raised by the Knights of Vartan Sevan Tahlij 50th
    anniversary
    banquet in 2003 and the money raised by the Hye Shakar III concert in 2004,
    the
    organization was able to purchase two years of visual teststrips for the
    children.
    The money raised from the upcoming concert will be used to purchase human
    insulin. All supplies are given to children without charge and are sent to
    Armenia through the United Armenian Fund. The project is under the guidance of
    Dr. Elmira Pashinyan, Chief of Pediatric Endocrinology at Children's Hospital
    #4 in Yerevan. The 600 patients covered by this project range from under one
    year of age to their late teens and early twenties.
    Ticket prices are $50, $37.50, $25, $15, as well as a separate section
    for
    high school students for $10 with a valid school ID. Tickets can be purchased
    from the following:

    SFV/Hollywood: Hourig (323) 466-0497
    Glendale: Marina (818) 243-5731
    Pasadena: Seda (818) 790-7271
    Orange County: Olga (949) 574-3508
    San Diego: Mark (858) 259-9337
    Dr. Malayan (818) 550-0702
    Abril Bookstore (818) 243-4112
    Sardarabad Bookstore (818) 500-0790

    All donations should be sent to the AAMSC at 834 Ida Ave. Solana Beach, CA
    92075 and will be listed in the program. The AAMSC is a 501(c)(3) organization
    and all donations are tax deductible.

    All proceeds from the concert will go towards the purchase of medicine to
    improve the lives of children in Armenia with stricken by diabetes.


    12) Hamazkayin Partners With Kennedy Center to Feature 'Zulal' in Washington,
    DC

    Performance Part of Hamazkayin Evening Dedicated to Supporting Young
    Armenians in the Arts

    WASHINGTON, DC--The Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society
    joined forces with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to
    sponsor a New Year's weekend performance of Armenian folk music on the
    Center's
    Millenium Stage. The concert was part of an evening organized by the
    Hamazkayin
    Washington chapter dedicated to supporting young Armenians in the performing
    and visual arts.
    The Zulal Armenian A Capella Trio performed a range of songs showcasing
    Armenia's folk music heritage before a standing-room-only audience of more
    than
    600 Washingtonians gathered at the world-renowned Kennedy Center. Using
    original arrangements of melodies and harmonies, the group presented a
    repertoire of songs that drew on the rich tradition of Armenia's rural music,
    including songs such as `Sari Siroon Yar' and `Sareri Hovin Mernem.'
    Following the concert, the Hamazkayin Washington chapter hosted a photography
    exhibit titled `A Window to Armenia,' featuring the works of Arsineh
    Khachikian
    at the Soorp Khatch Armenian Apostolic Church Hall. A Washington DC native,
    Ms.
    Khachikian shared with attendees a photographic journey across Armenia's
    mountains, villages and people. The exhibit displayed more than 30 color and
    black and white images depicting a range of subjects from panoramic landscapes
    to poignant close-up portraits.
    "By sponsoring such performances and exhibits, Hamazkayin is pleased to help
    young Armenian artists gain increased exposure in the nation's capital,'
    stated
    Maggie Simonian, chair of the Hamazkayin Washington DC chapter. `Hamazkayin
    would like to thank the Kennedy Center for opening their Millenium Stage to
    our
    organization as well as acknowledge the Armenian Embassy for their
    collaboration in making this event a success."
    Founded in 1928, the Hamazkayin Armenian Educational and Cultural Society is
    dedicated to the preservation and advancement of the history and the cultural
    heritage of the Armenian nation. Hamazkayin has chapters throughout the United
    States, Canada, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Australia, as well
    as the Republic of Armenia.

    A recording of the concert featuring Zulal is available on the Kennedy Center
    Website at:
    <http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/artist_detail.cfm?artist_
    id=ZULAL>http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/millennium/artist_detail.cf
    m?artist_id=ZULAL.


    13) Hagop Hagopian at HARVEST GALLERY

    GLENDALE--A rare solo exhibition of works by internationally acclaimed artist
    Hagop Hagopian will run at Glendale's Harvest Gallery from January 21 to
    February 6, and will feature works spanning the last decade.
    The artist's first solo exhibition in the United States in more than five
    years will present over 25 watercolors and oil paintings
    Hagopian's canvases evoke a profound sense of realism through the use of oils
    and watercolors that enhance images, symbols, scenes, and ideas. "His
    transparent hues and clear graphic lines are so perfect that they seem to be
    unsurpassable. With each new work, Hagopian proves that there is no limit to
    perfection. Only a great master can do that," says famed artist Jean Carzou.
    Born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1923, Hagopian was educated in Paris and
    Cairo at
    the Institute of Fine Arts and the Académie de la Grande Chaumiére,
    respectively. Hagopian moved to Armenia in 1962, where he worked as a design
    artist in a textile factory in Gyumri.
    His first solo exhibit was in 1963 in Armenia's capital, Yerevan. In 1977,
    Hagopian was awarded the State Prize of Armenia and the People's Artist of
    Armenia. In 1986, he won the coveted State Prize of USSR for this pictorial of
    My Land and was elected a full-member of the Academy of Arts of the USSR.
    Hagopian has exhibited throughout the world including in Cyprus, Finland,
    France, Germany, Lebanon, the United Kingdom, and the US.
    Hagopian's exhibit will be on display from Friday, January 21 through Sunday,
    February 6. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Sunday 11:00AM to 7:00PM. For
    general information about the exhibit, call Harvest Gallery at 818.546.1000.

    Artist Opening Reception
    Friday, January 21 6:00--10:00PM
    Exhibition Dates: January 21 through February 6


    14) GROUNDS FOR SUPERSTITION AND SILLY BEHAVIOR

    By Skeptik Sinikian

    The other day, while at a coffee shop, I noticed an Armenian man in his
    40s or
    50s finish his single shot of espresso, then flip the tiny paper cup over on a
    napkin. I didn't think much of the gesture at first but after five minutes,
    when he flipped the cup back over and started staring at the remnants of the
    coffee grinds, I realized that the poor sap was trying to read his own
    fortune.
    Too busy to make a decent, thick-as-mud cup of Armenian coffee, our friend was
    using a commercial substitute to satisfy his urge to know his future.
    I wanted to approach this man and tell him that I could save saved him the
    trouble of reading his grinds by telling him what the coffee grounds said.
    After all, it's always the same two or three things. You're either going to
    receive a letter from a strange man. You're going to go on a trip or you're
    either going to win or lose money. Sometimes the letter is actually news and
    it's brought to you by a bird instead of a strange man but this is only a
    slight variation on the three different predictions commonly used by Armenian
    grandmothers worldwide.
    I personally don't believe that a person's future is determined by the
    leftovers of someone's coffee. I don't believe in horoscopes either. But I
    know
    people who do. These are people who not only believe in horoscopes but live
    their lives by them. Maybe the Armenian obsession with rituals that deal with
    superstition stems from our lack of faith in our own abilities to make our
    destiny. How else do you explain the thousands of Armenian grandmothers out
    there who regularly go to church AND play the lottery. I don't remember that
    verse in the Bible that said blessed are the gambling 'dadeegs' for they shall
    inherit God's timeshare in Las Vegas.
    I admit that I'll look up my own horoscope but it's mainly for laughs than it
    is for actual everyday or even life altering decisions. My friend's
    grandmother, on the other hand, will clip horoscopes for her grandchildren and
    mail it to them with a Lotto ticket. "Janeeg, pakhdud portseh"--"Honey, try
    your luck." But this whole horoscope business got me thinking. Why do only
    people have to have horoscopes? What if countries had horoscopes too? I
    wondered what Armenia's horoscope was on this unnaturally rainy Los Angeles
    day.
    Armenia should have a horoscope. After all, it has been personified in so
    many
    Armenian songs, poems, stories, everyday lexicon that it might as well be a
    person. So I decided to look it up. (What you're about to read is not made up.
    It is an actual horoscope taken from an internet horoscope site).
    The hardest part would be to figure out what Armenia's sign is. Armenia is
    either a Virgo (September 21) or a Gemini (May 28), depending on who you ask.
    Here's what the horoscope for Virgo read on January 14, 2005: "New material
    comes with new territory. Your first reaction may tell the whole story, or it
    may mean nothing at all. Nobody has the answers at this point. At least you're
    getting used to the idea of change." Strangely enough, it seemed to fit. New
    territory can be Artsakh (even though it's always been historically Armenian)
    and I can see how NOBODY in Armenia has any answers to the Artsakh conflict at
    this point. And change can refer to independence, exodus, privatization, etc.
    It sort of made some sense.
    Then I looked up the horoscope for Gemini which read: "If you broke it, you
    have to buy or replace it. Arguing your case just goes to show how weak it is.
    This is one time when you have to choose your battles carefully. Winning an
    easy one can only help your image." I could interpret this in a myriad of
    ways.
    Choosing your battles? Armenians seem to always be tilting their lances at
    imaginary windmills instead of focusing on real and immediate threats. We're
    constantly rebuilding ancient churches in Armenia in villages of
    populations of
    100 or less while dozens of Armenian kids are arrested and thrown in jail in
    Los Angeles every day. Building churches is a noble endeavor but the horoscope
    clearly states "...you have to choose your battles carefully." This was sort of
    creepy.
    And just for fun, I decided to look up the Republic of Turkey too. Turkish
    Sovereignty Day is April 23, which also happens to be Turkish Children's Day.
    Before your blood pressure begins to rise at the oddly inappropriate and
    ironic
    date for these two made up holidays, let me just say that Turkey happens to be
    a Taurus. Here's what Turkey's horoscope said: "You still know a few tricks
    this crowd hasn't seen. Leave them smiling instead of feeling afraid. You're a
    master at framing the issues to make yourself look good. Once you inspire
    loyalty, your work is almost done." Can anyone think of an instance in
    current
    news where Turkey is trying to make a certain other group smile instead of
    feel
    afraid? Can you say "European Union?" At this point I was on a roll. I had to
    look up America too. July 4. Cancer. "Some topics must remain off limits.
    Your
    needs are important to you, but they might eclipse common courtesy or
    destabilize someone else's peace of mind. Remember that a community issue
    could
    be at stake." Wow, I almost wanted to clip this one and send it to President
    George W. Bush with a lotto ticket and handwritten note.
    I looked at the man getting up from his seat and throwing away his fortune in
    the nearby trash bin. I watched him as he walked to his car and drove off to
    work, probably unhappy that the coffee grounds had not predicted a happier
    more
    successful future. I went back to my experiment with the horoscopes. I could
    have a field day with all of these but I'll let you, the reader, delve deeper
    and interpret them instead. I finished my cup of coffee and almost
    instinctively flipped the cup over before realizing that it doesn't matter
    whether I'll be going away on a trip or not or if I win or lose some money. I
    threw the cup in the trash and headed home.

    Skeptik Sinikian encourages his readers to regularly pinch/scratch their
    butts
    to ward off evil spirits and jealous eyes. He can be reached at
    [email protected], or visit is outdated blog at
    <http://www.sinikian.blogspot.com/>www.sinikian.blogspot.com


    15) Tidbits from The Diner

    By Tatul

    Parking my car in a moderate (by New England standards) snowstorm wasn't much
    fun. As I entered the Diner, shaking the snow off my shoulders and what's left
    of my hair, I looked for Marty at his usual corner and, sure enough, there he
    was, deeply engrossed in a book; there was no sign of the batch of newspapers
    he usually carried with him.
    He didn't seem to notice me until I was practically sitting in front of him.
    "You shouldn't sneak up on me like that," he said, marking his place in the
    book with a napkin and setting it down, "how long have you been sitting
    there?"
    "Oh, about twenty minutes," I lied.
    "Remarkable," he said, "considering I only arrived ten minutes ago."
    "It must be some book," I said, changing the subject, "You were lost to the
    world."
    "I wasn't lost," he said, "I found myself in a world I thought I had
    forgotten."
    "May I?" I said, reaching for the paperback volume with a nondescript cover
    displaying an obviously vintage photograph of four pre-teen boys in
    old-fashioned bathing suits squatting in, what looked like, a creek or a pond.
    WEST OF MALATIA, read the title with "The Boys of '26" as subtitle, just above
    the sepia photograph, and at the bottom of this somewhat utilitarian yet
    nostalgic cover, the author's name, Sarkis J. Eminian. "Who is he?" I
    asked.
    "Who is he?" he repeated slowly, "He is us, I guess; who else? A native of
    the
    Armenian diaspora," he said, taking off his glasses and wiping the lenses with
    a napkin and replacing them on his nose. "A first generation diasporan, with
    the eyes, ears, and voice of a born story teller and a genuine talent that
    transcends the technical limitations of this privately edited and published
    volume."
    "This is a truly authentic voice," he continued, "a voice that reaches the
    hearts and fading memories of that generation born and raised West, East,
    North
    or South of Malatia, worldwide, not just Cleveland, Ohio, but Paris, France,
    Athens, Greece, Cairo, Egypt, and Beirut, Lebanon, and so on." His voice
    trailed off and I could swear there were tears in his eyes, concealed behind
    his reading glasses.
    "Listen to this," he said, picking up the book and reading from a marked
    page:
    "The stories in this book are about my friends and my life. They are memories
    that go back in time, as far back as I can remember and recall the things we
    did. I suppose there must be a reason for all this, as if we accomplished
    something extraordinary, or one of us became famous. But none of those things
    happened to us. We grew up with nothing special to distinguish us from the
    ordinary, except the close bond we shared--five of us, who shared a special
    bond because we were all born between March and September of 1926. We grew up
    as close as as brothers, in a close-knit clan of seven families. We were the
    boys of '26."
    He stopped reading and neither one of us broke the silence for a while.
    Outside, the snow came down, steady and equally silent -- the only sounds were
    those coming from the Diner's busy kitchen and the muffled voices of Costa and
    one of the waiters.
    "I wonder how Arty is doing in Canada," said Marty, gathering his things,
    ready to leave. "It's been a while since I heard from him."
    "He's a Watertown boy," I said, "he'll be all right." He didn't seem to hear
    me.
    "If you want," he said, as we stepped out into the snow, "I'll loan you the
    book when I'm through with it. Everyone should read it."
    I thanked him and walked to my snow-bound car.


    16) The Elections Are Coming, The Elections Are Coming!

    By Garen Yegparian

    It's an odd numbered year and a number of the cities and other governmental
    entities hosting the largest non-homeland Armenian community will be holding
    elections between now and the end of Spring. Some are one-shot,
    plurality-vote-getter-wins arrangements (such as Glendale). Others are of the
    two-stage, primary-and-general variety (such as Burbank). All are
    non-partisan--though you wouldn't know it listening to some people's analyses
    of whom to vote for and why. All attract their share of crackpots, hapless and
    hopelessly unelectable candidates, and, given it's the LA basin we're
    discussing, Armenians.
    Even if you don't live in one of the charter cities that have these
    elections,
    such as Pasadena and Los Angeles, you might still be voting since school and
    community college districts frequently span multiple municipal jurisdictions.
    The most obvious examples are the Los Angeles Unified School and Community
    College Districts. While in most cases all the dates are nicely aligned, some
    are not. Burbank is in the LACCD, but with completely separate dates for its
    municipal election.
    But beyond my obvious civic spirit and desire to keep my compatriots informed
    of opportunities to empower themselves through the ballot box, why am I
    writing
    this? And be sure, there'll be more on this topic before Summer arrives. I
    want
    to sadly admit that the unflattering description of some candidates given
    above
    applies to Armenians as well.
    Since we have a large concentration of Armenians in these areas, many seem to
    think an "ian" at the end of their name entitles them to election. Forget
    considerations of electability, service to the community (Armenian and broader
    civic), and impact on the Armenian community.
    Here are a few samples from the current crop of candidates. One is on a
    mission to change policy in the jurisdiction where this candidacy has been
    declared. Of course it matters little that this crusade is as utterly
    unsupported by the facts, as George Bush's weapons-of-mass-destruction-in-Iraq
    arguments. Another, who I would consider a friend, has not been active in
    civic
    life, yet thinks it appropriate to run for office. Two others have done
    nothing but sow discord in our community. A raft of others just plain haven't
    an ice cube's chance in hell of getting elected, yet insist on running.
    Fortunately, some have the sense, decency, and grace to withdraw when they see
    their chances of winning are slim.
    You'll argue, "Hey, it's their right; this is a democracy governed by levels
    of representative government." True enough. But, since many of these Armenian
    candidates are running with the tacit or overt expectation of Armenian
    community support, then that community's interest must be factored into all
    considerations. We'd all agree that we want to see more Armenians attaining
    elected office and progressing to higher such positions. But when large
    numbers
    of Armenians run, specifically more than the number of seats up for election,
    then they all get hurt because the Armenian vote scatters among all the
    candidates, rendering them less likely to win. Also, the funds available get
    diffused, hurting everyone's ability to purchase electoral necessities.
    Credible and useless candidates alike get hurt.
    So do us all a favor, if you're one of these people, withdraw. If your friend
    is one of them, talk him/her out of it. We'll all be better off.


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