RFE/RL’s Armenian Service hosted a Google Hangout yesterday, featuring Armenian Service Director Hrair Tamrazian, analyst Richard Giragosian, and RFE/RL journalists Siranuysh Gevorgyan and Ruzanna Stepanyan and myself.

We were getting questions via Twitter hashtag #armvote13 and Facebook.The discussion was… well, ok, mostly thanks to my great internet friends: Katy Pearce, Ani Wandarian, Liana Aghajanian and others.

However, you can just see, that with a rather shallow pre-election campaign in our hands, we didn’t have much to talk about. Kudos to Richard Giragosian for saving the day with his comments and unbelievable energy.

The Hangout was interesting for me technologically: the broadcast channel was set up and handled by RFE/RL’s team in Prague, but my challange here was to see what is the best quality I can provide from Yerevan’s end. I’d say – pretty good!

The format itself was very interesting too: for the first time Radio Azatutyun was doing a live talk-show like event in English specifically targeted at an English speaking audience abroad. Even the timing (12:00 PM EST) was selected to be convenient for viewers in the US.

I had my chance to speak too – about social networks, etc. Was rather unprepared, so you can safely skip the video above from minutes 24:50 to 28:50, or risk being bored to death.

PS: I wish there were more Hangouts like this. I have even created the Live Video section on this blog to start a regular talk-show of this kind, but neither have the people who’d want to take part, nor the time and resources to make it happen. Sad. It might actually be interesting…

You have to listen to this, to understand what made the young and promising lawyer abandon her comfortable job at the Court of Cassation and go to the conservatoire.

“Music of Komitas is my everything,” Alin Goyan told Radio Liberty.

You know she means it, when you listen to her beutiful modern interpretations of the great Maestro (Krunk, Chinar es,  Garun a).

The program was broadcast on Radio Hay radiostation last week.

I’m posting the recorded mp3 version of this 7 minute radioprogram here, also available in the form of podcast, just to make sure our ‘brilliant’ ideas don’t get lost in time.

PS: Mk.am plays the good cop, I play the dumb and angry one :)))

Ishkhanian is well known around the Armenian Blogosphere. Not long ago he and his wife became the focus of much discussion and debate in blogs for publishing material’s on “Inqnagir” literary journal, claiming a prominent Armenian poet of the 20th century – Yeghishe Charents is gay.

Download this 5 minute podcast or listen to it online by clicking the player icon below.

Download this 1.3 Mb mp3 version of the Armenian language podcast brining you the news and updates from the Armenian Blogosphere or listen to it online by clicking the player icon below. For the full English language text of the podcast read the rest of this entry.

Iranian-Armenian journalist and blogger Artin Arakelian posted photos of protests taking place in Iran at the start of the week with the comments[AM]: ”Tehran has no rest for over a week now. Supporters of candidate Mir Hoseyn Musavi keep the whole city under their discretion. It’s impossible to predict what will happen next. We will have to wait and see how things develop.”

Having extensively covered the developments in Iran since the start of the protests, Kornelij Glas writes[RU]:  ”I think this struggle has gone into the phase of pointlessness. Musavi or Rafsanjani have no capacity of undertaking radical steps, as they are also a part of the system.”

Pigh, who has travelled to the south of Armenia on a business trip, has met with 12 Iranian truck drivers.

“10 of those 12 were supporters of Ahmadi,” the blogger writes. “3 of them were Azerbaijanis and spoke pretty good Armenian. Much to my surprise, they had also voted for Ahmadi. It turns out they don’t like Rafsanjani there at all, nor do they like the United States. Musavi is not taken as a political figure and is mostly viewed as an attachment to Rafsanjani.”

Infernoarm turns to local politics [RU]. Speaking of the general amnesty declared in the country, the blogger comments on the release of most jailed oppositionists: “Looks like they’re releasing everyone except for two – Sasun Mikayelian and Harutyun Urutian. As I don’t believe in the work of Serzhe’s [meaning president Serzh Sargsian] heart and mind, I’d speculate, that they’re just doing this because of being pressured heard.”

On the same issue, opposition activist Bekaisa writes “We are all imprisoned until all are free ! Freedom to everyone ! We gonna fight till each single political prisoner will be released !!!!”

“The general amnesty is good for election fraudsters too,” Reporter_Arm reports[AM] “Two of them were convicted on June 16th, and thanks to the amnesty, they were already released. Today, one more of them was convicted and released as well.”

“Kapan, like the rest of Armenia, discusses the death of two key actors from “Vorogait” show,” writing back from the south, Pigh says.

Meanwhile, there is a wealth of photos and short comments about the death of pop-superstar Michael Jackson. Most bloggers limit themselves to a short “RIP”, although there are occasionally posts stressing claims of Jackson’s pedophilia.

Rubywedge recalls an old newspaper article, about how Jackson planned to live for 150 years and was sleeping in a special oxygen barocamera.

Another topic that received much of Armenian bloggers’ criticism over the past 7 days was the decision by member of Armenian parliamentary delegation to PACE, representative of opposition party “Zharangutyun” Zarouhi Postanjian to  enlist the backing of Azerbaijani and Turkish colleagues for her calls for the Council of Europe to demand the release of all Armenian opposition members remaining in prison.

Kornelij Glas comments on this: “It’s bad for Azerbaijanis, because they’ve signed under a call to free heroes of Karabakh war. It’s bad for Armenians, because the document looses its strength and becomes grotesque, and the signature of Azerbaijanis turns it into a politically biased statement.”

The scoop before the weekend was the breaking by police forces of the attempts staged in support of Armenians living in Georgian region of Javakheti during the Georgian president Mikhail Sahakashvili’s visit to Armenia.

Facebook and Twitter users actively circulated a YouTube video showing Giro Manoian, a top leader from Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) party arguing with the police. The irony noted mostly by the supporters of the main opposition – Armenian National Congress, lies in the fact, that not long ago Dashnaktsutyun was part of the coalition government.

Armenian blogs paid a due share of interest to the Amnesty issue. Most were interested in the fashion it was done, rather than the fact of amnesty itself, saying the move was only undertaken because of the upcoming PACE session which will very likely again discuss the functioning of democratic institutions in Armenia.

Formerly, there had been 6 cases of amnesty in Armenia – in 1992, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001 and 2006.

This episode of the Armenian Blogosphere podcast brings views and comments from top Armenian bloggers on Amnesty and related developments.  Download the 1.1 Mb mp3 file of the podcast from here or listen to it online by clicking the player icon below.

A couple of months ago the Tert.am information website invited some known journalists, writers to blog for them.

This episode of the Armenian Blogosphere program/podcast features and interview with one of the Tert.am bloggers - publicist Hrant Ter-Abrahamian about his blog.

Download the 1.5 Mb mp3 file of the podcast from here or listen to it online by clicking the player icon below.

You can download the short, 5 minute mp3 version of the radio program/podcast from here or listen to it online by clicking the player icon below. A full Armenian language text-version of the podcast is available at E-channel.

Reporter_arm has put together his notes on what the Armenian blogosphere has to say about the pre-election race, this sudden push by the authorities to finally start doing some of their responsibilities and more.

You can download the short, 5 minute mp3 version of the radio program/podcast from here or listen to it online by clicking the player icon below. A full Armenian language text-version of the podcast is available at E-channel.

You can download the short, 5 minute mp3 version of the radio program/podcast from here or listen to it online by clicking the player icon below. A longer version of the discussion will soon be available on this blog as well. A text-version of the discussion is available at E-channel.

This 46th episode of the Armenian Blogosphere podcast brings reactions of the Armenian blogosphere and Twitterers, to the emergency in Yerevan. Download the 1.3 Mb mp3 file, or listen to it online by clicking the player icon below.

The podcast also features an interview with blogger Ogostos on the new initiative of the Armenian authorities aimed at collecting data on cases of misinformation and falsifications of facts related to Armenia and Armenians from the internet and various other open sources of information.

The podcast also features an interview with Ani Karamian, the member of Inga&Anush PR team, who operates the official Inga and Anush Arshakian’s blog. The sisters will represent Armenia at Eurovision international music contest in Moscow next week.

As President Barack Obama’s 100 days in office went by the American analysts tried to find out how many of US President’s 514 campaign promises had been fulfilled, making use of the famous Obameter. Turns out Obama has fulfilled 27 of his campaign promises, broken 6, took a comprimise decision about 7 of them.

“Leave Obama alon,” Zloyan calls. “Armenians around the world have embarked on the mission of badmouthing Obama. I want to inform dear Armenians around the world – Obama is not your president, so stop making demands. Better think about why your very own leaders, thinkers and petty analysts were telling you lies only to back down from them and blame it all on others,” the blog goes on: “OK, let’s say there was a slight chance [of Obama naming the "genocide" world], little as it was. BUT TO THINK ABOUT IT AFTER WHAT HAPPENED ON APRIL 23rd is simply idiotic.”

“You didn’t say it after all…,” Chemarina writes. “In the case of the ‘roadmap’ I was sure, that our politicians were plain stupid, as I’ve become assured that grey strategic matter is viturally nonexistent in our state-fathers. As to Obama – I’ll wait a little before giving way to anger. At any rate ‘Meds Yeghern’ was interesting!”

“ARF-Dashnaktsutyun is at it again, but nobody’s interested in its games anymore…” Tsiranyan writes on the subject of recent Armenia – Turkey negotiations and Dashnaktsutyun’s uncompromising reaction to it and announcements about abandoning Armenia’s ruling political coalition. “There was much talk of Armenia – Turkey announcement today. Various political forces, ranking from nationalists to total spineless ones made comments about it. ARF’s ‘anger’ was of special interest. It said it’ll consider abandoning coalition. Sadly, though, it’s too late now. Nobody care’s about you anymore” Tsiranian warns։

Մեկ այլ թեմա, որը արդեն երկրորդ շաբաթն է շարունակում մնալ հայկական բլոգոսֆերայի ուշադրության կենտրոնում՝ հայ-թուրքական հարաբերությունների կարգավորման «ճանապարհային քարտեզն» է, որի մասին, մինչ այժմ ոչինչ հայտնի չէ։ Շաբաթասկզբին Հայաստանի հանրային հեռուստատեսությամբ ցուցադրված հարցազրույցում այս առիթով որոշ մեկնաբանություններ տվեց Հայաստանի արտգործնախարար Էդվարդ Նալբանդյանը։

«Պարոն Նալբանդյանը Հ1-ով հիմա խոսում է», – գրում է Արեալ Որտեքս բլոգը – «Խոսում է, բայց մի կարգին ու պարզ բան չի ասում: Ահագին բառեր օգտագործեց տարբեր ու խայտաբղետ: Նույնիսկ գույնզգույն գեղարվեստական համեմատություններ արեց, բայց թե ինչ է իրենից ներկայացնում այդ “ճանապարհային քարտեզ” կոչվածը, այդպես էլ չասեց»:

Հայաստանի արտգործնախարարի տված հարցազրույցից դժգոհ է նաեւ Ըհաուզքիպերը. – «Գերմանիայի ու Ֆրանսիայի, Գերմանիայի ու Հոլոքոստի օրինակով արդեն ծնգլահան արեցին մեր պետական (ու նաև ոչ պետական) այրերը։ Մոռանո՞ւմ եք, որ Գերմանիան սկզբից փոշիացրին, հավասարացրին հողին, ստիպեցին առանց նախապայմանների հանձնվելու, հետո սկսեցին թելադրել իրենց պայմանները։ Ի՞նչ խորհրդանիշ կա սոված մարդակեր վագրի վանդակի դուռ բացելու մեջ, բացի սեփական էշության խորհրդանիշից»։

«Ի դեպ…», – մեկ այլ հոդվածում զգուշացնում է ArmenianHouse.org-ը. – «Էդ ճանապարհային քարտեզ կոչվածը ոչ այլ ինչ է, քան փուլային տարբերակ։ Ամենայն հավանականությամբ, վախենալով, որ «փուլային տարբերակ» արտահայտությունը շատ տհաճ ասոցիացիաներ կառաջացնի ժողովրդի մոտ, որոշել են փոխարենը «եվրոհոմանիշը» օգտագործել՝ ձեռքի հետ էլ մարդկանց շփոթեցնելով»։

Download the 1.2 mb mp3 audio version of this podcast from here.

“Today, a day before the commemoration of the genocide victims, we have learnt that Armenia and Turkey had signed an official joint document on normalizing bilateral relations and identifying a road-map,” Ogostos writes. “I would like to a) know what that bloody road-map contains; b) hear what Dashnaks will say before their torchlight procession; c) read “Golos Armenii” and other similar newspapers. Actually, I would like normal relations to be established between Armenia and Turkey. However, I am concerned about the price we will have to pay for it,” Ogostos concludes.

The blog Life in the Armenian Diaspora responds tothe statement by writing, “So an announcement like this can only mean one thing. It’s April 22nd, and Turkey is worried Obama will say GENOCIDE in his April 24th statement. After making all those announcements before Obama’s Turkey visit about how close they were to normalizing relations, Turkey has said three times in the last few days that it will absolutely not normalize without the Karabakh precondition. Just yesterday Turkey pulled their Ambassador to Canada because Canadian officials attended a genocide related event. Will Obama keep his promise, or will the Turkish games win the day? I want to believe that good will prevail, that this time, the campaign promises could be believed, but… the doubt is strong in me.”

Ahousekeeper is being more strict, “There is an impression that we have returned to 1908 with a stroke of a pen, once again launching the self-destruction mechanism,” is written in the blog that is famous for its anti-Turkish position.

The blog Kornelij has managed to say just one thing in a “literary language” about the topic, “Deepest gratitude to Foreign Ministry for not having spread the statement on April 24.”

The Armenian language audio version of this post is available as a 1.26 Mb mp3 audio podcast for download.

Onnik Krikorian writes at Frontline: “History has the unfortunate habit of repeating itself as Armenians know only too well. This is especially true when it comes to U.S. presidential elections. Without fail, candidates running for the White House promise to recognize the WWI massacre and deportation of as many as 1.5 million Armenians living in the then Ottoman Empire as genocide only to have them  renege on such campaign promises when in office. “

Sevana sounds disappointed at Life in the Armenian Diaspora: “Obama’s first chance to openly acknowedge the genocide has come and gone. He struck out. Very, very disappointing. April 24 is his next chance. I hope he doesn’t blow that one, too.”

Citing Obama’s words Nazarian comments at The Armenian Observer blog: “What more do you want? The man openly said what had to be said. To say more while being their guest would equal to fight. This, after all, is diplomacy, not some trivial chit-chat.”

Bloggers seemed more interested in the points made about Armenian – Turkish border opening negotiations. Many of them said Turkey is using Armenia to make diplomatic gains.

The Freedom Fighter, for example, writes: “If the state of Armenia recognizes the Kars Treaty, that would mean a legitimization of Genocide.”

Mark Grigorian has also commented on the issue: “The Armenian media report of preparatory works being underway full speed for border opening, and that a deal has been reached in principle… and that the border will be opened in exchange for Obama’s not speaking of the Armenian issue during his Turkey trip and not pronouncing the word ‘genocide’ in April 24th traditional address.”

“At any rate,” the experienced journalist writes, “the border opening will mean that Armenia – Turkey relations are being separated from Armenia – Azerbaijan relations. And that is a serious shift in policy.”

Photo via RFE/RL

Uzogh on his turn had started a discussion about “Aravot” Daily’s coverage on his blog. As the discussion proved interesting, we decided to invite Anna Israyelian, Ruben Muradyan (Uzogh), Gegham Vardanyan (Reporter_arm) and Artur Papyan (Observer) to the Internews Studio, to discuss the issue of copperation between the traditional media and blogs.

This episode of Armenian Blogosphere podcast is completely dedicated to that subject. You can download the 1.2 Mb podcast in mp3 format from here or listen to it online by clicking the player icon below.

UPDATE: A full, 30 minute version of this podcast is now also available.

Bloggers discussed various YouTube videos depicting the brawl between photojournalist Gagik Shamshyan and Bryusov University’s Security. Some tried to prove the photojournalist provoked the fight, others claimed the opposite, while some just bragged about - “Երկիրը երկիր չի” (It’s all ‘couse the country’s f**ed up!).

The disagreement between the radical opposition movement Armenian national congress and the only opposition party represented in Armenia’s parliament – “Heritage” attracted some attention as well.

Many others centered on the possibility that the US President Barac Obama might actually fulfil his campaign pledge and use the term Armenian Genocide in the traditional April 24th address.

On a more real-life development, along with ‘regular’ online media, the Armenian bloggers this week were invited to meet Inga and Anush Arshakyans, the twin sister-singers, who will represent Armenia at the Eurovision 2009. Bloggers Tigran Kocharyan (better known as Pigh) and Ani Qaramyan (coordinator of  the online PR campaign of Armenian Eurovision contestants, who also maintains their official blogs in English and Russian) told us more about the meeting of bloggers and singers in the course of an interview for the 40th episode of the Armenian Blogosphere Podcast.

The podcast itself (which is also a radio program broadcast on Radio Hay on Saturday and Monday mornings, remember?) centered more on Feedom Figter’s two posts about the Armenian economy.

In the first of the two posts Feedom Figter tells about the 22 year-old Italian pornstar Laura Perego, who stripped out of her black overcoat in Milan’s stock exchange in sign of protest against the financial crisis. In the two posts the Freedom Fighter protests against “dumb economists” and puts together a national rescue plan.

Full text of the blog-review in Armenian is here. You can download the 1.6 Mb mp3 file with the Armenian Blogosphere Podcast from here.  Alternatively, you can listen to the podcast online, by clicking the player icon below.

This episode contains a review of some of the most interesting blog-posts on the issue of the much discussed red-apple, which stirred a surprising amount of emotion around the Armenian blogosphere – compiled by Reporter_arm, journalist, editor of E-channel and one of the authors of the Armenian Observer blog.

The episode also contains an interview-introduction to the first ever BarCamp in Armenia to be held on April 17-19. Note, all of you reading this are formally invited, just register on the www.barcamp.am website.

While some bloggers share their views of the opposition leader and the authorities – telling in quite frank terms what they think of him, others explore the price hikes in Yerevan’s supermarkets and the situation from the Dram-Dollar battle grounds – the exchange shops and banks.

Meanwhile a blogger – Smbat Gogyan makes an astonishing revelation: “On March 3, at 12:35 I found out, that on the next day, on March 4 the official exchange rate will be set at the level of 370 AMD per 1 USD . My best friend called me and said literally the following: Central bank have called all the banks and warned them, that on March 4 the official rate will be set at 370″.

“Floating rate” is supposed to mean that the Central Bank does not decide the exchange rate. Instead, the exchange rate is decided by the market, and the Central Bank, having observed the market trends, defines the exchange rate. In other words, the blogger concludes, what we have now is not a ‘floating exchange rate’. It’s just that the ‘dram is taken for a swim’.

Listen to all of the above and more in our weekly Armenian language podcast featuring weekly reviews of the Armenian blogosphere, interviews with bloggers, IT and new media specialists, technology news and more by downloading the 1,3 Mb audio mp3 file or listen to it online by clicking the player icon below. 

You might also want to read the full Armenian language text of this podcast with links to bloggers mentioned in the blog review here.

“They say that the banks shall not sell dollar and other foreign currency starting from today. If you have not managed to buy earlier, you are late,” Pataphysicus has written.

In the course of the discussion related to the above-mentioned post, the other bloggers have denied or confirmed the talks about the deficit of US dollars in the Yerevan foreign currency exchange shops and banks.

Ditord does not spread any talks. He compares the dollar demand at stock exchange on February 24-26. On those days, the US dollar exchange rate has remained the same at about 305 drams per 1 US dollar. However, about 15 million dollar was sold on February 24; 25 million dollar – on February 25; and just 3.2 million dollar – on February 26.

“Today’s (February 26) figure may mean one of the two things:

1) The CBA has imposed limits on exchange rate operations trying to prevent the fall of the AMD, or

2) The CBA has decided to give up selling off US dollars trying to maintain the AMD rate at the 305-306 level, and we will soon witness a significant fall of AMD value against the US dollar,” writes Ditord.

The blog of Caucasus Research Resource Center has attempted to analyze the increase of the Armenian currency against the dollar. The blogger has made use of EBRD’s 2008 Transition Report.

“The Armenian economy seems less dollarised, but, as the report notes, its real estate boom was heavily dependent on remittances. As those decrease, one would expect some impact on the currency as well,” predicts the blog of the Resource Center.

David_sand shares the details of his conversation with the “Big manager,” as he calls him. The blogger does not reveal the “Big manager’s” identity but mentions that he is an intelligent person that really comprehends the situation.

“As he predicts, the chance is that the same thing will happen to dram as it happened to ruble, as well as Kazakh and other weak currencies. He predicts devaluation of up to 40 percent,” writes the blogger.

David_sand discusses the phenomenon of the world economic crisis in general, coming to the following conclusion,

“What happened? Simply, everything fell into place. The crisis explained who is who, and which place he occupies in the world economy. It explained the Americans that it is very difficult to live in endless debts. Sometimes you have to pay all the debts, and not always within the mentioned term. The crisis explained to Russians that raw materials can never be more expensive than the product made of it. And it explained to others that you cannot construct your own economy in the image and likeness of the economy of superpowers.”

Download the mp3 audio podcast of this post from here or listen to it online by clicking the player icon below: