* Financialize this: ‘Carbon trading could be worth twice that of oil in next decade.’ If only there were some other policy option…

* The headline reads, “Turkey wants universal email surveillance from birth.”

* Ezra Klein on the House of Representatives and the intent of the Founders.

* Armenians love chess.

* In 1969, Chairman Mao commanded the construction of a second Beijing beneath the surface of the original city… Via MeFi.

* Fredrick Engels’s Tiger-Beat-style questionnaire. Via Greenberg.

* Moustache Sexiness Timeline.

* Have I done this one before? T.S. Eliot reads “Prufrock.”

Click here to download the PDF (49KB) of the latest AGBU Armenia News Bulletin.

The most recent distribution for CASP beneficiaries in the Javakhk region was held last month.  An interesting feature of the Javakhk region distribution is that it happens during the harvesting season, when many of the beneficiaries are quite busy cultivating potatoes.  Therefore, the children and their families are available to receive their CASP stipends only after the workday is complete.

Father Tatev with CASP Beneficiaries
of the Soorp Khatch Church

Credit: FAR Staff

Vicar Father Babken Salbian from the Javakhk church, Father Armash, Father Tatev and CASP’s Javakhk Program contact Lusine Muradyan were responsible for the 99 cash stipends distributed to the CASP beneficiaries.  FAR thanks these individuals, as well as our generous donors, for their ongoing support.

Father Babgen and Father Armash with CASP Beneficiaries

Credit: FAR Staff

Última semana de tests para quase todas as seleções, com vitórias expressivas de Nova Zelândia, Irlanda e Austrália. Pelas Eliminatórias para a Copa do Mundo, a Namíbia passou pela Tunísia e está em seu quarto mundial consecutivo! Tivemos também rodadas na Guinness Premiership inglesa e no Top 14 francês. Vamos aos Resultados do Final de Semana!

A rodada de Test Matches (Amistoso) começou na sexta-feira, com a Austrália derrotando por 31 x 3 o Cardiff Blues, do País de Gales, e com a Irlanda A batendo os Jaguares Argentinos, por 31 x 0.  No sábado tivemos os grandes jogos. Na cidade de Ascoli, a Itália quebrou uma péssima sequência de 13 derrotadas consecutivas, vencendo bem a seleção de Samoa, antigo algoz azzurro. 24 x 3.

No Croke Park de Dublin, Jonathan Sexton deu uma lavada em Morné Steyn no quesito chutes. Os dois aberturas – grandes promessas do rugby mundial – protagonizaram um duelo a parte na batalha entre os campeões do Six Nations, Irlanda, e os campeões mundiais e do Tri Nations, a África do Sul. Os Springboks realmente mostraram que estão em baixa. Jogando com força máxima, não foram capazes de superar a equipe esmeralda, que viu Sexton em dia inspiradissimo. 15 x 10 e festa em Dublin.

Em partida fraca tecnicamente, a Escócia não conseguiu embalar a segunda vitória consecutiva nos tests de fim de ano. Os azuis receberam os Pumas da Argentina e deixaram a vitória escapar no fim da partida. Um bem bem chutado e um drop goal preciso do centro Martín Rodrígues deram a vitória aos porteños.

Nas outras duas grandes partidas do dia, lavadas de Austrália e Nova Zelândia sobre País de Gales e França, respectivamente. No Millenium Stadium de Cardiff, os Wallabies dominaram completamente a equipe galesa. Com tries de Ioane, Horwill, Pocock e Polota-Nau, a Austrália encerrou de cabeça erguida seu ano, se aproveitando de um País de Gales desfalcado, sem Mike Phillips, Ryan Jones e Tom Shanklin. Matt Giteau se reencontrou com seu melhor rugby, coordenou muito bem a linha aussie e garantiu os 33 x 12. Aos galeses, restou assistir à boa partida da promessa Leigh Halfpenny, que anotou os 12 pontos da equipe. E em Marselha, jogo de uma equipe só. Os All Blacks arrasaram os Les Bleus. 5 x 0 em tries diz tudo. A França simplesmente não conseguiu coordenar suas ações ofensivas, padecendo de organização e liderança em campo. O resultado dessa somatória de deficiências foi a fácil vitória All Black. Sivivatu, que jogou um grande rugby, anotou o primeiro try. Muliaina, Kaino, Cory Jane e Corad Smith anotaram os outros quatro tries neozelandeses, enquanto Daniel Carter esteve brilhante nos chutes e no comando ofensivo da equipe. All Black na melhor das formas no sábado em Marselha! 39 x 12.

Nas demais partidas, Fiji e Tonga terminaram seus giros pela Europa com, finalmente, vitórias. Os fijianos bateram a Romênia, em Bucareste, por 29 x 18, e os tonganeses derrotaram Portugal, em Lisboa, por 24 x 19. Já o Canadá recebeu, em Vancouver, a ascendente Rússia e conseguiu ótima vitória, por 22 x 6. O triunfo canadense caiu em hora muito necessária, já que a equipe vinha de duas péssimas apresentações em solo japonês, com duas derrotas expressivas. Vencer a Rússia serviu para salvar a honra da equipe.

Na cidade de Windhoek, a Namíbia garantiu a sua classificação para a Copa do Mundo de 2011 – a quarta participação consecutiva da equipe em mundiais. Vitória merecida sobre a brava Tunísia, por 22 x 10. O agregado em 40 x 23 foi mais do que suficiente para os namibianos, que se favorecem dos excessivos penais cometidos pelos tunisianos na partida de volta. A Namíbia jogará a Copa do Mundo no Grupo 4, ao lado de África do Sul (duelo africano!), País de Gales, Fiji e Samoa, um dos chamados grupos da morte. O Grupo 4 é o único grupo que já tem todas as equipes definidas. A Tunísia, por sua vez, terá uma segunda chance, na repescagem mundial. A equipe enfrentará o terceiro colocado das eliminatórias européias. Caso vença a partida, disputará a última vaga na Copa do Mundo contra o vencedor da partida entre Uruguai e o segundo colocado da zona asiática.

Pela Terceira Divisão A  (3A) do Europeu de Nações (European Nations Cup), a Suíça bateu a Armênia por 18 x 0, na cidade suíça cde Yverdon. E Andorra, em casa, derrotou a Sérvia por 21 x 7. Mas, apesar dos esforços de suíços e andorranos, a liderança ainda é da invicta Lituânia.

Classificação, após 6 jogos:

1 – Lituânia – 18 pontos

2 – Sérvia – 12 p.

3 – Suíça – 10 p.

4 – Andorra – 10 p.

5 – Armênia – 9 p.

Enquanto as seleções jogavam, a Guinneess Premiership rolava, com sua nona rodada. A primeira partida, entre Sale Sharks e London Wasps, foi cancelada devido às condições climáticas. Em Newcastle, os Falcons foram derrotados pelo Northampton Saints, de excelente campanha, com um verdadeiro show do ponto dos Saints, Chris Ashton, que marcou os três únicos tries de sua equipe e da partida. Saints 28 x 8 8 Falcons e terceiro lugar na tabela para os santos.

Em Worcester, os Warriors obtiveram um grande feito. Barraram os poderosos Saracens, com um duro empate de 12 x 12 (o segundo 12 x 12 consecutivo dos guerreiros) no Sixways. O que se assistiu foi uma heróica e valente defesa do time da casa aguentando de todas as manieras a pressão dos visitantes. Willie Walker, do Worcester, anotou quatro penais, o mesmo número de Derick Hougaard, dos Sarries, quebrando a série de 8 vitórias em 8 jogos da equipe londrina. Mesmo com o tropeço, os Saracens continuam na liderança da competição. A vice-liderança é do London Irish, que passou bem pelo agonizante Bath, fora de casa. 16 x 0 no placar, com Ryan Lamb anotoando um try e todos os demais pontos da equipe, em noite chuvosa no Recreation Ground. Mesmo com Matt Banahan em campo, o Bath não ofereceu perigo à defesa dos exilados. A sorte do Bath é que, em Leicester, os Tigers passaram muito fácil sobre o lanterna Leeds, com tries de Anthony Allen, Brett Deacon, Toby Flood (com bela jogada de Tuqiri) e Lewis Moody , . Fáceis 39 x 6, e quarto lugar na tabela.

Em Londres, Harlequins e Gloucester fizeram a melhor partida do dia. Uma emocionante batalha de 7 tries (4 para os Quins, 3 para os Cherry and Whites). O centro George Lowe fez o primeiro try para os anfitriões, mas que foi logo respondido pelo valente Gloucester – buscando reencontrar seu melhor rugby – com dois tries: do oitavo Delves e do ponta Sharples. Um try de Nick Evans, no fim da primeira etapa, recolocou os Quins na frente de novo. O segundo tempo prosseguiu emocionante, George Lowe marcando mais um try para os donos da rspondido, prontamente respondido pelo ponta Sharples, que manteve o Gloucester no páreo. Mas a vitória foi mesmo dos Harlequins, 35 x 29, e ponto-bônus para o bravo Gloucester.

Resultados:

Sale Sharks x London Wasps, em Stockport – adiado

Newcastle Falcons 8 x 28 Northampton Saints, em Newcastle

Worcester Warriors 12 x 12 Saracens, em Worcester

Harlequins 35 x 29 Gloucester, em Londres

Leicester Tigers 39 x 6 Leeds Carnegie, em Leicester

Bath 0 x 16 London Irish, em Bath

Classificação, após 9 rodadas:

1 – Saracens – 34 pontos

2 – London Irish – 30 p.

3 – Northampton Saints – 27 p.

4 – Leicester Tigers – 26 p.

5 – London Wasps – 8 jogos, 22 p.

6 – Newcastle Falcons – 20 p.

7 – Harlequins – 18 p.

8 – Sale Sharks – 8 jogos, 17 p.

9 – Gloucester – 15 p.

10 – Worcester Warriors – 15 p.

11 – Bath – 11 p.

12 – Leeds Carnegie – 8 p.

O Top 14 francês tem um dono: o Castres. A surpreendente equipe do Tarn lidera isoladamente a competição nacional, após excelente triunfo sobre o Biarritz. No confronto dos “Olympiques”, o Castres teve ampla vantagem . Dominou a partida toda, obteve 3 tries e, com muita serenidade, conquistou a vitória sobre um tímido Biarritz. 34 x 6. A segunda posição é do Perpignan, que não jogou nesta rodada. A partida entre Perpignan e Bayonne, no País Basco, foi cancelada após a confirmação de 3 casos de gripe H1N1 no elenco catalão.

Junto do Perpignan, no segundo posto, está o Clermont, que passou tranquilamente sobre o vice-lanterna e desesperado Bourgoin. A vitória dos amarelos por 32 x 3, com quatro tries anotados, mantém a equipe na caça ao Castres. O quarto lugar é do Toulouse, que se recuperou da tenebrosa derrota frente o Castres, com vitória suada sobre o Montauban. O jogo foi em Toulouse, e mesmo assim os afritriões não conseguiram, de forma alguma, impor seu jogo. O Montauban foi valente, fez mais tries (2 x 1) e quase arranca uma vitória. Mas pecou ao cometer penais excessivos. A desculpa para o sofrimento no jogo em casa pode ter sido a ausência de muitos selecionáveis, servindo os Les Bleus, mas o elenco ainda assim não deixa de ser estrelado, e precisa, urgentemente, começar a jogar um rugby muito melhor. 17 x 12, no Ernst Wallon.

Em Paris, o desfalcado Stade Français recebeu o Toulon, de Jonny Wilkinson. E o inglês foi novamente decisivo. Anotou 4 penais, 1 conversão – do try de Loamanu – e 1 drop goal, garantindo a apertada vitória de sua equipe por 22 x 18. Bem que Oelschig tentou fazer frente a Wilko, mas essa é sempre uma tarefa dificílima. Nem os tries de Ollie Philips e Bastareud – voltando à boa forma – salvaram o Stade da derrota. 22 x 18, e os parisiense agora estão fora da zona de classificação para o mata-mata final.

A outra equipe da Cidade Luz conseguiu mais uma vitória, mas jogando mal. O Racing Métro terminou o primeiro tempo da partida perdendo por 3 x 0 para o lanterna Albi. Andrew Mehrtens tratou de converter três penais na segunda etapa, e deu a vitória de 9 x 6 para sua equipe. Por fim, o Brive conseguiu uma fenomenal e vital vitória sobre o Montpellier, que jogou sem seu maior no me, Trinh-Duc. A equipe de Corrèze ia muito mal na tabela, e estava estava seriamente arriscada de entrar na zona de rebaixamento. Mas finalmente tudo deu certo para a equipe preta-e-branca. O full-back Palisson anotou dois tries e dois penais e assegurou a grande vitória de 25 x 3 para sua equipe.

Resultados:

Stade Français 18 x 22 Toulon, em Paris

Castres 34 x 6 Biarritz, em Castres

Racing Métro 9 x 6 Albi, em Paris

Toulouse 17 x 12 Montauban, em Toulouse

Montpellier 3 x 25 Brive, em Montpellier

Clermont 32 x 3 Bourgoin, em Clermont-Ferrand

Bayonne x Perpignan, em Bayonne – adiado

Classificação, após 14 rodadas:

1 – Castres – 46 pontos

2 – Clermont – 41 p.

3 – Perpignan – 13 jogos, 41 p.

4 – Toulouse – 40 p.

5 – Toulon – 38 p.

6 – Racing Métro – 35 p.

7 – Stade Français – 33 p.

8 – Biarritz – 32 p.

9 – Brive – 29 p.

10 – Montpellier – 29 p.

11 – Montauban – 26 p.

12 – Bayonne – 13 j, 23 p.

13 – Bourgoin – 23 p.

14 – Albi – 15 p.

Pepla Pro D2, a segundona francesa, a liderança isolada é do Agen, que passou fácil pelo Aix-en-Provence. O Lyon Olympique Universitaire se manteve em segundo, com o empate contra o Grenoble no derby local, mas deixou o Agen desgarrar e Oyonnax e Narbonne se aproximarem.

Resultados:

Pau x Colomiers, em Pau – adiado

Agen 29 x 3 Aix-en-Provence, em Agen

Aurillac 25 x 22 La Rochelle, em Aurillac

Dax 19 x 16 Tarbes, em Dax

Grenoble 9 x 9 Lyon OU, em Grenoble

Auch 27 x 32 Narbonne, em Auch

Lannemezan 9 x 16 Union Bordeaux, em Lannemezan

Oyonnax 36 x 10 Mont de Marsan, em Oyonnax

Classificação, após 12 rodadas:

1 – Agen – 47 pontos

2 – Lyon OU – 39 p.

3 – Oyonnax – 39 p.

4 – Narbonne – 37 p.

5 – Grenoble – 34 p.

6 – La Rochelle – 30 p.

7 – Aurillac – 30 p.

8 – Union Bordeaux – 29 p.

9 – Pau – 11 jogos, 27 p.

10 – Tarbes – 25 p.

11 – Dax – 25 p.

12 – Mont de Marsan – 24 p.

13 – Auch – 21 p.

14 – Colomiers – 11 j, 17 p.

15 – Aix-en-Provence – 14 p.

16 – Lannemezan – 5 p.

lahmujen update:

things with the lamuhjen lady have slowed down a bit.  i think we rushed into too much, too quickly.  the honeymoon phase is over.  there was such a passion for 2 lahmujen a day 3 times a week that we both should have known it couldnt continue like that.  I’ve scaled back for other things, lunch foods that dont get so jealous and just let me do my thing.  but i went back yesterday.  right as i walked in, she read me “erkoo hat?” (2 lahmujen?) i nodded, and everything was normal again.  we’ve both moved on without letting the lahmujen get between us.

cool to hear this:

Today, I was told this in an email, which I thought was really encouraging:

“Was particularly pleased to hear how you successfully ditched the financial sector to pursue greener pastures–can’t tell you how many people I’ve heard talk about doing this, but who never follow through.”

Not to demean anything I was previously doing, but this is the exact sentiment I was feeling while trying to make my escape from the industry-that-shant-be-named.  What this guy I met last night said, really hit the nail on the head, and I think I’ll use it to keep myself motivated to do something interesting and fulfilling with my life, because there definitely ARE other options, despite it often looking grim.  Anyway, maybe it can be some fuel to those others out there (you know who you are, i know who you are) who are also looking for an out and find work discouraging, or soul-crushing.  ITS POSSIBLE!  just apply for the kiva fellows program and your problems will go away!

swine watch:

the swines are coming! the swines are coming!  Well after the first case of swine flu being reported nearly a week or so ago, there now have been something like 11 confirmed cases.  I havent noticed much paranoia yet, but I did see a little boy walking around with a mask on.  But maybe he just really wants to become a doctor.  Anyway, from talking to other fellows in places like Mongolia where swine is first rearing its curly little tail, it sounds like there is a tendency to FREAK OUT.  so with that, i’m officially going on SWINE WATCH, and will post updates as they come in.

I’m not too worried myself, as i survived when we had a case on our 8th floor and i was working on the 13th.  Now that I think about it, I was placed IN times square and ON the 13th floor.  I think the ny gods were trying to kill me or something.

now some pics:

Here are some recent pics of Mother Armenia.  she is a statue/mother of 2′ish million that was built in 1967 and serves as the official watcher-over of Armenia.  Yerevan is shaped sort of like an amphitheater with downtown surrounded by stadium-seating full of neighborhoods.  Mother Armenia sits at the top of the hill watching the concert downtown, making sure there is no riff-raff or excessive roughhousing (how do you spell that?).   she is situated in a park, which is pretty cool and the statue is huge, fun sight to see.  surrounding her are also a bunch of tanks and other military paraphenalia, like an old russian jet and stuff.  there always seem to be kids playing around on these tanks/jets/jeeps so hopefully the pilot didnt leave the key in the ignition.

here now look:

Mother Armenia from a distance. For those into symbolism out there, the way she is holding her sword looks like a cross. did i mention Armenia was the first nation to adopt christianity?

mother "I swear to god if you don't eat your peas I'll stab you with this sword" Armenia

I have some weird fascination with all the abandoned buildings here. so i take pictures of them and then have a nap inside them

Fire Ze Mis-iles!! I saw this boy literally launch this "supposedly-defunct" rocket off his back. I then got his autograph

There were about 79 unpaid parking tickets on his dashboard

]]> http://yeritac.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/mobility-project-tr-am/ Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:06:39 +0000 yeritacngo http://yeritac.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/mobility-project-tr-am/

As part of a European food tour hosted by Kuchnia Ireny i Andrzeja called “Traveling Europe by Fork,”I prepared semolina halva with pine nuts. Every week, Irena and Andrzej choose a country in Europe (and the vicinity) and cook dishes that are traditional to that region. This week the chosen country is Armenia. After looking through dozens of dessert recipes, I decided on semolina halva, which is a dessert that is very popular in the Caucasus.

I always associated halva with the very sweet nut-butter block, and was very surprised to learn that the term “halva” covers a variety of desserts. The main ingredients include semolina and sweetened condensed milk. It’s very easy to cook, but it does require you to stand by the stove for about an hour. The smell of the toasted semolina with the sweetened milk while it was cooking was just lovely. It wasn’t spicy, but it was a sweet and comforting smell.  I would make this recipe again just for the aroma. My family enjoyed the halva, but nobody was crazy about it. Next time I will cut the recipe in half.

Toasted pine nuts.

Butter melting with oil.

Semolina being toasted in butter and oil.

Semolina soon after adding milk mixture.

Semolina Halva with Pine Nuts
(adapted from Cafe Fernando)
makes 6-8 servings

80 gr of unsalted butter
2 tbs of vegetable oil
250 gr of semolina (1 1/3 cup)
50 gr of toasted pine nuts (1/4 cup)
1 can of condensed milk (I used one that had 300ml)
1/3 cup of milk
ice cream and nuts for decoration (optional)

1. Melt butter with oil at medium heat in a wide saucepan.
2. Add semolina, stir and spread across the bottom of the saucepan. Stir every few minutes.
3. In the meantime, boil 1 1/4 cups of water in a separate pan and then add condensed milk and milk. Keep the mixture warm.
4. When the semolina has browned (about 20 minutes) pour in the milk mixture. When I did this, the contents of the saucepan began to spatter intensively, which really scared me, but it settled down after about 10 seconds. The semolina thickened almost immediately.
5. Cook on a medium-low for about 15 minutes, stirring every five minutes.
6. Take the skillet off the heat, place a couple of paper towels over the skillet and secure by placing the lid. Let steep for 15-20 minutes until extra moisture is absorbed. (I didn’t have to go through this step since the halva was already dry enough).
7. Add toasted pine nuts. Portion about 1/2 cup of the halva in ramekins or serving bowls. Add ice cream, sprinkle nuts and enjoy!

Yerevan is a completely different country.  Walking along sidewalks that stretch out between tall buildings.  Grabbing indian food, mexican food, and Wetzel’s Pretzel’s. Dancing. Cafe-ing.  Things are clean.  The temperature is so much warmer.  Mannequins hold relaxed poses in city clothes.  The staring is much less frequent.

My friend Zoe says that I speak differently when I’m Yerevan.  I’m relaxed; my conversation leans away from worries, leans into quick wit and joy.  I blame it on samosa-related endorphines gathered in our favorite indian restaurant, Karma.  Or it could be the quesadilla at Cactus.  Or it could be the pile of books I gather from the shared library at the Peace Corps office.  It very definitely has something to do with the dancing.

Whatever it is, I am so happy, no THANKFUL, for my trips to Yerevan.  For the mornings at Artbridge where I can chat over an egg sandwich and french toast.  For the afternoons spent at Թելեր, the yarn store, before perusing the spice market.  For discoveries in SAS Supermarkets of ground cinnamon in bulk, pringles, and worchestershire sauce (ok ok… I don’t cook with it, but most importantly, it’s there).  I’m thankful for the evening I spent looking for a coat and for the store called “Banana” where I found this jacket with a patch that misspells “Imdependent Steel” over my heart (I wanted to go for the green one, but I figured I couldn’t get away with the monogrammed “Linda”).

I’m particularly thankful for this past five days spent in the city during our All Volunteer Conference.  For hours spent talking, laughing, dancing, and sharing stories (and a cold) with other PCV friends, literally spending every possible moment with each other.   For the carrot suffle and the phenomenal brown gravy at our thanksgiving dinner.   For the 15 minutes that 15 people spent singing about each other to the tune of “Anyone Else But You” by The Moldy Peaches (of Juno fame).

Returning home, I’m glad for the feeling of being missed, the wide grins and firm handshakes from co-workers and host family.  I’m not quite as thankful that our water has been “cut” again, that it could be many days until my next shower.  I’m not quite as thankful for the temperature in my house that makes it possible to see my breath in my room.  I am VERY thankful for my space heater.  I’m very thankful that I’ve made it this far.

And finally, I’m thankful that the snow that I saw falling today at 2:23pm stopped falling at 3:34pm.  Keep putting it off, Father Winter.

Para un festival de Eurovisión donde siempre hemos quedado entre las cuatro primeras posiciones, y una de ellas ganamos con “Antes Muerta Que Sencilla” (sí, os hablo del Junior), TVE decidió dejar de participar en 2007 alegando que fomenta estereotipos que no comparten. Si es que el problema de la educación en este país es que hoy en día los niños están demasiado protegidos…

Pues bien, la edición del Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2009 tuvo lugar este pasado sábado. Ganó Ralf con la canción Click Clack representando a The Netherlands-Holanda-Países Bajos (llámenlo como quieran) [ver vídeo] con una coreografía que da ciertos aires a la del noruego ganador del Eurovisión 2009 para adultos.

Pero no es esta la noticia, sino la representante armenia Luara Hayrapetyan, cuya canción se titulaba nada más y nada menos que Barcelona.

No hablan de la belleza de la ciudad en sí, sino de su equipo de fútbol homónimo. Amantes del fútbol, ¿qué ha echo este equipo para que Luara Hayrapetyan le dedique una canción? ¿Un jugador buenorro que haya atraído a esta adolescente? ¿No podría haberse decantado por otros como el Real Madrid, designado por la FIFA como el Mejor Club del Siglo XX, la Selección Española en sí por haber ganado la Eurocopa, o simplemente por uno de su país?

En fin… os dejo con el vídeo de esta actuación, que quedó en tercer puesto:

In case you are thinking of purchasing the new global version of Amazon’s Kindle for Christmas, be aware that there are still quite a few places that the global version will NOT work.  I was disappointed to find that the new version still will not work in my country.

Apparently the new global version will only work in SOME countries.   I thought it would be helpful to most expats to have a complete list of which countries it will, or will not work in (below).

It’s also interesting to note the PATTERN of groups of countries where the Kindle doesn’t work–some countries probably lack satellite coverage or delivery systems, while others probably don’t WANT readers to be able to download whatever they want by satellite.

STARRED (*) countries marked below indicate that Kindle needs to be ordered from a SPECIAL PAGE on the Amazon site.

The Global Kindle version DOES work in (as of Dec. 2009):

Aland Islands, Albania, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Aruba, Australia*, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Boznia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Kenya, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Liberia, Leichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Moldovia, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozembique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Réunion, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka,  Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Virgin Islands – British, Virgin Islands – U.S.,  Wallis and Futuna, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

The Global Kindle version does NOT work in (as of Dec. 2009) the following countries:

Afghanistan, Algeria, Antarctica, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bouvet Island, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chile, Chad, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, French Southern Territories, Gambia, Guinea, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Isle of Man, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea – Democratic People’s Republic of, Korea – Republic of, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco (including the Western Sahara), New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Pitcairn, Qatar, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Helena, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands, Sudan, Svalbard and Jan Mayan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tokelau, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Uzbekistan,  Yemen.

Nature and Animal Conservation

 

     Preserving species and their habitats is important for ecosystems to self-sustain themselves. Yet, the pressures to destroy habitat for logging, illegal hunting, and other challenges are making conservation a struggle.

Visit : http://www.globalissues.org/article/1…

 What is Biodiversity ?

 

    The variety of life on Earth, its biological diversity is commonly referred to as biodiversity. The number of species of plants, animals, and microorganisms, the enormous diversity of genes in these species, the different ecosystems on the planet, such as deserts, rainforests and coral reefs are all part of a biologically diverse Earth.

   

    Appropriate conservation and sustainable development strategies attempt to recognize this as being integral to any approach. Almost all cultures have in some way or form recognized the importance that nature, and its biological diversity has had upon them and the need to maintain it. Yet, power, greed and politics have affected the precarious balance.

Does it really matter if there arent so many species?

Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play.

For example, a larger number of plant species means a greater variety of crops; greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms; and healthy ecosystems can better withstand and recover from a variety of disasters.

And so, while we dominate this planet, we still need to preserve the diversity in wildlife.

Who Cares?

  Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play. For example, a larger number of plant species means a greater variety of crops; greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms; and healthy ecosystems can better withstand and recover from a variety of disasters.

And so, while we dominate this planet, we still need to preserve the diversity in wildlife.

Loss of Biodiversity and Extinctions

It is feared that human activity is causing massive extinctions. From various animal species, forests and the ecosystems that forests support, marine life. The costs associated with deteriorating or vanishing ecosystems will be high. However, sustainable development and consumption would help avert ecological problems.

 

  

AGBU’s newest educational project, the Armenian Virtual College (AVC), will be featured as one of the spots during the annual Armenia Fund USA (Hayastan Himnadram) Telethon tomorrow (Thursday, November 26, 2009).

AGBU Central Board Member and AVC founder, Yervant Zorian, will be in the Telethon’s Los Angeles studios for an interview and to present a video about the project.

This segment will be televised on Armenia’s H1 public television station on Thursday, November 26 at 2:30 PM (PST).

You may also watch a live webcast of the entire 12-hour telethon (8 AM – 8 PM PST) from anywhere in the world on www.armeniafundusa.org.

November 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The white ribbon has become the symbol for the day.

Click on the picture to join the Community

By Brian Kelly, KF9, Armenia

Mt Ararat lies just across the Turkish border, miles from Yerevan, Armenia's capital

Since arriving in Armenia, I’ve tried as much as possible to be a sponge.  Attempting to soak up everything there is to know about microfinance, cultural tendencies here, and especially current political happenings. Coming from the United States, a relative kindergartener historically-speaking compared to cane-wielding Armenia, and without a particularly strong allegiance to any real ethnic identity, (despite my name sounding more Irish than the potato famine) it’s hard to fully comprehend the Armenian history and deep-rooted identity.  The country has existed for so many years in so many different forms, changed its borders many times, and suffered devastating tragedy during its history.

Just after arriving here, Armenia and Turkey reached a landmark agreement to sign accords that will open Armenia’s 3^rd border stretching across the west of the country from Georgia down to Iran.  While cautiously distant at best, the relations between these two countries appear to be improving.   Azerbaijan, Armenia’s eastern neighbor, is a different story.  Technically, Armenia and Azerbaijan are still at war.  Since the Soviet Union collapsed, the two have been fighting over picturesque mountainous lands known as Nagorno-Karabakh, a now-independent territory that Armenia controls. During my time here, I have tried to absorb all of the sentiments that fuel the political relations among the countries in the South Caucusus.

My first instinct after naively traipsing into Yerevan in October was to casually ask: “why NOT open the border with Turkey? It’s the 21^st century, the world is globalizing, how can you delay the inevitable and why not choose to spur commerce?” But it’s just not that simple.  That was such a westernized way of thinking, a perspective where I hadn’t grown up looking northward and southward and seeing bitter rivals staring back at me.  The beneficial economic gains that might come from normalizing relations can be easily shielded by their long-standing emotional associations.

So with that, I am about to depart for a road-trip to Nagorno-Karabakh for several days to go visit branches with my MFI, and experience this source of neighborly animosity and conflict with Azerbaijan 15 + years in the making.  I hope to gather more impressions about the political situation but also the Armenian identity, and see what role my MFI is playing in this contested region.  I plan to write more when I have a better overall impression of the situation and history here, when I feel like less of an outsider.  This understanding will provide a context that can translate into microfinance, and why I often feel so estranged when I ask my bizarre questions about “hopes and dreams” or “profit margins.”  Without proper perspectives, trying to understand the impact of microfinance and how it should work here is difficult.  And as for now it can feel daunting to process, but I am trying to wrap my simple American senses around these complexities more and more each day.  So stay tuned…

Brian Kelly is a member of KF9 serving his Kiva Fellowship in Armenia to help bring pilot partner Aregak UCO onto the Kiva website.  To join the Armenian lending team, click here.  And to see more about Armenian loans, check out Nor Horizon UCO, and click here for fundraising loans (you may have to come back as they are new too)

నవతరంగంలో ప్రచురణ: May 23, 2009 at 4:34 pm

బొమ్మ 1 : Natali Teumian చిత్రం

హకొబ్ హొవ్నతాన్యన్ (Hakob Hovnatanyan) (1806-1881) ఒక ఆర్మేనియా కళాకారుడు. ఆ కళాకారుడి పైన 1967 లో వచ్చిన 10 నిమిషాల డాక్యుమెంటరి ఈ చిత్రం : Hakob Hovnatanyan. హకొబ్ హొవ్నతాన్యన్ portrait artist గా ప్రసిద్దుడు. మేటి ఐరోపా portrait కళాకారుల్లో ఈయన ఒకరు.

పుట్టింది Tiflis లో(ఇప్పుడు అదే – Tbilisi, జార్జియా రాజధాని). నేర్చుకున్నది చర్చి కళాకారుడైన తన తండ్రి Mkrtum Hovnatanyan నుంచి. తన 23వ ఏట Academy of Fine Arts లో చేరడానికి రష్యాలోని పీటర్స్ బర్గ్ వెళ్ళి అక్కడా మంచి పేరు సంపదించాడు.

15శతాబ్దాలుగా రివాజుగా వస్తున్న మతపరమైన చర్చి కళను కాకుండా లౌకిక కళకు పునాది వేసాడు .

హకొబ్ హొవ్నతాన్యన్ అంటే గుర్తుకొచ్చేది 1830-40 లో వేసిన Natali Teumian చిత్రం. ఆ కళాకారుడి పైన చేసినదే ఈ డాక్యుమెంటరీ.

ఇంతకి ఈ డాక్యుమెంటరి దర్శకుడు ఎవరంటే “Colour of Pomegranate” దర్శకుడైన పరజనొవ్.

హకొబ్ హొవ్నతాన్యనన్ portraits లో వున్న ముఖ్యాంశాలు (కళ్ళు, చేతులు, అలంకార ప్రాయమైన డిజైన్లు మొ||) పరజనొవ్ మొదటి 2-3 నిమిషాల్లో చూపిస్తాడు. కాని తర్వాత్తర్వాత కొంచం abstract అయిపొతుంది. అది అర్థం కావాలంటే ఆర్మేనియా సంస్కృతి తెలియాలేమో మరి.

ఈ చిత్రాన్ని చూడాలకునేవారు ఇక్కడ చూడొచ్చు (వీలయితే ఒక సమీక్ష వ్రాయండి.)

]]> http://agbublog.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/armenia-news-bulletin-11-25-09/ Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:56:22 +0000 alexbasmagian http://agbublog.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/armenia-news-bulletin-11-25-09/

Click here to download the PDF (57KB) of the latest AGBU Armenia News Bulletin.

The 2009 Armenian National Science & Education Fund (ANSEF) grants have been awarded, and project follow-up has begun.  Earlier this month, members of the FAR Yerevan staff paid visits to many of Armenia’s finest scientific institutions including Yerevan State University, the Scientific Center of Biology and Hydro-ecology, the Scientific Technological Center of Organic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry and the Institute of Applied Problems of Physics, in order to check in with the scientist teams who received FAR’s ANSEF grants.

Mr. Ishkhanyan, ANSEF Grantee Scientist

Credit: FAR Staff

The FAR representatives met with 14 different scientific research groups, during which time the progress of each team project was discussed.  Through ANSEF, FAR provides scientists with funding, enabling them to pursue their scientific research in Armenia as opposed to leaving the nation in search of funding.  The goal of this project is to motivate Armenia’s greatest scientific talents to stay in Armenia, preventing the problem known unofficially as the “brain drain.”

Presentation at the Physics Research Laboratory

Credit: FAR Staff

“Hi Sheri. Well, I don’t have specific towns and dates, but I can tell you that my grandfather survived the Armenian genocide. His family owned a shoe factory and they lived in Armenia. He was a young boy and watched his family be killed before his own eyes. He was on the death march and was saved by a Turkish family. They took him in and wanted him to work in their household. My grandfather ran away 5 times and the last time, was a success. He hid in a well for days and the Red Cross found him. He was taken to an orphanage in Corfu, Greece.

He had two brothers that also survived. Stephen lived in France and died of an illness, before my grandfather could meet up with him. His older brother, Bob, lived in Detroit. After leaving the orphanage, my grandfather was a boxer in Cuba. He saved money to join his brother Bob in Detroit. He came to the USA and got a job at Ford Motor Company. When he came to this country, US customs suggested changing his name to make it more Americanized. He agreed to the name of Edward Harrison. His original last name was Baydarian. He went to school through Ford Motor Company and learned the English language. He went on to marry my grandmother, Marie Rose Narsisian and they had 4 sons. My father is their youngest son, Glenn Anthony Harrison.”

[NOTE: I received this family history from Raechel Harrison Schultz. It is the story of her grandfather Edward Harrison. Raechel found my posting on Facebook and took the time to write. Thank you, Raechel, for giving me permission to share your grandfather's history. I hope more and more Armenians will share their stories and this website with the world. For more information, send your email to armeniangenocide@ymail.com.]

SINCLAS - BORRADOR 
NATO UNCLASSIFIED - FIRST DRAFT

ASUNTO

Ejercicio resumen OSINT sobre el Cáucaso. Periodo: 15 SEP – 27 OCT 09. Análisis INTEL de implicaciones para el CIFAS y la Infantería de Marina.

DESARROLLO

15 SEP 09 La Iglesia Ortodoxa de Abjazia se separa oficialmente de la Iglesia Ortodoxa de Georgia.

17 SEP 09 Se discute un acuerdo potencial sobre la renuncia al empleo de la fuerza durante la séptima ronda de conversaciones en Ginebra (Suiza).

20 SEP 09 La república separatista de Osetia del Sur celebra el XIX Aniversario de su independencia con un desfile militar en su capital, Tsjinval.

23 SEP 09 La misión de observación de la UE (EUMM) en Georgia intensifica sus patrullas a lo largo de la frontera administrativa con Osetia del Sur y Abjazia, en previsión de que se publique el informe de la UE sobre la guerra de AGO 08.

24 SEP 09 El Presidente georgiano, Mijeil Saakashvili, aboga por la elección directa de los alcaldes en Georgia, durante su discurso ante la Asamblea General de la ONU.

28 SEP 09 El jefe de la EUMM, Hansjörg Haber, se reúne en Moscú con el Viceministro de Asuntos Exteriores ruso, Grigory Karasin.

30 SEP 09 Se publica un informe independiente encargado por la UE sobre los orígenes de la guerra entre Georgia y Rusia.

30 SEP 09 Los habitantes de Osetia cuyas casas fueron destruidas durante la guerra de AGO 08 protestan en Tsjinval contra los retrasos que se están produciendo para ofrecerles un nuevo hogar.

06 OCT 09 Once partidos políticos de Armenia emiten un comunicado en contra del acercamiento entre Armenia y Turquía.

07 OCT 09 La Agencia Estadounidense para el Desarrollo Internacional (USAID) informa que EE.UU. va a destinar otros 50 millones de dólares como parte de los mil millones de dólares de ayuda prometida a Georgia tras la guerra de AGO 08.

08 OCT 09 Robert Simmons, el Representante Especial para el Cáucaso y Asia Central del Secretario General de la OTAN, se reúne en Tbilisi con el Ministro de Defensa de Georgia, Bacho Ajalaia [24 OCT 80].

10 OCT 09 Turquía y Armenia firman dos protocolos para restaurar los lazos diplomáticos y abrir sus fronteras durante una ceremonia oficial en Zurich (Suiza).

11 OCT 09 El Primer Ministro turco, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, declara que Armenia debería retirarse del territorio de Nagorno-Karabaj, con el objeto de lograr la aprobación por parte del Parlamento turco para la adopción de los protocolos firmados entre Ankara y Ereván.

14 OCT 09 La alianza opositora del Congreso Nacional Armenio (HAK) exige la dimisión del Presidente Serzh Sarkisian por el acuerdo firmado entre Armenia y Turquía.

14 OCT 09 El Presidente del Congreso Azerí en BENELUX, Elsevar Mammadov, afirma que las organizaciones de la diáspora azerbaiyana están negociando con la diáspora turca para evitar la apertura de la frontera turco-armenia.

15 OCT 09 La empresa de gas natural de Armenia declara que la rusa GAZPROM va a reducir el precio por la importación de gas a Armenia.

15 OCT 09 Georgia rechaza las acusaciones del jefe del Servicio de Seguridad Federal Ruso (FSB), Alexander Bortnikov, de que el  Servicio de Inteligencia de Georgia está colaborando con Al-Qaeda, facilitando el tránsito de mercenarios y armas a través de Georgia hacia el Cáucaso Norte.

16 OCT 09 El Presidente de Azerbaiyán, Ilham Aliyev, declara que Turquía está pagando demasiado poco por el gas azerí y que Azerbaiyán va a buscar otras rutas energéticas hacia Europa.

16 OCT 09 El líder de la Iglesia Ortodoxa de Georgia, Ilia II, critica al Presidente Mijeil Saakashvili por la guerra de AGO 08.

18 OCT 09 El Primer Ministro de Armenia, Tigran Sarkisian, acusa de corrupción al Ministro de Transportes por su empleo de los fondos destinados a reparar carreteras.

18 OCT 09 La UE anuncia sus planes de aprobar un préstamo de 65 millones de euros y conceder otros 35 millones de euros de ayuda a Armenia para que haga frente a su crisis económica.

18 OCT 09 El Presidente de Azerbaiyán, Ilham Aliyev, visita Suiza.

19 OCT 09 El presidente de la Compañía Estatal Petrolera de la República de Azerbaiyán (SOCAR), Rovnag Abdullayev, declara que su compañía energética está negociando con Irán para comenzar las exportaciones de gas a partir de este próximo invierno.

19 OCT 09 Habitantes de la región georgiana de Lagodeji cortan el tráfico de la autopista Georgia-Azerbaiyán para protestar contra los problemas relacionados con el suministro de agua en la localidad de Mitsimi.

20 OCT 09 El Parlamento de Georgia vota a favor deestablecer una Comisión que investigue la muerte del primer Presidente post-soviético, Zviad Gamsajurdia.

20 OCT 09 El Presidente kazajo, Nursultan Nazarbayev, declara que Kazajstán va a realizar esfuerzos para solucionar el conflicto de Nagorno-Karabaj.

20 OCT 09 Los Ministros de Asuntos Interiores de Azerbaiyán y Rusia firman un acuerdo de cooperación contra el terrorismo internacional y el crimen organizado.

20 OCT 09 Un juzgado de Tbilisi inicia el caso de Vajtang Maisaia, acusado de espiar para Rusia.

20 OCT 09 El Banco Mundial le dice a Armenia que termine con la estructura “oligopolística” de su economía.

22 OCT 09 El Presidente de Armenia, Serzh Sarkisian, inicia una visita de dos días a Nagorno-Karabaj.

22 OCT 09 El Viceministro de Asuntos Exteriores de Armenia, Arman Kirakosian, declara que el acercamiento turco-armenio constituye una cuestión aparte del conflicto de Nagorno-Karabaj.

24 OCT 09 EE.UU. y Georgia inician unas maniobras militares bilaterales como parte del adiestramiento que EE.UU. está llevando a cabo de las tropas georgianas que se están preparando para ser desplegadas en Afganistán.

27 OCT 09 16 ciudadanos georgianos son detenidos cerca de la región separatista de Osetia del Sur.

27 OCT 09 El Presidente de Georgia, Mijeil Saakashvili, visita Polonia.

CONCLUSIONES

[Estimaciones INTEL y posibles Cursos de Acción. Vulnerabilidades: no publicar]

At least eight people have been killed in an explosion that happened at Arsenal 31, ammunitions depot on the outskirts of Ulyanovsk, 900km (550 miles) south-east of Moscow, Russia. This explosion comes within 10 days after explosions tore through the same site, the defense ministry says.

A bomb disposal squad was working on the site, loading live ammunition onto a lorry when the blast occurred. All the people killed are reported to be members of the squad. Two people were also injured in the accident. The blast took place at 1430hrs local time on Monday, when the team was clearing the affected area in the naval base which had been affected by the earlier accident on November 13.

The earlier explosions and resulting fire had left two soldiers dead when they attempted to decommission the weapons that were left after the fire had been put off.

The regional emergency ministry branch had previously warned the local residents that it was carrying out “planned detonation of unexploded shells” from the arms depot. The ministry had also promised that it was following all “safety measures“.

Russian ammunition depots as well as much of the ammunition still dates back to Soviet era and the ageing arsenal has been a major cause of concern. This is not the first time that such a mishap has occurred.

President Dmitry Medvedev is scheduled to visit Ulyanovsk on Tuesday to meet Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev in a bid to resolve the Azerbaijan-Armenia dispute over Nagorny Karabakh and to inaugurate a square named after Aliyev’s late father and former Azerbaijani leader, Heidar Aliyev.

Investigations are under way into both incidents. At the time of the 13 November incident, officials said artillery shells and torpedoes were kept at the arsenal.

NowPublic

Before graduating from secondary school in Dilijan, Eduard Bayramyan had already decided to become a physician. His father and eldest brother were pharmacists and his uncle was a doctor.  In 1998, Eduard applied to the Yerevan State Medical University.  By 2007, he had completed his residency in General Surgery.

However, Eduard was not satisfied with only one specialization, so he decided to study oncology as well.  Therefore, he had to continue to finance his education and somehow pay the hefty tuition.  During a trip to the Dean’s Office, Eduard learned about FAR’s CME Program scholarship, and immediately applied.  He was accepted to the program, and signed a contract stating that he would return to his native town as a practicing physician after graduation.

The decision to return to his hometown became firm when in August 2009, he participated in an internship in the local hospital and got acquainted with his future colleagues as well as the medical conditions of people living in the surrounding areas.  As a result, Eduard discovered that there was much work to be done, especially since the hospital was lacking an oncology specialist.  Eduard enjoyed working in the Dilijan hospital and especially enjoyed working with the hospital’s head doctor and FAR CME Program member Sahak Mkrtumyan.  During his one-month stay, Eduard managed to participate in several surgical procedures.

Eduard has always had great respect for the regional physicians, and greatly appreciates their professional flexibility.  “In the regions, often times you work alone. Very often you have to make your own decisions related to a patient’s health,” explained Eduard.  In Spring 2010, Eduard Bayramyan will complete his residency at Yerevan State Medical University and return to Dilijan to practice medicine.  Eduard looks forward to his return as much as the personnel of the hospital in his native town.

Eduard Bayramyan with FAR CME Coordinator
Hambartsum Simonyan

Credit: FAR Staff

Click here to download the PDF (53KB) of the latest AGBU Armenia News Bulletin.

Amazon's Global Kindle Reader

I heard that Amazon now has a global version of Kindle. I was disappointed to find this morning that the new version still will not work in my country.

Since I’ve wanted one for some time, but have been waiting until they got a version that would work in my country, I checked out their website this morning, only to be disappointed again. Apparently the new global version will only work in SOME countries.

In case you are thinking of purchasing the new Global Kindle for a Christmas gift this year, since the new version will only work in SOME countries, I thought it would be helpful to most expats to have a complete list of which countries it will, or will not work in.

STARRED (*) countries marked below indicate that Kindle needs to be ordered from a SPECIAL PAGE on the Amazon site.

The Global Kindle version DOES work in (as of Dec. 2009):

Aland Islands, Albania, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Aruba, Australia*, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Boznia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands, Faroe Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Kenya, Kiribati, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Liberia, Leichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Moldovia, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Mozembique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Réunion, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Virgin Islands – British, Virgin Islands – U.S., Wallis and Futuna, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

The Global Kindle version does NOT work in (as of Dec. 2009):

Afghanistan, Algeria, Antarctica, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bouvet Island, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chile, Chad, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, French Southern Territories, Gambia, Guinea, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Isle of Man, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea – Democratic People’s Republic of, Korea – Republic of, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco (including the Western Sahara), New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Pitcairn, Qatar, Saint Barthelemy, Saint Helena, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Somalia, South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands, Sudan, Svalbard and Jan Mayan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tokelau, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Uzbekistan, Yemen.