When a tweet meets dishonesty: Unmasking a hoax

Recently, one tweet of mine was "deconstructed" by one blog written by a person who positions himself as "a journalist and photojournalist of Armenian and English descent who has been resident in the Republic of Armenia since 1998," based on multiple Azeri language online sources and some speculations of what happened in Baku.

The piece is called When Twitter Can Be Misleading, and aforementioned tweet of mine is cited as a possible case study. Anyway, I'd not answer his post, if the method by which I am declared "misleading" is itself a blunt falsification of primary source and dishonesty.

Let's start from the beginning.

New 4D cinema in Baku to allow people to smell films - UPDATED

According to Azerbaijan Telegraph Agency (Azertag), a new 4D cinema is to be built in National Park in Baku.

No joking - Azertag does not like jokes.

Besides that this cinema has no analogues in the whole Commonwealth of Independent States, it will allow feeling even the smell of what is screened. Moreover,

The audience involuntarily become heroes of the film by wearing special spectacles. The main role is played by mobile seats. The spectators will be able to fell wind, different smells, heat and cold and everything on the screen.

Wow! Really?! Doubly WOW! The pity is that the cinema will have only 12 seats! Hmmm...

Update: After I published this post, News.az, where the news was first posted has edited the text - therefore, in order to enjoy the news fully, you can see a snapshot of its original version here.

Update 2: It seems 4D cinema is not a product of ill fantasy of some AzerTAg reporter, an anonymous user alerted me that this phenomenon already exists (also q.v. here), but not in the form written in above report ;)

MUST READ: Tending the embers: #Armenia #Azerbaijan #Caucasus

Below is not a blog post, it is a long tweet. And I am not an author of it, rather I would love to be its author. Frankly, I am even jealous that I am not the author. In fact, it is written by an anonymous user in Twitter, who calls himself/herself Ani and has an account named "GoldenTent."  S/he is one of the best micro-bloggers in/from the South Caucasus and below is one of the best pieces ever written about our region - enjoy the reading!

* * *

"Prometheus created the light by desiring it." ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Well, I don’t have a blog and won’t be having one, but I’ll put a few thoughts here, since Twitlonger has obliged. When I signed up for Twitter, I did so primarily to disseminate information regarding the struggle for human rights and civil rights in the Caucasus. I hoped perhaps that by shining a light in corners that have been nearly ignored by the outside world and the international media, someone might look in and at least acknowledge that problems exist. I also hoped that by sharing information both about Armenia and Azerbaijan, and by contextualizing the information with other countries in Eurasia, readers could see how much common ground there is, and discover what the governments try to hide. It is no coincidence that bellicosity increases whenever internal discontent rises to the surface, because this discontent threatens the financial interests of those in charge, whereas nationalist rhetoric makes the population compliant and unwilling to complain about their daily struggles. True progress occurs only when the citizenry become unpredictable, when they no longer allow themselves to be Pavlov’s dogs.

This year we’ve seen too clearly how threatening satire is to authorities in Azerbaijan (#EminAdnan), and how even such innocent acts as handing out leaflets advertising rallies can earn you at least four months in jail in Armenia (witness Tigran Arakelyan,( http://bit.ly/unOxq and Vahagn Gevorgyan, http://bit.ly/o71Tm ). We’ve seen a staggering number of journalists and human rights workers killed, beaten, or jailed in Eurasia, Central Asia, and Russia. We’ve followed far too many ridiculous trials, including those ongoing ones of Khodorkovsky (Russia) and Pashinyan (Armenia). We’ve endured the posturing and foibles of the mighty and the rich in the region, however they got that way.

I have no answers or wisdom to dispense regarding the tough international questions that bedevil the countries of the Caucasus and their neighbors. I hope but do not find myself optimistic about resolutions of these quandaries coming anytime soon. I know only one thing: Somewhere in Armenia, the lackeys of some rich man who owns a private zoo threw a donkey into a lions’ den. That donkey fought back, and the lions did not win. It was, at least, a surprise and a moral tale.

Desire the light, or live in darkness! The Caucasus is the land of Prometheus, of St. Gregory the Illuminator, and of the Eternal Fire temple in Azerbaijan. Surely the light can be at home here! So let’s tend the embers and not let them die, and perhaps someday the light will shine brightly!

URL: http://www.twitlonger.com/show/1b2q9

Pro-gov't MP: Designate birthday of President's mother as Mothers' Day in Azerbaijan

For 70 years, Soviet Azerbaijan celebrated 28 April as a national holiday – it was conceived as the victory of revolution in the country, the date of its Sovetization and liberation of workers. After the demise of Soviets, the public holiday was abolished. But now a pro-government Member of the Parliament wants this date back as a holiday again – this time as the Mother’s Day.

According to Mediaforum, Elmira Akhundova, the author of the proposal told the Parliament on 1 February:

28 April is the birthday of prominent academician Zarifa Aliyeva. Azerbaijani people celebrate the birthday of Zarifa Aliyeva, who is the wife of Azerbaijan's national leader Heydar Aliyev, with great respect. To designate her birthday as the Mothers' Day would reflect people's love towards Zarifa khanim as well as add a new public holiday to our calendar. This Mothers' Day should be established and designated as a non-working day.

Academician Zarifa Aliyeva (1923-1985) was the wife of Azerbaijan’s third president Heydar Aliyev and the mother of the fourth, incumbent president, Ilham Aliyev.

Spasibo Zeynalabdin - Merci Beacoup Azerbaijan

There was one millionaire in Baku at the turn of XIX and XX centuries. His name was Zeynalabdin (not that famous Taghiyev, but another guy) and he was obsessed with one strange desire - to get decorated by the Czar himself. Every time when he read or heard that the Czar had decorated someone with imperial orders, he could have a heart attack. No joking.

Seeking a cure, he consulted some sages and was told that the imperial garrison in Baku is quartered in miserable conditions and it would be good idea to take care of soldiers - the Czar's sons. Thus, Mr Zeynalabdin took the best of his properties, renovated it and donated to the government for this purpose. The new premises were received with great pomp and ceremony and gratitude and soldiers happily moved in.

After some time, Zeynalabdin went to visit the Governor of Baku and asked with great caution - "did the Czar have something for me?"

Ali and Nino now in 33 languages

From Ədəbiyyat Qəzeti (Literature Gazette), January 15, 2010, page 2, anonymous translation

A new translation of Kurban Said's ageless love story Ali and Nino has just been published in Albanian, according to the latest news received by Betty Blair, Editor of Azerbaijan International Magazine, in Los Angeles.

Ali and Nino is now published in 33 languages: Albanian, Arabic, Azeri, Bengali, Catalan, Cantonese (Chinese), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English (Braille, Talking Books for Blind and Dyslexic, and a Large Print Edition), Finnish, French, Georgian, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil and Portugal), Russian, Serbian, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish (also Swedish Talking Books for the Blind), Turkish, and Urdu.

The Albanian translation was made from English by Guri Shyti, edited by Loredan Bubani, and published by OMCA-1 (Luan Pengili) in Tirana, Albania. The release date was 2009.

Georgia's Rising Star, Soprano Nino Machaidze

And she sings one of my favourite arias!

This billboard was supposed to be in Azeri?

Hilarious - if not a sign of cultural imperialism, then what is this? Oh, the globalisation!

Paul Goble: Don't criticize Azerbaijan or Turkish-Armenian border won't open

First, keep in mind that Azerbaijan is heavily criticized for its human rights record these days. And it is Azerbaijan's own fault.
 
Wanted to start with "Et tu, Paul?" but it would be grammatically wrong in Latin. Or with "Paul Goble is just a piece of grand shit," but my respect to a friend in common forced this phrase out of a headline. Anyway, I am furious with him, you already guessed.

Recently, Paul Goble (not that Caldecott-winning American athor, but a Eurasia expert) has published an "analysis" in biweekly newsletter of Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy.

Azeri Ambassador proposes to rename Kazakhstan’s capital in favor of Nazarbayev

Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan Latif Gandilov suggested to the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev to rename Astana into Sultan-Ata ("Father Sultan"), Interfax-Azerbaijan reported.

The diplomat also explained the logic behind this move to a local newspaper:

If you remember, the president said that friends called him Sultan when [he was] a child. And we all know that His Excellency Nursultan Nazarbayev considers Astana his child. So why not name this city after him?

It is not the first time that Azerbaijan tries to bring enlightenment to its ignorant brethren across the Caspian Sea, in barren land of Central Asia.

Earlier, Azerbaijani Idol-Makers Union a.k.a. Azerbaijan Artists' Union was engaged in bringing haute culture to Turkmenistan by preparing statues of late Turkmenbashi (1940-2006), father of all Turkmens.

Turkish and Azeri presidents were also busy by giving a short introduction to journalism for newly-elected Turkmen President, while the Azeri embassy in Ashgabat was planning to translate and publish Heydar Aliyev's biography.

EU resolution "an attempt to damage democratic image of Azerbaijan"

Finally, the Azerbaijani Parliament responded to the recent EU resolution about the freedom of expression in the country. According to Azeri Press Agency (APA), the Parliament called the EU resolution "an attempt to damage democratic image of Azerbaijan." Well said, comrades!

Here is an excerpt in APA's translation:

Azerbaijan is working together with the European Union and prefers democratic values.

Human rights protection is one of the country’s supreme goals. No one can make us avoid this way. Our future links with the democratic development. We hope that the European Parliament will not put aside the main tendencies of the country and not be based on the principle of generalization of the different exceptional cases, while reviewing the issues about Azerbaijan.

Our response to Chamberlain, eh... EU resolution

Iconic Soviet poster from 1927 (Photo from Wikipedia)

... and my suggestions how to make it better.

Recently, the EuropeYAN Parliament has adopted a resolution initiated mainly by Dutch MEP Marietje Schaake and Lithuanian MEP Vytautas Landsbergis condemning the current state of freedom of expression in Azerbaijan, calling to release journalists, editors-in-chiefs and bloggers that the Azerbaijani government has been locking up inside so busily.

The Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan has already called this resolution an indirect pressure on Azerbaijani courts. "This action can be judged as unreasonable step that puts into question the independence, fairness and impartiality of the [Azerbaijani] judicial system providing indirect pressure on decision-making of the courts," Foreign Ministry spokesman Elkhan Polukhov said.

Barack Obama in Baku

Perhaps not all of you know that the current President of US Barack Obama was in Baku when he was still a senator. One Azeri blogger says that his friend, an employee of the Azeri MFA has almost gone mad for he had lost a photo of him with Barack Obama. What a tragedy you say, yes? Don't worry, I have another photo for you!