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Opera Tenor Vahan Mirakian Deportation Case Overturned by Rick London..

I met Vahan Mirakian through a mutual friend, his attorney, almost two years ago for the first time in a small tourist town, a paradise of sorts on the Pacific near Tijuana called 'San Antonio'. The town was gorgeous as was the ocean view from Vahan's Villa patio. Vahan's face looked old and tired, as if he had given up. I would find out later, he virtually had.

Vahan had reason not to be smiling. He had been through a living hell. And it was not getting better. His case seemed more complicated all the time, and he had the best representation available. Still, things did not look good. Even paradise, to Vahan, looked like a lifetime sentence. He would be away from the United States and the love of his life, Marika A.

Vahan had, a year ago, been arrested at LAX at age 70, handcuffed, dragged through the airport, made to sign papers he did not understand, detained, and then deported, and not allowed to return on a technical violation.

First let me allow, Vahan is no 9/11 box-cutter carrying terrorist. He is a delightful super-talented opera singer, known to be one of the top five tenors in the world, was a resident many years at the Russian Bolshoi, and scheduled to play at Carnegie Hall before his career was rudely interrupted.

Though he did not understand my English (even a lot of Americans don't as I was raised in Mississippi, and I did not understand his Armenian, we understood each other and developed a great affection. Whatever words we did not understand were quickly interpreted by our mutual friends.

Several months later, I returned to Los Angeles to visit our mutual attorney friend, and we drove again to Mexico to visit Vahan Mirakian. He was more sad than I had seen him before (if this was possible) , and his complicated case was not looking good. His fiance Marika, a television producer and talk show host at Armenian TV in Glendale, had to commute every weekend she could to be with Vahan. The strain was beginning to wear on the relationship.

This time it was my 53rd birthday, and we went to a small restaurant called La Fonda's, really more or less a dive with an American pop band and very good Mexican food. At the break, I mentioned to the manager that one of the world's top opera stars was at our table and asked if he could sing accompanied by the band. 'Of course,' said the manager. I had not even asked Vahan yet but he gladly agreed. He had not sung at any venue in over a year and music was and is his life. The minute Vahan opened his mouth to sing, there was a huge smile on his face. The energy could be felt all over the room. It was magic.

As it turned out, most the band opted out but the saxophone player was keen on doing a duo. When they started O Solo Mia, you could hear a pin drop in this packed establishment. It was surreal, like something out of a Salvador Dali painting. Nobody could believe their ears and kept yelling for an encore when it was over. Two women thought I was the manager and demanded another performance. They were livid that I would not let him sing again.

He dedicated the song to his loving friend, Rick London (me), and I was floored. There I sat in this little Mexican cafe, with friends from around the world, and a world famous opera singer had dedicated one of my favorite songs to me for my birthday, and with a voice like no other.

Today, nearly another year later, I received an email from our mutual attorney friend that his case cleared. He is a free citizen again in the U.S. and living in Los Angeles. He plans a nationwide and possibly a world tour at age 71. His voice is as clear as ever and I can hear the well-known masters every time he opens his mouth.

Vahan directs his own nonprofit foundation that helps disadvantaged Armenian youth find their voice in music. It does wonders for those who would never have a chance otherwise. I salute this man for hanging in there and putting up a fight for his justice. I salute the American system for allowing him another chance to make it in this great country.

Good for America. We really are the land of the free and the home of the brave. And Vahan will have his chance now to make a wonderful contribution through both his singing and his foundation. I encourage everyone to consider giving any amount to the Vahan Mirakian Foundation.

Any angel of the arts should consider giving to the Vahan Mirakian Foundation to help underpriviliged youth find their voice through opera at Nonprofit Opera Foundation, and A Tax-Deductable Donation

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Is a Snapshot Printer Right For You? Take the Test and Find Out by Christine Peppler

The digital camera significantly advanced the ease and convenience of capturing and sharing images when it was introduced years ago. For those shutterbugs who wanted a hard copy of those images, the ability to print and edit photos at home was a hallmark. Additions to the line up of printers available in recent years have provided even greater convenience however; allowing the immediate gratification of producing prints anywhere we go rather than waiting to return home to produce the images we capture. Snapshot printers have added portability to the process of creating prints.

Most of the major printer manufacturers now offer snapshot printer models. By answering just a few questions about their individual preferences, consumers can determine if these handy printers are the right choice for them.

Is there a frequent need to print pictures while away from home?

Snapshot printers allow users to take them anywhere they go. In general, they weigh from 2.5 to 5 pounds and are built for portability with handles for easy carrying. In addition, they connect with a camera or memory card directly or via a wireless connection such as Bluetooth or IR cutting out the need for a computer. Portability is the primary reason for selecting a snapshot printer.

Is there a need for a very simple and easy process to create prints?

Snapshot printers perform only one function, creating prints from a digital camera. Because of this and the ability to remove the computer from the equation, the printing process is very simple. Snapshot printers accept only precut paper to create 4x6 or in a few instances 5x7 or 4x12 prints, thus no trimming is needed once printing is completed. Most snapshot printers also offer a small LCD screen to allow users to make quick edits to crop pictures or make other adjustments. Ease of use and the space saving aspects of snapshot printers are another common reason for selecting them.

Will the printer need to produce text documents?

If users want a printer that will readily produce photographic prints as well as text documents a snapshot printer should be thought of only as a second device as they do not multi-task. These printers produce prints of the images on a camera exclusively. In addition, the sizes of the prints they are capable of producing is generally limited to 4x6 although some models offer other sizes as mentioned previously.

Is overall cost and quality of prints more important than portability?

The average snapshot printer is not expensive but offers no savings over their multi-tasking cousins. The average price is in the neighborhood of $80 to $200 with a per print cost of between $ 0.25 to $0.45. Snapshot printers are primarily dye sublimation or inkjet and offer very good photo quality although it is certainly not superior to the larger and more versatile full sized printers. The choice to purchase a snapshot printer is generally not based on superior print quality or pricing.


Clearly, snapshot printers rule the market for offering consumers the ability print photos immediately, any where they may take their camera. Although their functions are more limited than all-in-one or many traditional printers they meet a need for creating very good quality prints quickly and easily.

The author, Christine Peppler, encourages readers to visit her website for more information about using or selecting camera or other home electronics device.

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Food And Wine In The Tuscany Districts by

There are some little facts that tourists and holiday makers to Tuscany need to know about the reputed food and wine that have made the Italian city a must-visit destination. It is well known among visitors and tourists to Italy that Tuscany has some of the Continent?s finest cuisines and wines which are mostly used to entertain first-time visitors. Wine adds a special touch to any occasion that is worth celebrating. This explains why people from all over the world choose to travel all the way to Italy and specifically Tuscany, to celebrate special moments. As for Tuscany, it is not in any way different from other favorite tourist destinations in terms of relaxation spots but what makes it stand out is the unique taste of its dishes; making it an attraction to all comers.

Tuscany wine has an unrivalled reputation among all others in the region with a distinct flavor that makes it a favorite to many wine lovers all over Europe and globally too. Since wine is known to add color to all events being celebrated, it is only wise for one to make Tuscany a preferred holiday destination. There are multiple wine zones in Tuscany. Some of the most important of these wine zones include Chianti Classico, Bolgheri and Montalcino.

It is arguably true that Tuscany is a major center of Italy?s wine producing cities because it is also widely said that Italy is the highest wine producing country in the world. Thus, Tuscany boasts of some of Italy?s finest with a wide variety of such wines. For many decades, wine has been a major attraction to Tuscany; what with the number of visitors and tourists flocking into the city regularly for their fair share of wine-dine sessions. In recent years, Tuscany?s wine makers have been putting in extra effort to enhance the quality of their wines which results in the high class products that make their way out of Tuscany?s vineyards.

The excellence of Tuscany?s wines are better tried and tasted for the above facts to be agreed. Whether it?s for domestic consumption or for the world?s markets, Tuscany can?t simply be ignored on a list of the best towns producing the best wines. As the saying goes, ?the taste of the pudding is in the eating,? so does the taste of Tuscany?s foods and wines. Within the town itself, it is very easy to locate any restaurant, eatery or bar for a quick go at any of the city?s numerous foods and wines. For those who choose to take away the exotic wines, there are lots of stores where they can be found.

Tuscany?s wines have come a long way that the best among the different wines have earned the term ?Super Tuscan Wines.? These are the types that are made using several blends of exotic varieties of fruits like grape, strawberry, cherry, etc. The west of Tuscany where the Bolgheri wine zone has its base is known as the birthplace of Tignanello and Sassacaia; both of which are Super Tuscan Wines. The wines from Bolgheri have lately been receiving more attention than ever before. Most especially in recent decades and this is largely because of their high quality among other Italian wines. Red Tuscany wine is one of the favored drinks among both locals and visitors to the Italian city.

This may be because of its unique mode of preparation whereby several different grapes like Syrah, Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are blended together to give the finished product. The above grapes are also used to produce different types of wines. Although much has been highlighted about Tuscan wines, the city?s food also enjoys the same attention as its beverage counterpart with the comments and feedback of many visitors and tourists to Tuscany.

Holiday makers to Italy always love to stop over in Tuscany to have a taste of what they often read about on the pages of travel magazines and journals. For many visitors to Italy, there are more than enough varieties of cuisines to try for an entire month for those who may be visiting the country as first timers. There is equally a wide array of mouth-watering delicatessens to try for those who are regular comers to Tuscany.

As a good way of enjoying your stay in Tuscany, you can decide to take down the list of the most popular dishes that are common among locals. Along with this list, you may also copy the recipes of the dishes that are easy to prepare or that belong to your list of favorites; with love from Tuscany. In the absence of something new to take home as souvenir from Tuscany, one can take this simple but important list of cuisines back home so as to make something out of the Italy trip. Really, foods and wines in Italy and to be specific, Tuscany, are cheap, affordable and readily available too. Depending on your preferences, you just can?t run out of what to eat or drink while you are out in the Tuscan home of Italy. See you there.

Andrea Cardelli writes articles for the most part for http://www.yourwaytotuscany.com , an internet site with information about Tuscany Accommodation.

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