Richard Haig Gavoor (December 7, 1930 – March 10, 2026)

    

We were all saddened when my cousin David informed us that his dad, my uncle and Godfather, passed away.  This week he asked that we send him anecdotes and memories that might “reveal the kind of person he was (i.e. personal qualities and characteristics).  The idea is that people who didn't know him would be able to read these and feel as if they did.”

Richard Gavoor is my father’s younger brother.  Most people he knew in his adult and work life called him Dick.  In the family, we knew him by his childhood nickname, Buddy, and to my sisters and me has Uncle Buddy.  My father Aram Gavoor was Sonny.  To their Armenian contemporaries, it was always Sonny and Buddy.  Their older sister was Seeran.

We never lived in the same city or state.  We lived in Detroit.  Uncle Buddy and his family lived first in St. Catherines, Ontario and then Summit, New Jersey.  While we never spent enough time together, it was always a pleasure to be with Uncle Buddy, Aunt Perk, and our cousins Susan, Robin, and David.  

Uncle has been a big influence in my life. My mother was a major assistance in this regard.  She would always motivate me with Uncle Buddy’s example both in terms of education and his subsequent success in his career in corporate accounting and finance.  In fact, mom wrote this perfect heartfelt sentiment in a group chat earlier today. 

There is an Armenian saying, not necessarily when someone passes away, “ Varskud Gadar”.  Translation: A job well done.   

To me this says it all for Buddy in every way.

He achieved his life’s goals by working diligently and maintaining his high standards which guided him to success.

He was a model son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and devoted dear friend to many.

 Here are a few memories that came to mind today when I learned of Uncle Buddy’s passing. 

He once told me a story when he was a boy.  They used to spend the summers on the family farm in Andover, MA.   He was working in the field, and he slipped or somehow fell, and the tractor ran over his legs.  He related, “I immediately jumped up and ran fast, screaming ‘My legs are broken.’  But there was so much hay on the soft ground, that I wasn’t hurt at all.”  He was chuckling, in his patented wry manner, at his reaction to what might have been more tragic. 

My grandmother one told me another story of the two boys, Sonny and Buddy.  My dad and some friends were playing football in the street.  Uncle Buddy wanted to join in, but my dad wouldn’t let him for some reason.  Uncle Buddy then went into the house and called the police.  He claimed to be the Armenian neighbor who was sitting on his porch across the street watching the boys play and complained about the racket.  The police came and broke up the game.  Uncle Buddy sat on his own porch across from the oblivious neighbor and watched the whole scene unfold never saying a word.

Uncle Buddy was a lifelong athlete and devotee to health and fitness.  He was quite a sprinter both in college and in the Armenian Youth Federation’s renown Olympic Games held every Labor Day Weekend since 1933.  He and my dad were part of the famous Watertown Gaidzag team of six that won the 1953 Olympics.  Uncle Buddy was named an Olympic King at the 1968 Games in Washington, DC.  Read more about the Watertown Six here.  

Buddy taking first and Sonny coming in thrid

I remember how graciously happy and proud Uncle Buddy was in the mid-2000s when his grandnephew, my son Aram, passed him on the all time high scorers list.  He was proud of his records and achievements but delighted that another Gavoor passed him up.

As mentioned earlier, Uncle Buddy was a great example career wise for me.  We were all proud of his rise to comptroller at Nabisco based in Manhattan and then in New Jersey.  I remember when we visited the family in New Jersey and I got to see his commuting lifestyle up close and how he would return home in the evening, change his clothes, and rush off to his club to play tennis.  He was always sharply attired, a true Brooks Brothers man of those times.  I remember the awe I had for New York and that commuting lifestyle as a mere teenager.  I remember sitting with him and discussing the 1985 takeover of Nabisco by RJ Reynolds that he lived through and later became popularized in Tom Wolfe’s bestselling The Bonfires of the Vanities.

When he became older, Uncle Buddy took up golf.  As with most sports, he dedicated himself to it and became a pretty good player and a true devotee of the game. 

I remember how proud we both were when I took a position at Colgate-Palmolive in Manhattan in 1990.  I felt like I was emulating my Uncle Buddy and remember him congratulating me on having a ‘Park Avenue office.’

My Uncle was a very nice and considerate man.  He was a true gentleman and someone we could all emulate.  He had strong well-thought out views but never lorded them over others.  I admired that he was always willing to discuss and entertain different perspectives.  When asked for advice, he would give various options and their pros and cons but would never make the decision for you. 

Uncle Buddy loved his family and his extended Gavoor-Asoian clan.  He loved Armenian food and music.  I loved that when I played at Armenian Picnics in NJ he would come by to both the Armenian fare and enjoy my music.  I will miss him but relish these and other precious memories.

As we Armenians say, Աստուած հոգին լուսաւորէ (Asdvadz hokin lusavoreh), may God illuminate his soul.

                   

  

This Side of Fifty Anniversary Post

I started this writing project, This Side of Fifty, in February of 2002.  It began as a monthly e-letter that I sent to a list of family and friends.  In 2009, I moved it all over to this blog and began posting more often than just once a month.  This, is the second post of the Volume XXIII.  I have never published a book, but I have enough posts over the years for a book or three.  As noted in previous Anniversary e-letters and blog posts, this has been a most worthwhile and rewarding project.  I am also both amazed and very proud that I have stuck with it for so long. 

There were only 40 posts in Volume XXII.  That is the least number of posts since 2017.  What was the cause of that drop in productivity?  I wrote about it a twice last year in One A Day and A Lethargic July.  The lower productivity was due to a lethargy which I can attribute to my two knee replacements, the left one in January and then the right one in June.  The surgeries, which could be viewed as ‘routine,’ took some of the veritable wind out of my blogging sails.  I feel good and feel somewhat back to normal.  But at my age, any loss in concentration is a wee bit worrisome.

While my blogging numbers sagged, I wrote 55 poems during the same time period.  That was the most poems I have ever written in a year.  Oddly, it took me about the same amount of time to write a poem as it takes to write a blog post.  I am not sure I have a great explanation for this beyond it being the impact of two anesthesias somehow slowed down the prose part of the brain whilst unshackling the poetic lobe.  I do lament for not having more posts here, but I am pretty happy with my poetry blog:  Mark Gavoor’s Poetry. 

While I have no issue with putting my thoughts out there for all to read on this blog.  I am much shier about doing the same with my poetry.  Before, creating This Side of Fifty, I worried a bit about ‘putting myself out there.’  It was an unnecessary worry and I got over quickly.  When it comes to poetry, my lack of confidence has lasted decades longer.  Poetry is less popular and basically the domain of English professors around which I feel like a poetic poser.  Correction, I used to feel that way.  No more. 

Part of writing is to find one’s voice and then embrace and refine it.  I believe, I have a poetic voice and have refined it over the years.  I comfortable with it.  Heck, I am now happy, proud of it, and, indeed, embracing it.  I care about how others react to it.  But that is their right.  If I can learn from their criticism and refine it that is good.  Otherwise, in my current state of mind, it doesn’t matter to me.

There is a saying that ‘when one door closes, another opens.’  In this case it seems to be more like, ‘when one door closes a wee bit, another is blown wide open.’  In this case, it is a very good thing.

it's life you know

you texted a very 
simple thought
"it's life you know"
i started to type
and backspace and 
type and delete
again and once more

then...
i just stopped
just sat there
with nothing
nothing to say
nothing clever
no insight
no whimsy
certainly nothing
deep or profound
nothing at all
to convey

i just sat there
the sound of
one mind
doing nothing
idling, stalled
on the bay of
eerie tranquility

"it's life you know"
i guess i do
maybe the best 
poem i ever read

The Melody of Armenia’: How a lost silent film was restored and given a new voice

The Title Screen of 'The Melody of Armenia'

Originally published in The Armenian Weekly.

During this year’s Armenian Heritage Cruise (AHC), a restored silent film premiered on Jan. 11, accompanied by a newly composed soundtrack.

The Melody of Armenia tells the story of Mrs. Ghazarian, a genocide survivor living in France in the 1920s. She had six children, five of whom perished during the genocide. Her surviving son lives with her, and together, they attempt to rebuild their lives in exile. Like many survivors, Mrs. Ghazarian is haunted by the horrors she lived through and is deeply despondent over the loss of her family and the fate of the Armenian people. To her, the future appears bleak. 

Her son tried to comfort her by pointing to the resilience of Armenians in the diaspora, offering examples of what they have built for themselves in France. He speaks of young Armenians thriving, carrying a long and proud cultural heritage, and urges his mother to take hope in the eternal Armenian spirit.

Avetis Aharonian (left) and Alexander Khatisian (right)

While this lovely and inspiring narrative frames the film, it is not the real gist of it. Rather, the story of the mother and son serves as a vehicle to show rare historical film footage of real events. As the film opens, scenes of the burning of Smyrna accompany the mother’s painful memories. When the son speaks of Armenian renewal in France, the audience sees images of Armenian schools, scouting organizations and community life. 

There is precious film footage of Armenian luminaries such as Alexander Khatisian, who held several posts in the First Armenian Republic, including prime minister, and Avetis Aharonian, the famed writer and chairman of the Parliament of the First Republic of Armenia. While the footage from Smyrna is certainly harrowing, the scenes depicting Armenian life in France during the 1920s are true treasure troves. It would be wonderful if similar films existed documenting Armenian life in Beirut, New York, Fresno, Boston and Detroit of that era.

This historical footage is the bulk of The Melody of Armenia and is what makes the film so special, valuable, endearing and a ‘must see’ for all of us. Visually, the film remains remarkably strong, despite being so old. The newly composed soundtrack is spectacular and really helps bring the silent images to life for modern audiences.

Not only did I have a chance to preview the film before its premiere, I also had the wonderful opportunity to talk with the two people responsible for restoring and reviving it. First and foremost is George Aghjayan, who found the movie in the Hairenik archives and led the restoration effort. George then recruited Mher Mnatsakanyan, who created the new soundtrack in collaboration with the gifted composer Martin Ulikhanyan.

HMEM Scouts

Aghjayan graduated with honors from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in actuarial mathematics and became a fellow of the Society of Actuaries in 1996. After a career in insurance and structured finance, he retired in 2014 to concentrate on Armenian research and cultural projects. His primary area of focus is the demographics and geography of Western Armenia, with a keen interest in the hidden Armenians living there today. He has also written and lectured extensively on Armenian genealogy and genocide denial and served on the Central Committee of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) — Eastern United States, as well as the national board of the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

Mnatsakanyan is a renowned Armenian musician and performer.  He began his musical training at the Alexander Spendiaryan Music School and later earned a master’s degree in music performance from the Komitas Yerevan State Conservatory. Widely recognized as a master of the duduk, Armenia’s national instrument, he is also a skilled multi-instrumentalist who performs on the zurna and clarinet, blending traditional Armenian sounds with a refined modern sensibility. Based in Los Angeles, he travels frequently to perform at cultural festivals and community events.

Below is a summary of my conversations with George Aghjayan and Mher Mnatsakanyan.

Mark Gavoor (M.G.): Where and how did you come across this film?

George Aghjayan (G.A.): In early 2017, the ARF Bureau approached me to see if I was willing to take on the role of director of the ARF Archives. I agreed, as I had a strong interest in the archives and in making them more accessible to researchers. At the time, there was not much of a handoff of knowledge, though I had the benefit of Unger Tatul Sonentz Papazian and his infinite wealth of information about the archives’ history.

The first year or so, I focused on creating space for researchers to work, as that had not existed. In the summer of 2018, while moving boxes in the vault, I attempted to move a metal container that boxes had been stacked on with my foot. I thought it was empty, but it had significant weight to it. So, I moved the boxes to find a Western Union shipping container. There was a label on it, indicating it was being shipped from N. Porigian, 108 1/2 Main St. Binghamton NY to ARF Committee c/o B. Kavafian, 504 W. 178 St., New York, NY. A bit of genealogy research indicated that Nshan Porigian lived at that address in Binghamton from 1930 to 1932, so that supplied a timeline.

M.G.: What is it about? What is the name of the film?

G.A.: Inside the container, I found six reels of the film Երգն Հայաստանի / Les Melodies de l’Arménie, or The Melody of Armenia. 

At the time, I had no ability to view the film. I had brought it to a company I had previously used for digitization purposes, but I received a call late on a Friday night telling me I had to pick it up immediately. The owner had noticed the film and realized their office was at risk. Until then, I had not realized the risks involved.

Avetis Aharonian

M.G.: What is the backstory of the film? How did you learn about it? 

G.A.: I researched the film as best I could and found articles in a number of newspapers, including the Hairenik Daily. The film stated it was an Historical Documentary Film by Cinema Armenia and directed by N. Gorkanian/Corganian. 

One of the actors, Shahan Saryan, was a well-known actor in the Middle East in the 1920s. The other actor was simply named Knarig, no surname. A 2002 article in Haratch mentions the film in the context of Atam Egoyan’s Ararat film and Turkish censorship, suggesting that Knarig was Charles Aznavor’s mother — a claim I found likely not to be true. 

In any event, the first mention I find of the film is in an advertisement in the Dec. 14, 1930 issue of Haratch. The film was being shown on Dec. 26, possibly its premiere. There were additional ads in January 1931 for showings in Paris and Marseilles. The first article describing the content of the film I was able to find was the Feb. 21, 1931 issue of the Hairenik Daily, which announced the film would be shown around the U.S. The Feb. 6, 1932 issue of the Hairenik Daily announces the showing of the film in Franklin Union Hall, 41 Berkeley Street, Boston on Feb. 14. It could be this copy of the film that remained at the Hairenik Building after the showing.

M.G.: Who made it — director, producer, actors — and where and why was it made? Was it commissioned?

G.A.: There is a very informative article in the Arev newspaper of Cairo dated Aug. 25, 1931, written by the director, N, Gorkanian. He states that the film had been submitted to the censors of France and successfully received a license number (40049). 

They demanded the film be reviewed a second time and, after that review, demanded the following changes:

1. Change the name of the film
2. Remove the last scene that includes the Armenian flag, Etchmiadzin and Mount Ararat.

M.G.: Clearly, you decided to do something with this film. What was your initial vision, and how has that evolved?

G.A.: From the beginning, my objective was to digitize the film for preservation. I also hoped to show the film around the world. Not only was the film historically important and unique, but screenings could be used to bring awareness to the rich history of the ARF archives and funds raised to create an endowment for the archives. But to show the film required a score, which did not exist.

Mother and Son

s

M.G.: What shape was the film in when you found it? Did it need restoration?

G.A.: I forget the exact timeline, but I was in Washington — either lobbying or lecturing ANCA interns — and stopped by the Library of Congress (LOC) to visit with the Armenian-area specialist at the time, Levon Avdoyan. I brought up the film, and he put me in touch with people at the LOC who handle similar films. They, in turn, put me in touch with a company in Maryland that digitizes nitrate film for the LOC. My wife and I personally drove the film down, to remove any risk of shipping the sole copy of the film known to exist. In July 2019, I received the digitized version. The physical film is still with the company, until such time as the ARF Archives gifts it to the LOC, as they are better suited to store the film long-term.

M.G.: As a silent film, was there any documentation or score for the piano?

G.A.: There was no score that I am aware of, though I feel like, at some point, I found reference to songs that may have been played during showings of the film. Regardless, as the film has actual footage of the burning of Smyrna, my initial hope had been to have the film completed in time for the 100th anniversary of that tragedy. However, for various reasons, my attempts at getting a soundtrack fell through. And time kept passing, much to my frustration.

M.G.: The film includes title frames. What languages are used, and what languages do you plan to include in your re-issuing of the film?

G.A.:  The original film has title frames in both Armenian and French. I am replacing the French text with other languages so that the film can be shown in any country. The Armenian text will remain as in the original. Currently, the text for the English and Arabic versions has been done, and those versions of the film will be created. Greek is another priority language, given the significance for the community there. Last summer, I met with a museum in Athens that is interested in sponsoring a showing of the film.

M.G.  How did you, wisely, choose Mher to be the musical director/composer for the soundtrack?

G.A.:  One year ago, while we were both on the Armenian Heritage Cruise, I approached Mher about the film and the concept. I still remember us on the top deck of the ship as I played the film for him. Mher’s response and passion for the project moved me, and I knew he was the right person to make this happen. As I am not a musician or musical in any way, my concepts were crude. It was Mher and the team he put together who took my initial thoughts, expanded on them and turned them into something special. From the time last year’s cruise ended, they worked tirelessly and the final score was completed at the end of August. Since then, I have been working on translations and final edits.

M.G.: When and where will the film premiere?

G.A.: It seemed natural that the premiere of the film would be on the 2026 Armenian Heritage Cruise. Once it has premiered there, we will work on showings in the U.S. and around the world.

Avetis Aharonian at his desk

M.G.: Mher, what was your reaction when George called you?

Mher Mnatsakanyan (M.M.): George and I first met during the last 44 days of the Artsakh war, while protesting with the Armenian community in Worcester, Massachusetts. During that time, he invited me to be part of this project. That idea was reaffirmed on the Armenian Heritage Cruise in January 2025, when we met again on the ship. My initial reaction was one of excitement and responsibility; I wanted to make sure I could give my very best to this wonderful project, and I truly believe it led to an incredible final result.

M.G.: How did you approach composing the music? Have you ever done work like this before?

M.M.: It took about a month to craft the complete musical agenda and select the ensemble of musicians who would participate in this fabulous project. I reached out to my childhood friend, film composer Martin Ulikhanyan in Armenia, and together we began brainstorming ideas for the film’s musical language. Our approach was to create improvisational fragments based on a variety of renowned Armenian melodies that best capture the film’s narrative and each of its episodes, as well as some original pieces. My prior experience performing for film projects, especially during my years working at Disney World, proved invaluable.

M.G.: Who else was involved?

M.M.: It took some careful thought to decide who I wanted to invite into this project. After many back-and-forth discussions with my friend Martin, we arrived at what I believe is the best possible ensemble: myself as the soloist on duduk, clarinet and shevi; the Ulikhanyan sisters, Vika and Lyana, on violin and cello; and Lilit Zakaryan on piano.

M.G.: Was the music newly composed or based on existing works?

M.M.: Yes, the film features beautifully crafted fragments of beloved Armenian music, including pieces such as Krunk, traditional war dances and sacred liturgical melodies. Each of these was thoughtfully and specifically arranged to enhance the emotional arc of the story and to illuminate the film’s key scenes and episodes.

M.G.: How challenging — and rewarding — has this process been?

M.M.: Bringing this project to life required countless days and sleepless nights filled with discussions, phone calls, recording sessions and editing work with sound engineers, both here and in Armenia. Coordinating across time zones often made the process extremely challenging, but step by step, everything came together. In total, it took us nine months to complete, and it stands as one of the greatest highlights of my musical career — something I truly could not be more proud of.

M.G.: Will there be occasions to perform the soundtrack live?

M.M.: The premiere of the film will take place on the Armenian Heritage Cruise on Jan. 11, 2026, the very same AHC where George and I first agreed to bring this artistic vision to life. On that day, we will also release a CD in Armenia, and the music will be available on all major digital platforms, making it accessible to listeners around the world. We also plan to perform the film live as a fundraising event in support of the ARF Archives. I am truly excited to share this phenomenal work with a wider audience. 

Looking ahead to July 2026, through my connections in Armenia, we are also exploring the opportunity to present a live performance of the film in Armenia, within the framework of the Golden Apricot International Film Festival.

= = =

I urge everyone to see this amazing film when it comes to your city. It was a labor of love for both George and Mher and I, for one, thank them deeply for their efforts. Until you have the opportunity to see the film, the soundtrack album is available on a variety of platforms.

 

 

Thoughts on Being a Professor: Part 2

 

I am between semesters.  During this so called ‘free’ time, I have to prepare the classes I will be teaching in the upcoming Spring Term which begins on January 12.  Normally, I would just update what I have been using for several years.  I would adjust the dates to reflect the start and due dates for the course and all assignments.  If necessary, I would tweak the assignments that themselves to keep them fresh with current readings and examples.

For many years, I have gotten into a groove of assigning two papers and weekly discussions in my two semester long courses:  Operations & Supply Chain Management and Principles of Microeconomics.  For further homework and assessments, I use the following in these two courses.

 

• Operations:  The course is structured around the Council for Supply Chain Management Professional’s (CSCMP) SCPro Certification program.  The final exam in this course is the first of eight certification exams in the series:  Supply Chain Management Principles. 
• In this first overview course, we cover demand planning, procurement, inventory management, warehousing, transportation, manufacturing/service operations, customer service, and customer service.
• To supplement the management principles, there are 5 worksheets that involve the formulae and calculations involved in forecasting, make vs buy decisions, metrics, Little’s Law, and project management.
  
  
• Microeconomics:  This course is structured around the OpenStax open source Principles of Microeconomics textbook.  Hawkes Learning has built an excellent programmed learning structure on this text.  My course used their Chapter Learning (reading and learning for each section of the chapters we cover) and Chapter Quizzes. 
• There are unlimited tries for the Learning category
• But only two attempts for the Chapter Quizzes.

 

These formats were added during the COVID shutdown for Microeconomics in the Spring of 2020 and around the same time frame for Operations.

I am contemplating make some drastic changes.  There are a few reasons for this:

• AI:  Students are using it pretty freely (maybe wantonly?) in writing paper and in their weekly discussion posts.  The can easily use it to solve numerical problems on graded worksheets and online quizzes and tests.  While I don’t have direct evidence on this, there is a convergence to a certain sameness in terms and flow used in papers that was not there before AI. 
  
  
• Obsession with Points/Grades:  Students are focusing primarily on their point totals and not on the primary objective (which is learning something).  In my years in Quality Management and Process Design and Improvement, I have learned that obsession on one single metric that is not 100% correlated to the real objective will deliver a suboptimal results. AI enables students maximize the metric with minimal learning.  As a result, students can ace a course and without actually learning very much.
  
  I believe that we, a large number of professors, have gotten into the habits of having way too many assignments with differing amounts of points.  These assignments, their frequency, and their due dates that tend to follow a weekly drumbeat, force a structure on the students to keep them ‘on track’ and active in the course.  I liken this to spoon feeding pablum to babies.  Because of this, students have not really had full opportunity to develop and master their own method for time and task management.  Also, very few do anything, that isn’t assigned.  If there are no points, there is little likelihood the vast majority of students would read anything for the sole sake of learning a bit more about a topic.
  
  
• Attention in Class:  Students generally don’t take notes during class.  Some don’t even bring anything to class to write on or write with.  This past term I gave a few non-graded quizzes on terms and concepts from the previous few classes.  The results were not encouraging. 

I remember my math classes from my undergraduate days some 50+ years ago.  There was a mid-term exam worth 40% of the grade and a final exam worth 60%.  Each day, the professor would lecture and assign a handful of homework problems to be done for the next class.  The professor never collected or graded the homework; he would simply ask in the next class if anyone had any questions about the homework.  If students asked questions, he would do the problems they had questions about.  If there were no questions, he would proceed with the lecture for that day assuming the students were good.  Doing the problems or not doing the homework was all on the students.  It was not the professors’ job to police such.   As first semester freshmen, only about half the students would do the homework.  The midterm exam was a day of reckoning for those that didn’t when they inevitably got a D or E on the exam.  The students learned that the motivation to do the work and learn the material was on them (intrinsic motivation) versus what they were used to in high school where the motivation was mostly coming from parents and teachers (extrinsic motivation).  Also, in those ‘analog’ days, the exams were all done in blue books.

My goal is to get to move toward the midterm/final exam model starting with this next term.  Here is what I am thinking about doing:

 

• Reintroducing in-class exams:  Midterm and final exams will be given in class.  They will be done in bluebooks with nothing else on the desk except a pencil, an eraser, and a calculator with no internet connection.  At least half of the points in the class will be from these exams.  In Operations, half of the final will be the CSCMP certification exam.
  
  
• Discussions:  We will keep assigning readings/video based discussions as usual but they will not be graded.  Doing them or not doing them will be up to the student.  There will be questions on the readings/video on the midterm and final exams. 
  
  
• Papers:  I will still assign two papers.  The major change here is that the students must use AI and include all the prompts and AI answers in appendices of the paper.  The main paper need only be 700-1200 words with 2000-4000 words of AI content attached.  Grading will mainly be participation.  The midterm final exams will have short answer questions on the paper topics to verify they learning something from these assignments.
  
  
• Online Materials:  The Operations Class will continue to use the CSCMP Materials but for less points than now given.  The same for the Hawkes Learning part of Microeconomics.

I have spent a considerable amount of time thinking about this and have been feeling a wee bit proud of myself for this scheme to use AI productively and to assess students with midterms and finals devoid of AI.  But I know I am not that uniquely clever.  So, I queried Gemini AI with the following:  “Have the sales of bluebooks increased?”  Per the output below, I am very accurate in my assessment that ‘I am not that uniquely clever.’

 

=== Gemini AI output ===

Yes, sales of physical blue books—the staple-bound booklets used for college examinations—have seen a significant and unexpected increase as of 2025–2026. This resurgence is primarily driven by academic institutions returning to in-class, handwritten exams to combat AI-assisted cheating. 

 

Recent Sales Trends (2024–2025)

Data from various universities and industry trackers show a sharp rise in demand: 

• Widespread Growth: Nationwide, blue book sales nearly tripled between 2022 and October 2025, exceeding $300,000 in the first 10 months of 2025 alone.
• University-Specific Surges:
• UC Berkeley: Reported an 80% increase in sales over the two academic years leading into late 2025.
• University of Florida: Sales rose by nearly 50% in the 2024–2025 school year.
• Texas A&M University: Experienced a 30% increase in campus bookstore sales.
  
  
• Manufacturing Impact: Roaring Spring Paper Products, a major Pennsylvania-based supplier, reported a notable upswing in production to meet this new demand. 

Primary Drivers

• Combating AI Cheating: With the rise of advanced generative AI (like ChatGPT), professors are increasingly replacing take-home essays and digital tests with in-person, proctored exams that require students to demonstrate knowledge in real-time.
  
  
• Low-Tech Security: Handwritten exams provide a straightforward way to ensure students are producing original work without digital assistance. 

Christmas 2025

 

As usual, I am the only one in the house ‘stirring’ at the early hour this Christmas morning.  I want to open the window and yell down to and call out to a passing young fellow as did a reborn Scrooge in Dickens' iconic tale. 

I could easily do that, but, alas, there would be no passing “boy in Sunday clothes.’  There is no Poulterer “in the next street but one, at the corner” with “a prize Turkey that was hanging up there --Not the little prize Turkey: the big one.”  It is after all the suburbs of Chicago and not the bustling streets of London in the 1800s.  I could stare out the window this morning for a few hours before seeing anyone pass by.  Even then, it is unlikely that it would be a lad dressed in his Sunday best.  It would probably be an adult in sweats, walking their dog.

I could still reenact the scene by myself.  I could go upstairs, as it needs to be a second floor window.  I could throw up the sash and yell out to the still and calm of this morning the Scrooge lines and someone would eventually answer… most likely my wife, rudely wakened by my thespian need to reenact this iconic scene.  She would, no doubt, recognize the lines and from whence they came and she would, with even less doubt, inquire with a well-founded air of stern astonishment, “What the heck are you doing.” 

As fun as that might be, just conjuring up the thought and beginning this annual Christmas letter with that notion is more than enough.

Why has this notion popped into my head?  Why ‘A Christmas Carol’ and why that scene?

Well… I do feel a bit reborn in the Christmas Spirit.  It has been a heck of a year and mostly a good year.  I have had both knees replaced, the left in January and the right in June, giving me more and better mobility.  While that has happened, I also realize, the rest of my body is 72+ years old.  I have seen a few good friends, musician friends, pass on this year.  I realize that this will only happen with greater frequency.   While there is the realization that this is most certainly part of life and this stage of life, it does have a certain sobering impact.  But is it is sobering in a good way that has me appreciating everything and everyone on a higher level. 

Another reason that scene was top of mind this morning was that I know four intelligent, remarkable, and delightful boys.  They are my four grandsons:  Aris, Vaughn, Sasoun, and Haig.  They are indeed intelligent, remarkable, and delightful lads though I am the first to admit my perspective is certainly biased in this regard.  I am also blessed with an intelligent, remarkable, and delightful lass in my life:  my granddaughter Lara.  None of them are with us physically today but are perpetually in our hearts and in my thoughts.  Through the magic of FaceTime, we will see them later this morning. 

We did have an intelligent, remarkable, and delightful lad with us on Christmas Eve.  Our two month old grandnephew, Massis, was with us last night.  Needless to say, he stole the show and was the center of attention as he was the grand kiddo of any kind at our Christmas Eve gathering.

It is no wonder that this scene from Dicken’s classic was on my mind this morning. 

Wishing on and all a very Merry Christmas and healthy, happy, and prosperous 2026.  If I could, I would have several remarkable, intelligent, delightful lads bring each of you a prize turkey and cup of good cheer.

 

From 'A Christmas Carol'

Running to the window, he opened it, and put out his head. No fog, no mist; clear, bright, jovial, stirring, cold; cold, piping for the blood to dance to; Golden sun-light; Heavenly sky; sweet fresh air; merry bells. Oh, glorious! Glorious!

"What's to-day?" cried Scrooge, calling downward to a boy in Sunday clothes, who perhaps had loitered in to look about him.

"EH?" returned the boy with all his might of wonder.

"What's to-day, my fine fellow?" said Scrooge.

"To-day!" replied the boy. "Why, CHRISTMAS DAY.”

"It's Christmas Day!" said Scrooge to himself. "I haven't missed it. The Spirits have done it all in one night. They can do anything they like. Of course they can. Of course they can. Hallo, my fine fellow!"

"Hallo!" returned the boy.

"Do you know the Poulterer's in the next street but one, at the corner?" Scrooge inquired.

"I should hope I did," replied the lad.

"An intelligent boy!" said Scrooge. "A remarkable boy! Do you know whether they've sold the prize Turkey that was hanging up there?--Not the little prize Turkey: the big one?"

"What! the one as big as me?" returned the boy.

"What a delightful boy!" said Scrooge. "It's a pleasure to talk to him. Yes, my buck!"

"It's hanging there now," replied the boy.

"Is it?" said Scrooge. "Go and buy it."

"Walk-ER!" exclaimed the boy.

"No, no," said Scrooge, "I am in earnest. Go and buy it, and tell 'em to bring it here, that I may give them the directions where to take it. Come back with the man, and I'll give you a shilling. Come back with him in less than five minutes, and I'll give you half-a-crown!"

Parting with a Noble Workhorse

 

Wiping the hard drive of my trusty iMac

In my December 4, 2025 post, Part 2: Is Quality an Issue Again? , I wrote about my appreciation for quality of my iMac desktop computer.  I bought this when I joined the full time faculty at North Park University in 2014.  I wanted a large screen desktop computer for course, development, grading, and general use.  The version I wanted cost me $1,500 or 1,600 and I remember contemplating the purchase for several weeks because of the high price.  Ultimately, I decided to splurge and bought the PC in November of that year. 

It was one of the best decisions I ever made.  I admired the sleek design of the machine and the Bluetooth keyboard and trackpad.  I really loved the large 27 inch screen in which I could have a student assignment and the answer key open and visible at the same time for grading.  The large screen was also helpful in course development when I would have an MS Word or PowerPoint that I was creating open at the same time as a reference document.  I loved it for watching YouTubes for either education, music, or entertainment.  I also used to the iMac for creating posts for this blog, articles for the Armenian Weekly, and for sorting through and editing the myriad photographs and videos I take for both the articles and general family use.  During COVID, all my courses and the two task forces I was part of moved online.  I was on the iMac most of the day working from home.  It was the perfect home set-up during those pandemic times.

The iMac was a workhorse and, even more importantly, a durable and reliable workhorse.  In the 11 years of usage, I had one issue with a virus for which an online session with Apple’s help desk got it all cleaned up.  There were myriad upgrades of the operating system, the various apps I use, and the MS Office suite of applications that all happened seamlessly. 

In 2018 in a blog piece, Old Car - New Car, I wrote the following praising my 2002 Toyota 4Runner:

I remember hearing a Toyota executive address us in the study mission to Japan that, and I paraphrase, their goal was to have their customers happier with their vehicles with each year of ownership. I was really surprised to hear this as cars and truck wear out. They start losing value from the moment you buy them. Repairs simply become more expensive as components wear out. To achieve their vision, they would have to have excellent engineering and precision manufacturing…

My iMac had this same quality attribute.  My happiness and satisfaction with this product increased with each year of ownership.  In the same period, I have had four university issued laptops which all died in 2-4 years.  My cost per year for the iMac was less than if I had paid $500-600 for each of those laptops.  Computers aren’t cars, but they do age and in their own way ‘wear-out.’  Electronics in phones and computers are made of perishable components.  The are not in the same category of fruits and vegetables which are truly perishable as they can rot and need to be trashed in a matter of days.  Electronic components are different.  They are  perishable in the sense that innovation of newer and more capable components render older components useless even though they are still perfectly functional.  This is what happened to my iMac.  It works perfectly.  But because of the age of the CPU, I can no longer update the operating system, and many apps includes the MS Office Suite of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on which ~80% of my work is built upon.  Within a matter of a few months, the performance of my iMac began to wane requiring more frequent reboots and I simply had to make a change.

This morning, December 21, 2025, I wiped the hard drive of the best computer I have ever owned, shut it down on last time, drove it to the town refuge center, and gingerly deposited it in electronics bin.  There were no tears or swells of emotions, but it was a somber moment.

Nubar Café

      

There is a trend, maybe even a phenomenon, in and around Chicago.  Middle Eastern coffee houses are popping up all over.  The are not, as yet, as ubiquitous as that small taco joints that in neighborhood stores that seem to come and go with the seasons.  This coffee house craze reminds me of similar phenomena and fads from decades ago such as movie rental stores and cell phones stores.

What kind of coffee houses?  No, not Starbucks or anything similar.

These are Middle Eastern coffee and sweet shops.  Most of them are Yemeni in name or coffee brews.  Some are Turkish or Kurdish.  One I know of was started by a Kurdish immigrant who recently sold it a Mexican immigrant.  I am guessing these are fashioned after shops in the Middle East where drinking alcohol is discouraged and gathering in coffee houses is a valued pastime.  These shops are all well, appointed, well lit, with a color scheme that is basically white with gold or word trim and accents. 

My favorite of all these places is Nubar Café.  It is near North Park University.  I can walk here from my office.  Until a few months ago, it was a Brazilian café which was OK but nothing special.  I was driving by in late October, and I saw the sign for Nubar Café and got excited as Nubar is an Armenian male name.  I couldn’t stop in that day, but with the aid of Siri, I called them as I was anxious to see if they were Armenian owned.  I ended up speaking to the owner, Zarya, who told me that she is Kurdish from Northern Iraq and her husband, Kadir, was also Kurdish from Van, Turkey.   Zarya told me that “nubar” means fresh start or new beginning in Kurdish.  It is indeed an inviting pleasant place for a solo or more social coffee.

This coffee house phenomenon is summarized as follows per Google’s Gemini AI:

The rise of Yemeni coffee shops in the U.S. is a booming trend, driven by demand for "third places" (social spots outside home/work) for Muslim communities seeking alcohol-free socializing, and a wider audience for unique, spiced coffee & rich desserts like Adeni Chai, offering late-night vibes with cardamom-infused drinks, attracting diverse crowds to vibrant spaces that honor Yemeni heritage and family farms. Led by pioneers like Qahwah House (which started in Dearborn, MI), these independent and chain stores (like Haraz Coffee House and Qamaria Yemeni Coffee Co. ) are expanding nationwide, transforming local coffee culture with their distinct flavors and community focus.

Where Starbuck’s has moved to more grab and go stores, these Middle Eastern coffee shops are designed for comfort and ambiance for the express purpose for people sit and enjoy your coffee, desserts, or light meals on site.  These style coffee houses exist to provide vital social hubs for Muslim communities, offering a safe, alcohol-free alternative to bars, catering to families, students, and remote workers.  The few I have visited here have very diverse clienteles. I believe these coffee houses appeal to everyone that likes and drinks coffee or tea.  I also believe that the pace at which these coffee houses are being built will exceed the demand and not all will survive.

This is my third time visiting Nubar Café.  It is a delightful place.  The coffee is very good, the food and desserts are equally good.  One of their offerings is Kurdish coffee which is espresso or Turkish/Armenian coffee with thin slivers of pistachio.  It is creamy and a wee bit chewy in a very good way.  The simits, boregs, and sandwiches are very tasty and all worth trying.  The desserts feature baklavas, cheesecakes, and lokhoums.   It is a great place just to have a coffee, coffee and desert, and even lunch. 

 There are always people in the café.  Some, like me today, are on their laptops.  Others are with friends and family, talking, laughing, and enjoying the fare.  I see me as a regular at Nubar Café.