Our mission is to provide our readers with all the news about Lebanon published on the Internet.

A Few Notes on the Smuggled Phones Ban That Will Take Effect June 1

You might have read that the Lebanese government is planning on cracking down on illegally smuggled mobile devices, which apparently, are the majority of the devices in Lebanon (70% according to the government), and for good reason. Here are some points you need to know:

Dolphins still appearing near Zouk

Looks like the dolphins that were spotted a while ago are still hanging around our sea. The below photos were posted by Virgin Radio a couple of days ago, with Zouk Power Plant showing in the background of one of them.

2 Tix for Stereo Club Nights’ Grand Opening This Saturday

Trippy right? But, if you need more information that the short video teaser above, read what I wrote about Stereo last week.
Anyway, as we have done dozens of times before, I wanna send 2 of you for free to the grand opening this Saturday, and all you have to do is simple:

Giveaway: Two invitations to The Roof at the Four Seasons Hotel – Beirut

Picture taken by myself [@LeNajib]
As I posted two days, the highest and coolest rooftop in town, The Roof at Four Seasons Beirut, has kicked off its summer season this weekend. The Roof is located on the hotel’s 26th floor and is a great place to chill out after work or on the weekends.

More Dolphins spotted off coast of Jounieh

Those pictures were taken in the past 3 days 5-10 km off the Zouk Power Plant and posted on Virgin Radio Lebanon’s Facebook Page. That’s pretty cool.

Jordan airport internet

This is a speed test from the free wifi zone at Amman airport, provided by ISP Zain.

Let's compare this to the speeds in Beirut airport which only offers 30 minutes of free wifi from leading Lebanese ISP, IDM.

Waiting...

Louis Vuitton: The Art Of Packing

Summer is here and this means we might be traveling on a vacation soon, or then again, a lot of people, like myself, travel frequently, and wrinkled clothes is something I often worry about. Louis Vuitton positions itself as a traveling expert and regularly releases new guides to help people learn more about packing for »more...

Al Wassel Billboard

I wonder how the hot girl is relevant to this newspaper ad.

Some Fun On Monday: What Your Coffee Says About You

Here’s some fun information for this calm Monday… You agree with the below info-graphic.

Humming Bird: Salad Dressing Set

Inspired by ongoing studies of natural forms and recent work with laboratory equipment Humming Bird combines the precise nature of the scientific devices with a more decorative and sculptural form that would deliver both function and pleasing aesthetics. These dispensers are designed to be a highly decorative table feature. The oil and vinegar is dispensed »more...

Bata - Major archeWALLogical find


Always at the forefront of scientific breakthroughs in the world of ArcheWALLogy, Beirut/NTSC and its team of restoration experts are proud to announce you their major new find.

Peter The Rock Taxi

[High-Res]
You don’t wanna mess with this taxi lol!

FASHAL – Lost in Translation

Taken by Elie Chalfoun in Batroun
 

Lebanese homes and offices already have proper addresses, but no one uses them

Funnily enough, it’s much older news than the upgraded data plans
Telecom Minister Sehnaoui announced yesterday the good news that a bid was launched for the addressing of all of Lebanon, and that from now on, every home or office in Lebanon will have a proper address. Of course everyone got excited about this, including myself, but the truth is Lebanon’s postal system has been revamped since 2002 but remains unused.

Lebanon by David Lebovitz

Here, the closeness seems natural. Lebanon is a country of just about four million people, with half living in the capital of Beirut. And like most other countries, there is a mix of religions, social classes, and so forth that all live together, with varying degrees of success. But there is an undercurrent of what they call “Lebanese hospitality” – I was warned that if someone invites you into their home, whether you are a friend or stranger, it’s rude to say “No.” Instead, you always say, “Next time.” via Lebanon | David Lebovitz.

Lebanon is soon getting proper addressing

beirut streets
According to tweets by minister Nicolas Sehnaoui, a bid will soon be launched for addressing of Lebanon in order for homes and workplaces to get proper addresses.
So hopefully in a few months from now, you will no longer have to tell people where you live or work based on directions like “teilit mafra2 3al shmeil” or “bi wijj mini market abou afif”!

Life on a Beautiful Day

It is eleven years today, Teta, and I do miss you more than ever on this beautiful day...

Sometimes life is so ruthlessly beautiful,
It’s unfair;
Sometimes life is so devastatingly perfect,
It makes me want to cry.

Yesterday I heard a report about a country burying its dead,
A family burying its dead,
A woman burying her dead,
And I thought
The dead are never buried:
The sunshine wakes them
And the raindrops dig their graves.

Today the sun smiled at me,
The breeze smiled at me,
And I smiled back.
Today I missed my grandma more than ever
Because she is missing this beautiful day.

On their Way to the Beach

 Summer has started. Finally! It took a while; we were still under heavy rain some two weeks ago. People have beach on their mind. I passed by this clown car, they were on their way to the beach. Apart from the three in the trunk, there were about seven inside the cab. They were all happy and smiling. Who wouldn’t be, on their way to the beach?

Wadi Rum

I'm really glad we got to see Wadi Rum yesterday and this sunset. Some friends told us they tried to go today but were dissuaded by their hotel management who warned that the road south was unstable.

White wine for Girls only!

When you look back at this ad campaign, you see the problem: At no point did they actually make wine seem like something you'd want to drink. It was a great campaign for girl products or a reminder on how some girls unfortunately think but not a WINE AD. People actually do drink wine when having fun,listening to music (bars, parties, restaurants, with family and friends...). It makes no sense to try to make  "girly moments" association with wine. In my opinion this ad will hurt sales and chateau ka will need an urgent action plan to boost...CREATIVITY!

Sad but True

[High-Res]
Taken from InkOntheSide

The Weekly Leaks: SkyBar Opening May 31st

After leaking the opening dates of both White and Pier 7, I’m wrapping up “the big 3″ leaks with Sky Bar’s. I’ve confirmed the opening date for Friday, May 31st.

Happy Easter!

Spotted at ABC Achrafieh
This is the second Easter Christians celebrate this year, this time for the Orthodox Christians.

Spotted at ABC Dbayyeh

Coca‑Cola” Script Replaced with Consumers’ Names

Anyone coming from Europe soon? Is my name on one these limited edition coke bottles? I want one! Across Europe this summer, Coca‑Cola invites you to ‘Share A Coke’ with friends and family, as the iconic “Coca‑Cola” script will be replaced for the first time ever with the names of its consumers. I just checked »more...

Israeli man who crossed the fence into Lebanon released

Picture from The DailyStar
The Israeli man who crossed the technical fence and the Blue line between Israel and Lebanon turned out to be mentally ill and was handed over on Saturday to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Hopefully, the Israeli warplanes which have been flying for days over our skies will also go home and leave us alone.

No truce in Beirut only virgins....


I had predicted this before in my art installation "No truce in Beirut only virgins".... So according to Virgin Radio, "Lebanon now proclaimed a virgin territory". Forget about our brothels, forgets about Maameltein, forget sexual tourism and the sad reputation of Lebanese girls in the Gulf (though mostly unfounded perhaps but then it is there - whether we want it or not).... No, we are a "virgin territory"...

Butter Boss: Just the Right Slice

Who doesn’t enjoy butter… But we have to watch out for that cholesterol level… Here’s where Butter Boss comes in handy. Butter Boss, a innovative device that keeps your favorite foodstuff ever close-at-hand, whether you need it sliced, spread, or simply stored. A sliding button makes it easy to measure out perfect golden portions, which »more...

Strangest goal celebration

Football players sometimes celebrate scoring by sliding on their knees or chests, but this Lebanese player, Mohamad Ghaddar, took advantage of the field’s poor condition and took a dive right into one of the water spots caused by the rain!
video via The Football Fupernova

FASHAL – Flight Information at Beirut Int’l Airport? Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That!


Hint: notice the phone charging =P
Thank you Mohammed Darwish!

Limited Edition Absolut Denim: My Next Bottle

Absolut Vodka recently unveiled its latest limited edition bottle: ABSOLUT denim. This is my next bottle to add to my collection of limited edition Absolut Vodka bottles… Designed by Brooklyn-based Loren Cronk, the denim sleeve that covers the bottle features a zipper on the back. First launched at Singapore’s Changi Airport Departure and Arrival halls, »more...

Revisiting an old post: Is it profitable to open at the Zaitunay Bay?

Zaitunay Bay almost empty during Winter – Picture taken via Instagram [@LeNajib]
This was posted on Thursday on Amarres Bistro & Cafe Francais’ Facebook page:

Insulting

A political post for a change. You won’t get many of these from me. Ever. I am sitting on my  balcony in the mountains, drinking my morning coffee. The sky is blue, the weather is lovely, the birds are flying over and the butterflies flap around. A drooling dog at my feet, a cat yapping at the birds.  All very idyllic. In the distance, I hear the soft rumble of commercial flights, crossing over Lebanese airspace to some exotic destination. You can hear that in Holland too on quiet summer evenings. With the difference that in Holland you can follow their tracks, since their engines leave a white trail in the sky. Those white streaks planes leave behind are actually artificial clouds.

Ghostly Ambiguity

Not a day goes by lately without gay matters making headlines on the global news channels.

The same can be said about the newsstreams coming out of Lebanon, except in our case it’s not about another country opening up marriage rights to same-sex couples or the world’s first official coming out of a major sport’s professional athlete.

On the contrary. As the world progresses steadily on same-sex issues, Lebanon keeps on regressing, one little step after the other.