All the Beirut news.

There are a handful on Lebanese people I consider heroes. Charles Malik is one of them, but more recently, Gebran Tueni and Joumana Haddad take the top spot in my heart. Both of them published countless articles in Annahar, and Joumana continues do so today. So, as you can imagine, it was an immense honor getting my name published in the same newspaper as them. Here’s an excerpt of my humble opinion piece printed yesterday, May 16, 2013, in Annahar Shabab

لا ترضوا بالجزرة حين تدفعون ثمن الكافيار
حين أنظر حولي وأقرأ اللافتات المعلقة فوق شوارعنا، وأسمع مقدمات نشرات الأخبار، وأصغي إلى خطابات السياسيين، وأقرأ عناوين الصحف، أسأل لماذا “نتلهى” بتلك الأمور وننسى ما هو أهم؟

Rejoice, the Orthodox proposal has now been declared dead. But the question, now that an alternative hybrid election proposal has also been withdrawn, is what comes next, amid signs that Lebanon may be entering a prolonged political vacuum?

The maneuvers and insincerity surrounding the Orthodox proposal were dizzying. Samir Geagea drove the final nail into the coffin of the scheme by declaring that it had no chance of being passed, and backing the hybrid proposal that blended a winner take all system with proportional representation. Geagea did the right thing in abandoning a law that would have been a disaster for his Maronite community, for Christians in general, and for the March 14 coalition.

On Friday May 17th communities across the world will come together and celebrate the beautiful diversity of fresh food, sharing cooking skills, understanding good eating habits and, of course, eating great grub. NGNO would like to support this movement by uploading all your food pics sent to out Facebook Page… From Australia to America and »more...

It would be cool to see more people jumping from taller buildings!
via Blog Baladi

There’s some magic brewing atop one of Beirut’s high-rises where the well-groomed and fabulously dressed go to mingle. But this is not your average open-air bar sprouting all over the city; this is The Roof, the Four Season’s luxury playground overlooking the heart of Beirut.

Gustavo Areias
Lol at his answers to the old guy he almost landed on!

Via Stop Cultural Terrorism

That’s quite an amazing story. I had no clue a Lebanese was behind Pou.
When Yahoo! paid 17-year-old Nick D’Aloisio $30 million for news summary app Summly, one of our Wamda contributors wrote us, “I’m looking forward to the day when somebody on Wamda writes the Arab version of this story.”
The story of Lebanese developer Paul Salameh is almost that story. He might not be a teenager (he’s 24) and his app might not influence the future of media consumption, but rumors have swirled that he has been offered $20 million for its acquisition.

Recently the Phalangist MP Sami Gemayel has proposed to “amend the preamble of the constitution to stipulate Lebanon’s neutrality towards regional conflicts”.

The Syrian Army in Hamra, 1990. My little bike is in the forefrontSome more pictures from my old collection. Here’s one of the Syrian army, and my little motorcycle. That little bike I bought of some shady character in Hamra, and I was very glad I could get rid of it 3 months later as it was a piece of junk.  Of course I was new to the country, and was not aware of the fact that people who appear very friendly and nice and willing to help you, are equally willing to screw you if they can get away with it.

My assault has also been covered by Al Akhbar

L'Orient Le Jour:

I am once again left speechless. How exactly do burnt-out cars look like Beirut?
A CAR trader who lost eight vehicles in a huge fire last night has spoken of the devastation at the scene. The vehicles were lost in a blaze at Southside Farm, Wooburn Moor, which began in the early hours of this morning.
[...]
“It looks like Beirut down there, the cars are completely burnt to the ground,” he said.

[High-Res]
Once you are done explaining the above equation, I would appreciate if you could help me understand the new hybrid electoral law proposed.

I have expressed my admiration for Babel restaurant a few times already, but my admiration has grown stronger after I recently witnessed a successful gathering hosting 320 dentists during the annual Lebanese University Congress Gala Dinner. The experience always starts the minute you walk into the grandiose Babelish castle with three different levels. The whole ambiance »more...

In Lebanon, there are a handful of gems found in different parts of the country. I recently stumbled upon one, just 45 minutes away from Beirut heading North. Get into the car, drive towards Batroun  and you’ll discover a beautiful restaurant with a dreamy view of the Mediterranean sea. It’s colorful, humble, comfortable, homey and »more...