In and Out of Proportion

Hilariously ugly is when the pedestal is too large for the monument.
The harder they fall is when the monument is too large for the pedestal.

Young women in Fallujah are terrified of having children

"Young women in Fallujah in Iraq are terrified of having children because of the increasing number of babies born grotesquely deformed, with no heads, two heads, a single eye in their foreheads, scaly bodies or missing limbs. In addition, young children in Fallujah are now experiencing hideous cancers and leukaemias. These deformities are now well documented, for example in television documentaries on SKY UK on September 1 2009, and on SKY UK June 2008. Our direct contact with doctors in Fallujah report that: In September 2009, Fallujah General Hospital had 170 new born babies, 24% of whom were dead within the first seven days, a staggering 75% of the dead babies were classified as deformed."

Will the UN or the USA or the UK ever acknowledge this serious problem in Iraq specifically in Fallujah, Basra, Baghdad and Al - Najaf? Will they implement the cleaning up of toxic materials that was used by the occupying forces to "bring democracy" to the people of Iraq? Was the use of Depleted Uranium and White Phosphorus, among other deadly and toxic weapons, necessary for the Birth of the "New Middle East"? Was it worth it? Just wondering...

Migrant workers face abuse in Lebanon

October was a deadly month for female domestic workers in Lebanon. At least six have died under mysterious circumstances, constituting a "clear pattern that cannot be ignored," Human Rights Watch researcher Nadim Houry told the Daily Star.

Ethiopian (and all other nationalities of domestic workers in Lebanon) Suicide Blog is worthy of a visit.

Video below, dated 22 August 2009, by Al-Jazeera:

“Kteer mdaprass,” (I’m very depressed)

"Lebanon ranks as one of the most highly depressed nations in the world, with 6.6% of the Lebanese population suffering from some form of depression, according to recent statistics produced by a Harvard Medical School and World Health Organization (WHO) joint study. The study lists Lebanon next to the other most dejected nations of the world, including the US (9.6%) at the top, Ukraine (9.1%), France (8.5%) and the Netherlands (6.9%).

“Kteer mdaprass,” (I’m very depressed): “mdaprass,” a Lebanese-Arabic adaptation of the English word “depressed,” was coined by Lebanese youth and is widely used in colloquial speech, understood as a casual expression of a state of utter frustration and dejection."

For more on this issue go to NowLebanon...

UrShalim by Any Name is Always Quds Al Aqdaas - قدس الاقداس

Contrary to the Arrogant Zionist claim that the Apartheid State of "Israel" invented the name "UrShalim", the fact is that this name is so ancient, it even predates Judaism. And it certainly is a few thousands years older than any Racist Zionist. (You go do your research.)

Zionists have Orwellianly tarnished everything they have ever touched or pronounced. After forcefully and illegally occupying a Land that is not theirs and after massacring its people (Palestinians) and after lying and creating chaos and pain where ever they set foot, they created a naming committee that was given the task of erasing the names of thousands of Arab places, including those of hills, valleys and springs, and creating Hebrew names in their place.
Ben Gurion, told the committee: “We are obliged to remove the Arabic names for reasons of state.”
This was and still is the reason for every atrocity that the Zionist commit.

Today, the Zionist Occupiers are at it again. Promoting a new phase of their plot. Attempting to erase an entire people with their history and culture. An ethnic cleansing based on a sick "justification" of "Israel" being the state of a pure race/religion: "the Jewish State". Hence this new inhumane and illegal act of "Judaifying Jerusalem, Judaifying Al Quds or Judaifying UrShalim".

UrShalim is NOT and will NEVER BE the Capital City of the Apartheid State of "Israel".
UrShalim is the symbol of resistance to all forms of oppression, aggression, injustice, bigotry, racism and all forms of hatred propagated by the "Zionists".

UrShalim will always be Al Quds / The Holy.

And Until justice prevails for those whom UrShalim stands for, until justice for the dispossessed Palestinians is materialized, peace will be but a juvenile day dream for the delusional.

Beyond Brainwash

"The Lebanese forces burned my handicapped father, but it's Hasan Nasrallah who threatens me"

One billion worldwide suffer from hunger

"The silent hunger crisis - affecting one-sixth of all of humanity - poses a serious risk for world peace and security...
It's the first time in human history that we have so many hungry people in the world...
And that's a contradiction, because a lot of the world is very rich despite the economic crisis."

aliens with orange eyes

you've got to agree with the fourteeners when they talk about impending doom if FPM and Co. win the elections, i mean, look at their supporters: aliens with sharp fangs, orange eyes, yellow drool...

photo credit

orange flags

"I want one orange flag with the check mark,
look,they're everywhere,
how come everyone has one and I don't?
can I get one yellow one too, please"

That was my eight year old son, somewhere on the road, in Beirut, in one of those traffics...

bell curve

“Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.” - George Carlin

now think lebanese

now think fourteeners

now think...

whatever

just think

Twittering your life away?

"A young man struggles against the pressure to Twitter his life away.
From: "SuperNews!" An animated sketch comedy series..."

Tania Saleh: "Ya Wled"

Tania Saleh - "Ya Wled" [Oh Children], a tribute to all Lebanese politicians. "bikaffi..." [enough...]

Lebanon: Beirut World Book Capital 2009

Beirut's status as World Book Capital was officially hailed today in a ceremony held at the UNESCO building. President Sleiman spoke today praising UNESCO for their choice adding that this title is a challenge to improve literacy and encourage reading. The ceremony was attended by Speaker Berri and Prime Minister Siniora.

Beirut is the ninth city designated as World Book Capital, following Madrid (2001), Alexandria (2002), New Delhi (2003), Anterp (2004), Montreal (2005), Turin (2006), Bogota (2007) and Amsterdam (2008).

According to the selection committee, Beirut was selected “in the light of its focus on cultural diversity, dialogue and tolerance, and of its diverse and stimulating program.”

Lebanon boasts of having hundreds of publishing houses.
But Lebanon is also a country where the most sold books, in any book fair that Beirut hosts, are cook and horoscope books.
And Beirut is a city where the coffee shops, that once accommodated intellectuals from around the world, are being transformed into fashion outlets.
And where the environment, politics, economy, intellectualism, arts, etc, has reached a very low level by all standards.
A city where even selecting it as World Book Capital created petty squabbles among the officials regarding the funding (reported by BBC).
Where even the facebook group for this event has only 133 fans (when last checked).

And yes, despite all that, I will take part, plan and share responsibility in some of the activities to commemorate Beirut as World Book Capital.
Never despairing that transformations and imprints can always be made.

Beirut World Book Capital 2009 - Official Site
Beirut World Book Capital 2009 - Blog
Pierre Tristam's article on UNESCO's declaration

Lebanon: Poverty and "Faith of our Fathers"

"Chicken a la Carte" a short film by Ferdinand Dimadura (2005).
Showing a portion of society actually living on the refuse of others to survive. Simple yet moving.

On the other hand, (the right one), in this our Lebanon, 28.5 per cent of the population are below the upper poverty line (US$4 per capita per day).
That's more than a million out the almost 4 million Lebanese.
8 per cent of the Lebanese population live in conditions of extreme poverty.

But did anyone hear any of the upcoming election candidates address this issue?
Is anyone of them saying anything better than just trying to prove their birth-right to be in the parliament? Some only because they were transformed from that one lucky sperm coming out of their father.. (pun intended)?
What a miracle? Only possible in Lebanon.
Or am I missing something?

But then, the Hymnal goes:
"Faith of our fathers, holy Faith, we will be true to Thee till death"
and who am I to disagree.

More on poverty in Lebanon

"Geagea wanted us to fight the Shia" says Jumblat in this Video [updated]

Despite the poor quality of this video (taken by cell phone), Walid Jumblat can be heard accusing the Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea and "some of the Sunnis" of wishing for a Druze-Shia conflict. He can also be heard saying "we saw the Sunni in Beirut, they brought 1000 fighters from Akkar and did not last 15 min [during the mini-civil-war of May 7, 2008]. "They wanted us [Druze and Shia] to fight each other and then they would just sit and watch", he said. He stressed that the Druze dignity is preserved [despite not being dragged into a full fledged war]. At the end of the video, while talking about the elections in the Mountain, he accuses his Maronite allies of going back to "Isolationism", describing them as "once of bad quality, always of bad quality." Saad Hariri is a novice, he adds. This video ends with, "as for the Shia, England is holding dialogue with Hezbollah, [United States of] America is opening up to Iran...

I think sectarianism, feudalism, sheepism, isolationism and all their isms cousins should be eradicated before rabies spread out of control in this Lebanon.

Update: excerpts of Jumblat's clarification :

"The video was part of a long discussion which talked about the isolationist trend in the country," Jumblat said about a mobile phone video in which the Druze leader criticized Maronites and some March 14 leaders.

"I wish that (Maronite) Patriarch (Nasrallah) Sfeir and all Maronites would take the bad and insulting word I used – and which was taken out of context from a long discussion about isolation – as a mere description of the situation that caused isolationism" in Lebanese sects,

"I was expressing (my point of view on) choosing candidates particularly by the March 14 alliance. The latest victim was Nassib Lahoud who decided to withdraw his candidacy. This attitude doesn't only exist among March 14 but also rests with the other party."