For all Live Messenger users, I guess you have noticed that some of the users are displaying the i'm icon in their nicknames. You can see different codes, such as *help, * naf, *unicef, *komen, etc... There are several organizations you can support.
To join, you can visit this link here, and you will need Windows Live Messenger v. 8.1.
I am currently showing support to the "Stop Global Warming" Organization, I hope more bloggers will post about this, so more people can add the icon to their nickname, and the following will happen.
i’m is a new initiative from Windows Live™ Messenger. Every time you start a conversation using i’m, Microsoft shares a portion of the program's advertising revenue with some of the world's most effective organizations dedicated to social causes. We've set no cap on the amount we'll donate to each organization. The sky's the limit.
Peretz to U.N. Chief: Lebanon Ceasefire is in Jeopardy
Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz has told U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon that Security Council Resolution 1701 is endangered by Hizbullah fighters, who continue to hold two captured Israeli soldiers and receive arms shipments from Syria.
[...]
The resolution authorized deployment of a U.N. peacekeeping force of up to 15,000 troops to help Lebanese troops police the southern border with Israel. It also calls for a halt in arms shipments to Hizbullah, and demands the "unconditional release" of the two Israeli soldiers.
"This is an unequivocal demand by the state of Israel," Peretz said Saturday. "We see it as the key to continuing the precise implementation of resolution 1701."
Israel claimed the reason behind the July war in 2006 on Lebanon was because Hezbollah had kidnapped two Israeli soldiers. The resistance kidnapped them as a way of bargaining in order to retrieve their prisoners from Israeli jails. More than 1000 civilians in Lebanon died, infrustructure, homes and entire cities were bombed to ashes, for those two Israeli soldiers.
Where are they now? Are they returned? Neither Israel is trying to bring this subject up anymore nor is Hezbollah mentioning anything about them. Are they dead? Are they still emprisoned? Or are they in Hawaii?
In general, when I think "Art of Speech", I directly think of Imam Ali. It was in an Arabic literature course that we studied about several poets and writers, and among them was the leader and speaker Imam Ali Bin Abi Talib.
Today I will speak about the Arabic speech giving in particular, and I believe it is a very rich language as Arabic has what is called "Al Balagha", a form of delegating the Arabic speaking and writing into a higher and superior level which few master.
The Arabic Art of Speech is practiced by few leaders nowadays, that can barely be counted on one hand. Even though I do not agree with what they say, this doesn't mean I cannot acknowledge how articulate and convincing some leaders can be.
The first "Khatib" which stands for "Speaker" in Arabic, is Sheik Hassan Nasrallah. I think he is the best one yet in our generation today. Sheik Hassan Nasrallah in particular has overcome several obstacles in giving a speech which is speaking with a lisp. Nevertheless it is said that many great speech givers spoke with a lisp but still gave powerful speeches.
Traits which Nasralla possesses are: +Self Control (unlike Michel Aoun, which I will prepare a specific post evaluating his speech qualities and flaws). + Following specific keypoints and not reading from a paper, thus not losing his trail of thoughts +Voice & tone, knows when he lowers is, knows when he highers it. Also depending on what he is saying he uses the appropriate tone +Knows his audience, for example during the July war last summer, his audience were the whole world, but the most important ones were Israel and the Lebanese people, so he knew how to encourage the Lebanese, and discourage the Israelis at the same time. + Looks Trustworthy and confident + Prepares answers to all possible questions (in case of a press conference) + Word playing. It is a very strong quality to be able to take someone else words against him then use them in a way that will support him + Reaches out to the audience's self-esteem and pride + And Humor where appropriate, and which he knows the audience he is trying to please will appreciate
KABUL, Afghanistan - A car bomb exploded near a three-vehicle U.S. Embassy convoy on a busy road in Kabul on Monday, wounding several people, one seriously, officials said.
The blast, witnessed by an Associated Press reporter, badly damaged the front of one black SUV that was shunted to the other side of the road. First aid was administered to at least two people at the scene.
The latest addition to the "I Love ..." collection that started with "I Love Life" sponsored by March 14, continued by the opposition, used by several companies with adjusted sentences to suit their product, such as "I Love Life in Diamonds", "I Love Carpets" and "I Love Samak" (Samak is Fish in Arabic), with finally a new player joining the team, "I Love Mom". (In Lebanon, Mother's day is celebrated on March 21st).
If you ask any Lebanese person (who follows local news), they will tell you that things have been calm lately because, they continue, it's either this or a war. Now that Iran and Saudi have interfered in finding a solution to Lebanon which haven't been declared officially yet, means two things:
1- We still get our orders from outside (surprised?) 2- While some of the March 14 really believed that "they" can control Lebanon and hopefully move it from its follower state to its country state, it turned out, that when they will be pressured to succumb to foreigners once again.
Concerning the second point, I will just like to send a message to all those who were in the opposition, despite how some of the current government politicians have gone wrong, etc... there is one fact and that is that some really wanted the betterment of this country (some got assassinated) and these people did not get anywhere because there was no union. Of course, we can't sum up the whole reasons and consequence in one paragraph, but point noted.
To each its responsabilities, to each its purposes, to each their reason to improve the country.
We want both, we want a government and an opposition. Without a government, there will be chaos. Without an opposition, there is no democracy and a way to "positively" criticize.
What is a government and what is its job? In its broadest sense, "to govern" means to administer or supervise, whether over a state, a set group of people, or a collection of assets.
So many times when I am on the street, or at work, or just reading news, I can't help but wonder that "all" our governments so far (the past 3 decades) haven't really made a complete job. We have ministries for a reason, and we'd be lucky to have 1 or 2 ministers who work. This topic will be elaborated in the future by mentioning some ministries, and where they went wrong.
As for the opposition, they are not doing their designated job, as mentioned above, they should criticize in a positive way in order to demand or open the eyes of the government to what is going wrong in order to improve the state of the country. However, the current government is only preventing other people from living, making a living, and making the government improve.
Certainly by above, we don't mean that the people who are in the opposition shouldn't exist, on the contrary, but their administrations should find a better way, because we all understand all sides have demands, and all people should live in their country in the way they deserve.
A lot of people showed up, no we're not talking millions or hundreds of thousands, but a really decent number. TL covered this event (a normal-like-it-should-be day in Downtown) most of the time interviewing people and also the president of the 11 March organization Merhi Abou Merhi a business man who said that he just wants March 8 and March 14 to find a middleground for the better of the Lebanese people.
Consequently, what was disappointing is that no other media than TL bothered to cover this event, even LBCI who is supposedly unbiased. Maybe they considered it a normal "day", but seriously, we all know that unpolitical stuff get a 10 seconds broadcast in the news (if we're lucky). TL did a good job, I think I probably watched TL for the first time in years. Moreover, the picture that we see on TV was a beautiful one, it was like the heart of downtown Beirut was alive again, people were walking, eating...
I only hope that more days like today come, in order to have our normal life back. I salute the people who went there, and I hope we'll follow their example.
For more info you can call 961 1 969999 or visit 11March.org.
It seems like an interesting event, I don't know what exactly will happen, but I am definitely curious. The middle ground between March 8 and 14, but on the ground, a lot of March 8th and March 14th are having enough, and just want to get on with life.
Thanks to MFL I knew about this event. I like the combination of Art, discussion and chilling to music.
I believe that even though the status of the Lebanese woman has gone a long shot for the past years in Lebanon and on several basis, such as politics, high position at work, salaries, etc... Nevertheless I still think that there are still some stuff that need to be accomplished. It is still a patririarchal society, and not just in Lebanon, even in countries such as the U.S.
On that note, I need to specify that I am no feminist, but I am definitely pro-rights, human rights, prisoner rights, women rights, and children rights. More over, I don't think men and women are absolutely equal, orelse, we wouldn't have two genders. However I believe that a job should not be given to someone because she is a woman, or he is a man, but for their qualifications and personalities. Equal opportunities is the key and to never judge a person's position or job based on gender, but for how competant they are.
On Saturday March 3rd, at 3pm near Riad El Solh square, Lebanese citizens gathered to mark their hand print on a black wall, in order to stand against the actions that the politicians are taking (or not taking) nowadays.
For once, there were no sign of political symbols and propaganda posters that dominate Beirut’s streets. Instead of the fractionalising yellow, green, the colours of the day were black and white. Not even a Lebanese flag to be seen.
The slogan for the event held at Bechara El Khoury square was ‘Watch Out Politicians! Wake up Citizens!’ It was organised by 12 non-partisan civil organisations acting under the newly formed banner ‘OU3A’
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For all Live Messenger users, I guess you have noticed that some of the users are displaying the i'm icon in their nicknames. You can see different codes, such as *help, * naf, *unicef, *komen, etc... There are several organizations you can support.
