And you thought rising oil prices is a bad thing

Silicon Valley engineer Andy King parked his Chevy Suburban in favor of a bike for commuting and says he has dropped 35 pounds since February. "It's good for my body and soul," King says

Read more about the various effects the rise of the oil prices have helped make certain things better.

To those who waited the bodies of their loved ones

While the prisoners sway between Hezbollah and Israel last week, I have to say I was really touched when I listened to those families who were waiting for the bodies of their loved ones, they knew they were dead, but still waited anxiously to receive their bodies and give them a proper burial. I cannot imagine how they feel, it must've been really hard on them. I want to offer my condolences and patience to these families.

I also want to mention those families who are still awaiting news about their loved ones in the Syrian Prisons, some has disappeared 1 and 2 decades ago, a mother still remembers her son as a teenager, where is he now? Life has stopped for her, if he was dead, it would've been hard on her when she knows he died, but after a while, she can continue her life, but if he's there, somewhere, not knowing what his status is, is he alive? is he dead? could he still be in prison for all this time, banned from any communication with the outside life? is this fair? Where is the justice in this?

Banning smoking in public places in Lebanon

That would be a dream come true. One thing I enjoyed while being in Paris is that when I left restaurants and pubs, I did not smell like an ashtray!

There is one Pub in Gemmayze that actually is doing a "nice" gesture if we may call it, a small stepping stone to maybe one day having pubs and restaurants in Lebanon smoke free. But you see Lebanon is not just about cigarettes, cigarillos, cigars and pipes, it's also about Arguileh (a widely spread addiction in Lebanon) aka Hubly bubbly!?

Anyway, the pub's name is GODOT, and it is smoke free every Wednesdays! Kudos for GODOT! Hope more pubs will join it on this action.

More on Bloomberg and Gates fighting smoking to help the world quit smoking here. I love Bill Gates!

Ziad Richa in the Beijing Olympics

"We are carrying a gun, and through this gun we are passing a message to everybody that you can do a nice sport peacefully.

"We have had enough of war. We want to live peacefully with our families and our friends."

Let's wish Ziad Richa luck in the Beijing Olympics, indeed, let's show the world that sometimes, yes, sometimes, Lebanese hold a gun that is not intended to kill or to defend from someone trying to kill you, in hope that one day, all homes in Lebanon, will not need a gun sitting in their closet for "protection". Why? Because after all, we are all brothers in this crazy country, and we deserve and NEED to trust each other at one point.

Read more on this story here.

Lebanese Flashmobbers sleep on the streets

Once again, the Lebanese Flashmobbers hit the street of Beirut on Saturday July 19th with a new and different action, this time they gathered in Ain El Mreisseh - Beirut, and slept on the floor for 5 minutes. Many were creative enought to come in PJs, sleep in sleeping bags, bring pillows, suck on their thumbs, and even bring alam clocks!

Click on the images to view them in larger size.

Darfur`s rape camp

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has indicted Sudan's President Omar Al Bashir for genocide. He is charged with killing hundreds of thousands of people in Sudan and its Darfur region, and corralling the surviving women and girls into terrifying camps where they are being quietly and systematically raped until their peoples are destroyed.

To help the ICC arrest Omar Al Bashir and hold him accountable for the crimes he had commited, and donate for help of the people in Darfur, please click here

I can't believe that these things still exist in our days.

Corpes swap, Hero swap or Prisoners swap?

This is a Haaretz article displaying in an series of drawn pictures about how the abduction of the 2 IDF soldiers happened in 11 and 12 July 2006 by Hezbollah.

I have to say that I do not regard Samir Kuntar as a hero. I know saying something like this is regarded by certain Lebanese people as unpatriotic or un-Lebanese, but may I remind you that we are still in a democratic country here, and Lebanon is not a dictatorship. Whatever Samir Kuntar believed in, whatever his cause was and the background he came from, killing a baby girl, is not regarded by me as a heroic action. That is putting matters in a simple way, I am not looking at this from a political point of view and historic point of view.

I have several times asked this question on this blog, of whatever happened to those Israeli soldiers, now we know that they are dead, but I am still trying to find somewhere if they were able to identify when they were dead. Because some sources are saying that one of them actually died during the attack. I am surprised of how Hezbollah were able to keep such info in the shade and no one ever knowing the status of these 2 soldiers. They kept them for prisoners swap, whether I agree with what they did or not is not the point here, but we have to admit, as a war action, that was a point going to Hezbollah. Hezbollah 1- 0 Israel.

Lebanon today!

The prisoners swap is taking place today between Hezbollah and Israel. Latest update is that the 2 Israeli prisoners that Hezbollah captured before the July 2006 war are dead. Among the prisoners that will be back to Lebanon is the infamous Samir Kuntar.
Moreover, a political handshake between Saad El Hariri and Sheik Hassan Nasrallah is awaited. Aren't we all just looking forward for this day?

On Top of all this, a picture for the cabinet members will be taken today and everybody should be dressed in white (angels?) no exception!

Cabinet finally formed

- New President (Check)
- New Cabinet (Check)
- Fix 3rd problem - Hezbollah's weapons (Status - UNKNOWN)
- Fix 4th problem - lack of trust, xenophobia, sectarian clashes, etc... (Forever and ever existent and will never be "CHECK")

Read more here