BabaGannouj et La Zaytouni

Lebanese Girls the Most Beautiful or Lebanese Doctors the Most Skilled?

2010-04-29T12:00:00.018-04:00

Now for some god unknown reason I was thinking about Heidi Montag last night and the disgusting thing she has done to herself.

If you don't know who the hell I'm talking about, go ahead and pat yourself on the back--you really shouldn't have any idea who this fame-whoring individual is--but just for this post's sake, I will briefly explain that she gained some fame on MTV's show 'The Hills' and then after getting a little notoriety proceeded to try to gain some serious celebrity by:

1) staging a fake wedding with her boyfriend,

2) writing a book called "How To Be Famous", and

3) even coming out with an album ("The Superficial"--perfect title if I ever heard one) that sold a total of 658 copies nationwide. Which, considering the tabloids and Perez Hilton and all that crap that gives her media attention, is unbelievably, ridiculously bad.

Anyway...Heidi's latest stunt is getting a boob job, and then getting 10 [plastic] surgeries in one day, making a once very pretty girl into a monster:

Heidi Montag Before (L) and After (R)

Point of all this?

Now I in no way endorse or support the Lebanese addiction to Plastic Surgery--I am completely 100% against it. 18 year old girls having nosejobs claiming "Oh I really needed it because I had a la7mieh in my nose and couldn't breathe properly" and then proceeding to get three more nosejobs so only a sliver of a Michael Jackson nose is left.

I find it extraordinarily sad and amazingly creepy when I am sitting in the salon in my grandparents house with my Lebanese female friends and family members and my mom and I are the only two the haven't had any work done...this is no exagguration sadly, a quite regular occurance (which also means I have to watch myself before I stare at Nawal al Zoughby on the TV and go: "I can't believe she did plastic surgery! She looked so much better before! How stupid!" and then turn around to stare and mart khaleh who has a nose job...)

No, no, I do not in anyway support this Lebanese 'marad'...but I have to say.....

Katia Harb Before (L) and After (R)

Haifa Wehbe Before (L) and After (R)

Elissa Before (L) and After (R)

Aline Khalaf Before (L) and After (R)

Pascale Machaalani Before (L) and After (R)

Nancy Ajram Before (L) and After (R)

Najwa Karam Before (L) and After (R)

Razan Before (L) and After (R)

May Hariri Before (L) and After (R)

.......Heidi Montag should've gotten her work done in Lebanon.

~LZ

BetLZ News 4.28.2010

2010-04-28T15:19:00.005-04:00

Water Taxi Project could help free up nation's roads / Daily Star
Will it be based off of the ElHub design?? This would be AMAZING! (If it's actually feasible) For more info on Public Transport in Lebanon also read this NowLebanon article

ElHub proposed Ferry Stops

Lebanon transfers soldiers' remains to Syria / Ynet

Egypt hands life sentences to 3 Hezbollah members / Forbes

Pilot Strike to Disrupt MEA Operations, Chairman Says / Bloomberg

Airport Show: IER wins MEA kiosk deal at Beirut / Arabian Aerospace

Threat of catastrophic earthquake looms over Lebanon / Daily Star

Almost a legend (Interview with Robert Fisk) / Sun2Surf

Blog: Beirut (Gourmet Chick in Lebanon)

~LZ

BetLZ News 4.27.2010

2010-04-27T17:24:00.003-04:00

Ex-hostage John McCarthy thanks man who freed him / BBC News

"Beyond Beirut" Launched to Stimulate Rural Tourism / Naharnet

Lebanese news site says hacked by Israelis / Ynet

Lebanon 2010: Becoming Secular--Unlikely / Basil & Spice

UNIFIL donates 24 vehicles to Lebanese Armed Forces / Daily Star

Fadel Shaker Retiring / Al Bawaba

The luxury resort in the middle of a war zone / Robert Fisk

Lebanon to Hand Over Syrian Soldiers' Remains to Damascus / Naharnet

~LZ

Batroun Panoramic View

2010-04-27T11:02:00.008-04:00

A nice way to start off the day...

Yeh, I wish I was there too..

~LZ

Source: Zeegrizzly

Lebanese held in Syria

2010-04-27T10:20:00.003-04:00

Lebanese Military Judge Saqr Saqr gave his orders on Tuesday to authorities to hand over the remains of two Syrian soldiers found in the Beqaa valley in Lebanon sometime last week.

My question to you is: what is Lebanon getting in return? What about all the bodies of Lebanese citizens (soldiers and civilians alike) that are in Syria? What about all the living Lebanese that are rotting in some basement in some Syrian jail? Do we hear anything about these people? Does the Syrian government ever hand any of them over? Do we even hear our own Lebanese government ever complaining or demanding their release?

Judge Saqr should have issued an order to hold the remains with Lebanese authorities to use as leverage in negotiations to get Lebanese held in Syria.

Or are Lebanese only Lebanese and worthy when they are held in Israeli prisons and morgues?

The ones we got held in Syria are just on vacation, you know, taking a stroll around Damascus.

Shame on Lebanon and its government for neglecting its people in this manner.

We go to war with the Israelis to return Lebanese held in Israel, while we bend backwards for the Syrians with nothing in return.

Shameful.

BG

For more information on Lebanese detained in Syria, please visit the following website: S.O.L.I.D.E. They have done an excellent job in keeping the story alive.

BetLZ News 4.26.10 - Part #2

2010-04-26T14:03:00.004-04:00

Yeh..seems my publishing of today's news was a bit premature...here's round #2

**Headlines**

Retrial of duo in Suzan murder begins today / GulfNews

**Business**

Alwaleed Plans Rotana Share Sale Within Two Years / Bloomberg

Habtoor Hotels races ahead at 2010 Arabian Travel Market with renewed enthusiasm / AMEInfo

**Arts**

The Samir Kassir Award confirms its notoriety / Eurojar

Exhibition: AUB Ceramics Annual Exhibit / ArtAUB

**Misc**

Lebanon: Annual Report Published by Red Cross / ReliefWeb

**Travel**

Beirut - Feisty, Feasting, Fun / Lonely Planet

A little home improvement / TravelPod

~LZ

BetLZ News 4.26.10

2010-04-26T11:40:00.004-04:00

Woww....there's a lot of news today, so we're doing categories for your browsing convenience!

**Headlines**

Young Lebanese demonstrate for secularism in Beirut / BBC News

Source: Lebanese Voices

Victims of harassment speak out in Lebanon / LaredoSun

Over 60.000 Armenians participated in Beirut procession / News.am

**Arts/Fashion**

بيروت عاصمة للموضة / Beirut Fashion Capital

Fabric Covered VW Bug / GreenMuze

A classic Volkswagen Beetle covered in reclaimed vintage fabrics was quite the hit at the recent Milan Design Week 2010. Created by Lebanese based designer duo Hoda Baroudi and Maria Hibri, the festive Bojka Bug is covered in an array of colourful upcycled fabrics and tapestries.

The Bojka Bug was auctioned off on eBay for €1,004 (US$1,334) with proceeds benefiting children in Haiti via the Fondazione Francesca Rava.

War is hell (on art, too): Lebanese art of 'Convergence' at American University / Washington Post

Running Horse Gallery, Beirut: Counting Thoughts / Corrine Martin

**Business**

UAE donates 10 aircraft to Lebanon army / SifyNews

Le Royal hosts prestigious event for 'The Leading Hotels of the World'/ AMEInfo

**Tourism**

Why should Lebanon be your next Summer Destination / PR Leap

**Weird/Misc**

Evil eye lives on in Lebanese tradition / The China Post

The virginity industry / BBC News

Billy Bragg and BNP clash over St George's Day / The Guardian (Billy Bragg lets BNP know that St. George is Lebanese)

Beirut Genius Map / AppShopper

**Blogs**

Lebanon is Gorgeous / Mark and Egypt

Join the 24/7 campaign (named accordingly because migrant workers work 24/7 = slavery) to fight for rights for Migrant Workers in Lebanon! Sign the petition!

~LZ

Women's Nationality Campaign

2010-04-26T11:29:00.002-04:00

The movement to grant women in Lebanon equal rights compared with their men compatriots especially when it comes to nationality issues has just gained some ground.

The council of ministers has just approved a law that allows men married to Lebanese women and their children the right to get permanent residency status in Lebanon. (Relevant law can be found here. Link is in Arabic, bullet point #12. You can also find a video explaining all this here.)

While the new law is a step forward for women and their rights in Lebanon, it still falls short of the full implementation of the law that should grant full rights to all citizens of Lebanon, including the right to transfer citizenship to spouses and children. We here at BetLZ have touched on this subject before, here, here, here, and here.

Albeit a small step towards full rights for women under the law, we congratulate the government for its courageous step in the right direction.

BG

Beirut, I Love You (I Love You Not)

2010-04-23T16:25:00.009-04:00

I just stumbled across this and I ABSOLUTELY LOVEEEEE it, you guys have to watch! it's a short film called "Beirut, I Love You (I Love You Not)"

Some of you will recognize the opening song--it's "Raksit Leila" by the Lebanese band Mashrou3 Leila which reminds me of the opening of the second "Flying Kebab" episode (see below) also the "This is Yasmine...Yasmine likes..." bit is inspired by Amelie (see clip below). The part after where we see the progression of Yasmine and Tarek's relationship (good to bad times) I recognized as from the short film with Natalie Portman in the movie "Paris, je t'aime" undoubtedly the inspiration for this movie's title (see below)

Enjoy!

Info:

Beirut, I Love You (I Love You Not), a Beirut-ish tribute to Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Amelie Poulain, is a short film by “An Orange Dog Productions” about (fleeting) love & the little pleasures in life, all set and in relation with the very inspiring city of Beirut.

The film has already been selected in: – The Swansea Bay Film Festival – UK (2010) – The International Youth Film Festival – UK (2010) – The International Film Festival of Egypt (2010) – The Lebanese Film Festival of Montreal, Canada (2010) – The Creative Commons Salon in Amman, Jordan (2009)

Amelie Likes...

Flying Kebab - Episode # 2

Paris Je t'aime, Faubourg Saint Denis

(Skip to 3:35 for the part i'm talking about)

~LZ

BetLZNews 4.23.2010

2010-04-23T14:54:00.001-04:00

Report: Club Med cancels cruise call in Lebanon after protests from Jewish groups / USA Today

In Lebanon, the last of the first glass blowing artisans / Christian Science Monitor

Beirut festival puts young writers on the world map / CNN

Chateau Musar: wine from Lebanon / Telegraph

BLOGS:

Lebanon - Beirut / Jac & Chalky's Excellent Adventure

Chapter Seven: Beirut, Amman / Travel Pod

~LZ

Shankaboot - Lebanon's "First Web Drama"

2010-04-23T10:20:00.006-04:00

Most of you have already probably heard of "Lebanon's first web drama" Shankaboot. It follows a poor young Lebanese boy called Sleiman aka "Shankaboot" who lives in Beirut and makes his living as a delivery boy on his 'moto'.

The series is really well made in my opinion, and the actor that plays Shankaboot as well as the extras in the series are great! The girl Rouweida however, in my opinion, really overacts everything...which can get pretty annoying

I personally love the extras the most--so typical Lebanese sometimes it almost seems as if they don't know they're in a series...It makes for a really nice, realistic effect--unlike the Flying Kebab series (more on this in a later post) which was great in the cinematography and music but pretty atrocious in the acting

Anyway, here is an article I recently stumbled across on Shankaboot, as well as all the episodes to date, enjoy!

_____________________________________________

Lebanon's 'Shankaboot' brings Arab drama online

By Natacha Yazbeck (AFP)

TAALABAYA, Lebanon — Driving through Beirut's maze of alleys can demand a certain death-defying flair. So it comes as no coincidence that the hero of the Arab world's first webdrama is a delivery boy -- and his noisy, trusty moped.

The online series follows happy-go-lucky Lebanese delivery boy Sleiman as he zooms through the streets on his "Shankaboot," a name invented for his scooter and title of the drama, delivering food, medicine, a gas cylinder or an oversized floral lampshade which he balances on his head.

"What we aim for is to keep the series close to ordinary, daily life, to the way people are on the streets," said Katia Saleh, producer of the first Arabic-language online sitcom.

Funded by the BBC World Service Trust in cooperation with Saleh's production house Batoota Films, Shankaboot pays tribute to aspects of Beirut overlooked on local television: quirky city residents, underage drivers, class, drugs and prostitution rings.

While films, music and television must first pass muster with Lebanon's general security, using the Internet as a medium has given Shankaboot unprecedented freedom.

As the online use of Arabic grows at record speed and more and more young Arabs gain access to the Internet, Shankaboot makes a change from the diet of Latin American and Turkish soap operas so popular in the region.

The script is witty and crude at the same time, echoing the everyday vernacular of the Lebanese rather than the polished Arabic of dubbed soaps.

"What's popular in the Arab world is Mexican and Turkish drama, and I think Shankaboot has appealed so widely to so many people first because it is well-made and second because it speaks to them," Saleh told AFP on the set in the eastern village of Taalabaya where the crew was shooting season two.

"It speaks their language."

While the Beirut cityscape is dotted with landmarks easily recognisable to anyone who has visited, director Amin Dora instead chose to focus on the city "as Beirutis know it."

"In season one, what I aimed for was to reflect the reality of life in Beirut," Dora said. "We avoided everything artificial. We want to show Beirut as it is."

The quest for authenticity also prompted Dora to cast first-time actors in most of the key roles.

"I think what really helped the authenticity come through was the acting, which is a direct reflection of the reality of the people of Beirut," Dora said.

Starring as Sleiman is first-time actor Hassan Akil, 17, who like his peers was attracted to the project's script and medium.

"I don't watch Lebanese television at all. I think it's totally fake," Akil told AFP on set. "I don't think I would have continued to play Sleiman if the script was fake ... But this is something else, and I'm proud to be contributing to it."

And even before its official launch in May, Shankaboot has already become a hit in the online world with more than 7,000 views and 5,000 Facebook fans, or "Shankaddicts."

"I'm very surprised - and happy -- with the series' success among Lebanese expatriates and foreigners," said Dora. "After the Arab world, most of our hits come from the United States.

"A major concern for us was download time, because we didn't want the viewer to give up on the downloading process," he said of the five-minute episodes.

The first season is made up of 11 episodes during which viewers meet the lovable Sleiman, the beautiful runaway Ruwaida and the enigmatic Chady, whose story is not unveiled until season two.

Sleiman and Ruwaida's lives become intertwined when, chatting on his phone as he speeds down the street, he knocks her over down as she emerges from a bus.

As the complex plot unravels, the series looks at issues of abuse, drugs, and poverty, dotted with generous doses of comic relief.

Season two takes Sleiman, Chady and Ruwaida to the eastern Bekaa Valley -- Lebanon's Wild West -- and introduces characters from rural life, far removed from cosmopolitan Beirut.

Actor Nasri Sayegh, who plays the dark, sinister Chady, said what drew him to the project was its loyalty to the reality of life in Lebanon.

"Lebanon's 'nakha,' its unique flavour, comes out on the screen ... In season one it was Beirut and in season two it is the Bekaa. You can see it, smell it, taste it," said Sayegh, 31.

"Sleiman is the main character," the actor added. "But the real hero is the city" -- from Beirut to the Bekaa and wherever else the noisy little Shankaboot takes the series.

_____________________________________________

Episode 1 - Delivery Interrupted

Episode 2 - Labneh on the Roof with Haifa

Episode 3 - A Fistful of Sandals

Episode 4 - Into the Spider's web

Episode 5 - Down to Earth

Episode 6 - Chantal Superstar?

Episode 7 - The Chrome Phone

Episode 8 - Undercover Chadi

For future episodes, check out the official site of Shankaboot here.

~LZ

BetLZNews 4.19.2010

2010-04-19T15:47:00.006-04:00

People are LOVING them some Lebanon right now...the good articles/reviews/blog posts keep coming in day by day, check out some of the most recent ones below along with some other newsworthy articles:

Stranded in Beirut, the Arab literary world takes wing / The Guardian (Thanks to the Icelandic Volcano, 39 of the best minds in Arab Literature ended up spending some more time in Beirut! A REALLY INTERESTING read!!!)

Four Seasons Spa-Beirut / 1000lonelyplaces.com

AUB Mechanical Engineering Department issues statement warning about ineffectiveness of smoking and non-smoking areas / AlBawaba

Beirut is #19 on the TOP 29 Cities to live in List by AskMen.com--some of the judging categories?? Cost of an Ipod Nano, Vacation Days, Ration of Men to women, Cost of a Nissan 370Z, and Clean Air factor...

Beirut - like Nice but safer / FR2DAY

Middle-eastern promise: Beirut / London Evening Standard

Insider's guide to Beirut / Guardian

Lebanese Prefer “Green With Envy” Maseratis Over Eco-Friendly Hybrids Cars / GreenProphet

Check out this AWESOME post with AMAZINGGG aerial photos of Lebanon by Clement Tannouri

Also--did anyone know that there was a winery in Batroun called Boteaux de Botrys?? Check out their very nice site here. Has anyone tried it? Is it any good?

~LZ

BetLZNews 4.15.2010

2010-04-15T15:08:00.005-04:00

So...the news today is SUPER BORING!

This is the most interesting thing I stumbled across:

____________________________________________________________

Glamorous Pro Shannon Elizabeth To Join World Team Poker’s Team Lebanon

April 15th, 2010 Author: S. Taylor

If an article in Pokernewsdaily is to be believed, then American Pie actress and poker pro Shannon Elizabeth will be competing at this year’s World Team Poker event, but not as a Team America player.

Instead, because of her father’s Lebanese origins she is eligible to partake in the event as part of Team Lebanon and so will be taking her place with fellow team members at the Golden Nugget in Downtown Las Vegas on 19th May.

Born Shannon Elizabeth Fadal, the Hollywood actress rose to prominence after her appearance in the 1999 hit movie American Pie. She then went on to enjoy a successful acting career, starring in such films as Scary Movie, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and Thir13en Ghosts. She also posed nude for Playboy and in 2008 was Maxim’s cover girl.
Elizabeth considers poker her “second career” and is considered by many as one of the leading celebrity poker players. She cashed four times at the World Series of Poker in 2006 and 2007, and finished 3rd at the NBC National Heads Up Poker Championship in 2007 collecting $125,000 prize money in the process.

Despite previously stating; “I’m half Arabic, but I am 100 percent American,” it is doubtful whether Shannon Elizabeth would have made it onto a top tier American Team which includes such players as Doyle Brunson, Mike Matusow, Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, Jennifer Harman, Howard Lederer, Erik Seidel, Allen Cunningham, and Annie Duke.
Consequently, Elizabeth will be hoping to use her poker skills to forward the chances of Team Lebanon, which also includes fellow Lebanese pros Dany Georges, Freddy Deeb, Joe Awada and Mark Betor. Collectively the team has accumulated around $7.5 million in career tournament earnings.

In total, there are 16 countries competing at the World Team Poker event, all hoping to secure bragging rights for their country for a whole year. They are Armenia, Australia, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, England, Germany, Greece, Iran, Israel, Korea, Lebanon, Mexico, Norway, Philippines, Switzerland, Turkey, United States, and Vietnam.

Source: Online Poker
____________________________________________________________

Go team Lebanon!

~LZ

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Lebanese Culture on focus at Alliance Française NYC

2010-04-14T15:36:00.006-04:00

Imagine my surprise when I received my monthly Alliance Française NYC brochure and a Lebanese Cedar with the word "Liban" underneath it was on the cover!

As it turns out, the month of May will be devoted to Lebanon at the Alliance Française NYC, and there are some truly AMAZING events--so if you are in NYC or have friends in NYC I suggest you go/let them know...here is the info:

World Nomads: LEBANON
May 2010

World Nomads, FIAF’s annual exploration of transculturalism in the 21st century, is intended as a forum for dialogue between cultures. It returns this May for its third edition to focus on Lebanon, a country whose rich heritage has long captivated imaginations around the world.

All across the globe, members of the extraordinary Lebanese diaspora have broadened the cultural landscape and enriched international discourse. The powerful interplay between memory of homeland and life in new societies has shaped the work of important contemporary Lebanese artists.

World Nomads Lebanon presents a month-long series dedicated to some of the preeminent Lebanese artistic voices active in the fields of music, cinema, literature, architecture, theater, and the visual arts in the world today.

As with its previous editions, World Nomads Lebanon is created with luminary curators—thanks in particular to Rasha Salti—and presented in partnership with esteemed New York-based cultural organizations, which this year include Alwan for the Arts, Architizer, ArteEast, Kleio Projects, and PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature.

PROGRAM

**Music**

Opening Concert
Bassam Saba Ensemble
Saturday, May 1, 2010 at 8pm
Florence Gould Hall

**Literature **

Elias Khoury
Sunday, May 2, 2010 at 1pm
Le Skyroom

Rawi Hage
Sunday, May 2, 2010 at 3pm
Le Skyroom

Alexandre Najjar
Sunday, May 2, 2010 at 5pm
Le Skyroom

Meet the Writer... en français !
Alexandre Najjar
Monday, May 3, 2010 at 4:30pm
Haskell Library

**Theater**

Talk with Wajdi Mouawad
Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 7pm
Le Skyroom

Staged Reading:
Wajdi Mouawad & Jane Birkin
Friday, May 21, 2010 at 7pm
Florence Gould Hall

**Architecture**

Talk with Bernard Khoury
Thursday, May 6, 2010 at at 7pm
Tinker Auditorium

Public Space: Memory, Boundary, Catastrophe
Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 7pm
Le Skyroom

Modern Architecture in Beirut:
Reconstruction and Cultural Identity
Thursday, May 20, 2010 at 7pm
Le Skyroom

**CinémaTuesdays**

World Nomads Lebanon: Cinema
Tuesdays, May 4–25, 2010
Florence Gould Hall

Around Town
The Calm After the Storm:
Classic and Contemporary Lebanese Cinema
Film Society of Lincoln Center and ArteEast

**Visual Arts**

Nabil Nahas
Cedrus Libani: Roots & Memory
Saturday, May 1–Saturday, May 29, 2010
FIAF Gallery

My Umi Said...
New Work from Lebanon
Friday, May 7–Friday, May 28, 2010
Kleio Projects

**Special Event**

An Evening with Carlos Ghosn
Monday, May 24, 2010 at 7pm
Le Skyroom

To see the site, click here
For the printable event brochure, click here

~LZ

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BetLZNews 4.14.2010

2010-04-14T15:24:00.007-04:00

NEWS:

Kidnapped Syrian, Lebanese workers freed in Nigeria / AFP

Israeli court allows Arab Israeli to collect prize / AFP

Aramex reveals first hybrid bike / Arabian Supply Chain

Sixth sense / Hotelier Middle East (Interview with Campbell Gray on Le Gray Beirut)

Western Media keeps ruining Beirut’s image / Star Scene Daily Star

Endowed scholarship fund established in memory of Karim Habr / AUB News

Spring 2011 Bridal Runway: Reem Acra Wedding Dress Collection / Savvy Scoop

BLOGS:

Beirut taxidrivers Part I: How this city works / Pepijn van den Wall Bake

Beirut street art continued / Pepijn van den Wall Bake (See our post on Lebanese Graffiti here)

Beirut / Confessions of a Vegetarian Shark

From a cool blog post that featured edible flags, I stumbled across ours:

~LZ

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MLK

2010-04-14T12:50:00.003-04:00

This month marks the 42nd anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King. There has been an effort underway for years now to establish a memorial in his name in Washington DC that would be fitting of a man of his stature.

I would like to direct you to the following link so you guys can read more about the man whose legacy made a lot of things possible for a lot of people. The link has tons of useful information, and get this, it has a toolbar that one can download and when used donates money to the foundation!

http://mlkmemorialnews.org

Please consider helping out in any way possible you can. Whether that means spreading the word around by blogging or tweeting, downloading that toolbar or even donating money to the organization. They are not that far away from their fund raising goal and any amount small or large helps.

One last thought/idea: where's Lebanon's MLK?

BG

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Khaled el Haber - Share3 el Hamra / خالد الهبر - شارع الحمرا

2010-04-14T11:18:00.011-04:00

For my <3 :

<3
LZ

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Lebanon Motor Show 2010!

2010-04-12T14:45:00.012-04:00

Being in the USA I sadly could not go to the Auto Show in Lebanon (the 12th annual I might add after a 5 year break) but I thought I would gather what images I could from the internet and share with you

The show is running from the 9th to the 18th of April in Biel, Beirut with 250 exhibitors and the organizers are expecting 150,000 visitors and 15,000 sales!! Talk about some serious $$$

Thanks to JoesBox and CarMiddleEast for the images

VIDEOS:

OTV Lebanon Motor Show 2010

Lebanon Motor Show 2010

I know what my bf is thinking--"What does she know about cars?"--well you know what, i know which one is pretty or not! (I kid, I know more than the 'average' girl....)

He promised me he'd buy me a bugatti if I could tell him the specifications of its engine--oooo he's going to regret that!

The Bugatti Veyron Fbg for Hermes:

Start working on your liquidity baby!

~LZ

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BetLZNews 4.12.2010

2010-04-12T14:28:00.004-04:00

Beirut's 39 Writers Under 39 / Asia Writers

Lebanon Motor Show 2010 / Middle East Online

Young Minds Shine Beyond Beirut / MidEast Youth

Glitz and glam eclipse hybrids at Lebanon car fest / AFP

Lebanon to drop tariffs on hybrid cars / The National

BEIRUT! NOT ENOUGH DEATH TO GO ROUND (1983)
"A moving and graphic portrait of the people of war-torn Beirut in their day-to-day struggle to survive in the rubble and despair that war has brought upon them. Filmed shortly after the 1982 massacres at Sabra and Chatila, the film gives a vivid picture of the plight of these people and of any people who are too poor to escape the ravages of war."

Love the stereotypical Lebanese profiles in this commercial for Le Charcutier Aoun:

~LZ

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BetLZNews 4.9.2010

2010-04-09T14:13:00.006-04:00

Residential project in the Gemmayzé area of Beirut designed by Lebanese architects Bernard Khoury / desMena

Destination: Gay Beirut and beyond -The first gay familiarization tour of Lebanon has arrived / SDGLN

Reem Acra Names President / WWD

Booby-Trapped Grenade Detonated in Chtaura, Another Defused in Tyre / Naharnet

Meet Salwa, Lebanon's anti-sexual harassment mascot / Jerusalem Post

Lebanon's Samir Geagea: A Maverick / Huffington Post

Syrians, Lebanese Abducted by Gunmen in Oil-Rich Nigerian Delta / Bloomberg

Byblos Bank Acquires Solidaire Banque Internationale (Update1) / Bloomberg

Holy crap!!!!:

Nancy Ajram: Same Outfit Twice! / Wikeez

~LZ

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BetLZNews 4.8.2010

2010-04-08T14:10:00.009-04:00

Rival groups clash at Palestinian base in Lebanon / AP

A Lebanese initiative for energy savings / Eurojar

Blogs on Lebanon:

Beirut Panorama / ANNEKE GERLOFF

The DBD / Land of Ghosn

~LZ

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Some great [Lebanese] news!

2010-04-08T09:52:00.010-04:00

What do you say to starting off the day with some EXCELLENT news??

I think it's a SPLENDID idea!

How about trying this on for size--a smoking ban in public plans in Lebanon is expected to take effect within a year--oh yes!! You can go ahead and read that again! This is somewhere on par with the Syrians forced to flee the country as in: "I never though I'd live to see the day when this would happen in Lebanon."

This monumental decision obviously occurred because we asked you to join the "Ban indoor smoking in public places in Lebanon" group on facebook two days ago--congrats guys! You did it! :P

Ok, so what are the details and the loopholes/catches you may ask?

Pros:
- smoking banned in all public places within a year (according to George Saadeh, head of National Tobacco Control Program at a debate on the issue Tuesday at the AUB)
- ban would encompass all public spaces, including restaurants and cafes (and clubs i'm assuming??)
- ban affects not only cigarettes but nargileh and all other tobacco products
- ban will be enforced by fining violators: up to 50,000LL for an individual violator and 1 million LL for owners of establishments where violations occur
But MOST IMPORTANTLY:
- smoking will be reduced
- you won't die of secondhand smoke every time you go out
- you wont come home with your clothes smelling like you've just escaped a burning building
- overall smoking in the population will decrease in the long run
- quite simply people will lead healthier lives

and what do we have for the cons?

Cons:
- the only exempt public spaces from the ban would be outdoor spaces (how very French of us)
- Enforcement--take the Beirut Airport for example--smoking is banned indoors and yet right below the non-smoking sign is an ashtray.
- it still hasn't been enforced yet, no official legislation has been signed, so it's really just us trusting politicians, and yeh--i don't like the sound of that, so i'll believe it when i see it

Yeh...I would say the Pros outweigh the Cons...

Whats next? Ban on tobacco product advertising?? Health warning on cigarettes? Higher prices for cigarettes???

Read the Daily Star article here

So I want to be more cautious before I celebrate--because after all it is Lebanon--a place where optimists often have their souls crushed by 8-inch platform diamond-studded heels--but I can't help but smile :)

"Monsieur, tfee il sigara iza bit reed! Il tadkheen mamnou3. Merci"

~LZ

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A good cause...

2010-04-06T10:16:00.006-04:00

Good morning! (or if you're in Lebanon it's the afternoon...)

Received this email from BG this morning and thought it would be a good idea to share with the masses and hopefully garner some publicity for these highly admirable organizations:

--------

Dear friend,

You are invited to visit www.yasa.org about road safety, www.lassanet.org about school safety (Lebanese Association for School Safety Awareness), www.lfpc.org about fire safety (Lebanese Fire Prevention Committee), www.srfo.org about food safety (Scientific Research Foundation) and www.lasip.net about sport safety(Lebanese Association for Sports Injury Prevention).

All sites are in English and Arabic. YASA and LASSA have French also.

We are waiting [for] strong cooperation for safety promotion and injury prevention in the Middle East region.

Thanks in advance

YASA

P.O.Box 45-083

Hazmieh

Lebanon

Tel: +961 - 5 - 452587

Fax: +961 - 5 - 952587

www.yasa.org

Email: yasa@yasa.org

SAFETY STARTS WITH ATTITUDE

---------

Though YASA is the best known, all these other organizations fall under the "YASA Group".

To join the facebook groups and show your support, click here:

- YASA
- Lebanese Fire Prevention Committee
- Lebanese Association for Sports Injury Prevention
- Food and Agriculture Safety-SRF

And while we're at it, why don't we throw in some of our personal favorite Lebanese Causes on facebook that are not YASA-affiliated!

- All for civil marriage in Lebanon
- All for public transport in Lebanon
- Ban indoor smoking in public places in Lebanon
- Against Removing Beirut Gardens (I actually have no idea what the status is with this project--does anyone know?)

and OF COURSE--by FARRRR the most important:

I love Mika !

~LZ

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Lebanese Divas

2010-04-05T11:45:00.013-04:00

The business of… Lebanese divas

Elissa, Nancy and Haifa are known for their music, acting and sex appeal. But for some, they also represent big business.

Lebanese divas are popular for many different reasons: their music, their acting (or sometimes, their inability to act) and, commonly among gentlemen, their sex appeal.

But some people love stars such as Haifa Wehbe, Elissa and Nancy Ajram for an altogether different reason: their money-making abilities.

Record companies, advertisers, marketers and promoters have all signed lucrative contracts with Lebanese divas. Here we take a look at some of the biggest deals – and how the singers themselves have raked in millions.

Stars 1

Elissa (pictured) is one of the best-known female singers in the Arab world – and is also one of the richest, with her wealth estimated at more than $33 million. Strong record sales helped her along the way: she was named the best-selling Middle East artist in 2005 and 2006, and has sold close to 18 million albums worldwide. She was also one of the first Lebanese divas to sign a sponsorship deal with Pepsi.

Stars 2

Fellow diva Nancy Ajram is just 26 years old (much younger than Elissa, who is 38), but she has already amassed a personal wealth of more than $16 million, mainly through album sales and commercials.

Haifa Wehbe (pictured), full of sexual suggestiveness, is the bad girl to Ajram’s ‘girl next door’. She first captured attention at the age of 16 when she won a beauty contest in South Lebanon; by 1996, she had appeared on over a hundred magazine covers. She is among the richest Lebanese pop stars, though the extent of her wealth is unknown.

Industry

Lebanese performers are celebrated throughout the Arab World – and consequently have high sales figures. For example, Ajram (pictured) has sold over four million albums in Lebanon and ranks as the third best-selling female artist in Lebanese and Egyptian music history.

Lebanon is one of the powerhouses of Arab music. While traditional folk music remains popular, modern music combining Western and traditional Arabic styles, pop, and fusion are becoming more and more popular.

Despite problems with piracy and illegal music downloads, the World Intellectual Property Organization says that Lebanon's music industry is mounting and could reach leading status in the region.

Advertising

Ajram, Wehbe and Elissa have all signed high-profile advertising deals with international and Arab companies.

Elissa has worked with the likes of Pepsi, Lux, Lazurde jewels, Ray Ban and Samsung mobiles, in deals thought to be worth a total of $1 million per year.

Ajram has signed deals with Sony Ericsson, Damas, and Coca-Cola, while Haifa has worked with Pepsi, Chopard and Louis Vuitton.

Merchandise

In 2007, Elissa was chosen by French company Georges Stahl to create her own perfume, Elle D’Elissa – which we were told was the “first international perfume for an Arab artist”. She also worked with Samsung for the launch of a music-enabled phone that contained three of her songs.

One of the most successful merchandising deals was Nancy Ajram`s work with Sony Ericsson, which involved the launch of a special edition of Walkman series model W595i, which incorporates the star`s signature. The phone cost AED400 more than the same version of the phone without the star’s signature

Concerts

Which of the performers charge the most to appear on stage?

This question was answered last New Year’s Eve, when all three Lebanese divas put on concerts.

It was reported that Elissa earned $130,000 for her performance, while Wehbe received $80,000 and Nancy got $70,000. Fans paid between $250 and $1,000 for a ticket to attend Nancy’s event, while Haifa’s fans paid $350 and $700 for a ticket.

-- Kipp Report

Who would've thought that Elissa charges more to perform than Haifa or Nancy? I mean I personally would pay to see Elissa and not Haifa but I thought Haifa would certainly be the highest grosser...Also--Elissa is 38?? Really?? It's a plastic surgery miracle!

~LZ

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BetLZNews 4.5.2010

2010-04-05T11:37:00.002-04:00

Federal Judge Awards Beirut Bombing Victims $1.3 Billion / ABC News

Byblos Bank launches the IPT-Byblos Bank MasterCard / AME Info

Driving around on the Lebanese roads with all those trucks with oversize loads of rocks and such that are completely uncovered--I always try not to drive behind them in fear that something will fall off, and sadly, it has:

Large Rock Smashes Passenger Van in Tyre, One Dead / Naharnet

Also, I've been stumbling across these more and more--blog posts of foreigners that have visited Lebanon--I know how we Lebanese LOVE to hear foreigners complementing our country :) so here you go:

Beirut Memorialized ~ An American in Araby

Breakfast in Beirut ~ VirtuPhill

~LZ

BetLZNews 4.2.2010

2010-04-02T16:53:00.004-04:00

Beheading of Man in Saudi Arabia for Witchcraft Averted / VOA

U.S. aid stokes controversy in Beirut / UPI

Lebanon takes fight to medicine counterfeiters / SecuringPharma.com

Baalbek Festival co-founder Aimee Kettaneh passes away / Daily Star

Ancient, Alive and Kicking / Khaleej Times (Review on Beirut)

Domaine de Bargylus at Beirut's Le Gray Hotel / Lebanon Wire

Italian family brings wonderous circus 'community' to Beirut / Daily Star

Exhibition of Matenadaran manuscripts held in Beirut / News.am

And now I'm off to enjoy this beautiful weather we're having!

~LZ

BetLZNews 4.1.2010

2010-04-01T13:43:00.003-04:00

Happy April Fools! If you haven't already played a trick on someone, now's the time to do it!

The battle for Beirut's buildings / The Guardian

Saudi move to execute 'sorcery man' sparks protest / BBC News

Plans to air controversial film 'The Kite' sparks protests by Druze community / Daily Star

Lebanese American University to Honor Diplomats at Inaugural Gala / PRNewsWire

Iraqi refugees still suffering seven years on / Middle East Online

Lebanon Prepares for Summer Tourist Invasion / Media Line

In his new novel, 'The Exorcist' author balances philosophy and thrills / LA TImes (Lebanese American author)

BLOG POST

Booming Beirut (Whiskey in Lebanon) / Glenfiddich Explorers

~LZ

BetLZNews 3.31.2010

2010-03-31T15:45:00.003-04:00

John Kerry arrives in Beirut / UPI

Lebanese Journalist May Chidiac Named 54th IPI Press Freedom Hero / FreeMedia

Prison-Made Handbags Prove Popular Beyond Beirut / VOA

Vignettes ramble through a wartime Beirut / Boston Globe

VIDEO

Trailer for the Documentary "Welcome to Beirut" released by Diego Hurtado de Mendoza and includes Nadine Labaki, Colette Naufal, and Hany Tamba among others.

Hmmm...is this movie really a documentary? That grenade shot seems a little ridiculous for it to be real--also, I don't know about you but I'm quite sick of everyone--especially foreigners--focusing on war in Lebanon..bass I can't truly give my opinion just from this trailer...

~LZ

BetLZNews 3.30.2010 ... continued

2010-03-30T13:37:00.002-04:00

Lebanese-American “grandfather of the iPod” leaves Apple / YaLibnan

The haunting of Nada Prouty, a counterterrorism heroine / Washington Post

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Banking in Lebanon - Solid position with strong growth / Global Arab Network

LEBANON: Memoir sheds light on the life and struggles of Arab transsexual from Algeria / LA Times (The individual in question takes refuge in Beirut after receiving death threats in her home country of Algeria)

~LZ

BetLZNews 3.30.2010

2010-03-30T10:46:00.003-04:00

What you missed from the weekend!

**Headlines**

President of Blackstone Group to speak at AUB / Al Bawaba

Lebanese Children Raise Funds to Build Kindergarten in Gaza / WAFA

**Business**

ArabNet sparks Mideast Web ambitions / CNN

Lebanon's advertising market to reach $280 million by 2013 / Daily Star

**Arts**

Lebanese Artist Wins Spalding Gray Award / New York Times

Discover Paul Guiragossian / Christies

Roman Burial Fresco To Be Restored / CBS

**Features**

Ghosts of Beirut / Foreign Policy

**Sports**

Lebanese soccer players to train with Juventus / Daily Star

~LZ

Haifa & Fairuz

2010-03-25T17:47:00.003-04:00

Yep, you read that right. I can't believe both Fairuz and Haifa belong in the same sentence but that's just me. I'm a music snob when it comes to classical Arabic music.

But check this out.
Don't know how old this Haifa Wehbe song is but I personally just stumbled on it.

Ya hawa Beirut is one of my absolute favorite Fairuz songs and whenever I'm feeling like I should be in a bar in Gemayze somewhere, I just listen to it. Well, guess what I found today?

Haifa sings Fairuz.

Fairuz first:

Haifa's version:

I prefer Fairuz, but that's just me.

Another favorite mixing of old and new is this graffitti frequently found on Beirut walls.
I just find it hillarious.

That would be Um Kulthum, famous Egyptian singer, shouting Bouss el Wawa, one of Haifa's most popular songs.

Picture lifted from http://notesfrombeirut.wordpress.com/

BG

Beirut in New York Times!

2010-03-24T16:38:00.012-04:00

The New York Times seems to be a fan of Beirut! First they named it as the #1 Place to visit in 2009, and now the NYT 'T Magazine' did a photo slide show of Beirut!!
See it below:

The Scene: Beirut

Though it was once known as the Paris of the Middle East, ‘‘Beirut never truly lost its sheen,’’ says Gordon Campbell Gray, the British hotelier who finally opened Le Gray last November, having forged ahead even through the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. The Lebanese capital surely has a touch of Parisian glamour, but it also has a dash of Berlin (bullet-pocked buildings after a civil war that lasted from 1975 to 1990) and Miami (flashy night-life zones choked with Ferraris and S.U.V.’s). There’s a burgeoning gallery scene, world-class shopping — from avant-garde boutiques like IF to big-ticket designers like Marc Jacobs and Dior — and five-star hotels like the new Four Seasons and Le Gray. ‘‘The Lebanese have a spirit for living for the day, and it permeates every aspect of their life,’’ Campbell Gray says. ‘‘You really understand this when you head back to a Western city.’’

Tawlet
Kamal Mouzawak is Lebanon’s answer to Alice Waters. He’s hosted a macrobiotic TV show, taught local schoolchildren about organic food and spent two years touring his homeland learning about the country’s culinary traditions. In 2004 he started Souk el-Tayeb, the city’s farmers’ market. More recently he opened the popular Tawlet (‘‘table’’ in Arabic), a canteen where regional cooks prepare daily meals. Book ahead.

Naher Street, 12
011-961-1-448-129
tawlet.com

B018
The provocative, Harvard-trained architect Bernard Khoury designed this nightclub back in 1998, but it’s still the city’s favorite after-hours spot. Built on the site of a former refugee camp where many were killed during the civil war, the club is a continual source of controversy as well as an example of Koury’s brutalist architecture style, with its location in an underground parking lot and its steel retractable roof.

Lot 317, Karantina
011-961-3-800-018

Le Gray
Located just yards from the Mohammed al-Amin mosque, Le Gray stands out like a modernist beacon. It took five years for Gordon Campbell Gray to realize his high-design vision — infinity pool, art-filled rooms and a bar with 360-degree views — in his favorite new city. ‘‘Beirut was not a hard sell for me. The reputation, the infrastructure, the history was all there. All it needed was peace.’’ Weekending Europeans and young Saudi princesses alike are convinced.

Martyrs’ Square
011-961-1-971-111
legray.com

Sfeir-Semler Gallery
Andrée Sfeir-Semler was born in Beirut but left for Germany in the 1970s, where she has had a gallery in Hamburg since 1998. In 2005, she established a Lebanese outpost that features many acclaimed Middle Eastern artists, including Marwan Rechmaoui and Walid Raad of the Atlas Group, who deal with the country’s geopolitical, economic, social and military conflicts in their work.

Tannous Building; Street 56, Jisr Sector 77, Karantina
011-961-1-566-550
sfeir-semler.com

Music Hall
The cabaret held in this former movie theater doesn’t really get started most weekends until 11 p.m., but that doesn’t deter the many elderly guests who join the pretty young things on the banquettes. Its founder, Michel Elefteriades, curates an eclectic program — Armenian rockers, Eastern European Gypsy performers, even girls singing ABBA songs — that, along with the bottles of whiskey and Champagne, keeps the crowd on their dancing feet until early morning. ‘‘It’s got this sexy, seedy feeling like those dance halls in Havana in the ’50s,’’ explains one guest.

Starco Center, Omar Daouk Street
011-961-3-807-555

The Beirut Souks
‘‘Lebanese love to shop. It’s in their DNA,’’ says the local Omar Eid. The old souks here in downtown were destroyed during the civil war and became a no man’s land. After decades of planning and building with the help of international architects like Zaha Hadid and Rafael Moneo, the development looks like a high-end Los Angeles shopping mall (if it was built on Roman ruins.) There are trendy cafes and name-brand boutiques like Calvin Klein and Chloé, and a cineplex is in the works. Rue Weygand and Rue Allenby.

This is the vast majority of the NYT T Magazine article, but to see more of it, click here!

~LZ

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BetLZ News 3.24.2010

2010-03-24T16:22:00.006-04:00

Roman Ruins Hold Up Nouvels Beirut Scraper / SkyScraperNews

$1.5M dress unveiled / Miami Herald (Dress designed by Lebanese designer Jad Ghandour)

Sketch of the $1.5 million dress by Lebanese designer Jad Ghandour

PHOTO: USA Today

Beirut Souks

Built on the site of an old traditional market, the new downtown Beirut Souk is a modern open-air mall that boasts European brand shops under an arched skylight.

~LZ

PS: Happy birthday bb! mwa

Déjà Vu x 4 !!!!

2010-03-23T15:44:00.010-04:00

this is just getting ridiculous!

Early we blogged about Miley Cyrus who wore a Zuhair Murad dress that we discovered was inspired by a Christian Dior gown...

The original 1948 Dior gown

The Zuhair Murad dress worn by Miley Cyrus, inspired by the Dior gown

Then we found that Georges Chakra had copied the style as well and made dresses we saw on Jamie King and Emily Blunt

Jamie King in Georges Chakra

Emily Blunt in Georges Chakra

So just to follow in case you're as confused as I am:

Original dress: Christian Dior -->
Zuhair Murad worn by Miley Cyrus -->
Georges Chakra worn by Jamie King -->
Georges Chakra worn by Emily Blunt

And now we have a NEW addition to the chain!

Oh yes, a company known as edressme that takes celebrity styles and copies them and makes them into prom dresses has now stolen the Zuhair Murad dress--and you can buy it for $470.00; a little much for a fake dress by a company called "edressme", wouldn't you say??

This is one popular dress!

We know this chain will only get longer...

~LZ

BetLZ News 3.22.2010

2010-03-22T15:57:00.003-04:00

A Jewel of Lebanese Finance / Khaleej Times Online

Lebanese University Teachers Go on Strike / NaharNet

German police arrest poker tournament heist suspect / BBC News (turns out the mastermind was Lebanese! Of course...)

Lebanon's Liquid Treasure is Just Trickling Away / Naharnet (Interesting article on Lebanon's diminishing water supply)

Another article on the same subject:

Lebanon Has Lots of Water, Chronic Shortages Persist / Voice of America

Fadi Andraos, a Lebanese Boxing Champion! / Waleg (Just for laughs)

Lebanese eatery opens in Greek Astoria / BoroPolitics.com

~LZ

Rawi Hage book signing in NYC

2010-03-22T15:47:00.004-04:00

Are you in NYC? Fan of Lebanese author Rawi Hage of "De Niro's Game?"

Well on March 25 (this Thursday) he will be reading his work and signing his books:

RAWI HAGE
The Beirut-born novelist, a longtime resident of Canada and the 2008 winner of the world’s largest monetary prize for a work of fiction, the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, for his début novel, “De Niro’s Game,” reads from his work.

Location: Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House, New York University, 58 W. 10th St. 212-998-8816.

Date: March 25, 2010 at 7pm.

Source: The New Yorker

Let your friends in NYC know!
~LZ

Baysour, Lebanon - The Hoax

2010-03-18T15:04:00.019-04:00

"We should go there when we go to Lebanon this summer" my bf said via gchat as he sent me a picture of Baysour, Lebanon.

Wow, I thought--what a BEAUTIFUL place! How come I had never been there before or even heard of anyone going there before??

Now don't get me wrong, I spend my summer traveling around Lebanon visiting all the beautiful sites and I could certainly believe that this place was in Lebanon--but the fact that I had never been there before was a tad bit suspect...

Something seemed a little fishy...it wasn't the first time I had seen these photos either, I had seen them in YouTube videos of Lebanon mixed in with pictures of Beirut, Byblos and the Cedars of Lebanon.

Still...something was not right...

And then I figured it out...these supposed pictures of this beautiful oasis in Baysour, Lebanon are in fact the Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia.

Ok...so what the hell happened? Go ahead and Google Image "Baysour, Lebanon" and then "Plitvice National Park." Even sites such as Souwar.com incorrectly show pictures of the Croatian Park and label them Baysour, Lebanon.

So unfortunately, it is undeniable that this is not Baysour, but actually Croatia--but how did this hoax begin??

I would personally like to think that it was a stroke of genius by the Tourism Board of Baysour, Lebanon--after years of extraordinarily low tourism in Baysour, the old village-people got together over Lebanese coffee and thought up this genius scheme! Perhaps they thought up the idea in 2008 after the assassination of Saleh al-Aridi, a leader of the Lebanese Democratic Party, in a carbomb in Baysour--that couldn't have been good for Baysour's image...

And I, for one, think as Lebanese citizens, it is our duty to increase tourism in Lebanon by following in the footsteps of the people from Baysour and posting picures online and labeling them as different places in Lebanon.

In fact, I have already begun this quest by posting millions of copies of the following pictures online and labeling them accordingly (The Seven Wonders of the World would be a good place to start):

Ras Osta, Lebanon

Baalchmay, Lebanon

Richmaya, Lebanon

Ghassaniyeh, Lebanon

Bahbouch, Lebanon

The Lebanese Ministry of Tourism should've employed this strategy years ago!!

For what it's worth, I do think that Baysour does have a river, and I believe that this is it:

I'm not sure though--perhaps a Baysourian could confirm??

Actually, nevermind, they're not to be trusted...

~LZ

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Insane leaders "leading"

2010-03-17T18:41:00.002-04:00

Check this out, fresh off the press, so to speak.

Turkey threatens to deport Armenians.

So, while completely sovereign and independent countries are deciding on whether to denote or call the killings of Armenians at the end of the Ottoman Empire genocide, Turkey clearly annoyed and dismayed at such attempts is brewing a storm of its own.

So basically this is what Turkey is saying: because we are pissed at you for naming the killings a genocide (mind you, in your own country and by your own people and your own standards), because we are pissed at you for labeling what happened to the Armenians at the hand of the Turks, we are going to basically do the same to current Armenians living in Turkey, just because we are pissed. You know to prove a point type of thing.

So to get back at you for calling it a genocide and mass deportation, we are just gonna go ahead and deport a 100,000 or so Armenians out of Turkey.

Sounds like "leader" material to me.

Erdogan was a blog favorite back when the war with Gaza was going on. He is fast slipping in our ratings.

On the subject of Insane Leaders, our favorite Qaddafi (c'mon, you didn't think I'd post a post about insane leaders and not include good old Qaddafi now did you?) is up to his old tricks again.

Libya is due to host the Arab summit this year and their is nothing anybody can do about this, it's alphabetical order for hosting, oh well. Maybe Israeltine is invited? Did anyone hear anything about that? Qaddafi has sent emissaries to deliver invitations to most heads of state. They range from his sons to ministers or important people high up in the echelon of power in Libya. We all know how important delivery methods are in the Middle East. People usually invite guest in person for weddings and baptism and the sort.

But back to subject, Libya has decided to extend Lebanon's invitation by sending it with the charge d'affair at Libya's Syrian embassy to his Lebanese counterpart in Damascus. An invite that was promptly returned to Libya with a nice and polite letter declining acceptance of the invite because the ambassador in Syria was not authorized to receive such invites and because the proper channels were not used.

Basically, signalling to the Lebanese and the Syrians and the Arab world that Libya still sees Damascus as the source of power in Lebanese politics in general and that they see the Syrians playing an increasing role in deciding what Lebanon's future will be like in particular.

A huge insult to Lebanon and a break with Arab tradition and a breach of diplomatic protocol, but I'm not surprised, it's Qaddafi we're talking about.

Lebanon was probably not going to send any important or high ranking person anyway, given the whole arrest warrant against Qaddafi and the whole Shiite disenfranchisement with Libya over the disappearance of Sadr back in the 70's.

It just remains to be seen what Libya will do to the estimated 10's of thousands of Lebanese currently living in Libya. We all remember Qaddafi's antics with France and Switzerland just recently, all because his son is outta control.

One cannot be sure what the reaction will be, but one can be sure that Qaddafi is going to put on one heck of a show at the summit!

BG

BetLZ News 3.17.10

2010-03-17T17:30:00.003-04:00

World's richest man visits Lebanon, ancestral home / AP

Anna Kendrick on her 'timeless' Oscar dress / OsoBlog

And this great article on Byblos from the Financial Times...for some reason the link is not working so i'll paste it here:

Byblos plays to its historic strengths

By Ferry Biedermann

Published: March 17 2010 18:18 | Last updated: March 17 2010 18:18

Byblos street

The coast road north of Beirut, the Lebanese capital, is an unlovely example of unremitting strip development. Nondescript blocks of flats set over small-scale shopping malls line a chaotic, badly marked highway that becomes traffic-choked at weekends and through most of the summer.

Only near Jbeil, the ancient port of Byblos (above), does the urban sprawl give way to a Mediterranean atmosphere, perhaps more in keeping with what visitors are expecting.

It is little surprise then that the quiet harbour and narrow old streets of this town, 40km north of the capital, have been experiencing a significant expansion in tourism. The town aims to offer a tranquil contrast to the hectic capital – while still being able to indulge in the famed Lebanese taste for parties and good food.

“It is different from Beirut. Beirut is the capital, the financial centre. Here it is for holidays, cultural and artistic activities. It is much quieter,” says Joseph Shami, mayor of Byblos. During the past two years, as Lebanon has emerged from a period of instability, he has embarked on a programme of promoting nightlife in the historic centre while also seeking to enhance the character of his town.
EDITOR’S CHOICE
Lebanon aims to build on banking success - Feb-03
Beirut bomb kills militants - Dec-28
Hariri forms unity government - Nov-10
Hariri to restart negotiations - Sep-17
Hariri quits as PM-designate - Sep-10
‘Lebanese Madoff’ mystery stuns investors - Sep-09

In the small, walled old port, packed around a fishing harbour, the transformation has been dramatic. Restored and partly pedestrianised almost a decade ago, the streets were largely deserted at night until just a few years back. Now, even on a Sunday evening in March, diners spill over into the cobbled streets in front of the restaurants while bars are filled with young people.

Mr Shami says the number of visitors jumped to 800,000 last year, twice what it used to be several years ago, when Lebanon was mired in crisis. Byblos and Lebanon suffered in the aftermath of the 2005 assassination of Rafiq Hariri, the prime minister, as well as from the war with Israel in 2006. But the country’s tourism industry has bounced back and 2m visitors came last year, according to the tourism ministry.

Byblos is trying to entice a good proportion of those along with domestic visitors attracted to beach resorts, a popular summer festival and its long history.

Even before Lebanon’s 1975-90 civil war, Byblos, which locals claim is the longest continuously inhabited human settlement in the world, was a tourist destination.

Pepe’s fish restaurant in the old port displays pictures of illustrious visitors, including Marlon Brando and Brigitte Bardot. But while the town was a playground for the jet set, it did not attract large numbers, says Rafael Sfeir, a former mayor who helped start development between 2000 and 2004. “Now it is much more significant in terms of visitors and the economy,” he says.

The town, lying in the Christian heartland north of Beirut with a only small Shia Muslim minority, was spared serious fighting during the civil war. Unesco designated Byblos a world heritage site in 1984, and cites its association with Phoenician history and its alphabet.

Another boost came from the relocation of a large part of the campus of the Lebanese American University from war-torn Beirut.

But unbridled development during the war means that unsightly concrete development encroaches in many places. “The old part is very small and when you walk around you very quickly bump into very dirty or ugly streets,” remarks a Canadian tourist. During the long civil war, the sandy beaches near the city were buried under piles of waste.

“We removed three metres from the top before we reached sand,” says Roger Eddé, a local businessmen and politician.

Since it opened in 2003, his sprawling Eddé Sands beach resort just south of the centre has become synonymous with Lebanon’s penchant for hedonism.

Mr Eddé and his wife Alice are pioneers in the redevelopment of Byblos. Apart from Eddé Sands, they were the first to open cafés, restaurants and upmarket shops in the old centre. Mrs Eddé says many of the products sold at the shops, such as handbags and other handicrafts, are locally made, “to encourage the local crafts industry”.

Mr Eddé’s plans for the area include a marina, a “green village” and a ski resort in the nearby mountains. Eddé Sands, which is known for its wild beach parties, now offers “wellness” weeks, a spa and an improved family area.

Mr Shami, the mayor, also hopes to enhance his town’s environmental credentials further. Unique in Lebanon, he has plans to introduce a park-and-ride scheme this year.

Visitors will be able to leave their cars at the edge of town and take free electric buses to the centre.

He acknowledges that it might be an uphill struggle to persuade Lebanese addicted to valet parking to abandon their cars. “We have to change some ingrained bad habits. But everybody agrees that it is much nicer to walk around our streets than sit in exhaust fumes.”

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010.

~LZ

Lebanese Photographers

2010-03-15T15:36:00.020-04:00

A while ago we mentioned Brazilian photographer Fernando Borges and showed you our favorite shots of his taken in Lebanon (click here to see that post).

It seems Fernando, as well as Lebanon-based photographers Elias Moubarak and Matias Nordahl Carlsen have won a Photo Forum Beirut competition and will have their work on display tomorrow, Tuesday March 16th at 7pm at Zico House. To read the article, click here.

Fernando's series is on Night Workers--he is part of an ongoing project with other photographers in Beirut that go around Beirut every Tuesday night documenting workers--the group is called "Night Collective;" find out more about them here.

Our favorite Fernando pics:

Elias Moubarak takes amazing photos of Lebanon, he says "I truly believe that pictures should speak for themselves and suggest different interpretations and reactions."

Our favorites of his:

And while we're at it, another Lebanese photographer we love is Ayla Hibri, who has her own blog called Chasing Lola. A common theme of hers seems to be children and she shoots in Lebanon as well as in Chicago where she now lives.

Some of our favorites of hers:

~LZ

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BetLZ News 3.15.10

2010-03-15T14:33:00.002-04:00

News for today and from the weekend!

**Headlines**

UN worried by war of words between Israel and Lebanon / Reuters

Robert Fisk’s World: Try this reading list if you want to understand the Middle East / The Independent

Carlos Slim to lecture on "Knowledge Culture" in AUB / TMC

2 UN peacekeepers die in road accident in Lebanon / Boston Herald

Mideast HIV cases reach 461,000 in 2008 / Daily Star

Tycoon Carlos Slim discusses local projects with Lebanese / Daily Star

**Business**

IFC to offer training to Lebanese banks in sustainable energy bid / Daily Star

Lebanon to get additional internet bandwidth from India / Daily Star

**Arts**

Haifa looses lawsuit / Al Bawaba

Fares Karam prepares for a new release / Al Bawaba

~LZ

BetLZ News 3.12.10

2010-03-12T14:50:00.007-05:00

Lebanese man arrested for sister's 'honour killing' / AFP

Lebanese man becomes first to sue former Syrian 'jailers' / AFP

Lebanese president not to attend Libyan Arab summit / People's Daily Online

Melhim Zain and Najwa Karam to host Lebanese Nights in “Balbak” / Al Bawaba

Slim Leads Gates in Billionaire Race / New York Times

Carlos Slim Arrives in Lebanon, Will Meet President / Bloomberg

Richest Man in the World, Carlos Slim Helou (of Lebanese origin) Interviewed by CEO of Google

Mika takes off - the rise of the Prince of Pop / ES Magazine

~LZ

Lebanese Haute Couture on CNN

2010-03-11T13:35:00.008-05:00

hmmmm....we'd like to think that CNN's George Webster has been reading BetLZ...
not only did he write the article about Zuhair Murad (which we posted yesterday) just a day after our Zuhair Murad post, but he JUST wrote and article for CNN titled "The glamorous world of Lebanese haute couture" in which he focuses on Zuhair Murad, Reem Acra and Elie Saab.

Some highlights:

"Perhaps better known for conflict than high fashion, the tiny cosmopolitan nation of Lebanon has recently produced a dazzling crop of designers who have been getting noticed far outside the country's borders."

"The Beirut-based designer [Zuhair Murad] acknowledges his country's unexpected presence on the global fashion scene, which he attributes in part to its position on the map.

"I think the geographic location of Lebanon on the Mediterranean Sea helps the Lebanese designer to travel abroad and present their collections all over the world," he told CNN."

Click here to read the original article that includes a slideshow of images, many of which you will notice have been already posted on BetLZ :)

We're on to you George Webster!!

While we're at it, look at this photo just snapped of Gwyneth Paltrow in Elie Saab at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Abu Dhabi. I. WANT. THAT. DRESS.

Good job Gwynnie, good job.

You know what? While we're at it, why don't you read this New York Times article about Elie Saab's new autumn/winter collection (seems a bit early no?). Well apparently, he's going all-black--no color? What? Well if ES is doing it we trust him.

~LZ

Join the BetLZ Honor Roll!

2010-03-10T17:50:00.003-05:00

Join the BetLZ honor roll!

Keep up-to-date with news on Lebanon and the Middle East!

Follow our blog and automatically get notifications when we post new material!

Just click on the "Follow" or "Subscribe" buttons on the column to the right!

Love <3 <3 <3

~BG et LZ

Lebanese Designers: Zuhair Murad Revisited, Rania Salibi Introduced, and of course, Elie Saab

2010-03-10T17:36:00.001-05:00

It seems after we posted about him, everyone began talking about Zuhair Murad!

See this CNN article and VIDEO titled "Lebanese designer-to-the-stars Zuhair Murad finds magic in Beirut." The article is a MUST READ!!

Also, after we published the list of pictures of celebrities in Zuhair Murad, look who we found in ZM at the 2010 Vanity Fair Oscar Party??

It's Katy Perry!

But alas, the Lebanese Designer news amidst Oscar Buzz does not end there!

Did anyone notice the dress of that woman that walks on and off with the winners at the Oscars? Who cares who she is, but her dress this year was made by Rania Salibi, a Lebanese designer (what, you can't tell by her name, skinny figure and ridiculously frizzy hair??) who entered and won a competition with other designers who were hoping to dress that Oscar lady.

Rania Salibi with her winning dress

Read about it HERE.

And finally, last but certainly NOT least, this ABC News article on Elie Saab titled "Elie Saab Offers up Choices for Hollywood Fans," and just for fun, here's a picture of actress Hilary Swank in Elie Saab.

Yeyyy for Lebanese fashion designers!!

~LZ

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#2 Women's Rights Across the Middle East

2010-03-10T12:21:00.004-05:00

In keeping with this week's theme of women and their rights and in keeping with Women's Day being just a few day ago, here's another post on women.

Check this video out on women's rights in Tunisia. (Arabic).

As it turns out, ,Tunisia affords it's women the most rights of any Arab country!

Here's a video (again in Arabic) about women in Lebanon and some of their achievements.
This video just sheds light on the issue. I'm saddened that it did not delve into any lack of rights for women and what needed to be done to accord them these rights.

A small interview/report on women's organizations would have been helpful!

Let's hope that the next time Women Day comes around, women in general and Lebanese in particular will have been accorded more of their rights.

PS: I hate to even use the term "accorded". It gives off the impression that "man" is giving "women" what he wants and out of his own generosity or out of his own pocket. While in reality, these are rights that should be fundamental to all humans and women should have them without having to earn them or beg for them.

BG

BetLZ News 3.9.10

2010-03-09T17:27:00.003-05:00

Middle East media mogul Antoine Choueiri dies / Arabian Business

‘Toot, toot’ a moot point for Lebanese cabbies / KippReport

Dreaming of an oasis in Beirut's concrete jungle / Daily Star

Beirut nightclub to open in Dubai hotel / Hotelier Middle East

Lebanon marks Women's Day with bid to promote participation in politics / Daily Star

AUB to celebrate the works of 60 of its alumni authors in a literary festival / Al Bawaba

There it is!

~LZ

Zuhair Murad: A New Celebrity Favorite a BetLZ Oldie

2010-03-09T11:30:00.004-05:00

Look what we stumbled across:

"The pre-Oscar fashion buzz goes as follows: Zuhair Murad may not be a household name, but his entire collection has been reserved by Jennifer Lopez in the hopes of avoiding anyone wearing a similar gown to hers. She’s not called a diva for nothing."
Source: Telegraph

Well, Lopez didn't wear Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad to the 2010 Oscars, instead she wore this hideous Armani Prive creation that made her ass look about 100 times bigger:

Just for the heck of it, why don't we look at some celebrities in Zuhair Murad in anticipation ofthe new collection-temporarily hijacked by J.Lo?

Vanessa Williams

Paris Hilton

Olivia Wilde

Miley Cyrus

Kristin Chenoweth

Kim Kardashian

Kerry Washington

Kelly Pickler

Kate Walsh

Jennifer Carpenter

Haifa Wehbe--a Zuhair Murad junkie, though she opts--in traditional Lebanese fashion--for his tackier looks

Haifa Wehbe

Haifa Wehbe

Fergie

Emily Blunt

Carrie Underwood

Beyonce

Beyonce

Audrina Patridge

I have to say--the Olivia Wilde and Kim Kardashian dresses are my favorite, though they are almost all gorgeous (the Kate Walsh one with the tacky flower I could do without)

Can't blame J.Lo for calling dibs on the new collection!

~LZ

Women's Rights Across the Middle East

2010-03-09T10:37:00.006-05:00

In our post on March 4th, 2010, we had discussed the campaign to give Lebanese women the right to transfer their Lebanese citizenship to their children when they marry a non-Lebanese.

The issue is an old one in Lebanon, and the reasoning behind denying Lebanese women that right mostly stems from the fact that their is a fear of naturalizing Palestinians married to Lebanese women.

That however, as far as I'm concerned, is a cop-out. I think women should get full rights and equal rights under the law.

Regardless, it looks like the UAE is moving closer to adopting measures guaranteeing more women rights.

Here's the story.

It would be a very great day for women across the Middle East if said proposed changes are put in place. And it would be a sad day for Lebanon, long considered as a beacon of freedom and rights in the Middle East, if and when other neighboring countries give their women more rights than is accorded to Lebanese women.

BG

Lebanon and Arabic

2010-03-08T11:05:00.005-05:00

We had mentioned this in one of our previous posts. This is an interesting video from LBC.

BG

Oscars 2010 - Lebanese Designers

2010-03-08T10:28:00.005-05:00

The Oscars were last night--who watched?

Well if you did or you didn't and you were wondering who was wearing Lebanese designers, these are the three that I found that topped the Best-Dressed lists.

Go ahead and see if you can guess the designer (answers below)

Nicole Richie

Rachel McAdams

Anna Kendrick

Nicole is in Reem Acra -- surprise, no? I thought it looks more like an Elie Saab or Zuhair Murad with the heavy beading

Rachel in Elie Saab

And Anna in Elie Saab, again!

Anna in Elie Saab at the Oscars 2010 Pre-party

Anna in Elie Saab at the VH1 Critics Choice Movie Awards

Another ES junkie on our hands?

~LZ

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BetLZ News 3.5.2010

2010-03-05T15:16:00.003-05:00

Yehhhh, so its Friday and I am not in a very good mood. Was hoping to get out of the office early today to go see my friends and bf at Uni but boss would not let me leave because there was too much work.

As of now I have not been given ANY work-not one measely assignment.

So not in the best mood at all.

Bass yalla.

This is one thing I thought was pretty cool.

-----------

Lebanese National Orchestra Featured on New Gorillaz Album

The Lebanese National Orchestra for Oriental Arabic Music, led by Lebanese Conservatory director Walid Gholmieh, will be featured on the latest album by Damon Albarn's virtual band, Gorillaz. The album, 'Plastic Beach,' will be released on March 9, and feature many other special guests, including Lou Reed, Mos Def, Barry Gibb, and Bobby Womack.

Cover of the new Gorrilaz Album 'Plastic Beach'

The playful and quirky percussive driven song 'White Flag' features an interesting violin and flute introduction before dropping into an unexpected, uptempo beat. Featuring hip-hop artists Kano and Bashy, you can listen to 'White Flag' now on last.fm, or you can preview the exclusive stream of the entire album on the Guardian website.

Source: ShoutCast

The Lebanese National Orchestra

'White Flag'
If Snoop is the wise old veteran, then this is the track where we meet his unruly kids. Despite featuring two forgotten men of UK hip-hop in Kano and Bashy, ‘White Flag’ is a stand out track on the album. Similar in tone to Gorillaz previous work on ‘19-2000’ the song has a childlike freedom to it and is aided immeasurably by the Eastern flourishes provided by The Lebanese National Orchestra For Oriental Arabic Music. A future single perhaps.

Source: Drowned in Sound

Listen to "White Flag" here:

~LZ

BetLZ News 3.4.10

2010-03-04T17:01:00.004-05:00

oooooo! Some REALLY REALLY cool/exciting news for today!:

48 hours in Beirut / Business 24-7
Follow Colin Simpson in his 48 hours in Beirut, and pick up some ideas of your own for when you visit!

Women wed to foreigners want rights for their children and husbands / LA Times
An excellent cause!! Plus, see the Campaign video below:

High Heels, Hot Clubs, War Ruins Mark Trip to Sea-Washed Beirut / Bloomberg
Bloomberg reporter Michael Luongo heads to Beirut and tells you what we already know: its the coolest city in the world.

Billionaire Wins Retrial in Killing of Lebanese Pop Star Suzanne Tamim / ABC News
Are you kidding me?? Are you kidding me???? Retrial of the case that found the Egyptian billionaire that killed Suzanne Tamim guilty??? Billionaires are not above the law!! The good news is that he stays in jail at least until the end of the retrial

A domestic tragedy / The National
Plight of the Ethiopians in Lebanon after the plane crash

The Beirut Shahnameh / Iranian.com
About an 12th-13th century AD manuscript discovered five years ago in Beirut

~LZ

BetLZ News 3.3.2010

2010-03-03T16:58:00.002-05:00

Movement to Ban Public Smoking Grows in Lebanon / ABC News

Lebanese banking: cigarettes, scary men and cold cash / The National

ENVIRONMENT-LEBANON: Coastal Pollution Threatens Fisherfolk / IPS

Children plant trees at Beirut Pine Forest / Daily Star

Opening of the Beirut Model Enforcement Court: 8 million USD for a “modern Justice” / iloubnan.info

~LZ

BetLZ News 3.2.10

2010-03-02T16:24:00.002-05:00

Lebanon to Resume Sales of Certificates of Deposit / Bloomberg

Lebanese admits role in Hezbollah leader 2004 killing / Reuters

Libya Threatens to Expel Lebanese if Beirut Boycotted Summit / Naharnet (That Qaddafi--such a douche)

Cyprus Airways doubles flights to Beirut / Financial Mirror

~LZ

lEbAnEsE GrAfFiTi "the walls of beirut are still virgins"

2010-03-01T11:15:00.022-05:00

Everything you EVER wanted to know about Graffiti in Lebanon!

I often see the Graffiti in Beirut and am so glad to see it--that is, when its on old, broken down buildings ridden with bullet holes on industrial walls--in those cases, I see it as art, and am happy for it. When its on a newer building however, or a historic site, I see it as a crime.

I remember seeing the "haifa for president" graffiti in beirut and laughing out loud--it made my day.

So whatever your thoughts on Lebanese graffiti--art or crime--its picked up immensely over the years. Enjoy the blogs, photos, articles and videos below!

***Articles***

Crime or art? The graffiti artists beautifying Beirut / NowLebanon

Bombing Beirut, with spray-paint Art Lounge’s homage to walls that speak / NowLebanon

***Videos***

MBC News Report on Lebanese Graffiti

Nice Film on the Beginning of Graffiti in Beirut

Graffiti Trailer (3rd of a Series)

Part 1 of a Series by Al Jazeera on Graffiti in Lebanon titled "Leaving a Mark on Lebanon"

***Blogs***

29Letters

LebGraffiti (Though sadly last post was in 2007)

PhotoBeirut (Professional photographer who has many photos of Beirut on his homepage, and happens to have this collection of graffiti)

Rock and A Hot Place **AMAZIINNNGGG** high quality photos of graffiti in Beirut

So what's your verdict? Art or crime?

~LZ

PS: Please bring SPACE INVADERS to Beirut!!!!

Photos from RockAndAHotPlace.com

BetLZ News 3.1.2010

2010-03-01T10:58:00.004-05:00

It's March already!

Here's the news you missed from the weekend!

**Headlines**

Israeli warplanes violate Lebanese airspace / PressTV

Iraq Embassy in Beirut gathers its community / AlSumaria

Hezbollah ups security after Hamas Dubai slaying / AP

**Business/Finance**

Lebanon’s Budget Deficit Narrows as Electricity Spending Falls / Bloomberg

IFP Group and Messe Dusseldorf organize Beirut Boat Show 2010 / AME Info

Copyright violations remain key obstacle to business in Lebanon / Daily Star

**Arts**

Haifa Wehbe and “Fawazir Ramadan” once again / Al Bawaba

Lebanese superstar Elissa rocks Erbil with concert / Kurdish Globe

Nancy sings for Egypt in the streets of Cairo / Al Bawaba

Maya Nasri a bride / Al Bawaba

Reem Acra Shows Dall 2010 Collection in Romantic Got Film / Stylelist

**Sports**

Lebanese teammates compete in Olympic slalom / AP

Saudi Select will return to Lebanon revitalized / Arab News

Byblos Catwalk PICS / ELLE

**Features**

In polyglot Lebanon, one language falls behind: Arabic / Dawn.Com (Is Lebanon losing its Arabic?)

Robert Fisk’s World: Scenes from a busy Beirut correspondent's notebook / The Independent

~LZ

BetLZ News 2.25.10

2010-02-25T15:19:00.003-05:00

**Headlines**

Lebanese president makes unprecedented Russia visit / AFP

Illegal scooters confiscated & destroyed in Beirut / Ya Libnan

Gunmen wound Lebanese soldier in Lebanon's Bekaa / iloubnan.info

Lebanese authorities seize counterfeit-drugs factory / Daily Star

Overcoming Odds: A Lebanese-American Physician's Story / PRNewswire

Israeli spies in Lebanon Not such a success / The Economist

**Business**

German business delegation in Beirut to enhance economic ties / Earthtimes

**Arts**

Contemporary Polish artists present their works in Mar Mikhael / NowLebanon

**Features**

Talking to Lakhdar Brahimi / NowLebanon

**Videos**

La Youmal

~LZ

BetLZ News 2.24.10

2010-02-24T14:39:00.004-05:00

Arab Olympic skier: Lebanon's not just sand and desert / CNN (What a STUPID title---CNN, we are not at all desert and sand, unless you are refering to the sand on the beach--idiots)

Lebanon may follow anti-smoking trend / LA Times

Three Lebanese charged with spying for Israel / Reuters

Beirut has 31st most expensive office space worldwide in 2010: survey / Daily Star

Handmade soap: A family tradition in Tripoli / ArabNews.com

**Just for Fun**

Launching Fi Beirut

Launching Fi Beirut from greyc on Vimeo.

About the game
“Fi” (arabic for “in”) is an urban game taking place in the different streets of a city. The intention was to have a game happening every month in a different city in Lebanon. Launched through an anonymous newspaper, fi is an urban alternate reality game that later requires your existence on the street. The game is a treasure hunt where 4 riddles must be solved and filled in the chart on the back of the newspaper, that will form the 5th and final riddle. fi introduces the player to different aspects of Lebanon and each time in a different city. For this first issue, the game is taking place in Beirut. The game indirectly displays the various aspects of Beirut by taking you to specific locations uncovering highly politicized areas, rich areas, developing areas , and nightlife areas.

Lebanese Having Fun on the Snow in Ehden

~LZ

BetLZ News 2.23.10

2010-02-23T15:28:00.007-05:00

**Headlines**

All bodies from Lebanon crash recovered / The Gazette

The Intuition of the Lebanese / The Huffington Times

Sierra Leone: Koroma Orders Arrest of Lebanese 'Rogue' / AllAfrica.com

Olympics: Lebanese skier in Ute garb moving on, down the slopes / Salt Lake Tribune

**Arts**

Louis Vuitton drops its trunks in Beirut / iloubnan.info

Florence shows her love for Zuhair Murad / MyFashionLife

**Review**

Lebanese Pizza / Brisbane Times (Live in Australia?)

~LZ

Mashrou3 Leila's new Music Video out!

2010-02-22T12:42:00.003-05:00

Check out Mashrou3 Leila's music video for "Raksit Leila" (we previously spoke about them here)

It's a good start guys!! A bit too long time spent on that kitchen scene and not enough of the spontaneity around Beirut scenes, but hey, its the first of hopefully many videos!

Do you think we'll be seeing this on LBC or Melody?? I hope so, god knows it's all the same Plastic Surgery starlets all the time and we could use this breath of fresh air on TV!

Can't wait to see what happens next...I definitely want to see a music video for "Shem el Yasmine", my personal favorite song! (For some reason the song reminds me of the old Ashrafieh..)

To listen to Mashrou3 Leila's songs, click here

~LZ

Al Bustan Festival 2010

2010-02-22T10:56:00.002-05:00

The 17th annual Al Bustan Festival is on in Lebanon! It's going from the 17th of February to the 21st of March! The theme this year is Italy..

17th Al Bustan Festival Spot:

Festival Program 2010

17 February - 21 March 2010

The festival theme is Italy:
PRIMA LA MUSICA

ALL PERFORMANCES TAKE PLACE IN THE
EMILE BUSTANI AUDITORIUM
UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED

ALL PERFORMANCES START AT 20h30
UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED

PROGRAMME, VENUES & PRICES ARE SUBJECT
TO CHANGE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE

Festival Program: http://www.albustanfestival.com/documents/Brochure%202010.pdf

~LZ

BetLZ News 2.22.10

2010-02-22T10:17:00.002-05:00

Here's all the news we missed from the weekend!! Enjoy!

**Headlines**

MP says 'green card' can solve women's nationality dilemma / Daily Star

FOUR masked gunmen held up a Beirut bank today before fleeing with more than $200,000 from a safe, police and media reports said / Herald Sun

Vatican: Lebanon: Pope to Hariri: Lebanon, a model of coexistence and "message" for the entire Middle East / Spero News

Lebanese Man Urges Authorities to Find his Son's Killers in Paris / An Nahar

Lebanese press freedom takes hits: IPI report / Ya Libnan

Lebanon's outnumbered Maronites pull stops on voting age / AFP

Lebanon Tobacco Free | لبنان خالٍ من التبغ

**Business/Finance**

Beirut hotel-occupancy rate at 73 percent - Ernst & Young / Daily Star

Most tourist spending in Lebanon originated from Saudi Arabia in 2009 / iloubnan.info

Kuwaiti fund extends $5.6m for Lebanon Project / MENA FN.com

**Arts**

Mika: Just because I was late to record Helping Haiti song doesn't make me a diva / Daily Record

Elissa in Virgin Lebanon Interview ROTANA 2010

**Feature**

Why is Beirut still a byword for chaos? / BCC News

A U.N. Betrayal in Beirut / New York Times

'Surge in business' for Lebanese carpets / UK Flooring Direct

Hijacking of 6 Lebanese Radio Stations Turns Out To Be a Clever Radio Stunt for Local GSM Operator / Al Bawaba

Syrian immigration influenced Wichita culture / The Wichita Eagle

**Sports**

Olympic skiing: Njeim wears Ute ski outfit / Salt Lake Tribune

**Video**

Video: Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri met Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican Rome Reports TV News Agency

~LZ

Guest Post: Live from Georges Chakra Fashion Show in NYC!

2010-02-19T15:42:00.000-05:00

Our first guest blog post from our friend "Nanoush" who attended Georges Chakra at NY Fashion Week! Enjoy!!!:

Georges Chakra, once viewed as ‘tacky’ by many of my fashion-oriented friends, has shed himself of this image and has established a more haute-couture presence, cemented by the presentation of his Fall/Spring 2010 "Edition" collection last weekend under the tents at Bryant Park (by the way rumor has it the time-honored tradition of Fashion Week under the tents has ended!).

Though the arena was packed, there was a bit of a scuffle as guests tried to get to their seats—apparently everyone in attendance deemed themselves too VIP to actually stand in line (gasp!). And there was a bit of a seating mishap with some of the actual VIPs, but with a bit of scrambling and lots of frantic blustering into headsets, everyone was accommodated and the show finally went on, albeit a bit late.

The rocky start was soon forgotten, however, once the models emerged on the runway. The dresses were intricate, mixing softer feminine fabrics with more masculine and edgy asymmetric cuts, and the juxtaposition left many of the attendees in appreciative awe. The collection featured many open backed dresses, leaving the impression that one would be a head turner both coming and going. Nearly every outfit featured lace material, whether it be on the dress itself, as part of long gloves, or even in one case, a full lace (and very sheer!) skirt (I guess it isn’t really runway if there’s not at least one outfit nobody would be caught dead in).

All in all, however, most of the dresses were actually very wearable, in an Arab-wedding kind of way. Much of the collection was in black, though it was sprinkled with some reds, golds, and silvers as well. Chakra has managed to update the ‘little black dress’ look while maintaining a style of elegance and sexiness that one would expect to see on the Fashion Week runway, while still throwing in some more daring looks, such as a few particular dresses reminiscent of a backwards men’s jacket (bizarre, and yet, I have a feeling this one might actually catch on).

Georges Chakra has been gaining prominence on the red carpet; his designs have been worn by the likes of Carrie Underwood, Katy Perry and Emily Blunt (who, by the way, all look way better in the dresses than those skeleton models who eerily all looked identical—seriously ladies, eat a burger!), and yet the show was decidedly void of any noteworthy celebrities. The closest thing was Z-lister Alex McCord from The Real Housewives of New York (the tall blonde chick), who, judging by the swarm of photographers around her, was the only remotely ‘celebrity’ the show was able to attract.

Despite the celebrity no-shows however, I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of Mr. Chakra on the red carpet. After all, who better to strike the perfect balance between pretty femininity and edgy masculinity?

~ Nanoush

(All pics taken by Nanoush at the show!)

Thanks Nanoush!! We love you!!!

Déjà vu x 3!

2010-02-19T15:32:00.003-05:00

Our dear reader, "melicieuse" asked me to do it....and I did

here, ladies and gentlemen, would be the 3rd dress "inspired" by the 1949 Junon Dior gown...

It's British actress Emily Blunt in....well can you guess who the designer is?? If you're avid readers of BetLZ you should be able to figure it out...

...that's right, it's Georges Chakra!! Again!

When will it ever end??

~LZ

BetLZ News 2.19.10

2010-02-19T15:25:00.004-05:00

***Headlines***

Don't expect progress from talking to Syria / The Washington Post

Ahmadinejad discusses Lebanon with Nasrallah, Suleiman / Tehran Times

Arab peacekeeping force proposed / UPI

Crafty cocaine carpet seized / The Australian

***Business/Finance***

'Digital nomads' find a home in Beirut / Irish Times

***Arts/Features***

Weyves and Elie Saab to unveil first superyacht at Abu Dhabi Yacht Show / Super Yacht Times

First-ever joint Muslim-Christian holiday celebrates Virgin Mary / LA Times

Songs and dances from across the Mediterranean / The Daily Star

US Embassy in Beirut introduces new online visa form / iloubnan.info

~LZ

Star Academy 7 starts tomorrow on LBC!!!

2010-02-18T16:47:00.005-05:00

Guess what??!!??!!!!!!!!

Star Academy 7 starts tomorrow on LBC!

Ok, so I know plenty of you detest the show (my boyfriend for one) but i LOVELOVELOVELOVEEEE it!!

And it's starting a bit late this year, and if it weren't for my mom watching LBC I wouldn't even know it (major FAIL PR of Star Ac--the website doesn't even announce it!...

You KNOWWWW you miss Friday night PRIMES and wonderful skits with Russian dancers and elaborate costumes that have nothing to do with the song!!

But yeyyy! Let's see what wonderful specimens they have for us this year...

Hilda, we missed you!!

~LZ

(And now I'm going to add lots of pictures to this post to make you as excited as I am!!)

BetLZ News 2.18.10

2010-02-18T16:33:00.001-05:00

In Lebanon, A Reason For Heartbreak / Forbes

Arabs would back Lebanon if attacked by Israel: Mussa / AFP

Lebanese sentenced to death for spying for Israel / AFP

Suntech provides solar panels to 19 remote schools in Lebanon / CoolerPlanet (article on this yesterday as well)

~LZ

BetLZ News 2.17.10

2010-02-17T16:20:00.002-05:00

**Headlines**

Lebanon Charges 11 for Plotting Terrorist Attacks / Wall Street Journal

**Business/Financial**

Bank cards reach 1.63 million, ATMs total 1,207 at end of 2009 / The Daily Star

**Features**

Solar Comes to Schools in Lebanon and Florida / GetSolar.com

International NGO Collaborates With Lebanese Groups to Advance Women's Rights / Al Bawaba

Restaurant review: Kababji Grill in Dupont, a chain that doesn't act like one / Washington Post (For those of you in DC)

**Opinion**

One long summer in Lebanon / LA Times

~LZ

BetLZ News 2.16.10

2010-02-16T12:48:00.004-05:00

Sorry guys, Monday was Presidents Day in the US and thus no BetLZ news, so today's news will be covering yesterday as well as the weekend:

**Headlines:**

Clash kills 2 in Palestinian camp in Lebanon / AP

Are Lebanon and Israel Headed for War? / ABC News

Lebanese army fires on Israeli fighter planes: military / AFP

Crashed Ethiopian plane cockpit recorder recovered / AP (Yet another recorder found)

Mystery deepens over ET409 crash in Lebanon / Examiner.com

Lebanese officer suspected of aiding Israel to locate targets in war / Ynet News

Lebanon marks five-year anniversary of Hariri assassination / Christian Science Monitor

Obama backs justice for Hariri killers / AFP

**Business/Financial:**

Lebanon to Sell Eurobonds or Carry Out Debt Swap / Bloomberg

US to grant Lebanon $237 million in military aid: Murr / The Daily Star

**Arts:**

LEBANON: Pop sensation and sex symbol Haifa coming to America / LA Times

Musical tribute to UAE founder proves a hit / Gulfnews.com

Georges Chakra: Backwards Tuxedo Dresses, Heavy on Red Carpet / NBC

Georges Chakra Fashion Show PICS / Focusonstyle.com

~LZ

BetLZ News 2.11.10...continued!!!

2010-02-11T15:16:00.008-05:00

More news for today!!

Daily Pampering: Four Seasons Beirut / Gadling

Anti-Israel protesters target Beirut Starbucks due to false internet rumors / Examiner
For years I have been receiving emails that the CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, was a total Zionist. Apparently the rumors began because of a speech he made in a synagogue in 2002. This article clarifies that Starbucks immediately responded to this rumor saying : "I deeply regret that my speech in Seattle was misinterpreted to be anti-Palestinian. My position has always been pro-peace and for the two nations to co-exist peacefully. I am deeply saddened by the current events in the Middle East."" So maybe all of those rumors (to which I have never seen any evidence) are true, and we should stop hating on Starbucks...at least in the Zionist aspect...

In Beirut, something for the weekend that really smokes / The National

VIDEO:

And something that is a MUSTMUSTMUSTTT watch!!!:

You may have heard about the infamous tacky Syrian lingerie...

Watch this TIME Video titled "Naughty Lingerie in Conservative Syria"

A Phone on a thong..that's what I call multitasking!

My favorite parts??

"when i sit down to design I think as a man, how they want to see their women"

"how many a man buys depends on how many wives he has"

I don't know about you ladies, but I personally asked my boyfriend to get me a pair of those clap-off undies--so pragmatic and sexy at the same time!! Don't you want a little teddy bear in front of your crotch? (Hurry before they're sold out!)

Lingerie can be both educational AND sexy!!!

Let me NOT comment on how women throughout conservative societies throughout the Middle East are expected to stay virgins until marriage, behave totally innocently and never think of sex or boyfriends, societes where rape is very often taboo, where society requires them to dress conservatively, etc. but when it comes down to being married and having a husband, he wants you to be as slutty as he would like. So its not that women shouldn't be sluts...that type of behavior is totally ok--for their husbands.

Humph.

But other than that this video is actually hilarious!

Click Here to watch!

(Thanks to BG for sending me this link!)

~LZ

BetLZ News 2.11.10

2010-02-11T14:03:00.004-05:00

New York Fall 2010 Preview: Georges Chakra / Fashion Wire Daily (See the sneak peak of George Chakra's fashion show that will take place this weekend at NY fashion week!)

Lebanese minister rules out bomb on Ethiopian jet / The Washington Post

Five years on, Lebanon's 'Cedar Revolution' wanes / AFP

Lebanese Business Tycoon Threatens Lawsuit Against Government For Domestic Debts / Global News Network

A Lebanese man facing deportation fights to stay with his wife and son in Minnesota / Star Tribune

Hariri: We Won't Split Beirut, No Compromise on International Tribunal / Naharnet

News:

Reem Acra's collection will be presented as an online-only film rather than a runway show. Catch its debut at noon on February 18.

~LZ

BetLZ News 2.10.10

2010-02-10T14:56:00.003-05:00

Ethiopian airplane black box sent to France / Alsumaria

Doomed jet's 2nd black box found off Lebanon coast / AFP

Lebanese PM warns of escalating Israeli threat / BBC

WTC Beirut announces 1st edition of 'Estate Lebanon' property event / AME

St. Maroun: Celebrations in Lebanon and Syria / Ya Libnan

~LZ

BetLZ News 2.9.10 ...continued!!

2010-02-09T15:14:00.005-05:00

More news already!!

No sour grapes for Lebanon's wine-making monks / AFP

Hariri to inaugurate annual gathering for newspapers, news publishers / The Daily Star

Beirut's lost Jewish past / Los Angeles Times (The Jews of Lebanon, something we have frequently spoken about...)

Nahas calls for turning Beirut into Arab broadcasters' center / The Daily Star (Isn't it already??)

If you're in Lebanon and an Elissa fan:

Elissa Signs "Tisadak Bimin" In Beirut / Wikeez (Who knew she had a new album? Has anyone heard it? Any good?)

~LZ

BetLZ News 2.9.10

2010-02-09T14:58:00.003-05:00

Pilot Error Behind Ethiopian Jet Crash - Source / Reuters

Accused Paris bomber likely to face June extradition hearing / AFP (Accused bomber is Canadian-Lebanese)

Lebanese President to visit Cyprus / Financial Mirror

Saudi Arabia upholds 'sex boast' conviction / BBC News (remember that issue of the program on LBC that showed Saudi Arabians talking about their sex lives and using sex toys on TV that resulted in LBC being banned in Saudi Arabia??)

Spat overshadows Lebanese Maronite 1600th anniversary celebrations / AP

Beirut appeals to Spain for security help / UPI

Pictures:

From Beirut to Biafra: Don McCullin's war photographs go on show / The Guardian

And remember, we LOVEEEE to hear from you! So any positive comments you have to leave/any constructive criticism are always strongly desired!!! (We write for you after all!)

~LZ

Li2mi Zgheeri (A Little Taste...) n°14 - Introducing...Abed Mahfouz!

2010-02-08T11:24:00.006-05:00

A new Lebanese designer is on our radar--Abed Mahfouz!

Though still a stranger to the US, he seems to be quite popular in Italy where he has participated in many fashion shows...the designer is just taking off I believe, as you can check out his site www.abedmahfouz.com, and notice that though the site looks quite nice, many parts are still under construction--reminds me of Elie Saab in the old days...

So Abed seems to be a less tacky version of Basil Soda--with many of his dresses having an 'Arabian' feel to them--what do you guys think?

~LZ

BetLZ News 2.8.10

2010-02-08T11:05:00.002-05:00

Main parts of crashed Ethiopian jet found off Lebanon / Reuters

Wadi Abou Jamil: Stories About the Jews of Beirut / The Huffington Post (more on the jews of lebanon!)

The Economist Group opens a regional representative office in Beirut / Zawya

Lebanese fear stall in tribunal on Hariri slaying / Washington Post

~LZ

Smoking and Lebanon

2010-02-05T11:39:00.002-05:00

This is definitely a step in the right direction.

Sayegh bans smoking at Social Affairs Ministry.

I'm all for the right of smokers to light up, I was an avid smoker myself. Although I stopped months ago, I still from time to time light up.

However, I believe that the cigarette does not belong in, at the very least, government places if not all public places.

Kudos for the minister in charge. Bravo.

BG

Human Rights in the UAE

2010-02-04T17:20:00.003-05:00

I'm having a hard time conciliating these two seemingly very far apart stories coming out of Dubai.

Great job for the woman trying to tackle the issue of pedophilia in her country. Please keep at it.
Here's the story.

Yet, this is the same country that accused a woman of having extra-marital sex and jailed for it, when in fact she was raped, and had to drop charges as part of a plea bargain. Really shameful and disgusting.
Here's that story.

BG

BetLZ News 2.3.10

2010-02-03T11:38:00.003-05:00

Report: Lebanese officer suspected of spying for Israel / Ynetnews

Lebanon aims to build on banking success / Financial Times

Who will pray at Lebanon's rebuilt synagogue? / BBC News

Syrian FM: US has nominated ambassador to Damascus / Washington Post

DNA Samples from Ethiopian Relatives of Plane Crash Arrive in Beirut / Naharnet

Ethiopian air crash shines light on lives of migrant workers / Los Angeles Times

Low broadband penetration is hurting Lebanon's competitiveness / iloubnan.info

In an Elie Saab World / New York Times

~LZ

BetLZ News 2.2.10 #2

2010-02-02T17:09:00.003-05:00

Another blow to the (false) theory that vaccines cause autism. BBC

Beijing warns Obama against meeting Dalai Lama. CNN

The catholic church and it's love for equality. BBC

A brief history of gays in the military (notice how they "determined" one was gay during WWII). TIME

السنّ الـ 18 في وطن هزيل ANNAHAR

BG

Li2mi Zgheeri (A Little Taste...) n°13

2010-02-02T15:22:00.005-05:00

I knew it!

When I was watching the Grammys I saw Carrie Underwood's dress while she was performing the MJ Tribute onstage and I thought "that looks like Reem Acra!"

When I compiled the pics of the celebs wearing Lebanese Designers, I couldn't find mention of Carrie's performance dress anywhere--only of her Red Carpet Georges Chakra Dress...

But as it turns out, I was right! (My friends will tell u I like to think I'm right all the time...not true!)

Check out the pics below and read the following:

Carrie Underwood's Grammy Style Snapped Up

Posted: February 2nd, 2010 at 12:42 pm | By: Alison Bonaguro
Technically, I'm still on the waiting list at this Gilt.com sample sale virtual outlet. But I really wish I'd been a member yesterday (Feb. 1) because they are the proud sellers of everything awesome, like the same style of dress Carrie Underwood rocked during the Michael Jackson tribute at the Grammy Awards. You know, the gold lame strapless chiffon one with all that beading going on at the waist? That one. (Not to be confused with the rock star-turned-angel white Georges Chakra one she had on on the red carpet.) The gown is by a Lebanese designer Reem Acra, who is quickly becoming a favorite of anyone going anywhere important. But alas, it sold out within hours of going on sale at this inventory reduction hot spot for around $1,500. The original retail price was more in the neighborhood of $5,400. Both prices are way beyond my reach, but I am genuinely happy for whoever is the proud new owner.

Source: http://blog.cmt.com/2010-02-02/carrie-underwoods-grammy-style-snapped-up/

BetLZ News 2.2.10

2010-02-02T14:41:00.004-05:00

Body recovered nine days after Lebanon plane crash / AFP

Lebanon gets relatives' DNA in Ethiopian jet crash / AP

Israel returns abducted Lebanese shepherd after 'severe beating'/ The Daily Star

Robert Fisk: Israel feels under siege. Like a victim. An underdog / The Independent

Start-up Lebanese tracker of Web traffic turns profitable / The National

~LZ

BetLZ News 2.1.10

2010-02-01T15:14:00.005-05:00

Today's news!

Sub to help search for crashed Ethiopian jet / Washington Post

Israel returns Lebanese shepherd / UPI (who was a teenager, i would like to note)

An Ethiopian Funeral in Beirut / The Faster Times

Lebanon posts solid economic gains undergoing period of political tension / Global Arab Network

~LZ