I previously linked to an article of what to do in Lebanon in 48 hours. But as blogger Lebanese Lantern shows us, you can have a Beirut blast in less than 24 hours. Of course, as a requirement, you have to be as energetic and tireless as her can-do guest.
Cool Stuff
2
Sep 10
Playing With Ping
As many of you know, I’m a big Apple fanboy. So it’s no big surprise that I jumped straight into their new music social network service Ping.
As with everything Apple, I’m sure it will get better with time, but I could use your help: I’m always on the lookout for cool new music, so if you created a Ping account, It would be great if we could follow each other. My user name is “Mustapha H.”
I’m looking forward to listening to your music recommendations..
2
Sep 10
Tripoli Soap Is Making A Comeback
I took the picture above when I was visiting Tripoli’s traditional soapmakers with a group of friends who came from Beirut. It shows one of the colorful bundles of organic soap in their glorious display. They look really good, but the ones I’ve tried weren’t as impressive as they look. Still, apparently because the world is now more interested in natural, organic products, they’re making a comeback.
30
Aug 10
Ke7ayet.com Is A Place For The Lebanese To Explain Why Their Lives Suck
Ke7 stands for “Kiss Ikht 7ayete“. The site is modeled after the very popular FML (Fuck My Life) and is unsurprisingly getting a lot of entries. You should check it out and share your own gripes.
28
Aug 10
Lebanon Beats Canada In Basketball World Cup
Canadian coach Leo Rautins makes excuses:
We had this habit of reaching in and committing silly fouls and that’s something — as a younger group — we’re still looking to correct. We have to learn the importance of keeping teams out of bonus situations and not wasting fouls in silly situations
The boys are making us proud. Let’s see if they can win this thing.
26
Aug 10
New York Street Was Referred to as “Little Syria”.. In 1946
The New York Times digs up a forgotten part of New York’s rich history, not too far from the “ground zero mosque” location:
Washington Street was “an enclave in the New World where Arabs first peddled goods, worked in sweatshops, lived in tenements and hung their own signs on stores,” [...] All but lost to living memory and forgotten in the current controversy, Washington Street was the “heart of New York’s Arab world, [...] it is worth recalling the old sights and sounds and smells of Washington Street as a reminder that in New York — a city as densely layered as baklava — no one has a definitive claim on any part of town, and history can turn up some unexpected people in surprising places.
Very neat.. Make sure you check out the painting in the top of the article.
24
Aug 10
NRJ Lebanon Has an Iphone App
So people like me who live abroad can listen to crazy Lebanese ads about crazy Electronica DJs and crazy summer parties sponsored by crazy intoxicating beverages.. Download From Itunes Store Here.
23
Aug 10
Yours Truly Profiled In The Daily Star
My profile was part of a Daily Star feature about blogging in Lebanon, which included separate profiles of three bloggers, Maya, Imad and yours truly.
While I want to thank Emma Gatten for her very thorough interview, I couldn’t help but notice an odd little detail: In all three profile pieces, Mine, Maya’s and Imad’s, there was not a single mention of the names of our blogs, respectively “Beirut Spring”, “Maya’s Amalgam” and “Trella’s Blog” (plus no mention of our web addresses or even links in their website to our blogs).
Of course, as you know, I’ve always been critical of the Daily Star, but even I wouldn’t suggest that they are intentionally editing out our blogs’ names and URLs. It’s not like they’re feeling threatened or anything.
Hello, my name is Mustapha and I have been blogging about Lebanese society and politics since February 2005. You can also find me on 
