Join The Selfish Movement: Announcing My Fake Candidacy

I know some of you thought “Seriously?” I mean Lebanese folks are known for being selfish, fending for themselves even at the expense of others. It’s even something we boast about when we call someone “7arboo2″. But, we’re not really selfish in the good aspect of the term. We don’t really care for ourselves and we constantly feel like we’re nothing more than garbage.

If the police pull us over, we’re practically filth to them until we can come up with a number of someone that can make the fried-chicken-eating officer’s life a living hell, thereby letting us go after apologizing. We are always taught we can’t do anything, taught to behave as if we owe the world something for a crime we never committed.

The real thing I’m concerned about is how we’re treated by our elected officials. These people are your servants, not your masters. They should be the ones licking your boots and kissing your pretty ass, versus you licking their Armanis and Louboutins and hemorrhoid-infested fat asses. Who the fuck are they to be treated like gods? Who the fuck are they to think they should demand that much respect and adoration from us when they don’t even do the jobs we pay them to do?

Do they get us water and electricity? Can you afford fuel? How many tires do you have to change because of crappy roads? How many months do you spend stuck in avoidable traffic per year? I’m sure the answers to those questions are not ones you want or enjoy. And that is why I am writing this post, it’s a post that I hope will mobilize us properly as soon as the next opportunity arises, which to me are the 2013 elections.

Being independent is thought of as silly and hopeless in this country, but that’s because we don’t understand what that means. Independents will not win in a landslide, and that’s understandable. Many people are stupid, and will cling to their parties and religions like cheap gum on an even cheaper shoe. But, there are some of us who really wouldn’t mind sticking out our fingers, and perhaps our tongues, to the gods and goddesses that Lebanon usually elects.

I want us to work actively to make our current MPs fail the next elections. I want us to punish them severely. I want to strip immunity from every single old fart in that disgrace of a parliament we have. I want us to take their bribes, and vote for someone else. I want their photos graffitied over. I want their delegates ridiculed. I want to run mock campaigns and mock candidates. I want us to vote for these mock candidates and make a point that will make the robbers and murderers in our executive and elected positions fall of their high horses and bite the dust.

This is why, I am starting this initiative right here, right now. I want candidates to run for the elections, whether seriously or just to make a point. I myself am announcing my own mock candidacy right now.

I need other people like me to help me mobilize the vision I have for getting us out of this severe depression. I am asking everyone interested to come out and help. Whether you’re a creative person who could help us make election photos, logos, portraits and slogans, please come out! If you think you could run as a mock candidate in a specific province, tell us. If you think you can lend a hand in spreading the word and educating the oblivious, please help us out. If you can help us avoid legal troubles, that’d e much-appreciated.

This isn’t the kind of kumbaya-hold-my-hand-hippie movement calling for tolerance and love. This is a movement which is fed up with everything, thinks everything is at the worst it could be. This is a movement that will dethrone the slave-drivers and keep priests and sheikhs locked up in their churches and mosques instead of courtrooms and bedrooms. This is a movement that will take no prisoners and show no mercy for every single person on the political scene today and in the past. This is a movement, that though will not overrun the country, will at least deal a severe blow to these politicians’ egos and wallets. This is a grass-roots movement that will make the Arab Spring look like potatoes. This movement will be a selfish one, one that cares about providing for our citizens the basic necessities before selling them crap about international courts and religious resistance.

I am writing the official manifesto for this movement with a few friends of mine who are better experienced in the world of law and politics. It will be a flexible one which we will write together and enhance as a movement. We’ll be leaderless and autonomous. We’ll avoid getting into legal trouble and abuse every peaceful loophole that will allow us to succeed. We will never break the law ourselves while punishing the law-breakers.

But the people I’ve taken advice from have all discouraged me. They tell me the Lebanese will never be convinced. They tell me this country doesn’t deserve better. They tell me to leave this country and go somewhere else. I won’t say I think they’re wrong, because nothing we’ve done has proven otherwise. Instead, I’m asking you to join this last-ditch effort. In a time where we have the power and prowess to destroy the current system. I’m asking you to help bring down every single MP and minister who abused the country (meaning all) over the past few decades. Don’t do it cause you’re a sissy freedom-fighter-activist-wannabe. Do it because you have every right to, and can, and because it’s gonna be one hell of a fun ride!

Answer this poll, make us proud guys and prove the people I sought advice from wrong. Stay anonymous for now, just answer the poll below. We need to gauge our power and influence before we go on this endeavor, which can become anything we want it to be. This is not left-wing or right-wing, this is not capitalist or marxist, this is just plain and simply put: selfish. We want our rights, our freedoms, our roads, our services, our everything we’re entitled to, without all the bullshit and bureaucracy and ass-kissing. Don’t let them say you’re just lazy hypocrites who whine but never actually do anything. Let them fear you, let them be scared out of their minds and know that their time as gods is over, and that normal men and women now decide what’s best.

Answer based on the principles, the details will all be worked out in the coming days and weeks. Not even the name is really decided on. I just want to know, are you guys with me? Would you vote for the candidates we announce? Will you participate in the active campaign to make the current MPs fail next elections? Are you ready to ditch the demented deserter Aoun and flower-hugging butcher Geagea? Are you ready to defy your parents who vote like they always have? Are you ready to get what you deserve already?

Poll of the Week: Are You a Smoker? +69% Want a Drive-In Cinema

So, I wanna know how many of you smoke cigarettes. For those of you who are serious smokers, I would love it if you’d contact me privately too for a research/entertainment opportunity throughout the summer of 2012.

Drive-In Cinema Please!

Looks like you guys are hating the theaters, and probably their prices lately. A better deal per car might prove a bit more bearable and enjoyable, especially since you need not worry about parking meters and stuff like you need to know almost everywhere.


FASHAL – An Electric Hummer?

The Status of Beirut’s Rooftop Clubs

1- Beiruf: GONE

The club which many of us hated, but some apparently liked, didn’t get their yearly permit renewed (or just didn’t bother renewing it). So, there’s one less rooftop to worry about this season.

2- White: Opening Thursday

My favorite summer club last year, is gearing up to open the day after tomorrow: on May 17th, 2012. I’m excited to see it back up and running and return my clubbing schedule back to its joyful summer routine.

3- Skybar: Opening June 14th

After initial plans to kick off the season on June 6th, the opening has been pushed back to somewhere between 14, 15 or 16 June, 2012. I’ve been discouraged though, since my sources tell me that the door policy and staff have remained unfortunately unchanged.

4- LIFE: Multipurpose Summer Venue Under Construction

Everything is set and the venue is almost complete. It might not be your average club, since it hosts special occasions like weddings, fashion shows, etc. But will definitely feature club nights every weekend: “Life Club Nights”. The rumors that the venue was scrapped for security reasons and army objections, are definitely false.

5- Pier 7: Undergone a Facelift and Downsized?

The venue is going through a major overhaul, and perhaps rumors point that it has been shrunk. What is sure is that the main bar and stage in the middle, which was perhaps its most interesting featured, will be replaced by tables, and the bar will be on the seaside where the DJ booth used to be last summer. Also, the notorious glass containers have been reduced to only two. I will try to sneak in and get a few photos to confirm or debunk these rumors.

Pier 7 has also struck a deal with MixFM this summer, after the latter’s relationship with Sky Management seemed to fall apart. So expect MixFM’s legendary club nights to be featured in Pier 7′s new, revamped venue. Also, they’re hiring, so if you’re looking for a summer job, why not try to apply?

6- There’s a New Rooftop Club in Town!

I won’t tell you anymore before I get a chance to take a few photos, but, it’s set to open up in June and the people behind are fresh in the clubbing scene, bringing a much-welcome new blood to the industry. It’s close to Pier 7 and White, further cementing the clubbing status of that once-derelict industrial area.

Conclusion

Summer’s looking interesting this year, and I’ll keep you posted within the next few days and weeks to make sure you guys are the first to know about all things nightlife and summer related. Have I missed something? Please feel free to share with me!

The Complete List of Events This Summer

These are the confirmed ones, if I missed any, please let me know. Also, I’ll keep updating the list if more events are announced.

Click to ENLARGE

FASHAL – Aishfi

image

Taken by Ralph Kisso in Shiah

GO WATCH CABIN IN THE WOODS!

I might not be the best movie reviewer out there, but when it comes to Horror, I know my stuff. I watch every single horror movie ever made, whether crappy or not. Mostly independent stuff, but I never miss the big blockbuster ones either.

I was expecting this movie to be something awesome, after all, it’s from the guys who made SAW! So expectations were definitely high, and I’m glad to say, Cabin in the Woods exceeded it by a looooot.

I will not utter a word, because I would spoil it for you. All I will do is beg you to go and watch it. It’s a game-changer in the Horror genre, and even if you’re not a fan of Horror, your mind will still be blown away by the epicness of the storyline.

My Rating: 10/10
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10 (bullshit!)

Artsy Fartsy – Weekly Instagram Picks

So, the Artsy Fartsy section on this blog has been dead for a while. Couple that with my unquenchable addiction to Instagram over the past month, and you get this new section which I hope we will compile together into something really awesome over time.

Each week, Imma do a round up of all photos on instagram with the hashtag #GinosBlog. I’ll choose the ones with the most likes and which really speak to people and publish them on the blog. This will sorta be like FASHAL, which is compiled mostly by you guys. My vision in the long-run? Maybe do a nice slideshow capturing all that is special about our lives in this tiny country a few weeks or months, maybe even years down the line.

I’ll start with a few photos of mine, I hope you guys don’t mind. And if you wanna follow me, my username is: GinoRaidy.

1- Diesel Oil on Water in Gemmayzeh

This photo was completely unexpected, but, seeing a photo Lori had once taken in Hamra of a landscape reflected in a puddle, I decided to snap one with my Galaxy S2, modified it with LightBox and shared it on Instagram. Here’s the result:

2- Gemmayzeh’s Hidden Alleyway

I pass through Gemmayzeh daily, I go out there at night several times a week, but I had never noticed this tiny, cramped alleyway in front of the police department. A few touches with Lightbox on my S2, and voila:

3- Pierre and Friends is Reopen and Awesome As Ever

Been there four times already, and now it’s been completely restored! So, if you’re in for a nice tan for a few hours, or a full day at the beach, but don’t wanna be robbed by places like Edde, this is your best shot. Awesome people, awesome atmosphere and you’ll always find a cute doggie there!

4- The Jounieh Gulf Parachuter

This was taken from the Telefrique landing spot near Harissa. It’s one of my favorites, taken with my S2 edited using Lightbox and shared on Instagram.

5- The Telefrique Cable Car

6- Gemmayzeh in Daylight

Few of us see it in the day, but it’s gorgeous

7- Epic Bench in Beirut Souks

Saw it by mistake, the two stylish ladies in the photo fit in perfectly with the general photo! It’s in the jewelry segment of the Souks.

8- Safra Factory Fire

This is the first time I used the tilt-shift feature on Instagram. Very badly handled disaster…

9- Librairie Antoine’s Awesome Cultural Space in Beirut Souks

Three stories of absolute awesomeness, spaces to read, a cafe and an art gallery. They really wen all-out, and I truly loved the new branch/concept! So check it out if you still haven’t!

10- Pastry Fridge in a Garden

What more could you ask for?

Sheikh Illustrates the Disgusting Rise of Fundamentalism in Lebanon

I have never been one of little hope. I have been one of little faith though, in all the fictional things people believe in so dearly. At the end of the day though, your business is your business, and what you choose to do on your own time is your absolute right. However, when it starts affecting other people, that’s when it becomes disgusting and when I will never hold back on saying things as they are, regardless of religious sensitivities.

How can a vile, disgusting man like that still be part of the Shiite clergy? How have they not disowned him yet? Why isn’t he on trial? Or is it just showing boxers that gets you in trouble in this crappy judicial system?

The story is of a Shiite woman who was allegedly being abused by her father and sought refuge with Father Walid Gharious, in Baalbeck. Three years later, she decided to convert to Christianity and days later, Father Gharious was kidnapped. The kidnapping was followed by shots fired at a priest’s house and a church in Nabaa [taken from BlogBaladi]

For those who do not understand Arabic, here are some highlights of what the deranged lunatic in robes says on live national TV:

  • [00:30] The kidnapping of this girl has to do with the “dignity of the whole Shiite community” to which Marcel reacts to with an incredulous “ouf”
  • [00:50] “We condemn the provocation of some security apparatus, and we have tribes that condem what the priests have done” (a clear threat)
  • [00:56] “They caused schizophrenia in the girl. She believes she talks to Jesus and Mary”
  • [01:35] “She was kidnapped by a group of priests, and we will not shut up on this matter even if it leads to civil war in this country. We have all the tribes in the region, and the security situation could escalate to the highest possible point and neither the president nor anyone else can scare us”
  • [02:01] “The girl must be returned. I dare anyone trying to scare me , that the girl must be returned, and treated, and people will see she is not normal and then she will confess her Islam”
  • [02:22] “This girl has been programmed, and turned schizophrenic. And there are a lot of muslim children which are being subjected to the same thing in Baalbeck and maybe elsewhere. This needs to be fixed, and I call upon all Shiites to stand with us so this girl is treated and her nature revealed”
  • [02:58] “This girl had complete freedom at home, she had her own room. She watched day and night Telmiere (I think he means telelumiere, a Christian Lebanese TV channel) and no one stops her. The girl had crucifixes and religious books in her room, and I hadn’t been in it for a year, and no one stopped her from practicing any ritual.
  • [3:48] “So where do these stories of abuse come from? This means that with proper treatment, she will return to her natural state and confess Islam again after cutting the relationship with the priests who are putting curses and spell on her”
  • [4:04] When Marcel asks him why he called it “curses and spells/black magic” the reply was “there is a type of magic being used to turn muslim kids into christian ones. And Gharios wasn’t kidnaped for baptizing the girl, he was kidnapped because he is one of those magicians (warlocks?) who uses this magic” (a claim or responsibility, or at least knowledge)
  • [05:09] Marcel tells him that only a day earlier, the sheikh had said “thieves” kidnapped the girl, why was he saying it was priests now? He replies “I didn’t say thieves, I said gang, and I meant gang of priests. One priest came into town, the other was waiting for him, and calls were made. there’s a gang of priests who came up with this conspiracy and act. The girl used to threaten us with that gang, she said that a Christian priest would come and save her from the house even if we would get killed”
  • [06:12] Marcel asks about the missing girl’s whereabouts. The sheikh replies “She was originally at Pierre Matar and names other people I can’t understand. The priest who came into town to take the girl, waited for several hours and people who saw him didn’t know he was there to take the girl”
  • [06:50] Marcel asks is the sheikh has informed the security forces. The sheikh replies “We told everyone what happened 30 minutes after the girl disappeared and no one did anything”
  • [7:29] Marcel asks why the threats and challenges to the security forces and even the president, and threatening the use of force and tribes. He asks the sheikh if he thinks the security forces are hiding something from them. The sheikh replies “The security forces are trying to solve part of the problem, not the root of the problem. The root of it is the kidnap of the girl, not Father Gharious”
  • [08:06] Will the problem be solved if the church and priests stop their activities in the region? Asks Marcel, the sheikh replies “Only the priests involved, not other priests.

My Two Cents

First, I find it hilarious that he is so absolutely enraged the girl switched imaginary friends she believed in, that he accused her of being schizophrenic. How insecure can you get? A girl converting to Christianity from Islam to him was completely unjustifiable except by schizophrenia.

What’s funnier, is that after citing a mental disorder, he jumps on to say that these are spells and curses and black magic done by warlocks. Seriously? Is he that stupid?

But, where he lacks in brains, he’s made up for in balls, where this little man threatens the whole of Lebanon with civil war with his precious, criminal, backward tribes if the girl is not returned. When in fact, he admits him or at least his goons are the ones that kidnapped the priest.

Granted, the girl might be schizophrenic and the priest might’ve misled her somewhere. But, no matter what, that doesn’t justify attacking homes, churches and kidnapping a priest and threatening with violence and all-out war.

In the meantime, as this vomit-inducing fiasco occurs, Islamist extremists terrorize the Northern city of Tripoli demanding the release of a salafist terror suspect. The resulting in-fighting is so low and despicable, that 5th grade children have become involved in the fight, wielding AK-47s and patrolling alleyways. Where are the KONY 2012 to see this and make a documentary about it? All we get is a clip by LBC though.

Poverty, no education and religion mix together to create this toxic result which is fast on the rise. All I can cling on to, is that next time around, we wil step up and run for elections and get voted on and go into parliament and change all of this. Remove priests and sheikhs from politics and law, make everyone equal under the law and stop the meddling of old men in robes in our personal lives and choices. Who’s with me? Who’d no cast a ballot for Aoun or Geagea in favor of a secular reformist with an agenda to abolish religion from the state?

FASHAL – You’d Think the Folks at Harissa Were a Bit More Faithful…

Every single shelf at the Harissa souvenir store has these posters. There are dozens of them. One hell of a way to put people in a faithful, righteous mood =P

FASHAL – Masba7 wa Snack Al…

Taken in Tripoli

USGS: 5.5 Magnitude Earthquake

The United States Geological Survey’s realtime earthquake map indicated that a 5.5 magnitude earthquake just struck, with the epicenter in the Mediterranean Sea between Lebanon and Cyprus.

Here’s a screenshot, just 76Km from Ayia Napa, and I’m estimating around 200Km from Beirut

I hope you’re all safe! Hopefully, our city’s crumbling old buildings will withstand the significant tremor!

Source

Google Maps (thanks Charbel)