My Dearest Readers,

As some of you may already know, I was one of the winners of a competition run by Stoli Vodka last fall. I won a trip to Los Angeles, and access to one of the world’s most awesome parties at the Playboy Mansion (the real one). I have chosen to extend my stay a few extra days in the US to see the sights, visit friends and family, and experience the US first-hand. So, for the next couple of weeks, I’ll be blogging and tweeting from the US, letting you know what the nightlife is like, the people I meet and the places I go. I’m also planning on trying out the best travel apps on Android and iOS, among many other things.

BUT, don’t worry, the Fashal and Leaks will keep coming even though I’m abroad! I’ll be available on FB, Twitter, email and whatsapp, so if you have something you think warrants looking into, please feel free to share! Remember there’s a 10-hour difference, so I might not be as prompt to reply as when I’m in Beirut.

Also, for all the tweeps out there, I’ll be using the hashtag #GinoUSATour for all the photos on-the-go. You in the US? Lemme know, maybe we can have coffee somewhere together! Need something from the US? Lemme know too, I might have some space in my luggage. Can you recommend any places/cities/events/concerts you think I should visit?

So, I’ll see you guys really soon!

The General Security thought this billboard was too “strong”. They watered it down to the versions you see on the streets this week. Pathetic. I’m glad we don’t have to abide by their absurd censorship laws. If you haven’t read my stance on this issue, please do so here now (if you’re a radical religious zealot or just below average IQ, you might find it offensive)

The protest scheduled for February 18 is set to happen in Samir Kassir square, because we couldn’t get approval to do it in Place de L’etoile (how convenient).

Join us on Saturday!

The “Coalition for the Protection of Women,” is a group of Lebanese citizens who refuse the perpetuation of the violence against women under the protection of existing antiquated laws. They stand by the women of their country, who have been raped, beaten and those who have decided that oppression and discrimination under the guise of law is no longer acceptable.

As such, they are calling on the parliamentary subcommittee chaired by MP Samir El-Gisr to halt its subversive activity related to amending a draft law to protect women from conjugal violence originally proposed by the Kafa Association in 2007. The committee has come under significant political pressure from special interest groups who seek to amend the law to ensure that it is ineffective and inapplicable. These amendments have rid the original text of its specificity by expanding it to the rights of children, elderly, men thus maintaining the imbalance of the Lebanese legal code vis-à-vis women.

In light of this grave danger to the rights of at least half of the Lebanese population, and based on their commitment to justice, human rights as well as need to modernize the penal laws, they have decided to organize a sit-in on Saturday, February 18th 2012, from 11am until 2pm, at the Samir Kassir Square. The goal of the demonstration is to pressure the parliamentary committee to stop undermining the original draft law that provides women with sufficient legal and enforceable protection when faced with conjugal violence.

It’s not enough that Lebanese women cannot pass the nationality to their children, but now they are getting their most basic civil rights violated. And you know what else is funny? The Lebanese government rejected the below advertisement (to go public on billboards) because it contains the word “rape”! It seems that we don’t have the right to protest against rape in this country! SHAME! Shame on these politicians who only care about their pockets. What would it take them to reconsider their shameless amendments? What if their sisters or wives or mothers or daughters got raped? Would they stand up then?

JOIN THE FACEBOOK PAGE NOW!

(Press release and some elements borrowed from Mohammad Hijazi. Thanks! =D)

My Dearest Readers,

Most aspects of my life are right there for everyone to see. After all, why would you trust or even consider my reviews if you didn’t feel you knew me like some of your closest friends. Last Friday marked an important event in my life, and I would like to share it with you for several reasons.

On Friday, I underwent a surgical procedure known as a “gastric sleeve” or more accurately sleeve gastrectomy. It’s basically removing 75-85% of my stomach, greatly reducing its capacity and cutting appetite. This comes after nearly 3 years of failed attempts at diets and sports, and at a time where my extra weight has begun to affect my health negatively.

Now, you might be wondering why I’m sharing this with you, most people do it under the wraps and when the weight is off, say they went on a diet. Why should I? This indeed was an elective surgery, but one which will help me stave off diseases like diabetes and hypertension. So, while some might equate this with a nose-job (which is completely cool), the medical underpinnings in this case are just as valid.

But, explaining my decision is not the only reason behind this post. Reducing my stomach size from a watermelon to a banana is just the first step. This will also help me change lifestyle and hopefully eat better and exercise without falling into the same cycles of laziness, negligence and over-indulgence.

So, now that all of you know, I expect you to hold me accountable. My target is to lose 15 kilograms in the next month. So, by February 20, I want to be 129 kilograms (I was 144 kilograms on the day of my surgery) And I promise I’ll post the before-after shots for you to enjoy =P

I’ll also be posting about the surgical experience itself and the recovery period, for any of you out there who think it’s time for a drastic change in lifestyle but need that initial push to send you on the right course. Perhaps you might think it’s worth it, or perhaps not! At least you’ll have a candid experience from a “mjarreb” (someone who tried it) not just a “tabeeb” (doctor).

PS: I will always be fat and jolly on the inside <3

Also, worry not, in a month’s time, I’ll be up and about reviewing restaurants again, though this time, my portions will be smaller and they won’t be followed up with a late-night drive-thru!

There I was worrying about the Lebanese government screwing up the internet… Now, the US government is doing it. I won’t bother writing anything, just take 4 minutes of your time and watch, and be horrified.

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

After my N7W Scam post, which got way too much attention, I guess you expect me to comment on the aftermath.

But, I’ll leave it to my friend Najib from BlogBaladi, who portrayed my feelings and thoughts exactly

I’ve been criticized by my family, some friends and blog readers for not supporting nor voting for Jeita. I promised to keep quiet until the campaign’s over but now that it’s done and Jeita lost, I will explain why N7W was a bad idea all along.

[Read the rest here]

It’s super-simple! Here are the steps:

Step 1

Like Gino’s Blog’s Facebook Page after taking a photo of yourself DRENCHED in either Cyan, Magenta or Black!

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Make sure it’s as funky, or funkier than this pic of me and Shankaboot star Samira Kawas

Step 5

Get people to vote for you, then get the N9 delivered to you!

Fine Print:

• Competition starts as of now, ends on November 19th at 8:00PM
• All pictures must be posted via the special tab on Gino’s Blog
• The Nokia N9 will be the color of whatever you were wearing in your picture!

The below is about the telecom provider Alfa, which I have tested and double-checked myself. I do not own an MTCtouch line and thus cannot elaborate on what they’re doing.

It’s finally available for everyone. The fabled and much-talked about 3G is now be purchased by the fine people of Lebanon. Now, before I go on, let me clarify something that seems to be foggy for many people: What is 3G?

What does 3G mean?

3G is any wireless connection to your mobile that is at least 200kbit/s. Simple as that, there are so called 3.5, 3.75 and other variants of 3G connections, which are often used to indicate much faster speeds (in megabits/second, ours is supposed to be up to 21.1mbps)

How does it work?

If you’re in an area with 3G coverage, you’ll be on 3G, if not, you’ll be using the “2.5G” EDGE connection. That’s what most of you are experiencing on your phones when you think Alfa or MTCtouch are giving you 3G by mistake and light up about it. Your bandwidths are still the same though, so don’t expect to steam YouTube videos just yet.

If I’m on EDGE, do I have to switch to 3G?

No you silly BB users. Your connections have already been automatically changed to 3G when the 3G network coverage is available. However, your bandwidths have not changed yet. They will change the next time you pay your bill or recharge your line.

Prices and Packages?

Basically the same for pre and postpaid lines. Difference is the 3GB and 5GB plans are not available for prepaid lines yet, and in prepaid lines, you can subscribe to “pay as you go” which means you pay for every megabyte you use. BUT, 0.5$ a megabyte is way too much so I definitely would not recommend it, especially when extra MBs for the plans are somewhat cheaper than before (except for BB users, I’m not sure about those prices but I believe they will remain unchanged)

How do I subscribe if I don’t already have mobile internet?

If you’re postpaid, call 111 and enable it. If you’re prepaid, dial 1454 (for Alfa at least) and follow the long process of activating it.

What’s a video call? And should I use it?

It’s like skype on your mobile, and no don’t use it. It’s at 0.4$ a minute! You’re better off draining your cheaper megabytes on skype, so I’d recommend you eithe use a VoIP app like Viber and Skype, or if you insist on having both video and voice why not use Skype or Tango?

Wil BBM?

Considering they already reduced the price at the beginning of October, I expect the prices and data bundles to remain the same. Why do BB users pay so much more than other smartphone users? Well, supposedly, it’s the RIM BlackBerry service which includes the email app and the BBM (they make you pay for it). Alfa and MTCtouch of course charge far more than it’s real price, but hey, who’s complaining? So, 27$ for 200MB a month seems to be what BlackBerry service is gonna stay at. I’d call to double-check for you, but it seems Alfa is swamped with calls and are “too busy to answer” (for the last 3 hours).

Can I switch completely from 2/2.5G to 3G?

Yes, you can enable “3G only” instead of “automatic” or “dual” mode in your smartphone’s settings, but I do not recommend that at all. That’s because the 3G coverage sucks if you’re not in Beirut, and even there it’s shaky, so your mobile will keep desperately searching for 3G when it’s in 3G only mode, draining your battery which will last a fraction of what it’s supposed to in dual mode. So, keep it in dual mode and pray you get 3G/3.5G/H on the top of your device’s screen.

Can I use 3G on my laptop? Other mobile?

Yes, if your smartphone can act as a wifi hotspot, you can activate it and allow your laptop to connect to the hotspot, allowing your laptop to utilize the 3G connection of your mobile. This is called tethering. If your phone doesn’t, you can use a USB dongle to use your 3G-enable SIM on your laptop or computer.

Where is 3G coverage supposed to be?

Red is where 3G is already covered, Gray is where it’ll be available in the first quarter of 2012 (first 3 months) and Yellow is where 3G will be available in the second quarter of 2012 (second 3 months) 

For MTCtouch Users, it’s practically the same thing as Alfa users, and its now in-effect. Check their website for more

My Dearest Nokia users,

Well over 18 months ago, I created my first Nokia app for Gino’s Blog. The app was awesome cause the blog was still new and the app gave hundreds the opportunity to read and browse photos offline when they’re bored (mainly in class and traffic).

However, back then the Ovi app wizard was still in its early beta version, and has come a long way since then. That’s why I’m relaunching my Nokia Ovi app now and here’s what’s changed

Multiple Feeds

Main Feed (includes all recent posts)

Fashal Gallery

Facebook Feed (for competitions)

Now that I have your attention, I present to you My Last Valentine in Beirut. It’s the first full-feature movie in Arabic to be filmed in 3D and is expected to be released before the end of the year.

The trailer has been generating loads of controversy. Some vehemently for, some sworn against the very liberal subject matter being handled. I for one am all for. We Lebanese are known for our liberal values (most of us at least) which are not hindered by backwards limitations of religion and tribal societies.

The producers insist that it is far from a porn movie and that the story is indeed well-written and promise a movie that will impress and please. This comes at the heels of “Halla2 Lawein” though, with massive popular and critical acclaim as well as a hefty profit. What do you think? Will you watch this movie? Why or why not?