Lebanon’s Freedom of Speech & Iran’s Lack Thereof

This picture has rubbed the Iranian embassy in Lebanon the wrong way. Apparently, it’s an insult to all Muslims because it’s portraying Ali Khamenei, the Supreme leader of Iran, in a negative way. They also believe that the caricature is in violation of Lebanese law.

It seems the Iranian lack of freedom of speech has seeped into their embassies as well because they fail to understand that just because Khamenei is “holy” to them and possibly a limited number of Lebanese, the rest of the world and of Lebanon absolutely couldn’t care less.

What the Iranian embassy seems to also fail to grasp is that religious figures are not off limits for caricature in Lebanon. How many times has the Maronite Patriach been portrayed as such? How many times has the Sunni Mufti been portrayed in caricatures? How many times has Hassan Nasrallah been drawn in newspapers?

The answer is way too many times for me to even want to research it.

Lebanese newspapers do not approach prophets in their drawings because of journalistic principles. Is Khamenei a prophet? Is he Holier than the prophet Mohammad to have the Iranian embassy panic over him being drawn in a caricature?

The bottom line is: Iran, you have your country and you think things are great over there just the way they are. But keep your insecure paws off of one of the few things keeping me clinging to mine. You are in Lebanon as a diplomatic presence and you’re respected to that extent but it is not in your job description to become a censorship bureau.

God knows we already have too many red lines we can’t cross. We don’t need your red lines added to ours as well.

The True Cause of Hurricane Sandy

Hurricane Sandy is not a normal storm. It is not a byproduct of weather conditions that sometimes end up creating such huge storms. No, hurricane Sandy, currently pummeling NYC, is a manufactured storm. Or at least some people think it is.

This is a screenshot from the Syrian Army News Facebook page.

 

“There are sources confirming that Hurricane Sandy which is hitting America was made by very advanced equipment owned by the heroic Iranian regime, with coordination with our resilient regime. The sources have also confirmed that there are Syrian experts who contributed to this. This is the punishment of those who threaten Assad’s Syria and its security.”

You know what’s even funnier? That there are actually some people out there buying it. This is another screenshot that was sent to me by a friend (because the current state of the post has over 900 comments):

Iran’s nuclear program must be a decoy. Who knew their core research is in weather control?

 

 

 

Better Dig Two – The Band Perry

One of my favorite country bands, The Band Perry, have just released their first single off their yet untitled second album. The song titled “Better Dig Two” is the story of a newlywed so deeply in love that she’d rather tell the grave digger he “better dig two” than go on a day without living without her significant other.

It is a dark, bluesy, twangy country song – starting with a banjo riff that sets the tone for a mid-tempo sung by Kimberly Perry. The song boasts a refreshing sound with shifts from the twangy verses to the feisty choruses. The build-up in the story to showcase the deep attachment of the protagonist is also interesting and it follows the change of sound clearly as the tempo increases.

“Better Dig Two” is a good enough song to continue The Band Perry’s good performance on country radio, though it fails to grasp the height of their signature song “If I Die Young” and even though they both address the issue of death, they do so differently and are very different from each other  sonically as well as thematically.

“Better Dig Two” will be released to iTunes tomorrow. Meanwhile, you can listen to it here:

The Band Perry – Better Dig Two

And here are the lyrics:

I told you on the day we wed

I was gonna love you till I was dead

Made you wait till our wedding night

That’s the first and last time I wear white

 

So if the ties that bind ever do come loose

Tie ’em in a knot like a hangman’s noose 

Cause I’ll go to heaven or I’ll go to hell

Before I see you with someone else

 

Put me in the ground 

Put me six foot down

And let the stone say

 

Here lies a girl whose only crutch

was loving one man just a little too much

If you go before I do

I’m gonna tell the gravedigger he better dig two

 

It won’t be whiskey, it won’t be meth

It’ll be your name on my last breath

If divorce and death ever do us part

the coroner will call it a broken heart

 

So put me in the ground

Put me six foot down

And let the stone say

 

Here lies a girl whose only crutch

was loving one man just a little too much

If you go before I do

I’m gonna tell the gravedigger he better dig two

Dig two

 

I took your names when I took those vows

Took those vows 

I made them back then and I need them right now

 

If the ties that bind ever do come loose

If forever ever ends for you

If that ring gets a little too tight,

It might as well read me my last rites

 

And let the stone say

Here lies a girl whose only crutch

was loving one man just a little too much

If you go before I do

I’m gonna tell the gravedigger he better dig two

 

Have your stone right next to mine

We’ll be together till the end of time

Don’t you go before I do,

I’m gonna tell the grave digger he better dig two

 

I told you on the day we wed

I was gonna love you till I was dead

The Syrian Army Attacking North Lebanon Tonight?

A news report just published is saying that more than 15,000 Syrian army men are heading towards the Northern Lebanese borders for a military attack to secure the border. The report also says that the Syrian army might venture deep into Lebanese land and reach Tripoli to completely annihilate the support of the Syrian Free Army in North Lebanon.

I’m taking this with a grain of salt because it sounds too far-fetched, not to mention that the source of the news is Al Diyar. Why would Bashar el Assad risk 15,000 men away from battlegrounds where they’re probably much more needed?

But I’m not a military strategist nor do I want to be. So assuming that there’s some truth to this and that the Syrian Army might be planning something eventually along the Lebanese border, let me ask our government a few questions:

  1. Have you made sure that the Syrian Army is not moving in droves towards our Northern border?
  2. If the Syrian army is moving in droves towards our border, have you called your favorite person in Damascus to ask them why?
  3. Have you called up upon our army to move towards Akkar in order to retaliate to every single missile and shot fired by people who want to violate our land? Or is it only violation and a cause of panic and mayhem when our Southern neighbors do it?
  4. In case the Syrian Army decides to go as far as Tripoli, do we have a plan of action or will we just stand by the sidelines and watch as they burn our country again?
  5. PM Mikati, how was your pilgrimage to Mecca? Rewarding, I hope.

Alas, the answers to all of those questions are already known. Long live a country whose borders are as open as the legs of a prostitute.

Dancing With The Stars Coming To Lebanon

The United States’ most watched competition TV Show is coming to Lebanon thanks to MTV. A source has told me that the show’s presenter will be Carla Haddad, former weather anchor at LBC, who went to MTV solely in order to quick start the show.

MTV has already started promo for the show on its airways by teasing viewers about the most watched TV show in the world coming to its airways, along with scenes of people dancing. This is the promo in question:

Don’t expect a lot of current famous people to make their way to the TV show but expect “stars” that we are at least familiar with. I will update this post if I get definite names of anyone who’s participating in it.

DWTS pairs famous people with a dancing partner and they dance to a judging panel which grades them. Their grade is then combined with audience vote to determine who gets kicked off. The American version is now in an all-star season which has brought back winners and finalists from all previous seasons.

I personally think MTV has the chops to pull off such a production, similarly to how MBC and LBC are pulling off The Voice. I guess we’ll wait and see. DWTS should start airing on MTV soon.