The Eagle & The Storm

Did you know that an eagle knows when a storm is approaching long before it breaks?The eagle will fly to some high spot and wait for the winds to come. When the storm hits, it sets its wings so that the wind will pick it up and lift it above the storm. While the storm rages below, the eagle is soaring above it.The eagle does not escape the storm. It simply uses the storm to lift it higher. It rises on the winds that bring the storm.To face the challenges of a storm, not by fighting it, but moving with it, and rising above it.Turn every storm into opportunity knocking, what do you think, somehow detaching ourselves and spirits lifted to better deal with the onslaught that inevitably hits us all, may we soar with eagles carefree majestic devoted to freedom.

i like to think it is not the burdens of life that weigh us down, it is how we handle them.

The October 15th

The October 15, event was cancelled due to bad weather.

We were promised that Lebanon after Oct. 15 will be different from before Oct. 15;

We were promised by Aoun that the event will change Lebanon to become the country that we "all" want; We were promised miracles which will save Lebanon from the ruling mafia. However, it seems that the weather is too cloudy for such a great change to take place. Oh great people of Lebanon, you will have to wait until the clouds clear and the sun shine before Aoun can deliver his promise of the great change for the great nation of the great people.

Meanwhile, oh well, drink orange juice...

It's Friday the 13th

Friday the 13th
Unlucky No. 13 combines Christian and pagan beliefs
by David Johnson


Friday the 13th is an unlucky day in much of Western Europe, North America, and Australia. Many people avoid travel and avoid signing contracts on Friday the 13th. Floors in tall buildings often skip from 12 to 14. And while the superstition is believed to be fading, it nonetheless has deep roots in both Christian and pagan culture.

The Day Jesus Was Crucified?

Many Christians have long believed that Friday was unlucky because it was the day of the week when Jesus was crucified. The number 13 was believed to bring bad luck because there were 13 people at The Last Supper. Since there were 12 tribes of Israel, that number was considered lucky.

Roots in Norse Mythology

Thirteen was also a sinister number in Norse mythology. Loki, one of the most evil of the Norse gods, went uninvited to a party for 12 at Valhalla, a banquet hall of the gods. As a result, he caused the death of Balder, the god of light, joy, and reconciliation. Loki tricked Balder's blind brother, Hod, into throwing a sprig of mistletoe at Balder's chest. Since mistletoe was the only thing on Earth fatal to Balder, the beloved god fell dead.

Literature and Folk Wisdom

During the Middle Ages, the superstition against Friday the 13th grew. On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the arrests of Jaques de Molay, Grand Master of the Knights Templars and sixty of his senior knights in Paris. Thousands of others were arrested elsewhere in the country. After employing torture techniques to compel the Templars to "confess" to wrongdoing, most were eventually executed and sympathizers of the Templars condemned Friday the 13th as an evil day. Over time a large body of literature and folk wisdom have reinforced the belief. In the 18th century, the HMS Friday was launched on Friday the 13th. It was never heard from again. Since then, ships are not usually launched on that date. (Click here for other mysterious ship disappearances.)

Dinner With 13

It is considered especially unlucky to have 13 people at the table during a meal, such as in Agatha Christie's mystery novel, Thirteen at Dinner. During the 1880s, a men's group that felt superstition was an unhealthy influence on public life held Thirteen Club dinners. Those diners would have doubtless deplored Triskaidekaphobia, which is a fear of the number 13. They would also have looked askance at Triskaidekamania, which is an excessive enthusiasm for the number 13. (Take our Phobia Quiz (part I) on Triskaidekaphobia and other scary phobias.)

Unconditional Love: a motivation story

A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco.
"Mom and Dad, I'm coming home, but I've a favor to ask. I have a friend I'd like to bring home with me."
"Sure," they replied, "we'd love to meet him."
"There's something you should know the son continued, "he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mind and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us."
"I'm sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live."
"No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us."
"Son," said the father, "you don't know what you're asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can't let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He'll find a way to live on his own."
At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn't know, their son had only one arm and one leg.
The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don't like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren't as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are. Thankfully, there's someone who won't treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are.

Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a little prayer that God will give you the strength you need to accept people as they are, and to help us all be more understanding of those who are different from us!!!
There's a miracle called Friendship That dwells in the heart.You don't know how it happens or when it gets started but you know the special lift it always brings and you realize that Friendship Is God's most precious gift!
Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.

peace

Childhood Memories!!!!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHH MEMORIES!!!


Close your eyes...And go back...

....Before the Internet or PC or the MAC......

....Before semi-automatics and crack....

....Before Playstation, SEGA, Super Nintendo, even before Atari...

....Before cell phones, CD's, DVD's,Ipod, voicemail and e-mail....

....way back....

....way.....way.....way back.....



I'm talkin' bout hide and seek at dusk

Red light, Green light, erase the map (ma7ou el kharita)

Playing kickball & dodgeball until the first...no...second...no...third

Streetlight came on

Ring around the Rosie

Jump rope

YOU'RE IT!!

Parents stood on the front porch and yelled (or whistled) for you to come home - no pagers or cell phones

Mother May I?

Hula Hoops

Seeing shapes in the clouds, counting stars at Dusk & starring at the big yellow summer moon raising behind the mountain.

Endless summer days and hot summer nights (no A/C) with the windows open

The sound of crickets

Running through the sprinkler

Cereal boxes with that GREAT prize in the bottom

Cracker jacks(Oath) with the same thing

Ice pops with 2 sticks you could break and share with a friend



...but wait.....there's more....



Watchin' Saturday Morning cartoons

Fat Albert, Road Runner, Smurfs, Picture Pages, G-Force & He-Man, Tom & Jerry

Zeina & Nahool, Lulu & Tabboush... the mighty Grandeizer...


Watchin' Sunday afternoon football match (mostly german league)

Wonder Woman & Super Man Underoos without forgetting Abou Salim el tabel...

FONZIE.....AYYYYYYYY

Playing Dukes of Hazard

Catchin' lightning bugs in a jar

Christmas morning

Your first day of school

Bedtime Prayers and Goodnight Kisses

Climbing trees

Swinging as high as you could to try and reach the sky

Getting an Ice Cream off the Good Humor Truck

A million mosquito bites and sticky fingers

Jumpin' down the steps

Jumpin' on the bed

Pillow fights

Sleep-overs

A 18" black and white TV in your house meant you were RICH

Runnin' till you were out of breath

Laughing so hard that your stomach hurt

Being tired from PLAYING

WORK: meant taking out the garbage

Your first crush

Your first kiss (I mean the one that you kept your mouth CLOSED and your eyes OPEN)

Rainy days at school meant playing "Heads up 7UP" or hangman" in
The classroom, Remember that?

Oh, I'm not finished yet....


Tang was the drink of the summer

Giving your friends a ride on your Chopper (bicycle)

Passing a Syrian checkpoint walking back from a Volleyball tournament was a challenge...

Hiking in the valleys and among the olive trees... walk to the abbey is an achievement...

Wearing your new shoes on the first day of school

Class Field Trips with mushy sandwiches... eat Thymes to become smart.

Sitting at the back sit of the school bus was the priority...

When nearly everyone's mom was at home when the kids got there

(except for me:(...)

When a lira(Lebanese Pound) seemed like a fair allowance;
and another Lira a MIRACLE

When ANY parent could discipline ANY kid, or feed him, or use him
to carry groceries...And nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of it.

When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to
the fate that awaited you at home.

Basically, we were in fear for our lives but it wasn't because of
drive by shootings, drugs, gangs etc.

Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! And some of
us are still afraid of em!

Didn't that feel good? Just to go back and say, "Yeah, I remember
that!"


Well, let's keep going!!

Let's go back to the time when...

Decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-mo"

Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, "do over!"

"Race issues" meant arguing about who ran the fastest.

Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in "monopoly"

Catching fireflies could happily occupy an entire evening (Nar ya nar ya nar ya hoooo)

It wasn't odd to have two or three "best" friends.

Being old, referred to anyone over 20.

Nobody was prettier than Mom

Scrapes and bruises were kissed by mom or grandma and made better (w tfouh 3al shaytan)

It was a big deal to finally be tall enough to ride the "big people" rides at the Church park.

Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true.

Abilities were discovered because of a "double-dog-dare"

Spinning around, getting dizzy and falling down was cause for giggles.

The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team.

Water balloons were the ultimate, ultimate weapon.

Older siblings were your worst tormentors, but also your fiercest protector

If you can remember most or all of these, then you have LIVED!!!

Ehhh who cares right? Age is just a number.With age comes Wisdom

Sunset at Dubai Creek from DFC

It was the Dusk on the creek, being at work at this time is something normal here, but staying 15 minutes starring on the sunset from the project site is unusual. i beleive it's a sign : I'm in Love with Dubai...

But i'm missing you here.

peace

Georges & Dalia wedding pictures

Georges Zakhem get married to Dalia Mouawad on 29-07-2006

Mabrouk Georges
congratulations my dear friend

Gebran Tueni Quotes

Gebran Tueni (September 15, 1957 – December 12, 2005) was a Lebanese politician, famous for his editorials in the An-Nahar daily newspaper in Beirut, Lebanon. He was assassinated by a car bomb on December 12, 2005.

To access all 2005 editorials written by Gebran click on: http://web.naharnet.com/editorials.asp

The Oath of Independence:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJzUE5soKVU

"I swear to God As a Muslim and a Christian To defend my dear country ‘till the death And to stay united with my brethren (to stay muwahadeen) Until my last days on earth Defending my great Lebanon (Al A3zeem) "- (March 14, 2005 – during Lebanon’s biggest Independence March in Downtown Beirut. Marking one month exactly to the day of former Lebanese Prime Minister; Sheikh Rafik Al Hariri’s assassination)

Sourced:

"You must realize that many Lebanese are not at ease either with Syrian policy in Lebanon or with the presence of Syrian troops in our country..."- open letter to Lebanese leader Bashar Assad, published March 23, 2000,

"We are on the edge of a new era. It can be something completely positive for Lebanon, and it can be something completely dark for Lebanon. ... That's why we are really at a turning point where anything can happen..." -Associated Press interview, May 2000
This followed the withdrawl of Israeli troops from Lebanon.

Attributed:

"Don't think it is easy for anyone to be forced to live abroad, far from his country, colleagues, wife and children. But sometimes I think, maybe if I am far away I will spare them difficulties and problems. I would transfer the danger to somewhere else and I would not involve those I love..." - Interview with LBC television station

"Yes, there may be other attacks and assassination attempts. One of us may pay the price. Anyway, hopefully it will be us, not anyone else.
The Lebanese security authorities and the remnants of the Syrian system in Lebanon, and directly the Syrian regime from top to bottom, is responsible for every crime and every drop of blood spilled..."

"The Syrian regime is responsible from head to toe for this horrific terrorist crime. Lebanon's opposition should promptly close ranks anew to have every Syrian intelligence cell left behind in Lebanon ruthlessly smashed," June 2, 2005, following the assassination of colleague Samir Kassir

"It is time for us to put an end to our fear for which we paid a very heavy price, to face all the lies of the Syrian security regime..."-Dec. 1, 2005, editorial in An-Nahar

"The Syrian security regime should know ... that despotic regimes and tyrants who committed massacres against humanity were pursued, prosecuted and collapsed..."-Dec. 8, 2005, editorial in An-Nahar

The Father call at Gebran Funeral:

"I call on this occasion not for revenge or hatred but for us to bury with Gebran all our hatreds and to call on all Lebanese, Muslims and Christians, to unite in the service of great Lebanon and its Arab cause," Dec 14, 2005- Ghassan Tueni

The Daughter Cause:

"I, Nayla, daughter of my father Gibran, daughter of my grandfather Ghassan, daughter of my grandfather's father Gibran, I, the daughter of Tueni, am the daughter of freedom. I am the daughter of a martyr, and a martyr never dies..."
"In the names of all those martyrs I solemnly swear our freedom will never die...My father is not dead! He will live through me. I will be the eye of the rooster [An Nahar symbol] which will follow the murderer until the last grave, until we know the truth...An-Nahar will never die, Lebanon will never die...My father always wanted to die for his country and he did. I call upon you all never to forget the oath that he taught you on March 14."- Dec 14, 2005 Nayla Tueni

"We swear by God Almighty, Muslims and Christians, to remain united and defend great Lebanon forever and ever."

May God Bless his soul. (Allah Yirhamou)

Peace.

G.

Dubai is Second Worldwide in Building Offices

Dubai is second worldwide in building offices
http://archive.gulfnews.com/business/Hotel_and_Tourism/10071646.html
10/02/2006 12:19 AM Staff Report
Dubai: With over 24 million square feet of commercial office space currently under development, Dubai has been ranked a close second in the world in terms of office real estate construction activity by Colliers International one of the top three global property service consultants.
According to the company's mid-year Global Office Real Estate review, which assesses the worldwide commercial property markets in 50 countries, only Moscow ranks higher with the Russian capital boasting an estimated 26.90 million square feet of ongoing commercial property construction.
John Davis, CEO, Colliers International Middle East, said: "It is no surprise to see Dubai so close to the top in terms of construction activity. This go-ahead emirate has been making massive progress in recent years with development steaming ahead at an incredible compound annual growth rate of 42.5 per cent.
"Positioned to become the business capital of the region, Dubai has implemented a succession of world-class incentives to attract corporations, NGOs and SMEs from across the globe."
According to the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), the emirate's nominal GDP grew 27 per cent in 2005 more than five times the global average. Buoyed by massive increases in non-oil dependant industries, Dubai is generating strong demand for commercial office space.
"Dubai currently boasts 14 million square feet of available primary and secondary grade office space within its established Central Business Districts (CBD's), a relatively small amount considering the rapid influx of foreign business and the development of indigenous entities currently being undertaken here. Supply is quite simply not meeting demand and developers are feverishly trying to correct the market," added Davis.
According to the report, Asia's commercial construction industry is also thriving. China's ongoing economic boom was evident with Beijing and Shanghai placed third and fourth in the global rankings with 23.58 million square feet and 21.61 million square feet respectively of office space under construction. In addition, Tokyo Central Wards, Guangzhou, Kuala Lampur and Hong Kong, were ranked nine through 12 respectively.
Ranked fifth was South Africa's most populous city, Johannesburg, which is currently undertaking 17.87 million square feet of office space construction.
Only one European city finished in the top ten rankings, Paris, which is currently undertaking 14.61 million square feet of commercial development.

Mona Taleb's Team In Training Page

Koullona Lillwatan

For all my countrymen, for all Lebanese & Friends,

A young and active Lebanese Mona Taleb is a medical student in the US. I am sure you all remember the snap shot from the Martyr Square demonstration onMarch 14th showing a lady wearing the Lebanese flag on her face with the cedar tree decorating her nose. Yes, this is she Mona Taleb who wants to wear the Lebanese flag again in Chicago while running the Marathon for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society on October 22, 2006.

Mona is a proud Lebanese nationalist and I call on all my countrymen to support her and make a token contribution to her fundraising. She wrote: " I just wanted to remind you that I am training with The Leukemia andLymphoma Society's "Team-in-Training" for the Chicago Marathon. I have already fundraised $1065... but that's still short of my $4000 goal. I would really appreciate your contribution!

The website for online donation is: http://www.active.com/donate/tntsc/tntscMTaleb

Let us show the world that Lebanese people are caring and everywhere and Lebanon shall prevail.

Mona E-mail is: mona.taleb@gmail.com

Good Luck Mona,

Peace,

G.