A: yes !

Q: How many blogs/sites can I have enrolled ?

A : as many as you want – the only criteria is that they are blogs about lebanon / by lebanese.

Q: Where/How to submit a blog ?

A: You can use the “submit your blog link” in the menu

Q: How can I advertise my blog/site with your search engine ?

A: You can fill out the form in the advertise menu

Q: How much does it cost to put an advertisement ?

A: If you are a blogger, it is for free – if you are a company/business – please get in touch with us through the contact form or on geeks [at] abaadblogs [dot] com – and no, we don’t charge half a million per ad spot – yet

To embed the search engine in one of your pages, you can use the following code :

( if you are having problems, you can send us an email on geeks [at] abaadblogs [dot] com )

<div id="cse" style="width: 100%;">Loading</div>
<script src="http://www.google.com/jsapi" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
google.load('search', '1', {language : 'en'});
google.setOnLoadCallback(function() {
var customSearchControl = new google.search.CustomSearchControl('017169701501880792774:edfzehn6nei');
customSearchControl.setResultSetSize(google.search.Search.FILTERED_CSE_RESULTSET);
var options = new google.search.DrawOptions();
options.setAutoComplete(true);
customSearchControl.draw('cse', options);
}, true);
</script>
<style type="text/css">
.gsc-control-cse {
font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
border-color: #FFFFFF;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
}
input.gsc-input {
border-color: #BCCDF0;
}
input.gsc-search-button {
border-color: #666666;
background-color: #CECECE;
}
.gsc-tabHeader.gsc-tabhInactive {
border-color: #E9E9E9;
background-color: #E9E9E9;
}
.gsc-tabHeader.gsc-tabhActive {
border-top-color: #FF9900;
border-left-color: #E9E9E9;
border-right-color: #E9E9E9;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
}
.gsc-tabsArea {
border-color: #E9E9E9;
}
.gsc-webResult.gsc-result {
border-color: #FFFFFF;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
}
.gsc-webResult.gsc-result:hover {
border-color: #FFFFFF;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
}
.gs-webResult.gs-result a.gs-title:link,
.gs-webResult.gs-result a.gs-title:link b {
color: #0000CC;
}
.gs-webResult.gs-result a.gs-title:visited,
.gs-webResult.gs-result a.gs-title:visited b {
color: #0000CC;
}
.gs-webResult.gs-result a.gs-title:hover,
.gs-webResult.gs-result a.gs-title:hover b {
color: #0000CC;
}
.gs-webResult.gs-result a.gs-title:active,
.gs-webResult.gs-result a.gs-title:active b {
color: #0000CC;
}
.gsc-cursor-page {
color: #0000CC;
}
a.gsc-trailing-more-results:link {
color: #0000CC;
}
.gs-webResult.gs-result .gs-snippet {
color: #000000;
}
.gs-webResult.gs-result .gs-visibleUrl {
color: #008000;
}
.gs-webResult.gs-result .gs-visibleUrl-short {
color: #008000;
}
.gsc-cursor-box {
border-color: #FFFFFF;
}
.gsc-results .gsc-cursor-page {
border-color: #E9E9E9;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
}
.gsc-results .gsc-cursor-page.gsc-cursor-current-page {
border-color: #FF9900;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
}
.gs-promotion.gs-result {
border-color: #336699;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
}
.gs-promotion.gs-result a.gs-title:link {
color: #0000CC;
}
.gs-promotion.gs-result a.gs-title:visited {
color: #0000CC;
}
.gs-promotion.gs-result a.gs-title:hover {
color: #0000CC;
}
.gs-promotion.gs-result a.gs-title:active {
color: #0000CC;
}
.gs-promotion.gs-result .gs-snippet {
color: #000000;
}
.gs-promotion.gs-result .gs-visibleUrl,
.gs-promotion.gs-result .gs-visibleUrl-short {
color: #008000;
}
</style>  

You can do more customization also by downloading the CSS source file.

Tarek: I don’t know what added value this fashion show brought Lebanon, but I think in terms of productivity millions of dollars were lost because of wasted time. This is a crime against the people living in the area and against Lebanon.

Jordan gets a +1 for having an intelligent discussion on TV

Lebanon gets a -1000 for having officials that surprise us with even newer ways of screwing with thousands of its citizens

.

On a bright side, here is a picture of the fashion show, taken from StarScene

.
Totally worth the good cause!

Filed under: WTF Tagged: Bandwidth limit, Fashion, Israeli/Palestinian conflict, Jon Stewart, Jordan, King Abdullah II, Lebanon, Minister of transportation, MTV, Naccache, Nathalie Fadlallah, Stupid, The Daily Show, Traffic

We don’t even know how people will be consuming news 5 years from now. This is why I become nervous when I see plans like that of Minsiter of Information Tarek Mitri to create a new “comprehensive” media law in Lebanon.

The details are still sketchy. Here’s how Minister Mitri sees the task ahead:

“We are in need of a binding and deterrent law that combines [separated laws], secures consistency, modernizes what requires modernization and fills the legislative holes”

The law could be bad if it creates a monstruos bureaucracy that attempts to preserve the status quo, empower the entrenched special interests and protect the current stakeholders from any disruptive change. Newspapers will start asking for subsidies from the tax payer because they believe they’re performing a “public service”.

But it could also be good. It could consolidate all the red-tape into a law with a light touch, a law that follows general guiding principles without being too specific and overbearing. It could also create a reasonable safety net for all the journalists that will most certainly be the victims of the upcoming disruption to make the transition smoother.

I trust Mr. Mitri is an enlightened man and I’m sure he’ll make the right decision. And yet, it is important for us as bloggers, blog readers and general internet news consumers to let our voice be heard. If you have suggestions for the upcoming law, send Mr. Mitri your suggestions to qanun@ministryinfo.gov.lb .

I will be emailing him a copy of this post after I publish it.
–
Note: Posts with titles starting with an ❊ (asterisk) are my opinion posts. I used this system to separate long posts from quick links and comments.

Lebanon’s Building Boom

Currently looking for a new corporate identity for my family business establishment, I used Google and Lebweb as search tools.  I picked 8 random links and sent them an e-mail presenting the profile of the establishment to give a clear idea and inquiring about a new logo and standard stationary set quotation. (Business card + Letterhead + Envelop, some would include A5 Note Book and others a folder)
Below are the results (Printing not included):

1. Company in Beirut: $2,220
2. Company in Beirut with a regional presence: $1,300
3. Company in Jounieh: $750
4. Company in Rabieh with a regional presence: $400
5. Company in Beirut replied by mail asking for a meeting before giving a quotation
6. Company in Beirut called back asking for a meeting before giving a quotation
7. Company in Beirut: No Reply
8. Company in Beirut with International presence: No Reply

Some have restrictions:

• “English logotype”
• “Logo: 1 design concept, each additional design costs additional $250″

Reading all these e-mails felt really weird. Don’t get me wrong; I know that some are more experienced than others. But to have a price range from $400 to $2,200? What a stretch! Unaware customers, beware of the traps! I guess the are no standards for reference either. (Like in most industries… *sigh)

What do you guys think? Is that normal?

Some told me that freelancers’ fee ranged from $600 to $1500!

As far as I am concerned, I consider myself lucky that a graphic designer and two architects friends allocated some of their precious time to help me out.

Finally, as Randy Newman sings it so well: “It’s a jungle out there, Disorder and confusion everywhere, No one seems to care..”

Acts of violence against Iranian interests in north Lebanon’s city of Tripoli were being prepared to coincide with a visit to the country by Iranian leader Mahmouad Ahmadinejad, security reports revealed Thursday.[The] violence will include burning of the Iranian flag and pictures of Ahmadinejad upon his arrival in Lebanon mid-October.

Here’s a thought: If CNN had a choice between covering cheering crowds in the south and covering angry crowds in the North burning Ahmadinejad dolls, what would it choose?

The Iranian embassy in Beirut announced, with a straight face,  that Ahmadinejad’s visit “Aims to Strengthen Lebanese Unity, Consensus on Resistance”.

Israel issued death threats to Dubai’s police chief for implicating the Jewish state in the assassination of Hamas commander Mahmud al-Mabhuh in the emirate, Lt General Dahi Khalfan Tamim said in comments published on Thursday.

Have you noticed that most of the recent crime intrigue stories in the region have someone whose last name is “Tamim” involved?