RAGMAG Static Issue | April 2011 | Issue #11 by RAGMAG Magazine

APRIL 2011

THE STATIC ISSUE

RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

Downtown Tel +961 1 970367

THE STATIC ISSUE

APRIL 2011 cultureclash 18

ANESTHETIZED

RECONSIDER INERTIA

DISPELLING THE MYTH OF OIL AND WATER JEFF RUBIN

SILWAN IBRAHIM

A MUSICAL MOVEMENT

STATIC CLING

STATIC ELECRTICITY

MANOPAUSE

SEEING THROUGH THE STATIC

HAYDA LEBNEN

POETRY

CLEAR THE STATIC

PLAYING POKER WITH THE PROS

INTERVIEW WITH CHRISTOPHER HALE

STATIC IMAGERY

CHANGING A STATIC SILENCE

GUDDA GUDDA MAKES YOU TINGLE SALWA FIGHTS BACK

A GUIDE TO LEBANESE MEN

FML ANYTHING BUT STATIC THE NEED FOR SPEED

mirrormirror 76

MAKING SCENTS

5 MINUTE FACE

FRAGRANCE WHO WHAT WEAR + WHY HURRY UP!

mind, body + soul 48

STATIC FLOW

CAN’T TAKE THE STATIC

FIRST THINGS FIRST

editor’s opinion

CUT DOWN ON THE ELECTRICITY HE’S STAGNATING AND YOU’VE HAD ENOUGH

see, speak + hear no evil 126 146 148 149 150

BEST OF THE WEB MEN’S EDITION SOUND CHECK MUSIC READ’EM AND WEEP BOOKS WATCH OUT FILM PLAY NICE GAMES

the final frontier 58

EVER EVOLVING

170

COMP SCI’S DIFFERENT STATICS

SCIENCE ISN’T STATIC

brainfood

166

QUIZZ. DINGBATS. CROSSWORD. SUDOKU.

GIVE BLOOD (IF YOU’RE ALLOWED) THE REAL AFFECT OF NOISE

MATTHEW HUSSEY SIFTS THROUGH THE STATIC

HELP ME RABIH

152

AGAINST THE STATIC

164

MOVE TOWARD A HEALTHIER DIET

RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

mon amour, mon ami

ADVICE

BIKING IN LEBANON

TREAT STATIC DIGESTION

eat, drink +be merry 154

BE A MOVER + SHAKER

156

STATIC GUARD

158

RESTAURANT REVIEW

160

SHIFTING SEASONS

BEIRUTRESTAURANTS.COM

PHILLIPE MASSOUD ILILI NYC LA MANCHE

RECIPES

TECH

ACCESS DENIED

WHEELCHAIRS CAN’T MOVE IN LEBANON

DYNAMIC STATIC, P. 100 GENTLEMEN DRESSED BY TOM FORD

you + your country

emperor’s new clothes 94

THE PICTURE OF TOM FORD

THE MALE ROOM

DORIAN GRAY HE IS NOT

THE ORIGINAL MEN OF FASHION

SHOW STOPPER

LUISIA CERANO KEEPS IT STATIC

MOVING TO THE GREAT OUTDOORS

126

MOVEMENT VS. STATIC

120

COPYCAT

100

DYNAMIC STATIC

GERARD DAREL

SKATE, SNOW AND SURF FASHION REAL LIFE RUNWAY

OUR FASHION SHOOT

for him 60

TOP 40 UNDER 40

130

SHADES OF BLACK, WHITE + GORDON CAMPBELL GRAY

MICHEL KHOURY

DEFYING STATIC LIVING

take me with you 136

THIS IS MACAU

TRAVEL

out +about SORRY GUYS, WE WERE TOO BUSY TO PARTY THIS ISSUE. XX

THE STATIC ISSUE

RIAD TAHAN ET FILS Joailliers

Kaslik, Rue Principale - Tel: 09 639034 | Tripoli, Rue El Mina - Tel: 06 440379 | Tripoli, Rue El Tell - Tel: 06 629040

RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

publisher’s letter

Hello RAGMAGGERS! Welcome to another world of RAGMAG. It is our static issue. Whilst our workaholic Editor was jet setting from Beirut to Canada and back, she happened to come across 4 amazing men from different walks of life. On their own they are icons in what they do and I for one cannot believe that they’re all here under our roof, helping us bring to you another superb issue. I’d like to thank all the men who took part in this issue, our first men’s power edition. In your own way, you will find yourself in each of them. Their characters are beyond description, no words can tell us how down to earth, humble and charming they are. I didn’t get to meet them in person, but I did get to feel like a kid whose being told a ‘once upon a time fairy tale bed time story’. A big thank you to Mr. Gordon Campbell Gray, Mr. Tom Ford, Mr. Gudda Gudda, Mr. Christopher Hale and last but not least Mr. Michel Khoury. Gentlemen! Thank you for making us live, laugh and hope. Please keep your letters flowing in and telling us what you think of RAGMAG at publisher@ragmaglive.com

Gina Gabriel El-Fady Publisher FASHION SHOOT MAKING OF PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAMY HARB CHECK OUT THE VIDEO MAKING OF ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE

THE STATIC ISSUE

Publisher

Gina Gabriel El-Fady Editor in Chief

Fida Z Chaaban Managing Director

Georges Yarack Creative Lead

Odette Kahwagi Photograhers Christian Harb Odette Kahwagi Jason Zamora Samy Harb Selected images Shutterstock

Stylist Jony Matta Fashion Set Direction Alexandra Kahwagi Sales Representative Magda Nassar Public Relations Coordinator Lea El-Alam Marketing Advisor Daniella Tayar Admnisitrative Coordinator Teddy Younes Printed by Raidy Printing Group

Contributors Maher El-Alam Stephanie Aoun Elodie Barakat Bryan Borzykowski Jonathan Cainer Amal Chaaban Youmna Chagoury Alice Hlidkova Sarah Hourany Matthew Hussey Leslie Iddison Maria-Elena Kassab Imogen Kimber Chris Lambert Sabina LLewellyn-Davies Maha Majzoub J.E.N. Nour Obaji Aline Rahbany Adam Volk

Media Representative RAGMAG Alex Gabriel Building Rue Colomn de Sahel Sahel Alma Keserwan Tel: 09 916 222 / 09 913 777 magda.nassar@ragmaglive.com lea.elalam@ragmaglive.com

Distributor Lebanese Distributor Company Hamra, Axa Middle East bldg. Tel: 01 368 007

ON OUR COVER PHOTOGRAPHY CHRISTIAN HARB MODELS MALKY CHAKKY + MRAD MOUAWAD HAIR ROGER GABRIEL STYLIST JONY MATTA GENTLEMEN DRESSED BY TOM FORD

Opinions expressed are based solely on personal opinion and expericence, not reflective in any way of RAGMAG, a division of Raycon s.a.l.

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RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

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NOT POSING. IT’S JUST THE ’’ WAITING’’ EFFECT. GS

THE STATIC ISSUE

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Imported by

editor’s letter

PHOTOGRAPHY BY FATIMA SALEH

THE

STATIC ISSUE BECAUSE RAGMAG JUST WON’T STOP MOVING

Okay everyone, I know you’re wondering how we came up with this manly-tech issue. (It’s a little complicated so bare with me.) The idea of being static, motionless, never changing and remaining inert always intrigued me, both scientifically and metaphorically speaking. RAGMAG stays the same each issue with the content you love and our section headers but we’re always trying to change the way we present that content. We’re always trying to improve, transform and be as dynamic as a print publication can be. I wanted to give our readers something that examined the movements in music, art, science, fashion, history and the lack thereof. We also wanted to talk about men who were movers and shakers, the least static people we could think of, so we polled the best for this issue. I even tried to get Professor Stephen Hawking to discuss Static theory but his assistant, Sam Blackburn, has an auto response that apologetically says, “He very much regrets that due to the

severe limitations he works under, and the enormous number of requests he receives, he is unable to compose a reply to every message, and we do not have the resources to deal with many of the specific scientific enquiries and theories we receive.” I think a good example of RAGMAG’s diversity is the range of men we went with for our Static issue. From Hotelier Gordon Campbell Gray to Designer Tom Ford to Economist Jeff Rubin, the men are all distinguished in their own way for being on the up and up of their respective industries. My personal favorite this issue? Rapper Gudda of Young Money. He and his entourage were by far the coolest and most animated group of guys that I’ve met in a very long time. He’s pretty famous in his own right and keeps famous high roller company. When I sat down to talk to Jay Gudda, he was the epitome of what I wanted for this issue, a major player on the rap scene and talks about Lil Wayne on a personal level. Despite all that, he greeted both myself and our

photographer like honoured guests. His manager Greg Gate$ was great, facilitating a face to face interview on less than 5 hours notice, as we happened to cross over in the same city. RAGMAG also thanks Jimmy Coats (they were calling him Joe Chinchilla), Kory J and the rest of Team Gudda for their warm welcome. As always, (I’m about to make a static statement about a dynamic topic), I look forward to hearing what you liked this issue and what you didn’t. letterstotheeditor@ragmaglive.com Follow me on Twitter @fidachaaban

Fida Z Chaaban

Editor in Chief

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letters to the editor

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RAGMAG thinks Bachir Hoayeck is one lucky reader. He was the 1000th friend on our Facebook friend page. Bachir, we think your luck might take you even further so we’re giving you a Dream Lottery ticket to kick it up a notch! Fadi Saad commented on Facebook page! He liked our Editor’s pick for great accessories and we think great taste deserves a great reward. Fadi, you get a Dream Lottery Lebanon ticket. (If you win, we want to be the first people you take for a spin in your sleek prize!) Chantal Nammour Baz wins a Dream Lottery ticket for being the first person to comment on our Making of the Royal issue fashion shoot. Chantal, you said,”That is just fabulous!” We think you’re fabulous! Good luck with the lottery.

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK AND SCRIBBLE ON OUR WALL TO WIN, WRITE TO US LETTERSTOTHEEDITOR@RAGMAGLIVE.COM OR TWEET US ON TWITTER @RAGMAGLEBANON!

JUMP INTO RAGMAG

WE KNOW ALL OF OUR READERS HAVEN’T SEEN OUR MAKING OF VIDEOS. JUMP RIGHT INTO THE RAGGED LIFE BY CHECKING OUT RAGMAG’S PHOTO SHOOTS. JOIN OUR FACEBOOK PAGE TO SEE SAMY HARB’S MONTAGES AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!

12 RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

MOSCATO ROSÉ by villa jolanda PRESENT

ENTER THE DRAW WITH EVERY BOTTLE PURCHASED THE STATIC ISSUE

WWW.DREAMLOTTERYLEBANON.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: +961 70 779 669

editor’s opinion

CLEAR

THE

STATIC PLAYING POKER WITH THE PROS

14 RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

veryone has something to lose in a game. Texas Hold ‘Em has taken the world by storm, mostly because of successful marketing campaigns by online casinos. A men’s magazine I used to write for in North America regularly sponsored events with famous poker players playing live games on camera, right there in the club! The poker marketing really went through the roof with GoldenPalace. com’s ingenious tactic of bidding on every wacked-out, crazy thing on eBay that they could get their hands on. Stuff like a grilled cheese sandwich with the image of Madonna and the late Michael Jackson’s drivers license were snapped up by GoldenPalace. com during eBay auctions. GP even created a touring museum of oddities! People began doing everything from

having their children paint pictures of Golden Palace to stamping themselves with the website’s name in hopes that GoldenPalace.com would throw a little cash their way. People like me, who had never played a game of poker in their life and certainly had never visited online gaming began going to the website in droves. It was absolutely one of the strongest marketing ploys in the last 20 years and introduced tons of people to the game that gave birth to colloquialisms like poker face, up the ante and the like. Poker, as a game, is the best analogy for the psychology of playing a game where you must both read through the static and give off your own static to win. The best game players in Lebanon are our politicians: They’re guilty of dealing you a bad hand, and I’m about to show you why.

THE BEST GAME PLAYERS IN LEBANON ARE OUR GUILTY POLITICIANS: THEY’RE OF DEALING YOU A BAD HAND, AND I’M ABOUT TO SHOW YOU WHY

POKER FACE

In poker, some of the world’s best players wear dark shades while playing. You can’t see what their expression is like. Others don’t need the shades and are experts at projecting that mask of calm. They aren’t the only people with great bluffing expressions, look at dictators and politicians, especially ours. Poker players have mastered what is called a poker face, meaning they keep their expression completely neutral, not allowing the competing players to judge their hands. When you’re wearing a poker face, no one can tell how you feel, be it elated or dejected. No one knows if you’re in a winning or losing position and they definitely can’t judge how genuine you are. Politicians in Lebanon are a pretty feisty bunch, alternating between comical and theatrical, depending on the popular mood and how they need to sway the audience. I’m not afraid of these grandstanding types but I am certainly afraid of the neutral, pokerfaced ones. The less emotion one gives off and the less trash one talks, the more serious he is about hiding his cards. The quiet resolve is unsettling because you know they’re in it to win. The most serious political players wear that daunting neutral face and they are perhaps the most menacing. Lady Gaga’s recent hit, Poker Face, sums it up with her lyrics, “Can’t read my, No he can’t read my poker face”.

THE STATIC ISSUE

editor’s opinion

CALLING THE BLUFF

Calling the bluff means you are taking a risk and continuing to play even though your competitor is giving off signals that he has a winning hand. If you stay stalwart in your bid to win, despite his indications that he has a Royal Flush (an unbeatable hand of cards), then you are calling the bluff. It seems as though we have reached an impasse here in Lebanon: If we choose to go forward with the tribunal, then we are pitting our Straight Flush against the player touting his Royal Flush, suited and in a row, a neat line up of Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten. When you aren’t completely sure that your

opposing player has the means and inclination to win, and by this, I mean take over the country, is it a good or bad move to go forward and call them out on their static? It’s the final call of the hand, do we as Lebanese raise the bet and go forward in the pursuit of justice or do we fold now and back down? This is a decision for every citizen to make and no amount of reassurance from either camp of politicos is going to make us feel more secure. Our current situation is the biggest gamble we may ever make. What are we doing and what are the results going to be?

WE’RE FACING WHAT CAN BE TERMED ZEROIF WE SUM POLITICS, DAMNED DO AND DAMNED IF WE DON’T.

16 RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

UP THE ANTE

Upping the ante is another poker colloquialism that has passed into common parlance. It means to increase the value or raise the stakes of the game. Since this is in essence a gambling term, it applies to any situation where you are taking a risk, like our current ambiguous situation in Lebanon. The indictments and the people to be named in those indictments are a gambler’s nightmare. We’re facing what can be termed zerosum politics, damned if we do and damned if we don’t. The question is do we go forward with the proceedings despite certain parties upping the ante with veiled threats and poker faces? I’m a gambler at heart and I’m for taking the risk because winning this situation (to me at least) is part of winning the larger game and the stakes are high and climbing daily. The pot or pool, depending on the kind of poker you’re playing, is usually a hefty sum. This figurative round of cards we are currently engaged in has stakes that rival almost any other in Lebanon’s history.

I ADVOCATE CALLING THE BLUFF AND GOING ALL IN. I WOULD RATHER BET MY LAST DOLLAR AND SEE THIS GAME THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH THAN BACK DOWN NOW.

RAISING THE STAKES

Basically what is at stake here, another saying with its origins in poker, is the independence of our country. The true freedom of the Lebanese population, the right to an autonomous government, and finally, real democracy is the pool to be won. In supporting this tribunal and calling the bluff, at great personal and national risk, we are taking a leap that many of us are not prepared for. I advocate calling the bluff and going all in. I would rather bet my last dollar and see this game the whole way through than back down now. We’ve come this far and folding just when the stakes are highest (our right to democracy and freedom from hegemony), makes no sense in my mind. When you are in a lose-lose situation, which is how many Lebanese see our current static state of affairs, you have nothing to gain by backing out. Perhaps they do have the Royal Flush and will make good on their threats but if we don’t see this game to the end, we’ll never know for sure. Fear is part of any great gambler’s life but the trick is to feed off of it, not allowing it cower you into submission. Play this game right to the end because if we win, Lebanon is ours again. Support the

indictments and the tribunal

THE STATIC ISSUE

ANESTHETIZED WORDS BY ALINE RAHBANY

I FEEL A NUMBNESS THAT I CANNOT EXPLAIN IT IS RULING OVER MY BRAIN AND MY BODY IT COULD BE THE COUNTLESS DRUGS I HAVE TAKEN IT COULD BE THE WORDS YOU HAVEN’T SAID TO ME I FEEL THE WORLD AROUND ME MOVING IN CIRCLES AT TIMES FAST, AT TIMES SLOW AT TIMES IT JUST STOPS AND BECOMES NOISELESS I TRY TO SLEEP BUT I END UP HALLUCINATING I SEE OLD PEOPLE I HAVE NEVER MET IN MY LIFE I SEE ROADS LEADING TO PLACES I HAVE NEVER BEEN BEFORE I SEE YOU AMONGST OTHER GHOSTS, TALKING, BUT NOT TO ME AVOIDING LOOKING INTO MY EYES

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I LEAVE MY BED AND DECIDE TO BE AROUND PEOPLE THEY TALK TO ME BUT I FAIL TO REPLY INSIDE, I SCREAM, I TRY TO UTTER FEW WORDS BUT THEY FAIL TO LEAVE MY SYSTEM AND I END UP UNHEARD – WITH MOVING LIPS BUT NO SOUND I GO BACK TO MY ROOM, PUT ON MY EVENING GOWN I WEAR MY GOTHIC MAKE-UP, POLISH MY NAILS BLUE CLOSE THE CURTAINS AND SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS SIT ON THE FLOOR AND DAYDREAM ABOUT LIVING UNDEAD

THE STATIC ISSUE

cultureclash

RECONSIDER

INERTIA DYNAMIC CHRISTOPHER HALE DISPROVES STATIC HISTORY

BY AMAL CHAABAN CHRISTOPHER HALE WAS EDUCATED AT SUSSEX UNIVERSITY, GRADUATING WITH A FIRST IN ENGLISH, AND THE SLADE SCHOOL OF FINE ART. HE JOINED THE BBC AS A FILM EDITOR AND WAS OFFERED A CHANCE TO DIRECT A SPECIAL DOCUMENTARY IS THERE ANYBODY THERE? IN 1987. HE HAS SINCE MADE MANY DOCUMENTARIES FOR MOST OF THE MAJOR BROADCASTERS INCLUDING SEARCH FOR THE SONS OF ABRAHAM, THE AWARD-WINNING BLIND TO SCIENCE AND THE NOTORIOUS ‘ATLANTIS REBORN’. HIS FIRST NONFICTION BOOK WAS HIMMLER’S CRUSADE IN 2003 WHICH WON THE PRESTIGIOUS ITALIAN GAMBRINUS GIUSEPPE MAZZOTTI LITERARY PRIZE. HIS NEW BOOK HITLER’S FOREIGN EXECUTIONERS IS SCHEDULED TO BE PUBLISHED IN MAY BY THE HISTORY PRESS, UNITED KINGDOM.

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Christopher Hale speaks to Amal Chaaban exclusively for RAGMAG. Do you think history is static?

I think history is dynamic. But I don’t think that history is something that is up for grabs. Our view of the past is constantly being refracted. Something like the Holocaust for example now dominates our view of the Second World War but in the immediate aftermath, in the 1950s and early 1960s, few historians could see that the “Final Solution” was the core event of the war, now we do... [We] optimistically believe that we understand history better the more information is available and the more documents are released. History is constantly being examined. The past is a foreign country [that] we perceive differently at different times. I hope we understand it better.

You spend a lot of time in the introduction to “Himmler’s Crusade” discussing how myth contributed to the Nazi quest for the Master Race and then end the introduction by saying “Myth is never harmless”. Do you believe that of all myth?

Yes, I believe that passionately. I think we have to be very careful about myth. If you take the Third Reich period, there was a powerful myth about racial superiority and that had the most disastrous consequences. What’s disturbing, fascinating about that racial myth is that it was created and perpetrated by people who saw themselves as scientists. Take Dr. Bruno Beger – he was a very well educated physical anthropologist, he’d attended the best German universities, he had a doctorate. He believed that

he was a scientist but what I show in the book I hope is that really, he was a myth maker. Beger became directly involved in the Holocaust. He worked at Auschwitz, where was pursued his “anthropological studies” using more than a hundred prisoners… all of whom were murdered. The figure of Beger is really the key to Himmler’s Crusade. Do you think Himmler was living vicariously through Schafer et al?

That was the impression I received. Himmler was a very complex character and I don’t think we will ever completely understand him. I don’t think we will understand many of the leaders of the Third Reich. Himmler is especially enigmatic. He admired men like Schafer who were physically strong and liked dashing off to have adventures. Himmler was a bit of a wimp, physically unimpressive. He was aware of that and he admired brutal men, violent men, hard men. Do you think Himmler was touched with madness or just a racist who saw his dreams realized?

One of the paradoxes of Heinrich Himmler is that he seems crushingly dull. I don’t think he has the attributes of a lunatic… that is one of the mysteries. He was the architect of genocide yet he himself had the manner, it was said, of a schoolteacher. He was pedantic, fussy. The more you know about Himmler, the less you understand him. Here, we simply have to return to the historical record. We have to abandon the idea that Himmler can be explained as a human being and look at what he did and how. The SS was like an academy. Himmler was very clever, he made the

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OUR VIEW OF THE PAST IS CONSTANTLY BEING REFRACTED

‘

SS an organization that the German best and brightest would want to join. That meant the aristocratic, educated and political elite flocked to the SS. Didn’t Hugo Boss design some of the SS uniforms? Himmler had to create from scratch a powerful apparatus - he wanted the SS to become immensely powerful in Hitler’s new Germany. These SS men got started in the background as bodyguards to Hitler and in 6 years, Himmler turned this Protection Corps into a vast state within a state. I believe that Himmler saw the SS as a kind of corporation that needed a very precise and potent image. It seduced tens of thousands of

Germans. Many academics joined the SS because in Germany in that period SS membership was the royal road to success in academia. What was it like to interview Dr. Bruno Beger knowing that you were in the same room with an SS Anthropologist?

I found it very difficult. I knew a lot about what he’d done but of course as a journalist, I also had to see him as a source of information. You have to be very careful and maintain a moral distance... Beger was an actor in history – a villain to be precise. You want information from such a man and to hear his point of view.

THE STATIC ISSUE

cultureclash BELOW: HEINRICH HIMMLER INSPECTS A PRISONER-OF-WAR CAMP IN RUSSIA, 1941. HEINRICH HOFFMAN COLLECTION.

‘WHAT’S DISTURBING, FASCINATING ABOUT THAT RACIAL MYTH IS THAT IT WAS CREATED AND PERPETRATED BY PEOPLE WHO SAW THEMSELVES AS SCIENTISTS.’ The problem was often quite banal: For example, his daughter was present in the flat and she offered us coffee and cake in the German style – that felt like a step too far, so we politely declined. This man had participated in murder. Can you drink his coffee, eat his cake? It was very troubling. But I had to acquire the information to explain how another human being had become involved in this horrible crime. I wanted to know what led Beger to Auschwitz. In part of your book, you discuss the “amorality of science”. Can you explain what you mean by that?

In Germany between 1939 and 1945, the simple fact is that not all science was devoted to the ideological aims of the regime. On the other hand, it was always in some way connected to them. So for example, there were very significant studies carried out in the Third Reich period into the connection between smoking and cancer and German scientists

22 RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

made significant discoveries about carcinogens. These insights were real, this wasn’t fake science, it wasn’t even pseudo-science but nevertheless, this work was being carried out because the imperative was to preserve the health of the German people as the “Master Race”. So you see, this is quite a complex process that genuine science can be produced within a regime that is propagating a pseudo-scientific idea. The “Nazi war on cancer” produced genuine medical insights. At the same time, German race theory – which wasn’t an invention of the Nazi’s – the idea that the Aryan or the Nordic race was the summit of human evolution - the scientists who promoted these ideas also considered themselves to be carrying out real science. When I was interviewing Beger, he had a suitcase full of all of the statistical measurements he had carried out in Tibet. His scientific methodology was devoted to a pseudo-scientific cause which in turn was devoted to a morally repugnant ideological cause.

What are you working on now?

My new book is coming out on the 1st of May, it’s called Hitler’s Foreign Executioners. The reason I started writing it is to do with something I discovered during the interview with Bruno Beger. Towards the end of the war in 1944, Beger was asked to carry out an anthropological study of a foreign SS division that had been recruited in the Balkans. I was astonished to find that Himmler had recruited Bosnian Muslims – who were a Slavic people and in Nazi racial terms supposedly “subhuman”. In fact, the Waffen (armed SS) – Himmler’s private army if you like – recruited scores of the “foreign divisions”. There was even a Ukrainian division. This was very surprising. After all the Nazi state was a racial state dedicated to racial purity. Was Himmler’s decision to recruit these Bosnian Muslims – for example – merely expedient or was there a hidden logic? I discovered that Himmler had a master plan that depended on the non German recruits – and that was profoundly connected with the Holocaust

THE STATIC ISSUE

cultureclash

JEFF RUBIN DISPELS THE MYTH OF

OIL + WATER THE GLOBAL CITIZEN BECOMES STATIC BY FIDA CHAABAN

Jeff Rubin, Economist, speaker and critically acclaimed author of Why Your World Is About To Get a Whole Lot Smaller, is in a great mood as he sits down and orders his regular lunch and favorite red wine. I’m meeting him in Toronto for RAGMAG and I’m surprised when he asks me almost as many questions as I ask him. Jeff quizzes me about everything from the Sunna-Shiite relationship to who the ruling families are per Emirate. I talk to Jeff about feudal monarchies, oil and why “no one gives a shit about the Middle East.”

eff laughs as he answers his own question, “Do I think the invasion of Iraq was about weapons of mass destruction? No, I think the first building they secured was the Ministry of Oil and they weren’t looking for weapons of mass destruction,” he

24 RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

pauses and I sense a catch coming, “But here’s where they fuck up: Every time you have regime change in the Middle East, even when it’s inspired to get more oil, the end result is you get less oil. If you look at Iran, nobody misses the Shah, but the world sure misses the 6 million barrels [of oil] a day that Iran was producing. Now they’re producing 4!” Jeff rattles off figures detailing how the Middle East is now exporting less and using more, comparing Ski Dubai’s daily consumption to a month of driving in Toronto. I am stunned stupid as I do the mental calculation and arrive at a conclusion of sheer waste. He quickly jumps to water production and usage explaining that an even bigger issue is, “desalination. Producing water is using about a million barrels a day in Saudi Arabia right now and if

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IT’S RUSSIA WHO HAS BEEN REALLY FILLING THE GAP FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, NOT SAUDI ARABIA. RUSSIA IS SELLING OIL TO CHINA. RUSSIA IS THE ENERGY SUPERPOWER BECAUSE WHEN YOU THROW IN NATURAL GAS, THEY’RE TWICE SAUDI ARABIA!

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THE STATIC ISSUE

cultureclash

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ALL OF A SUDDEN WE’RE INTERVENING IN LIBYA. WHY AREN’T WE INTERVENING IN BAHRAIN OR YEMEN? HERE’S WHERE THE AMERICANS FUCK UP: WHERE THEY INTERVENE TO SECURE OIL SUPPLY THEY GET LESS

you look at the whole region, they’re running out of water way faster than they’re running out of oil. Their aquifers are at eighty percent and they consume twenty times natural replenishment! They’re already burning about a million barrels a day just to power desalination plants,” he says, painting a scary picture and gradually I see that some of the things I’ve taken for granted, like my knowledge of water and oil, are completely wrong. “It’s Russia who has been really filling the gap for the last five years, not Saudi Arabia. Russia is selling oil to China. Russia is the energy superpower because when you throw in natural gas, they’re twice Saudi Arabia! Increasingly, the industry is changing because less oil is actually trading in the open market. More and more is [sic] these long term country to country deals like Sinopec and Saudi Aramco or Rosfelt and Gazprom. It’s becoming less transparent.” Well how big is Russia really for oil? “Russia right now is the Saudi Arabia, Russia does consistently 10, Saudi was doing 8, and now with their big fanfare ‘We’re going to save the world blah blah’ Saudi is just barely doing 9. Saudi Arabia hasn’t done 10 on a sustained basis for years.” I tell him Saudi Arabia puts it out there that this is how they want it and he bursts out, “Bullshit this is how they want it! I say the emperor has no clothes! I think Saudi Arabia has peaked! When George Bush went to plead with King Abdullah in early 2008 when oil was $125 a barrel, he went on a pilgrimage

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to beg him to increase supply because otherwise the world economy was going to collapse! They were able to increase their production by 300000 barrels a day of heavy sour oil that most refineries couldn’t even accept! It wasn’t in Saudi’s interest to create a world recession, if Saudi had this excess capacity that they claim, they would’ve pumped it out! They don’t have it,” he says going on to explain why this charade continues. “Fuck Saudi excess capacity,” Jeff exclaims speaking of their supposed oil reserves, going on to quote that their reserves are supposedly 40 percent phantom. “No one denies the ability of Saudi Arabia to do another 1973 oil boycott and raise the price of oil if they curtail their production. But they no longer can moderate the price of oil because they don’t have it!” Jeff dispels oil myths one by one for me. As an Albertan of Middle Eastern origin, I feel that I know my oil facts pretty well. Jeff soon shows me that I, along with most people, know nothing of the current state of oil, energy and the effect on life as we know it. Do people want to know this stuff? “If you read my blog today in the Globe [and Mail], you see all these comments like ‘Who does Rubin think he is?’ because you can’t assail certain things, certain things are taboo. It’s becoming increasingly obvious that the world cannot continue to grow at 5 percent per annum. We have to start thinking about energy, in particular oil, creating finite limits to growth! There’s an

instinctive, ‘You must be fucking crazy’ type of thing.” Well, I must be fucking crazy, because I definitely didn’t know most of this. It’s a rude awakening to say the least. I suggest that all the forays into the Middle East by the US government are oil motivated and Jeff is animated as he agrees, “There’s always a perfect storm of factors, particularly in the US. Take Libya, a country we never gave a shit about, all of a sudden we’re intervening in Libya. Why aren’t we intervening in Bahrain or Yemen? Here’s where the Americans fuck up: Where they intervene to secure oil supply they get less… Like Saddam Hussein, he was doing 3 million barrels a day before the first war and then they came in and so-called liberated Iraq and they thought production was going to soar! The US department of energy forecasted they’d be producing 4.5 million by 2010 barrels a day and instead it went south to 2 million barrels and it’s barely back up to 2 and a half.” I ask for Jeff’s opinion as to why a headhunt for Qaddafi has begun and not Bashar since Syria also has a problematic relationship with the US. Jeff doesn’t halt for a second as he says, “I think probably the bigger difference is he’s not producing 1.6 million barrels a day so nobody gives a shit how many heads [Bashar al-Assad] chops off.” He talks about late Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein noting that, “he certainly didn’t have a monopoly on tyranny in the region,

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ISRAEL’S BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THAT THEY’RE DEPENDENT ON A NATURAL GAS PIPELINE FROM EGYPT… IT CERTAINLY DOESN’T HAVE THE ENERGY RESOURCES THAT THE REST OF THAT REGION DOES

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THE OIL PRICES ARE GOING TO GET SO HIGH THAT WE’RE GOING TO GET INTO ANOTHER RECESSION

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YOU CAN HAVE A CIVIL WAR BUT NOBODY IS GOING TO COME TO YOUR RESCUE SINCE YOU’RE NOT PRODUCING OIL LIKE LIBYA. IF LEBANON EXPORTED A MILLION BARRELS A DAY OF OIL, THERE WOULD BE AN INTERVENTION

but you’ll notice the interventions are selective and the common denominator is oil.” Jeff makes it clear cut and simple and says things most people agree with but have yet to say on record. “I think the basic problem is that the Middle East trades hydrocarbons for carbohydrates. It’s the largest food importing region in the world: Egypt is the largest importer of wheat; Saudi is the largest importer of Barley. It gets down to the sustainability of those populations… 40 million people are living on less than $2 a day! It’s harder to stomach a Mubarak when you’re making less than $2 a day, okay? How did this all start off? With a fruit vendor in Tunis. But food is a common theme, what you’re seeing is food prices going through the roof. When you’re making less than $2 a day and you’re the biggest wheat importer in the world, you become desperate. It’s wasn’t like Mubarak was indifferent to this, Egypt was spending 20 percent of its budget on food and fuel subsidies,” he explains in comparison to countries spending 1 to 2 percent, a staggering illustration of difference. “Even though oil prices are going higher, food prices are going even higher and the Middle East has less to export and more food to import!” Jeff Rubin makes sense; I just don’t know why the establishment is trying to tune him out. Maybe it is because we really are in that much trouble? “We’re never going to run out of oil in the absolute geological sense; we’re running out of the oil that we can afford to burn. Yeah there’s 170 million barrels of oil in the [Alberta] tar sands but that’s different than saying there’s

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a 170 million barrels in Saudi Arabia cause the price of extraction is different, okay? Yes, the tar sands can one day produce 4 million barrels a day, but unfortunately the kind of oil prices that are going to be needed to lift 4 million barrels a day out of there are going to translate into gasoline prices that will take millions of people off the road. The catch 22 is the oil left in the ground is the oil we can’t afford to burn!” I ask if oil is going to be strictly for the rich in the near future and Jeff mulls it over before he responds, “The oil prices are going to get so high that we’re going to get into another recession.” That’s a scary prediction, but given Jeff’s track record of correct economic forecasts, it is best not to ignore it. Are we even out of the last recession? “We’re out of the recession, but the hole that the recession has created has not been filled in. It’s just not getting any deeper and we’re starting to climb out of the side of the crater! We’re only probably a year or a year and a half of going back into the crater because when oil gets to $150 to $200 a barrel, guess what? The economy goes tits up!” “Canada, the Alberta tar sands, will be a much bigger producer in the world of unconventional oil. In the way the world is going, and the way Iran is going, it’s going to take more than $150 a barrel to produce more than Iran, but yes they can.” We talk about Hugo Chavez and Venezuela, in comparison to other oil producing markets. He discusses the “increasingly antagonistic” relationship between China and the US and draws it back to finite resources pointing out that, “it’s countries like India and China that have lifted global

GDP out of the recession.” Someone has to lose so others can gain, and Jeff says, “That someone is the US.” He talks about the dependence of certain countries on others, “Israel’s biggest problem is that they’re dependent on a natural gas pipeline from Egypt… It certainly doesn’t have the energy resources that the rest of that region does.” About Lebanon Jeff frankly says, “You can have a civil war but nobody is going to come to your rescue since you’re not producing oil like Libya. If Lebanon exported a million barrels a day of oil, there would be an intervention.” He talks about the whole region pretty frankly in fact as he says, “We’re seeing things in the Middle East happen that we never thought possible. We’re seeing the fall of regimes that have been in power for 40 years or more. When you look around and you look at Mubarak or Qaddafi why would we think the House of Saud is any more politically sustainable than Mubarak or Qaddafi? Or Iran for that matter? What makes you think that Ahmadinejad is still going to be around? We’re underestimating the power to change.” We discuss Oman, Bahrain and other Middle Eastern countries and Jeff’s message is the same: Oil, territory and economic power are inexorably linked. So what do we do? Jeff practically shouts, “The only option is to consume less energy. Instead of trying to turn cow shit into high octane fuels, we just need to get off the road!” Indeed

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COURT OF

APPEAL IN SILWAN IBRAHIM’s PAINTINGS IS A WORLD STUCK IN HIS IMAGINATION BY MAHA MAJZOUB

nce you’ve seen a Silwan Ibrahim artwork, identifying another uncaptioned piece of his becomes close to instinctive. His style is distinct. Courts and castles as well as jesters, servants, and musicians in hyperbolically voluminous costumes of yesteryear are the mainstay in Ibrahim’s paintings. He instantly transports you to another world – you think you’ve seen it before, or perhaps read about it. You probably haven’t, as it is all inside Silwan Ibrahim’s head – his crisp imagination and buoyant dreams. Ibrahim’s interest in architecture is reflected in the geometrically perfected chess board-like backgrounds of his paintings, while his numerous literary and philosophical reads are revealed in the historical references and embedded meanings. “I read a lot of comics,” he says. Drenched in color with a futuristic air about them, the paintings are akin to fine art comics. Ibrahim has an uncanny ability to give the folktale-like subjects and scenes a very modern ambiance. It’s like Beowulf meets street art, a cross between One Thousand and One Nights and Alice in Wonderland. He shrugs his shoulders saying, “This is me. It just comes to me like that.”

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Whatever floats your boat

Poetry and music permeate through his courts. With a euphoric flight of fancy, Ibrahim dresses up his characters in a state of ecstasy, many of them dance or play an instrument – probably the trumpets or the drums. They swim in midair, unabated by the laws of gravity. Perhaps they are theatrical performers or buffoons, you think. Ibrahim will not confirm anything in words. He leaves it to you and your imagination, hoping yours will catch up with his, such as his very successful black and white series “Les Musiciens”. “To be honest I see them in color. If you use your imagination, you can see the colors too,” he remarks. “Your work is so layered,” I tell him. “You think you know what’s happening and then you see something else and that completely changes it for you. Every time you look at a painting, you see something new,” I continue. “You know,” he replies, “I should hire you to sell my paintings,” he cracks up. He hardly needs help in that department. Ibrahim’s paintings sell out so fast through two art spaces – Aida Cherfan Gallery in Downtown Beirut and The Gallerist in Sodeco – that he has been unable to put on a show for years.

Sometimes, impressed collectors ask him to reproduce the same artwork. Ibrahim’s answer to that is a sharp no. “I can’t do that. I have an idea in my head and I let myself dream about it. If something comes out, I apply it on canvas. Sometimes I wait for a year or two for an idea to mature,” he explains. “Sometimes it’s already done in my head; I just have to move my hands and stand on my feet to do it. Sometimes it’s more complicated and takes more effort. I won’t rush it. But I don’t repeat my work.”

‘I HAVE AN IDEA IN MY HEAD AND I LET MYSELF DREAM ABOUT IT. IF SOMETHING COMES OUT, I APPLY IT ON CANVAS. ABOVE: AUGUST DAWN 140 X 140 CM 2009 OPPOSITE PAGE: THE CATCH OF THE BIG FISH 120 X 120 CM 2011

SOMETIMES I WAIT FOR A YEAR OR TWO FOR AN IDEA TO MATURE’

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‘PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OF THE ABSURDITY OF LIFE AND WHAT’S HAPPENING AROUND THEM.

I’M TRYING THROUGH MY PAINTINGS TO HELP THEM MAKE SENSE OF THAT’

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ABOVE: NAZARETTE 110 X 120 CM 2008 OPPOSITE PAGE: LA DAKKA 100 X 150 CM 2008

cultureclash Series of dreams

Ibrahim works on a series basis, exhausting the subject until he decides to stop – not the gallery or the client. “An idea starts and I keep pursuing it. I don’t know how it starts. It just does,” explains the 47-year-old artist, who is currently working on the poisson or fish series. He makes an average of three to six paintings per series, producing around a series a year. “I feel that this is how I am understood. This is what Picasso used to do,” he adds, noting that his earlier works involved some single pieces. When he feels he is ready, Ibrahim unveils the works to the public – not necessarily in an exhibition. Although he has showcased his flamboyant celebrations in Lebanon, Tunisia, Dubai, France, and the U.S., Ibrahim is not very keen on art fairs. His last solo show was in 2007 at Aida Cherfan Gallery, where his works have lined the walls for a good few years. He says he used to pressure himself to produce a body of work on a deadline when he was younger. “I don’t do that anymore.” He can afford it. His pieces give him the aura of “the untouchable”,

although the man is very grounded and laidback. He even has an open studio policy. “We can grab a beer or watch a video,” he says. Do not, however, attempt to near or touch any of his wet paintings. You will not be very happy with his reaction. While his oeuvre includes large artwork, Ibrahim has appeared most comfortable in recent years with medium sized canvases of more or less 140x140cm. His past works used to be a mix of oil and acrylics; now he concentrates on the latter, a technique he has mastered with much dexterity and great detail. Even though his composition has matured over time – he has been painting for 25 years – there was depth from the start. So the works appear like tightknit brothers and sisters with different features every time. They are always animated, seemingly playing roles that were picked out for them, which they act out very well. Yes, Ibrahim toys with his characters – and with us. Just because some of those works have familiar titles – some captioned in English others in French – that does not make the scenes familiar.

‘I DON’T KNOW HOW IT STARTS. IT JUST DOES’

On guard

This is the case in “Mother and Child”, where a silhouette of a mother and her baby appears guarded by two sentinels standing on tiptoe and trying to be as discreet as possible. Behind this sheath of cheerfulness and musical extravaganza lies some more somber contemplation. One cannot help but wonder who all these guards are guarding – “Nazarette” is a case in point. Who are their kings or queens? Are these figures being forced to play and act and put on a happy face at all times? In “The Catch of the Big Fish”, why is the fish being patted and why is it being manipulated by strings by two people? What does the fish stand for? Ibrahim’s lips are sealed. He will just tell you his work is about life. “People are trying to make sense of the absurdity of life and what’s happening around them. I’m trying through my paintings to help them make sense of that,” he says. He admits some observers are afraid of his art. “People view them as heavy paintings.” Weighing heavily on Ibrahim’s mind at the moment is the fish series. “I’m so consumed by it. I haven’t decided to show it fully,” he says, adding that he has completed four already. “So there won’t be a show soon?” I ask him. “Perhaps next year. Perhaps,” was the reply. “But why? We want to see your work,” I tell him in a childlike tone. “Well, anyone interested can come to my studio in Fanar,” he says www.aidacherfan.com

THE STATIC ISSUE

Musical Movement CHANGING A STATIC SPACE BY IMOGEN KIMBER

he thudding rain hits the corrugated iron rooftop like nails piercing a window, the noise is deafening. We scurry, grabbing as many chairs and music-stands as we can carry whilst still being able to fit through the tiny corridor that leads to the classroom below. We are trying to rescue the young people’s performance that is about to take place in Bourj al Baranjeh refugee camp on the outskirts of Beirut. Sadly the noise, the cold and the power cuts brought by the rain make it impossible for it to take place in the ‘concert hall’ that has otherwise great acoustics. Quickly chairs are made into rows for an audience and the corridor is

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turned into backstage, where the young people form lines. Filled with nervous tension they poke their heads around the corner to check their parents are still seated and eagerly awaiting their performance.

Making Musical Hope

Alice Howick has been teaching at Al Kamandjati for several months. She is a trained violinist from England who has decided to devote her time to sharing her talent with young people through the organization, Al Kamandjati, who offer young people the chance to learn to play a musical instrument that they otherwise wouldn’t have.

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For almost an hour we listen to Al Kamandjati students perform and the following enthusiastic clapping. The female teenage oud team were genuinely impressive. Their endearing nerves, as they played in front of the twenty-strong crowd in the Beit Atfal Assumoud kindergarten, only added to the intensity and heartfelt depth of their performance. Two of the five oud players are the enthusiastic faces of sisters Amena and Zeinab. Similar faces pop up in the tabla group where their brothers are performing. All of them share the same energy which they bring to life in their music. So far sticking with traditional instruments, Al Kamandjati teach the oud, nay, tabla and violin. They see these instruments as more accessible. “A project of this kind has never been done before here, so you can’t walk in with instruments they are not familiar with,” says Alice. These particular instruments also give

them an opportunity to explore their own culture,“It gives them a chance to connect with their roots,” Alice explains.

Musical Ambition

Despite the culmination of a term’s worth of teaching being a concert it would be mistaken to think that Al Kamandjati aim to provide passing entertainment. “What we do is about these youths having half an hour of sole attention and concentrating on something they can achieve results through. Beyond that it is about the fact that they have something to do when they want to be alone,” said teacher and coordinator Alice Howick. There is a large social aspect to the lessons as well, Alice explained: “It isn’t just about what they are playing… It is about who they are playing with, being able to concentrate on something else, making new friends, being able to talk to their teachers.” The music provides

the young people with a new space in their lives. It is perhaps over-ambitious to think that the children really could become professional musicians, with it tough enough for them to forge a career coming from a refugee camp. Nevertheless Alice Howick perseveres and takes the young musicians to concerts across the city and to meet professional musicians as a source of inspiration. “If you don’t put in front of them the ambition of becoming a musician, something that plenty of people do choose as a life path, then you are missing out on presenting them with the opportunity to have ambition,” Alice says passionately. What music offers these young people and what it offers everyone is succinctly described by Alice: “All of us, when we listen to a certain music, whatever it may be; we feel somehow moved. And moving is about being somewhere other than where you are.”

If you want to support Al Kamandjati please contact Alice Howick on lebanon@alkamandjati.org or see www.alkamandjati.com THE STATIC ISSUE

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STATIC

the ELECTRICITY of

GUDDA RAP’S CHARISMATIC FACE HAS A TANGIBLE SPARK BY FIDA CHAABAN

TWO DAYS BEFORE HIS TWENTY-EIGHTH BIRTHDAY, RAGMAG SITS DOWN WITH GUDDA FOR A FACE TO FACE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW IN CANADA PRIOR TO A STAGE PERFORMANCE FOR HIS TOUR. HIS CAMEO ON TWO YOUNG MONEY SINGLES, “EVERY GIRL” AND THE SMASH HIT “BEDROCK”, HAVE 10 MILLION AND 57 MILLION HITS RESPECTIVELY. AS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA, HE’S OVER THE 150000 MARK ON BOTH HIS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE AND HIS TWITTER (@IMGUDDAGUDDA). PHOTOGRAPHY BY FATIMA SALEH

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OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP TO BOTTOM: GUDDA PHOTOGRAPHED BY FATIMA SALEH, EDITOR FIDA INTERVIEWING GUDDA, STILLS FROM “EXTRAORDINARY”, GUDDA’S NEWEST VIDEO, DIRECTED BY ALEX NAZARI.

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WHAT? YOU THOUGHT I WAS MEAN? YOU NOT DA ONLY PERSON WHO

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TOLD ME THAT

ay Gudda walks into the hotel room flanked by huge personal security detail and pulls his chair so close to me that I manage to hit him no less than three times as we go through the social niceties. He relaxes back into his chair and talks to me as though we’re hanging out despite the microphone I’m holding. His southern black accent is easier to decipher than I thought it would be but I record the interview anyway since I’ll need to go over it later. Gudda says The like “Da”, You know is “YuNooo”, My neighborhood is “May nayyyyborhoood”, he said is “Hea saaayd” and Ask is “Aks” (sounds like axe). In southern style, “You know” is not a question, it’s a statement. Try to imagine every movie you’ve ever seen starring southern blacks and rap culture and then try to imagine this conversation with Gudda. “What? You thought I was mean? You not da only person who told me that,” Gudda says to me as I evince surprise at how friendly he is. The man looks like what you’d expect from a rapper that grew up in New Orleans and chills with Lil Wayne, who he refers to only as Wayne since they’ve been friends for over 15 years. Gudda has great manners- I’m shocked. He’s a real southern gentleman lounging back into his chair assuring me he doesn’t mind being interviewed less

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than an hour before his stage entrance. His entourage looks nervous, they’re wondering how long I’m going to keep this rolling. I’m thinking: As long as possible. Wild horses couldn’t drag me away from Double G, as he’s often called. I look at him carefully, taking in the surprisingly sensual vibe of the real person that I’ve been watching on YouTube for months in anticipation for this interview. The tattoos that adorn Gudda from top to bottom tell his story. How many tattoos does he have? “I lost count, I have like 25? They’re mostly on my arms, my legs… I’m gonna cover the whole top part of my body,” but laughs admitting he doesn’t do it sober. I scold him and I’m surprised at my own audacity, lecturing a rapper of his calibre that I’m meeting for the first time. That’s the crazy thing about Gudda, you spend five minutes with him and you feel as though you’ve known him forever. The tattooed fleurde-lis on his face is a tribute to New Orleans, where Gudda, born Charles Lilly Jr., grew up. “I was there for the hurricane, I actually had to swim outta the hurricane and make it to Houston. I could spend hours tellin’ you how it happened, you could make a movie outta it. I tried to come back to the city, see what was going on, it was still slow motion. I see [New Orleans] as a survivor city but it also breaks my

heart too cause I still have family that had homes out there and they hadda be displaced and they never could go back, so it’s still heartbreaking to see that people can’t go back home.” I feel slightly ridiculous calling him Gudda, hood talk for gutter. “That was the name I got in my neighborhood… My homeboys used to call me Gudda. You know I’m a junior, my whole family calls me Jay. I’m named after my father, I’m the second. My whole family call me Jay my whole life, so when I decided to start rap’n I just kept it as my name Jay Gudda… Wayne gave me a shout out in a rap, he said ‘Gudda Gudda’ like that, and from that day on, every time we go do shows, people started asking ‘Where Gudda Gudda at?’ By him saying that everyone started asking for Gudda Gudda.” Where’s Gudda at? Right now he’s touring Canada and after that he’s heading stateside again. “I love Canada, you know. I’m always in the States doing shows. I was talking to someone about Dubai about a week ago. I was watching this show, mega world or summ’in like that and they were doin’ a show on Dubai and I was like, mannn I would love it,” he says and asks me a few questions about Dubai, pronouncing it Duuu-byeee with a southern lilt, and the new YAS Formula 1 racetrack in Abu Dhabi.

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THAT WAS THE NAME I GOT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD... MY HOMEBOYS USED TO CALL ME GUDDA.

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THAT’S JUST MY WAY OF VENTIN’ INSTEAD OF ACTUALLY GOING OUT AND HURTIN’ SOMEBODY. YOU KNOW I JUST PUT IT DOWN ON THE PAPER, LET MY FRUSTRATIONS OUT.

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OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP TO BOTTOM: “BACK 2 GUDDAVILLE” ALBUM COVER, STILLS FROM “EXTRAORDINARY”, GUDDA’S NEWEST VIDEO, DIRECTED BY ALEX NAZARI.

IT GETS FRUSTRAT’N SOMETIMES, SITTING THERE FOR HOURS AT A TIME, WRITING A VERSE AND JUST KEEPING GOING BACK, SCRATCH’N IT OUT. PEOPLE DON’T UNDERSTAND THAT PART, THEY JUST THINK IT’S JUSTA BUNCHA WORDS YOU’RE THROW’N TOGETHER. THERE’S A WHOLE LOGIC BEHIND IT.

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He describes his rap style as “aggressive and witty. It’s all work.” I tell him that I don’t think a lot of people outside of the rap genre fully comprehend the complexity of rap lyrics. I cite a particularly complicated passage in his hit song “I Don’t Like the Look”, and laughs as I tell him I’ll resist the urge to rap it and make a fool of myself. But seriously, do people get it? “Yeahhh, I mean I think a lot of people don’t appreciate all the work that comes into writing metaphor and the time it takes to actually write that. It gets frustrat’n sometimes, sitting there for hours at a time, writing a verse and just keeping going back, scratch’n it out. People don’t understand that part, they just think it’s justa buncha words you’re throw’n together. There’s a whole logic behind it.” Doesn’t he feel conspicuous since I am able to glean his life story and even his birthdate just by doing internet research? “I mean, it’s pretty much what it is, when you get in this position. Your whole life is put out there on display. It’s a gift and a curse… You love doin’ what you do, you get paid to love doin’ what you do.” Gudda is so positive that I can’t resist asking how he could come across so angry

in tracks like “Young Money Hospital” (a Lil Wayne track featuring Gudda) and “Extraordinary”, his newest video directed by noted rap music video director Alex Nazari. “Gudda, bitch you know is me,” is one of the more mild lines from “Young Money Hospital”, so imagine the harder ones. His raps are sexually charged and even misogynistic. The raps discussing competitors and success are downright violent. “Sometimes when you writin’, sometimes like Young Money Hospital? I wrote that verse maybe two and half years ago, when you in a place like that you feel aggressive. That’s just my way of ventin’ instead of actually going out and hurtin’ somebody. You know I just put it down on the paper, let my frustrations out.” I think on the lyrics talking about hard sex, does Gudda trust women? Laughing shyly, he looks away and says, “Some women... I mean I don’t think you should distrust anybody. Certain people that come in your life, you gotta know who to trust and who not to trust. I gotta a great radar,” he says now looking me straight in the eye. What’s his radar saying about me? “You real genuine, you a nice person,” he says in a smiling southern drawl. I believe him

since everything he says comes across unrehearsed, honest and most of all, attractive in a way that most men can never hope to be. It is also probably why women throw themselves at him despite his lyrics that any sensible girl should run from. The internet is littered with Gudda fan pages and Twitter accounts saying things like “Gudda, I’m your woman” and “I’m Mrs. Gudda.” He just laughs when I mention this to him and I get a little electric shiver.

His charisma is the mark of the man whose background is “mostly black. There’s a little Italian in my family, a little Puerto Rican.” I decide the melting pot of New Orleans is Gudda and the dangerous charm is too, thinking on the sexy mystique of the city dubbed The Big Easy. Where’s Gudda at? He’s right here and sitting with him “I feel so extraordinary. Something’s got a hold on me,” just like the sampling on his track “Extraordinary” from 80s cult group New Order’s hit song “True Faith” that is coincidentally, a favorite of mine. Gudda does indeed take “the game to another level.” After meeting him, I replay his songs and really agree that “[he] don’t walk, [he] just levitates.”

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the NEED for HARLEY-DAVIDSON IS ANYTHING BUT STATIC BY YOUMNA CHAGOURY

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FML [f*ck my life]

find something to wear, Alain set the ground rules • Next time, for Christ’s sake, wear a jacket. • Helmet on. No matter what, no matter where. • You listen to me. ALWAYS. • First lesson: The brakes, the throttle, the clutch = moving bike. Learn how to use them. What a tyrant. I start to get annoyed, but decide to give it a try. And another try. And another. And yet another, until I can finally move the bike without it stalling. Apparently, my experience with manual gear box cars and my knowledge of bike riding were helping. Alain behind me, I ride back and forth a few alleys of the Marina, practicing on downshifting and U-turns. I know you want to read about the wind moving my hair and the sexy image of me on the bike, but with a helmet and incorporated visor, I was looking anything but sexy. Half an hour later, I was done for the day, and went back home to rest before my second session.

Sometime in February 2011 “Youm, guess what? X is kind of hitting on me, hahaha. And by the way, you’re next for FML. How does riding a HarleyDavidson sound?” That was what Fida said to me during our call right before she boarded a plane back to Canada, a preemptive strike against my future calls, texts and emails. I wasn’t really scared about the experience anyway. It was my turn to FML up again, but after all, I had thrown myself off of a crane, I could ride a big bike.

Editor’s Note I don’t remember the details of the phone call exactly, but she’s right. I was just about to leave the country. Besides, I figured she didn’t need much instruction, since the last time I sent her bungee jumping.

Friday March 25, 2011 My sneakers and windbreaker on, I’m starting to appropriate my Suzuki Volty, moving around with ease. I can even do U-turns with Alain not having to get off the bike like the day before. I must have been a rider in a previous Thursday March 24, 2011 life. I’m not saying that because of my I’m at La Marina Dbayyeh Thursday “smooth” riding and my “incredible” afternoon to meet my instructor Alain. braking techniques, but because of the I am searching for a big guy with long ease with which I sat on the bike, the hair and tattoos, maybe wearing boots and a rock-style bandanna. I am instead natural way of my hands holding the handlebars and the feeling of power it welcomed by a man with regular gave me… I’m really starting to enjoy shoes sporting rectangular glasses that it. The hour passed by in a minute, and immediately put him in the “nerd” it’s time to leave the bike, to my great category. I need a few sessions on a small Suzuki regret. before actually riding a Harley. How Saturday March 26, 2010 11:30 am annoying, does he think I’m some Still sipping my coffee, I meet with kind of idiot who has never been on a Alain. By the look on his face, I know bike? When Alain saw me coming his he’s up to something, “We’re practicing way, he looked a bit unsettled. Maybe harem pants and a pair of bow-topped your control of the bike today: Slaloms ballerina flats isn’t the most appropriate and hill starts.” We warm up for 15 minutes, then arrive at a lane where outfit? “Where is your jacket?” he asks. I can hear him silently add, “You idiot.” Alain had placed a few tires. He gets How was I supposed to foresee the ice- off the bike and asks me to slalom cold wind that would later lash my face between them in first gear. Without too much difficulty, I execute his orders for and penetrate my bones? After turning the contents of my car upside down to another 15 minutes. Then he asks me to

PHOTOGRAPHY JASON ZAMORA

THE STATIC ISSUE

FML [f*ck my life]

slalom in second gear, using the clutch as a brake. Easy stuff, I am made for this! Seeing what a quick learner I am (just saying), Alain takes me down a small alley that goes uphill. “You stop right there – put the first gear. Now, foot break, throttle and clutch simultaneously. When you feel like the bike has enough power, you start releasing the three of them.” How many hands and feet does the guy think I have? This is pure torture. My bike keeps stalling, I lose balance and I just don’t get it. Where did my skills go? And when will I ever need to start an engine uphill anyway? The exercise is starting to piss me off, and Alain can see it, “It’s ok, you’re doing better than most of my students.” Now that’s a good boost for my ego. I succeed on my last try. I return home full of hope and excitement for my Sunday session with the Harley. Sunday March 27, 2011 I meet Alain for my last session, and my first actual Harley ride. When approaching our meeting spot, I discover the Monster, I mean the Sportster. Alain had already told me this was the smallest and easiest Harley bike. With so few hours of practice, I couldn’t ride a bigger one like the Electra Glide or the Springer - I know I sound like I know this stuff, but believe me, had I seen them, I wouldn’t have known the difference. So I’m standing there, helmet on, looking at my Harley,

with no clue how to proceed. The thing appears to me as a huge bike, maybe because I expected it to be just like my old 250cc Volty. This was a big fat black and silver 225kg “baby”, with an 883cc power engine. You do the math. I really don’t know if I can handle the weight and the power. I look at Alain and ask, “What happens if I fall with the Harley?” “You’re not going to fall,” he says. Well, if Alain says so… I get on the bike, turn it on and immediately feel the strong vibration under my hands and feet. It feels good so far, and I’m confident. That’s before I try and put my right foot on the brake and realize it’s too far. Or my leg was just too short. “Don’t worry, just use the hand brake,” says Alain. Didn’t he tell me never to use the hand brake, otherwise there’s a very high probability of me falling down? “Well, you’re really not going to be able to go fast with the Harley, so that won’t be a problem.” The guy is underestimating me! Neutral, clutch, first gear, then throttle and clutch simultaneously – the lessons are paying off, and the bike starts moving. Wow, the thing is heavy! I immediately lose balance. Thankfully, Alain is next to me and holds the handlebars, giving me some time to remember to put my feet down so I don’t fall. “Youmna, it’s as easy as riding the Volty, just don’t panic.” “You just shut up, what do you mean don’t panic,” I reply angrily (in my head). A few passersby stop to look at

the beautiful Monster – of course they’re looking at the bike, not at me struggling to balance. I have to say, I like the fact that I’m a girl learning to ride a big bike. The Harley community being mainly male, especially in Lebanon, it feels good to be one of the pioneers! A few unsuccessful tries later, I am finally able to move the Harley back and forth down the alley. Two of Alain’s guys from the HOG (Harley Owners Group) meet us to give me a taste of what a Harley group ride feels like. One of them even lends me his leather jacket so it looks good in Jason’s pictures. How cute are they? Note: I do not want to return the jacket. After a few laps, we stop and get off our bikes and naturally chitchat about bikes and the Harley world. Well actually, they talk while Photographer Jason and I listen. We learn that every group ride has a ride captain, safety tips and obligations, and a few riding codes like a pointed finger that means “Ride one behind another”, a raised foot that says “Beware, big hole,” and other super interesting stuff. Having the feeling they can go on forever about their passion/obsession, I decide to get back on the Harley and ride the way back to my car. Before saying goodbye, Alain insists on giving me a PDF file entitled “You and your motorcycle – riding tips.” 86 pages written by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and a must-have for every rider. It is his way of telling me, “Welcome to the Harley World.”

Join the World of Harley-Davidson Alain Chidiac Motorcycle Riding Instructor 03/159256 44 RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

THEREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S A NEW HARLEY IN TOWN Harley-Davidson Lebanon welcomes the new 2011 Blackline motorcycle from the Softail family. Stripped to the legal limit, showing off its jet-black elements, the bike embodies rebellion by breaking the rules and the previous conventions of colors and chrome. With over 12 new features, including an analog speedometer and an oval air cleaner cover in brilliant chrome that adds a classy touch to the powerful look, the new Blackline is an incarnation of mechanical beauty.

THE STATIC ISSUE

STATIC facts Time Machine TV static is a form of electromagnetic interference. According to Dr. Chris Lintott, an astro-chemist, one percent of the black and white fuzz on your TV screen is actually “light that was emitted three hundred thousand years after the Big Bang. It interferes with your television and [allows us to] actually make a picture of the universe as it was… almost 13.7 billion years ago.”

James Clerk Maxwell (831 – 1879), Scottish physicist and mathematician who formulated the classical electromagnetic theory.

{1978

The year that wonder product Static Guard first hit the market. Static Guard “instantly eliminates and prevents static cling” because it contains a neutralizing agent and humidity-attracting substances. Skirts the world over haven’t suffered from static cling ever since.

46 RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

Study Hall

The branch of science that covers static electricity is called Electrodynamics. The Static Guard website explains that “when positive and negative electric charges are held apart from each other… a static electricity occurrence happens.”

Stand Still A static equation of anything such as a body or system means that the sum of all external forces equals zero. (It is in a state of equilibrium.) An example of this would be a fixed structure such as a bridge or a building. This is not always true, since in some places where earthquakes are common, buildings are designed to taking inertial forces into consideration.

F = ma {

The equation for Newton’s Second Law is applied to a body (like the building or bridge mentioned above) made to withstand an earthquake. First published in 1687 by Sir Isaac Newton in his Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica, the three laws of motion were first used “to explain and investigate the motion of many physical objects and systems.”

Sink or Swim Archimedes Principle, a fluid statics concept, dictates that any floating object displaces its own weight of fluid. Therefore Buoyancy= weight of displaced fluid. You sink in a full bathtub because the weight of the amount of water you displace is less than your actual body weight, so the buoyant force isn’t able to keep you afloat.

The Sound of Music The late rapper Static Major is another artist like Gudda (featured in our Culture Clash section) who has performed with Lil Wayne. They recorded smash hit Lollipop together and Static, whose real name is Stephen Ellis Garret, became famous posthumously, dying suddenly at 34 years of age during an operation.

THE STATIC ISSUE

mind, body + soul

STATIC FLOW THE CANS AND CAN’TS OF BLOOD DONATION BY IMOGEN KIMBER

like to contribute to civil society, and in my opinion, one of the most effective ways to do this is by quite literally giving your blood. Giving blood is absolutely vital across the whole world. Every time you make one donation it is probable that you have saved three people’s lives. Sadly, it turns out that I was not to be allowed this pleasure here in Lebanon. A POTENTIAL “MAD COW” At the Red Cross blood station in Gemmayzeh, after a few regular questions regarding my health, I was asked if I was foreign and specifically if I came from Britain. I found this quite curious but answered that I am. From here on the conversation descended from me being welcomed as a donor into a seemingly desperate attempt on my part to share my platelets, but to no avail. The question about my British-ness related to the small risk that I might

48 RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

be a carrier of ‘mad cow’ disease. I protested, saying that I have been vegetarian for the majority of my life. At this the nail in my coffin was banged in though, as the kindly Red Cross worker looked me up and down and asked “How much do you weigh anyway?” He told me, “We prefer people over 55 kilograms.” Don’t let this put you off though, in fact all the more reason that, if you can, you get out there and give blood, for your families, your friends and frankly for everyone. THE PROCEDURE It is usually best to call first although effectively you can turn up at any blood station between 8am and 1pm. You should make sure you have had something to eat and drink before you go otherwise you are likely to become faint. They begin by giving you a small blood test to confirm you are not anaemic.

You are then fixed up with a needle into a vein in your arm and around 470ml of blood is retracted, an amount that a normal person can easily replace. As for the blood it is taken away and tested. As for you, you can have a little rest and a drink and a biscuit before you get on with your day. WHEN YOU CAN’T GIVE BLOOD As I discovered there are certain reasons why a person can’t give blood and they aren’t flexible: You body must be able to uphold the withdrawal so you can’t be less than 55kgs, pregnant or lactating. You cannot give blood if you have, or ever had, any kind of disease that afflicts the blood including hepatitis and malaria and there are almost no medicines or drugs that can be in your blood, including alcohol. The blood must be thoroughly tested, particularly to be sure it is free of HIV and AIDS, Hepatitis B and C and syphilis

KNOW YOUR BLOOD TYPE When you give blood you will be told your blood type. You can see from the chart how certain types can give and receive from certain other types. Bear in mind that this simplifies things slightly as every type has a negative and a positive.

TYPE

CAN GIVE TO

CAN RECEIVE FROM

A, AB

A, O

B, AB

B, O

A, B, AB, O

WHERE TO GO In Beirut the headquarters of the Red Cross is on Spears Street, Kantari (01/372 802) and a second blood station is in Gemmayzeh, right on Gourad Street (01/332 105). Across Lebanon there are numerous blood stations including one at Jounieh (09/931 750), Zahle (08/804 930) and Triploi (06/601 429) and in the South there is a station in Saida (07/752 141). For more blood stations and more information please see www.redcross.org.lb or call 01/371 391.

THE STATIC ISSUE

you + your country

ACCESS

DENIED BEING STATIC DUE TO SOCIETAL BARRIERS BY YOUMNA CHAGOURY

50 RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

“

hen you’re in a wheelchair, you have 2 options: You either put a gun to your head and pull the trigger, or you accept your condition and live your life to the fullest.” Fadia Srour, a 40 year-old esthetician makes it clear that she picked the second choice. Wheelchair-user from the age of 9, possibly due to malpractice while being treated for a small infection, Fadia has learnt to accept her physical disability but still finds it hard to deal with people’s reactions. To her people’s maliciousness knows no bounds,

“THEY SOMETIMES MAKE ME QUESTION MYSELF; AM I TOO DUMB NOT REALIZING I SHOULD BE SAD AND MISERABLE? BECAUSE THAT’S HOW THEY LOOK AT ME.”

“Every time I go down to drive my car, I hear the neighbors’ whispered ‘ya haram-s’ and the ‘poor hers’. Instead of seeing how independent I am trying to be, driving my own car, going to work or the supermarket, they pity me. They sometimes make me question myself; am I too dumb not realizing I should be sad and miserable? Because that’s how they look at me.” Fadia has had chaotic schooling after her paralysis. The first year her parents were still trying to figure out her disability and all the schools in the neighborhood lacked disabled access. Homeschooled until she was 16, she decided to move to the US, in a fit of rebellion against a society that doesn’t help nor understand her. “I used to dream of living in a country that would accept me like everyone else, where there would be access for me everywhere, and where people wouldn’t look at me like I’m some freak.” She came back to Lebanon a few months later to study esthetics and make a living out of it. Working at a beauty salon was a choice based on practicality more than a real passion for the vocation, the only special equipment needed being a low bed

for Fadia to reach the client’s face and body. She remembers her last exam like it was yesterday. “I had sent a special request for the body treatment exam, in which I asked for a lower bed, or an exercise that didn’t need my full sight. Of course, I didn’t get what I needed. I wasn’t being treated like every other student. It was unfair to me, because I was physically unable to do the same exercises, since they hadn’t provided me with adequate equipment.” Maria*, a 27 year-old woman who saw her life turned upside down after a car accident leaving her in a wheelchair in 2005, says the only place she didn’t encounter difficulties due to her physical disability was the office she worked in, “I work with very respectful people, who never make me feel like I was a burden asking them to hand me stuff I couldn’t reach. But these people are the exception… when you’re in a wheelchair, every single person around you looks at you differently.” Maria knows that when she meets someone new or sees an old acquaintance, they see “Wheelchair Maria”. The only people to see her for who she’s always

THE STATIC ISSUE

“WE SPENT 5 LONG MINUTES TRYING TO EXPLAIN WHAT DISABLED ACCESS WAS, A RAMP, WHEELCHAIR ACCESS. WE TRIED EVERY SYNONYM AND DEFINITION WE KNEW, AND WHEN HE FINALLY UNDERSTOOD, HE JUST SAID, ‘NO, NO, WE DON’T HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT.’”

been are her family and even they’ve changed their behavior with her, being overprotective to a point where she sometimes feels oppressed. Maria says the hardest thing for her is dealing with people’s rudeness, like the staring in public places when she enters, makes her way to her table, and even while she is eating and drinking. The most annoying thing for Maria is having to call and ensure there is wheelchair access every time she wants to try some place new and dealing with her interlocutor’s ignorance. Maria speaks of the time she and her friend called ABC Achrafieh’s Grand Cinemas, “We spent 5 long minutes trying to explain what disabled access was, a ramp, wheelchair access. We tried every synonym and definition we knew, and when he finally understood, he just said, ‘No, no, we don’t have anything like that.’”

“EVEN IF THEY DID LOVE ME, THEIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS WOULD STAND AGAINST IT FOR A THOUSAND EXCUSES, WITHOUT EVER SAYING THE REAL ONE: AM I ABLE TO HAVE CHILDREN? 52 RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

People not being aware of disabled persons needs is a great issue in our society; it is the fruit of a very simple vicious circle. “There is no disabled access. People using a wheelchair can’t go out easily. The people are not in a direct contact with them. Therefore, they’re like non-existent, and no one will think of creating ramps and specially equipped restrooms. It’s really dumb, and it’s just the way it is,” says Tony, whose mother became paralyzed after getting sick. “Unless you become friends with a physically disabled person or you know someone in your family that uses a wheelchair, you can’t understand how difficult it is for them in Lebanon. They literally live ‘under’ everyone, having to move around seated and no one gets how oppressed they can get in public places and how dependant they are forced to be. It needs to change!” Tony owns a construction company abroad, and since his mother’s illness, he began incorporating disabled access in every construction project his company takes, like ramps, restrooms and lower kitchens. All the persons interviewed agreed on the same fact: Their situation is not understood therefore they’re not treated like they should be. Fadia says her disability also stood in the way of every relationship she’s had. To her, it wasn’t because she wasn’t attractive according to the Lebanese dating standards. The problem was and still

runs deeper, “When I was a teenager there was always a guy who wanted to go on dates and get to know me better. But I’m the one that actually kept the relationships friendly. Even if they did love me, their families and friends would stand against it for a thousand excuses, without ever saying the real one: Am I able to have children? I’ve been asked about my period by dozens of women and believe me, you never get used to it.” Fadia simply gave up on dating Lebanese men, finding them and their families too much trouble to cope with. “The last municipal elections made me realize how unequal disabled and able-bodied people were to society. A dog would have been treated better than me that day,” says Maria whose voice breaks every time she remembers what she considers as one of the worst days of her life, the day she went to exercise her right and duty as a Lebanese citizen. “I went to vote at the end of May 2010. The polling being held in a school, of course full of stairs and lacking of disabled access, I was worried I would have to be lifted in front of everyone. Fortunately, women had to vote on the ground floor but my relief was short-lived. As I entered the voting rooms, one of the observers started arguing with the friend who accompanied me to help. After letting him in, I went behind the curtains, voted and came out to put my voting paper in the ballot box on

you + your country

the observer’s table. That’s when the nightmare started, the ballot box was way too high for me to reach its center. An argument started again between the observer and my friend, who wanted to take the paper in a visible way and put it in the box. We tried to explain that the box was too high, that I couldn’t stand up or even slightly raise my body [but] he wouldn’t listen. He didn’t even agree to take my vote and place it himself in the ballot box. I could not imagine that I would just give up on my right to vote. With ‘she’ll just have to work it out on her own’ and literally barking every time someone tried to help me, I finally put the paper in the box and had my vote validated. I went out appalled and mortified.” The incident of Maria is not an isolated case: Fadia simply couldn’t vote. Every day, thousands of disabled people in Lebanon are shunted aside and suffer unfair treatment or denial of rights, countless discriminatory acts which Lebanon was against... at least officially. In May 2000, the Lebanese Parliament approved a new legislation, Law 220, which called for focus on full accessibility in education, jobs, health

services, transportation and tax relief. “It’s been 11 years, and nothing has really changed. 90 percent of the law is yet to be implemented,” says Ibrahim Abdallah, president of the Lebanese Council for Disabled People (LCDP), an umbrella organization that aims at promoting the human rights of disabled persons and their economic and social integration. LCDP is the major Lebanese organization for disabled people to work on a national level by lobbying and negotiating with the government. To Abdallah, the 220 bill on disability has a major flaw: it doesn’t call for total inclusion. It tackles the problem of integration in regular schools and universities, only to condition it. It assures financial help, only to restrict it to education and a 75 percent of the minimum wage for people who can’t work due to their disability. “With less than the $330 Lebanese minimum wage, how can a person with no disability survive? And they really expect people with special needs to live off it?” deplores Abdallah. Being disabled in Lebanon means one of two things, firstly living with a disability (without it being an everyday life handicap) –this means being financially able to afford

good equipment and medical care-, or live secluded because you can’t afford good wheelchairs and chair-friendly places, when and if you are able to find such things. Patrick says his whole family tightened their belt to help buy an electric wheelchair for his cousin, unable to use his arms to move around in a manual chair. “It was a $3000 chair, and it was the best we could find in Lebanon. Other countries like the US provide wheelchairs that are even lighter and more easily driven, but they would have cost us an extra $2000.” Fadia says she thankfully could afford a good chair, but her brothers actually modified her car to fit her needs because she couldn’t afford the imported car’s taxes, “The only financial help provided by the government concerns my municipality taxes. I don’t need that. I need a special car, I need medical care like physiotherapy [and] I need to be able to go to a hospital on the government’s expense when I can’t afford it. The last time I needed to go to a hospital, I had to go all the way to Beirut and back with a disabled card provided by the Ministry of Health. I was refused everywhere, and finally paid everything on my own.”

“I COULD NOT IMAGINE THAT I WOULD JUST GIVE UP ON MY RIGHT TO VOTE.” THE STATIC ISSUE

“IT’S AMAZING HOW INEFFICIENT WE LEBANESE ARE WHEN IT COMES TO DISABILITY ACCESS,”

Ibrahim Abdallah says the lack of healthcare is a bigger problem that needs to be solved urgently, “We have a national issue between hospitals and the Ministry of Health. The Ministry doesn’t pay its charges for the free beds they are supposed to provide in every hospital in the country. But it’s always the people in need that pick up the pieces, particularly disabled people.” Forcing the construction licenses owners in Lebanon to create disabled access seems to be one of the solutions, according to Maria, “There’s a newly constructed building everyday in Lebanon. If the government can’t force the old buildings to have disabled access –and I’m sure they can, it could at least make the new ones have it. I can’t believe public places and transports have to pay fees if they don’t provide people with disabled access in Europe. What is wrong with Lebanon?” Some places in Beirut and its suburbs did actually create what they call disabled access. Unfortunately, many of these places created them without even studying their efficiency like Dunkin Doughnut Maameltein, have

54 RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

ramps, but they let cars park in front of it. CityMall has disabled parking spots, but they’re used by random people or trucks half the time. Leila’s ABC Dbayeh has a new ramp, but when Maria went there with her family, the slope of the ramp was so big she needed 4 waiters to help her: 2 to push her, and 2 others to pull. “They should have just left the stairs, it was less humiliating.” Maria insists that ramps are not enough, what’s the point of having one if there are no disabled restrooms or at least restrooms with easy access? What about lifts that are too small to fit a wheelchair? What about maintenance, if there are holes in the middle of a ramp? Not only is not practical, it can also be dangerous. “Some friends and I went to Byblos a few months ago, and wanted to go on the docks,” says Fadia. “There was a newly constructed wheelchair ramp, but a rock had fallen on it and it was still there. I can assure you that if the rock had been on the stairs, they would have removed it the following day. I don’t get it… they did think of helping disabled people and made a ramp. Why don’t they spend a few more dollars for maintenance? My friends, wanting to be helpful, offered to lift me. But every time someone

offers it, my heart skips a beat. It takes me a single second to remember everything, my condition, and the reason I am in a wheelchair, while I was starting to think that I lived like everyone, that I was no different, and that my life was good. And when I am actually lifted, I feel more belittled than ever.” “It’s amazing how inefficient we Lebanese are when it comes to disability access,” says Fadia. “I once went to Norway for a camping trip where we were offered great outdoor activities, like cycling in the woods and horseback riding. When I went horseback riding in Lebanon, my friends put a lot of time and effort to lift me and put me on the poor horse –in a quite dangerous way I must say. There, they just thought of creating an elevated ramp, I just had to wheel myself up and transfer onto the horse they had put right underneath the ramp. Simple, free, brilliant.” To Maria the lack of disabled access is a lack of recognition and respect for disabled people. Not willing to provide them elements as simple as a ramp in public places or private places with public access like hospitals and theatres only means they are not welcome in these places.

“IT TAKES ME A SINGLE SECOND TO REMEMBER EVERYTHING, MY CONDITION, AND THE REASON I AM IN A WHEELCHAIR, WHILE I WAS STARTING TO THINK THAT I LIVED LIKE EVERYONE, THAT I WAS NO DIFFERENT, AND THAT MY LIFE WAS GOOD.”

you + your country

The LCDP focus their effort on implementing not only the May 2000 Law 220, but mainly the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, signed by the Lebanese government in 2006. The convention calls for respect for difference as part of human diversity and non-discrimination against persons with disabilities. According to the Convention text, “discrimination on the basis of disability” means “any distinction, exclusion or restriction on the basis of disability.” That’s where the shoe pinches. The UN is “concerned that […] persons with disabilities continue to face barriers in their participation as equal members of society and violations of their human rights in all parts of the world.” It seems to be at least the fate of disabled people in Lebanon. The figures vary from one organization to another but nearly 71000 Lebanese have disability cards issued by the Ministry of Social Affairs. Different DPO (Disabled People Organizations) like LCDP estimate the actual total over 150000 people *Some names have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals involved

THE UN IS “CONCERNED THAT […] PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES CONTINUE TO FACE BARRIERS IN THEIR PARTICIPATION AS EQUAL MEMBERS OF SOCIETY AND VIOLATIONS OF THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD.”

LEBANESE NGO’s THAT PROVIDE HELP FOR PHYSICALLY DISABLED PEOPLE Arc En Ciel

John Kennedy Street, Jisr el Bacha Sin el Fil, Beirut TEL 01/495561-5 FAX 01/512107 aec@arcenciel.org

LCDP

Hamra, Beirut TEL 01/738297 nard@cyberia.net.lb

Lebanese Physically Handicapped Union Corniche Al Mazraa, facing Russian Embassy Rifai Bldg, 1st Floor TEL 01/307366 info@lphu.com www.lphu.com

CONSIDERATIONS The California State University, Northridge (USA) added a document to its website, listing a few points on how to act with a disabled person with respect for their person and their environment: • If a person uses a wheelchair, conversations at different eye levels are difficult. If a conversation continues for more than a few minutes and if it is possible to do so, sit down, kneel, or squat and share eye level. • A wheelchair is part of the person’s body space. Do not automatically hang or lean on the chair; it is similar to hanging or leaning on the person. It is fine if you are friends but inappropriate otherwise. • Using words like “walking” or “running” are appropriate. Sensitivity to these words is not necessary. People who use wheelchairs use the same words. • When it appears that a person needs assistance, ask if you can help. Most persons will ask for assistance if they need it. • Never come up behind a person who uses a wheelchair and push them. Always ask first while facing the person. • Never take the door out of a person’s hand to assist them in opening it, they may be using the door for balance. • Accept the fact that a disability exists. By not acknowledging this fact is the same as not acknowledging the person. • People with physical disabilities are not “confined” to wheelchairs. They often transfer over to automobiles and to furniture. Some who use wheelchairs can walk with the aid of canes, braces, crutches or walkers. Using a wheelchair some of the time does not mean an individual is “faking” a disability. It may be a means to conserve energy or move about more quickly.

THE STATIC ISSUE

TUNE

OUT BY SARAH HOURANY

TURN DOWN THE VOLUME IN LEBANON

CITIES ARE INCREASINGLY GETTING LOUDER, FROM HONKING TO NON-STOP CONSTRUCTION, SCREAMING ALARMS TO WAILING AMBULANCES. CALLING NOISE POLLUTION ANNOYING AND SHRUGGING IT OFF AS PART OF DAILY LIFE IS OVER-SIMPLIFICATION. RAGMAG IS ABOUT TO TELL YOU WHY WE NEED TO TURN DOWN THE VOLUME AND TUNE OUT THE STATIC.

ounds are able, through the mechanical function of the middle ear, to stimulate the hearing nerve that goes to the brain and its deep centers, connected to the neuroendocrine and to the autonomous nervous system. The “message” triggered by that sound is interpreted and appropriate defense and adaptation mechanisms are the reactions to sound. Not limited to bodily functions, emotional reactions are also aroused with the secretion of different hormones along with the reflexes.

HOSPITALS TREATING MENTAL ILLNESS NEAR LONDON’S HEATHROW AIRPORT HAVE HIGHER ADMISSION RATES THAN THOSE IN LESS NOISY AREAS.

56 RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

You Make Me Sick

Mental illness, loss of productivity, stress, neurological and cardiovascular disorders are just some of the problems correlated with excess noise. The relationship between noise and mental illness is not well defined, however several studies were able to confirm that a correlation between the two does in fact exist. Hospitals treating mental illness near London’s Heathrow airport have higher admission rates than those in less noisy areas. In addition, somatic and emotional symptoms associated with the annoyance caused by noise are significant. It’s worth noting that consumption of tranquilizers and sedatives rises with the increase of noise exposure, specifically in a noisy environment and road traffic areas. Productivity decreases when noise increases, do you do your best work

when there’s a ruckus outside your window? A study conducted on a sample of children living next to an airport showed long-term memory impairment. It also confirmed that louder work environments hinder productivity. In short, the louder it is, the less you work. But that’s not all, noise causes stress, anxiety, nervousness and sleep deprivation. Recent studies prove that noise increases the levels of stress hormones in the body, even while sleeping! Once activated, cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenalin, cause dangerous physiological problems the longer they remain in the bloodstream. Consequently, high stress levels weaken the body’s immunity and the ability to sleep, beginning at a noise level of 50 decibels. To put this in perspective for you, a washing

mind, body + soul

machine may reach 70 dB.

Time is Ticking

Long-term exposure to noise can lead to a number of neurological changes like an altered sense of balance, decreased tactile sensitivity of the hands and feet, decreased stimulus reaction time and decreased reactivity to visual stimuli. Noise is also correlated with heart disease, according to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO), blaming excessive noise for the deaths of thousands of people in Britain. Surprisingly, 3030 of 101000 deaths caused by the coronary heart

disease in the UK in 2006 were linked to chronic noise exposure. Similar results were to be found in other studies: Children living next to a Munich airport suffered from higher blood pressure than children in quieter neighborhoods and thus have a higher predisposition to heart attacks and stroke. Adults living near airports in Amsterdam and Stockholm had a higher number of doctor visits, higher blood pressure, and required more treatment for heart trouble in comparison with adults living in quiet

LONG-TERM EXPOSURE TO NOISE CAN LEAD TO A NUMBER OF NEUROLOGICAL CHANGES LIKE AN ALTERED SENSE OF BALANCE, DECREASED TACTILE SENSITIVITY OF THE HANDS AND FEET, DECREASED STIMULUS REACTION TIME AND DECREASED REACTIVITY TO VISUAL STIMULI.

Sound Off • Wear earplugs, especially when the noise intensifies • Try sitting in the quietest room in your home to relax and concentrate on your work • Spend the weekends out of the city; enjoy country silence once a week!

The Noise Maker • The 10 unhappiest cities in the US according to Bloomberg are Portland, St. Louis, New Orleans, Detroit, Cleveland, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, NashvilleDavidson, Cincinnati and Atlanta. • According to the WHO, suicide rates are associated with high levels of employment, and mental disorders, which are increasingly found in cities. This may explain the higher rates of suicide from 1950 to 2000 that

accompanied urbanization. • A study done on children showed that girls exposed to loud traffic noise are more easily annoyed than boys by sounds they cannot control and thus become less motivated for work. • A study at Texas A&M University concluded that women are more sensitive to noise than men and have a lower tolerance threshold.

• Turn your house into a sound proof home (if you can afford it), since it prevents the external noise coming in and the internal voicing going out. • Support policies aiming to reduce noise such as the use of low-noise tires, installation of low-noise road surfaces, roadwork coordination by utility companies. The EU, for instance, endorsed a policy obligating large European cities to produce noise maps indicating where the traffic racket is greatest.

THE STATIC ISSUE

the final frontier

EVER EVOLVING

SCIENCE ISN’ T STATIC THEORIES CHANGE + SHIFT BY J.E.N.

THE UNIVERSE IS EXPANDING. THEN AGAIN, WHO KNOWS WHETHER THIS THEORY WILL IN TURN PROVE TO BE INACCURATE!

hile at first glance science seems to embody static, factual certainty, science is in fact ever-changing. Certain things once accepted as accurate theories or discoveries have been proven to be far from perfect over the years.

An example of this is Einstein’s Static Universe. Before scientists came to the conclusion that the universe was created as a consequence of the Big Bang, it was held that the universe was a static, unchanging constant that has been the same size from day one and will always be the same size. Albert Einstein was a huge fan of the Static Universe theory to the extent that his name was associated with it and his famous theory of general relativity takes it into consideration. However, Edwin Hubble’s observations of the way heavenly bodies move brought an end to this theory. The universe is actually expanding. Then again, who knows whether this theory will in turn prove to be inaccurate!

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Spontaneous Generation was fact for thousands of years and even up until the 1700s. While rather ridiculous to us, respected scientists thought life could be created without first being formed through reproduction (sperm, ovum, pollen and the like). Aristotle and other great names believed that life could literally spring from nothing. They came to this conclusion by seeing plants grow out of the earth and maggots mysteriously emerging from corpses. With the advance of science and inventions like the microscope, life’s puzzle would be seen much clearer and the theory was discredited. The Blank Slate Theory (tabula rasa)

was a hot topic in psychology and philosophy for years. The tabula rasa theory basically states that people are born like a blank slate without any personality, tendencies and likings and hence does not attribute anything to instinct or nature. Aristotle, St. Thomas Aquinas, John Locke and others firmly believed that people develop traits and

inclinations as a direct result of education and experience. While no one can deny the significant impact of education and experiences on a person, today genetics, cross-cultural research and studies on twins raised apart have revealed that many traits and instincts are inherited and hence even a new born is a far cry from a blank slate. In the 19th Century scientists discovered a new planet in our solar system located between the Sun and Mercury. The planet was called Vulcan (after the Roman god of fire) and was meant to explain the baffling irregularities surrounding Mercury’s orbit. A mathematician, Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier, was the first scientist to propose the existence of this planet and soon many others jumped on the bandwagon, claiming to have made sightings. Vulcan was thought to exist even after Le Verrier death in 1877. In fact it wasn’t until 1915 that scientists fully changed their minds because Einstein’s theory of general relativity gave a much better explanation of Mercury’s odd orbit.

WHILE THERE IS NOTHING INTRINSICALLY WRONG WITH THE THEORY OF COLD FUSION PER SAY, PUTTING THE THEORY INTO PRACTICE ISN’T AN EASY TASK. Did you know that the Earth expands? While we know this is implausible because we have greater insight into the Earth’s interior, plate tectonics and concept of subduction, the idea that Earth is expanding (increasing in volume) was pure science. The expanding Earth theory was how scientists explained marvels like underwater mountain ranges, continental drift and new mountains. Charles Darwin delved into this theory for a spell as did Nikola Tesla. Needless to say this theory is no longer widely accepted. Luminiferous aether is probably not a

term we are familiar with, but it was common knowledge back in the day. Aether was the puzzling substance thought to be the means through which light was transmitted in the universe. This theory started with the ancient

Greeks and remained popular until the 1800s. If the theory had been correct then the physics we know today would be immensely different. It would have even changed the way we can measure deep space. Physicist Albert Michelson dubbed luminiferous aether “one of the grandest generalizations in modern science.” The theory of luminiferous aether was gradually swept away by new theories and the term has been replaced with terms like fields and fabric. Experiments on light had long shown that aether wasn’t accurate, but it took Einstein’s special theory of relativity to deal the final blow. Cold Fusion was a groundbreaking theory and Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons’ seemingly successful experiment results in 1989 made the headlines with many tooting the results as a milestone that would open

the door to clean, cheap and widelyavailable cold fusion energy. Cold fusion is a nuclear reaction that can be done at room temperature (as opposed to the extremely high temperatures usually needed). When other scientists tried to replicate the experiment’s results, they failed to bring about cold fusion. Needless to say Fleischmann and Pons were slandered. While there is nothing intrinsically wrong with the theory of cold fusion per say, putting the theory into practice isn’t an easy task. But experiments continue to bring about cold fusion reactions, so who knows when a dependable method will arise. So is science really static? What once was science-fact can become sciencefiction. What theories widely accepted today will prove to be questionable in the future?

BELOW; ALBERT MICHELSON’S EXPERIMENT ON LIGHT.

EXPERIMENTS ON LIGHT HAD LONG SHOWN THAT AETHER WASN’T ACCURATE, BUT IT TOOK EINSTEIN’S SPECIAL THEORY OF RELATIVITY TO DEAL THE FINAL BLOW. THE STATIC ISSUE

OUR PICK FOR TOP 40 UNDER 40

MICHEL KHOURY

GIVES MOVEMENT A NEW FACE BY FIDA CHAABAN

ichel Khoury is all logic all the time. With a background in math and physics, the probability of success is high and still climbing. When you want to talk Top 40 Under 40, you need to take a close look at who is really achieving in the competitive marketplace. RAGMAG tracked down Michel in Paris to talk about success, the economy and finally, what it really takes to be on top. Michel mentions that two men really stand out for him businesswise, “Warren Buffet because when he speaks, the world listens and of course my father, because when he speaks, I listen”, he says laughing. Michel laughs often and tells me amusing anecdotes of his time in the US. Does he miss it? “If I had to choose another city other than Beirut, it would be LA. I lived and loved in LA,” he says. Where else? “Between the months of July and August I think Stockholm is great. The architecture- it’s beautiful, it’s pristine! The people are exquisite, very stylish! The food is just amazing. Take it from me, I’ve seen some of the world’s best restaurants,” he says almost convincing me to book my next vacay there. My head begins to spin, LA, Stockholm? Where did he start off? Beginning at Royal Holloway and transferring to Goizueta Business School at Emory University with a Major in Finance, Michel completed his Bachelor of Business Administration in Venture Management. Young and bright, in 2003 Michel Khoury was

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awarded the Who’s Who Award in Economics for The Strategic Implementation of Educational Development of Chile. His master’s thesis covered financing structures of financially ailing government and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) with the goal state of creating a viable profitability plan. Recruitment by a private firm in Los Angeles in 2005 brought about Michel’s next move to build and operate schools in the process acquiring two financially ailing educational institutions. And while all of this was going on, the rarely static Michel created a specific consultancy firm to assist international schools manage operations and create long term financial viability schemas. After a stint with Merrill Lynch in Private Client Services in Atlanta, Michel was quickly scooped by Bear Sterns perpetuating his relocation to Manhattan. His two years with Bear Stearns immersed him in mergers and acquisitions with a focus in ecommerce and biotechnology. His persistence was soon acknowledged by the US Trust Bank, awarding Michel the Private Banker of the Year award in 2007. No small achievement, Michel went on to obtain two Master’s degrees from ivy-league Columbia University: The first in Economics and the second in International Development of Finance and Planning. He amassed an impressive portfolio specifying in fund management with clients varying from educational institutions to private investors.

What was he bringing to the table? Advantageous long-term solution strategies. He then sold his entire portfolio to Bank of America, enabling the launch of the MK Holding group. Since he was poised to break into his own niche market, why choose Lebanon? “I decided to move back to Lebanon to expand my family’s business and to see what new opportunities there are in the Middle East.” MK Holding, the parent company of MKH, the distribution and warehousing arm of MK Holding group currently based in Beirut and operating in Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. A personal coup for Michel included landing the rights to Middle East distribution for Moscato Rosé by Villa Jolanda and Luxor after a lengthy and competitive negotiation arena. What’s his success secret? “The most important thing is client feedback and recommendation. We tend to learn from the bigger distributors. I wouldn’t emulate, it’s rather a process of choosing what works best. It’s the application of principals like cost effectiveness and efficiency that MK Holding provides. The thing about Lebanon is that you can definitely get things done when you know how to navigate the channels but it’s also important to bring a corporate capitalist element to the equation. I think that’s where a lot of companies currently operating in Lebanon fall short. We manage to fill that gap which is why we’ve done so well in such a short period of time,” he explains. Does the

for him

man have any downtime? “For sure! It’s all about time management. I play tennis and scuba dive and sometimes do yoga with a personal instructor.” Time management, strategic cost cutting measures and operational efficiency have given Michel Khoury a significant competitive edge. Basing decisions on quantitative and qualitative market data and a heavy analytical focus with an application of solid economic theory allowed for a skyrocket in career with a continuing focus on self improvement. What’s his expansion plan? “We’re branching out, targeting more and more venues. We’re doing it the right way by not expanding too quickly; after all we want to maintain our standards. I think the biggest mistake burgeoning companies make it biting off more than they can chew. All of MK holding initiatives are carefully thought out and executed in a corporate style. We’re not fly by night, MK holding is here to stay,” he says confidently. Ideas for improving Lebanon’s flailing economy? “I think the tourism board in Lebanon needs a complete overhaul and the government needs to begin promoting this country abroad in more creative ways, situating Beirut as a global capital.

Look at Hollywood, there is tons of money to be made in partnership with them. If we have the right vision to build the studios, they’ll take advantage of the lower tax rate and inexpensive labor! We’ve basically got the perfect venue to shoot blockbuster films! We’ve got mountains, seashores, beaches, nightlife; you could stage any movie you can dream of here. We’ve got a very intelligent and worldly population, we should capitalize on that. There is no reason why Morocco and Tunisia should be making films and not Lebanon. Think about the possibilities! That is one sure fire way to generate a huge influx of cash into Lebanon, as well as attracting a wider international tourism base. Look at what 007 did for Montenegro. It was splashed on the cover of every major publication because they chose to film there,” he says listing a number of other blockbusters that have generated tourism in the Middle East and Europe. What about philanthropy? “Ecoist! The best philanthropy is about going green. MK Holding now distributes Ecoist in Lebanon,” he says mentioning my favorite handbags. Every purchase of Ecoist plants a tree and they have a solid worldwide fashion reputation, endorsed by some of the biggest celeb names out there.

What’s he currently devoting his energy to? “The Dream Car Lottery while promoting Moscato Rosé and Luxor.” The first promotional luxury lottery in Lebanon, Dream Lottery Lebanon currently has 2 Mercedes up for grabs and a lot more cars and luxury items. “We’re currently in negotiations to have some of the most incredible cars available. Dream Lottery Lebanon is the promotional arm of MK holding.” It’s the first luxury lottery created in Lebanon as a way to promote brands. Deftly slipping back to his current focus, he says, “We’re lucky to have been able to create Dream Lottery Lebanon, definitely not my idea at all but like everything, we try to increase the quality and service of products and services we give. When you enter the draw for a car, what sets MK holding apart from other lotteries is that we pay all the customs and taxes on the car. The client just has to pay registration while other companies will make you pay all the taxes and VAT, totalling more than what you win. You’ll have to check out our online portal,” he tells me. “Find us in beaches this summer and at the Casino du Liban,” he invites. I’m fairly certain that’s not the only place we’ll find Michel Khoury

‘THE THING ABOUT LEBANON IS THAT YOU CAN DEFINITELY GET THINGS DONE WHEN YOU KNOW HOW TO NAVIGATE THE CHANNELS BUT IT’S ALSO IMPORTANT TO BRING A CORPORATE CAPITALIST ELEMENT TO THE EQUATION.’

THE STATIC ISSUE

FIRST THINGS

FIRST MINIMIZING THE EXTRANEOUS STATIC BY MATTHEW HUSSEY

very day forces us to make decisions about how to spend our life. Our days are broken down into manageable blocks called hours, and how we choose to spend these hours will ultimately determine the course of our lives. But most of us feel like we don’t have enough of them. We get thrown so many tasks every day, by our loved ones, our work colleagues, our boss, and even our pets; it’s enough to make us feel completely helpless amongst an endless sea of demands. Not surprisingly then, anyone with a drive to succeed has always asked themselves the following question: How can I get more hours out of my day? Our whole society is completely obsessed with this mindset of cramming ever more work into every waking moment of our lives. We think about skipping lunch to get more done, sacrificing our weekends for extra “catch up” work, eating dinner in front of our computer and waking up three hours earlier to manage our email account yet again! But let me tell you now, this approach is completely bogus. Not only is it completely unsustainable, but it also leaves you with no life whatsoever, and more worryingly, it will actually make you more likely to create new problems to fill your working time with. Needless to say, stuffing more hours into your waking day is rarely the solution to the real problem. We have to shake off this mindset that progress simply means working harder or longer. The more intelligent question then, is this: How can I get more out of the hours in my day?

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mind, body + soul

DEALING WITH YOUR MOST IMPORTANT TASKS FIRST WILL NOT ONLY MAKE YOU INFINITELY MORE PRODUCTIVE, BUT YOU’LL BE HAPPIER, MORE RELAXED AND MUCH MORE CONFIDENT IN YOUR ABILITY TO GET THINGS DONE. The answer is through prioritizing. We have to be intelligent about how we decide to tackle the demands life throws at us. We can’t simply respond to everyone’s mountain of demands in the hope that the pile will eventually diminish, because believe me, it won’t. So let me give you some of the best things I’ve come across in my coaching about using your time wisely:

1. DECIDE WHAT TASKS YOU WILL RESPOND TO

We cannot respond to everything. Sometimes we feel overworked just because we can’t bear to say no to anyone, and as a result we become busy due to ‘people pleasing’. Remember, you decide if it’s important! This is where the static comes in, is it just extra tasking that leads no where? Generally, you only want to be spending your time on two things: 1.Things you love doing 2.Things that are necessary to bring you closer to your long term goals Everything else is superfluous, and can wait until you have more time on your plate. Too often we see people wasting their whole lives being dictated to by other people’s demands, only to look back years later and wonder why they squandered all that time pleasing everyone else, instead of spending time with their loved ones or working on that dream career they never got round to. So remember, it’s only important if you decide it is!

2. DECIDE WHEN YOU WILL RESPOND TO CERTAIN TASKS

Too many of us waste our days endlessly checking our inbox account,

and responding to the little things that don’t really help us move forward. The answer is not to ignore these things, but to decide when you are going to deal with them. In my business I receive hundreds of emails a day, and if I spent all my time responding to them, my business would crumble and nothing would ever get done. As a result, I now only ever check my emails at two scheduled times in the day. This way I resist the temptation of endlessly cycling through messages when I should be focusing on other things. So the lesson here is to save the low payoff tasks for later! Eliminate this form of procrastination, and you won’t believe how much easier your life becomes.

3. IMPORTANT TASKS COME FIRST!

My rule for prioritizing is always to put worst things first. And by important I don’t mean the most urgent. I mean the big task we all have in our head right now that will brings us closer towards our ultimate goals. Yet ironically, we have a nasty habit of putting these big tasks at the end of our to-do list, instead spending most of the day on the little “urgent” ones we can tick off easily. Dealing with your most important tasks first will not only make you infinitely more productive, but you’ll be happier, more relaxed and much more confident in your ability to get things done. Tackling the big stuff will give you momentum, and you’ll be safe in the knowledge that you’ve already taken on the hardest task at the start of your day.

RAGMAG brings you the best in selfimprovement. Matthew Hussey is one of the leading talents in behavioral change and success. As a Life Strategist he has founded two coaching companies working with thousands of individuals across the globe to show them ways of making dramatic shifts in their lives. Matthew’s success has been built on finding out what people want, and showing them how to make it happen in the shortest time possible. He is currently a weekly columnist for Now magazine, providing expert advice on dating and relationship issues for female readers. In addition, his coaching has been featured in the London Metro, Evening Standard, The Sun, The Independent, Men’s Health, Glamour magazine, Cosmopolitan, and Elle magazine. His seminars have recently taken him to New York where he ran a live event and an interview with Sirius radio, and will be taking him to Las Vegas later this year to speak about his methods. A highly sought after public speaker and executive coach, Matthew has consulted companies including Accenture, Virgin, Morgan Stanley, Weil & Gotshal, and CB Richard Ellis, as well as over 5000 individuals and organizations ranging from directors of FTSE 100 Companies, Universities, international investment funds, artists, and royalty.

So what are you waiting for?

THE STATIC ISSUE

help me

Rabih BY NOUR OBAJI

Editor’s Note Nour and Rabih are trading places this issue. He’s calling the shots since the Static issue of RAGMAG is so RAG-MAN. Hold on to your seats, cause this is going to get a little bumpy!

MY HUSBAND THINKS HE’S 18 AGAIN... HE’S COMING HOME DRUNK EVERY WEEKEND AND PARTYING WITH THE WRONG CROWD. ALL HIS FRIENDS ARE SINGLE AND ARE ALWAYS WITH DIFFERENT GIRLS. I’M AFRAID THEY WILL RUB OFF ON HIM? Leslie, 26

“Has he been acting this way for a long time? If not, maybe it is just a phase, the one most men go through when they start fearing getting old.” Stephanie, 27

“You don’t mention how old your husband is so I can only guess that maybe he is making up for something he didn’t get to do when he was 18 or letting off steam? Regardless, his behaviour is juvenile and unacceptable. You say that he is partying with the wrong crowd, do you mean wrong crowd because you don’t know them, don’t trust them or do you mean that they are actually a crowd that could get him into something that could potentially be damaging or harmful? Do you trust him? Because from the tone of your question, you don’t. You’re afraid they will rub off on him but I think it is more a question of trust. You need to have a good chat with him and talk about how you are feeling about this. You also need to find out what is behind this behaviour posthaste.”

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RAGMAG BRINGS YOUR REALITY CHECK TO YOU. SEND NOUR YOUR QUESTIONS, AND EACH ISSUE SHE DOES HER BEST TO GIVE YOU SOUND ADVICE. THE ONLY INTERACTIVE ADVICE COLUMN IN LEBANON, EACH QUESTION IS ADDRESSED BY READERS BEFORE NOUR WEIGHS IN ON THE MATTER.

Mary, 25

“Face the facts, your husband and men in general will never really grow up. Discipline is love, you need to teach him that this behaviour is not acceptable and that if it continues you will cut down on the ‘candy’. More importantly, you need to really try to find out what has made him turn to drinking and other social distractions… and get to the root of the cause if you really want to resolve the issue.”

Nour’s Vote Grow up. That is my advice to him and to you as well. If you don’t know how to communicate with your husband on a basic level, this advice column is not going to help you. This is how you approach things as an adult married couple: Speak to one another. Tell him that his hard partying and the less than desirable company he keeps makes you uncomfortable. Have a rational conversation pointing out some of the things that bother you, and the things you are worried about. For once he and I agree: Rabih’s Vote sounds rational go for it. Rabih’s Vote “Every weekend” is excessive. If that’s the case, then there is definitely a problem. Sit down with him and explain that you miss

hanging out with him and that you’d like to hang out with him more often. After all, this is your marriage, devote some time into regetting to know your husband – you may have to just suck it up and start joining him at these parties – unless, he is doing it to see other women. And if that’s the case, there is a whole other side to this story, and I don’t want to get into it. I AM PREGNANT AND MY BEST FRIEND CAN’T HAVE CHILDREN. I’M SO HAPPY, BUT I DON’T WANT TO DEPRESS HER. SHOULD I STAY QUIET UNTIL SHE SEES THE BUMP? Selena, 35

“She’s your best friend! I don’t even get the fact that you’re worried about telling her. It is hard for her, but she’s gonna love that you’re pregnant. Waiting till she ‘discovers’ it seems more like a betrayal to me.” Zeina, 31

“If your best friend won the lottery would it depress you? Or would you be happy for her? If the answer is not a positive one then you are not really best friends. It’s natural human behaviour to feel a little bit of jealousy but you soon get over it. Of course you should tell her, I’m sure she has already dealt with her own misfortune and would love to share your euphoria.”

mind, body + soul

I WENT OUT WITH SOMEONE FOR 6 MONTHS AND WE ENDED THINGS BECAUSE HE WAS NOT READY TO BE IN A RELATIONSHIP. I’VE DATED OTHER PEOPLE SINCE, BUT WHENEVER HE CALLS ME, I KIND OF FALL FOR HIM AGAIN. WHAT SHOULD I DO? D, 28

Rita, 37

“That wouldn’t be nice to hide from her; you’ll just make her feel worse. Since she is your best friend you don’t need to worry about anything, she should be expecting this. She might be upset at the beginning but eventually she will overcome it especially when you actually have the child. I am sure she will treat your baby as though it was hers!”

“What you should do is not take his calls. You say flat out in your question that you broke up because he wasn’t ready for a relationship and you were. Clearly you are at cross purposes.”

Nour’s Vote This is a delicate situation. Nour, the Interactive Panel and Rabih’s Vote are all one in the same: Tell her. Tell her sooner rather than later. This will prevent her from having hurt feelings and feeling as though you pity her. (Incidentally, you do sound as though you pity her and this is not nice. Sympathy yes- pity no.) Honesty being the best policy is a cliché, but it is a good rule of thumb to follow. Rabih’s Vote Tough situation. This is not a good question to get a guy’s opinion on. However, being that I’m a guy, it gives the ability to look at a “girl/girl” issue in its simplest form. So I’d say, just tell her – if she’s truly your best friend, she would see it as a positive thing – and that a new baby is coming to both of your lives. In fact, I reckon she’ll be really happy for the two of you. I WENT OUT WITH SOMEONE FOR 6 MONTHS AND WE ENDED THINGS BECAUSE HE WAS NOT READY TO BE IN A RELATIONSHIP. I’VE DATED OTHER PEOPLE SINCE, BUT WHENEVER HE CALLS ME, I KIND OF FALL FOR HIM AGAIN. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

Naj, 23

“Why is he still calling you? Keeping you as backup? My bigger question for you is why you would allow someone who is not wanting the same things you are to continue to be in your life?” Josie, 37

“You are simply falling for him because he rejected you. That’s painful! But at the end of the day, you can’t ignore your feelings so I would suggest trying to reconnect with him in a more social manner and see where it takes off from there. By doing that, you kind of rebuild a friendship which you might see a side to him that is different to the side you used to know. Give it a shot, it might not be what you expected!”

Nour’s Vote This is one of those times that Rabih and I agree (twice in one issue? SHOCKING!) This is about you and treating him like the one that got away. Some people aren’t in a place for commitment and no matter how long you wait, they might never come around. It is hard not to jump back on the merry go round when you have major chemistry and strong feelings for a person, but it is just that: a circle. You’ll like him all over again and probably get hurt all over again. Take a dating breather and wait until someone really remarkable comes

along so you can give it a fresh chance. If, as Rabih says, you’re just buddy-ing up, this is a minefield of disappointment since you clearly have strong feelings for him.

Rabih’s Vote My oh my... you sound like one of the girls I’ve dated (in my past life of course... I am a good boy now). Lord knows how many times I’ve kept ex-girlfriends in limbo, for two main reasons: 1. Because I could, 2. Because it was an easy booty call. I had no intention of ever being in a committed relationship with these girls and it was NOT because I was not ready. My advice to you is to categorically stop taking his calls, under any circumstances. Why? Because as a woman casual sex outside committed relationships is like recreational heroin - it doesn’t stay recreational for long. That’s due in part to this thing called oxytocin -- a bonding hormone that is released when a woman a) nurses her baby and b) has an orgasm, especially with a guy that you fancy. It’s why you can be f**k buddy-ing with an ex-bf who is “not that into you” and the next thing you know, you will be forever strung out on him. And you have no idea how it happened. And since nature can’t discriminate between real relationship material and Charlie Sheen, you’re going to have to start ignoring him like the plague

To ask a question,

send your problems to helpmenour@ragmaglive.com

To join the reader response panel and give feedback to women across

Lebanon, send your name, age, and email address to helpmenour@ragmaglive.com subject line: Interactive Panel. We will contact you if you are chosen THE to STATIC ISSUE 65 participate.

BELOW: STILLS FROM ‘THE ADVENTURES OF SALWA’ FROM YOUTUBE

SEEING THROUGH THE

STATIC DRAWING LINES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT BY IMOGEN KIMBER

ome determined young women have decided that enough is enough. They have had enough staring, enough comments, enough whistles, enough brushing past just that bit too close, so they are taking out their rage and fury through Salwa. Salwa is a little girl with a big mission. “Salwa is an average Lebanese woman who is sick of the sexual harassment that has become part of her daily life and decided to take matters into her own hands. Her superpower lies in her bag,” so says Salwa’s official introduction.

SALWA ON HER ADVENTURES

The Adventures of Salwa is an animated short film featuring a young woman who refuses to accept the daily grind of harassment. Salwa’s first ‘episode’ begins in an office. Salwa is sat at her desk and getting on with her work when she gets a phone call to go to the boss’ office. Salwa obviously has an idea of what awaits her as she starts to become anxious. When she arrives, for one glorious moment,

66 RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

Salwa believes that she has been given a pay raise. Her dream is quickly shattered when her lecherous boss leans over and puckers up for a kiss in exchange for said bonus. Salwa flies into a rage, sees red, and whacks him across the head with her handbag to leave him laying on the floor as she storms out the office. Now that’s empowered. Salwa’s second episode is in a taxi. A seemingly usual taxi ride, Salwa reaches forward to pay the taxi driver at which point he grabs her hand and thrusts towards her for a kiss. Instead of shying away out comes her handbag to reap her revenge. Thwack!

SALWA HAS A PURPOSE

It is pretty clear where the impetus for Salwa comes from. She is the brain child of Nassawiya, the feminist organisation that was formed in January 2010. A small group from Nassawiya including Rana Ignatios, Farah Salka and Amanda Abou Abdallah came up with this innovative way to work on what they see as the chronic problem of sexual harassment.

‘SALWA IS AN AVERAGE LEBANESE WOMAN WHO IS SICK OF THE SEXUAL HARASSMENT THAT HAS BECOME PART OF HER DAILY LIFE AND DECIDED TO TAKE MATTERS INTO HER OWN HANDS. HER SUPERPOWER LIES IN HER BAG’

cultureclash

Essentially Salwa has a two pronged approach: In the mainstay she is aimed at the people. She hopes to empower women; encouraging them to respond to situations; to not accept any form of harassment. The basic principle of Salwa is that she is standing up for herself. We all agree that we don’t want to ask someone else for our rights. That is not to say that anyone is blaming someone for not reacting, just that we want to level the playing field. And to the perpetrators of the harassment, she hopes to make them think about their actions and consider what they are doing and why. The other side of the approach, if you like from the ‘top down’ is that Salwa wants to see harassment criminalized. I was told almost indigently by Farah that “There is no law against sexual harassment in Lebanon,” so women have no official line of recourse. Criminalization, in many people’s minds sets a precedence of what is and isn’t

acceptable. Criminalization also offers protection when something goes wrong.

SALWA COMES TO LIFE

Artist and filmmaker Amanda Abou Abdallah gave her reasoning for why she turned to Salwa for help: “Sometimes a video, an animation, a photograph or any kind of art can really change lives and can be much more effective than lectures or anything of that sort and that’s what we’re hoping to achieve in this campaign.” The process of creating Salwa is, in itself, cathartic. Members of Nassawyia, along with interested members of the public, meet together and begin by simply discussing the concept of sexual harassment. With an almost surreal affect, the young women sit in a circle and brainstorm what consists of sexual harassment. The list is long. Of course it consists of cat calling on the street, but it soon

divulges into much subtler power plays including possession of space (which would mean simply being a deliberately dominant presence), looking and tone of voice. The location of harassment varies, but one thing remains the same. Sexual harassment is about one person trying to dominate another. The idea behind this outpouring is that ‘we’ bring our very personal experiences to the table so that Salwa can be the embodiment of the average women’s encounters. “I believe there’s a little ‘Salwa’ in each one of us,” says Amanda, at least this is what she is hoping for. The ideas and every day accounts are noted down by Farah and with a little help from the clever people at Wahme productions Salwa becomes animated. Salwa has big ambitions; she already has a TV appearance under her belt and even made it on to the big screen at the Human Rights Film Festival held at the Metropolis cinema in Achrafieh, and of course the next instalment is on its way

BELOW: STILLS FORM ‘THE ADVENTURES OF SALWA’ FROM YOUTUBE

Follow her activities on her Facebook group (The Adventures of Salwa) Go to www.nasawiya.org to sign up 67 for THE STATIC ISSUE Salwa’s discussion group.

STATIC CLING WHEN THINGS GET TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT

68 RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

THIS MONTH IN MON AMOUR MON AMI, WE’RE TALKING ABOUT STATIC. THE ELECTRIC FORCE BETWEEN PEOPLE THAT DRAWS YOU TOGETHER CAN BE AMAZING WHEN IT TRANSLATES INTO GREAT CHEMISTRY. THE STATIC CLING CHEMISTRY BETWEEN PEOPLE CAN BE ANYONE FROM THE BEST FRIEND WHO ALWAYS KNOWS WHAT YOU’RE THINKING AND GETS ALL YOUR JOKES, TO THE LOVER THAT YOU CAN’T KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF, TO YOUR COLLEAGUE WHO IS ALWAYS ON THE SAME WAVELENGTH. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE CHEMISTRY THAT YOU DON’T WANT? READ ON FOR SOME SCENARIOS THAT ARE JUST A LITTLE TOO MAGNETIC FOR YOUR LIKING AND HOW TO NEUTRALIZE THE ELECTRIC CHARGE.

mon amour, mon ami

DEFINITION OF AWKWARD? GETTING HIT ON BY YOUR FRIEND’S BOYFRIEND. BEHIND FRENEMY LINES

WHEN HE’S AROUND YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE AND BECOME PARANOID THAT YOUR FRIEND MIGHT THINK YOU ARE ENCOURAGING HIS ROVING EYE.

Your frenemy is your friend and enemy simultaneously. They’re sometimes competitive, manage to remember all the times you slipped up in your personal and professional life and in general rub you the wrong way. Why can’t you get rid of them? The problem is you share a social circle and have been “friends” for years. She hasn’t actually tried to hurt you but you can’t get over seeing that weird smile she was wearing when you were talking about your latest breakup. Is she happy when you’re miserable? It’s hard to tell but that nagging feeling just won’t go away no matter what you do. So as much as you try to genuinely like her, there’s static between the two of you that just doesn’t translate to good intentions on either side.

Neutralize the Charge

If you decide that your frenemy is more enemy than friend, clear the air. Gradually stop attending group functions that your frenemy has rsvped for and don’t return her calls and messages. Subtly comment to your mutual buddies that you are paring down your friend group to people who are positive forces in your life. They’ll get the message soon enough.

THREE’S A CROWD

Definition of awkward? Getting hit on by your friend’s boyfriend. You aren’t sure at first, but those jokes seem on the warm side. You begin paying closer attention and decide his jibes are a little too sexual for casual banter between friends. When he’s around you are uncomfortable and become paranoid that your friend might think you are encouraging his roving eye. You begin hinting at your other friends trying to figure out if anyone else gets that same vibe from him but don’t want to cause trouble so you don’t come right out and say it. You aren’t one hundred percent certain that you’re right but you don’t want to stick around to find out. At this point it doesn’t really matter if it’s accurate or not, it is just enough that the static is there and it’s giving you the prickles.

Neutralize the Charge You’ve decided his intentions are more than friendly and it’s giving you the creeps. Distance yourself from him completely. If you have him on your social media sites, make sure the interaction is transparent and out in the open as opposed to private messaging. If your friend is suggesting group outings, count yourself out. If your friend begins noticing your absences and cool distance, it is completely up to you whether or not an explanation is warranted.

THE STATIC ISSUE

mon amour, mon ami

ONE-SIDED CHEMISTRY IS NOT CHEMISTRY AND THIS IS BECOMING A PITY PARTY THE ELECTRIC CHAIR X MARKS THE SPOT If you are the object of his affections and you just aren’t feeling it, you begin to feel as though you’re in the hot seat. This situation is normal except when you’re in one interlocking circle. You share a social group and all your mutual buddies are always wondering why you won’t just “give him a chance”. It’s starting to make you feel guilty and you’ve even tried to make yourself like him. You’ve done the hanging out thing and tried to visualize it as a pseudo-date. It didn’t work. You feel almost brotherly towards him and really can’t picture him in a romantic light. One-sided chemistry is not chemistry and this is becoming a pity party. You can’t handle his mooning looks at you anymore to the point where it sets you off and makes you want to chuck your whole friendship out the window.

IF YOU KNOW THE SITUATION IS ESCALATING INTO THE NO-FLY ZONE THEN YOU DEFINITELY NEED TO CUT DOWN ON THE STATIC.

Neutralize the Charge If you are sure that this will never end up romantic, then you need to deal with it before you ruin your friendship out of discomfort. Sit him down and explain that as much as you would love to reciprocate, you just can’t. It could be a case of pheromones or just that you aren’t physically attracted to him. He may think you’re his perfect match so you’ll have to give him some logical reasons as to why you are not. Let’s hope he can handle the frank conversation. If he can’t then it isn’t your fault because you’ve tried to make the static dissipate.

You and your friend have a lot in common. One of those things happens to be a taste in men. Yes, we know it sounds bad but it’s not like that really. You find the same things funny and are interested in the same subjects so it’s only natural that you find the same men engaging. This can be harmless or harmful depending on the extent and type of chemistry we’re talking about. Cut to the chase: You met him as her boyfriend and now he is her ex. You cultivated a friendship during their yearlong relationship and now it is nearly impossible to cut the cord since you were all one big happy family. While they were together you didn’t devote a lot of private attention to him and never spoke to him on the phone. After they broke up your friendship developed because you no longer had your friend as a connector to pass news back and forth. You’ve gotten really close and you are afraid you’re about to cross the thin fine line between okay and not so okay because the static is becoming pretty thick.

Neutralize the Charge If you know the situation is escalating into the no-fly zone (actually becoming romantic with your friends ex-boyfriend), then you definitely need to cut down on the static. While it sucks that you need to put distance between you and your friend’s ex simply because he is her ex, it’s a fact of life and friendship. For starters, even if your friend doesn’t mind, your other friends will. They will make it an issue and begin thinking of you as the one who goes for sloppy seconds, as crude as that sounds. Talk to him as openly as possible, if you are that close you’ll be able to suck it up and state the facts: I like you but I can’t put myself in that position.

RAGMAG knows it would be so much easier if your static didn’t cling. If it does, you’ve got our charge neutralizing guide. It will help you prevent the inevitable electric shock that usually ensues after situations like the ones we’ve covered blow up

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THE STATIC ISSUE

THE CESSATION OF SANITY

STATIC development BY MARIA ELENA KASSAB

enopause: a word that comes with a cold feeling of dread in women and strikes fear in the hearts of the bravest of men. Women dread it because it comes with symptoms and side effects we wouldn’t wish upon our worst enemy. Men fear it because they have to put up with aforementioned side effects and symptoms –which we wouldn’t wish upon our worst enemy, either. Menopause refers to the permanent cessation of a woman’s ovaries. Literally, it means “end of monthly cycles”, from the Greek “paussis” or cessation and “men”, or months. That’s what the dictionary says. I say it does come from the Greek word “paussis” and the English word, men –plural of man. So in my dictionary, MANopause not only affects the gentler sex, but the un-gentler one, too!

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Now before you scramble for your big words like Andropause (which is not officially recognized by the WHO), hypogonadism (which refers to a drop in male testosterone levels) and PADAM (Partial Androgen Deficiency in Aging Males), know that I’m not referring to the actual phenomenon that men go through at a certain age, the phenomenon that physicists compare to menopause. I’m talking about your dad, your uncle, your history teacher, the dekkanjeh down the street going absolutely berserk, for no reason other than “their age” –which apparently allows them to develop a split personality capable of anything and everything. Remember how your dad didn’t really intervene in your social life? You would go out and have fun anytime you wanted since you had your own car.

Nobody would ask you what time you were coming back and there were no comments about your outings on weeknights. Your parents didn’t know every single friend you had and your dad didn’t poke his nose in your love life (or lack thereof). And suddenly, MANopause! “Don’t you think your ass should stay at home instead of going out every single night?” “Oh, you’re coming back at eleven pm? I want you home by ten, tops!” “You have class tomorrow, no going out tonight, young lady!” “Who are you going out with? Why don’t I know Sabine, Jessy, Saria, Betty and Theresa?” “That guy with you in three of your Facebook photos… what are his intentions with you? I hope you’re not going out with every guy that smiles at you!” Welcome to MANopaused-dad-life.

mon amour, mon ami

Remember how your uncle would hug you and give you anything you wanted? Remember how he said you were the best niece in the world? Remember the presents he gave you, the pubs he got you into even though they were full for the night? Remember how he kept encouraging his wife to stop smoking and his kids to start reading? BAM! Manopause. “Please, no hugs. You know how I hate when someone invades my personal space.” “You can’t have everything you want, when did you become such a spoiled brat?” “You shouldn’t even be going out to pubs, you’re only 22 years old!” “I wish she would start smoking again, she used to be in a bad mood before but this is unbearable. I’d rather die of cancer from secondhand smoking than put up with her!” “They’re always reading, they always have their noses stuffed in books, I can’t believe how horrible this generation is turning out to be!” MANopause is starting to make your life a tad more annoying.

Your history prof used to be your favorite teacher ever. He was kind and gentle, patient and passionate about his work. He made going to class a real pleasure. And then MANopause reared its ugly head. It was all nagging and bitching and moaning and groaning. “Why did I ever choose this career, you’re nothing but a bunch of ne’er-do-wells.” “I can’t stand this establishment, these classrooms, this teaching material… why has life done this to me?” Attending the MANopausal teacher’s class? Thanks, but, seriously, no thanks. The dekkanjeh down the street has known you since you were a kid, all dirty and grimy from running around. He would give you the bottle of soda you were there to buy and sometimes throw in a free pack of gum. He would tell you stories about being a child himself, about the war and how laziness was the mother of all evil. And now, for no reason whatsoever, he starts grumbling when you pay

for your soda, yells at you for being young when he’s old, refuses to give you gum and shoos you away unceremoniously when you try to strike up a conversation. This isn’t your usual bad mood due to fatigue, stress, a butt load of work, political tensions, high food and gas prices, global warming or the eternal dichotomy between Good and Evil. I’m talking about the same mood swings menopausal women go through as a result of hormone fluctuation –except that men don’t have to live with wildly changing FSH, progesterone and estradiol levels! They’re not the ones living with a stuttering pituitary gland and the loss of fertility! They can still have children till they’re old and wrinkly. Be it sympathy menopause or MANopause, we can’t deny that men go through a weird mood change at a certain age. All we can do is sigh internally and live with it. At least they’re not having hot flashes. Yet

I’M TALKING ABOUT THE SAME MOOD SWINGS MENOPAUSAL WOMEN GO THROUGH AS A RESULT OF HORMONE FLUCTUATION –EXCEPT THAT MEN DON’T HAVE TO LIVE WITH WILDLY CHANGING FSH, PROGESTERONE AND ESTRADIOL LEVELS!

THE STATIC ISSUE

cultureclash

HAYDA LEBNEN’s Little Black Book BY SARAH HOURANY

n Lebanon, we have brochures for everything: Pubs, nightclubs, restaurants, spas, car dealerships, museums… But a guide to Lebanese men? This issue, RAGMAG fills the gap for you. Of course we don’t mean to generalize according to the small sample we’ve encountered, but we’re pretty sure reading through our typical Leb men will sound eerily familiar. Hayda Lebnen’s list is meant for both Lebanese and non-Lebanese women, aiming to minimize the emotional shock after discovering that they’ve actually met one of the men listed below. So ladies, enjoy our Black Book and men, if you see yourself here, take it with a grain of salt. It’s all in good fun!

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Zouzou 2ebba After spending years on his famous “Mobylette” proudly acquiring the title “Zouzou 2ebba”, he ingenuously thinks that his brand new car (an old clunker), will be his ticket to the Promised Land: Women. He’s invested in 2zez fumé, jnouta, baflét and arguilé so he can kickoff the national tour. On the agenda are pit stops at high schools, universities, and coffee shops to test his edited version of “achta” & co. hoping his tochfit, tozmir and teznikh will garner the attention he so craves. Wazwaz, guess what? The only reason a woman would give you a second look is to better see Mr. Annoying, then she can put a face to all the antics!

Ya jagual.. Ma yhezzak rih! He’s grateful for the technological devices that keep him connected with the dozen or more women he calls on a daily basis. He’s not even close to being Gerard Butler, at least not with the Kerech that keeps on expanding. Women, in his opinion, can’t resist the smell of his cigar nor the thrill of his Ferrari’s roaring engine. He is also sure that these women can’t help but fall in love with him after he commences his famous show-off scenes. This usually includes offering his date (every half an hour on the hour), a big bottle of champagne as a sign of his deep appreciation to the dress she’s wearing. Factor in the zero consideration of interrupting over a hundred people happily dancing in the club. Buzz kill, full stop.

KEBRO 3ADALATO… KHAFFO 3A2LETO!

IT IS NOT EXACTLY HIS CUTE “CHÉGHIE” THAT IRRITATES YOU BUT THE WHOLE PACKAGE THAT COMES WITH IT.

Papi… Waynak? This Lebanese man is good-looking, well-educated, charming, mature and funny. He treats you like a princess, drives you home early if you have work the next day and calls you before bed to wish you a goodnight. You can’t help but picture the dream home you’ll share, envisioning it a quiet and peaceful retreat. You even see a beautiful waterfront property surrounded by a vast garden where your 3 kids play happily. That’s shortly before finding out that these 3 kids do exist, at least from his side. You’re not naïve and love is not blind or stupid, he’s an expert at lying, lying and lying. Beware of the increasing share of married cheaters in the Lebanese men’s market. 2enno min jabaron yetjawazo in the first place?

Kebro 3adalato… Khaffo 3a2leto! 2enno we get it: Exercising helps you manage your weight, boosts your energy level and improves your mood. He’s the only one who doesn’t realize that he isn’t conveying that image of health and self improvement. He may be God in the gym (spending a minimum of 6 hours daily pumping iron), but on the streets, he’s just a goofy mobile muscle mass. Body-builder, do you think women will fall all over themselves, infatuated by your huge arms and disproportional body? Believe me Johnny Bravo is only attractive as a cartoon; in real life he is not likely to get any Bravos from women!

3aris… M3annas! Come on girls, I’m sure you’ve met a couple of these unfortunate sorts. He’ll do anything, literally anything, to get married. He may even be visualizing women walking the streets of Beirut in wedding gowns. On the first date, he directly informs you of his credentials (before you even ask). He lets you know that he owns a house, has a good job and that he is SERIOUS when it comes to your “relationship”. 2enno chwey chwey, you’ve only known me for 24 hours, you exclaim inwardly! The funny part is, when you reject him and he starts asking you without any hesitation, iza 3andik 7adan (a sister, a cousin, a neighbor or a friend) KHARJO. As though you would ever 2éblé 7adan fi!

Mama’s Little Boy The French accent that you liked at first soon becomes your worst nightmare. It is not exactly his cute “chéghie” that irritates you but the whole package that comes with it. He is his Mum’s spoiled little prince with all the consequences that this implies. Non-stop phone calls, weird family obligations, unacceptable interference in your relationship all under one excuse, “Mon fils w ma 3andé ghayro!” Tante, how about keeping him for yourself, mech arya7? For more information on this particular brand of Lebanese male, see our March issue for Hayda Lebnen’s To2borné Ya Mama. Now how about adding this chapter to the official guide issued by the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism? Seriously, we could even title it Hayda lebnen… w hol chabebo ya 3ayne!

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MAKING SCENTS BY LESLIE IDDISON KNOWING WHAT FRAGRANCE TO WEAR IS NEVER EASY. WITH SO MANY FRAGRANCE OPTIONS ON THE MARKET THE TASK OF PICKING YOUR TRADEMARK SCENT CAN BE OVERWHELMING. CHECK OUT RAGMAG’S FAVOURITE MALE SCENTS TO SUIT ANY PERSONAL STYLE. WHETHER YOUR DAYS ARE SPENT IN THE BOARDROOM OR ON THE BEACH, WE CAN BET SOME OF THESE WILL BECOME PART OF YOUR OWN PERSONAL COLLECTION. AFTER ALL, THE SCENT YOU WEAR LEAVES A LASTING IMPRESSION. YOUR SCENT IS YOUR SIGNATURE.

THE PROFESSIONAL

LEFT: GEORGES CLOONEY BELOW: JAY-Z

You’re a man of your word. Practiced and polished, you’re skillful and proficient. You’re determined and driven. Your look is crisp and clean yet stylish and sophisticated. Yours is an air of understated elegance. You’re timeless. You’re classic. You’re a Professional. Go from the boardroom to the lobby bar in Bleu de Chanel by Chanel “Fresh, Clean and Profoundly Sensual” Key Notes Pink Peppercorn, Citrus, Peppermint, Grapefruit, Cedar, Labdanum, Incense, Patchouli + Sandalwood.

La Nuit De L’Homme by Yves Saint Laurent “Bright and masculine with sophistication and nonchalance.” Key Notes Ginger, Cardamom, Cedarwood + Coumarin.

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THE ADVENTURER You live in the moment. A natural thrillseeker, you love to discover unchartered territory and venture into the unknown. You’re athletic and fun-loving. You’re look is casual and spontaneous yet cool and refined. You always choose the path less travelled. You’re impetuous. You’re effervescent. You’re an Adventurer. Go from the top of the mountains to the sandy shores in Aventus by Creed “For the individual who savours a life well lived” Key Notes Blackcurrant, Italian bergamot, French apples, royal pineapple, Moroccan jasmine, patchouli, oak moss, ambergris + a touch of vanilla.

Aqua Fahrenheit by Dior “When water meets fire” Key Notes Mandarin, Italian Grapefruit, Violet Blossoms, Brazilian Spearmint, Light Vetiver + Woody notes.

ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT: MARK WAHLBERG, DANIEL CRAIG

THE VIRTUOSO You’re a creator. Imaginative and accomplished; you have a deep appreciation for artistic excellence. You are constantly reinventing yourself. Your look is unassuming and unexpected but chic and influential. You’re often imitated but never replicated. You’re poetic. You’re sublime. You’re a Virtuoso. Go from the studio to the starlight in Boss Orange by Hugo Boss “An honest scent that allows you the freedom to be yourself” Key Notes Crisp apple, Coriander, Frankincense, Szechuan pepper, Vanilla Bean + Bubinga Wood.

Harrods For Him by Bond No.9 “British-American and distinctly different” Key Notes Rhubarb leaf, star anise, chamomile, lavandin, pimentos berries, violet leaf, birchwood, musk + sandalwood.

LEFT: LIL WAYNE, JAMES FRANCO

THE STATIC ISSUE

mirrormirror BELOW, LEFT TO RIGHT: CHARLIE SHEEN, P DIDDY

THE LIVEWIRE You’re a man about town. You’re a mover and a shaker. You’re in the know and on the scene. You come alive at night; you make connections and forge relationships. You dress to impress, with ease and grace. You’re ambitious and magnetic. You’re a go-getter. You’re a dynamo. You’re a Livewire. Go from the club to the after party in The One For Men by Dolce & Gabbana “Charismatic and Seductive” Key Notes Grapefruit, Coriander, Basil, Cardamom, Ginger, Orange Blossom, Cedarwood, Ambergris + Tobacco.

Angel A*Men by Thierry Mugler “The male universe faced with infinite possibilities” Key Notes Lavender, Bergamot, Peppermint, Fresh Roasted Coffee, Caramel, Tonka bean, Musk, Vanilla + a touch of Chocolate

THE FRAGRANCE RULEBOOK 1. KEEP IT SIMPLE Wear one fragrance at a time. Keep all other toiletry products (body wash, deodorant, aftershave) as mild as possible. The smell of all these things mixing together can be overwhelming. 2. A DAB’LL DO YA Keep a “Two Spray” rule. A spritz on the neck and maybe the wrists is plenty. The idea is to leave a subtle scent in your wake, not to have a cloud of cologne stay in the room after you leave. DO NOT spray the fragrance on your wrists and rub them together! This crushes the extracts and alters the scent. 3. MR. CLEAN Wearing fragrance does not replace taking a shower. Nothing smells worse than body odour masked by too much cologne.

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4. TIME & PLACE Be respectful of your environment. Wearing an overpowering fragrance to work can offend your coworkers and come off as unprofessional. Play it safe for your 9-5. It’s okay to wear a stronger, bolder scent for an evening out. 5. SIGN OF THE TIMES If you’ve been wearing the same fragrance since you were in high school it’s time for a change. Remember that fragrances contain natural extracts that turn rancid over time. It may not be noticeable to you but if you’ve had a bottle for more than two years or if you store your fragrances in heat or direct sunlight they’ve probably spoiled.

www.phoeniciabeirut.com THE STATIC ISSUE

BELOW: RIHANNA

TIME ISN’T STATIC BY LESLIE IDDISON

YOU KNOW THE FEELING…YOU’RE RUNNING LATE FOR WORK, YOU SPILL YOUR COFFEE, PUT A RUN IN YOUR STOCKINGS, CAN’T FIND YOUR EARRINGS. YOUR MORNING RUSH IS LIKE BEING TRAPPED IN A SWIRLING TORNADO OF CLOTHES, HAIRBRUSHES, MOBILE DEVICES AND MISMATCHED ACCESSORIES. LET RAGMAG SIMPLIFY AT LEAST ONE PART OF YOUR LIFE BY GIVING YOU THE STEPS TO A PERFECT FIVE-MINUTE-FACE. OUR GUIDE WALKS YOU THROUGH THE BASIC STEPS OF A CLEAN AND SIMPLE “EVERYDAY” MAKE-UP LOOK THAT SUITS ANY OCCASION AND GOES WITH ANY WARDROBE STYLE. WHETHER YOU’RE HEADING OFF TO SCHOOL OR A DAY AT THE OFFICE, THESE BEAUTY BASICS WILL MAKE YOUR MORNING MAQUILLAGE ROUTINE A SNAP!

STEP 1 1 minute Even if you’re not a big foundation wearer, a little goes a long way in making your face look more “finished”. For time and convenience we recommend using a foundation stick. A few strategic swipes and you’ve banished blemishes and evened out your skin all in one step.

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Speedy Solution

M.A.C. Studio Stick SPF 15

Using the stick, draw a few stripes on your face stemming outward from your nose. This may include a swipe down the bridge of your nose, across each cheek, across your forehead and on your chin. Blend the stripes out with your finger tips. Dab the foundation stick on any specific problem areas or blemishes and tap with your finger tip for more coverage. Remember that this application isn’t about covering your whole face with make-up.

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STEP 2 30 seconds Think of this step as your “wakeup wand”. Highlighting wands can give your eyes that bright-eyed pop, eliminate dark circles and give your eyebrows a more lifted look. Keep this powerful pen in your purse for pickme-ups throughout the day.

Speedy Solution

YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch

Complete with a built-in brush, these pens are a breeze to use. Click the bottom of the pen, dispensing the highlighting fluid. Once the product is visible on the brush tip, use the pen to highlight and conceal any dark, shadowy areas (such as under the eyes), or use on any areas that need a bit of a “lift” (such as across the brow bone or around the corners of the mouth). Draw a quick line with the pen and gently pat the fluid with your ring finger.

STEP 3

STEP 4

45 seconds

30 seconds

Doing your brows is one of the easiest things you can do to give your face a more professional finished look. Even if you have full brows, you’ll be amazed at what a little touch from a brow pencil will do to help refine their shape, give them more density and make you look more polished.

You love wearing it, but an eye shadow application in the morning can be time consuming and require more concentration than you are capable of at that time. We recommend going with a fast and easy cream shadow that can be swooped on in hurry with your fingers and requires very little blending.

Speedy Solution

Diorshow Brow Styler in Universal Brown

This little brow brush is a lifesaver on a busy morning. It is the perfect neutral taupe-brown that actually works on any skin tone, with any brow colour. With a light hand, brush quick strokes of the ultra-fine pencil into your brows almost with a “flicking” motion. DO NOT create long sweeping strokes, but short, fast strokes. Always work in the direction of hair growth. Place the strokes in between brow hairs to create density. Tip: There’s a built in brow brush on the end of the pencil! Comb through your brows at the end of the pencil application to perfect the brow shape.

Speedy Solution M.A.C. Paint Pots

These little magic pots contain a fantastic cream-to-powder formula that actually lasts all day without smearing or running! If you’re the kind of person that finds by 2 o’clock all your eye shadow has run into the creases in your eyelids you will be in love with these babies! Choose light, shimmering champagne tones to brighten your eyes or subdued browns to give a more professional look. Dip your fingertip into the pot and spread

THE STATIC ISSUE

mirrormirror STEP 5 1 minute Mascara is a must but we suggest you get the most out of your mascara by choosing a formula that does it all. Pick a product that lengthens and volumizes all in one step.

Speedy Solution Diorshow Mascara

We love this big, bold formula that builds thick, long lashes in one easy swipe. Its big brush was designed for getting maximum mascara on backstage at fashion shows. If it’s good enough for the runway we can bet it’ll do the trick for you too! Get the wand as close to the base of your lashes as possible. Wiggle the brush back and forth quickly to build volume at the root of your lashes then comb through to the tips. If you can spare a few seconds and want to curl your lashes with a lash curler, do this before you apply your mascara. We love the Shiseido Professional Eyelash curler.

STEP 6 45 seconds Bronzer can save your life on mornings when you’ve got the blahs but need to fake some radiance. Choose a formula with minimal shimmer for daywear to avoid looking like a tanned disco ball. Apply your bronzer with a really good, full bronzing brush for best results.

Speedy Solution

Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons Tailor-Made Bronzing Powder This perfect bronzer is matte but satiny and is divided into four bronzing shades in one compact. Mix the different shades together to create your perfect hue any time of the year. Using a big fluffy bronzing brush, apply the powder to the high points of the face; where the sun would naturally hit you. This means your temples, your cheekbones and maybe a light sweep across your nose.

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ALEXANDER WANG FW 2011

STEP 7 1 minute

TIME SAVING TIPS

• Keep all your products out and accessible. Invest in a nice tray or vanity organizer so you don’t have to waste time fishing around for everything. • Be sure to start with a perfectly cleansed skin. Keep cleansing cloths close by for quick clean-ups or to freshen up in the morning. • Choose skincare that does double-duty, like cleansers with built-in exfoliating beads and moisturizers with added SPF. • Do what you can the night before! Lay out your clothes, jewelry and accessories so you can stop rummaging through your closet at the last minute.

Choose a product that does double duty. Mornings are about maximizing your efforts, so be sure to choose a product that goes above and beyond in terms of performance. This last step can be done just before you run out the door, after you’ve taken that last swig of your much needed morning coffee!

Speedy Solution

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector

A dab of this beautiful balm does it all: get gorgeous shine, a burst of hydration, subtle colour and enhanced fullness. The more you use this ingenious product the softer and smoother your lips get. Choose from three shades (a soft peach, a perfect nude or a delicate pink) and get kissable lips in a hurry. The best part is, these shades are sheer so you can practically do this without a mirror! Don’t feel bad if it takes you more than five minutes to do this routine the first couple of times. With practice you’ll be a pro and your mornings should go off without a hitch. You may even have time for that second cup of coffee!

THE STATIC ISSUE

RAGMAG IS ALL ABOUT GERARD DAREL’S BIG SHOULDER BAGS THAT PACK A PUNCH. TOSS YOUR DAYTIMER, BLACKBERRY AND EVERYTHING ELSE YOU NEED INTO THESE BRIGHT BAGS AND STILL LOOK EFFORTLESS. WE’RE LIKING THE SPACE WITHOUT THE WEIGHED DOWN LOOK. SPECIAL MENTION FOR THE FRINGED BAGS IN THE COLLECTION THAT CAN BE DRESSED UP OR DOWN AND COME IN A VARIETY OF TEXTURES AND COLOURS.

MOON ARIZONA 704.000 LBP

CABAS NEW YORK 869.000 LBP

MOON BAG 858.000 LBP GERARD DAREL Banks Street, Downtown Beirut RAGMAG | APRIL 2011 84 +961 1 982275 www.gerarddarel.com

emperor’s new clothes

DEMONSTRATING A GREAT WAY TO SPORT DIFFERENT TEXTURES, GERARD DAREL’S PAIRING OF KNIT AND LEATHER (CHOOSE YOUR OWN TYPE- FAUX VERSUS GENUINE) IS HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE. OPTING FOR A BRIGHTER KNIT CAN LIGHTEN UP AN OTHERWISE STERN LOOK AND ALLOW YOU TO MIX IN A SEASONAL SHOE!

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emperor’s new clothes

RAGMAG IS ALL ABOUT MINIMIZING THE NOISE YOUR OUTFIT EXUDES. KEEPING IT ELEGANT AND URBAN ISN’T TOUGH WHEN YOU PAIR UP THESE LUISA CERANO SEPARATES. STAY SIMPLE AND SEXY WITH SEVERAL LAYERS IN THE SAME TONE BUT ALTERNATE TEXTURE. FOR MAXIMUM EFFECT, WE’RE SUGGESTING THE SIMPLEST ACCESSORIES AVAILABLE (OR NONE AT ALL).

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YOU’RE GOING TO OPT FOR A STATEMENT BLOUSE WITH SLIGHT DETAIL LIKE THIS LUISA CERANO STAPLE. PAIRING IT WITH A MODERN CUT AND SMART PANT IS THIS SEASON’S TRICK THAT IS A BIT TOUGH TO MASTER. UPSWEPT STRAND-LIKE HAIR AND A SIGNATURE ACCESSORY IS THE FINISHING TOUCH FOR THIS OUTFIT THAT MOVES FROM UPTOWN TO DOWNTOWN WITH EQUAL SUITABILITY.

LUISA CERANO Banks Street, Downtown Beirut THE STATIC ISSUE 87 +961 1 970367 www.luisacerano.com

new + now

MERCEDES

TAKES YOU FOR A SPIN The new C-Class launched in spring 2011 of this bestselling model has a more striking design for front and rear sections. The new dashboard with its grained surface and prominent decorative trim emphasizes the premium character of the interior. Fuel consumption has been lowered by up to 31 percent. Efficiency-enhancing measures include new engines, the improved 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission and the ECO start/stop function, which will be available on selected engines in the Middle East later in the year. Ten new driving assistance systems ranging from ATTENTION ASSIST drowsiness detection to DISTRONIC PLUS proximity control are now available for this model series. The new-generation telematics include internet access and a 3D navigation display with plastic city views. “In terms of drive and protection systems the new-generation C-Class offers the same comfort and safety as our luxury models. And with numerous high-grade features in the interior that remind one of the new CLS, the C-Class sets completely new standards in its segment with respect to perceived value and quality,” says Frank Bernthaler, Sales & Marketing Director, Mercedes-Benz Cars, MENA.

DXB VS. AUH? Dubai has been voted the best city in the Arab world to live in for 2011. Ranked the most popular living destination in the Middle East and North Africa in a report by Arab business publication Saneou Al Hadath, this is the second time the emirate has hit the top spot. Dubai boasted 1,905,476 residents in 2010, a 7.6% increase on 2009 and further evidence of the city’s popularity. Other Arab cities in the survey included Abu Dhabi, Doha and Kuwait City, all taking home titles. With results released every March, Saneou Al Hadath’s annual study has since become one of the leading indicators of where great

to live in the MENA. Examining 19 Arab cities across the region, the study provides general knowledge and insight into local standards of living and acts as a platform for governmental institutions, businesses and academia for research, analysis and decision making. The study has revealed strong competition between Arab cities, in particular Dubai and Abu Dhabi who have fought for the title of ‘Best Arab City to Live in’ since the study’s inception in 2007. This rivalry can be attributed to sharing similar living environments and social factors which other Arab cities lack such as economic status and human rights.

TREE HUGGERS For the third year running, Starbucks has partnered with Lebanon’s Association for Forests, Development and Conservation (AFDC), in a campaign to plant over 2000 trees during the weekends of February 19 and February 26, 2011 as part of AFDC’s annual national reforestation campaign to replace trees, which were lost to fires that spread across the country in recent years. AFDC launched this year’s campaign under the slogan “Ghayir tab3ak mish tabi3tak” which translates to “change your habits not your nature.” The reforestation program was set up five years ago as an initiative by AFDC, a Lebanon based Not-for-Profit organization in conjunction with the Lebanese Ministry of Environment.

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The planting activities took place in the areas of Maad in Byblos, Maknouniyeh in Jezzine, Al-Bireh, in Shouf and Rashaya El Fokhar in the south. “We are very proud to enter our third year of partnership with such a highly reputable organization as the AFDC, which is considered one of the most active organizations in conserving the environment in Lebanon,” said Rana Shaheen, Regional CSR and Communications Manager, Starbucks Middle East and Egypt. “Scores of Starbucks management and partners (baristas), AFDC members, and over 300 volunteers from different Lebanese universities, all came determined to make a difference in preserving the environment.”

BE TRIUMPHANT! Triumph, the global leader in alluring lingerie and shapewear, launched the 2011 edition of its revolutionary shapewear collection, “Shape Sensation”. Shape-seekers will be captivated by the three highly innovative and stunning series that will make their début this season in Triumph’s new fabulous collection. Introduced last autumn, the “Shape Sensation” concept is the sensational solution for flawless, fashionable shaping in the most alluring way. Triumph Spring/Summer 2011 shape collection has been designed for everyday wear to enhance curves and sees the introduction of Lace Sensation, Retro Sensation and Smooth Sensation. The new collection includes a variety of bras and introduces outerwear inspired shaping tops and body-dresses. Eye-catching fashion shades grey and plumfusion are complemented by the essential black and skintones. “Shape Sensation” is a complete concept for body shaping underwear. The nine-piece collection is innovative in the use of opaque and transparent stretch materials that conceal, reveal and redefine the body in an alluring way. It embraces bras, briefs, body and suspender, all in black or quiet brown, and goes in-store in August.

FIGHTING BACK THROUGH RESEARCH

Dr. Nagi El-Saghir, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Breast Center of Excellence, Naef K. Basile Cancer Institute, American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) and Dr. Nathalie Zgheib, Associate Professor of Pharmacology at AUBMC, are the latest among a small number of prominent researchers around the world to be awarded a Grant of $250000 for Research on Breast Cancer in Lebanon by the GlaxoSmithKline International Ethnic Research Initiative. The study will investigate the nature of

breast cancer in Lebanon, which for yet unknown reasons, affects younger women in the country than the established norm in industrialized nations. Breast Cancer is the number one cancer among women in Lebanon, encompassing 35% of all cases. For yet unknown reasons, which this research aims to tackle, it tends to be more prevalent among younger age groups in

the country than the international norm, with 49% of cases being among those under 50 years old. Incidences have more than tripled in the past 40 years, with the Lebanese Ministry of Health website quoted in 2008 showing a steady increase from 20 cases per 100,000 women in 1966 to 69 cases per 100,000 in 2003.

RANKED

NUMBER 1 Boutique 1, the Middle East’s ultimate fashion and lifestyle destination, is actively targeting the UAE inbound tourism sector for 2011. Housing some of the world’s most coveted designers from around the globe, the Boutique 1 brand is renowned for personalized service, exclusivity and luxury, and is positioning itself as a strategic partner with an exclusive range of hospitality providers including luxury hotels, private jets and niche travel agencies in an effort to build awareness and drive revenues. “Up until recently, our efforts have been focused primarily on UAE residents and VIP clients

many of whom are members of our Circle loyalty programme. To a lesser extent we have forged partnerships with key hotels and these have generated good results. We want to expand on these efforts to further propel the brand and optimise the tourism segment.” said Mr Ziad Matta, Chief Executive Officer, Boutique 1. “Our aim is for Boutique 1, particularly our flagship store at The Walk, Jumeirah Beach Residence, to become a tourist attraction in its own right. A must see for those who appreciate, indulge and lust after high fashion.

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MALE ROOM THERE ARE DESIGNERS BY THE DOZENS. THE ORIGINAL TEAM REALLY SET THE MALE DESIGNER STANDARD. YOU CAN’T TURN ON A TV, READ A MAGAZINE (LIKE OURS) OR EVEN CHECK YOUR TWITTER WITHOUT SEEING THESE FAMOUS NAMES. YOU LEARN LITTLE DETAILS BY OSMOSIS, EVEN IF YOU COULD CARE LESS ABOUT FASHION AND THE PEOPLE BEHIND IT. WELL HERE’S YOUR CHEAT SHEET. THE MEN WHO CUT THE CLOTH AND SET THE BAR… TAKE A LOOK AT OUR MALE ROOM.

CHRISTIAN DIOR 1905–1957

Christian Dior was born in 1905 in Granville, a lively seaside town on the Normandy coast. At the insistence of his parents, he studied political science. After military service and several years of indecision, he returned to Paris in 1935 and began his design career by selling sketches. In 1946, he was able to open his own house. For his first collection in 1947, he created the extremely popular “New Look”, which featured rounded shoulders, a cinched waist, and a very full skirt. Dior died while on holiday in Montecatini, Italy on October 23, 1957. Dior refused to receive any man who was not wearing a tie. He was reportedly so superstitious that he consulted his clairvoyant before every major decision.

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emperor’s new clothes

YVES SAINT LAURENT

1936–2008

Yves Saint Laurent was born in Oran, Algeria. He left for Paris after secondary school to pursue a fashion career and at 17 was hired as Christian Dior’s assistant. When Dior died four years later, he was named head of the House of Dior. Yves Saint Laurent and business partner/ex-lover Pierre Bergé started the brand in 1962, after Saint Laurent was laid off from his top rank at Dior following his stint in the French Army. The designer is credited with the women’s tuxedo and the iconic Mondrian dress.

Saint Laurent was also the first couturier to market and cultivate his prêt-à-porter line Rive Gauche, and he was among the first to feature black models.

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HUBERT DE GIVENCHY

1924

Born in Beauvais in 1924, Hubert de Givenchy was the original “enfant terrible” of Paris haute couture. Givenchy emphasized the silhouette rather than embellishments in his designs. The clothes appear simple and very easy to adapt, making his clothes more accessible. The two women most closely associated with Givenchy’s fashion of the 50s and 60s are Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy. It was a Givenchy dress that the world remembers Jackie Kennedy wearing as she attended her husband’s funeral in 1963.

Hubert de Givenchy retired from fashion design in 1995; today he lives quietly at his estate, “Le Jonchet”, outside of Paris.

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LOUIS VUITTON

emperor’s new clothes

1905–1957

Young Louis Vuitton first came to Paris in 1837 and became an apprentice luggage packer to the prominent households of Paris. He established such a reputation in this work that he was appointed by the Emperor of France, Napoleon III, as official luggage packer to his wife, the Empress Eugenie. After Louis died in 1892, his son, Georges, took the company to new heights, developing what is recognized as the first “designer label” on a product. By the late 20th century the LV label was applied to a wide range of luxury products, other such as watches, silk scarves, and ready-to-wear clothing and footwear. Today the original collections are highly sought after collector items, specifically the trunks which are on display at LV stores worldwide.

OSCAR DE LA RENTA 1932

He is perhaps best known for his evening wear and suits for women, which over the years became wardrobe staples for his faithful clientele of socialites and for former First Ladies Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Nancy Reagan and Hillary Clinton.

Oscar de la Renta left his native Dominican Republic at 18 years of age to study painting at the Academy of San Fernando in Madrid. While living in Spain, he began sketching for leading Spanish fashion houses, which soon led to an apprenticeship with Cristobal Balenciaga. In 1961 he settled in Paris and worked as the assistant to Lanvin-Castillo’s head designer, before moving to New York City in 1963 to design the couture and ready-to-wear collections for Elizabeth Arden. In 1965 he established his own company in New York THE STATIC ISSUE

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TOM FORD

94 RAGMAG | APRIL 2011 PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF TOM FORD

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tartlingly handsome, Tom Ford is the stuff stories are made of. He’s got hypnotic charisma, he reads on camera like the world’s best known faces from statesmen to actors, and most of all, no one seems to be able to figure him out. He’s got both star power and talent. He’s got famous friends and he’s famous in his own right. People seem to want to be around Tom Ford, craving his latest work be it fashion or film, both of which receive countless accolades. Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray made a Faustian deal with the devil to keep his charms, having his debauchery

OPPOSITE PAGE: TOM FORD SS 2011 WOMEN’S COLLECTION.

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reflected in a painted likeness of him. Ford’s deal seems to be working out well since the 40-something dynamo looks as though he’s none the worse for wear. “I can’t wait to be 50… When I was a little kid I wanted to be 50 desperately. I didn’t feel like a little kid, I didn’t want to play games with the other little kids. I wanted to live in a fabulous apartment and wear great clothes and have grey at my temples and have a beautiful car and be having cocktails and smoking cigarettes, and that’s what I wanted to do. In a way, I felt 50 even then. I’m only now starting to feel like myself,” says Ford.

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emperor’s new clothes OPPOSITE PAGE: DARIA WERBOWY IN TOM FORD SS 2011 WOMEN’S COLLECTION. BELOW: TOM FORD’S LATEST COLLECTION.

We went with American Tom Ford’s menswear to dress our shoot this issue simply because nobody does it better. Oscar Wilde was quoted as saying he liked men with a future and women with a past, this too reminds us of Ford who hasn’t shied away from pushing for powerful women. Predictably, his new women’s collection made waves and to boot, he chose women that are “intelligent. They have kids and jobs and lives, and they are all different ages. I went after people who I thought were inspirational and women who are iconic,” he said, using examples like Georgia O’Keefe, Martha Graham and Diana Vreeland. Despite the fact that he is a household name, Ford, born Thomas Carlyle, seems totally unfazed by the media blitz that surrounds him for fashion, film and most of all adulation. We’ll let his latest collection do the talking. RAGMAG sees The Picture of Tom Ford static and unchanging: Sweet success in more ways than one

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STATIC RATTLE + HUM

Lighting director ALEXANDRA KAHWAGI Makeup by CHRISTIAN ABU HAIDAR Hair by ROGER GABRIEL Models MALKI CHAKKY, MRAD MOUAWAD, OLGA M.

MENSWEAR BY TOM FORD WOMENSWEAR RODEO DRIVE 100 RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

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WHITE DRESS SHIRT 975.000 LBP | TIE 459.000 LBP | VEST 2.403.000 LBP | SUNGLASSES 564.000 LBP

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ND BLOUSE 582.000 LBP | ARMANI COLLEZIONI SKIRT 552.000 LBP | LOEWE HANDBAG 2.460.000 LBP

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GREY SUIT 6.606.000 LBP | DRESS SHIRT 975.000 LBP | TIE 459.000 LBP | SUNGLASSES 570.000 LBP

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VERSACE BLAZER 1.395.000 LBP | LOEWE SCARF 963.000 LBP | GIORGIO ARMANI SUNGLASSES 510.000 LBP | ARMANI COLLEZIONI DRESS 936.000 LBP

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GREY SUIT 6.606.000 LBP | WHITE DRESS SHIRT 975.000 LBP | TIE 459.000 LBP | SUNGLASSES 570.000 LBP

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ARMANI COLLEZIONI BLOUSE 582.000 LBP | GIVENCHY BELT 1.300.000 LBP | GIVENCHY BRACELETS 768.000 LBP EACH | ROBIN’S JEAN PANTS 459.000 LBP

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GIVENCHY BLOUSE 1.455.000 LBP | SKIRT 1.611.000 LBP | HANDBAG 3.141.000 LBP | PLATFROM SANDALS 2.376.000 LBP

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DSQUARED2 SS 2011

COPY

CAT Mix N’ Match Real Runway

RAGMAG SHOWS YOU HOW TO REPLICATE THAT RUNWAY TREND! SEE OUR TAKES ON HOW TO MAKE THE READY TO WEAR, ACTUALLY WEARABLE. STYLED BY STEPHANIE AOUN

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Tip Top

Tiana hat available at Birdcage 188.000 LBP

ANDRO ANDROGYNY Gold loops necklaces

All Tied Up Work that tie, ladies by Sunflowers. Sunflowers boutique 232.500 LBP

BALMAIN SS 2011

JASON WU SS 2011

THE ROW PRE-FALL 2011

Blazing!

Nothing says androgyny like blazers. Check out this one by Jessica, available at Birdcage. 575.000 LBP

Salute

We love this military inspired Mojo bag. Birdcage 405.000 LBP

Pipe Fitter Get these wide legged classic pants by Red Valentino at Taten. 600.000 LBP

Bigger is Better

Oversized leather Antigone bag by Givenchy, available at Rodeo Drive.

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70s

Beauty Queen MD Farasha

This Vanina vintage gold necklace has charm written all over it. Available at Cream 102.000 LBP

MARC JACOBS SS2011

Tripping Out

Drop by Micha Melucha and check out this clutch bag for a 70’s inspired look. 78.000 LBP

Right Wing

GUCCI SS2011

Shady Lady

The sun is shining and these Jeepers Peepers sunglasses are just right. Available at Label Queen 53.000 LBP

Bow Tie

Sunflowers bow belt. 82.500 LBP

Swish Dish

Groovylicious baby! Missoni dress available at Taten. 1.241.000 LBP

Big Bang Manouk bracelet available at Taten 55.500 LBP

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Shorty

We melted for these absolutely adorable Niche shorts, it’s probably the bow! Birdcage 247.500 LBP

ESCADA SS2011

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ROCK

Time Zone Orsay watches

J.W. ANDERSON SS2011

You Stud!

Bike Bitch

We think this jacket by What Goes Around Comes Around is pretty studly. Moon 975.000 LBP

Rock on with this Harley Davidson t-shirt.

VERSACE SS2011

Spike the Ball Punk Rock like a pro with spiked accessories. Check out these HTC bracelets available at Moon. 120.000 LBP each

Jean-ius

Love these studded Bess by London jeans available at Moon. 748.000 LBP

Be Mine Belt by HTC available at Moon. 825.000 LBP

A Conâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Life

For all the Converse lovers out there, check out these Bess London ones available at Moon. 773.000 LBP

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VERSACE SS2011

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STATIC ISN’T GNARLY, DUDE

FASHION + MOVEMENT

WE KNOW YOU WERE ALL UP AT FARAYA ENJOYING THE WHITE STUFF. WE BET THERE WERE MORE THAN A FEW SNOWBOARDS WITH DECALS YOU DIDN’T RECOGNIZE. WE LOVE DGK BOARDS (DIRTY GHETTO KIDS) AND EVERYTHING ELSE THEY HAVE TO OFFER, SO WE DECIDED TO BRING THE BOARD LINES TO OUR RUNWAY. SNOW, SURF AND SKATE IS BIG IN FASHION AND RAGMAG IS GOING TO SHARE OUR FAVE LIST WITH YOU. ARE YOU STOKED?

Rip Curl 1969

The company was founded by Doug Warbrick and Brian Singer in Australia and initially produced surfboards. In 1970, they decided to begin production of wetsuits, with emphasis on transforming diving technology into a wetsuit suitable for surfing. The actual meaning of rip curl is a large and powerful wave with a curling crest that is particularly good for surfers to ride. The company today sponsors numerous surfing competitions like the Rip Curl Pro and many more.

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Roxy 1990

Roxy was born in the water; initially a swimwear line, launched by its brother brand Quiksilver. A year later, a Roxy sportswear line was introduced. 1992 saw continued expansion of the brand with a new denim line and key snow wear pieces. The fact that Roxy was a women’s line offered by an authentic surf brand made it intriguing for both retailers and girls alike. It was the first of its kind on the market, and soon after, the other surf brands followed. Roxy competitions include the Roxy Pro Fiji, the Roxy Pro Gold Coast, the Roxy Jam UK among many others.

Volcom Inc. 1991 Founded in 1991 by Richard “Wooly” Woolcott and Tucker “T-Dawg”, the company caters to the surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding markets, born out of their own experiences with these sports. The first store opened in November 2002 and is located in Los Angeles. Volcom sponsors skateboarders, surfers, snowboarders and Motocross riders and has a large group of known riders representing them. Big names like, Mark Appleyard, Jake Duncombe and Dorien Walker are a few Volcom faces. Volcom’s “Let the Kids Ride Free” campaign endeavours to make skateboarding, surfing and snowboarding competitions free.

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emperor’s new clothes

Element 1992

Founded by Johnny Schillereff, Element produces everything from skateboards to clothing and shoes for girls and boys. The company portrays itself as active in eco-friendly endeavours, community causes and attempts to raise awareness of environmental causes through its “Power to the Planet” initiative with their organic product line. Company stores are located in New York City, Honolulu, Orlando, Nottingham and Sydney. Element organises the “Make it Count Contest” as well other local and international events.

Billabong 1973

The clothing company was founded by Gordon Merchant of Australia. The name came from the same word billabong, a stagnant body of water attached to a waterway. Initially Merchant and his wife hand-cut surfing shorts at home and sold them to local surf shops. The shorts became favored among surfers due to their functionality and durability and two years later they opened their first factory. By 1984, Billabong became a sponsor for the World Final Surfing Contest held in Hawaii which gave the company international recognition. They began exporting to Japan, the United States, New Zealand and other countries shortly thereafter

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18 - 22 MAY La Marina Joseph Khoury Beirut - Lebanon

THE SHOW THAT SELLS: BOOK YOUR SPACE NOW!

• A 40% increase in Yacht sales in Lebanon during the first half of 2010

Via Fax: +961 5 959 888 Via Email: beirutboat@ifpexpo.com

• Multimillion USD boat sales during Beirut Boat 2010

BOOK ONLINE: Visit: www.beirutboat.com

• 79% of exhibitors at Beirut Boat 2010 received enquiries or closed deals during the show

ORGANIZED BY

SUPPORTED BY

VENUE

PLATINUM SPONSORSHIP

SPONSORED BY

OFFICIAL WATCH

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

OFFICIAL INSURER

OFFICIAL COURIER

OFFICIAL OFFICIAL TV NEWSPAPER

A.M.I.A

Arab Marine Industries Association

IFP Bldg., 56th Street, Hazmieh, P.O.Box: 55576, Beirut, Lebanon, Tel: +961 5 959111, Fax: +961 5 959888 THE STATIC ISSUE 129

THE HOTELIER LIKE YOU’VE NEVER SEEN HIM BEFORE IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH RAGMAG BY FIDA CHAABAN

ordon Campbell Gray relaxes back into his chair in the Cigar Lounge at Le Gray, Beirut’s landmark hotel situated across from daily news powerhouse Al Nahar. The rain is pelting the Cigar Lounge windows, a clarinet heavy jazz track is piped through the comfortably furnished room, and at this moment, the hotelier that everyone is talking about looks as though there is nowhere he would rather be. The man behind the structure is exactly what you’d expect from the building that outwardly seems ominous, and inwardly is as active and interactive as they come. “I love Beirut,” is literally one of the first things he says after welcoming me warmly. I comment that it may be a kind of like a violent love affair, it makes you both hot and cold. He nods and jests, “As a friend of mine put it, Beirut is a one night stand. I can dip in, it’s fun and fly back out again.” With a great deal of cultural sensitivity, he mentions that British Midlands (BMI) should be making their

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announcements and maybe even their menu in Arabic or French in addition to their English since they’re now a fixture on the Lebanese flight routes. “They’re flying to Lebanon, if they want to be an international airline they’ve got to up the ante.” This is one of the things that Gordon Campbell Gray would blog about were he to join the social media melee. No Facebook and no Twitter? “Not yet, we have someone joining us in a month for these things, but me personally, I don’t think I could let anyone write for me… say in a blog. It would have to be me,” and this is obvious since Gordon is quite opinionated. He isn’t struggling with my questions, no matter how unorthodox. I chide him a bit, accusing him of being the perfect sound bite machine to which he laughs, “I think it’s amazing that anything you say is forever. I used to be so outspoken… I get so irritated by mediocrity or stupidity that I blow,” he says giving a few examples of endemic ignorance or just a lack of logic. This is Gordon channelling his

severe Scotsman, although the charm and easy gentility don’t necessarily jive with popular opinion on Scots. “I think film depiction of Scots are quite accurate actually. The best and the worst leave Scotland,” he says and I am able to draw a Lebanese comparison to this. His Forbes Travel mention for Carlisle Bay in Antigua makes him smile as he explains, “It was our first resort. Caribbean staff in general are not the best, but they ended up being our secret weapon. That hotel is packed, even now in the middle of this economic difficulty.” He briefly discusses their new hotel in Grenada, and why the Doha 2022 World Cup isn’t going to be a sustainable hotel investment. “I see that as flash in the pan, why would anyone build a hotel for 6 weeks of business?” he says echoing my unspoken sentiments. The Scots in him exudes common sense, maybe a little too much as he’s pausing carefully before answering some of my questions. I mention again

ABOVE: HOTELIER GORDON CAMPBELL GRAY.

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for him

OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP TO BOTTOM LE GRAY’S ROOFTOP POOL, CIGAR LOUNGE.

that his prowess at giving the exact quote at the exact right time is proven through a notable 34000 Google hits, no small potatoes. “I’ve never Googled myself,” he says in wonderment. And why should he? GCG is the man being followed at the moment, not the man needing the PR machine. You are not the Googler when you’re as big as GCG, you are the Googled, is what I explain and this too shocks him. I regularly burst into laughter and lapse into an easy conversational tone with this man and have to continually remind myself that I am in fact working, and in the process of interviewing him as I begin to suggest books and we discuss environmental sustainability, a topic near and dear him. “We take as many decisions as we can to be environmentally considerate. We attempt to be as good as we can be; the Green Team at the hotel has been very effective. People are always ahead of companies,” he says citing examples of the high demand for hybrid vehicles when only a handful of carmakers had ventured into the field. “The whole concept of packaging, luxury, waste… with the TVs running, the lights always on,” he continues with more examples. This is something GCG discusses often in interviews that cause a bit of confusion. The beauty of being frugal may sound like an oxymoron coming from the man himself, but it is easy to find indicators at several of his hotels, from Le Gray to One Aldwych in London. A comprehensive recycling

scheme at One Aldwych ensures that the hotel recycles all paper, cardboard, glass, some plastics, cooking oil, light bulbs and batteries. Gordon has told press that he’s a “noncompetitive person” in past interviews. I explain to him this is hard to reconcile considering that success of his degree is often correlated with people who exploit the competitive edge. “Look, I want this to be successful but I’m not trying to beat anyone. I hope that they do well, and all I care about is that we do well. I never play competitive sports. I ski, swim and write. I love horses…” Later in the conversation I learn that he is fond of auctions. So he is competitive or at least has a bit of fondness for gambling? “I love auctions! I bought my house in the country in auction. But I’ll decide how much I love something before I go on, how much I am willing to pay for it. Sometimes I go crazy, usually with art. I’ve just got a tree at auction that`s about to be delivered here. It’s made of beads by children with AIDS from South America. They created it and it sold a few years ago at auction for £70000. They gave it back to be reauctioned to raise additional money, so I bought it. I’m too embarrassed to tell you what I paid for it, but the important thing is that it was a double income for Save the Children.” I ask, perhaps a little brazenly about his personal life and he laughs incredulously, “Do you people really want to know that about me?” I explain

there’s a great deal of curiosity in Beirut for the man behind the hotel. “Is there? People never ask me personal questions. I find it fascinating that people would be interested.” He seems genuinely baffled and can’t seem to imagine himself the topic of salon style chatter. I assure him he is, having wondered about him myself, and press for answers. “Well, I’m divorced, and as the Vice President of Save the Children, I have thousands of children,” he answers smiling. I suggest that maybe people aren’t asking him what they really want to know because they’re intimidated, he modestly demurs insisting that “there really isn’t much to know and I always think I’m the most easy going relaxed person! I think I’m quite dull, would they talk about me?” I tread carefully as I remind him that he chaired a press lunch not long ago and suggest that all of the people invited, myself included, told at least 3 people exactly what happened that day. “I quite like being the man of mystery,” he says clearly amused. Easy going and relaxed yes, but it is simple to see how journalists and press would be taken in and more than a little afraid to displease the handsome and perpetually cheerful entrepreneur by asking questions that border on invasive. He is engaging and spontaneous, the latter I tell him is again at odds with his success since investments of his calibre are usually quite calculated. “Not at all, I’m completely spontaneous. The whole

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for him

OPPOSITE PAGE: CARLISLE BAY RESORT, ANTIGUA

decision about Le Gray took about a week. My Lebanese partners invited me over, I flew into Beirut on a Friday, left on a Monday, and by the following Friday we signed the papers.” And feasibility studies? “None. I’m fond of Rousseau, ‘Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains’,” he says quoting philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau’s Of The Social Contract. “I just want to be free and honest.” Free he is, since success and wealth are often 2 things that enable a person to live the life of their choosing. I ask about his self-professed Presbyterian guilt and the many interview mentions of thrift. “When you can have everything, you actually want nothing. That’s what keeps me frugal. It goes back to my childhood. The family was a no flash, no ostentatious trappings sort. It was humility and a wee bit of Presbyterian suffering. I’m not keen on having things I don’t need. I’m not at all extravagant.” And the different approach to hotels and the industry in general? “I grew up in a conformist and correct environment. I’m very non-conformist. Sixty-five different institutions said no and the sixty-sixth said yes. I believed in it one hundred percent,” he says of his first venture into hotels and what kept him going. Gordon is adamant that “anyone can do it. Hard work. There’s no short cut.” The descendant of Caribbean tobacco barons circa 1850 is a strong deviation from the plantation mentality. Greeting the hotel staff personally, he’s been

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noted in more than one article for knowing the first names of his employees, from bellboys to hostesses. I comment how pleasant I find the Gordon’s Café staff and how altogether happy they seem. “Whenever I make a speech I always advise people to love their staff,” and this is perhaps why they love him. I explain to him that people seem intimidated by Le Gray. He is completely serious as he states his intention to welcome everyone. “It is the hallmark of what we do. It may be psychological, some people may think of the traditional snobby hotel. We’re a snob-free zone. We welcome all ages and all types. There’s nowhere more friendly! We’re doing a lot of new things with the lobby, Indigo and I want it to be even more accessible. The focus will be the sixth floor, The Sexy Sixth,” he says referring to Bar ThreeSixty, the Cigar Lounge and restaurant Indigo on the Roof. On the note of The Sexy Sixth I feel it’s my chance to discuss his playboy party reputation. He evinces the most surprise I’ve seen all interview, “Is that really my reputation?” In some circles, yes, I affirm. “I truly stay in many nights! My perfect night out is dinner with a friend. Okay, I go out here and there but really?” he says laughing. “I absolutely hate parties! Being with friends and having conversation is so much more something I do.” What about a prospective partner? “I definitely want a sense of humour and kindness. I think they need to

be accomplished, but not in anything extraordinary. I don’t respect a lack of accomplishment.” And the social strata in Beirut? “The class system is revolting. I came from that environment and broke from it. Stand up, be kind and look in the mirror and be honest with yourself,” he says sternly. Citing Nelson Mandela as “his number one hero” and the statesman he most admires, the qualities of a good man according to Gordon are “loyalty and gentility. I hate boorish people. I think men can be quite brutal, so kindness is needed.” Louis Armstrong and one-hit wonder Peter Sarstedt end up being 2 artists Gordon mentions when the conversation leans toward music. He admits to maybe seeing “the world with rose-coloured glasses. It’s my survival kit. I’m very positive… a bit of an ostrich. I cherry pick all the best picks to get through life. I have to create something lovely. I’ve been from Bangladesh to Liberia, and I was just in Haiti in November, so I know what’s out there,” he says referring to his neverending work with Save the Children. Living a life on the move and translating that into worldwide recognition, Gordon Campbell Gray has every reason to see the glass half-full. The success of CampbellGray Hotels and his abundant energy and proactive attitude are echoed in concrete and steel. The man behind the structures has brought his philosophy to life: Oh, what a wonderful world

MOVEMENT AT LE GRAY BEGINNING APRIL • Indigo on the Roof will have a Lounge located at the right side entrance of the restaurant. It has indoor seating and a summer outdoor seating and will have a separate menu with innovative plates to share, fresh alcoholic drinks and cocktails. Ideal for pre and post dinners in addition to being a perfect place for afternoon, evening or night lounging. • Pool Lounge will begin opening at night also with a new night lounge called Cherry Lounge for the young and hip. It is an ultra lounge concept excellent for mixing it up with finger food, superb cocktails and a great music selection. • Gordon’s Café new pizza oven is being fired up…. Look for the new pizza menu. OPPOSITE PAGE: LE GRAY POOL LOUNGE, MOUNT LEBANON.

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take me with you

MACAU WHERE NOTHING IS STILL BY ALICE HLIDKOVA

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LEFT. TOP TO BOTTOM: SAI VAN BRIDGE, THE VENETIAN HOTEL AND CASINO.

MACAU’S WESTERN-STYLE CASINOS REVENUES SURPASSED LAS VEGAS IN 2007, MARKING THE CITY AS TOP GAMBLING AND TOURIST DESTINATION IN THE WORLD. The young man sways his arm, barely holding onto his leather briefcase. With his free hand he tucks a deck of fantasythemed playing cards into his tight pocket. His thin frame eases between two goldrimmed rotating doors. As he runs up the grand ballroom staircase to try his luck at the Baccarat tables, he hardly notices three blond violinists dancing in spandex. At table number three he loses his first round, takes off his polished shoe, and wagers on the game. When the Portuguese colonized the Macau Peninsula in the 16th century, they built Roman Catholic churches, neo-classical villas and Latin eateries. When they legalized the gambling industry in the 1850s, they constructed western-style casinos; its revenues surpassed Las Vegas in 2007, marking Macau as top gambling and tourist destination in the world. Known as the “Monte Carlo of the Orient,” Macau is situated 37 miles from Hong Kong and remains attached to mainland China. Asian gamblers and honeymooners from Hong Kong and China were first to bring the tidal wave of investments into the island’s gambling industry. Movers and shakers weary of the tightly controlled Chinese economy tried their luck in cards and slot machines. In the 1980s, when Deng Xiapong the leader of the People’s Republic of China spoke in favor of the reunification of China, he proposed the principle of “one country, two systems.” Suggesting only one China, Xiapong declared Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan separate economic and political systems from China’s socialist system. As a result, Macau’s gaming industry further opened up; its casinos were built as close to the ferry terminal and as far as the neighboring island of Taipa. With annual revenues as high as 50 percent, American investors traveled to the gambling haven to seek economic opportunity. With rivalry among competitors in search of fast ways to achieve the economic prosperity, the Americans most viewed the city as a gamble worth taking. In 2004, Sheldon Adelson opened the peninsula’s first foreign casino, Sands Macau at a cost of $240 million, attracting key global players. Wynn Resorts and MGM Mirage opened shortly thereafter.

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take me with you

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LEFT, TOP TO BOTTOM: MACAU TOWER, CASINO LISBOA.

MACAU NOT ONLY FEATURES BEST CASINOS, BUT EXTRAORDINARY TAOIST TEMPLES, CHRISTIAN CHURCHES AND CULTURAL LANDMARKS UNIQUE TO ASIA. The Macau ferry is first to introduce the immense luxury of the well-deserved city of dreams. With the third ticket purchased free of charge, passengers enjoy a onehour boat ride in comfortable cushioned seating. Young women dressed in stewardess attire hand out newspapers – written in English and Cantonese – as the ferry sails for 40 miles in the South China Sea. A cluster of islands is an unexpected delight; its resorts are buried in white sand and nearby yachts as large as those on the islands of Greece and Sardinia, Italy. As the ferry reduces speed into the port of Macau, once a small Chinese fishing village, the sight of squat beach houses and dismantled wooden decks are a disappointment. However, as the ferry prepares to dock, a volcanic structure emerges. A meeting ground for tourists and locals, the 40-meter-tall replica volcano is the most eye-catching icon of Fisherman’s Wharf. A symbol of round-the-clock, free admission entertainment complex with over 150 stores and restaurants, guests anticipate daily pyrotechnic display of an “erupting” volcano. As in-door roller-coasters become the final treat for thrill-seeking tourists, tiresome gamblers skip Fisherman’s Wharf and instead head the Venetian Casino and Resort. Past the Venetian’s gold-rimmed rotating doors, red satin dressed staff welcomes guests into the 24-hour luxury complex. Blond European performers play the violin and dance under the replica of Italy’s Sistine Chapel, before ascending the grand ballroom staircase down the hall. While gondola operators sing their favorite tunes, sales representatives at Marlboro Classic outerwear and Hugo Boss stores offer treats. Tie shops are smartly situated next to chocolate shops and the aroma of jasmine tickles the senses. Few know that the Venetian is most-famous for its 218, 792-card structure constructed in 44 days by Bryan Berg, the Guinness World Record Holder for the largest house of freestanding playing cards.

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ABOVE: RUINS OF ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL

Visually and aesthetically, Macau not only features best casinos, but extraordinary Taoist temples, Christian churches and cultural landmarks unique to Asia. Partly by exhausting economic opportunities, partly by Sino-Latin ambiance felt throughout the peninsula, Macau maintains its Portuguese feeling. At Ruins of St. Paul’s Cathedral, visitors are reminded of beautiful facades of Lisbon, Portugal while nearby fortress calls attention to Portugal’s presence; the Portuguese officially left in 1999 and transferred the Peninsula’s sovereignty

to China. After an afternoon’s rest at the city’s Goa garden, visitors head to Don Pedro V Theater; inside the elaborate classical theater, operas and plays are held with prestige. Almost after every performance, tourists head to Senate Square, the traditional heart of Macau city. The public town square is surrounded by pastel-colored neoclassical buildings, most of them having an administrative function during the Portuguese colonization. Today, children enjoy egg-tart as joyful parents soak in the social atmosphere.

The peninsula’s final attraction worth noting before galumphing gamblers and visitors return to the ferry is the Macau Tower. The site of the highest bungee jumping in the world, Skywalk X, offers a walk around the tower’s rim at 764 feet. The entertainment center offers a complete view Macau and its final symbol of luxury; the Lisbon Grand Casino, towering just 100 feet over Skywalk X. To some, Macau is a place to dream, to others a golden promise broken. Still, the ferry awaits the winners and losers, and so does reality upon their return

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REVERSE

CITATS GOING UP ISN’T THE ONLY WAY TO MOVE

JOHN GOTTI

AKA The Dapper Don

John Joseph Gotti Jr. was born into poverty and climbed into his life of crime by the age of 12, becoming involved with gangs associated with the New York Mafiosi. Gotti’s propensity for dealing on the shady side of the law made him a protégé of the Gambino family’s underboss Aniello Dellacroce. Gotti wasted little time building his personal wealth using sidelines such as extortion and drugs while moving up in the ranks. After ascending to the top, Castellano’s management style and increase in tribute payments soon made him a target for Gotti who developed a plan to assassinate him at Spark’s Steak House in NYC. With Castellano out of the way, Gotti became the boss, closely watched by the FBI. Brought up on charges several times that didn’t stick, Gotti earned the nickname The Teflon Don and had a huge support base made up New Yorkers. He was sort of the People’s Mafioso, and the FBI got a break with an informant they had inside the family. He later died in prison, succumbing to cancer. A new film, Gotti: Three Generations, has recently been announced with John Travolta cast as the late Don. 142 RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

THE UPWARD SOCIAL CLIMB OF SUCCESS ISN’T THE ONLY WAY TO DEFY INERTIA. RAGMAG AGREES THAT GRAVITY IS A CONSTANT FORCE AND WHEN YOU GET THAT HIGH UP, IT’S A LONG WAY DOWN. THIS ISSUE WE TAKE A LOOK AT INFAMOUS MEN WHO RANKED IN THE UPPER ECHELONS OF CRIME AND ENDED UP STATIC, EITHER IN JAIL OR DEAD. SOME OF THESE NOTORIOUS GREATS EVEN INSPIRED MOVIES, LIKE OTHER KINGPINS BEFORE THEM, THE DIFFERENCE IS, THESE GUYS WERE BOWLED INTO INERTIA. AFTER READING THIS LIST, WE THINK YOU’LL AGREE THAT THE BIGGER THEY ARE THE HARDER THEY FALL.

PAUL CASTELLANO AKA Howard Hughes of The Mob

Constantino Paul Castellano was born in 1915, the son of a butcher who was an early member of the Mangano crime family. The Manganos were the forerunners to the Gambino family and Paul fit right in. By 1940, Paul’s star was rising quickly and he became a Capo. Big Paul was arrested more than once and unlike Gotti, served real time for the crimes he committed for the family. In 1970, Castellano allegedly ordered the murder of his daughter’s boyfriend over an imagined slight. He later went on to murder his son-in-law because he was abusing the same daughter. Castellano was listed by the FBI as the head of the Gambino family as early as 1966 but that date has never been confirmed as Carlo Gambino was alive at that time. When he did finally get to the top, he made the deadly mistake of alienating his underlings. Castellano’s 1985 assassination was a bloody coup mapped out by John Gotti Sr. who took over the family after his death.

KENNETH LAY AKA Ken Lay

A different sort of criminal, Kenneth Lay was the head of the energy giant ENRON which crashed and burned in 2001. Prior to Enron’s bankruptcy, it employed close to 22,000 staff and was ranked one of the world’s leading companies in electricity, natural gas, pulp and paper. Revenues were claimed to be at close to $101 billion and Fortune Magazine named it America’s Most Innovative Company. That all changed when it was found that the company’s financial condition was sustained by institutionalized and systemic accounting fraud. White collar criminals Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling were both millionaires several times over thanks to the creative accounting done at Enron. Indicted in 2004 on 11 counts of securities fraud and other related charges, Lay died before he could be sentenced, sparking off several conspiracy theories as he was friendly with former US president George Bush.

BERNARD LAWRENCE MADOFF AKA Bernie Madoff

FRANK LUCAS

AKA The American Gangster

A former U.S. drug dealer, Lucas rose from very humble beginnings to a fast life filled with flashy houses, cars, and women. Born in 1930 to a family in North Carolina, Lucas was witness to the actions of the KKK and claimed that these incidents “motivated” him to embark on a life of petty crime. A particularly bad fight with an employer sent him to New York where he was taken under the wing of gangster Bumpy Johnson. His time with Johnson has been somewhat inaccurately portrayed both by Hollywood in the movie American Gangster, starring Denzel Washington. Lucas, under the tutelage of Johnson, was inaugurated into the world of drugs. Using his Army connections, he was able to bring heroin (an unprecedented 98-100 percent pure) into the US where he marketed it under the name “Blue Magic”. Using his huge profits from heroin sales, he quickly began buying up real estate around the country. In 1975, he was raided by agents from the DEA and New York City Police who found more than half a million dollars in cash. Initially sentenced to 70 years in prison, Lucas was awarded a reduced a sentence, freed in 1981and then re-incarcerated in 1984 for drugs.

Another white collar criminal, Bernie Madoff , made his mark by contributing to the world’s economic crash in 2008 (also the biggest ponzi scheme in the history of finance). Like all of our criminals, Madoff rose from humble beginnings and built an empire. Initially working as a stock broker, Madoff later founded his own firm employing his entire family in one way or another. In 2009, he was supposedly worth up to $126 million plus another $700 million in business assets, which later were declared phantom. As the world’s big trading houses began taking massive hits due to credit default swaps, Madoff’s investors started to get antsy and request their money. In December of 2008, Madoff called his sons over to tell them that his whole firm was “basically one big ponzi scheme”. Upon his arrest that same month, markets took another turn for the worse as the depth of the losses became staggering. Some estimates range in the $70 billion dollar area. Madoff is currently in prison serving his 150 year sentence for what the judge termed “extraordinarily evil”, “staggering” and “unprecedented” frauds THE STATIC ISSUE

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BEST OF THE WEB MEN’S EDITION BY MARIA ELENA KASSAB

GUYS WE’VE DONE THE SURFING FOR YOU. GET ONLINE AND SOCIAL MEDIA CRAZY WITH OUR LIST OF THE BEST MEN’S WEBSITES OUT THERE. THEY COVER YOUR HEALTH WOES, YOUR DATING DISASTERS AND EVERY TECH FETISH THE MODERN MAN CAN POSSIBLE DREAM UP. WE’VE ALSO INCLUDED THEIR TWITTERS SINCE SOMETIMES THE BEST OF THEIR ONLINE RESERVES GETS TWEETED. GET CLICKING!

MENSHEALTH .com Twitter @MensHealthMag Not only is Men’s Health the best selling men’s magazine in the US, their website averages about 60 Million views a month. This website concentrates on health and fitness, nutrition and weight loss, grooming and lifestyle, and, of course, sex and women. The goal of this website is to help men lead a better, healthier life while still enjoying themselves. Women can even benefit from articles related to healthy alternatives to water, the worst fast foods, and the best style accessories for men (yay for new gift ideas!). But remember, this is first and foremost a dude’s websites, so you’ll stumble across articles like “Boobs, Mardi Gras and Your Heart”, “Be The Best Dad Ever!”, “The Secrets She Keeps From You” and “How To Last Longer In Bed”. The website has colorful images, funny illustrations and is very well designed –not too cluttered, not too neat, just like half the men out there.

ASKMEN .com Twitter @AskMen_com AskMen.com is one of the best-known men’s websites. It boasts 15 Million readers from around world and offers articles on Fashion, Health and Sports, Dating and Sex, Fine Living, Power and Money, Entertainment, Celebs, Car and much more. With titles like “How To Avoid Cheating At A Stag Party” (The Hangover, anyone?) , “4 Tricks To Make Her Climax” (Guys, go read that), “Top Ten Charlie Sheen Moments” (I hope he’s not your role model, guys!), “How Did Qatar Get The World Cup?” (how, indeed…), “Healthy and Unhealthy Sushi Ingredients” (there are unhealthy ones?) and “How To Recover From A Bad Joke” (God knows we could all know how to do that), this website has something for every guy and even a few articles women would enjoy. Of course, it has articles about Emmy Rossum going topless for her latest series and Mila Kunis dethroning Megan Fox as hottest Hollywood starlet and an entire page devoted to cars –after all, it is a men’s website.

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see, speak, + hear no evil

GQ .com Twitter @GQfashion If you’ve never heard of GQ, you’ve probably been living under a rock for way too long. Style, News + Politics, Entertainment, Women, Sports, Food + Travel, Cars + Gears, How To, Videos… with these pages, no wonder GQ is one of the best men’s websites you could hope to visit. The articles are well-written, witty and interesting; the photoshoots are uber-famous (remember the controversial Glee shoot?) and fantastic, the design of each page fits the topic (colorful for Style, fun for Entertainment, curvy and sexy for Women, mouthwatering and exotic for Food + Travel, fast and furious for Cars + Gears). To me, this is the Best of the Web!

DEFINEMEN .com Twitter @definemen If you want to know the Unspoken Rules of Men’s Restrooms, read about Fake Tattoos, get familiar with what kind of New Year’s Resolutions guys would come up with… then DefineMen.com is the website you’re looking for. The main page image has a little somethin’ somethin’ for every girl’s taste. The website has a Media Gallery that offers videos of hot female stars, video game trailers, movie trailers and funny videos. The other categories are Dating & Women, Muscle & Fitness, Wheels & Pedals. It covers topics from Nicki Minaj’s ever-changing looks to hilarious pick-up lines, from growing a beard to finally joining the gym.

MENSFITNESS .com Twitter @mens_fitness The name says it all. This website revolves principally around fitness for the boys. The pages offered on the website go from Fitness, Nutrition, Sports, Outdoors, Lifestyle, Advice, Photos and Videos. If you look at the details, the Fitness section helps men build muscle, strengthen joints, train for a marathon and have a beach-ready bod by summer. Nutrition offers advice on how to enjoy meals without the extra calories, why men should cut back on soda and man-friendly healthy recipes. The Sports section tackles athletes, training and even extreme sports while Lifestyle varies from cars to grooming, from fashion to Entertainment. Of course, no men’s website would be complete without a sex-tion on hot women, dating and sex –I give thee the Advice page

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CHECK BY BRYAN BORZYKOWSKI

R.E.M.

Collapse Into Now It’s been nearly 20 years since R.E.M., then a little-known band from Athens, Georgia, released Murmur one of the best rock records of the 80s. A string of five star discs followed—1986’s Life’s Rich Pageant and 1987’s Document to name just two catapulted these college rockers to superstar status. For the most part, the band has had a storied career, one that will long outlive the group, but not everything they’ve made has received rave reviews. The group hit a low point in the late ’90s—Up, a dreary atmospheric snoozer, was a failure, while subsequent discs, Reveal and Around the Sun, didn’t fare much better with fans. Thankfully, the group returned to their roots with 2008’s Accelerate, a guitar-filled rock assault that was as focused and engaging as much of their earlier work. Collapse Into Now, the group’s 16th album picks up where Accelerate left off. It kicks off with a Peter Buck’s bright guitar and crisp distortion, and Michael Stipe’s powerful pipes. It’s the type if jangly pop song only R.E.M. could write. It’s followed up by All The Best, a dirty alt. rocker with pounding drums and meaty chords—just what their long-time fans love.

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The group doesn’t just draw from their rockier side; Uberlin is made from the same cloth as Losing My Religion. It’s hard not to feel nostalgic after hearing Buck’s soft acoustic picking, and Stipe’s warm harmonies—this could have found a home on their classic disc, Out of Time. The rest of the record veers from loud to soft and

see, speak, + hear no evil

everything in between. It’s not perfect by any means—some of the softer songs, like Walk It Back are too sleepy—but what it does is give listeners an intriguing look at the band’s musical history. Instead of releasing a greatest hits disc, they’ve taken the best parts from records past and constructed them into new tunes. That makes it a bit of weird listen—it all sounds very familiar, yet you’ve never heard any of these songs. One on hand

it’s a bit of a letdown. The music feels like it should be as good as what we heard on their first several discs, but there aren’t any immediate classics. Still, give it a few spins and the pieces will connect. Ultimately, this is a solid record from a stellar band. The group will never be as prolific as they were in the 80s, when they released a new record every year, but it doesn’t mean they’ve lost their touch. If anything, it seems like they found it again.

INSTEAD OF RELEASING A GREATEST HITS DISC, THEY’VE TAKEN THE BEST PARTS FROM RECORDS PAST AND CONSTRUCTED THEM INTO NEW TUNES.

TRAVIS BARKER

ELBOW

What exactly is the “some” that former Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker wants to get out of his first solo album is a mystery. Good reviews? Money? Luckily he already has the latter, because this may be one of the worst solo records ever. Bad raps, weak rhymes and worst of all for this drummer, boring beats. Stay away.

Dreamy British rockers Elbow are back with another atmospheric collection of bed timeready tunes. Don’t let the soft sounds fool you — the songs are packed with infectious choruses, thought-provoking lyrics and even a few blasts of distorted guitars. It’s not all quiet — Neat Little Rows, is a rollicking, but still delicate, track.

Give the Drummer Some

Build a Rocket Boys

LYKKE LI

G. LOVE

In the three years since quirky Swedish songstress Lykkie Li released her charming debut she’s toured the world and grown up. Her sophomore release keeps a lot of the pleasant pop that got her noticed, but it’s far more focused, confident and dynamic. She blasts organs, drums and more forceful pipes. A must hear.

G. Love’s most famous for the soulful party jams he plays with his band Special Sauce, so it’s strange to hear him tackle acoustic roots music on this solo disc. While it’s not the next great American record, it’s pretty damn good. It’s intimate, full of catchy harmonies, and lots of banjo. Hopefully, G. Love’s got more of this coming.

Fixin’ to Die

Wounded Rhymes

LUPE FIASCO Lasers

Lupe Fiasco’s dissatisfaction with his label is well known — he’s been vocal about how they’ve stepped on his toes. So, it’s hard to credit who’s at fault for this overwrought club disc. Fiasco’s fourth is a passionless dance record with soaring, made-for-radio choruses and run of the mill rhymes. Label interference can mess with an artist’s mojo, so hopefully he’ll be able to bounce back.

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and

Sing You Home

Jodi Picoult

Why you should read this book

weep read’em BY AMAL CHAABAN

Give your idea of love an overhaul

Bestselling author Jodi Picoult knows how to write a hit. Her books are often troubling and ask very serious questions cloaked in a fictional narrative. She is not known for shying away from controversial subjects like eugenics, the death penalty and school shootings but with Sing You Home, she has knocked it out of the park. This the story of Zoe and Max, two people who were married, tried invitro after failing to conceive naturally, froze some embryos and got divorced. When one of the couple finds love again in

a less than traditional sense, the other tries to block the newly married couple from implanting the frozen embryos. What follows is a trial, a lesson, and most importantly the questions. Fans of traditional marriage and love (especially in the US) will perhaps find this book troubling on several levels because it can and will challenge the perception of what they think is right. Picoult writes the nuances of the story so well; you could actually be Max or Zoe. Our suggestion for this one: Be prepared to have your perceptions challenged.

Quiver

Holly Luhning

Why you should read this book

Things that go bump in the night are nothing compared to people who make you quiver

Holly Luhning’s debut novel takes us back and forth through time as we learn about a psychologist fascinated by Countess Elizabeth Bathory aka The Blood Countess. For those not up on their bloodbaths, Countess Bathory is thought to be one of the most prolific serial killers in history, allegedly taking pleasure in killing girls. As a debut novel, one expects to have some lag or superfluous conversation between characters but there is none of this in Luhning’s novel. It is a well written page turner,

with the pace keeping the reader in suspense all the way to the end. Luhning is to be congratulated for the extensive research needed to quote the letters of the Countess since they are currently housed in Budapest’s archives. Even though the letters of the Countess appear sporadically, she tends to dominate the entire novel, even overshadowing our heroine. Rich in imagery and history, Quiver’s ending is remarkable: It feels like another beginning.

Himmler’s Crusade: The Nazi Expedition to Find the Origins of the Aryan Race

Christopher Hale

Why you should read this book

see ragmag’s interview p.20

Even the most innocuous of myths can have far reaching consequences

Producer, Director and Author are all hats that Christopher Hale wears well. His impressive body of work now includes Himmler’s Crusade. Bringing to light a little known expedition financed by Himmler’s SS to find the origins of the Aryan Nations in Tibet, Himmler’s Crusade is written in astonishing detail. Hale introduces several characters that will turn your stomach, not the least of which is a former SS

Anthropologist who seems too long for the good old days and Ernst Schafer, the head of the expedition. Himmler was a fanatic who believed that the Aryans were descended from a lost civilization. Always a believer in the superiority of the Aryan race, this myth helped to reinforce his belief that some were “life not worth life”. The single most chilling passage in this book: Interviewing Bruno Beger.

Why Your World is about to get a Whole Lot Smaller

Jeff Rubin

see ragmag’s interview p.24

Why you should read this book

The oil crisis makes your backyard look far

As a former Chief Economist at CIBC World Markets, when Jeff Rubin speaks, people tend to listen. When he began investigating the theory of Peak Oil and decided that it had merit, he hoped that the clique of Big Oil would be receptive. Unfortunately for them, they didn’t want to listen and fortunately for us he wrote this book. Rubin explains how oil is currently being produced and consumed for the layperson, from Ski Dubai (3500 barrels of oil a day to maintain its indoor ski run) to the emerging economies of India and China. The knowledge imparted 148 RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

in this book is alarming. By pointing out that Big Oil has to go to some of the most inhospitable places on earth to find more black gold, Rubin demonstrates that we truly are at a consumption level that cannot be sustained. Once our cheap oil reserves are exhausted, we will have to look closer to home for food, work and everything else. We will be remapping our whole lives and thankfully, the second part of this book reads like a how-to guide for the oil depleted world of the future.

see, speak, +hear no evil

watchout BY ADAM VOLK

Release dates based on amazon.co.uk

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest DVD & Blu-ray | 147 mins Release Date: April 11

Stieg Larsson has gone from an under-the-radar Scandinavian crime writer to one of the world’s most popular posthumous literary heroes, with three international bestselling novels and an English language Hollywood film series now in the works. Purists, however, will likely savour the big screen Swedish adaptations, which were massive hits in their native country and available now on DVD and Blu-Ray. As the third and final chapter in Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest is a smart, scary and taughtly-paced film which marks the return of hard boiled reporter Mikael Blomkvist

and troubled computer hacker Lisbeth Salander. The film opens with Lisbeth hospitalized and slowly recovering after her recent encounter with her vicious Russian gangster father in the last film. To make matters worse, she is accused of attempted murder with Blomkvist once again putting his investigative prowess to the test as he struggles to clear Lisbeth’s name and uncover a deadly conspiracy involving her murky past and an elite police unit. The end result is a thriller with complex characters and chilling suspense that hits like an icy blast off the dark waters of the Baltic Sea.

Skyline | DVD & Blu-ray | 094 mins Eric Balfour, Scottie Thompson, Donald Faison Release Date: March 21 Created, produced and directed by Hollywood special effects gurus the Brothers Strause, Skyline is one of several recent films which have made use of innovations in computer technology to create independent movies with jaw-dropping visuals that cost only a fraction of most summer blockbusters. The film follows a classic alien invasion scenario after a series of glowing blue lights appear in the skies over Los Angeles. Soon, the extraterrestrial conquerors make their presence known, wreaking havoc and unleashing glowing blue energy beams that vacuum their human quarry into the heavens. The story then

follows a disparate band of Angelinos who find themselves trapped inside an apartment building and must ban together to survive. Despite its ambitious, if not over-used, premise, Skyline’s plot is a little sloppy at times, with characters that are often preternaturally stupid in their decision making, not to mention a cobbled-together ending that’s something of a head-scratcher. That being said, as a special effects experience, Skyline is worth checking out, if for no other reason that the unique computer generated creatures that make the aliens from Independence Day look like ALF.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader DVD & Blu-ray | 113 mins Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, Will Poulter Release Date: April 18

As the third entry in the popular big screen adaptation of C.S Lewis’ beloved Narnia books, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader offers up more of the same sword, sorcery and talking anthropomorphic animals that fans of the series have come to love. The films are a bit more kid-friendly and whimsical than Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, but as a fantasy series there’s also plenty of magic, strange creatures and heroic exploits to be had. The film picks up several years after the previous instalment with the now slightly more grown-up Pevensie children once

again drawn into the strange world of Narnia. There, they encounter the benevolent King Caspian who – aboard the titular ship known as the Dawn Treader – soon sets sail on a series of adventures to find the mystical home of Aslan, the former lion ruler of Narnia. Visually, the film is pure cinematic eye-candy and both kids and adults will likely dig the countless fantastical beings and magical effects. Hopping on board the Dawn Treader isn’t exactly as entertaining as taking a cruise to the Bahamas, but its whirlwind tour of the magical islands of Narnia won’t exactly leave you feeling sea sick either.

Tron: Legacy | DVD & Blu-ray

| 125 mins Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde Release Date: April 18 It’s been almost 30 years since Tron first exploded onto the big screen as one of the first films to use computer generated effects, and given its success and widespread cult appeal it’s a little surprising that Disney hasn’t cranked out a sequel sooner. That’s a situation that’s been thoroughly rectified with Tron: Legacy a film that may be lacking in the story department, but attempts to overcompensate with a deluge of slick computer generated imagery. The film follows the exploits of Sam, a troubled youth in search of his missing

father, the enigmatic computer programmer known as Flynn who decades earlier disappeared after creating a virtual game world known as the Grid. Sucked into the bizarre world, Sam must battle hostile computer programs and compete in a series of kill-or-be-killed games in order to discover the truth about his father. Tron: Legacy is a bit of a mess in terms of the plot, but switch off your brain and enjoy the insane effects and killer soundtrack from Daft Punk and its one light cycle ride that’s definitely worth taking. THE STATIC ISSUE

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see, speak, +hear no evil

playNICE BY ADAM VOLK

Homefront

Publisher THQ | Developer Kaos Studios Platforms Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 Ah beautiful North Korea, last bastion of Cold War hysteria and home to Kim Jong-il’s mood swings. North Koreans as it happens, also make the perfect antagonists for Homefront, a futuristic first-person shooter that imagines what if would be like if twenty years from now the good ol’ U-S-of-A was overrun by sadistic hordes of North Korean soldiers. Okay, so the story might be a little farfetched, but under the careful massaging of screenwriter John Milius (of Apocalypse Now and Red Dawn fame) the narrative actually kind of works as a surprisingly gritty take on the classic dystopian premise. Players of course, take on the

role of an American resistance fighter who uses guerrilla-style hit and run tactics to take down the country’s oppressors. Along the way there’s plenty of Uncle Sam and apple pie inspired speeches as players engage in a “Second American revolution” and seek to overthrow their North Korean overlords and restore the red, white and blue to its former glory. Visually, Homefront has been polished to a razor sharp shine and the gameplay features enough explosions, heavy weaponry and jingoistic flag waving to keep both first-person shooter fans and Sarah Palin thoroughly satisfied.

Crysis 2

Publisher Electronic Arts | Developer Crytek | Platforms Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 The 2007 first-person shooter Crysis managed to earn some serious cred as a PC-exclusive title that pushed gamer’s graphic cards to the limits with some of the most impressive visuals around. Now Crysis 2 has arrived, this time setting its sights on the Xbox 360 and Play Station 3. And while the original Crysis took place in a war torn jungle, the sequel takes place in the futuristic urban jungle of New York City. The plot follows the exploits of “Alcatraz” a highly-trained commando armed

with an experimental combat suit and tasked with stopping a horde of tentacled alien baddies. The story may sound clichéd, but it’s actually surprisingly deep. Plot, however, is almost incidental to the top-notch visuals and explosive action, as players battle their way through the ruins of the Big Apple. As a sequel to one of PC gaming’s most graphically ambitious titles, Crysis 2 more than lives up to its reputation as one of this year’s biggest, boldest and most bad-ass first-person shooters.

LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars

Publisher LucasArts | Developer Traveller’s Tales | Platforms Xbox 360, PS 3, Nintendo Wii You have to hand it to the brain trust at LEGO, they’ve taken one of the world’s most popular toy lines, mixed it with some of Hollywood’s most beloved films and created the LEGO Star Wars franchise, arguably one of the most unique game series of the past few years. It may seem like a bizarre recipe for success, but somehow the two elements work beautifully together, creating games that manage to score a Death Star style planetary hit with kids, gamers and Star Wars fanboys alike. LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, is the latest instalment in the franchise, this time setting

Torchlight

Publisher Runic Games | Developer Runic Games If you’ve never heard the term “dungeon raid” before, essentially it’s geek-friendly slang for role-playing games in which players must battle their way through a seemingly endless number of monsters in order to gain loot and level up their characters. The concept was first perfected in the popular game Diablo, which is why it’s only fitting that two of the co-creators behind Diablo also had a hand in Torchlight, a downloadable game which essentially distils the concept of dungeon raiding to its purest essence. As such Torchlight is an action-RPG in which players take control of three

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its sights on the characters and storyline of the more recent Clone Wars animated television series and films. Gameplay consists of the same puzzle-solving and platforming elements of previous games as players navigate various Clone Wars environments and levels. The fun of the LEGO Star Wars games, however, is in collecting, unlocking and building characters and here the game has plenty to keep both casual gamers and Jedi wannabes drooling. So does LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars live up to its predecessors? Let’s just put it this way: does an Ewok crap in the woods?

| Platforms Xbox LIVE Arcade

specific fantasy classes using a combination of brains, brawns and magic to take out their monstrous foes. The overarching plot is almost non-existent and at its core, the game is about exploring caverns, battling monsters and collecting and customizing weapons and treasure. It may sound repetitive, but Torchlight’s engaging gameplay and unique design make it an incredibly addictive experience. Of course, Torchlight isn’t for everyone, but for hardcore gamers looking to scratch their dungeon raiding itch, it’s a hack n’ slash experience that’s well worth unsheathing your digital sword for.

The Outdoors, Leisure and Lifestyle Event

22 - 26 JUNE 2011 BIEL - Beirut, Lebanon Organized by:

Under the auspices of:

Supported by:

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Official Newspaper:

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Official TV:

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Ministry of Youth and Sports

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Why Outdoor Lebanon?

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Sell your products to thousands of lebanese and tourist visitors Demonstrate your products through live shows and competitions Showcase your brand through extensive media coverage

Book your space now: outdoorlebanon@ifpexpo.com www.outdoorlebanon.com IFP Group Building, 56th Str. Hazmieh, P.O.Box. 55576, Beirut, Lebanon. Tel: + 961 5 959 111, Fax: + 961 5 959 888, Email: info@ifpexpo.com

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AGAINST

THE STATIC LEBANON HAS A NEW GENERATION OF CYCLISTS; KEEN, ENTHUSIASTIC AND CERTAINLY BRAVE… BUT ARE THE STREETS READY FOR THEM?

BY SABINA LLEWELLYN-DAVIES

et’s take a bike ride around Lebanon. Are you mad, do I hear you say? Well, after periods of war and political turmoil the country is generally considered safe for all sorts of activities, but, is cycling one of them? We all recognize the dangers of riding Lebanon’s roads. The odd open pothole, oil spills, aggressive drivers, suicidal pedestrians… Cyclists are in for a perilous ride on Beirut’s streets. Undeterred by hazardous conditions and cursing service drivers, a few brave hearted Lebanese are opting to hop on their bikes; some just to stay fit, others

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maybe to save on soaring petrol prices. These enthusiasts are trying to convince us that Lebanon can offer a rewarding cycling experience. Need further incentive? Then visit Beirut’s latest bike shop, Bike Generation (BG). The staff here has an infectious passion for bikes and is passing it on. “Originally our plan was to import bikes and accessories. Then we met the owner of a chain of bike stores in London who told us that based on his own experience, the only way to get into this business was to own and operate a retail outlet,” says Tony

Massabni, one of the owners of BG. So with a bunch of friends, all passionate about biking since childhood, he opened the outlet. Massabni and his team hope to inspire a new generation of riders by providing them with professional personalized advice. They determine the type, model and size; then, the rider is fitted on the bike using the BG FIT (body geometry fit integration technology). This avoids lower back or knee problems often resulting from bad positioning, wrong size or ill-advised choice of type of bike.

mind, body + soul

“YOU CAN FEEL THE GROWING APPETITE FOR BIKE RIDING ACROSS ALL AGE GROUPS” Sales are up since last year, “You can feel the growing appetite for bike riding across all age groups,” says Massabni. His initial “if you build it they will come” theory seems to be paying off and he is now catering to a wide audience. Entry-level bikes go for $476 and their most expensive is the A Tarmac S-Works SL3 Superlight at $9300 (plus VAT). Bikes are also available for rent from $15 per day. While Massabni agrees that riding your bike around town can be treacherous, he remains positive. His business partner, Marc Geara, founded Green Wheels, an NGO which is lobbying for bike lanes all over Beirut. Until this becomes a reality, the following safety tips are recommended: Ride a city bike in an upright position, wear bright colors in order to be spotted from a distance, wear a helmet and gloves, and be on high alert at all times. Train your eyes and anticipate driver intentions at the wheel, especially

those erratic service drivers. Also ride in company, the more the merrier. A group of riders attracts attention and is more likely to be noticed by motorists. For this reason, plus for the added fun element, Massabni organizes weekend group rides on road in winter and offroad tracks in summer. Mountain biking is also gaining momentum. A couple of years ago Massabni and his team led a group of mountain bikers all the way from Faqra to Rmeish in the South, going through

Rachaya and West Bekaa, then Jezzine and the Chouf on the way back. 400km to be exact, mostly off road along dirt tracks. “I am not an expert, but I can say that the whole country is a chain of rugged mountains, which is an ideal playground for mountain bikers. Spend a day in the Chouf Cedars Reserve and you will be stunned by the scenic beauty of this country.” Just make sure that you are properly equipped to replace punctured tubes!

The Tyr Triathlon: Swim, bike and run for a good cause Lebanon is gearing up for it’s third annual Triathlon to be held in the beautiful and ancient town of Tyr on 22 May 2011. The event consists of a 750 m swim in the sea followed by a 20 km bike ride through the town and a 5 km run along the Corniche to the historic port of Tyre and back. Athletes can compete as individuals completing all three stages of the triathlon or as teams of three with each individual completing one of the events. Competitors will be categorized into male, female and age groups and start times divided into waves for Elite, Amateur and Fun groups. The registration deadline is May 8, 2011.

The Triathlon will be followed by a post race fiesta party at the Al Fanar Restaurant on the Tyr seafront featuring a live band plus two international DJ’s, The Hackney Globetrotter from London and DJ Arias from Colombia. Taste Culture will be serving a range of international cuisine. “The event is a wonderful chance to compete in the friendly atmosphere of beautiful Southern Lebanon and work up a thirst at the same time,” says Anthony Ussher, member of the Triathlon Committee. Competitors are encouraged to raise their own sponsor donations and there will be a prize for the highest sponsorship raised. All funds raised will be donated to the Lebanese Red Cross. www.tyrtriathlon.org

BIKE GENERATION Elias Hrawi Street, Beirut THE STATIC ISSUE 153 01/612 216 www.bikegeneration-me.com

eat, drink + be merry

BE A

MOVER+ SHAKER

RAGMAG AND BEIRUTRESTAURANTS.COM HAVE TEAMED UP TO BRING YOU THE ABSOLUTE BEST IN LOUNGES THIS ISSUE. TO REALLY HELP YOU EAT DRINK + BE MERRY WE’VE COMPILED A LIST OF PLACES FOR YOU TO TRY A RANGE OF THE COOLEST COCKTAILS AVAILABLE IN LEBANON RIGHT NOW. WE LOVE SATISFYING SAVORING A GLASS OF WINE AND HAVING THE INSIDE INFO FROM BEIRUTRESTAURANTS.COM MAKES IT EASIER! THEY’RE RAGMAG’S GOTO SITE FOR EVERYTHING FROM PRE-DINNER DRINKS TO APRÈS DîNER NIGHTCAPS. IF YOU’RE A MARTINI AND TAPAS PERSON, OR HAVE A FAVORITE COCKTAIL COURTESY OF YOUR OWN MIXOLOGIST, OUR TOP TEN LIST IS A MUST TRY. OUR OH SO STATIC MENTIONS GIVE YOU A PERFECT REASON TO TURN OFF THAT TV AND GET MOVING + SHAKING! FOLLOW BEIRUTRESTAURANTS.COM ON TWITTER FOR MORE GREAT SUGGESTIONS @B_RESTAURANTS

CLOUD 9

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Saraya Center Cornet Chihwan 04/914577

Al Khatib Street, Sodeco, Achrafieh Beirut 01/612612 | 03/873333

POOL LOUNGE LE GRAY

GAUCHO WINE BAR

CENTRALE RESTAURANT

The Alleyway, Gouraud Street Gemmayzeh, Beirut 01/566376 www.cloud9beirut.com

1418 Professor Wafic Sinno Avenue Minet El Hosn, Beirut 01/761000 | 01/761100 www.fourseasons.com/beirut/dining/the_bar/

Martyr’s Square, Downtown Beirut 01/971111 www.campbellgrayhotels.com/le-gray-beirut

Hamra, facing Picadilly Theater Beirut 01/740335 | 01/742342

Phoenix Tower, Minet El Hosn Beirut 01/364801

Gouraud Street, Gemmayzeh Beirut 03/334476

AND BAR

Mar Maroun Street, Saifi 01/575858 03/915925 www.centralerestaurant.com

CRU WINE BAR Matta Bldg. Makdessi Street, Hamra Beirut 01/344565 | 70/658522

Oh So Static Mention RAGMAG is absolutely wild about BarThreeSixty’s Kir Royal but we often chill at the Pool Lounge. Check out our feature on GCG to get the inside scoop on Le Gray’s newest hotspots.

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Oh So Static Mention We’ve been there a couple of times to enjoy their delightful cocktail menu and they’re certainly serving up a great selection. We’re thrilled with their wine list and love it when Sommelier Mariana Diaz stops by our table!

Oh So Static Mention RAGMAG loves CRU’s use of materials in their raw or recycled form. Check out their cork wall, wine cellar and wood crate wall that highlight served wines.

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STATIC GUARD

CHEF PHILIPPE MASSOUD’S RESTAURANT ILILI GIVES NEW YORKERS THE REAL DEAL ON LEBANESE CUISINE BY SABINA LLEWELLYN-DAVIES

ne innovative chef is certainly changing the landscape of Lebanese cuisine in New York. With his innovative restaurant ilili (meaning ‘tell me’ in Arabic) Philippe Massoud has made his mark on New York City’s culinary scene taking traditional Lebanese cuisine giving it a modern interpretation. TIME magazine has even declared that ilili is doing for regional cuisine in New York what Italian restaurants did for Italian cuisine in the 1950s. Son of a Lebanese hotelier, Chef Massoud was born into a family that has been in the hotel and restaurant business since the 1940s. His family owned the Coral Beach Hotel in Beirut but sold it after his father was assassinated in1986. His love affair with cooking started at the age of 8 when he first baked cakes. “I failed miserably. But my mother would console me by telling me that the failed cake that I had just made would still be delicious with apricot jam; a great way to console a disappointed child in front of a deflated cake,” says Massoud. His father used to chase him out of the hotel kitchen because he didn’t want him to go into the industry. “But I was a stubborn little chap… I would go out, make a quick round, and go right back in.” In 1985 during the civil war, at the age of 14, his parents sent him to the

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US under the pretext “if you like it maybe you could study there”, says Massoud. Lebanese cuisine, like the country, was stuck in survival mode from the onslaught of the war. “It is very difficult to create and evolve under those conditions when your primary preoccupation is to survive. I was blessed to move to a country where I no longer had to worry about that. From the age of 14, I had the chance to dream, think creatively and explore.” A typical dinner menu at ilili includes the familiar -fattoush, hummos, baba ghannouj- as well as dishes with a creative twist -bone marrow with sour cherry tabbouleh and harissa marinated hamachi. For dessert, there is the unique ilili candy bar with chocolate kataifi crunch and pistachio and fig caramel. “In essence our menu is 50% traditional authentic, with contemporary plating. The other 50% is our interpretation of the evolution of the cuisine, and what could have been, had Lebanese cuisine been allowed the opportunity to grow organically these last few decades.” Out of the kitchen, Massoud has little time for hobbies; during the opening phase of ilili he put in between 80 to 100 hours, seven days a week. His other love, the sea, has taken backstage for now. Having lived in the hotel from the beginning of the war after his home in

Qantari street was destroyed, he was like a fish in water and spent time with the hotel lifeguard Mohamad Berjawi who showed him where octopus hid, where to find sea urchins, and how to fish at night. Massoud’s efforts have been rewarded (during the opening phase he admits he put in between 80 to 100 hours, seven days a week); this month, ilili was voted the number one Mediterranean restaurant in New York by diners online. Last year, Philippe Massoud joined chefs from across the US for the launch of First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Chefs Move to Schools” initiative in which chefs adopt local schools, helping them come up with healthier lunch alternatives. Massoud has also been responsible for a number of charitable endeavors, including spearheading last year’s Dine Out for Haiti, which brought together around 80 restaurants to raise just over $93000. Real authentic Lebanese cuisine, coupled with a memorable dining experience, has always been this chef’s focus and his commitment to fresh ingredients is second to none. And when he comes back to Lebanon, where does he grab a bite to eat? “Falafel Fraiha for my falafel fix, shawarma at Ya Halla in Baabdat, made by Toni Labaki the owner, who taught me how to butcher shawarma.”

ABOVE, TOP TO BOTTOM: ILILI BAR AND LOUNGE, ILILI KEBBEH BI LABAN SOUP, BATTMAN STUDIOS.

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LA MANCHE A SHIFT BETWEEN ART + FOOD BY YOUMNA CHAGOURY

eing the first restaurant in Lebanon to introduce molecular cuisine in their menu, La Manche is Beirut’s venues’ new cool nerd: transforming its kitchen in a science laboratory, it revolutionizes our cooking – and eating! – habits. By using chemistry methods, like turning a liquid seashell sauce into a foamy one by introducing carbon dioxide, or freezing a fresh kiwi slice with liquid nitrogen, the chef aims at teaching people to have a new look on what’s in their plate. For example, the deconstructed Spanish Tortilla entrée, presented in a Cosmopolitan cocktail glass, looks like some kind of sweet trifle, but it tastes nothing like it. And that’s what La Manche excels in: blurring boundaries and intriguing their clients. Once settled at your table, with your handbag’s own stool (they know how to treat a lady!) the tasting experience begins with an assortment of appetizers

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bites like crispy bacon with date or biscuits with goat cheese cream. A few minutes later, the waiter brings a plate with bell pepper and onion confetti. You may start wondering whether this is the entrée you ordered or not, when he comes back and start pouring a carrot and cumin soup on the vegetables. It appears to be a “mise en bouche.” In other terms, they’re teasing you. Expect the unexpected, and don’t worry when you don’t really get what you’re going to eat: The waiters will tell you all you need to know. “Make sure you go deep and explore all the different layers,” says one waiter about the Tortilla. It’s how we’re supposed to eat it to get the optimum level of taste. “This is apple beer. You don’t pour it on your dessert, you drink it after having a bite of the tart and a spoon of the apple caviar”, he explains when someone stares disconcerted at the apple dessert plate.

This dazzling venue with the very discreet entrance on Pasteur Street in Achrafieh presents itself as a French gastronomy restaurant. Some might even say it’s an innovative French place. We say it is culinary art and artistic food

The + + Drinking coffee being so “last year”, they make you eat your espresso. Strong flavored coffee lovers may not like it, but we think it’s a great final touch. + For a gourmet restaurant, the proportions of the dishes are more than decent. Their Black Angus steak is bigger than what you could get in most places, and you don’t end up starving at the end of your meal.

The – - It’s a shame their setting brings nothing to the experience – it may even lessen it. Small details like the classic plain white round plates, the overly simple cutlery, or the uninteresting crystal-like garlands hanging on the golden wall seem to be a bland choice for such a place. La Manche Burotech Building, Pasteur Street Saifi, Beirut 01 565 442 / 70 063 069 www.la-manche.com management@la-manche.com Mon - Sat: 12:00pm- 3:30pm 8:30 pm-11:30 pm

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Shifting Seasons WITH CHEF MAHER EL-ALAM

RAGMAG AND CHEF MAHER PRESENT A DINING EXPERIENCE SUITED FOR THE SHIFTING SEASONS. A HEALTHY MEAL OF TRADITIONAL FISH AND MEDITERRANEAN LEBANESE CUISINE, WIDELY ENJOYED, IS ON THE MENU THIS ISSUE. CHEF MAHER SUGGESTS A PAIRING OF LEBANESE ARAK FOR THIS MEAL OR THE GREEK OUZO WHICH IS VERY SIMILAR TO ENHANCE THE ENJOYMENT OF YOUR MEAL. CONSIDER A MONOTONE TABLE SETTING IN CHARCOAL OR STEEL GREY FOR THE OCCASION. A SIMPLE ARRANGEMENT OF GREENS OR FRONDS IS APPROPRIATE IN AN OPAQUE VASE. WE SUGGEST NATURAL LIGHTING AS OPPOSED TO THE MORE FORMAL CANDLE SETTING.

Table Setting and Decoration -

Salad serving utensils Large salad bowl Serving platter for kebbi Side plates for the kebbi Entrée service including plates and cutlery Arak glasses Dessert plates Large platter for dessert Dessert forks Spatula to serve the ma3moul

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Fresh Spring

GARDEN SALAD

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR 8 SERVINGS

•1 kg tomatoes •3 cloves garlic •2 pinches dried mint •2 pinches salt •2 pinches pepper •Juice of 2 lemons •500gr cucumber •Olive oil

PREPARATION Begin by washing the tomato and cucumber. Dry well and cut properly. Crush the garlic with a pinch of salt. Add pieces of tomato with the dried mint and pepper. Finally add the lemon juice and olive oil, combine well and serve in a bowl.

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FISH KIBBEH

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR 6 to 8 SERVINGS

•1.5 kg of white fish fillet •4 cups white cracked wheat (burghul) •1/4 cup olive oil •3 big red onions •1 red pepper •1 green pepper •1 yellow sweet pepper •3 teaspoons salt •1 grated orange rind (orange zest) •1 grated lemon rind (lemon zest) •1 bunch fresh coriander •1/2 cup pine nuts •1/4 teaspoon saffron •1 teaspoon white pepper •7 parsley leaves •100gr butter •1 pinch cumin •100gr flour •Salt PREPARATION OF PASTE In a mixer, grind the fish fillet with one chopped onion, parsley leaves, a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper, and saffron. Add the orange and lemon zest, add lemon juice to the mixture with the rinsed and dried cracked wheat (burghul). Combine the mixture until achieve a nice paste with the flour.

PREPARATION OF FILLING Sauté the onions in rings in a frying pan with a small amount of oil. Follow with the pine nuts, add chopped sweet pepper. Add the fresh coriander and the last of salt, pepper, saffron and one pinch of

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cumin. In a tray place the butter around and spread the kibbeh paste evenly to a height of approximately 1.5 cm. Follow by placing a layer of filling. Cover the layer of filling with the remainder of the kibbeh mixture to the same thickness of 1.5cm. Cut deep horizontal or diagonal lines (preference) through both layers of the Kibbeh to form square or diamond shapes. This will help the rest of butter penetrate to add flavor. Place in a preheated over at approximately 180 to 200 degrees Celsius for one hour or until you achieve a golden brown colour. Serve on a large platter cut in square pieces.

Walnut

MAAMOUL

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR 6 SERVINGS

•750gr semolina •1 cup sugar •500gr butter •boiling water •500gr fresh chopped walnuts •1/2 cup sugar •1/2 teaspoon rosewater •1/4 cup cold water •2 cups icing sugar PREPARATION Mix the semolina with sugar in a large bowl. Bring the butter to a melted slightly boiled texture, add it to the semolina and sugar gradually. Blend well and set aside in a container for 24 hours. Knead the mixture in a boiling water to make a pliable dough. Add crushed walnuts to the sugar, add the rosewater to a cold water mix. Follow by combining with the original first step of the walnuts and sugar mixture.

To assemble, mold the pastry in small balls. Hollow the centre of each ball with your finger by pressing to make a shell, and fill the hollow shell with the mixture. Seal the top of the shell by pressing the dough together. Baking them in a tray in a preheated oven about 250 degrees Celsius, until lightly browned for approximately 20 minutes. Top the baked mixture with sifted icing sugar and serve each guest 2 pieces on a dessert plate.

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DOS + DON’TS MOVE TOWARD A HEALTHIER DIET BY ELODIE BARAKAT

BLOATING, HEARTBURN, CRAMPS... YOU ENJOYED EATING BUT YOU MIGHT NOT ENJOY DIGESTING FOR THE REST OF THE EVENING. HERE ARE SOME TIPS ON HOW TO ENJOY A GOOD MEAL WITHOUT RELIVING IT FOR HOURS.

Be good to yourself. You can avoid the inconvenience of indigestion just by adjusting the way you eat. First Eat slowly! It avoids air ingestion and reduces bloating. Second Chew your food well. It also reduces bloating and it helps your stomach since the more you chew, the less work your belly has to do. Finally, your brain needs 20 minutes to comprehend that you have eaten enough. If you’re too quick, you might eat more than you need. Twenty minutes is the minimum, and try not to eat too cold or too hot since it makes you eat faster! Third Drink water regularly during the day, it trains your digestive system and maintains good activity. Don’t drink too much before and during the meal. It dilutes gastric juices and lowers their effectiveness. Fourth Avoid big meals on the evening. Your body requires a light decrease of internal temperature to sleep well. Digestion has the opposite effect! But, if you don’t eat before sleeping, your might be jolted awake by an empty stomach. Therefore, opt for light dinners and if you can’t avoid a big meal, wait at least two hours before going to bed. 164 RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE PIE Another way of encouraging healthy digestion is to choose your food well. Some things can be harder to digest, like fatty foods. Apart from its obvious detrimental aspect, fatty food takes more time and energy to digest. Hot spices, citrus fruits, pepper, fresh mint, chocolate... Yummy stuff. But this stuff can also give you heartburn! Sodas, tea, coffee, alcohol and tobacco can have the same nasty effect. They increase gastric secretions and loosen the muscle of your stomach that stops acid reflux. If you’re not prone to heartburn no need to hold back. If you are, you’d better pace yourself. Soak things like lentils, beans and chick-peas in water several hours before cooking to neutralize the carbohydrates they produce once ingested. For some people, dairy products can be tough due to lactose which is not well received and ferments in the digestive system. No need to ban all dairy products and the calcium they provide! Choose skimmed products like yogurts or cottage cheese, they don’t contain lactose. IT’S ALL IN THE PLANNING! Apples and pineapples are packed with fibers that activate digestion and help your body eliminate sugar and fat. Add an extra helping of ginger to your sushi since it stimulates the

production of gastric juices and of digestion enzymes. Healthy and delicious, what more could you ask for? To season your dishes, use spices like cumin, cinnamon and cilantro which stimulate better digestion. Other foods, like cracked wheat (burghul), grapes, lettuce and kiwi ease the work for your belly, so make a room for them in your meal!

TIPS FOR HEALTHIER DIGESTION •Cooked cabbage can be hard on your bowels. Add a teaspoon of baking soda to the water used to cook the cabbage. You can use it (in the same amount) to rinse your veggies, making them easier to digest! •Have a mint or verbena infusion after a heavy meal. They have antispasmodic and analgesic effects that prevent stomachaches. An anise infusion can help your tummy, too. •Tomato, particularly in sauce, can be very acidic. Add a cube of sugar while cooking, it reduces the acidity!

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quizz ROUND #1

ROUND #2

History

Entertainment

1. In which century did Saladin conquer Egypt? 2. Which American President issued the Emancipation Proclamation that freed the slaves in the Rebellious Southern States? 3. Which Greek Ship owner married Jackie Kennedy in 1968? 4. In what year did King Abdullah become King of Jordan? 5. In what year was President Sadat of Egypt assassinated? 6. Which period of human culture came between the Stone Age and the Iron Age? 7. In ancient Rome, who led the slaves’ revolt against the Romans? Was it Spartacus or Ben Hur? 8. Founded in 1680, what is the name of the French National Theater? 9. Who discovered the Victoria falls? 10. Who died on French soil on August 31rst 1997?

1. What Beverly Hills zip code number is the name of a TV series?

ROUND #3

ROUND #4

Trivia

Sports

1. According to a sex shop survey, what is the favourite flavour of edible knickers?

2. What was the “Pink Panther” in 2. What do the letters U.H.T. stand the films of the same name? for on certain food stuff? 3. Which Italian Violonist and composer wrote the set of Concertos known as “The Four Seasons”?

7. Who wrote the novel “Doctor Zhivago”? 8. What do the initials CNN stand for?

2. Which team has won the most F1 constructor’s championship?

3. What do the letters BMW stand for?

3. Who defeated Sagesse in 2008-2009 Arab Clubs Basketball Championship finals?

4. In the U.S., they have ZIP codes. what does ZIP stand for?

4. Who was the youngest man to win a Wimbledon Men’s Single Championship?

4. What was Mr. T’s character’s name in the series “the A-Team”? 5. A survey has shown that 85% of women wear the incorrect size of 5. Where did the Flintstones live? what article of clothing? 6. Dave Rowntree was the drummer with which band?

1. Who was the second person to knock Casius Clay down in a professional fight?

6. What annoying creature’s sex session lasts approximately 2 seconds?

5. Who captained France in the 2010 Soccer World Cup? 6. Which F1 driver has taken part in the most Grand Prix races?

7. What country do Sinologists study?

7. The youngest woman to win Wimbledon was Lottie Dod in 1887 at the age of 15. Name the more well known girl who was actually the second youngest ever to win.

8. Where can you see the only Digital Rolex watch in the world?

8. Which team has won the most Soccer World Cups?

9. Which Hollywood Beauty made her debut in the film “The Mask”? 9. In the advertisement for “Energizer” batteries, what does 10. Who played Cruella De Vil in the rabbit wear on his feet? the “101 Dalmatians” film? 10. What appears in September and December more than in any other month?

9. Lebanon has won 4 medals in the Olympic games. One silver for weightlifting and 1 silver and 2 bronze for another sport. Which one? 10. Where was the first F1 race to take place on the 12th, 13th and 14th of March?

dingbats SONG CARRIES A LOT?

ROCK BAND

TRANSPORT

FOOD?

MOVIE

EXPENSIVE CLOTHES SHOP?

SONG SEXY CLOTHES?

ROUND#1 1. 12th 2. Abraham Lincoln 3. Aristotle Onassis 4. 7th Feb 1999 5. 6th Oct 1981 6. Bronze Age 7. Spartacus 8. Comedie Française 9. David Livingstone 10. Diana, Princess of Wales ROUND#2 1. 90210 2. A priceless jewel 3. Antonio Vivaldi 4. B.A. Baracus 5. Bedrock 6. Blur 7. Boris Pasternak 8. Cable News Network 9. Cameron Diaz 10. Glen Close ROUND#3 1. Cherry 2. Ultra Heat Treatment 3. Bavarian Motor Works 4. Zone Improvement Plan 5. Bra 6. Mosquito 7. China 8. Wimbledon Center Court 9. Flip flops 10. The Letter “E” ROUND#4 1. Henry Copper 2. Scuderia Ferrari 3. Al Riyadi 4. Boris Becker 5. Patrick Vieira 6. Ruben Barrichelo 7. Martina Hingis 8. Brazil 9. Wrestling 10. Bahrain

HIGHWAY TO HELL - JUMBO JET - BLACK SABBATH FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL - UNDERGROUND RAILWAY/TRAIN - FISH FINGERS RAINING IN MY HEART - CROTCHLESS UNDERWEAR - AISHTI

166 RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

crosswords 1

brainfood 4

ACCROSS

8 9

12 13

19 20 22

26 27

30 32

38 39

45 46 47

51 52

57 58

60 61

67 68

69 71

76 77

3. Erase. 5. Not set straight. 7. An automatic response. 9. A small mark! 10. Put into. 13. A murder mystery game. 16. A mechanical device that can be overhead. 17. Print for viewing. 19. Got rid of. 21. Another name for a buffalo. 23. Set in order of time. 25. A wolf’s house? 26. Alter. 27. Get older. 29. Finishing. 30. Not too good for mosquitos. 32. To do this is human! 34. Used in road making. 37. Bring into the country. 39. A light refreshment place. 41. One thousand acres. 43. Member of the US Government. 45. Thick and sticky. 46. They come in lots of variations. 47. A small carton? 48. Bent. 50. The colour of Google’s search engine. 51. Not much room. 52. Went rotten. 55. Do this on the internet. 58. They can be given after a foul. 59. Repair woolen socks. 60. Fate! 61. 36 inches. 63. Produce milk for infants. 64. Very important. 65. Plying for sex? 68. Give up. 70. Move like a snake. 71. Swiss singing. 73. Nissan make one. 74. Breathed out. 76. Move your head in agreement. 77. Not subtraction. 79. Not in alphabetical order. 80. Lack of feeling. 81. Full figured. 82. Under. 83. Made holy.

82 83

14. American waterway? 15. Take away. 18. Not friendly. 20. A very hot oven? 22. Richness. 24. No smell. 28. Signs of illness? 31. A short film clip.

sudoku 4 7 9 5

2 8 9 3 1 7 9

4 5 6

8 1 3 3 4 9 7 6 9 2 5 8 6 4 1 7 5 2

6 6 5 7 1 2 8 4 3 5 2 1 7 3 9 8 4

7 5 9 8 2 4 6 9 1 7 4 3 8 2 3 1 5 6

3 9 4 7 3 2 1 8 1 6 5 5 6 2 9 7

5 2 8 1 7 8

2 4 5 5 2 2 6 6 7 3 5 7 4 9 9 4 1 8 1 3

1 8 8 1 9 5 4 2 5 3 6 7 3 9 2 6 7 4

2 4 6 2 8 1 1 8 4 6 7 5 9 7 5 3 3 9

4 7 1 5 5 6 9 3 6 9 3 2 2 8 7 4 1 8

50. A much used construction

material. 53. Gives a spark in a car? 54. A short father? 56. Usually a type of large musical instrument. 57. Likes both men and women. 62. Sadness!

EASY

2 4 9

6 5

33. Rastafarian hair cut. 35. Essential for foreign travel. 36. Victory. 38. A submarine’s optical aid. 40. Not black or white! 42. Two piece swim suit. 44. A large transport vehicle. 49. French ham?

9 3 7 9 3 8 5 7 2 1 8 4 1 6 4 5 2 6

6 3 7 2 9 2 1 5 8 3 5 9 2 7 8 9 1 5 6 8 3 5 4 9 4 9 1 7 8 3 1 9 2 5 4 7 6

5 9 7 1 6 4 8 2 3

6 2 4 8 7 3 9 1 5

3 1 9 7 5 6 2 8 4

7 4 5 2 1 8 3 6 9

2 8 6 3 4 9 7 5 1

9 5 3 6 8 2 1 4 7

1 6 8 4 3 7 5 9 2

4 7 2 5 9 1 6 3 8

6 3 7

9 2 5 7

4 8

8 9 1 8 2 9 9 6 3 9 6

7 9 3 5 1 4 2 6 7 8

1 2 7 6 9 8 3 4 5

6 4 8 5 3 7 1 9 2

5 9 2 7 6 4 8 1 3

8 6 4 2 1 3 7 5 9

7 1 3 8 5 9 2 6 4

4 8 9 3 7 1 5 2 6

3 7 6 4 2 5 9 8 1

2 5 1 9 8 6 4 3 7

66. A cover on a house? 67. Very dirty. 69. Used. 72. A special counter for radiation. 75. A hot place! 78. Part of your neck.

ACCROSS 3. CLEAR - 5. ANGLED - 7. REFLEX - 9. BLEMISH 10. INTEGRATED - 13. CLUEDO - 16. CAM - 17. PUBLISH 19. ERADICATED - 21. BISON - 23. CHRONOLOGICALLY 25. DEN - 26. MODIFY - 27. AGE - 29. FINALISING 30. MORTEIN - 32. ERR - 34. ASPHALT - 37. IMPORT 39. CAFE - 41. HECTARE - 43. SENATOR - 45. VISCOUS 46. HAMBURGERS - 47. BOX - 48. KINKED - 50. CHROME 51. CRAMPED - 52. PERISHED - 55. BROWSE. 58. PENALTIES - 59. DARN - 60. DESTINY - 61. YARD 63. LACTATE - 64. VITAL - 65. SOLICITING - 68. QUIT 70. UNDULATE - 71. YODELLING - 73. PATROL 74. EXHALED - 76. NOD - 77. ADDITION - 79. NUMERICAL 80. NUMBNESS - 81. VOLUPTUOUS - 82. BENEATH 83. CONSECRATED

1. A crack in a rock? 2. Three pointed hat? 4. Forgive. 6. Do it bit by bit. 8. An expensive spice. 11. Not a spring tide. 12. A type of application form? 13. Think very hard.

DOWN 1. FISSURE - 2. TRICORN - 4. ADMONISH - 6. GRADUALLY 8. SAFRON - 11. NEAP - 12. QUESTIONAIRE 13. CONCENTRATE - 14. LEVY - 15. REMOVE 18. HOSTILE - 20. KILN - 22. WEALTH - 24. ODOURLESS 28. SYMPTOMS - 31. TRAILER - 33. DREADLOCKS 35. PASSPORT - 36. TRIUMPH - 38. PERISCOPE 40. COLOURLESS - 42. BIKINI - 44. JUGGERNAUT 49. JAMBON - 50. CONCRETE - 53. DISTRIBUTOR 54. DAD - 56. ORGAN - 57. BISEXUAL - 62. WOE 66.CANOPY - 67. FILTHY - 69. UTILISED - 72. GEIGER 75. ARIZONA - 78. NAPE

DOWN

THE STATIC ISSUE

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RAGMAG

astro

Zodiac forecasts FROM JONATHAN CAINER

April.2011

THE MAIN ACTION ON APRIL’S HEAVENLY STAGE INVOLVES ‘NOISES OFF’, PLANETS RISING AND SETTING SO CLOSE TO THE SUN THAT WE CAN’T SEE THEM AT ALL. WE ONLY KNOW WHERE THEY ARE BECAUSE OUR TABLES OF PLANETARY MOVEMENT TELL US. HOW CLEVER THE ANCIENTS MUST HAVE BEEN TO DEDUCE SUCH INFORMATION FROM STUDYING THE SKY. THEY NEEDED TO KNOW IT, THOUGH, BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO PREDICT IMPORTANT ALIGNMENTS, SUCH AS CONJUNCTIONS OF MARS AND JUPITER THAT WARNED OF NEW LEADERS AND RARE VICTORIES. IN APRIL, WE WON’T SEE THESE TWO PLANETS DRAW CLOSER - BUT WE’LL SENSE THEIR INFLUENCE.

QUENTIN TARANTINO

KEIRA KNIGHTLY

TAURUS April 21 - May 21

‘We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the universe. That makes us something very special.’ This quote, from the great professor, Stephen Hawking, flatters us to suggest that we can understand the universe. Perhaps we can. Or perhaps we can only try? But it doesn’t matter. There’s magic enough in the attempt, regardless of the outcome. That’s true too, of what you’re so keen to attempt in April. Ask the universe for what you want and you’ll get what you want, even if you don’t understand how this has come about. FOR YOUR DAILY FORECAST AND MORE FROM JONATHAN, VISIT WWW.CAINER.COM

ARIES March 21 - April 20

Three powerful planets in your sign are causing you to feel as if, somehow, there just isn’t enough time. But how can that be? Is the universe not eternal? Does not time go on forever? The shortage is entirely due to your sense of perception. You are identifying too closely with your physical form and the limitations of your earthly environment. Have you forgotten that these are only temporary and that you, in essence, are part of something infinite and endless? You are a part of the divine and the divine is a part of you. Remember that and, in April, whatever else you truly need, you’ll yet get. FOR YOUR DAILY FORECAST AND MORE FROM JONATHAN, VISIT WWW.CAINER.COM

GEMINI

May 22 - June 22 Some people are scared of their own shadow. They won’t go anywhere or do anything for fear of getting into trouble. Others are even more afraid. They run as far as they can in an attempt to leave their shadow behind. No matter where you go, though, your shadow goes with you. You can’t escape it but you can accept it. If you’re doing something now in the hope that it will free you from a fear, stop! But if you are doing it in the hope that it will help you come to terms with a fear, carry on. In April, you can achieve wonderful things if you are motivated by inspiration, not anxiety. FOR YOUR DAILY FORECAST AND MORE FROM JONATHAN, VISIT WWW.CAINER.COM

168 RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

June 23 - July 23

July 24 - August 23

LEO

VIRGO

‘There are,’ as the singer Johnny Nash once observed, ‘more questions than answers.’ And, as he so perceptively added, ‘The more I find out, the less I know’. You are now grappling with this very paradox. The way to set your mind at rest is not simply by asking fewer questions. Mr Nash, you see, may have been wrong. There are, in fact, more answers than questions. This is why some questions seem to lead to two or more contradictory answers. Pick the answer you like best this month and trust it. If your heart is in the right place, the rest of you will end up in the right place too!

There will be less financial pressure in April. Less uncertainty, less need to worry about where you stand, less doubt about the direction your life seems to be taking. Instead? More excitement and inspiration. New ideas. Fresh possibilities. Chances to make progress with plans that once seemed to be hopelessly stuck. Better close friendships and more successful encounters with close relatives too. Solutions to transportation problems. Answers to pressing domestic questions. All you really need to remember over the coming month, is that trouble, mainly, lies behind you, not ahead.

Some psychologists believe that anger is not a genuine emotion. Always, it is a substitute, a mask, a way of disguising some deeper feeling. We become cross because it seems, somehow, more empowering than becoming upset or afraid. When you are being yelled at, this might all seem like an irrelevant observation. Knowledge, though, is power - and when there’s tension, two things will always help to diffuse it. One is information. The other is a desire for peace. The first, you’ll get given. Summon the second for yourself and you’ll yet have a very successful April.

FOR YOUR DAILY FORECAST AND MORE FROM JONATHAN, VISIT WWW.CAINER.COM

CANCER

LIBRA

SCORPIO

August 24 - September 23

SAGITTARIUS

September 24 - October 23

October 24 - November 22

November 23 - December 21

FOR YOUR DAILY FORECAST AND MORE FROM JONATHAN, VISIT WWW.CAINER.COM

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

When people are feeling tense, they often advise each other to, ‘draw a deep breath’. How many deep breaths might you need to draw this month? Actually, you should make every breath a deep one. Not because you need to defuse anger but because you ought to stop, relax and appreciate just how magical and wonderful your life truly is. For all that’s wrong, for all that’s troublesome, for all that’s missing, you’ve got so much to be glad of. Soon, not only will you begin to recognise even more reasons to feel a deep sense of gratitude, you’ll actually start creating them.

How much do you need to do in April? And how much do you need to say? How far must you travel? How hard must you work? The answer, in every case, is ‘less than you think’. You have already achieved more than you realise. You have set in motion some processes which will now continue of their own accord, regardless of whether you drive them along or leave them be. You are more fortunate than you know and the proof of that is about to reveal itself. Meanwhile, conserve your energy. Relax. Be yourself. When it is truly essential to make a move, you will be left in no doubt.

FOR YOUR DAILY FORECAST AND MORE FROM JONATHAN, VISIT WWW.CAINER.COM

Remember the tale of The Tortoise And The Hare? Good. Now forget it! It has the wrong moral. Indeed, in April, the more you contemplate such salutary stories, the more you’ll slow yourself down unnecessarily at a time when you have every right (and reason) to speed up. A trio of planets in your opposite sign suggest you are not so much on form as on fire! You may feel restless and apprehensive but your eye is keen, your wit is sharp and your instinct reliable. Several opportunities need to be seized. There is no chance of you being caught napping and a high chance of catching a big prize.

December 22 - January 20

Spiderman was bitten by a radioactive bug. Superman came from another planet. Batman set out to avenge his murdered parents whilst the Invisible Girl mutated under cosmic rays. And where do your secret extra powers come from? Don’t pretend you have none. You need not be coy. There’s your X-ray vision for a start. Plus your supersensitive ability to detect hidden agendas? A Mars-Jupiter conjunction developing in late April will cause your powers to peak. That’s good because the world needs you! Even the difficult experiences of your past, can now play a constructive part in your future.

January 21 - February 19

Somewhere deep within you, there’s a person of immense power, amazing strength, impressive talent. You’re not ordinary. You’re not sub-standard. You’re supremely special. Why, then, don’t you act with more of the confidence that you deserve to display? Why don’t you accomplish more? Why do you let passing possible problems upset and unnerve you? Here, later this month, comes a developing conjunction of Mars and Jupiter and thus a chance to bring out much more of what’s already within you. Not only will this help you attain greater material success, it may work wonders in your love life!

PISCES

February 20 - March 20 Going up? First floor: friendships, hobbies and social occasions; Second floor: family and domestic pleasures; Third floor: creative endeavours and dedicated commitments; Fourth floor? Spiritual quests and intellectual challenges. In the department store of experience, much depends on which button we press in the elevator. In April, it’s not a question of going up - or down. It’s a question of making the most of whatever floor you find yourself on. There are problems attached to every situation you ever encounter. But there are also wonderful benefits. These are all you need to look for now. FOR YOUR DAILY FORECAST AND MORE FROM JONATHAN, VISIT WWW.CAINER.COM

THE STATIC ISSUE

169

the final frontier

COMP SCI’s DIFFERENT STATICS READ BETWEEN THE DOTS BY J.E.N.

omputer science seems to like the word static. There’s static code analysis, static data structure, static linking, static IP address, static logic, static method, static random access memory, static typing and static web design. But what does each mean? Static program analysis is basically methods that can be used to analyze a code without running the actual code (as opposed to dynamic analysis that works while the code is running). The analysis is done on a version of the source code or on a form of the object code. The analysis can be automated and/or involve a human touch. Static analysis is a great way of improving the quality of software. Static data structure is a type of data structure (a way of storing and organizing data in a computer) created for an input data set that doesn’t change. Adding, modifying or deleting something is just like starting from scratch. Static linking involves identifiers that are associated with data or sections in a code during linking (not run-time). To translate into English, a linker is a program that takes separate, named sequences of machine code created by a complier (a neat little program that transforms source code into another computer language) and combines them into a single executable program.

170 RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

Run-time most commonly refers to the time during which a program is running. Static IP address is the address on a device which doesn’t change. An Internet Protocol address (IP) is a numerical label that is assigned to devices (things like your laptop and your desktop) and serves as a form of identification that also doubles as a means to pinpoint geographical location. We have all encountered messages on the internet such as “your IP address is already downloading a file” or “your country is not allowed to access this video” and the like. Well that’s your IP address in action! In integrated circuit or chip design, static logic is digital logic which doesn’t use a clock signal which is a signal that moves between a high and low state. In other words, in static logic the signal is either low or high, but doesn’t jump around like it does in dynamic logic which uses a clock signal. Static method is a method of class which doesn’t need an explicit object reference. To demystify the geek lingo, a class is a construct that is used as a template to create objects and a method is part of a code within a larger program that performs a certain task. If a method is static, then that means that it acts on the class level and not any specific instance.

Static random access memory (SRAM)

is a form of semiconductor memory that retains contents as long as power is applied. In other words, this type of memory doesn’t have to be refreshed from time to time. SRAM is handy if you want to ensure data remanence (when residues of data remain even after attempts to remove it) but isn’t full proof since the data is lost when the memory isn’t powered. Static typing is when a programming language uses type checking at compiletime (before the associated program is executed) rather than at run-time. A type system is a framework for classifying phrases according to the kinds of values they compute and in turn type checking involves verifying types. Depending on the context static variables may be constants, local function variables, class variables or variables common to all objects. This jargon means that the variable (whatever it is) is allocated statically (at compile time) and so its lifetime extends across the entire run of the program. Static web design offers a layout that cannot adapt to viewers needs. So in static web design the pages don’t change content and layout unless the web master or programmer manually updates the page. For instance regular HTML pages are static. Dynamic web design on the other hand lets the end-user interact with the layout, changing the content and appearance

THE STATIC ISSUE

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60 international awards. faster than any car in its class. When a sports sedan is this striking, awards are sure to follow. With its aggressive coupe-like exterior, refined power and luxuriously spacious cabin, the XF has won critical acclaim from every corner of the globe. The Jaguar XF. Award-winning design, first-class performance. Âť E X P E R I E N C E T H E 2011 XF AT: jag ua r - m e . C O m

Beirut: Tel: 01-613670, Tripoli: Tel: 06-410704

172 RAGMAG | APRIL 2011

5 y E A Rs wA R RA N T y