Jew on jazeera

not a usual site, an orthodox jew being interviewed on al jazeera. he's from naturei karta, orthodox jews opposed to zionism... well, at least until the messiah returns. 

arabian golf

ok, so at unesco, a cultural space in beirut with a theater and everything, there was an exhibition of new, but very old style paintings of arabic culture. most were scenes of the old ruins around lebanon that looked like they were from hundreds of years ago. while checking out the work i came across the painting on the left. yeah, it's a golfer. i think i remember once reading about the 17th century arabian golfers, they were from the gulf... 

Cough

C + F = cold and flu.

Fishing in the mountains

A fisherman at a river in the Chouf mountains showing off his catch. Bass (I think?). 

The most beautiful restaurant in lebanon

La Rouche restaurant owned by an older Druze couple in the Chouf mountains. In the background is the Mediterranean Sea. Didn't I tell you this country is beautiful? But dont click on the image to see it hi res, you might see the USS cole on the horizon. 

sayed lighter

the famous lighter in lebanon that includes a flashlight that projects the image of none other than... you guessed it! 

Beiruti cat

beiruti toilets

back in beirut. an exhibit called "haven't 15 years of hiding in the toilets been enough" contained hundreds of toilets in downtown Beirut to symbolize... well, Im not sure, but my guess is the exhibit symbolizes the vast difference between the rich and poor in Lebanon. In Dahiyeh people are protesting over a lack of electricity and not being able to afford bread, while exhibits in Beirut's downtown have hundreds of toilets. I actually just installed a new toilet in my flat and I know that they aren't cheap, these in the exhibit were nice too. I wanted to take one home but there was too much security. 

Chicago building

I just love chicago. 

Tax day

AFSC holding a protest at federal plaza in downtown chicago on tax day. the banner represented where our taxes go to with a large portion dedicated to military spending.

israeli soldiers

At my alma mater, columbia college chicago (a small media arts school), I can't tell you how many times I've seen posters for Israeli photographers who have done projects on Israeli soldiers in the IDF (the Israeli Army that enforces the government's occupation of the Palestinian territories, Syrian Golan Heights, Lebanese Shebaa Farms and has led many wars in Palestine and elsewhere like the recent 2006 war in Lebanon). These images, like many throughout Israel's history, aim (as I see it) to show the army and it's "good looking" young soldiers (note famous pic from 1967 when Israel occupied Jerusalem with the young male soldiers at the wailing wall) who are put into this "difficult" position where they have to fight and - with the context given - most would understand it to mean these soldiers have to fight in order to "protect Israel." When in actuality, yes under Israeli law its citizens are forced to do their military service, but they are certainly not fighting to protect their state, unless you understand the state to be that of a colonialist settler state - then not only are they trying to protect their colonialism over the middle east but work to expand it. Btw, saying "no" to military service might land you in jail for a period from a couple months to a couple years, many Israelis have refused their military service, but not many "mainstream" photographers invited to do shows in the US would feature their work. It's another part of the conflict where Israeli society is always portrayed as being open-minded and able to criticize itself as a true democratic society and the Arabs on the other hand are always the face/nameless "terrorists" who kill just to kill. I would like to see an Israeli photographer take portraits of the at least hundreds of Israeli soldiers who have [knowingly] killed thousands of Palestinian children over recent decades. Sorry for pic quality, I would link to photographer's site, but I'm really not interested in promoting this work. Anyway, always missing in such work (and I have to admit that I dont much about this particular body but its safe to assume at this point) is the context that these young good looking soldiers are soldiers of OCCUPATION and the Palestinian "terrorist" soldiers are fighting that occupation as is their right under international law. 

italian weed

I went to some squat or "social center" as they call them in europe, I went to a few actually. The first I went into had a Palestinian flag at the entrance, which was nice. But then inside it was all about drinking and drugs, at least many people were smoking weed. I am as much against weed as I am against alcohol, if they're done in moderation they're fine. But too much of either, especially done by people who claim to be working for social causes can hurt the movement. The next day, at another social center the emcee for an event about legalizing marijuana was equating that struggle with the struggle in Palestine, that pissed me off. 

euro kaffiyehs

everyone is wearing a kaffiyeh in europe these days. i used to ask everyone who i saw in chicago wearing one if they knew what it represented and where it came from, almost everyone had no clue. I can't imagine these young folk in europe are any different. 

jesus and garbage

in roma. and actually, i think it's the "virgin" mary. 

Bye beirut, for a couple weeks

UNIFIL soldiers heading home.

Old beirut

Pierre Gemayel, the little one

A poster of the assassinated former Lebanese minister from the Phalange party hangs on a wall in Beirut. The Phalange claim to support the Palestinian cause in public, yet have committed massacres (1982 Sabra and Shatila) of Palestinian civilians in Lebanon. They fought with the support of the US and Israel in the civil war. Pierre's grandfather, also named Pierre, found the Phalangist party after a trip to the Olympic Games in Berlin where he was impressed by the "organization" of the Nazi party and wanted to create something similar in Lebanon.