Hellen Thomas award

some links to bring you up to speed:

I'm sure by now you have heard the news about Wayne State University's decision to drop a journalism award that has been given in the name of Helen Thomas for more than twenty years. WSU's decision came after Thomas made comments about Zionism's stranglehold on "Congress, the White House, Hollywood and Wall Street" which WSU officials considered 'anti semitic'.

Here are some links to the story:

http://www.freep.com/article/20101204/NEWS05/12040418/Wayne-State-University-drops-Helen-Thomas-diversity-award-over-journalist-s-controversial-remarks

http://www.thesouthend.wayne.edu/index.php/article/2010/12/helen_thomas_wsu_betrayed_academic_freedom#comment475

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2010/12/helen_thomas_wayne_state_unive.html

Background:
In a move that was offensive to all who believe in academic and journalistic freedom, Wayne State University decided to change the name of the journalism award named after one of the University’s most esteemed alumni. Helen Thomas, the 90 year old esteemed Arab American journalist and former Dean of the White House Press corps. Thomas is perhaps the best-known alum of WSU, having covered every President of the United States from the last years of the Eisenhower administration until the second year of the Obama administration. Her courage and independent questioning earned her a deep respect from her colleagues and the American people.

Unfortunately, some “public servants” at Wayne State University have reportedly been waiting for an excuse to rename the award after many supporters of Israel attacked Thomas for recent comments about getting the Israelis out of Palestine. The comments led to her forced resignation from her job. Most recently, at a conference December 2nd in Dearborn, Thomas remarked "Congress, the White House and Hollywood, Wall Street are owned by Zionists. No question, in my opinion." WSU leaders said they considered the remark anti-Semitic and pulled the award the following day.

http://arabdetroit.com/news.php?id=2379

http://www.arabamericannews.com/news/index.php?mod=article&cat=Community&article=3734

http://www.arabamericannews.com/news/index.php?mod=article&cat=OtherOpinions&article=3696

http://articles.cnn.com/2010-06-07/politics/pol.helen.thomas_1_helen-thomas-hearst-corporation-remarks?_s=PM:POLITICS

http://arabdetroit.com/news.php?id=2402

Emerging technologies that would make sense to import to Lebanon

I often see ads on Lebanese websites for trading in oil, or in the same old stock market, and I laugh. We're a renaissance waiting to happen, once the Banana Republic gets out of the way. Why would we do things the same old way?

There are some technologies, emerging around the world, that could propel Lebanon into the future. These cost a fraction of the budgetary spending made by the Saniora and Hariri cabinets between 2006 and 2009, and the $11 billion they embezzled, undocumented.

Eliodomestico, an energy passive desalinator for water

Graphene electrodes for making organic solar cells practical:

Maybe a solution to traffic and road maintenance in Lebanon, Australian built Hoverbike prepares for takeoff.

A Camera gun, which provides a humane alternative to hunting.

BizTimes: 

Potawatomi digester to produce energy

Futuristic SeaOrbiter vessel (French architect), set for October construction.

3D-Printing with Nano-Precision, an industry that produces high-precisions parts, without the pollution and harsh conditions of a factory.

FanWing aircraft that uses a fan on the wings to blow air over it. It only needs 15 meters to take off, which means in small Lebanon this aircraft can transport patients, urgent supplies from and to short airports.

a revolutionary way of teaching, for free: Daphne Koller: What we're learning from online education | Video on TED.com

Stone Spray builds architecture from the ground up: instead of using expensive bricks and masonry, we would be able to "spray" on Lebanese houses.

High-efficiency solar energy tech turns water into steam - from Rice University

GVentilation shafts cladded with greenery, from Greenroofs.com. Imagine this at the Zouk power plant ventialtion shaft.

Smart Bra May Replace Mammograms: apparently water pollution in Lebanon and the surrounding triggers cancer, among other diseases

Because toxicity from chemicals is not a detail: Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry

Animal shelters that show case the intelligence of animals: driving school for dogs in New Zealand.

For less traffic in Lebanon, maybe we can all have jetpacks: Redesigned Martin Jetpack deliveries expected to start in 2014

Self-lighting sidewalk, means actual sidewalks in Lebanon, and less spending on street lights PRO-TEQ: spray applied elastomeric polyurethane - polyurea coatings.

High-Tech Sensors Help Old Port City Leap Into Smart Future : Parallels : NPR:

turning to the diaspora to save sectarianism?

yep, based on the posts in iloubnan.info and YaLibnan quoted below, some of the Lebanese diaspora is definitely stuck in the 70's, and is imagining a Hezbollah of the 80's, if that! Immigrants of all nationality are famous for preserving a past, outdated image of their culture in their mind. In Lebanese media, you notice less sectarian labeling than in western news articles describing Lebanon. This is because Lebanon evolved out of sectarianism, in part. Some of us, the nationalists of Lebanon consider sectarian labels the equivalent of the N word, and the diaspora needs to catch on to that. Their denial of Lebanese nationalism is just making you obsolete.

Diaspora leaders call on Christian Sunnis and Druses to resist Hezbollah in Lebanon
iloubnan.info - December 31, 2010

In an article published in daily As Siyasa several Lebanese Diaspora leaders called on Christian, Sunni and Druse leaders in Lebanon to form "defensive areas" against Hezbollah's terror and penetration.
The Diaspora leaders called on President Michel Sleiman, Prime Minister Hariri, the Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces to stop the infiltration by Hezbollah cells into areas outside the Shia enclaves and defend what is known as "March 14" zones of support. But the emigres' leaders also addressed the top politicians from the legislative majority who oppose Syrian influence to "work immediately on setting the defenses of the zones contiguous to the areas dominated by the Iranian backed militia.
As Siyasa reported that coordinated statements were issued today december 30th by Sheikh Sami el Khoury, the President of the World Maronite Union based in Miami, Florida, Joe Baini the President of the World Council of the Cedars Revolution based in Sydney, Australia, Elias Bejjani the chairman of the Lebanese Canadian Coordination Council based in Toronto and the Secretary General of the International Committee for UNSCR 1559 Tom Harb, who briefs Western Governments on Lebanon.

The statements called for removing the weapons deployed by Hezbollah and its allies including Christian Michel Aoun, Sunni Abdel Rahim Mrad, Druse Wi'am Wahhab, and the Syrian National-Socialist Party (SSNP) in the districts with Christian, Sunni and Druse majority and enable civil society to defend itself if Hezbollah would wage military offensives and terror acts in the near future.

The Diaspora leaders claimed the Iranian and Syrian backed militias have been smuggling weapons from the Hezbollah areas of control into opposing regions and that Christian, Sunni and Druse communities should stop Hezbollah's advances into their areas.

do your job Mr president, don't pout! And british Foreign Secretary: if you can't prove it, don't say it

The general Aoun said that asking the Lebanese president to vote on an issue is not the same as taking away his power.

When we demanded a cabinet vote on the issue of "false witnesses," we were requesting that according to the Constitution, and no one is seeking to take away the president's powers as he has said, Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun announced Tuesday.
"We're only asking the president to implement Article 65 of the Constitution and we're not seeking to take away his powers," Aoun told reporters after the weekly meeting of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc in Rabiyeh.

Regarding the comment by the British foreign Secretary (Hague), that Lebanon is on the verge of violence, is it wishful thinking or a fact? When GMA asked to have the British ambassador support this comment with facts, he received silence. Are the "natives" not supposed to scrutinize their neo-colonizers?

Asked about British Foreign Secretary William Hague's latest remarks on a possible "outbreak of violence" in Lebanon, Aoun said: "I had asked the foreign minister (Ali Shami) to summon the British ambassador following Hague's remarks, so that he (Hague) be asked about the reason he said Lebanon will witness acts of violence, but the foreign minister has not answered yet."

"There are four people who receive official security reports – the president, the premier and the ministers of interior and defense. No one of them felt interested to respond. We ask the president why he hasn't made reassurances in this regard," Aoun wondered.

On December 19, Hague reiterated London's support for the U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon, voicing concerns over "an outbreak of violence" in the country.

In an interview on Britain's Sky News television, Hague said: "We are very concerned about Lebanon, that is one of our concerns over the coming weeks. We think it's very important that tribunal does its work."

an ideal little country

I think the Maldives showed that people are well intentioned, and they can achieve idea governments what they are not manipulated by bankgsters, industry mongers, or power-hungry clergey http://www.presidencymaldives.gov.mv/4/

gas exploration off the Lebanese shore

Let's hope that the companies who will license the right to explore gas off of the Lebanese shore will have a shred of ecological engineering knowledge.

now I remember why I left the French System after highschool

somehow, Alliot-Marie reminds me why I went from the French high school system to the American college education system. That and the fact that Jacques Chirac was a partner in Lebanese corporations that made money while the country wallowed in chaos and traffic jams. In spite of a democracy in France, the French come to us to do business Banana Republic style!