Mind Soup

As the “edutainment reality” TV program  Stars of Science  prepares for its sixth season, the program’s creator, Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), has revealed that a total of  28,000  young Arabs were inspired to submit their inventions over the first five seasons. Launched in 2009,  Stars of Science  was designed as a platform for the next generation of Arab innovators to develop its ca pacities in science and technology. Season 1 Winner, Bassam Jalgha from Lebanon Of the 28,000 applicants,  80  of the most talented and entrepreneurial spirits were selected to participate in the TV program, and were supported by an international team of experts in developing their projects from concept to commercialization. His Excellency Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali Al-Thani, Ph.D., President of Hamad bin Khalifa University commented: “Through  Stars of Science , we are empowering some of the brig...

Clark Kent and Lois Lane snapshot from Smallville I was watching Smallville yesterday (a series that depicts the life story of Superman --  totally recommended by the way ) and I just had to take a snapshot of Lois Lane's rules of reporting. So here they are (text in parenthesis are my own amendments): Always know your source (but never reveal it unless you really have to). Always make a good first impression and don't screw up with your boss (but if you screwed up badly, get prepared to kiss up for some time) Do whatever it takes to get the story (except getting killed) If something seems to weird to be true, it usually is (unless you're living in Smallville, then that's a different story) Never take deadlines too seriously (unless your working in a nuclear plant) Triple check your facts (especially if your writing a front-page article) Put all the good stuff at the beginning (because let's face, if your reader is going to snooze before the end of the fi...

Rami Chemali and his mother BLOGBALADI : A [couple of months] ago, Rami Chemali , a Lebanese national and Star Academy participant, was killed in a car accident in Egypt. Mahmoud Shukri, Rami’s friend and also part of Star Academy was severely injured. Rumors spread that Rami was the one driving and a week ago, Rami’s mother pledged to sue Shukri’s family for falsely accusing her son of being the one responsible of the accident. Now the question is why don’t the Lebanese authorities bother to investigate the issue further? And how come no updates on the accident were heard since then? Is someone trying to hide the truth? On a final note, I found more pictures of Rami Chemali on an Israeli site than on all other Arab websites. Now why would Israeli websites be interested that much in a Lebanese star? And how did they get “Copyright” pictures of his funeral? "You will remain in our hearts" Related post: Rami Chemali from Star Academy 7 dead at 23 (moudz.blogsp...

CLICK HERE FOR A RECENT UPDATE ABOUT RAMI'S DEATH! MIND SOUP : Rami Chemali, the Lebanese star and Star Academy 7 participant, has passed away today at the age of 23 in a car crash in Cairo when vising his fellow Star Academy friend Mahmoud Shukri who is currently under intensive care. Shukri, an Egyptian, who was seated next to Chemali was also severely wounded in the accident . According to an eyewitness the accident occurred due to excessive speed. A car with 3 young people crashed into the car that was driven by Chemali, which resulted in the killing of Chemali and the 3 young Egyptians. May his soul rest in peace, and we pray to God to bring good health for Mahmoud. Below is the report televised by LBC on its evening news on Thursday. UPDATE: Below is the funeral video of Rami Chemali

MIND SOUP : I am very sure that a lot of you agree with me that the most annoying thing on Lebanese television is these stupid little commercial programs where a supposedly modernized "doctor" is trying to sell the viewers a bunch of herbs that can mysteriously get rid of most diseases, weight loss or whatever disorder the audience might be interested in. What's more annoying is that you not only find them on one television channel, but on several (such as Aljadid - previously "New TV", NBN or what I like to call "Nabih Berri Network", Manar TV, and even Tele Liban, among others) Well, guess what? According to the Daily Star , the Lebanese government (more specifically the General Directorate of General Security) has declared on Monday that advertisements for such medical herbs are now prohibited by law. The directorate based its decision on Law number 90 of June 3, 2010, which prohibited media outlets from advertising for medical herbs and othe...

PROVO, Utah — Gary Coleman, the adorable, pint-sized child star of the smash 1970s TV sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" who spent the rest of his life struggling on Hollywood's D-list, died Friday after suffering a brain hemorrhage. He was 42. Life support was terminated and Coleman died at 12:05 p.m. MDT with family and friends at his side, Utah Valley Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Janet Frank said. Coleman, with his sparkling eyes and perfect comic timing, became a star after "Diff'rent Strokes" debuted in 1978. He played Arnold Jackson, the younger one of a pair of African-American brothers adopted by a wealthy white man. "It's unfortunate. It's a sad day," said Todd Bridges, who played the older brother Willis. "It's sad that I'm the last kid alive from the show." The series lives on thanks to DVDs and YouTube. But its equally enduring legacy became the troubles in adulthood of its former child stars. Dana Plato, w...

I was surprised this past week with such HUGE publicity from media internationally and regionally, shedding the light on several American figures that have appeared to belong to Arab familiar origins. Recently the newly elected and Lebanese-born Miss USA Rima Fakih inspired researchers to "dig up" through prominent names and introduce internationally recognized people from Arab roots Kippreport had issued the following list fully quoted below; this is merely a sample of unknown Arab Americans. Intrestingly, we prove to care about the 15 minute famous Arabs and neglect to encourage and celebrate the accomplishment of so many established men and women who have given the world successful experiences, such legacies that could enlighten and honour our lives for generations to come... Let's begin with:    Steve Jobs Steve Jobs, the charismatic CEO of Apple, is of Syrian biological descent – although he has never publically acknowledged this.   According ...

During all police investigations it will be necessary to visit a strip club at least once. If being chased through town, you can usually take cover in a passing St. Patrick's Day parade - at any time of the year. It's easy for anyone to land a plane providing there is someone in the control tower to talk you down. The ventilation system of any building is the perfect hiding place.  No one will ever think of looking for you in there and you can travel to any other part of the building you want without difficulty. You're very likely to survive any battle in any war unless you make the mistake of showing someone a picture of your sweetheart back home. Should you wish to pass yourself off as a German officer, it will not be necessary to speak the language.  A German accent will do. The Eiffel Tower can be seen from any window in Paris. A man will show no pain while taking the most ferocious beating but will wince when a woman tries to clean his wounds. If a large pane o...

Remember that episode of "30 Rock" where James Franco's character was in love with a pillow? Oh that was so funny. You know, because it was a scripted television show. Not real life. I wouldn't think that would need such a distinction, but then again, I wouldn't expect a man in Korea to marry a pillow. But according to the UK Metro, this is precisely what happened, as Lee Jin-gyu has made a body pillow his bride. This isn't the time to go into a "If a man in Korea can marry a pillow, how is gay marriage still..." tirade. This is a time to just let your jaw hit the floor and bask in the ridiculousness of this happening. (Plus, it's not like he married a Robert Pattinson pillow. That'd be gay. Clearly the guy prefers female pillows, as he printed a busty anime character on the side.) If you're dying to see the happy newlyweds in action, here's a look at their day at the amusement park. You must be this crazy to ride the roller coa...

Neil Patrick Harris wants you to know Carrie Underwood is “awesome.” “This week’s awesome guest star,” he wrote on his Twitter page, linking to this photo of himself with the country superstar on the set of How I Met Your Mother. “HIMYM – You’ll Love The Way We Fly!” In an episode scheduled to air in March, Underwood is set to play Tiffany, an enigmatic pharmaceutical sales rep and love interest for Ted (played by Josh Radnor) on the show, which recently celebrated its 100th episode. But in this photo, the singer looks more like a flight attendant — are those overhead bins in the background? — than a drug rep. Maybe someone is having a high-flying, pill-induced fantasy?

Have you seen every single episode of Lost multiple times? Do you have complex theories about time travel? If so, then, like many other devoted fans, you might be addicted to Lost. But how can you be sure? We have a list of 42 signs that you are a confirmed Lost addict. See how many you have to diagnose your addiction. 1. You might be a Lost addict if...you play 4-8-15-16-23-42 in the lottery every week. 2. You might be a Lost addict if...you call your bedroom "The Hatch." 3. You might be a Lost addict if...you request to sit in seat 23B, just like Jack, every time you're on an airplane. 4. You might be a Lost addict if...you'd never vote for President Ob A ma again if he'd preempted Lost with the State of the Union address. 5. You might be a Lost addict if...you used the data in the Lamp Post to try and triangulate where the Island is. 6. You might be a Lost addict if...your Valentine's Day gift for your gi...