Mind Soup

I was honored to be interviewed on Future TV's English News last week. Check out the video below where I talk about the state of social media in the Arab World , the Lebanese online community, the Social Media Awards and University for Seniors . I'm also very humbled to have been called The Social Media Consultant of Lebanon. Thank you Youmna for the superb interview! For more information about what I do, you can connect  with me on Linkedin. 

James Wolfensohn [Communicated via e-mail to the AUB community] Dear AUB faculty, students, staff, and friends, You will have heard that Sir James Wolfensohn has decided not to attend the Commencement ceremonies on June 25, during which the university had intended to award him an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters and had anticipated hearing him give the keynote speech at graduation. His decision was taken in the aftermath of a petition that was organized by several faculty members at AUB, then circulated to the faculty and student community, as well as to our alumni, who were specifically encouraged not just to sign the petition but to write letters of protest. In the wake of predictable coverage by the media, the press in Lebanon have given wide notoriety to the issue as well, apparently based primarily on the wording of the petition, which is highly selective in the information it provides. The coverage has been mostly, and unfairly, critical of James Wolfensohn...

Below is one of the most simple yet touching TV commercials that I have seen in a long time. The simplicity and yet complete relevance to the topic at hand is striking (especially with Gebran Tueini's quote - may he RIP), and the visuals compel you to focus on every detail. I usually do not like political advertisements, and this one is not entirely political but advertising for Annahar newspaper (which tends to have a political side), but I felt that it was much more creative than other advertisements in this category. This campaign was done by GREY. Let me know what you think. UPDATE : Apparently, this ad has been inspired (I don't want to say stolen) from a Chinese Ad for CCTV . Thanks Nadim for the info.

Yesterday, Mind Soup has turned two years old. I can't really believe it. It still seems like yesterday when I spontaneously decided to start a blog and worried about design layouts and content. Now, after two full years I stand proud of my commitment to my blog and it subsidiaries. This year has brought a lot of accomplishments which include: having the great Daisy join in and continuously post about her experiences and opinions being featured in several newspaper and magazine articles both online and offline. being the first google search for several articles. 300,000 hits on several pages integrating with several social media sites such as facebook and twitter recently creating a supplementary tumblr page giving me the inspiration to establish Online Collaborative and enriching my interest in social marketing. being known as a relevant source of news and opinion articles and a place where freedom of speech is exercised Even though this year has also...

View of Club's Stands next to West Hall Today has been a very long day indeed, a long fruitful day. AUB's Online Collaborative had its debut today during Clubs day where cabinets and active members of clubs and societies gather around West Hall to recruit members. After struggling with the board for around an hour, we were set to go. The collage of social networking logos attracted many students who came closer to ask questions or take a flyer. Other students had surprised or even disgusted looks when they saw our stand. They don't know how important and crucial our work is. Many thought that we are a group of people addicted to facebook and trying to recruit facebook addicts into one group. Our humble board Boy, they are so wrong. What they don't know is how the whole world has its eyes fixated now on digital media, especially social media. News outlets are leaning more and more towards online media. Many politicians, organizations or event planners ...

Bahrani Blogger Ali Abdelemam GLOBAL VOICES ADVOCACY : Ali Abdulemam, a leading Bahraini blogger and Global Voices Advocacy author, was arrested earlier today by the Bahraini authorities for allegedly spreading “false news” on BahrainOnline.org portal, one of the most popular pro-democracy outlets in Bahrain, amidst the worst sectarian crackdown by the government in years, and accusations of a supposed “terror network” involving several political and human rights activists. The BahrainOnline portal is censored in Bahrain. He sent an email earlier today mentioning that he got a call from the Bahraini national security just before his arrest, then arrested him and alleged that he was trying to flee. Reportedly the Bahraini government has a long track record of using torture against dissidents http://bit.ly/9kZyJQ and their TV has been broadcasting hateful sectarian messages to justify its crackdown Ali was arrested before also for content published on his portal, and he contri...

3D Model of an HIV Virus HEALTH JOCKEY : A previous investigation on rhesus monkeys claimed that TRIM5a safeguards these animals from HIV. It was affirmed that after the protein latches on to a HIV virus, other TRIM5a proteins accumulate and destroy the virus. This protein is also present in humans but was assumed to work in the opposite way. Instead of protecting against HIV, it seemed to guard against some other viruses . TRIM5a which may contain almost 500 amino acid subunits is predicted to be an effective therapeutic agent by the researchers. The investigation was triggered for figuring out the components in TRIM5a which allow the protein to destroy viruses. Edward M. Campbell, PhD, of Loyola University Health System senior researcher alleged, “Scientists have been trying to develop antiviral therapies for only about 75 years. Evolution has been playing this game for millions of years, and it has identified a point of intervention that we still know very little about.” Duri...

And I thought we've got it bad in Lebanon. Apparently, in China its far worse. Photo Credits: AFP According to Associate Press on Monday, thousands of cars were stuck on the road in a 100-kilometer (62-mile) traffic jam leading to Beijing that has lasted nine days. "The Beijing-Tibet expressway slowed to a crawl on August 14 due to a spike in traffic by cargo-bearing heavy trucks heading to the capital, and compounded by road maintenance work that began five days later," the Global Times said. The state-run newspaper said the jam between Beijing and Jining city had "given birth to a mini-economy with local merchants capitalizing on the stranded drivers' predicament by selling them water and food at inflated prices." That stretch of highway linking Beijing with the northern province of Hebei and the Inner Mongolia region has become increasingly prone to massive jams as the capital of more than 20 million people sucks in huge shipments of goods. ...

MIND SOUP : Apparently, Apple doesn't think very highly of its customers. According to The Independent, the iPhone 4 that was released in the UK ten days ago has a major fault. The phone that costs £599 (around 900 US dollars) has to be handled very delicately as not to touch the aerial which is embedded inside the casing. Angry costumers were told to pay an extra £25 ($37.5) for a rubber bumper which presumably solves this problem. Apple has reportedly told its employees not to promise the costumers free rubber bumpers even though the flaw in the phone is the company's fault. In a leaked memo, Apple says "We ARE NOT appeasing customers with free bumpers – DON'T promise a free bumper to customers." The memo also instructs staff to tell costumers not to cover the lower left hand corner of the phone and explain to the customers that "the phone's wireless performance is the best we have ever shipped." The Independent stated that "the...

MIND SOUP : A couple of days ago, the news of Octavia Nasr being fired from CNN envaded the Lebanese and Middle Eastern media. It may has come as a shock to the society, yet this denial of free speech has been demonstrated very widely across various prestigious institutions in the region and world-wide. To re-cap, Nasr who held the position of senior Middle East editor at CNN was laid off earlier this week after 20 years of work because she praised the late Hezbollah Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah on twitter. "Sad to hear of the passing of Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah. One of Hezbollah's giants I respect a lot," she posted Sunday morning. This tweet was immediately picked up by Israeli supporters and Nasr was criticized and attacked for sympathizing with Fadlallah. The Simon Wiesenthal Center in the US demanded that Nasr "apologize to all victims of Hezbollah terrorism whose loved ones don't share her sadness over the passing of one of Hezbol...

مع إقفال محل أبو ناجي، بداية جديدة «كش... ملك». هذه هي قواعد اللعبة في شارع بلس الذي لا يملّ من تغيير معالمه. إلا أن للتغيير ضريبة تظلّ باهظة على «السكان القدامى»، رغم اعترافهم بأنه «سنّة الحياة»، كما يقول أبو ناجي، مدير أقدم سوبرماركت في الشارع. على عكس الكثير من جيرانه الذين رُحّلوا، هو لن يذهب بعيداً، فقد هُجّر فقط لمسافة بضعة أمتار، كانت كافية لإشعاره بالغربة رنا حايك  «انتقل محل أبو ناجي». تصوّر طالبة من الجامعة الأميركية اللافتة المعلقة على محلّ مختوم بالشمع الأحمر وبأختام رسمية: «لا يجوز فضّها تحت طائلة الملاحقة الجزائية»، لترسلها إلى متخرّجين يعيشون في الخارج. فلكلّ من طلاب الأميركية ذكرياته مع هذه البقعة الصغيرة من الشارع التي تشكّل الطبقة السفلية من مبنى سيهدَم قريباً، كما شرح كيو الشامي، من مكتب مالك العقار، رجل الأعمال، تحسين خياط. «كان الإيجار قديماً، حاولنا رفعه منذ سنوات حين اشترينا المبنى لكن المستأجر رفض، فرفعنا دعوى، وحكمت المحكمة لمصلحتنا. أخيراً، قرّرنا هدمه لأننا نملك عقارات أخرى وراءه تشكّل مساحة شاسعة إذا ما جمعت معه. هكذا، نستطيع خلال السنة المقبلة بناء مج...

I have, of course, been outraged at armed men boarding ships in international waters, killing passengers on board who attempt to resist and then forcing their ship to the hijackers' home port. I am, of course, talking about the Somali pirates who are preying on Western ships in the Indian Ocean. How dare those terrorists dare to touch our unarmed vessels on the high seas? And how right we are to have our warships there to prevent such terrorist acts. But whoops! At least the Israelis have not demanded ransom. They just want to get journalists to win the propaganda war for them. Scarcely had the week begun when Israel's warrior "commandos" stormed a Turkish boat bringing aid to Gaza and shot nine of the passengers dead. Yet by week's end, the protesters had become "armed peace activists", vicious anti-Semites "professing pacifism, seething with hate, pounding away at another human being with a metal pole". I liked the last bit. The fact that ...

This article about an albino dolphin is relatively old (it's from March 2009), but I still felt it was worth sharing. I had no idea that such dolphins existed. I've reposted the article below and if you want to see the original one by the Daily Mail, just click here . " Caught on camera: Is this the world's only PINK dolphin? These are the stunning pictures of a rare pink bottlenose dolphin spotted swimming in a Louisiana lake. The mammal was pictured by local charter boat captain Erik Rue, who has been studying the dolphin since it first surfaced in Lake Calcasieu, an inland saltwater estuary, north of the Gulf of Mexico in Southwestern USA. Since it was spotted with its pod of normal coloured dolphins last year the animal has been wowing visitors on the lake. Capt Rue, 42, originally saw the dolphin, which also has reddish eyes, swimming with a pod of four other dolphins, with one appearing to be its mother which never left its side. Stunning sight: The rare albino d...

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...

Remember a while back, I was writing for Align, the business school newspaper at AUB, and then dramatically got fired for expressing my opinion on my personal blog? ( more info ) Well get this... They still published my articles online, without mentioning my name. I'm pretty sure this breaks some copyright laws or something. What crime did I commit for them not to mention my name? Last time I checked, I didn't murder anyone. Well at least google knows the truth!  It's bad enough that they haven't paid me yet for the two months I worked there. Well, to be fair, none of the other staff writers got their pay checks yet! Imagine that. People working for almost four months now haven't been paid a dime. I am seriously glad that I got "fired" early on. Way to be proffessional, Align!

Here's a few photos from the AUB Yearbook reception dinner that occurred on Monday May 24. I am the associate editor in chief of the 09-10 edition of the AUB Campus yearbook, so I got to say a little speech! So that's me giving the speech! This is the majority of the members of the yearbook team. A photo with the greatest friends :) Maurice, our editor in chief, giving his speech. Cutting the cake with Dean Kisirwani and distinguished guests. With members of the AUB Student Affairs Office: (L-R) Rania Murr, Dr. Maryam Ghandour, Therese Miri'b, Nisrine Fattouh, Mohammad Hijazi, Hiba Hamade, Maurice Salem , Ramza Saad Don't Ask! Here's my thank you speech that I gave on that wonderful night: Good evening. Dean Kisirwani, Dr. Nizameddine, Dr. Talhouk, distinguished guests, fellow members of the campus yearbook team. I would like to thank you wholeheartedly for being with us tonight to celebrate the yearbook team. I will start off this delightful even...

Sawt Al Niswa interviewed students involved in the strike against the 31% increase to tuition. This increase to tuition is part of AUB’s intention in making quality education less accessible to middle class student. Independent students are now leading the initiative after the USFC failed to lead a united student movement. ( link )

Below are some articles from renowned newspapers and blogs across Lebanon and the region that discuss the Student protest at the American University of Beirut due to the shift from the 12-credits system to the 15-credit system which increase the tuition for newly enrolled students (as of Fall 2010) up-to 25%. English Daily Star: AUB students hold strike against hike in tuition fees ( link ) Star Scene: AUB students protest against tuition increase  ( link ) Now Lebanon: Strike at AUB ( link ) Demotix:  Students of AUB university in Lebanon protest rise in tuition fees ( link ) This is Beirut:  Empty classrooms a week before finals at AUB! ( link ) iloubnan: AUB students go on strike protesting increase of tuition ( link ) Gino's Blog: The AUB Problem Breakdown ( link ) Farfahine:  Letter from AUB students: Support us to take our campus back. ( link ) Blog Under Construction: AUB Students Boycott Classes ( link ) Sawt Al Niswa: Stike: It is your rig...

Today, I attended the tuition increase town meeting that was held by members of the AUB Administration (President Dorman, VP Kenny, Provost Dallal, Dean Kisirwani, etc) and I was reporting the event live on twitter via @ mhijazi . This was my first experience with twitter reporting, and I am glad to say it was very enjoyable. Tomorrow, I will be covering parts of the protest via twitter also, and between my classes. (No, I am not skipping classes, here's why ) Below are the tweets related to today's meeting from newest to oldest, so I would recommend that you read from bottom to top.

Dear bloggers, I was informed today that the Students Affairs Office at AUB has decided to cancel the Lebanese Bloggers Convention due to the Tuition Increase protest. I will be discussing this issue with the Dean's Office for the possibility of postoning it rather than cancelling it. If will post updates here later. Below is the e-mail sent from the Coordinator of Student Affairs (Hiba Hamade) to Outlook Editor in Chief (Yahia Hamade). Best regards, Mohammad Hijazi ----- Forwarded message from hh62@aub.edu.lb -----    Date: Tue, 18 May 2010 12:09:47 +0300    From: Hiba Hamade < hh62@aub.edu.lb > Reply-To: Hiba Hamade < hh62@aub.edu.lb >  Subject: Outlook Activity on Wednesday, May 19      To: myh07@aub.edu.lb      Cc: hh62@aub.edu.lb Dear Yahia, Due to special circumstances on Campus this week, the blogger's event on Wednesday, May 19 is cancelled. Thank you, Ms. Hiba Hamadeh, Coordinator ...