Tag Archives: OddBox

“My wife first got breast cancer in 1999. Then it came back…

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“My wife first got breast cancer in 1999. Then it came back last year, and it’s in the bones now. I was a mess last year. Any time I wasn’t busy, I’d just start crying uncontrollably. Then I handed it over to God. I actually spoke to him, and said: ‘It’s all yours.’ And I’ve felt better since then. We’re hopeful. We know somebody whose bone cancer got so bad that her bones were breaking, and last month she tested completely clear. So we’re hopeful. It’s made me a better person in a way. I want her time to be as good as possible, so whenever there’s a confrontation, I don’t push it like I used to. I’ll just back away from it. Even if she’s wrong. I’ll back away and we’ll revisit it later when everyone is calm.”

When Lebanon’s Trash Becomes International, But We Are Too Busy Kissing Saudi Arabia’s Ass

Don’t call it brain dead.

Congrats Lebanon, we have made the international news cycle once more, the first time this year and hopefully the first of many.

No, it wasn’t about that viral Facebook fake-pictures-filled post proclaiming the beauty of God’s gift to Earth. I can hear your hearts break all the way here.

What made us international is actually old news to us. It’s so old in fact that not only does nobody care anymore, but the hype surrounding the issue has disappeared with each vanishing garbage bag stashed away in one of Lebanon’s valleys or on random roads, snaking around curves like white rancid rivers. Out of sight, out of mind – Lebanon style.



There is a bright side to the ordeal, however. Even our garbage bags look nice. They’re white, snow-like, built into winding rivers or towering pyramids.

Say hi to Buzzfeed.

Say thank you to CNN.

Wait for the upcoming onslaught from other outlets as well in the next few days. We are making it big. Aren’t we all proud?

Except, of course, this is *obviously* not the image of the country:

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I mean it’s always someone else’s fault, never ours collectively.

Putting lipstick on a dead pig level: Lebanon.

Is anything happening regarding the garbage crisis? Not really. Our government is busy doing other things, or just one thing to be exact: kiss Saudi Arabia’s ass like no country has missed another country’s ass before.

This past week, our government convened for SEVEN straight hours to discuss one item on their agenda: how to formulate a paragraph to please Saudi Arabia in order not to face their wrath manifesting in them not giving us money anymore, beggars-style.

I don’t think our government has convened for a total of 7 hours discussing the garbage crisis, or any other Lebanese crisis for that matter, over the last several months.

Live Love Saudi Arabia.

This past week, Saad Hariri decided to launch a petition across the country in order to show Saudi Arabia that Lebanon loved it so, akin to our country giving them a big fat political blowjob.

No politician cared enough to act about the garbage crisis, or any other crisis, since it started. Have we ever had a “Loyalty to Lebanon” petition circle around the country before?

Live Love Saudi Arabia.

This past week, minister of Justice Ashraf Rifi quit to protest the Lebanese stance towards Saudi Arabia’s recent embassy attack, first and foremost, and to a lesser extent protest the handling of Michel Samaha’s case. It took their reference country being seemingly offended for some ministers to resign.

Months after the garbage piled up on our streets, months after protests of hundreds of thousands… No other minister resigned or was even fazed by the notion of needing to resign.

This past week, Lebanese politicians of all kinds of kinds had something to say about Saudi Arabia. Even those that opposed KSA politically were at loss about what to do.

This amount of political maneuvering has not occurred not only with the garbage crisis, but with out presidential vacuum issue as well.

Live Love Saudi Arabia.

There comes a point where an entire country begging for absolution from another entity for the sake of money, for the sake of empty Arabism, for the sake of useless politics when that country’s capital is drowning in trash becomes not only humiliating but also insulting.

This is where we are today: a country sinking in garbage, but whose priority is how low it can go to its knees. But please, by a all means, don’t call it brain dead.

Let’s keep loving Saudi Arabia.

On jobs, positions, and titles…

Well it’s been a week and a half rather than a week, but I’ve been lost in thought. 

There’s been a lot of talk of things that need to happen in my life and how they need to happen. I can’t really wrap my heart around how terrible it is for me not to really care what others think of what I should be doing. While I realize that my way of seeing things is very different and rather unconventional, but I think now is a good time to hear the tune of my heart. 
I find myself in a place where I can really take a step onto a blank canvas and create what future lies ahead for me.
I’m unsure why there’s such a need for titles and positions for many people. I’m often confused as to why there is a need and desire to be noticed and recognized. I think that for now I’m needing to wrap my head around the fact that for what I must do, I should be more savvy when it comes to being ambitious. Ambition has never really been my forte, however it’s apparent that I must change and really drill the need into my head to become who I need to be. I just don’t want to change too much. Getting lost in the reality of politics and ways of doing things is one of my bigger fears. I’m unsure of what to do exactly, but my heart seems to be set on doing something… we shall see what step(s) I take next.
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