Happy New Year

Customers Driving You Crazy?

Common Problems and How to Cope.

Your customers' irrational behavior is biochemical in origin. To calm them down, stay cool yourself.

Here's a list of the seven most common problems with customers on adrenaline overload, and how to deal with them:

1. The customer can't follow simple directions
Under a flood of adrenaline, the brain loses its ability to do sequence. That means that steps one, two, and three become a hopeless jumble. If you tell them to walk down the hall, take a right, and go in the green door, they may get lost at the first turn.
Solution: Go along and show them the way, step by step, even if it strains your patience.

2. They snap at you when you're trying to help
The adrenaline-overloaded are edgy and get hostile around jargon or unfamiliar words. Think of the last time you had a computer problem and the techie started spouting geek at you. Wanted to kill him, right?
Solution: Keep your words short and simple. Repeat them as often as necessary.

3. They ignore signs and directions right under their noses
With too much adrenaline the brain loses its ability to pick out key objects. You've probably done this yourself: You're dashing out the door and suddenly you can't find your keys. After you tear the whole place apart, you realize they're sitting in front of you. This is how a customer manages not to see the warning on the back of the box, or the directions on the package.
Solution: Point out the information--calmly.

4. They ramble on and bring in every problem
It's the problem with sequence again. They can no longer tell what's on topic and what's off.
Solution: You'll need to walk them through it. Ask, What happened first? Then, Okay, then what happened next? As they step through the sequence, they'll probably become coherent again.

5. They don't listen to a thing you say
Adrenaline causes people to lose the ability to take in new information. They're not purposely ignoring you. It's just that that part of their brain is now disconnected.
Solution: Talk slowly and draw the customer a simple map or diagram to emphasize your words. If they can't recall what you said, at least they can look at the diagram.

6. They argue even when you agree with them
Remember, they may not be able to hear what you said. You could offer them a free trip to China and it won't matter if they can't hear you.
Solution: Ask simple sequence questions until the customer calms down. Then make your offer or state your proposal.

7. They make you as frazzled as they are
Adrenaline flooding is contagious. That means that, even as they tell you that rambling story, you're losing your ability to listen to it. Luckily, calm is contagious too. Keep breathing deeply, keep your voice low and steady, and you can bring them around to you.

Needless to say, this is going to take some practice, but look at the bright side: Once you've mastered the art of dealing with fractious, adrenaline-overloaded customers, you can use the same techniques on irate colleagues--or a ranting boss. In all, a skill set well worth cultivating, wouldn't you say?

Picture of the Week

The Pomala Palace is illuminated during the Randeng Festival in honor of Tibetan master Zongkaba in Lhasa, on December 21. Zongkabawas was the founder of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism -- Getty Images

Santa Claus

Originating from Western culture, where the holiday is characterized by the exchange of gifts among friends and family members, some of the gifts are attributed to a character called Santa Claus (also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas or St. Nikolaus, Sinterklaas, Kris Kringle, Père Noël, Joulupukki, Babbo Natale, Weihnachtsmann, Saint Basil and Father Frost).

The popular image of Santa Claus was created by the German-American cartoonist Thomas Nast (1840–1902), who drew a new image annually, beginning in 1863. By the 1880s, Nast's Santa had evolved into the form we now recognize. The image was standardized by advertisers in the 1920s.

Father Christmas, who predates the Santa Claus character, was first recorded in the 15th century, but was associated with holiday merrymaking and drunkenness. In Victorian Britain, his image was remade to match that of Santa. The French Père Noël evolved along similar lines, eventually adopting the Santa image. In Italy, Babbo Natale acts as Santa Claus, while La Befana is the bringer of gifts and arrives on the eve of the Epiphany. It is said that La Befana set out to bring the baby Jesus gifts, but got lost along the way. Now, she brings gifts to all children. In some cultures Santa Claus is accompanied by Knecht Ruprecht, or Black Peter. In other versions, elves make the toys. His wife is referred to as Mrs. Claus.

It is often claimed that the basis for the North American figure of Santa Claus is the Dutch holyman and bringer of gifts Sinterklaas. During the American War of Independence the inhabitants of New York City, a former Dutch colonial town (New Amsterdam) which had been swapped by the Dutch for other territories, reinvented their Sinterklaas tradition, as Saint Nicholas was a symbol of the city's non-English past. The name Santa Claus supposedly is derived from older Dutch Sinte Klaas. However, the Saint Nicholas Society was not founded until 1835, almost half a century after the end of the American War of Independence. Moreover, a study of the "children's books, periodicals and journals" of New Amsterdam by Charles Jones revealed no references to Saint Nicholas or Sinterklaas. However, not all scholars agree with Jones's findings, which he reiterated in a booklength study in 1978; Howard G. Hageman, of New Brunswick Theological Seminary, maintains that the tradition of celebrating Sinterklaas in New York was alive and well from the early settlement of the Hudson Valley on.

The current tradition in several Latin American countries (such as Venezuela and Colombia) holds that while Santa makes the toys, he then gives them to the Baby Jesus, who is the one who actually delivers them to the children's homes. This story is meant to be a reconciliation between traditional religious beliefs and modern day globalization, most notably the iconography of Santa Claus imported from the United States.

In Alto Adige/Südtirol (Italy), Austria, Czech Republic, Southern Germany, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Slovakia and Switzerland, the Christkind (Ježíšek in Czech, Jézuska in Hungarian and Ježiško in Slovak) brings the presents. The German St. Nikolaus is not identical with the Weihnachtsman (who is the German version of Santa Claus). St. Nikolaus wears a bishop's dress and still brings small gifts (usually candies, nuts and fruits) on December 6 and is accompanied by Knecht Ruprecht. Although many parents around the world routinely teach their children about Santa Claus and other gift bringers, some have come to reject this practice, considering it deceptive.

Gibran K. Gibran: Prayer

Then a priestess said, "Speak to us of Prayer."

And he answered, saying:

You pray in your distress and in your need; would that you might pray also in the fullness of your joy and in your days of abundance.

For what is prayer but the expansion of yourself into the living ether?

And if it is for your comfort to pour your darkness into space, it is also for your delight to pour forth the dawning of your heart.

And if you cannot but weep when your soul summons you to prayer, she should spur you again and yet again, though weeping, until you shall come laughing.

When you pray you rise to meet in the air those who are praying at that very hour, and whom save in prayer you may not meet.

Therefore let your visit to that temple invisible be for naught but ecstasy and sweet communion.

For if you should enter the temple for no other purpose than asking you shall not receive.

And if you should enter into it to humble yourself you shall not be lifted:

Or even if you should enter into it to beg for the good of others you shall not be heard.

It is enough that you enter the temple invisible.

I cannot teach you how to pray in words.

God listens not to your words save when He Himself utters them through your lips.

And I cannot teach you the prayer of the seas and the forests and the mountains.

But you who are born of the mountains and the forests and the seas can find their prayer in your heart,

And if you but listen in the stillness of the night you shall hear them saying in silence,

"Our God, who art our winged self, it is thy will in us that willeth.

It is thy desire in us that desireth.

It is thy urge in us that would turn our nights, which are thine, into days which are thine also.

We cannot ask thee for aught, for thou knowest our needs before they are born in us:

Thou art our need; and in giving us more of thyself thou givest us all."

Now, What About a Cigar?

Picking a cigar:
Pick the color wrapper you prefer, dark or light. Gently feel the cigar between your fingers (don't roll it because that could cause the wrapper to crack) to see if it's too moist or too dry. Inspect the construction of the cigar to insure there are no cracks in the wrapper and the cap is in good condition. While some cigar smokers like to hold the cigar up to their nose and sniff the product, others find this distasteful when they see someone put a cigar up to their nose and then put it back in the box. If you must smell the tobacco, just hold your nose 12 inches over the box of opened cigars and take a breath, this should be sufficient for you to determine the bouquet of the cigar and it will cause fewer problems for other customers.

Cutting a cigar:
Many feel that using a guillotine type cigar cutter or cigar scissors is the most effective way to cut a premium cigar. Be careful not to cut past the cap of the cigar. Besides a guillotine type cutter, some smokers use a sharp knife, a cigar punch, a V cutter and some even use their teeth. Perhaps the most difficult cutting instrument to use is the cigar scissors which requires practice, a steady hand and a good eye.

Lighting a cigar:
The foot, or tip of the cigar should be started by using a long wooden cigar match or a butane lighter. Avoid candles, paper matches, a stove and lighters that use lighter fluid (naphtha) because the chemicals and odors can affect the taste of the tobacco. When using a match, wait until the sulfur burns off before lighting the cigar. The ideal instrument is a butane lighter.
Start lighting a cigar by holding it at a 45-degree angle over the flame, about 3-4 inches from the tip of the cigar (depending on the height of the flame you're using) and rotate the cigar until the foot begins to ignite. Never letting the flame touch the cigar, slowly puff on the cigar while rotating it around the flame.
Take a look at the foot and make sure the cigar is burning evenly. To insure a proper light you can gently blow on the foot to insure a complete lighting. Once the cigar is lighted let it sit for a minute as the short delay will allow the freshly lighted cigar to stabilize.

Letting the ash burn:
Most premium handmade cigars (those costing from $3 to $30 each) will hold a very long ash before falling off. The ash on cheaper cigars tends to flake easily and fall off more frequently. Properly grown and maintained cigar tobacco will have a whiter ash than the sometimes very gray ash produced on lower quality cigars. While some smokers like to see how long the ash on a cigar can grow before falling off by itself--keep in mind when in a public place where cigar smoking is permitted--or at a party, you don't want cigar ashes to fall on your clothes, a floor, or a rug. It's always wise as you see the ash starting to gain length to gently tap it off.

Keeping the cigar band on or off:
It's mostly a personal decision when opting whether to take a cigar band off or leave it on while smoking ones favorite cigar. Some say that leaving the band on promotes conversation among cigar smokers, while others say it's a showy thing to do that shows a lack of proper cigar etiquette. If you do decide to remove the cigar band make sure you let the cigar heat up before taking it off, as the heat from the cigar will help loosen the glue that holds the band on. Remember too, that taking the band off some brands of Cuban cigars (even after heating), like the Montecristo, is very difficult and can result in damage to the cigar wrapper.

Relighting and putting a cigar out:
Perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of cigar smoking is relighting an extinguishing cigars. On the subject of relighting, cigars by nature will go out if not puffed on every few minutes, so relighting a fresh cigar isn't a problem. While some contend you can save a partially smoked cigar for more than 24 hours, it's best to avoid relighting a cigar that hasn't been smoked in more than 2 hours. When relighting a cigar hold the flame in front of the foot and blow out to help expel any old gases or ash that may have become trapped in the cigar. After that step, follow standard lighting procedures. To extinguish a cigar, just let it go out by itself in an ashtray. Stubbing-out a cigar produces a stale odor that can linger in a room. Once you're sure your cigar is out dispose of it in a safe manner.

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Picture of the Week

The space shuttle Endeavour, mounted atop its modified Boeing 747 carrier aircraft, flies over California's Mojave Desert on its way back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida after completing the STS-126 mission in this photo taken on December 10, 2008 and released by NASA on December 17, 2008.

REUTERS/NASA-Carla Thomas/Handout

The Pause That Refreshes

Seven Secrets to a Great Cover Letter

Aside from a resume, your cover letter is the most important job searching tool you must develop. A cover letter introduces you to potential employers and gives you the opportunity to draw the reader's attention to particular skills and experiences. Done right, a cover letter can move your resume to the top of the pile. If you are not sure how to make your cover letter stand out, here are seven secrets that will get you started in the right direction.

1. Make it personal. Do not address a cover letter to a generic being, such as "hiring manager." While finding the correct addressee might take a little work, finding that person is well worth the effort. Call the company and ask to whom to send your resume. If the company will not give you a name, try to find out through other means, such as current employees or corporate Web site. Putting a real name on your letter will make it look more like an important piece of correspondence and less like junk mail.

2. Get to the point. You cover letter should never be more than one page, and once you include your return address and the company address, you do not have much space. That is why you need to let the reader know why you are writing immediately. If you are responding to an ad for an open position, mention that ad and position in the first line or two. If you have been referred by another individual, let the reader know that right up front.

3. Show off your company knowledge. One way to get a hiring manager's attention is by demonstrating that you have done your homework. Before you start writing your letter, research the company to learn about recent news and events, its financial status or any mergers or acquisitions. You can then incorporate this knowledge into your letter, particularly in the first paragraph. For example, you might start by mentioning a recent story you read about the company's success expanding into an international market, and express your interest in utilizing your past experience in international business relations to help further the company's position overseas.

4. Answer their prayers. You can and should use your letter to give the company exactly what it is looking for. This means paying attention to job postings and descriptions and advising that you have the desired skills and qualifications. If the company has indicated it is seeking candidates with budget management experience, make sure you talk specifically about your experience, such as "I have experience in managing budgets of approximately $5 million and consistently achieving departmental financial goals." Use your cover letter to point out exactly why you are a good fit. The best way to do this is by making it easy for the reader to come to the same conclusion.

5. Show, don't just tell. One mistake many people make on cover letters is saying they have certain qualifications without including any evidence to back up their claims. Are you positioning yourself as an individual with strong customer service skills? Include specific examples that speak to those skills. This may mean pulling out one or two accomplishments throughout your career and writing about them in detail in the second or third paragraph.

6. Promise to take action. A cover letter is like any other aspect of job hunting – the squeaky wheel always gets the oil. Wrap up your cover letter with a promise to contact the company, and then back up your statement with action. Your cover letter is too important to end by just saying "I look forward to hearing from you." Take the initiative by telling the reader, "I will follow up with you in the next week to schedule a convenient time for us to meet."

7. Read and read again. Are you tired of working on your cover letter? Do you feel like you have read it 100 times already? It's always a good idea to read it just a couple more times to ensure that you do not have any typos, spelling or grammatical errors. Once you have exhausted yourself in the editing process, give the letter to a friend or family member to read. Sometimes, a fresh set of eyes can pick up on things that have been missed for ages.

Wine Paired with Chocolate

Some say it can’t be done, pairing wine with chocolate, but if you have the right wine to complement the right chocolate it can be a match made in heaven! Whether you are pairing a delicate white chocolate or a lively dark chocolate with wine, there are a few pairing tips to keep in mind.

Tips for Successfully Pairings Wines with Chocolate

Rule 1: The wine should be at least as sweet, if not a touch sweeter, than the chocolate you are serving it with. Otherwise, the taste may quickly veer towards sour.
When pairing wines with chocolate, your best bet is to match lighter, more elegant flavored chocolates with lighter-bodied wines; likewise, the stronger the chocolate, the more full-bodied the wine should be. For example, a bittersweet chocolate tends to pair well with an intense, in-your-face California Zinfandel.
Similar to “formal” wine tasting, if you will be experimenting with several varieties of chocolates, work from light to dark. Start with a more subtle white chocolate and end on a dark or bittersweet chocolate.

White Chocolate Wine Suggestions
White chocolate tends to be more mellow and buttery in flavor, making it an ideal candidate for a Sherry (consider the Osborne Pedro Ximénez Sherry), for a Moscato d'Asti (try Saracco Moscato d'Asti 2006), from Italy’s Piedmont region offers subtle, sweet bubbles, or an Orange Muscat (try Ventana Vineyard's Muscat d'Orange). The Sherry and Moscato d’Asti will pick up the creaminess of the chocolates and the Orange Muscat will pick up any fruit tones on the scene.

Milk Chocolate Wine Suggestions
Pinot Noir (you might consider Mark West Pinot Noir) or a lighter-bodied Merlot (try Hogue or Columbia Crest) will complement a bar of milk chocolate, a creamy chocolate mousse or chocolate accented cheesecake. Rieslings, Muscats (try Bonny Doon's Muscat Vin de Glaciere or the Bonny Doon "Vin de Glaciere" Muscat) or dessert wines tend to hold up well to mild milk chocolates.

Dark Chocolate Wine Suggestions
Dark or bittersweet chocolates need a wine that offers a roasted, slightly bitter flavor itself, with perhaps a hint of its own chocolate notes. Cabs and Zinfandels have a history of perfecting the dark chocolate match, resulting in an unparalleled tasting combination. A Cabernet Sauvignon or a Zinfandel (try Grgich Hills Zinfandel 2005) will more than fill your chocolate pairing expectations.

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Wine for Christmas Dinners

Christmas dinners are a great time to try new wines with favorite recipes of old. Will it be ham, turkey, goose or prime rib? If you are looking for new wine options to complement your holiday meal, then look no further, here is a terrific selection of versatile whites and reds that are sure to enhance your Christmas gathering, varietals picked for both their presence and adaptability.

Wines to Serve with Ham
Reds: Beaujolais Nouveau , Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Tempranillo
Whites: Riesling, Gewurztraminer

Wines to Serve with Turkey
Reds: Pinot Noir , Zinfandel , Syrah/Shiraz, Beajolais Nouveau
Whites: Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Riesling, Gewurztraminer

Wines to Serve with Goose
Reds: Zinfandel , Red Burgundy, Tempranillo
Whites: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc

Wines to Serve with Prime Rib
Reds: Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Shiraz, Tempranillo
Whites: Typically white wines have a difficult time holding up to the bold flavors found in red meats, so while it is possible to enjoy white wines with red meats, it is challenging to find a good match.

And last, but not least there are choices to be made with which wines to serve with chocolate!

The Art of Love

S†MoN® says: "Read this book. My old days school mentor dedicated it to me writing: Bien que cela ne s'apprend pas, c'est un art de vivre, c'est toute une vie ou rien. A Georges B. Le 19/6/82"

Book I
Book I Part I: His Task
Book I Part II: How to Find Her
Book I Part III: Search while you’re out Walking
Book I Part IV: Or at the Theatre
Book I Part V: Or at the Races, or the Circus
Book I Part VI: Triumphs are Good too!
Book I Part VII: There’s always the Dinner-Table
Book I Part VIII: And Finally There’s the Beach
Book I Part IX: How To Win Her
Book I Part X: First Secure the Maid
Book I Part XI: Don’t Forget Her Birthday!
Book I Part XII: Write and Make Promises
Book I Part XIII: Be Where She Is
Book I Part XIV: Look Presentable
Book I Part XV: At Dinner Be Bold
Book I Part XVI: Promise and Deceive
Book I Part XVII: Tears, Kisses, and Take the Lead
Book I Part XVIII: Be Pale: Be Wary of Your Friends
Book I Part XIX: Be Flexible

Book II
Book II Part I: His Task
Book II Part II: You Need Gifts of Mind
Book II Part III: Be Gentle and Good Tempered
Book II Part IV: Be Patient and Comply
Book II Part V: Don’t be Faint-Hearted
Book II Part VI: Win Over the Servants
Book II Part VII: Give Her Little Tasteful Gifts
Book II Part VIII: Favor Her and Compliment Her
Book II Part IX: Comfort Her in Sickness
Book II Part X: Let Her Miss You: But Not For Long
Book II Part XI: Have Other Friends: But Be Careful
Book II Part XII: Aphrodisiacs?
Book II Part XIII: Stir her Jealousy
Book II Part XIV: Be Wise and Suffer
Book II Part XV: Respect Her Freedom
Book II Part XVI: Keep It Secret
Book II Part XVII: Don’t Mention Her Faults
Book II Part XVIII: Don’t Ask About Her Age
Book II Part XIX: Don’t Rush
Book II Part XX: The Task’s Complete... But Now...

Book III
Book III Part I: It’s Time to Teach You Girls
Book III Part II: Take Care with How You Look
Book III Part III: Taste and Elegance in Hair and Dress
Book III Part IV: Make-Up, but in Private
Book III Part V: Conceal Your Defects
Book III Part VI: Be Modest in Laughter and Movement
Book III Part VII: Learn Music and Read the Poets
Book III Part VIII: Learn Dancing, Games
Book III Part IX: Be Seen Around
Book III Part X: Beware of False Lovers
Book III Part XI: Take Care with Letters
Book III Part XII: Avoid the Vices, Favor the Poets
Book III Part XIII: Try Young and Older Lovers
Book III Part XIV: Use Jealousy and Fear
Book III Part XV: Play Cloak and Dagger
Book III Part XVI: Make Him Believe He’s Loved
Book III Part XVII: Watch How You Eat and Drink
Book III Part XVIII: And So To Bed

Gibran K. Gibran: Before the Throne of Beauty

One heavy day I ran away from the grim face of society and the dizzying clamor of the city and directed my weary step to the spacious alley. I pursued the beckoning course of the rivulet and the musical sounds of the birds until I reached a lonely spot where the flowing branches of the trees prevented the sun from touching the earth.

I stood there, and it was entertaining to my soul - my thirsty soul who had seen naught but the mirage of life instead of its sweetness.

I was engrossed deeply in thought and my spirits were sailing the firmament when an hour, wearing a sprig of grapevine that covered part of her naked body, and a wreath of poppies about her golden hair, suddenly appeared to me. As she she realized my astonishment, she greeted me saying, "Fear me not; I am the Nymph of the Jungle."

"How can beauty like yours be committed to live in this place? Please tell me who your are, and whence you come?" I asked. She sat gracefully on the green grass and responded, "I am the symbol of nature! I am the ever virgin your forefathers worshipped, and to my honor they erected shrines and temples at Baalbek and Jbeil." And I dared say, "But those temples and shrines were laid waste and the bones of my adoring ancestors became a part of the earth; nothing was left to commemorate their goddess save a pitiful few and the forgotten pages in the book of history."

She replied, "Some goddesses live in the lives of their worshippers and die in their deaths, while some live an eternal and infinite life. My life is sustained by the world of beauty which you will see where ever you rest your eyes, and this beauty is nature itself; it is the beginning of the shepherds joy among the hills, and a villagers happiness in the fields, and the pleasure of the awe filled tribes between the mountains and the plains. This Beauty promotes the wise into the throne of the truth."

Then I said, "Beauty is a terrible power!" And she retorted, "Human beings fear all things, even yourselves. You fear heaven, the source of spiritual peace; you fear nature, the haven of rest and tranquility; you fear the God of goodness and accuse him of anger, while he is full of love and mercy."

After a deep silence, mingled with sweet dreams, I asked, "Speak to me of that beauty which the people interpret and define, each one according to his own conception; I have seen her honored and worshipped in different ways and manners."

She answered, "Beauty is that which attracts your soul, and that which loves to give and not to receive. When you meet Beauty, you feel that the hands deep within your inner self are stretched forth to bring her into the domain of your heart. It is the magnificence combined of sorrow and joy; it is the Unseen which you see, and the Vague which you understand, and the Mute which you hear - it is the Holy of Holies that begins in yourself and ends vastly beyond your earthly imagination."

Then the Nymph of the Jungle approached me and laid her scented hands upon my eyes. And as she withdrew, I found me alone in the valley. When I returned to the city, whose turbulence no longer vexed me, I repeated her words:

"Beauty is that which attracts your soul, and that which loves to give and not to receive."

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Gibran K. Gibran: Eating & Drinking

Then an old man, a keeper of an inn, said, "Speak to us of Eating and Drinking."

And he said:

Would that you could live on the fragrance of the earth, and like an air plant be sustained by the light.

But since you must kill to eat, and rob the young of its mother's milk to quench your thirst, let it then be an act of worship,

And let your board stand an altar on which the pure and the innocent of forest and plain are sacrificed for that which is purer and still more innocent in many.

When you kill a beast say to him in your heart,

"By the same power that slays you, I too am slain; and I too shall be consumed. For the law that delivered you into my hand shall deliver me into a mightier hand.

Your blood and my blood is naught but the sap that feeds the tree of heaven."

And when you crush an apple with your teeth, say to it in your heart,

"Your seeds shall live in my body,

And the buds of your tomorrow shall blossom in my heart,

And your fragrance shall be my breath,

And together we shall rejoice through all the seasons."

And in the autumn, when you gather the grapes of your vineyard for the winepress, say in you heart,

"I too am a vineyard, and my fruit shall be gathered for the winepress,

And like new wine I shall be kept in eternal vessels."

And in winter, when you draw the wine, let there be in your heart a song for each cup;

And let there be in the song a remembrance for the autumn days, and for the vineyard, and for the winepress.

Wine of Lebanon

Lebanon is one of the oldest sites of wine production in the world. In Baalbeck, the ancient Greek city in the Bekaa Valley, the majority of vines are grown. French influence on the country is apparent in the grape varieties most commonly planted: Cinsaut, Carignan, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Mourvedre, Grenache and Syrah.

Although today more known for its majestic Cedars, Lebanon is blessed with 300 days of sunshine a year, and enjoys a burgeoning industry producing award-winning wines for export to a wide Lebanese community now living throughout the world, mainly in the UK, Europe and the United States.

With wine making tradition dating back 5,000 years the Phoenicians, the ancient dwellers of Lebanon, were tending vineyards, making wine and trading with other major cities long before the Greeks and Romans. And it was here that later Jesus changed water into wine, performing his first miracle at the wedding of Cana.

The term wine, or Cherem in Phoenician, is derived from a Phoenician word referring specifically to the fermentation of grapes. Wines were a specialty of the Phoenicians and their ancient Ugaritic poetry and epics mentioned wine with ringing praise. The Rapiuma and others were specific in identifying the choice wine of Lebanon as being one nurtured by their god El and fit for gods and kings. They must have learned about wine from earlier civilizations; however, they perfected viticulture and oenology so that Phoenician wines became prized commodities of the ancient world and a major source of revenue in their exports.

The Phoenician Canaanites were avid wine drinkers. The Bible mentions that the Phoenician Canaanite Melchizedek, King of Salem (King of Jerusalem) and Priest of the Most High God (El Elion), offered bread and wine to Abraham and Ezekiel refers to the wine of Helbon as a unique commodity. Some believe that the village of Qana (Cana) where Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding feast was a town near Tyre, Phoenicia and not elsewhere. Also, wine was central to the Passover observance among the Jews and continues to be so. It was served for the Passover of the Last Supper betwixt Jesus and his disciples and continues to be central to Christian Eucharistic liturgy of the Mass.

Some of the icons of Phoenician philosophy, Zeno of Citium and Chrysippus of Soli, Phoenician co-founder of the Stoic School of Philosophy were "serious" wine drinkers. The former's main enjoyment was sitting in the sun, eating figs and drinking wine while the latter is said to have died as a result of drinking too much over proof wine.

The Egyptians never succeeded in growing enough grapes to produce wine, a drink foreign to the Egyptians, and relied on imports. In fact, a fresco in an Egyptian tomb of the 18th dynasty depicts seven Phoenician merchant ships anchored at an Egyptian port to sell their goods, including the distinctive Canaanite wine jars in which wine was imported. Egypt recorded the harvest of grapes on stone tablets and the Egyptians drank wine from cups or from a jar through a straw. The Pharaohs were especially fond of wine and some even had bottles buried with them in order to make their journey to the underworld more tolerable. Also, wines were given to dead kings, so that they might entertain their friends in the afterlife. Wine was a very social drink in Ancient Egypt and great importance was given to its limited production and consumption.

Even the Greeks couldn't offer vintages to compare with the Phoenicians until much later. At the table, most people drank their wine mixed with water, quite frequently half and half. So the opportunity to drink pure wine at a ritual was a special occasion. This is why getting drunk was so special and originally considered a spiritual state, in which deities could talk or act through the person in that condition. Some scholars believe that Dionysus was originally from the Middle East, home of wine and ecstatic worship. Also, in pagan worship, wine was used to anoint idols.

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'Top of Mind' Awareness

What it is? Why it's important? How to create it?

Out of sight, out of mind.
Sound familiar? In today's business world these six (6) words are the kiss of death. It's so important that countless reams of material have been written on this precise subject over the past few years. It needn't ever happen to you. Not when you understand the importance of creating and maintaining "top of mind" awareness with your customers and best prospects.

Today's Buyer
No matter what your line of business is, your customer has changed. Here's what we know about today's consumers:
- They're skeptical. Dishonesty has become part of every industry. Consumers don't know how to find somebody they can trust
- They're cautious. They don't want to make a commitment until they see the whole picture. Gather all the facts. Think through their decision
- They're tired of selling and sales pressure. From phone sales to junk mail, consumers are fed up
- They're busy. So busy, in fact, that they often don't take time to solve a problem until it becomes a priority. Or until somebody offers them a quick and easy solution
- They're confused. Never before have consumers had so many choices. And when they think about solving a problem, they don't know what to do - where to look - or whom to believe.

Today's consumers go to great lengths to arm themselves with information. They think the more information they have about a product or service, the better the decision they'll make.

What is 'Top of Mind' Awareness?
Not to bore you with statistics, but here's something you should factor into your marketing strategy. When consumers begin planning a major purchase, when would you guess they finally sign on the dotted line?

Here's the numbers according to a recent research:
15% - Bought within the first three months
24% - Bought within four to six months
34% - Bought within seven to twelve months
27% - Bought more than twelve months later

Could it be one of the reasons things don't always work out when you expect?

'Top of mind' awareness is owning the space that your product or service occupies between your prospects ears. That way, when they're ready to buy they think of you first.

There's nothing worse than creating an appetite for what you have and then having your prospect go somewhere else to eat. It won't happen to you if you plan (and execute) properly.

How to Maintain 'Top of Mind' Awareness
Today's buyer uses an information oriented decision process. That's where they:
- Gather information
- Review alternatives
- Choose one alternative
- Evaluate the decision after the fact.

Today's successful business professional uses this approach: "Get in at the beginning of the process, when the consumer is gathering facts relating to her/his problem or need… AND STAY THERE!

The best way to do that, once you've identified your best prospects, is to stay in touch. Through the mail, phone and email. Consistently.

Your goal must be to create an awareness of who you are and what you offer. So, when your prospect finally decides to buy, s/he immediately thinks of you.

But, "How do you keep from making a pest of yourself?"

The answer is to be helpful. We all want - and need - information so we can make an informed decision. Decide that YOU will be the source of that information. Don't we all appreciate help? Especially when it's given without any strings attached?

Why not do what the very successful do?

Educate your prospect. In an non-threatening manner and environment. All the time, you're creating ownership of your product or service in your prospects mind.

Identifying Your Best Prospects
Your best prospects are always your present best customers, and other people that look like them.

You can - or should be able to - identify your best customers. Once you've identified your most profitable customers, use their demographic profile to find more people that look like them.

So you have clients and you want to keep and continually serve them. It is always in your best interest to maintain TOMA (Top Of Mind Awareness) with your clients if you want to keep them. It has been my experience that satisfied clients usually welcome frequent contact (let’s say once a month) from businesses that have delivered superior, value added service in the recent past. It also found that the frequent communications will reinforce the bond you have with your client, renew or refresh their positive feelings about you and keep you and your company “on their mind.”

The frequent contact must be carefully and strategically planned and timed and provide some useful information or value to your client. The quality of your relationship with your clients is critical and is a primary value of your business. Treat your clients as your friends and do what is necessary to stay in your client’s thoughts. That is, achieve TOMA with your clients.

Here are 10 effective ideas for maintaining TOMA with your clients:
1. Strategically develop and implement a client contact management system to manage regular contact with your clients

2. Inform your clients first about any new product or service you are offering

3. Provide useful tips, articles, etc. or pass along information you have found that may be of value to your client

4. Ask clients for referrals and to pass along your newsletter, business brochure, business card, or other useful information

5. Inform your clients about seminars, webinars, teleseminars, workshops, conferences, speakers, etc. that could be of interest to your client

6. Send handwritten thank you notes to your clients

7. Make appointments with your clients to have a breakfast, lunch or dinner meeting

8. Be very accessible and available to your clients so you can be responsive to their inquiries and needs

9. Keep your clients informed and up-to-date about any changes in your business

10. Use multiple communication tools, such as invitations, post cards, newsletter, personalized letters, etc. to keep in touch with your clients

Again, your ultimate goal is to achieve TOMA with your clients so that you will be the first and maybe only source your client thinks of whenever he or she needs what you provide. This gives you a very powerful competitive advantage and adds value to your business. You have invested precious energy and financial resources to win your clients and now it is up to you to keep them.

Creating "Top of Mind Awareness" for Your Business. Using PR to help you become the go-to business:
- Plan Your Marketing Now
- Make Your Website Famous
- Communicate Your Benefits
- Gain a Competitive Advantage

Q: What can I do to make my business more well-known in the marketplace?
A: Ever run into that one person everyone refers to as "the computer guy"? How many times have you heard, "I need to go see the florist lady," or "I need to call the fix-it guy"? These labels didn't just happen because these people decided to enter that particular vocation, hang out their shingle and just assume their respective professional moniker. To assume icon status, you have to create what is known in marketing circles as "Top of Mind Awareness." When the need arises for a particular service or product, what is the first thing, name, company or store that comes to mind? Whether it's a person or a business, they have successfully achieved top of mind awareness. The goal of PR-and all marketing-is to be parked in your customers' minds right next to the need button; this button rests right at the top of their mind.

The more buzz about a product or service, obviously the more awareness exists. The more awareness exists, the higher the probability of being in that top of mind position.

Creating a buzz and awareness is done by many things, usually all working together synergistically. It's been said and written about in particular that marketing is made up of many, many, many things. Buzz and awareness work in much the same way.

Getting that label and moniker starts with announcing to the world-usually announcing to your particular target market-that you are in business. This is done with a press release that's sent to the media, handed out to prospects and customers, or used as a direct-mail piece. Posting the press release on your Web site is another effective communication.

Some companies don't have the buzz, yet they've been in business awhile. How then, can they start the process of awareness? They can't announce the grand opening of their business; it's too late in the game.

In this case, a press release can still be used. The information communicated is just different. Since we stated that marketing is made up of many, many things, the buzz is not just dependent on a start-up announcement. There are many media and news-related items that can be communicated about a company or organization. Anniversaries, relocations, new products, new services, promotions and so on are just a few examples.

In addition to buzzing through the media, being seen contributes to awareness. This is where networking plays a large part. Public presentations are highly effective. They not only provide exposure, but also the extra bonus of credibility that happens when you establish yourself as an expert.

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Advertising vs. Public Relations

If you're searching for a career or trying to promote your company, you may have questions about advertising vs. public relations. These two industries are very different even though they're commonly confused as being one and the same. The following ten properties just scratch the surface of the many differences between advertising and public relations.

1. Paid Space or Free Coverage
* Advertising: The company pays for ad space. You know exactly when that ad will air or be published.
* Public Relations: Your job is to get free publicity for the company. From news conferences to press releases, you're focused on getting free media exposure for the company and its products/services.

2. Creative Control Vs. No Control
* Advertising: Since you're paying for the space, you have creative control on what goes into that ad.
* Public Relations: You have no control over how the media presents your information, if they decide to use your info at all. They're not obligated to cover your event or publish your press release just because you sent something to them.

3. Shelf Life
* Advertising: Since you pay for the space, you can run your ads over and over for as long as your budget allows. An ad generally has a longer shelf life than one press release.
* Public Relations: You only submit a press release about a new product once. You only submit a press release about a news conference once. The PR exposure you receive is only circulated once. An editor won't publish your same press release three or four times in their magazine.

4. Wise Consumers
* Advertising: Consumers know when they're reading an advertisement they're trying to be sold a product or service.
"The consumer understands that we have paid to present our selling message to him or her, and unfortunately, the consumer often views our selling message very guardedly," Paul Flowers, president of Dallas-based Flowers & Partners, Inc., said. "After all, they know we are trying to sell them."

* Public Relations: When someone reads a third-party article written about your product or views coverage of your event on TV, they're seeing something you didn't pay for with ad dollars and view it differently than they do paid advertising.
"Where we can generate some sort of third-party 'endorsement' by independent media sources, we can create great credibility for our clients' products or services," Flowers said.

5. Creativity or a Nose for News
* Advertising: In advertising, you get to exercise your creativity in creating new ad campaigns and materials.
* Public Relations: In public relations, you have to have a nose for news and be able to generate buzz through that news. You exercise your creativity, to an extent, in the way you search for new news to release to the media.

6. In-House or Out on the Town
* Advertising: If you're working at an ad agency, your main contacts are your co-workers and the agency's clients. If you buy and plan ad space on behalf of the client like Media Director Barry Lowenthal does, then you'll also interact with media sales people.
* Public Relations: You interact with the media and develop a relationship with them. Your contact is not limited to in-house communications. You're in constant touch with your contacts at the print publications and broadcast media.

7. Target Audience or Hooked Editor
* Advertising: You're looking for your target audience and advertising accordingly. You wouldn't advertise a women's TV network in a male-oriented sports magazine.
* Public Relations: You must have an angle and hook editors to get them to use info for an article, to run a press release or to cover your event.

8. Limited or Unlimited Contact
* Advertising: Some industry pros such as Account Executive Trey Sullivan have contact with the clients. Others like copywriters or graphic designers in the agency may not meet with the client at all.
* Public Relations: In public relations, you are very visible to the media. PR pros aren't always called on for the good news.
If there was an accident at your company, you may have to give a statement or on-camera interview to journalists. You may represent your company as a spokesperson at an event. Or you may work within community relations to show your company is actively involved in good work and is committed to the city and its citizens.

9. Special Events
* Advertising: If your company sponsors an event, you wouldn't want to take out an ad giving yourself a pat on the back for being such a great company. This is where your PR department steps in.
* Public Relations: If you're sponsoring an event, you can send out a press release and the media might pick it up. They may publish the information or cover the event.

10. Writing Style
* Advertising: Buy this product! Act now! Call today! These are all things you can say in an advertisement. You want to use those buzz words to motivate people to buy your product.
* Public Relations: You're strictly writing in a no-nonsense news format. Any blatant commercial messages in your communications are disregarded by the media.

The Life of Saint Barbara

The History of our Church is full of examples of individuals who dedicated their lives to God. Their stories are different and vary, yet the one thread that links them all is their Love for God. They endured whipping, stoning and other forms of torture because of their belief. Some, where even fed to lions and beheaded, yet, even when faced with this enormous pressure to deny Christ they stood firm and fearless even to death.

One such heroine, named Barbara, lived in the city of Heliopolis in the beginning of the third century. She was a lovely and intelligent girl and the daughter of Dioscorus, who was a wealthy nobleman and a pagan. In his zeal to protect his young daughter, Dioscorus built a magnificent tower for her to live in and to keep her safe. He spared no expense, providing her with every material luxury, the best food, clothing, servants and teachers, but forbade her to have friends and even speak to anyone without his permission. Barbara was a bright and intelligent girl who was obedient to her father's wishes and remained in the tower, without complaint, even during his frequent business trips. Dioscorus's intentions were simple - he wanted to surround his daughter with the greatest comforts; he surrounded her with attendants, who he would have instruct her on how to worship the pagan gods. He felt that by keeping her secluded from the world, she was sure to grow up and be a pagan worshipper.

One day, before leaving on one of his many business trip, Dioscorus decided to build a bathhouse for Barbara next to her tower. He drew up plans and left strict instructions for the builders to follow. Dioscorus business however, kept him away for an unusually long time, so that the workers were over half finished with the bathhouse and he had still not returned home. It was around this time that Barbara came down from her tower to inspect the new structure. She noticed that it only had two windows, and thought to herself that the pool would have more light if there were three windows in the bathhouse and she instructed the workers to create a third window. Remembering Dioscoruss stern instructions, the workers were afraid to deviate from the plans, but Barbara assured them that she would assume full responsibility for the change. The workers, aware of the love that Dioscorus had for his only daughter, agreed and placed a third window in the bathhouse.

One day, when the construction was nearly completed, Barbara stood by the pool facing the east she said, In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and she miraculously drew the sign of the cross in the marble wall of the bathhouse with her finger. She then returned to her tower where she spent her time fasting and praying.

When Dioscorus finally arrived home he immediately noticed the additional (third) window in the bathhouse and became very angry. He entered the bathhouse, to inspect it further, and then noticed the large cross, carved on the marble wall. He became furious. He quickly went to the workers and demanded to know who gave them permission to make changes to the bathhouse. The workers, cowering in the face of such anger, replied that Barbara instructed them to add the third window and then drew the cross on the marble wall with her finger.

Dioscorus immediately sought out his daughter and demanded to know why she had deviated from his strict instructions. In a furious rage he cursed her for disobeying him and insisted on knowing the meaning behind the additional window. Barbara responded in a very loving way to her father that indeed the three windows represented the three Lights which guide everyone who comes into the world. Barbara then proceeded to explain and confess her faith in the Holy Trinity.

Upon hearing Barbara's confession of faith, Dioscorus became furious! His plan of keeping his daughter in darkness had failed! Even though she had no 'human' teacher to bring her to the knowledge of God's existence, Barbara's mind, heart and soul were opened by the grace of God to feel His presence. Secretly, she was able to meet with some Christians who told her about Christ and His teachings. Convinced of the Truth concerning Jesus, she became a Christian whose love for God inspired all who heard of her.

Blinded by his fury, Dioscorus delivered Barbara to Marcian, the Roman prefect, to torture her until she denied Christ. Young Barbara was stripped and struck with whips and clubs until she was standing in a pool of her own blood. To increase the pain, the soldiers rubbed vinegar into her wounds. Through all this, Barbara stood firm in her faith and would not deny Christ.

She was then thrown into prison and ordered to return the following day. While in her cell, Barbara knelt in prayer to ask God to continue to grant her the strength that she needed to remain faithful, and as she prayed her heart was filled with heavenly joy and her wounds were completely healed. In a nearby cell, was another pious young lady named Juliana, who because of her own faith in Christ, was also imprisoned. Upon witnessing the miraculous healing of Barbara, Juliana praised God and promised to endure what ever terrible tortures that were facing her because of her faith.

The next day, Barbara was brought in front of Marcian. He was amazed to see that her wounds had healed and demanded her to deny Christ. Her refusal angered the prefect, who ordered her body to be hung on a stake and ripped with iron claws. The soldiers then burned her wounds with hot irons and beat her head with spiked clubs. Yet through it all, Barbara found consolation in prayer.

Juliana witnessed Barbara's tortures and wept bitterly over her inability to assist her. When Marcian saw this, he ordered that Juliana be brought forward and tortured in an effort to have her renounce her faith in Christ. Juliana refused and the horrible beatings resumed and continued for several hours while the young ladies stood praying and chanting hymns. Their refusal to renounce their faith only further frustrated Marcian and he ordered that the two girls be taken out of the city and killed!

When Dioscorus, who was watching his daughter's torture, heard Marcian pronounce the sentence, he offered to execute Saint Barbara himself with his own sword. Saint Barbara and Saint Juliana were then led out of the city to a mountainside were they were beheaded Saint Barbara, by her father and Saint Juliana by an executioner. As the two men hurried down the mountainside, a great bolt of lightning came from heaven striking Dioscorus and killing him, another bolt killed Julianas executioner. When the cowardly Marcian heard of these events, he became so paralyzed by fear that he died of fright.

Saint Barbara gained her crown of martyrdom on December 4, 306 and joined her true Father in Heaven. Through her intercessions, O Lord, Have Mercy on Us.

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Can Your Personality Get You Fired

Job candidates rarely admit to being fired for poor performance... and they might just be telling the truth. A Harvard University study found that for every dismissal based on failure to perform, there are two dismissals due to personality and communication problems. With the high costs of employee turnover, it's no surprise companies are turning to personality and behavioral assessments to help evaluate job candidates, build teams and resolve workplace conflict.

The Right Fit
Ann Taylor Loft, the world's fastest-growing women's retailer, recently began using testing to fine-tune its hiring process and bring in top talent. Through a partnership with the Gallup organization, Loft has developed a tool that profiles employees who have been highly successful and identifies candidates who have similar traits.

Desired characteristics vary by position. If you're applying for a floor sales manager job at a Loft store, for example, you would be asked to complete an on-line assessment gauging your talents, traits, attitudes and behaviors related to assisting and helping wardrobe clients. Your results would then be benchmarked against profiles and test results of the stores' best performers to help judge how you would fit into the organization.

"We want to learn more about candidates as individuals," says Wei-Li Chong, Ann Taylor Loft's vice president of organizational effectiveness. "We want to know what makes them tick.

"Once a candidate is hired, this same information helps us understand and maximize their talents specific to the role they have," Chong adds. "And we continue to work on developing employees' self-awareness throughout their careers to help create an environment that ensures success."

Why Can't We All Just Get Along?
Hundreds of companies including Hewlett-Packard and GM use testing to take advantage of existing staff strengths and avoid personality-based conflicts. And though there are a myriad of test instruments to choose from, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) remains the standard-bearer of all personality assessments. According to its publishers, Myers-Briggs is used by roughly nine out of 10 Fortune 100 companies and is administered to more than 2.5 million employees a year.

Developed 60 years ago based on the theories of psychoanalyst Carl Jung, the MBTI endures because it does a great job of improving team relations by pointing out differences between how personality "types" perceive and process information.

"People have different ways of making decisions and dealing with stress," explains Lynn Ronchetto, human resources administrator at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. "The Myers-Briggs tool offers a conceptual framework for understanding those who are different from us and helps bridge differences between team members by showing there is more than one way to get things done.

"The tool is also very valuable from a personal development standpoint, as it gives individuals a revealing glimpse of themselves as others may see them."

You Can't Study For It
What should you do when your boss or prospective employer asks you to take a personality assessment? Experts advise answering the questions truthfully, not the way you think the company wants you to respond. There is often a validity factor built-in where many questions are asked solely to determine whether the subject is answering truthfully and consistently.

Even if you do fool the test, you'll only wind up in a job or assignment that doesn't fit or will make you - and those around you - miserable. According to Bonnie Bass, vice president of Professional Dynametric Programs testing organization, "When people feel the need to act unnaturally, they waste energy, experience stress and become unhappy and less productive. People are at their best when they're doing work that draws on their natural strengths and allows them to be themselves."

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First-Time Management Mistakes

S†MoN® says: "There comes a time when a determination strikes through one of your neurons. You sit around planning on how to shoot down your boss so you replace him. Or better still, you are a natural born thriller going rightfully up the ladder. Whatever scenario marks your career path, and whether you are the shotgun-guy type or just the joking-around-to-the-point-where-you-scare-the-heck-out-of-them type, here are some entrapments to escape. So, good luck".


Common pitfalls for new managers and ways to avoid them

Sure, you're promoted because you racked up more sales, landed more clients or crunched those budget projects like a wizard. But it's very possible that these talents won't necessarily translate into being a good, rookie manger. In the NBA, for every successful star-turned-boss success story like that of Indiana Pacers coach Larry Bird, there are countless accounts of failure: all-time player greats Magic Johnson, Dan Issel, Wes Unseld and Willis Reed compiled a combined coaching record of just 385 wins and 852 losses. Ouch!

And here's an alarming statistic to make first-time bosses even more queasy: Within the first 18 months on the job, 40 percent of all management newbies fail by either getting fired, voluntarily bowing out of the position or receiving a bad review, according to Manchester Inc., a business consulting group based near Philadelphia. In a survey of more than 825 human resources manager nationwide, Manchester found that the number one problem among newly promoted managers by far (as cited by 82 percent of the respondents) was a failure to build partnership and team work.

So here are seven perennial, first-time manager mistakes and how to avoid them:

1. You flunk Office Poli-Sci 101
In the Manchester survey, half of the respondents say that new supervisors lack needed political skills. They cannot find out who is more powerful and who is less powerful, says Effy Oz, author of The Managers Bible (Ivy League Publishing, 1998). They want to avoid politics. That's a mistake. It's part of a game. Sure, it can be mind-boggling, figuring out who you need. When you're the new boss, there are countless incoming blips on your radar screen. You need to avoid being captured by the wrong people, says Michael Watkins, who co-authored Right From The Start: Taking Charge in a New Leadership Role (Harvard Business School Press, 1999) with Dan Ciampa. When you first come in, people jockey to try ton influence you. Some people can be very persuasive, but they have their own agendas. You can be isolated because of them and alienate good people. The lesson? Don't sacrifice coalition-building because someone has a talent for getting face time. Conduct the appropriate due diligence to weed out self-serving employees before you commit.

2. You want your employees to be carbon copies you
Sure, you got where you are by being a star. But management is where many careers go to die. (Think of those NBA coaches). Most employees aren't Top Gun talents, but try telling that to many former office hotshots now supervising them. It's like Michael Jordan telling a player: Why can't you dunk from the foul line? says Bob Rosner, business columnist for ABCnews.com and the New York Daily News, and author of Working Wounded: Advice That Adds Insight to injury (Warner Books, 1998). It's hard for a lot of people who are really good to relate to and inspire someone for whom things don't come together as easily. So you should accept mediocrity? Not a chance. You need to gain appreciation for week-to-week baby steps among improving employees.

3. You fail to communicate
Many bosses don't lay it on the line to their employees quickly enough according to across the Boards columnist and career consultants Marilyn Moats Kennedy. If you're deadline oriented, for example, just tell them, Kennedy says. Then those who blow deadlines will adapt or die. New bosses think the employee will pick up on it out of the air. They worked with them as peers, so they figure that they know them. Hell no, they don't. And to give this troubling sign a 1990s spin, outsourced work and on-staff employees serving multiple masters complicate these efforts. How do you convince, say, a pair of temps sharing a cubical that they should give all they got? Make it look like there's something in it for them other than a paycheck, says Ray Harrison, who heads up the leadership coaching that Manchester provides for more than 4,000 companies. Do they feel that, by working for you, they'll learn and develop themselves? he says. Most people have an instinct to grow. If you make them feel like they can, they'll gravitate toward you.

4. You sprint out of the gate instead of pacing yourself
Under pressure, some new team leaders inexplicably force multiple, marathon meetings that bog down productivity. They come up with a list of 99 goals to meet by EOD Friday, in trying to turn themselves into an immediate supervisory star. Bad move. It's a matter of keeping your powder dry early on, Watkins says. That's military-speak, meaning don't start firing in all directions.

5. You try to be Santa Claus to everyone
Everybody wants something from you, but you only got so much in your bag. And you better believe employees are sharing insider intelligence on bonuses, pay hikes and those special little favors. As the co-founder of Yack!, a popular guide to live internet entertainment, 27-year-old Sean Malatesta has learned how to say no to employees looking for a quick elevator ride up. Right off the bat, they want to be number one, two or three, Malatesta says. They have visions in their head of being the next Apple Computer and being on top. Malatesta sets them straight. I tell them This is what you're doing here. The senior management is already in place.

6. You think getting there is good enough
As PowerBar Inc. prepared in 1993 to more than triple its $30 million in revenue within four years, co-founder and President/CEO Brian Maxwell clearly spelled it out: You want to get ahead? Get an MBA. Many didn't take the hint, and now they're getting left behind. Some people wont read the writing on the wall if its in block-high letters, Maxwell says. Experts say too many bosses fail to recognize that self-improvement is a continuous process. Most just think management is some innate skill that's dormant in us, until we wake up one day and decide to get good at it, says Rosner, whose workingwounded.com Web site attracts more than 1,000 new visitors a week.

7. You're in a glory daze
It's classic. You miss the action. So you stop overseeing people and find comfort in doing what you did before. Nikes Jim Calhoun, 31 can understand. He left the official Best Job on Planet Earth to take on a management role a year ago. He led the good life as a liaison for coaches and athletes who needed Nike-designed uniforms and baseball caps. Coaches like Rick Pitino would buzz him on his office line. Hed hoist beers with Denzel Washington and other celeb fans on the VIP pass. Now the business director for Nikes basketball apparel division, Calhoun admits that he had a tough time parting with the glits. You lose some of the glamour, he says. You have less cool stories to tell your friends and family. Calhouns dilemma is common among new bosses who miss the front lines. They still identify with the troops, Harrison says. It's like making the transition from enlisted man to non-commissioned officer. There's really no magic solution. Some never get a handle on the problem and return to the action to regain their passion. And that's OK.

Gibran K. Gibran: A Tear and A Smile

I would not exchange the sorrows of my heart
For the joys of the multitude.
And I would not have the tears that sadness makes
To flow from my every part turn into laughter.

I would that my life remain a tear and a smile.

A tear to purify my heart and give me understanding
Of life's secrets and hidden things.
A smile to draw me nigh to the sons of my kind and
To be a symbol of my glorification of the gods.

A tear to unite me with those of broken heart;
A smile to be a sign of my joy in existence.

I would rather that I died in yearning and longing than that I live weary and despairing.

I want the hunger for love and beauty to be in the
Depths of my spirit, for I have seen those who are
Satisfied the most wretched of people.
I have heard the sigh of those in yearning and longing, and it is sweeter than the sweetest melody.

With evening's coming the flower folds her petals
And sleeps, embracing her longing.
At morning's approach she opens her lips to meet
The sun's kiss.

The life of a flower is longing and fulfilment.
A tear and a smile.

The waters of the sea become vapor and rise and come
Together and area cloud.

And the cloud floats above the hills and valleys
Until it meets the gentle breeze, then falls weeping
To the fields and joins with brooks and rivers to return to the sea, its home.

The life of clouds is a parting and a meeting.
A tear and a smile.

And so does the spirit become separated from
The greater spirit to move in the world of matter
And pass as a cloud over the mountain of sorrow
And the plains of joy to meet the breeze of death
And return whence it came.

To the ocean of Love and Beauty... to God.

The Green Party of Lebanon

S†MoN® says: "Listen to Philip Skaff speech delivered on August 19, 2008. Listen to what we have turned our beloved country into, once the Garden of the East. It is about time we all did something with each other. It is about time we all did something to save our trees, our land, our air, our children, and generations to come. Let it not be Philip Skaff promise only "Lebanon was green and green it will be once again". Let it be our pledge and a day-in day-out endeavor.

Banished from paradise, he wandered in the sandy east. He walked for days, weeks, and months under the scorching red sun, confused in this desertic ocean, roaming among the dunes. One day when he lifted his eyes, he beheld a mystifying giant at the horizon, he thought it was a mirage, and approached it to make sure that he wasn’t hallucinating. But it was real. He started to climb and gradually moved from the silence of the desert into nature’s euphony. He continued to climb until he reached its white-covered tip and was overwhelmed by the intense overflowing blue below … he had reached the garden of the east, he had reached Lebanon.

And for the first time since his exile, he smiled because he felt that he had regained his lost paradise. His life had turned into an ephemeral white that comes and goes and a roaring blue often awfully thundering and a green embracing flower, water and bird, and another blue beholding him from the rocks at dusk.

The garden of the East; a new paradise; two chains of mountains, a plane and a coast which has grown to be our country. It was called green Lebanon. Lebanon is our land, our heritage, our paradise; a jewel; a gift from the almighty. Yet, it has been placed under the axes of lumberjacks; a story which stretches long into ancient times.

Biodiversity, forests and fires
5000 years ago the Cedar forests covered 50 million square meters of Lebanese territory.
Our country is running the risk of being transformed into a barren land 20 years from now. And so, the cutting down of the Cedar trees came as a first blow against nature and a huge harmful human impact on the environment.

Some of us may be proud of the Phoenicians. But the process of deforestation for the sake of quick profit started with them.

Let’s set history aside and consider throughout this preliminary speech, that marks the naissance of the Lebanese Green Party, the extent of the damage that we have caused within 50 years of independence as opposed to six thousand years of invasions.

Statistics show that in 1960, the Lebanese forest-cover still reached 35%. However, later on, this percentage decreased to reach 22% in 1972, and nowadays, it does not exceed 13%.

As for the fauna, the situation is not any better since out of the 338 known types of birds, 90 of these are decreasing rapidly in number. Moreover, 29 types of birds are in danger of extinction in the Middle East, 14 of which are from Lebanon. Considering the population in Lebanon which is almost 4 million, and the limited landmass of the country, there are 20,000 officially registered hunters. However, the real number exceeds 400,000 huntsmen, which means that 10% of the population is hunting as opposed to France where it doesn’t surpass 2% of the population.

In addition to that, there are around 92 types of wild plants that only grow in Lebanon, of which 38 of them are in danger of becoming extinct. This, and Lebanon has witnessed an augmentation in the amount of plaguing insects threatening its forests just like the ones which infected 80% of the Tannourine Cedars and Hadath El Jebbe’s reservation Cedars.

Forest fires in Lebanon
The national forest wealth development and protection organization statistics show that there have been 70,600 fires in different regions between 1993 and 2005. As for the summer of 2006, the war destroyed 750 hectares of forests and 350 hectares of olive trees. In addition to that, fires during 2007 ravaged as much as 3,700 hectares. So in short, we could say that during the past forty years, 35% of forests in Lebanon have been abolished. However, it’s important to point out that natural causes contribute only to 5% of these fires, as for the remaining 95%, they go back to human intrusion.

Quarries
Had early man returned to see our world nowadays, he would have been terrified by the explosions that shake his beloved mountains. And so he would see them falling apart. What can be said about this subject is that quarries and refineries have turned out to be “political environment reservations” for groups of politicians and security forces.

This sector has caused the destruction of approximately 5.5 million square meters of lands, most of it made out of green forests and it is destroying nature and causing direct desertification through the digging out of rocks, soil and sand as well as the spread of volatile dust which is the exact cause of the suffocation of trees and plants. An important question can be raised: who are the beneficiaries if all these explosions are causing cracks in houses and in water reservoirs as well as fissures across the different layers of the earth, triggering the slide of residential areas, the pollution of the atmosphere and underground and surface waters. Moreover, this is affecting the scenery negatively, ruining the road networks and lowering the value of adjoining real estates. We may add that quarries are quite old and that consequently residential areas have tripled in the mid-nineties.

There are 710 quarries working in Lebanon, in addition to 246 unlicensed refineries half of which reside in Mount Lebanon without official permission. Unfortunately, their work had been sustained by the renewal of their permits. This had occurred once more in 2007 as a step which was considered as an infraction of the law which stated that quarry licensing is the sole responsibility of the ministry of environment who have to consult with the national board of quarries. Moreover, some people stated that the treasury has lost 15 years of tolls which attain US$2.5 billion. On the other hand, the net profit of this sector which topped almost US$ 3 billion only benefited the selected few with connection. The average medium size quarry makes an average profit of US$70 thousand per day. Additionally the amount of environmental deterioration caused to the land by quarrying led to the fall on property prices by hundreds of million of dollars.

Truly a gem in the hands of lumberjacks
Go and see the situation in Antelias and the condition of the area after quarries didn’t only destroy thousands of orange trees, but also extended their reach onto the ancient Bellene grotto where traces of ancient humans had been discovered. As for the adjoining areas which include the Mseylha tower, quarries carried out their plans without regard or proper planning. Go and see how Nahr Ibrahim escaped from destruction and pollution thanks to the intervention of UNESCO. Go and see Ein-Dara, Chebenieh, Azourieh, Kfarmattah, and Baysour. Go and see the Ammar convent in Tripoli in the northern district where 13 quarries had turned the lives of the residents into a living hell since the beginning of the eighties. Go and see the mountain of Aito and the road leading to Aito which encompasses Sebaal and the road of Mazraat el Toufah, Ras Kiafa… go and see the beloved Beaquaa’ where 21 percent of its overall surface is infected by quarries and where there are 123 quarries and refineries, especially in Dahr el Baydar which had been almost totally destroyed, as well as Jdita and the foot of the eastern mountain range. Go and see the South which is home to 14% of the Lebanese quarries from Labaa at the east of Saida to Sour’s Casa, the Klayaa, the Aichiyeh and the road to Nabatieh – from Rihan until Jezzine and the road to Aaramta – kfarhouna. And don’t forget to go and see the Kesrouanian villages and towns which are suffering due to illegal quarry activity especially in Hrajel, Mayrouba, Lassa, Wata el Jawz, Bkaa Touta, Kfathebyen as well as countless others which put the Fakra natural bridge in danger. Go and see any of the other regions, which we had not had the time to include in our speech, about their environmental conditions and the only answers you’ll ever get are the echoes of innumerable explosions and the reverberation of the abyss which has been formed where each and every quarry resides…

The earthquakes, the disintegration of the land, the obliteration of the forest covers, the destruction, the pollution of underground waters, the blocking of rivers and sources due to the big amount of quarries which are situated on the shores of rivers dumping their waste directly into the valleys and linked to the river beds are causing such problems as is the situation in Zabougha and Abou Mizen which are directly linked to Nahr el Kaleb.

New mountain ranges... waste
A gem between the hands of lumberjacks… what are we talking about? We mean the little hill in the Bourj Hammoud landfill which had developed into a mountain and a source of toxic gases compressed under the layers of fermenting garbage. In addition to that, let’s not forget the damage it had caused to the Saint George Bay which was considered as the one of the most important fish pastures. And where are the promises of the government of turning it into a park?

Moreover, questions are raised concerning the Saida landfill which is causing the population to be afflicted by a quarter of a century’s accumulation of garbage as a direct cause of sea and bay pollution in that area – a mountain approximately two hundred meters high and a hundred meters wide containing almost three hundred thousand unpredictably explosive gas bottles. As for the Sarafand junkyard, it is an additional mountain of garbage burning 15 kilometers away from Saida. Yet, it is only 10 meters away from the local public school.

Identical questions are being raised concerning the industrial anarchy transmitted by the Chekka and Selaata factories which are dumping their liquid waste into the sea thus making its waters white and rendering its aquatic life extinct. And we haven’t even talked about the chemical and tanning factories discarding its unprocessed waste into the Lithany River and the Karaoun lake… we will come back to this issue later.

There are about 22,000 industrial establishments and half of them are in Beirut and 90% of their toxic and non-toxic waste reaches the sewage systems. Therefore, they pollute underground waters and the sea. As for the dangerous medical waste, no one knows where it is disposed of thus constituting ticking time bombs waiting to explode someday.

Water pollution… sewers reach the wells
Gem in the hands of lumberjacks… the statistics of the Central Laboratory supported by the Ministry of Health uncovered a microbiological contamination in 40% of 863 samples collected from tap water networks taken from different Lebanese regions. Likewise, 37% of 450 samples collected from fountains and underground waters were micro-biologically contaminated. And there are around 120 inactive chlorine stations due to the lack of qualified personnel. It is true that sewers have reached the wells since the waters of Gharfine and Rayan and Deichouneh has become polluted with sewage water. The same situation can be found in Kabyet and Ouyoun el Samak as well as with water in the South of Lebanon such as in Nabeae el Tasse, Jezzine, and the Hasbany River.

As for bottled water, you can find more than 800 companies, of which only 11 to 17 are supervised. The rest are working in the dark without authorization. Additionally, the central Laboratory statistics show that 24% of 403 samples, collected from water selling companies, are micro-biologically contaminated.

60 to 70% of used underground water sources are at risk of bacterial contamination and 60% of the water already running within the distribution systems are running the same risk.

Rivers also suffer from sewers and domestic waste. For example, there are 7 networks of sanitary dumping of different sizes pouring into the Lithany River. Baalbeck, Hawch el Rekaa’, Kaa el Rim, Zahle, Chtoura, Kob Elias, Ber Elias, Jeb Jeannine and the Karaoun all dispose of their waste into the Lithany River and its creeks. This river also receives industrial fluids from beet and paper factories, as well as lead recycling plants and calcite refineries and food factories in addition to poultry farms and tanneries and butcheries. The Lithany River also suffers from leakages from five different landfills (Baalbeck, Safary, Bar Elias, Zahle and Jeb Jennine) in addition to the random disposal of waste in Zahle along the Berdawni River. Studies show that the percentage of sewage water exceeds 12% within the Karaoun Lake.

57% of sewage water is directly disposed of on the shores without any treatment whatsoever. And 28 outlets pour their waste on the shores without any treatment either.

Another case is that of the Laban River and the Aassal River thus losing the meaning of their names (which refer to yoghurt and honey in Arabic). There are also the 40 refinement Stations which were financed by the USAID since 1997, the majority of which are inactive. This experiment failed because of the discontinuation of their activation by the municipalities and the lack of qualified personnel.

Sea pollution
It is not enough that the sea is meeting the same end as the rivers and lakes, and by that we mean the dumping of sewage, the sea has to sustain petrol pollution and construction along the coast as well as landfills, junkyards, and industrial drainage.

The city surface on the Lebanese coast has increased from 254 square kilometers in 1963 to 600 square kilometers in 1998 and to approximately 720 square kilometers nowadays, keeping in mind that land does not regenerate and expand.

Before the 1975 war the main sources of coastal pollution were factories and industrial units. There were three places polluted by petrol in Lebanon which were Tripoli, Saida and Beirut because of the filling and discharge of petrol and its derivatives without forgetting oil processing plants, the Beirut butchery, power plants in Kalmoun, Jounieh and El Jiyye, cement factories and Chekka’s cement and gravelly phosphate manure in Selaata.

During the war, illegal construction spread on the Lebanese shore and investments cut out essential parts of the coast, dividing them into building cells. Hence we have illegal commercial and military seaports and unsystematic construction from Tripoli to Chekka, Jounieh to Maameltein, and Saida to Tyre. The places that contributed to the catastrophe in 1986 were Normandy, Quarantina, Bourj Hammoud, Dora, Antelias and Jounieh, with waste water pipe outlets which are part of the 1269 infringements covering 3.5 million square meters.

Studies done in September 2000 by the American University of Beirut Water Resources Center, in a first classification of coastal waters, show that traces of various pesticides have been found in the sea. During this study 30 samples from 30 different locations along the coast from Tyre to Akkar were collected. This study has uncovered high amounts of nickel, copper, chrome, lead, and arsenic in different sites. What good would mines do us in this case? This was all before the July war of 2006 when a leakage of 15,000 tons of fuel from the Jiyye reservoirs polluted 150 out of 230 kilometers of local natural sites. What is important to point out is that the United Nations is threatening to fine Lebanon in case of breach of any of the international agreements and non-protection of the coast from any type of pollution. Moreover, the United Nations is threatening to stop monetary endowments financing ecological programs. However, this does not stop here since the United Nations will also be pushed to ban any ship from entering the Lebanese shores. What would the Phoenicians say if they saw the condition of the sea that led them to the discovery of the world?

Air pollution (nassam alayna el hawa)
What makes Lebanon’s air pollution so peculiar is the fact that anyone can easily distinguish it through the exhaust pipes of cars in the streets of Beirut or the factories of Zouk, Chekka and many others. Another factor contributing to that pollution is the dark smog cloud coating Beirut in the summer… pollution in Lebanon has become a non-monitored quotidian fact. Here’s an interesting story: many years ago, the Zouk station was a source of damage to crops around it and as a result in 1975 farmers sued the EDL (Electricite Du Liban). The verdict was that the
EDL was to pay atonements to the farmers and to elevate and enlarge the poles of the Zouk factory. From that moment on, damage no longer affected crops only but extended its reach to the whole area, affecting people’s health and the ecological system.

What is also contributing to this pollution are the fires and smokes resulting from bombings and the gases from missiles during the past war. It does not stop there as garbage-burning in the streets and some huge fires have caused the explosion of fuel reservoirs such as the Dora reservoir, in addition to fires in the Jiyye seaport in July of 2006 and many more. Too add to this the government has also reenacted the use of cars that run on diesel after their ban in the sixties. Thus, during the nineties, diesel cars had turned out to be the number one source of air pollution in Lebanon due to their extensive use. Another competitor in the same field is the private and local electricity generators. Consequently, we have moved from the scent of incense to the smell of fuel oil in Beirut and to the pollution of Chekka and Selaata.

Adding to this is another important factor: the population density which exceeds 350 people in a square kilometer (approximately 19,000 people in a square kilometer in Beirut) is negatively affecting the quality of air. Moreover, the amount of lead in Beirut’s air is about 14 micrograms per square meter knowing that the increase in the amount of particles to 10 micrograms per square meter increases the mortality rate by 1%, and the hospitalization cases and heart diseases by 2%, as well as an increase in the rate of emergencies related to respiratory problems.

We also recall an interesting way of expressing one’s own political views and opinions; burning tires knowing that it is a means of harming people, namely children. And what is important to mention is that 20,000 people are being hospitalized due to respiratory disorders, the majority of which are children. Furthermore 350 cases of deaths per year are recorded due to various environmental problems.

The air is one of the most important elements of sustaining life. Unfortunately many people are using it for other purposes than breathing!

The Greenhouse effect
For many, this problem seems to be distant and insignificant, yet Lebanon has started to feel its impact directly during the past years on many levels such as the weather, the environment, and agriculture. Likewise, the greenhouse effect has become apparent through the disappearance of both the autumn and fall seasons, through extreme weather factors, fast climate variations and the lack of rain. As for the eastern winds (monsoon) which used to come once a year only, they now come two or three times for longer periods of time. Consequently, fires and storms have increased dramatically. This is all in Lebanon… not on Mars.

The water issue… water is water no matter what you do
Most of Lebanon’s waters go to waste either through evaporation or sinking into the earth and flowing into the sea knowing that the average amount of rain in Lebanon reaches the eight billion six hundred thousand cube meters mark, out of which only one billion is being used. As for the use of the remaining seven billion six hundred thousand, it can be considered as a crime against nature. And what is stranger than this, is that we are prepared to go to war for an additional hundred million cube meters in the South (which is our right and we can turn into a commodity). What is crucial to point out is that Lebanon contains 17 permanent rivers and 23 seasonal rivers and that the primary set water plan in 1948 was to prepare a long term all-comprising strategy by Ibrahim Abd El-Aal (and not Aboud). As it stands only the Karaoun dam on the Lithany River and the Chabrouh River was implemented, leaving 16 other plans untouched.

Once again we may say that the reason of rationing and dwindling supplies was caused by the wars that had destroyed 75% of measuring stations in the sixties of the last century, thus resulting in inaccurate water gauging in Lebanon. We live in a country “fully armed” with rivers and water sources, yet we suffer from rationing and dwindling supplies.

Power
In order to see how much we underestimate ourselves, just take a look at the way we store fuel. An example of this is the fuel reservoirs in Dora usually containing 35,000 tons of fuel which constitute a great threat to Beirut and its inhabitants in case we are under assault, be it by war or a terrorist attack. A 2000-ton-explosion of fuel equals in its impact and damage that of an atomic bomb without forgetting approximately 300 thousand gas bottles in the Saida landfill, the damage sadly is much greater. In short we should be afraid of being assaulted for the possession of weapons of mass destruction!

I must highlight a very important fact concerning reusable energy. It is a bittersweet subject, that today in Lebanon we are still rationing the electric current … due to the lack of implementation and disrespect of the law, when on Monday 29th of December 1885, the Ottoman Empire, in conformity with a decree passed in Constantinople enacted the use of solar power and wind power to produce electricity. 60 to 70% of Lebanese houses use electricity to heat their water knowing that the cost of this means of heating constitutes around 35% of the electrical bill in Lebanon. And it should be noticed that in the 21st century, only 1% of Lebanese homes are equipped with solar panels even though we enjoy 300 days of sunshine per year. As for the production of the electric current using wind power, this is as close to reality as Don Quixote’s windmills are, knowing that we could produce as much as 20% of the overall required Lebanese electric power.

Using 400,000 solar panels on a time span of ten years could save 8% of electrical consummation in Lebanon as well as an increase in the installation of 100 Megawatts electrical stations costing hundreds of thousands of US American dollars.

Constructional deformation and urban planning in Lebanon – The republic of concrete
Let us hold the pollution and devastation which we have already mentioned in one hand and the constructional deformity in another hand since it is the final and utmost level of destruction and deformation. If construction was a tangible proof that a certain civilization was alive and prospering, it undoubtedly mirrors the monsters behind it and the national and historical catastrophe set off by official authorities, laws and regulations, the Directorate General of Urban Planning, municipalities, Syndicate General of Architects, the builder, the project owner, associations and nongovernmental groups concerned with construction and the environment. Therefore we can say that your history proves that we are going from bad to worse … for example, on the 30th of august 1940, a law stated that buildings are to be fixed to the line set by the road with a height not exceeding 26 meters, thus giving the blocks along the street an esthetic perspective. Consider its implementation…

In the fifties, chaos started to take control and the shanty towns around Beirut were born just after World War II. And the situation didn’t get any better in the sixties in spite of president Chehab’s efforts, which by the way is the first and last regime, to try and solve the problem of anarchic urban constructions through the ERFED delegation. However the delegation’s work was stopped as soon as President Chehab left the presidential office.

Ecoshare came to Lebanon and left it and the Lebanese weren’t convinced with the presented futuristic ideas and social aspirations concerning the use of the lands. Ecoshare left and we were left with chaos. No ministry for urban planning supposedly established in 1961, and no higher council of urban planning or urban planning directorate could stop the metamorphosis of our eastern Florence into the most repulsive city on the Mediterranean according to an international magazine.

The last blow came on the 13th of august 1971 when an enacted law canceled the 1940 law hence allowing new components which had previously caused constructional deformation to step into action again, out of which we can list: the cancellation of the maximum height of buildings, adding the optional withdrawal from the set lines and the road according to height and large groups.

Moreover, the wars which we have witnessed are the factors which contributed into turning Lebanon into an architectural jungle and to large residential areas wiping in their way towns and villages. An example of this can be found in Beirut where there are 16 floor buildings instead of the legal three set in the district law. And in the outskirts South of Beirut a new city has emerged made out of buildings infracting laws and trespassing on private properties and public areas.

Another new “cult” was also found in the 1994 law in other words a compromise; a law against another law. Consequently, no futuristic vision, only constructional anarchy, scenery deformation and environmental destruction, huge unidentified blocks of concrete scattered along the streets of Lebanon. Citizens with no addresses, and infringements settled through cash or by even changing the law at the zoning instantly to endorse private permits. When Lebanese people build, they go through hell and they think they are in paradise. Yet as a matter of fact, they are drinking from their own blood and feeding on themselves.

I recall a saying by a friend who happens to be an architect: “Beauty was basically engineering without an engineer. It has turned out to be ugliness created by an academically certified architect.”

There are buildings on the mountain tops, in the depths of valleys and on river waterways, there are trees being cut down in the Chweifat desert and stones are being cut in Faytroun to build. Accordingly, highlands have become horrible concrete mounds out of which we can name Harat el Bellene, Harat el Ghwarne, Byakout, and many others; one huge town from Mkalles to Dhour el Chweir … shops, houses, garages, workshops, blacksmiths, carpenters all along the sides of the streets in the province and everywhere else. All of this is documented in my book “The Republic of Concrete”.

People build tall buildings deforming historical sites in Saida, and they even take stones from Crusadean towers and ancient residential areas. Moreover, in Baalbeck, huge buildings have been constructed as a shield of hideousness covering the fortress in the forbidden district.
Beaches and planes all categorically erased and Lebanese villages have all sadly become a network of suburbs…as for our lexicon, it has become one of the Seven Wonders of the World since it comprises strange expressions such as “breach settlements”. And may we add that only 13% of industrial units have been legally authorized to construct and to invest, and around only 15% of which are implementing health systems and conditions, and around 65% have no relation whatsoever with the government or public administrations. As for “touristic projects” all over the Lebanese coast, none of them are actually legal.

The law of the jungle in the jungle of laws
Laws are not what we need even if some need to be updated. The problem resides in their implementation or in the relativity or their implementation.

Decree number 4810 of June 24th 1966 stated that: public sea areas remain open to the people and no one owns the right to benefit from them or to turn them into a private business. Yet, parts of the beach can be dedicated to the private use of privileged individuals or small groups and this benefice can be their exclusive right … and the result? … The law of the jungle in the jungle of laws.

Moreover, individuals have obtained permits from the ministry of agriculture to cut down approximately 21 tons of trees in Tarchich. However, they took the chance to cut down over 300 tons of trees for commercial purposes. And what is worse is that the report which had been written by the security forces pursuing them set the weight of the cut trees as 30 tons … the law of the jungle in the jungle of laws.

As for the plans concerning the quarries and refineries, they were set aside in drawers. Additionally, the organization of this sector damages the interests of the higher powers that control them. An example of this is the decree that states that the Nahr el Mot and Antelias quarries be stopped as from 24/12/1993, yet this decision was overruled as soon as the decree was taken out of the Ministry of the Interior. And if the quarries of Abou Mizen and Zabougha have been closed as a result of public manifestations in October of 1996, this decision has not yet been implemented … the law of the jungle in the jungle of laws.

Quarries have long worked hiding behind the renewal of respites. As for the Ministry of The Interior and of Municipalities, it has agreed to give out 403 respites to quarries and refineries according to the Lebanese lands reclamation … the law of the jungle in the jungle of laws.

The urban planning law clearly states that quarries and refineries must be at least a thousand meters away from any congregation of five houses, and what we find is that they have become on the edges of houses and residential areas. Consequently, inhabitants of such regions are currently living above a hundred-meter abyss as is seen in the Nahr l Mot area which has witnessed the collapse of many buildings and an evacuation of their inhabitants since it constitutes a threat to the residents of the region. Moreover, the height of the pit has exceeded the hundred meters in most quarries even though the 1935 law states that it must not exceed the three meters … the law of the jungle in the jungle of laws. As for the hunting law, it is actually good however it is never put into practice knowing that this law along with many others is quite useful … it is really the law of jungle in the jungle of laws.

The Ministry of The Environment
According to an ex-Minister of the Environment, The Ministry of the Environment was nothing more than a counseling office between 1993 and 2000 not exceeding in budget the US$2.5 million in opposition to the environmental loss which tops the US$650.

There will be only one key ministry in the future and it is that of the environment which needs a budget that doubles the amount of environmental damage. This means that its annual budget must exceed the US$1.3 billion to be able to face the dangers surrounding us.

Why the Green Lebanese Party?
The green party has become a national necessity in order to provide the earth with its protectors and the environment with its warriors for the sake of the coming generations’ health and to repair what is repairable.

The Green Lebanese party has become a national necessity for many reasons: first, to frame environmental work, second, so that Lebanese citizens acquire environmental consciousness through continuous awareness, third, so that Lebanon may acquire an environmental policy. The Green Lebanese Party has become a national necessity to keep the ministry of the environment under control in order to support it and to question its actions as well as supporting and questioning other ministries concerned with the environment. Our party is a necessity so that other parties would incorporate environmental programs in their agendas and to bring to book their program so that environmental and social organizations could update their performance.

The Green Lebanese party has become a national necessity in order to stimulate environmental media so that efficient cooperation with the United Nations could be set as well as with various other international programs and to stay up to date with the newest international environmental developments.

We (humans) want to exploit light until the sun goes out, exploit the air until the wind blows no more and exploit water until the rain stops falling.

We will raise our voices and we will never neglect any environmental issue. We set the date of the naissance of our movement which will be at the start of the coming year. We will also set our three priorities which are:
1- The afforestation of Lebanon.
2- The establishment of an environmental task force encompassing representatives or elements from various ministries charged with taking care of ecological matters under the control of the Lebanese army.
3- And the founding of a National Observation Center at the university of Balamand.

Environmental employment
The environment is one of the biggest domains which offer job opportunities such as: working in sanitary discharge stations and glass and paper recycling plants as well as metal recycling factories. Also the establishment of an administration for big and small dams and water gathering ponds, in addition to electricity producing stations using sizeable fans and solar panels. Establishing laboratories and plantations for trees and flowers in every municipality in addition to the reclamation of quarry results and the management of reservations and raising and protecting animals, as well as the reclamation of constructional pollution and the planning of residential areas in cities and environmental police and civil defense…

Confessional pollution… the inhabitants of paradise have really gone mad
Let us last present to you another unique environmental problem in Lebanon; “Confessional pollution” and so we introduce one of our slogans: “land has no confession”.
We are here to say that it is enough. Enough with squandering our resources, enough with insulting our intelligence, enough with thrashing our environmental identity, enough with filling and burying of our traditions, enough with the environmental pollution which has infected us thus killing our creativity, enough with this confessional barren regime. If you don’t respect your land how can you love your country? We want all of Lebanon’s confessions to come and embrace Green Lebanon’s mission; What sovereignty if over landfills, what freedom if in hell, what independence if pollution is taking over our air, water and soil while garbage is besieging our houses and deformation is invading our eyes and ears. Nature is a priority. Lebanon a state of the art real estate is a land equipped with vital life elements and environmental richness within the Arab World. This should be enough to enrich all of Lebanon’s citizens.

“There in the field on the edge of a crystal creek, I saw a cage constructed by skilled hands and in one of its corners lay a lifeless bird and in another corner, a bowl where there used to be water and another bowl where there used to be seeds. I stood there as silence took over me and I listened slavishly as if within the departed bird and within the sound of the creek there was an exhortation questioning the soul and enquiring the heart. I meditated and I knew that this wretched bird has struggled against thirst alongside the stream and was defeated by hunger while he is in the fields; the cradle of life. Just like a wealthy person dead among his heaps of gold whilst locked within his closets.” (Gibran Khalil Gibran, Tear and a Smile)

Lebanon is my childhood dream, I have taken it with me during my immigration hidden within my clothes and I smelled its aroma through every moment of my absence, I have burned with it as it burned and I kept trying to come back until I thrived, yet I found it polluted. However, pollution didn’t reach my love for my country and if by any chance I was to choose between the world and my land, I would certainly choose Lebanon over anything. May I recall what a poet once said when he was asked to betray his love in order to be free: “had I two hearts, I would have loved with one and let the other suffer within yours. Yet one heart I have and it beats in Lebanon”.

My promise to you: Lebanon was green and green it will be once again.