Famous Lebanese

[Hassoun]

PLZ Make this thread Sticky :)

Entertainers

* Ron Afif, Recorded 5 or so albums for the Pablo label. His latest being "Solotude" a solo effort. His mother`s brother is the celebrated guitarist Ron Anthony (Sinatra's guitarist 1985-1993). His father Charlie was a middle weight champion fighter
* Walid Akl, World-renowned pianist
* Paul Anka, One of America's first pop teen idols.
* Yasmine Bleeth, Actress in the "Baywatch" Series
* John Bowab, Directed "Soap," "Benson," "Bosom Buddies," "The Facts of Life," and the last season and a half of the "The Cosby Show."
* Jonathon Brandmeier, Radio talk show host
* Don Bustany, Created and produced "American Top 40" and "American Country Countdown." Recently added "Casey's Top 40" and "Casey's Country Countdown."
* Elie Chaib, Dancer. Both youngest and oldest performer with the famous Paul Taylor company. In 1992 he was named the "Dancer of the Year" by the New York Times.
* Dick Dale, King of the Surf Guitar
* George S. Dibie, Emmy Award-winning cinematographer-director. Now President of the International Photographers Guild.
* George Durgom, Through the years, managed Jackie Gleason, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Marilyn Monroe.
* Bechara El Khoury, World-renowned musician.
* Rosalind Elias, Opera prima donna who hit the high notes at the Met., NY.
* Shannon Elizabeth, (Fadal) - Best known for her "American Pie" movie where she plays the sexy Czech student. Her website: http://www.ShannonElizabeth.com/
* Jamie Farr, Actor. Farr is best known in his role as Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger in the TV show M*A*S*H.
* Sammy Haggar, Former lead vocalist for Van Halen.
* Khrystyne Haje, Actress. Best known in her role as Simone Foster in the television series Head of the Class.
* Jack Hanna, Popular host of the hit television series, "Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures," one of America's most beloved naturalists and adventurers.
* Salma Hayek, Superstar of Hollywood hits such as "Desperado" with Antonio Banderas and "Fools Rush In". Salma is mixed Lebanese and Mexican.
* Dan Hedaya, Played many flavorful character parts in features, often portraying cops (The Hunger, 1983; Tightrope, 1984; Running Scared, 1986; The Usual Suspects, 1995), crime figures, or crusty regular guys. His most indelible impression was made in Blood Simple (1984), the landmark independent feature debut of the Coen brothers.
* Waleed Howrani, World-renowned musician, concert pianist and composer.
* Paul Jabara, Oscar winning composer for "Last Dance" from Thank God It's Friday.
* Mike Joseph, Pioneered the concept of a radio programming consultant in 1958
* Mario Kassar, Former chairman of Carolco Pictures, the movie company that produced such blockbusters as Rambo, Terminator 2, and Total Recall. At one time he ran a billion-dollar industry.
* Asaad Kelad, Has done numerous series like "Family Ties" and episodes of "The Facts of Life," "Who's the Boss?," "WKRP in Cincinnati," etc.
* Herbert Khaury, Lebanese-American folk singer known to all of his fans as "Tiny Tim"
* Callie Khoury, First woman to receive an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay -- for "Thelma and Louise"
* Emile Kuri, Nominated eight times for films like Mary Poppins. Won the Oscar twice -- for "The Heiress" and Disney's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."
* Wendie Malick, "One of the stars of NBC’s hit show Just Shoot Me
* Kristy McNichol, Actress. Best known in her role as Bubby Lawrence on the late 1970s TV show Family. Also best known in her as an undercover cop on the TV show Empty Nest.
* Michael Nader, Actor in the "Dynasty" series.
* Michelle Nader, Comedy writer of the TV Series "Spin City"
* Kathy Najimy, Actress and activist, "Veronica's Closet", "Sister Act", "Rat Race". Her website: http://kathynajimy.com/
* Michael Nouri, The leading man who starred in the movie Flashdance; later seen in TV's "Love and War" sitcom.
* Harold Ramis, Wrote and directed over the past twenty years over a dozen films, several of which are among the highest grossing comedies of all time. In 1978, Animal House became a blockbuster, and Harold began a long, successful (and hilarious) string of hits, including Meatballs, Caddyshack, Stripes, Ghostbusters, Back to School, Groundhog Day, Analyze This and most recently, Bedazzled.
* Keanu Reeves, That's right. Keanu was born in Beirut in the 1970's. He is mixture of Hawaiian, Chinese, and American.
* Diane Rehm, Host and executive producer of "The Diane Rehm Show" on National Public Radio (NPR).
* Fouad Said, The cinematographer who designed Cinemobile -- the first customized van for filming on location -- while working on the TV series "I Spy". For this achievement, he received a Technical Academy Award in 1970
* Fred Saidy, Wrote two classics, "Finian's Rainbow" and "Bloomer Girl."
* Lucie Salhany, Former chairwoman for Fox Broadcasting Co. and former chairwoman for United Paramount (TV) Network
* Elie Samaha, Producer and owner of Franchise Pictures; Films: Driven, The whole nine yards, The Pledge, Battle Field Earth, Heist, Exit Wounds
* Neil Sedaka, Lebanese American singer
* Shakira, World-renowned rock singer. Born in Columbia of Lebanese descent.
* Tony Shalhoub, One of the alien men in Men In Black
* Omar Sharif, Born Michael Shalhoub in Alexandria, Egypt in 1932, to Lebanese parents.
* Tom Shidyac, Director. Directed such well known movies like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, and The Nutty Professor
* G. E. Smith, Former bandleader for many years for NBC TVs "Saturday Night Live."
* James Stacy, Played James Stacy in the popular TV drama "Laramie."
* Michael Tadross, Was the unit production manager for Die Hard III, Devil's Advocate, and many other movies.
* Julie Taymor, The creative mastermind behind the Broadway version of Disney's "The Lion King." She also directed the powerful film "Titus."
* The Late Danny Thomas, Founder of St. Jude Hospital for Children, comedian and star of sit-com, "Make Room For Daddy".
* Marlo Thomas, Actress and Producer. Daughter of the late actor Danny Thomas. Marlo has won Emmy Awards and is best known for her role in That Girl
* Tony Thomas, Producer. Son of the late actor Danny Thomas. Has won Emmy Awards for his productions
* Tiffany, The first teenage singer to have her first two singles both hit number one
* Gabriel Yared, Academy Award winner, music score composer for the movie "The English patient".
* Amy Yasbeck, Actress. Played in the TV series Wings and played in the movies Problem Child and Robin Hood Men in Tights.
* David Yazbeck, Wrote the lyrics and score for "The Full Monty"
* Frank Zappa, Former legend in the world of rock
* Rene Angelil, Celine Dion's Manager / husband
* HAIFA Millions of fans across the Globe >>>>> MAHDI :D

[mahdial_x5]

WTF? KEANU REEVES??
WOAH i didnt know that!


HEY! BRO!
WHERE THE HELL IS HAIFA!? AND DONT SAY THAT SHE iSNT FAMOUS!
:gaah:

:D

Put her on, NOW,
:gunz:
please? :D
;)


very interesting list too, thank you! some things i had NO idea about! interessting!

[Hassoun]

Sportsmen

* Jim Baxis, Former second baseman for Cleveland Indians baseball team.
* Eddie Elias, Founded the Bowling Association of America.
* John Elway, Former quarterback for the Denver Broncos football team.
* Doug Flutie, Quarterback for the San Diego Chargers football team.
* Bill George, Former Hall of Fame linebacker for the Chicago Bears football team.
* Jeff George, Quarterback for the Washington Redskins football team.
* Elias Ghanem, Head of the Las Vegas Boxing Association.
* Abe Gibran, Former offensive lineman and coach for the Chicago Bears football team.
* Brian Habib, Former lineman for the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks football teams.
* John Jaha, The first baseman for the Oakland A's.
* Kerbawy family, Former owners of the Detroit Lions football team.
* Rich Kotite, Former NFL coach
* Joe Lahoud, Former leftfielder for the Boston Red Sox baseball team.
* Fred Maalouf, Former quarterback for the St. Louis Cardinals football team.
* George Maloof, Former owner of the Houston Rockets NBA basketball team.
* Maloof Brothers, Owners of the Sacramento Kings basketball team. and Owners of PALMS hotel and Casino in Famous Las Vegas
* Zuhair "Steve" Mansour, Weightlifting's Grandmaster of the World in 1990.
* Bobby Rahal, Won the Indianapolis 500 in auto racing in 1986. Current CART team owner; acted as interim president-CEO of CART until Dec., 2000 but resigned to assume position with Jaguar Formula One team.
* Joe Robbie, Former owner of the Miama Dolphins football team.
* Fuad Rubeiz, Former kicker for the Minnesota Vikings football team.
* Fred Saigh, Former owner of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team.
* Pete Sarron, Former featherweight boxing champion.
* Rony Seikaly, Former NBA center for various clubs.
* Frank Skaff, Former manager for the Detroit Tigers baseball team.
* Victor Taweel, Former lightweight boxing champion.
* Samir Bannout, Mr Olympia 1983

[Ramazzotti]

Keanu Reeves isn't lebanese, he was just born in Beirut...

[Hassoun]

WTF? KEANU REEVES??
WOAH i didnt know that!


HEY! BRO!
WHERE THE HELL IS HAIFA!? AND DONT SAY THAT SHE iSNT FAMOUS!
:gaah:

:D

Put her on, NOW,
:gunz:
please? :D
;)


very interesting list too, thank you! some things i had NO idea about! interessting!

EDITED just for your eyes ;)

[mahdial_x5]

yes yes i know he wasnt Ramzi


THANKS A MILLION HASSOUN! TAHTS MORE LIKE IT!

now, make only HER name bold ;)
:D lOOOOOl
YEP TAHTS ME NUMBER ONE FAN;)

[Hassoun]

Doctors and Scientists

* Dr Badih Abou Jaoude PhD, Inventor of 1st World Environmental Day 10 years prior to UN, by UNDP's recognition
* Hassan Kamel Al-Sabbah, Inventor for GE in the 1920s, 52 different patents among one of the first patents on television tubes and solar energy panels.
* Ghassan Antar Ph.D, At the University of California in San Diego, a plasma physicist.
* Nicholas S. Assal, Medical researcher. Helps doctors in the world prevent and treat complications during pregnancy and birth.
* Dr. Amin Barakat MD, Famous Pediatrician and Professor of Medicine - Georgetown University Medical Center. Recipient of Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
* Dr. Bassam A. Bassam M.D., Professor of Neurology at the University of South Alabama, Department of Neurology.
* Dr. Elias Corey, Chemist. Won the 1990 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing a logical process that changed the face of synthetic chemistry.
* Dr. Michael DeBakey, World Famous heart surgeon currently working in Houston, TX. Invented the heart pump. Today he's chancellor of Baylor University's College of Medicine.
* George A. Doumani, Geologist whose explorations helped prove the theory of continental drift. He has a mountain peak named after him in Antarctica.
* Dr. Charles Elachi, Director of Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
* Michael Fakih, MD, Recognized worldwide as a leader in his field. His innovative GIFT technique - using the woman's follicular fluid to treat sperm and serve as a transfer medium - has revolutionized the procedure. The improvement nearly doubles the success rate of the GIFT procedure.
* Dr. Fran Jabara, Professor of Business Administration and Entrepreneurship at Wichita State University and the founder (in 1977) of the Center for Entrepreneurship at Wichita State University. A building at the University has been named in his honor as Jabara Hall. He is a relative of the late Col. James Jabara (see Military), America's first triple jet ace in the Korean War.
* George a. Kyrala Ph.D - AKA George Amine Khairallah from Bhamdoun. An atomic physicist with a Ph.D from Yale and fellow of the SPIE. Recently won an international prize for high speed photography.
* Christa McAuliffe, Teacher and Astronaut. Was one of the seven crew members on board the space shuttle Challenger that exploded shortly after launch.
* Dr. Anis Razzouk MD, Prominent heart surgeon at Loma Linda University Hospital in Riverside, CA.
* Dr. Philip Salem, Famous Texas based oncologist and Recipient of Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
* Jack Shaheen, Former Emeritus Professor of Mass Communications at Southern Ilinois University.
* Edward M. Sion, Ph.D, Scientific Editor, The Astrophysical Journal; Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Dept. of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Villanova University.

[mahdial_x5]

Hassan Kamel Al-Sabbah :applause:

[Jayme]

WTF? KEANU REEVES??
WOAH i didnt know that!


HEY! BRO!
WHERE THE HELL IS HAIFA!? AND DONT SAY THAT SHE iSNT FAMOUS!
:gaah:

:D

Put her on, NOW,
:gunz:
please? :D
;)


very interesting list too, thank you! some things i had NO idea about! interessting!

Keanu Reeves isnt lebanese he is just born there

[Hassoun]

^^ lol,yessssss we all know that :D lol,he breathed lebanon's air 1st thing :D

[Hassoun]

Yamila Diaz:cheers:

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-W/YamilaDiazRed.jpg

Full Name: Yamila Diaz Rahi

Born: 1978, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Occupation: Model

Height: 5' 8''

Ethnicity: Lebanese/Spanish

Eyes: Brown

Yamila Diaz Biography

Yamila Diaz Rahi was born in Argentina, to a doctor father and an old folks home manager mother. Of Lebanese and Spanish descent, Yamila and her two sisters, Maria and Yael, were raised in Argentina.

With no original intention to become a model, everything changed for Yamila when she was spotted by a modeling agency scout in Buenos Aires, where Yamila was an Economics student. After this chance encounter, she flew to Milan where her career as a model began. It took a while for the exotic beauty to break through, and she started off by doing department store catalogues for several years. But it was after her work in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Calendar in 1999 that Yamila skyrocketed to model status.

Everyone from Glamour to Cosmopolitan took notice, as did the people at Victoria's Secret. After Yamila modeled lingerie for every man's favorite catalogue, it was no secret that Yamila would appear on the cover of magazines worldwide.

Since her swimsuit and lingerie modeling stint, Yamila has graced the covers of Marie Claire, Elle (US and Spain), the European editions of Max, GQ and Shape. Yamila also joined the beautiful bevy of models for the 2000 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, including Estella Warren and Laetitia Casta.

In addition to her work with the Newport News catalogue, Yamila has recently appeared as one of the newest "Cover Girl" models, joining Niki Taylor, and has also appeared in ads for Replay jeans, Ungaro's "Fleur de Diva" perfume, and Italian cosmetics "Bio-Etyc."

She may not be strutting down the runways for big name designers just yet, but Yamila has just been cast in an important movie role, to appear in an Italian feature film entitled Il pesce innamorato ("Love of the Fishes") along with Italian actor Leonardo Pieraccioni.

Since it was luck that got her to where she is, Yamila has never allowed herself to develop the diva attitude many models are known for, despite the glamorous life she now leads. With the short life span of models, she recognizes that her looks are not enough of an attribute. This is why the South American beauty broadens her achievements by developing her language skills -- learning Italian and English -- and delving into literature, most notably Brazilian writers.

Yamila currently resides in Manhattan, with her boyfriend, Italian artist, Giuliano.

She's been a cover girl for Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, Glamour and Elle.
Yamila carries her Argentinean last name 'Diaz' and her Lebanese 'Rahi'.

[mahdial_x5]

YYYAAAA HHAABIIIBIIII :drool:

OH MAMA! DAAAAAYYUUUUUMMMMMMM!!!

WOW she is BEAUTIFUL

but, again, no one beats Haifa;)

[Hassoun]

I hope u don't change ur mind after seeing some of her pics NOW:

http://static.flickr.com/29/42557965_65acbbc9a8_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/26/42557966_c80861ba2e_o.jpg

http://www.israword.co.il/gallery/data/media/15/celebrities_341Yamila_Diaz_Rahi.jpg

WANT MORE?? :cheers:
But some of her pics,i can't really post,it's a skyscraper forum :D

[mahdial_x5]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

SNED THEM TO ME NOW BRO! COME ONLINE NOW!! PLEASEEEE!!!!

:drool: WOOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOOWOW

[Herzeleid]

hassouni many people there aren't lebanese....

[grzes]

WOOOOOW!!!!! Yamilia Diaz and Yasmine Bleeth? :drool: and THE FRANK ZAPPA :bow: Thank you so very very much for posting this Hassoun! Seeing one of my heroes in the list has just made my Friday great :banana:

[Herzeleid]

here from wikipedia

Yasmine Bleeth: Bleeth's American father, Philip, is Jewish of Russian and German ancestry, while her mother, Carina, was a Pied-noir.

Dan Hedaya: He was born in Brooklyn, New York, to a Sephardic Jewish family from Syria

Wendie Malick: Malick was born in Buffalo, New York to an Egyptian father

Harold Ramis: Ramis was born in Chicago, Illinois to Ruth and Nate Ramis, and had a Jewish upbringing

Diane Rehm: Rehm was born to a Turkish father, and an Egyptian mother and raised Arab Christian

Neil Sedaka: Sedaka was born to a Sephardi Turkish Jewish immigrant to Brooklyn and an Ashkenazi Jewish mother

Julie Taymor: Taymor, for her part, grew up in a Reform Jewish home in Newton, Mass. (taken from an interview)

Rene Angelil: Is a Canadian of Syrian ancestry



hope u dont get mad at me hassouni, here are some venezuelan lebanese


Tarek William Saab: Governor of Anzoategui State.

Samir Bazzi: Entertainer/Singer

Alejandro Chaban: Actor

there are many more but i'm not totally sure if they are lebanese or syrian...

[grzes]

^^ Wikipedia can be very easily edited and is hardly ever checked for accuracy....

[Nadini]

WHERES MIKA!!!

[Nadini]

here from wikipedia

Yasmine Bleeth: Bleeth's American father, Philip, is Jewish of Russian and German ancestry, while her mother, Carina, was a Pied-noir.

Shes half Jewish and half Lebanese according to my knowledge, like Tiny Tim :D

[Jayme]

edit

[Herzeleid]

Shes half Jewish and half Lebanese according to my knowledge, like Tiny Tim :D

ok i belive u my little falafel!!! :)

[Hassoun]

Herz.
Wikipedia is nothing but a crap :)

[Hassoun]

Tony Shalhoub

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/Shalhoub.jpg

Date of birth:
9 October 1953

Location:
Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA

By: Randa Kayyali

Shalhoub's family is from Lebanon and the American Midwest. Tony and his nine brothers and sisters were born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Their father emigrated from Lebanon to the U.S. as an orphan at the age of ten. He later married Shalhoub's mother, a second-generation Lebanese-American, and founded a family company from the seedling of one grocery store in the center of Green Bay. It was the American dream with a distinct Arab flavor.

Tony Shalhoub does not remember any Arab-Americans in Green Bay that he was not related to. His extended family worked and relaxed together. "[There was] a strong sense of socializing and people helping each other out," Shalhoub said. His father dreamt that his ten children would stay in that community and work in the family business "but it didn't really take on," Shalhoub said with a tinge of regret. "Many of us didn't want to stay in that community. In some ways it would have been nice." Before the big city beckoned, Tony Shalhoub's brothers and sisters introduced him to the theater. Tony was just six years old. One of his elder sisters volunteered her little brother to play an extra in a high school production of "The King and I." Even though the young Tony was left standing on the wrong side of the curtain during the final dress rehearsal, he became hooked to the theater.

Since that small musical production in Green Bay, Tony Shalhoub has consistently worked on his skills and range as an actor. He attended the Yale Drama School and trained for the theater. Upon graduation, Shalhoub joined the American Repertory Theater (ART) in Cambridge, MA. Shalhoub said that ART was a fantastic place to launch a serious acting career because of the flexibility and skills required from every cast member. ART puts on two to three shows a week. After four seasons with ART, Shalhoub moved to NYC where he met his wife, a fellow actress.

Shalhoub immediately became shy when I asked him whether his wife was of Arab descent or not. He replied, "If I had fallen in love with a Lebanese woman, I would've [married her] but that wasn't what happened. That wasn't an issue for me." They have two young daughters, aged four and nine, and living in Los Angeles. Tony Shalhoub is now being cast in more films and TV shows than theater productions but he and his wife still miss the theater. In fact, in the fall, he is planning to return to NYC to play Vladamir in a new production of "Waiting for Godot."

Throughout his burgeoning career, he says that he has never felt any discrimination. Directors and casting agents have told Shalhoub that he looks "too ethnic" but they have also told him that he is not "ethnic enough" just as many times. He explained that physical factors play a large role in casting. Instead of his looks and background being possible discriminating factors, Shalhoub feels that they have made him more sensitive to other ethnic and racial groups. "Because I have an ethnic background and look, I am sensitive to all of the [different ethnic groups] from Native Americans to Jews to Pakistanis." He has turned down numerous scripts that he felt had negative racist overtones and said that he will continue to do so.

When asked about the origin of his name by people in the entertainment business, Tony Shalhoub said that he sometimes replies, "It's a last name" and at other times he says that it is a Lebanese name. He reasons, "If someone else is focusing on nationality, then that's their problem."

Actor - filmography
( In Production ) ( 2000s ) ( 1990s ) ( 1980s )

1. Blind Date (2007) ( pre-production )
2. The Adventures of Beatle Boyin (2006) ( filming ) .... Parking Violations Bureau Agent

3. The Great New Wonderful (2005) .... Dr. Trabulous
4. The Last Shot (2004) .... Tommy Sanz
5. Against the Ropes (2004) .... Sam LaRocca
... aka Promoterin, Die (Germany)
... aka The Promoter (Germany)
6. Party Animals (2003) .... Celeb Father
7. Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003) .... Alexander Minion
... aka Spy Kids 3: Game Over (USA: video title)
8. T for Terrorist (2003) .... Man in White Suit
9. Something More (2003) .... Mr. Avery
10. Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (2002) .... Alexander Minion
... aka Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (USA: video box title)
11. "Monk" (2002) TV Series .... Adrian Monk
12. Monk (2002) (TV) .... Adrian Monk
... aka Mr. Monk and the Candidate (USA)
13. Men in Black II (2002) .... Jack Jeebs
... aka MIB 2 (USA: promotional abbreviation)
... aka MIIB (USA: promotional abbreviation)
14. Life or Something Like It (2002) .... Prophet Jack
15. Made-Up (2002) .... Max Hires
16. Impostor (2002) .... Nelson Gittes
17. Thir13en Ghosts (2001) .... Arthur Kriticos
... aka 13 fantômes (Canada: French title)
18. The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) .... Freddy Riedenschneider
19. Spy Kids (2001) .... Alexander Minion
20. The Heart Department (2001) (TV) .... Dr. Joseph Nassar

21. Galaxy Quest (1999) .... Fred Kwan/Tech Sgt. Chen
22. "Stark Raving Mad" (1999) TV Series .... Ian Stark
23. That Championship Season (1999) (TV) .... George Sitkowski
24. The Tic Code (1999) .... Phil
25. A Civil Action (1998) .... Kevin Conway
26. The Siege (1998) .... Agent Frank Haddad
27. The Impostors (1998) .... Voltri, First Mate
28. Paulie (1998) .... Misha Vilyenkov
29. Primary Colors (1998) .... Eddie Reyes
... aka Mit aller Macht (Germany)
... aka Perfect Couple (Japan: English title)
... aka Primary Colors (France)
30. Fallout: A Post-Nuclear Role-Playing Game (1997) (VG) (voice) (as Tony Shalub) .... Aradesh
... aka Fallout (International: English title: short title)
31. A Life Less Ordinary (1997) .... Al
32. Gattaca (1997) .... German
33. Men in Black (1997) .... Jack Jeebs
... aka MIB (USA: promotional abbreviation)
34. Radiant City (1996) (TV) .... Narrator
35. Big Night (1996) .... Primo
36. I.Q. (1994) .... Bob Rosetti
37. Gypsy (1993) (TV) .... Uncle Jocko
38. Addams Family Values (1993) .... Jorge
39. Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993) .... Chess Club Member
... aka Innocent Moves
40. Honeymoon in Vegas (1992) .... Buddy Walker
41. "Wings" (1990) TV Series .... Antonio Scarpacci (1991-1997)
42. Barton Fink (1991) .... Ben Geisler
43. Quick Change (1990) .... Cab Driver
44. Longtime Companion (1990) .... Paul's Doctor

45. Money, Power, Murder. (1989) (TV) .... Seth Parker
46. Day One (1989) (TV) .... Enrico Fermi
47. Alone in the Neon Jungle (1988) (TV) .... Nahid
... aka Command in Hell

Filmography as: Actor , Producer , Director , Himself , Notable TV Guest Appearances

Producer - filmography

1. "Monk" (2002) TV Series (executive producer)
2. Monk (2002) (TV) (producer)
... aka Mr. Monk and the Candidate (USA)

Filmography as: Actor , Producer , Director , Himself , Notable TV Guest Appearances

Director - filmography

1. Made-Up (2002)

Filmography as: Actor , Producer , Director , Himself , Notable TV Guest Appearances

Himself - filmography

1. The 59th Annual Tony Awards (2005) (TV) .... Presenter Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
2. 11th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2005) (TV) .... Himself - Winner: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
3. The 62nd Annual Golden Globe Awards (2005) (TV) .... Himself - Nominee: Best Actor in a Television Series [Musical or Comedy]
4. The Naked Brothers Band (2005) .... Himself
5. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (2004) (TV) .... Himself - Interviewee
6. Monk Season One: Mr. Monk and His Emmy Award-Winning Performance (2004) (V) .... Adrian Monk
7. Monk Season One: Mr. Monk and His O.C.D. (2004) (V) .... Adrian Monk
8. Comedy Central Presents: The Commies (2003) (TV) .... Himself/Presenter
9. The 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2003) (TV) .... Himself - Winner: Best Actor in a Television Series [Musical or Comedy]
10. The Making of 'Thir13en Ghosts' (2002) (V) .... Himself
11. Creature Featurettes (2002) (V) .... Himself

Filmography as: Actor , Producer , Director , Himself , Notable TV Guest Appearances

Notable TV Guest Appearances

1. "The Tony Danza Show" playing "Himself" (episode # 2.84) 17 January 2006
2. "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" playing "Himself" (episode # 2.53) 30 November 2005
3. "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" playing "Himself" (episode # 1.112) 13 July 2005
4. "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" playing "Himself" 7 July 2005
5. "TV Land's Top Ten" playing "Himself" in episode: "Top 10 TV Cars" (episode # 1.3) 20 October 2004
6. "Jimmy Kimmel Live" playing "Himself" 22 June 2004
7. "Dinner for Five" playing "Himself" (episode # 3.2) 16 April 2004
8. "Good Day Live" playing "Himself" 6 February 2004
9. "The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn" playing "Himself" 28 January 2003
10. "Mad TV" playing "Himself" (episode # 5.24) 13 May 2000
11. "Mad TV" playing "Taxi Cab Driver" (episode # 5.18) 26 February 2000
12. "Ally McBeal" playing "Albert Shepley" in episode: "Those Lips, That Hand" (episode # 2.18) 19 April 1999
13. "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" playing "Himself" 3 October 1996
14. "Frasier" playing "Manu" in episode: "The Focus Group" (episode # 3.23) 14 May 1996
15. "Almost Perfect" playing "Alex Thorpe" in episode: "Auto Neurotic" (episode # 1.16) 18 February 1996
16. "Gargoyles" playing "The Emir" (voice) in episode: "Grief" (episode # 2.31) 28 December 1995
17. "The X Files" playing "Dr. Chester Ray Banton" in episode: "Soft Light" (episode # 2.23) 5 May 1995
18. "Dinosaurs" playing "Jerry" (voice) in episode: "Fran Live" (episode # 2.14) 8 January 1992
19. "Monsters" playing "Mancini" in episode: "Leavings" (episode # 3.17) 20 January 1991
20. "Spenser: For Hire" playing "Dr. Hambrecht" in episode: "The Road Back" (episode # 2.19) 21 March 1987
21. "The Equalizer" playing "Terrorist" in episode: "Breakpoint" (episode # 1.19) 5 March 1986

[Hassoun]

Paul Anka

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/Paul%20Anka/paul_anka.jpg

Personal Facts

Where and when was he born?
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada - July 30, 1941

What nationality is Paul Anka?
He is of Lebanese descent.

What instruments does he play?
Piano, guitar and drums.

Does Paul have any brothers or sisters?
Yes. Paul has a younger sister, Mariam, and a younger brother, Andy.

Did Paul always dream about being a songwriter?
Paul originally had ideas of being a journalist, but had always written songs from a very young age. When he was thrown out of shorthand class and opted to take music instead, the rest as they say, was history.

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/Paul%20Anka/paul.jpg

How did he break into the business?
Paul entered, and subsequently won a contest, collecting soup labels, which won him a trip to New York. Sleeping in the hotel bathtub of some fellow musicians, with his songs in hand, he was able to obtain a meeting with Don Costa, an A& R man for ABC Paramount. He played him his songs, including 'Diana,' and instantly impressed the seasoned Costa. Shortly thereafter, due to Paul's young age, his parents were flown down and contracts were signed.

Who inspired the song 'Diana'?
'Diana' was inspired by his crush on an older babysitter, Diana Ayoub. It landed him a record deal with ABC Paramount and became a No 1 hit, selling over 20 million copies worldwide.

What was the story behind the writing of 'My Way' and was it written specifically for Frank Sinatra?
Paul first heard the French song, Comme D'habitude, in the summer of 1967 when he was in Europe. Although it had different lyrics and a much different feel, Paul instantly connected with the melody. After running into Frank Sinatra, in Florida, who mentioned retiring sometime soon, he asked Paul when was he going to write something for him...so Paul, determined to do just that, returned to New York, sat down at the piano at 1 a.m. and wrote the song. Five hours later, this seminal composition was finished and was sent to Sinatra. After hearing the song, retiring became a distant memory- 'My Way,' went on to become Frank Sinatra's signature song, and one of the most recognizable songs in the world.

What would you consider your career highs?
Appearing on the Ed Sullivan show for the first time to sing the song, 'Diana;' Writing 'My Way' for Frank Sinatra, and most recently a return to Canada when Paul went home to sing for the former Prime Minister Chretien.

Do You Have a Favorite Song(s) that you've written?
'Do I Love You', 'Shoulder', 'Papa' and 'The Painter' and of course, 'My Way'.

What artists/composers were of inspiration to you?
Being into rhythm and blues in his youth, Paul was listening to people like Fats Domino and Chuck Berry, finding great passion and inspiration in R&B music. Further into his career, the more he started composing, he came to appreciate and admire the great songwriters such as Cole Porter, Gershwin, Burt Bacharach and Sammy Cahn…and of course the more contemporary groups of the time like The Beatles for their incredible musicianship and gift of melody.

Are there any artists today that you admire?
Paul is a fan of many artist's work. Specifically, Stevie Wonder for his incredible voice and strength of songwriting , Prince for his ingenuity and musicianship, Sting for his talent as a musician/songwriter, and Joni Mitchel, and Elvis Costello for their writing...to name a very few.

How many children does he have?
Five daughters: Amelia, Anthea, Alicia, Amanda, Alexandra

Does Paul have any grandchildren?
In 1997 Paul's daughter, Alexandra, gave birth to his first grandchild, Allegra - another girl! In 2001, the second grandchild entered the world, this time A BOY, named Alessio.

Music Facts

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/Paul%20Anka/singing.jpg

How many songs has Paul Anka recorded?
He has recorded over 900 songs and more than 124 albums in five different languages. Since the inception of his career, his songs have been performed well over 90 million times worldwide (BMI statistic) and his LP and single sales collectively number more than 42 million (BMI Statistic).

Where does Paul rank in terms of achievement compared to other recording artists?
Mr. Anka has also been named the 21st most successful artist in Billboard's history, putting him alongside music greats Elvis Presley and the Beatles. Not to mention, he set a career milestone by being one of only a few artists in history to have a record on Billboard's Top 50 charts for five consecutive decades (Billboard statistic).

How many number one records has Paul had?
Paul has had three #1 records with: 'Diana', 'Lonely Boy', and 'Having My Baby'; Overall in his career he has totaled (12) Top 10 hits, (22) Top 20 hits, and (33) Top 40 hits (in the U.S alone), with five Top 20 hits under his belt before the age of 18!

Who else has recorded 'My Way'?
'MY WAY' has been recorded and performed by: Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand, Sid Vicious, Nina Simone, Gypsy Kings, Julio Iglesias, and most recently, U.K. sensation, Robbie Williams.

Has he ever written with other songwriters?
Yes. Paul has collaborated with David Foster; Carol Bayer Sager; Richard Marx; Michael Jackson; Michael McDonald, Sammy Cahn and many more.

What other artists have recorded his songs over the years?
Buddy Holly (It Doesn't Matter Anymore); Annette Funicello (Puppy Love); Donny Osmond (Puppy Love and Lonely Boy); Barbra Streisand (Jubilation); Tom Jones (She's A Lady); Sammy Davis Jr. (I'm Not Anyone); Frank Sinatra (Let Me Try Again and of course My Way), and most recently, Canadian sensation, Michael Buble (Put Your Head On My Shoulder), to name a few…

Does Paul ever collaborate with other songwriters?
David Foster, Carole Bayer Sager, Richard Marx, Michael Jackson, Michael McDonald, Sammy Cahn and many others. He most recently served as Executive Producer on Canadian platinum artist, Michael Buble's debut album

Has Paul ever recorded in other languages?
He has recorded more than ten albums in Japanese, German, Spanish, French and Italian. His most recent, a Spanish duets album titled, Amigos, featuring duets with Celine Dion, Ricky Martin, Julio Iglesias and many more. To date he has sold more than 15 million albums and over 3 million singles of the Italian song 'Ogni Volta'.

Has Paul ever written music for films?
Paul wrote songs for the 1959 film titled, 'Girlstown', as well as composing the theme song to the 1962 film, 'The Longest Day' which was nominated for an Academy Award; He also wrote the theme song for 'Atlantic City' (Louis Malle's 1980's film), and wrote songs for the 1987 Kevin Costner film, 'No Way Out.' Additionally, his songs have appeared in countless films over the years.

How many times was the 'Tonight Show theme' song performed?
The 'Tonight Show Theme' was performed over 1,400,000 times since 1962, making it one of the most recognized theme songs in history.

Has Paul's music ever been used in a TV show?
A Japanese Series, titled 'The Golden Bowl, was created solely around his music for the second largest TV market in the world, featuring eight Paul Anka songs in every episode. His songs have also appeared in countless TV episodes over the years, too many to count!

How often does Paul go on tour?
Paul and his band are on tour roughly 35 weeks out of the year.



Singles

ABC PARAMOUNT

#499 -- Blau Wilde De Veest Fontaine / I Confess -- 1956
#9831 -- Diana / Don't Gamble With Love -- 1957
#9855 -- I Love You Baby / Tell Me That You Love Me -- 1957
#9880 -- You Are My Destiny / When I Stop Loving You -- 1958
#3907 -- Crazy Love / Let The Bells Keep Ringing -- 1958
#9937 -- Midnight / Varbsten -- 1958
#9944 -- What You've Done To Me / That's Right -- 1958
#9956 -- Just Young / So It's Good-bye -- 1958
#9574 -- The Teen Commandments / If You Learn To Pray -- 1958
#9987 -- My Heart Sings / That's Love -- 1958
#10011 -- I Miss You So / Late Last Night -- 1959
Pity, Pity / You Belong To Me -- 1959
Sing, Sing / Down By The River Side -- 1959
Waiting Here For You / Your Cheatin Heart -- 1959
#10022 -- Lonely Boy / Your Love -- 1959
#10040 -- Put Your Head On My Shoulder / Don't Ever Leave Me -- 1959
#10064 -- It's Time To Cry / Something Has Changed Me -- 1959
#9988 -- Pity, Pity / Waiting For You -- 1959
#9998 -- Faibles Femmes / Your Cheatin Heart -- 1959
#10078 -- Jambalaya / Side By Side -- 1960
#10126 -- My Home Town / Melodie D'Amour -- 1960
#10135 -- Train Of Love / Secret Love -- 1960
#10083 -- Puppy Love / Adam And Eve -- 1960
#10106 -- My Home Town / Something Happened -- 1960
#10168 -- The Story Of My Love / Don't Say You're Sorry -- 1960
#10132 -- Hello Young Lovers / I Love You In The Same Old Way -- 1960
#10169 -- It's Xmas Everywhere / Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer -- 1960
#10194 -- Tonight My Love Tonight / I'm Just A Fool Anyway -- 1961
#10220 -- Dance On Little Girl / Talk To You On The Telephone -- 1961
#10239 -- Cinderella / Kissing On The Phone -- 1961
#10279 -- Love Land / The Bells At My Wedding -- 1961
#102782 -- The Fools Hall Of Fame / Far From The Light Of Town -- 1961
#10311 -- I'd Never Find Another You / Ahuh-Ahuh -- 1962
#104 -- You Can Share Your Love -- 1962
#10338 -- I'm Coming Home / Cry -- 1962
Happy Tears / All Of Me
Send For Me / It Only Lasts For A Little While -- 1962

RCA

#7977 -- Love Me Warm And Tender / I'd Like To Know -- 1962
#8030 -- A Steel Guitar & A Glass Of Wine / I Never Knew Your Name -- 1962
#VP-3-2502 -- Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries / This Life Of Mine -- 1962
#VP-5-2502 -- You're Just Young / Falling In Love With Love -- 1962
#8068 -- Every Night / There You Go -- 1963
#8097 -- Esobeso / Give Me Back My Heart -- 1963
#8286 -- You're Looking At Me / Broken Heart -- 1963
#8115 -- Crying In The Wind / Love -- 1963
#8170 -- Remember Diana / All Night -- 1963
#8195 -- Hello Jim / You've Got The Nerve To Call This Love -- 1963
#8237 -- Wondrous Are The Ways Of Love / Hurry Up And Tell Me -- 1963
#8272 -- Did You Have A Happy Birthday / For No Good Reason At All -- 1963
#8311 -- From Rocking Horse To Rocking Chair / Cheer Up -- 1963
#9349 -- My Baby Is Corning Home / No No -- 1964
#9483 -- Skokiian / Wondrous Are The Ways Of Love -- 1964
#9115 -- I Can't Say A Word / Laugh Laugh -- 1964
#9434 -- To Wait For Love / Behind My Smile -- 1964
#8494 -- Silvia / Behind My Smile -- 1965
#8396 -- In My Imagination / It's Easy To Say -- 1965
#8441 -- Ogni Volta / Cindy Go Home -- 1965
#8595 -- The Loneliest Boy In The World / Dream Happy -- 1965
#8662 -- As If There Was No Tomorrow / Everyday A Heart Is Broken -- 1966
#8764 -- Oh Such A Stranger / Truly Yours -- 1966
#8839 -- I Wish / I Went To Your Wedding -- 1966
#8893 -- Can't Get Along Very Well Without You / I Can't Help Loving You

CBS

#7133 -- Why Are You Leaning On Me / You're Some Kind Of Friend -- 1971

BUDDAH

Hold Me 'Til The Morning Comes / This Is The First Time -- 1983
#BDA337 -- This Is Your Song / While We're Still Young -- 1972
#610.081 -- Jubilation / Everything's Been Changed -- 1972
#610.071 -- Do I Love You / So Long City -- 1972
#BDA349 -- Hey Girl / You And Me Today -- 1972

BARNABY

#ZS7-2027 -- Why Are You Leaning On Me Sir / You're Some Kind Of Friend -- 1971

FAME

#FM-XV345 W -- Let Me Get To Know You / Flashback -- 1973

UNITED ARTISTS

#XW 454 -W -- Having My Baby / Papa -- 1974
#XW 615-X -- I Don't Like To Sleep Alone / How Can Anything Be Beautiful After You -- 1974
#XW 685 -- Today I Became A Fool / Nothing Stronger Than Our Love -- 1975
#XW 737-Y -- Times Of Your Life / Water Runs Deep -- 1975
#XW 789-Y -- Anytime / Something About You -- 1976
#XW 911-Y -- Closing Doors / Happier -- 1976
#XW 972-Y -- Never Gonna Fall In Love Again / Best Friend's Wife -- 1977
#XW 1018 -- Everybody Ought To Be In Love / Tonight -- 1977

EPIC

#8-50298 -- Make It Up To Me In Love (P. Anka & 0. Coates) / You (0. Coates only) -- 1976
#RADIO ACTIVE GOLD
#RD-65A -- Do I Love You / Jubilation -- 1973

ERIC

#197 -- It's Tune To Cry / Crazy Love -- 1976
#198 -- My Heart Sings / My Home Town -- 1976
#199 -- You Are My Destiny / Let The Bells Keep Ringing -- 1976
#200 -- Diana / Don't Gamble With Love -- 1976
#201 -- Lonely Boy / Miss You -- 1976
#202 -- Puppy Love / Adam And Eve -- 1976
#203 -- Put Your Head On My Shoulder / Summer's Gone -- 1976
#204 -- Tonight My Love / Dance On Little Girl -- 1976

COLUMBIA

#38-07358 -- No Way Out (J. Mignes & P. Anka) from movie of same name -- 1987
#38-03897 -- This Is The First Time / Hold Me "'Til The Morning Comes -- 1983
#38-04407 -- Second Chance -- 1983

[Hassoun]

Spencer Abraham

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/spencer-abraham.jpg

AKA Edmund Spencer Abraham

Born: 12-Jun - 1952
Birthplace: East Lansing, MI

Gender: Male
Religion: Eastern Orthodox
Ethnicity: Middle Eastern
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Government

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: US Secretary of Energy

Lebanese-American. Two years as Deputy Chief of Staff to Vice President Dan Quayle . Senator from Michigan 1995-2001. As Senator, fought to abolish the Department of Energy. Appointed by George W. Bush as U.S. Secretary of Energy, January 20, 2001 to present.

Father: Eddie (autoworker, UAW member)
Mother: Julie
Wife: Jane Hershey (2 daughters, 1 son)
Daughter: Julie (twin)
Daughter: Betsy (twin)
Son: Spencer Robert

High School: East Lansing High School, East Lansing, MI
University: Michigan State University (1974)
Law School: JD, Harvard Law School (1978)

U.S. Secretary of Energy 2001-
U.S. Senator, Michigan 1995-2001
American Legislative Exchange Council
Federalist Society
Lebanese Ancestry

[suzan]

More!!

Ambassadors, Diplomats and Politicians

Chris Abboud, Nebraska State Senator
James Abdnor, US Senator of South Dakota (1981-1986)
James Abourezk, U.S. Senator of South Dakota (1971-1979)
Spencer Abraham, The new Secretary of Energy of the United States of America . He is a third-generation American of Lebanese descent. Born in Michigan. Was also a U.S. Senator representing the state of Michigan.
John Ash, Mayor, Olean (NY)
William N. Aswad, Vermont State Representative
Victor Atiyeh, Governor of Oregon (1979-1987)
Suzanne Azar, Mayor, El Paso (TX) 1989-1991
John Baldacci, Congressman (ME)
Michael Baroody, Asst Secretary, US Department of Labor (1985-1988)
William Baroody Jr, Asst to the President, Office of Public Liaison (1973-1977)
Timothy Bryan, City Council Member, Massillon (OH)
David Cappiello, Connecticut State Representative
George Crady, Florida State Representative
Mitch Daniels, Director of the Federal Office of Management and Budget
Pat Danner, Former Congresswoman (MO)
Brenda Elias, Mayor, Franklin (NH) 1989-1994
George Ellis, Texas Court of Appeals
Edward J. Elum, Jr. - Judge on the Massillon (OH) Municipal Court.
Joe Farris, West Virginia State Delegate
Elias Francis, Former Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico.
Joseph P. Ganim, Mayor, Bridgeport (CT)
Jeannie A. Gregory, City Clerk, South Pasadena (CA)
Edmond Haddad, Deputy Asst Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy (1987-1988)
Philip C. Habib, Former U.S. Ambassador and Presidential Envoy under the Ronald Reagan Administration
William A. Hamzy, Connecticut State Representative
Helen Bishara Huey, City Council Member, Houston (TX)
Richard Ieyoub, Attorney General for the State of Louisiana
Daniel Issa, Rhode Island State Senator
Darrell Issa, Congressman (CA)
Teresa Issac, Vice Mayor, Lexington (KY)
Richard Iyoub, Current Attorney General of Louisiana.
Michael J. Jarjura, Connecticut State Representative
Chris John, Congressman (Louisiana)
Ruth Joseph, Mayor, Waterville (ME)
James Kaddo, Judge, Superior court of California)
Stephen Kafoury, Oregon State Senator, 1977-1980
Dr. Hamid Claude Kantara D.C., Director of Cultural Outreach for the Texas Young Republican Federation and President for the Galveston County Young Republicans. First Lebanese immigrant to be elected to City Council in Galveston County.
Pete Karem, Former Chief Justice of the Circuit Court in Jefferson County Ky
George Kasem, Former Congressman (CA)
Theodore Kattouf, U.S Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates
Abraham Kazen, Former Congressman (TX)
Steven Kfoury, City Council President, Lawrence (MA)
Don Korrey, County Commissioner, Logan County (CO) 1990-1994
Ray LaHood, Congressman (IL)
George Latimer, Former Mayor of St. Paul Minnesota.
Thomas Lazieh, Mayor, Central Falls (RI) 1990-1996
James Maloof, Former Mayor of Peoria, IL
Marianne Yarid McGuire, Michigan State Board of Education
George Mitchell, Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader; Lebanese on his mother's side.
Herb Mocol, Mayor, Mankato (MN) 1972-1987
Toby Moffett, US Representative of Connecticut (1975-1982)
George Mowad, Mayor, Oakdale (LA) 1972-1992
Joseph Nahra, Ohio Court of Appeals
Lee Namey, Mayor, Wilkes-Barre (PA) 1988-1995
Thomas Nassif, U.S. Ambassador to Morocco (1985-1988)
Mary Rose Oakar, US Representative of Ohio (1977-1993)
Nick Rahall II, 20-year veteran Congressman of West Virginia, grandson of Lebanese immigrants.
Selwa Roosevelt, American Ambassador and longest-serving White House Chief of Protocol (1982-1989)
Joan Haddad Saliba, Mayor, Hartwell (GA)
George Shadid, Illinois State Senator
Randel C. Shadid, Mayor, Edmond (OK)
Jeanne Shaheen, Governor of the State of New Hampshire
Donna Shalala, Former Secretary of State for Health and Human Services under the Clinton Administration (and the longest to serve in the post)
Greg Simon, Director of Domestic Policy, Office of Vice President
Anthony Solomon, Rhode Island State Treasurer, 1976-1984, 1989-1992
John E. Sununu Sr, Former Governor (NH) and White House Chief of Staff (1989-1991)
John Sununu Jr, Congressman (NH)
James J. Tayoun, City Councilman, Philadelphia (PA) 1975-1987
Helen Thomas, a 50-year veteran with U.S. International and the Dean of the White House Press Corps; served with eight U.S. presidents since 1961
Richard Thomas, County Commission Chairman, Hampden County (MA)
Rose Allan Tucker, County Commissioner, Luzerne County - Chairwoman 1991-1995 (PA)
Marcelle Wahba, U.S. Ambassador
Brian Wahby, Assistant City Treasurer, St. Louis (MO)
Tracy A. Yokich, Michigan State Representative 1991-1996
Sam Hanna Zakhem, U.S Ambassador (1986-1989) and Recipient of Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Charles Zogby, Secretary of Education, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

[Hassoun]

Thanx Suzan :)

[suzan]

Businessmen, Industrialists and Financiers

Robert Abboud, Former President of the First National Bank of Chicago.
Ziad K. Abdelnour, Dealmaker, Financier, Venture Capitalist, Registered Lobbyist. Financed over 60 US private companies since 1986 raising over $3.5 billion in capital; sits on the Board of 15 of them. President & Founder of the U.S Committee for a Free Lebanon, Inc , Former President of the Arab Bankers Association of North America and Publisher of the Middle East Intelligence Bulletin Son of Lebanese MP Khalil Abdelnour
Richard Abdoo, President & CEO of Wisconsin Energy Corporation and Recipient of Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Anthony Abraham, Miami's Chevrolet king, Recipient of Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Waleed Ali & Malik Ali, Founded MPI, the world's largest home-video distributor of documentaries.
Simon Assad, co-CEO of Heavy.com, a music site that was nominated for a Webby, the Internet's highest honor.
Ronald Assaf, Founder, former CEO and current Chairman of Sensormatic Electronics Corporation, an international company with revenues of $1 billion, doing business in 80 countries and Recipient of Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Joseph Audi, President and CEO of Bank Audi (USA).
George Barbar, Florida based real estate tycoon, Recipient of Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Ghassan Bejjani, General Partner, Morgan Stanley Venture Partners, one of the most prominent private equity groups on Wall Street.
George Boutros, Known as "The Fiercest Tech Mergers and Aquisitions Banker In The World." Heads a 70-man Tech M&A team @ Credit Suisse First Boston in San Fransisco. Son of former Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Fouad Boutros.
Fouad Chartouni, Owner and operator of the most famous hotel of the Stars, the Lowell Hotel.
Camille Chebeir, President of SEDCO Services; Advisor to a prominent Saudi merchant family and Former President of the Arab Bankers Association of North America
Wael Chehab, President of New York based Cedar Capital Management; a premier fund of funds manager and strong activist on behalf of the American University of Beirut.
Raymond Debbane, President of the Invus Group, a multi-million dollar private equity firm specializing in buyouts and venture capital
Richard Debs, Former President of Morgan Stanley International and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the American University of Beirut
Derek E. Dewan, Chairman and CEO of Modis Incorporated, a $1 billion information technology services subsidiary of Modis Professional Services, Inc.(NYSE:MPS) and Recipient of Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
Nabil El Hage, President and CEO of Jeepers, Inc, and famous turnaround operator.
Roger Farah, President, CEO and Director of Polo Ralph Lauren. Previously served as Chairman of the Board of Ventaor Group Inc., the parent company of Footlocker
Ziad Ghandour, Founder of TI Capital, a private equity fund based in CA.
Michel T. Halbouty, Ellis Island Medal of Honor - Recognized as one of the world's foremost geologists and petroleum engineers and is acclaimed for his scientific expertise. Read American Association of Petroleum Geologists Foundation, and Ellis Island Medal of Honor
George A. Hamid, Jr. - Businessman and circus owner. Besides owning circuses and state fairs, Hamid operated the Steel Pier, a large amusement park that featured live entertainers.
Dr. Ray Irani, Former chemist with dozens of patents. Became Armand Hammer's successor as Chairman of the Board at Oxy; President and Chief Executive Officer of Occidental Petroleum. AUB Alumnus
Tony Ismail, Entrepreneur who founded the largest retailer of flags store in Dallas The Alamo Flag Company
Karim Jaude, Founded and operated 19 successful companies in eight countries and made his first million dollars when he was 26. Business and real estate consultant, and coach to business owners, executive, and professionals.
Dr. Joseph Jacobs, Founder of an international, billion-dollar engineering group, "Jacobs Engineering Group" NYSE "JEC".
Joseph D. Jamail, Texas lawyer who won the biggest settlement in U.S. history, on behalf of Pennzoil ($10 billion dollars). Listed #189 on Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans.
George Joseph, #317 on Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans.
Abdo Kadifa, President and CEO of Corio Inc, a leading Silicon Valley based Enterprise Application Service Provider.
Habib Kairouz, Managing Partner of RHO Management, Inc., a multi-million dollar private equity firm specializing in venture capital
John Mack, Investment banking legend. Ex-CEO of Morgan Stanley, now CEO of Credit Suisse First Boston.
Bob Manikian and brothers, Personal brokers to the Prince of Brunei (richest man in the world ) - They are 90th richest on UK TOP 100.
Ned Mansour, President of Mattel, Inc. in 1999, the maker of Barbie dolls.
Sam Moore, Owner of Thomas Nelson Publishers
The Naify Brothers, Founded cable television in the 50s. At one time both brothers owned 60% of United Artist theaters. Father Michael Naify was the former CEO for United Artist Communications.
Yousef Nasr, CEO of HSBC Bank USA
Jack Nasser, Former President of the Ford Motor Company.
Paul Orfalea, Founder/CEO of Kinkos
Richard Edward Rainwater, #127 on Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans.
Khalil Rizk, Founder of the famous New York based Chinese Porcelain Company
Charles Rozwat, Executive VP of Server Technologies - ORACLE CORPORATION
Abdo Sabban, AUB Alumnus. Founder of multi-million dollar real estate co. Treasurer of the AANA.
Naseeb Saliba, Founder of Tutor-Saliba Corporation, one of the largest privately held international General Contracting firms in the world, with over $ 6 billion in completed work. Also Recipient of Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
George Shaheen, Former President of Anderson Consulting - one of the Top 4 Consulting Firms in America. Resigned and was CEO of Webvan, ex-on-line grocery delivery service.
Joseph Shaker, Jr., His father founded Shaker Advertising. Today Shaker Advertising is the oldest and most respected Advertising Firm in the Midwest. Their headquarters is in Chicago, IL.
Nassim Taleb, Currently Founder and Chairman of Empirica LLC, a research laboratory and hedge fund operator in Greenwich Connecticut (closed to the public) and Fellow in Mathematics in Finance and Adjunct Professor at the Courant Institute of New York University. Was inducted in the Derivatives Hall of Fame (Feb 2001).
Tony Tamer, co-Founder and CEO of HIG Capital, a multi-million dollar private equity firm specializing in buyouts and venture capital
The Late Dave Thomas, Founder of fast food chain Wendy's. Passed away in January 2002. Was adopted by Lebanese parents.
Bryan J. Zwan Ph.D., Founded fiber-optic equipment company Digital Lightwave 1990; IPO 1997. #391 on Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans.

:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

[suzan]

Bryan J. Zwan Ph.D., Founded fiber-optic equipment company Digital Lightwave 1990; IPO 1997. #391 on Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans.

:eek2:

[suzan]

Since the lists are huge, I will stop hahaha.. I still have:
Military Figures
Activists
Academics and Media Figures
Doctors and Scientists
Artists, Clergy & Poets
&
Fashion

[Hassoun]

Well,POST THEM :)

But Doctors and scientists been posted b4.

[Hassoun]

Peter Brian Medawar

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-W/medawar.gif

Peter Brian Medawarwas born on February 28, 1915, in Rio de Janeiro. He is the son of a business man who is a naturalized British subject, born in the Lebanon.

Medawar was educated at Marlborough College, England, where he went in 1928. Leaving this College in 1932, he went to Magdalen College, Oxford, to study zoology under Professor J. Z. Young. After taking his bachelor's degree at Oxford, Medawar worked for a time at Sir Howard Florey 's School of Pathology at Oxford and there became interested in research in fields of biology that are related to medicine.

In 1935 he was appointed Christopher Welch Scholar and Senior Demonstrator at Magdalen College, Oxford, and in 1938 he became, by examination, a Fellow of Magdalen College. In 1942 he was Rolleston Prizeman and in 1944 he became Senior Research Fellow of St John's College, Oxford, and University Demonstrator in zoology and comparative anatomy. In 1946 he was elected a Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford, and in 1947 he was appointed Mason Professor of Zoology at the University of Birmingham. In 1951 he moved to London as Jodrell Professor of Zoology at University College, London. Here he remained until 1962, when he was appointed Director of the National Institute for Medical Research, London.

Medawar's earlier research, done at Oxford, was on tissue culture, the regeneration of peripheral nerves and the mathematical analysis of the changes of shape of organisms that occur during this development. During the early stages of the Second World War he was asked by the Medical Research Council to investigate why it is that skin taken from one human being will not form a permanent graft on the skin of another person, and this work enabled him to establish theorems of transplantation immunity which formed the basis of his further work on this subject. When he moved to Birmingham in 1947 he continued to work on it, in collaboration with R. Billingham, and together they studied there problems of pigmentation and skin grafting in cattle, and the use of skin grafting to distinguish between monozygotic and dizygotic twins in cattle. In this work they took into consideration the work of R. D. Owen and concluded that the phenomenon that they called «actively acquired tolerance» of homografts could be artificially reproduced. For this earlier work on transplantation and growth, Medawar was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, London. When he moved to London in 1951, Medawar continued to work with R. Billingham and L. Brent, on this phenomenon of tolerance, and his detailed analysis of it occupied him for several years. He also carried out other researches into transplantation immunity.

The Royal Society of London, where he was the Croonian Lecturer in 1958, awarded him the Royal Medal in 1959. In the same year, he was Reith Lecturer for the British Broadcasting Corporation. He has been elected a Foreign Member of the New York Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Philosophical Society.

In 1937 Medawar married Jean Shinglewood Taylor, daughter of a Cambridge physician. They have two sons, Charles and Alexander, and two daughters, Caroline and Louise.

From Nobel Lectures, Physiology or Medicine 1942-1962 , Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1964 This autobiography/biography was written at the time of the award and later published in the book series Les Prix Nobel / Nobel Lectures . The information is sometimes updated with an addendum submitted by the Laureate. To cite this document, always state the source as shown above.

For more updated biographical information, see:
Medawar, Peter Brian. Memoirs of a Thinking Radish: An Autobiography . Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1986.

Peter Medawar died on October 2, 1987.

[suzan]

http://www.cedarseed.com/water/gkglebfigures.gif

Migration is in the blood of the Lebanese. The Phoenicians travelled the world to contribute to the growth of civilizations, and their descendants still do today. Because they integrate so well to the country they choose, the people who hear of them often have no idea that they are Lebanese in the first place, so this list should cause a few surprises. Why make such a list? In a way, it is a response to prejudices about the Lebanese. But we also make these lists for our own delight: keeping track of our distant family and neighbours (and the neighbours' distant family) is the national sport...

This long list is organized by field and country, but first here is a selection of personalities that are current or that particularly stand out:

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... Kahlil Gibran, author of the Prophet. Born Gibran Khalil Gibran (Khalil was his father's name, and it is our custom to use that as the middle name), this is the way he is known back home; his American name was due to a Boston teacher who simplified it. An artist, sculptor, poet and philosopher, Gibran was also the original author of the words: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country".

... Omar Sharif (real name Michel Shalhoub), actor (Dr Jivago, The 13th Warrior, etc).

... Tony Shalhoub, actor (I.Q., Stark Raving Mad, Wings, Big Night, Men in Black, The Siege, Paulie, A Civil Action... ).

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... Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan, businessman of the year 2000, known as "the cost-killer". First non-Japanese to ever be at the head of a japanese society.

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... Robert Abi Nader, "king of Middle Eastern haute couture".





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... Fawaz Gruosi, "king of the green diamond", president and creator of de Grisogono.

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... Gabriel Yared, composer and musician, author of the musical scores for "L'Amant", "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "The English Patient" (which earned him among other rewards an Oscar, an Academy Award and a Golden Globe).

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... Nicolas Hayek, creator of Swatch and savior of the Swiss watch industry.

... Jacques Nasser, former CEO of Ford.

... Amin Maalouf, novelist, Prix Goncourt 1992.

... Ralph Nader, consumer advocate, who ran for President during US elections.

... Queen Nour (Lisa Halaby), wife of the late King Hussein of Jordan.

... Marisa Tomei, winner of Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance in "My Cousin Vinny" (1992).

... Paul Anka, singer and songwriter.

... Frank Zappa, rock legend.

... Tiffany, singer, first teenager ever to have her first two singles both hit Number One.

... Shakira, singer and dancer.

... Danny Thomas, great comedian and actor, star of the show "Make Room for Daddy", founder of St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.

... Jamie Farr, actor (Corporal Klinger in M*A*S*H).

... Rony Seikaly, NBA pro center.

... Charles Malek, former president of the UN general assembly and co-writer with Eleanor Roosevelt of the chart of human rights.


Entertainment

USA
. Jack Hanna, host of the hit television series, "Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures", one of America's most loved naturalists and adventurers.
. Shannon Elizabeth (Fadal), best known for her performance in"American Pie" as the sexy Czech student. Also played in "Scary Movie" and "Tomcats".

. Herbert Khaury, better known as Tiny Tim, ukulele-playing artist.

. Dick Dale, "King of the Surf Guitar."

. Don Bustany and Cacey Kassem, creators of "American Top 40" and "American Country Countdown."

. Fred Saidy, playwright, author of "Finian's Rainbow" and "Bloomer Girl."

. Rosalind Elias, opera prima donna.

. Elie Chaib, avant-garde "Dancer of the Year" in 1992.

. Yasmine Bleeth, starred in "Baywatch" and "Nash Bridges".

. Waleed Howrani, Certificate of Honor at the Tchaukovsky Competition (1966), Laureate at the International Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels (1968), and Lebanese Medal of Merit (1969), he also received First Prize in the WDEQ-FM Piano Competition in Pittsburgh (1975). The city of San Diego proclaimed Waleed Howrani Day on April 13 (1986).


. Lucie Salhany, first woman to head a television network, as chair of Fox Broadcasting Co., then of United Paramount Network.

. Asaad Kelad, director of "Family Ties" and episodes of "The Facts of Life," "Who's the Boss?," "WKRP in Cincinnati," etc.

. John Bowab, director of Broadway hits like "Sweet Charity," "Mame" and "The Unsinkable Molly Brown," then of TV episodes of "Soap," "Benson," "Bosom Buddies," "The Facts of Life" and "The Cosby Show."

. G.E. Smith, guitarist and "Saturday Night Live's" bandleader for many years (Smith is the translation of is family's Lebanese name, Haddad).

. Tony Thomas, son of Danny Thomas, television and film producer and multi-Emmy winner for "The Golden Girls" and other TV shows.

. Marlo Thomas, daughter of danny Thomas, first actress ever to play a single, independent young woman living apart from her parents in a TV series, "That Girl."

. Michael Nouri, star of "Flashdance", also seen in TV sitcom "Love and War".

. Amy Yasbeck, starred in films like Mel Brooks' "Robin Hood," Men in Tights," and "Dracula: Dead and Loving It."

. Khrystyne Haje, star of TV's "Head of the Class", once picked by People Magazine as one of the "50 most beautiful people in the U.S."

. James Stacy, title role in "Laramie."

. Michael Ansara, Cochise in "Broken Arrow."

. Kathy Najimy, award-winning comic actress, the fun-loving nun in the "Sister Act" films and co-star of Kirstie Alley as Olive in "Veronica's Closet".

. Salma Hayek, "Desperado," "Fools Rush In," "Wild Wild West," etc.

. Mario Kassar, former head of Carolco Pictures, producer of the "Rocky," "Rambo" and "Terminator" films.

. Tom Shadyac, director of "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective", "Liar, Liar", "The Nutty Professor" and "Patch Adams".

. George S. Dibie, Emmy Award-winning cinematographer-director, president of the International Photographers Guild.

. Fouad Said, cinematographer who designed Cinemobile (the first customized van for filming on location for which he received a Technical Academy Award in 1970) while working on the TV series "I Spy".

. Callie Khouri, first woman to receive an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, for "Thelma and Louise".

. F. Murray Abraham, Oscar Winner for Best Actor for the movie "Amadeus".

. William Peter Blatty, author of The Exorcist and Oscar Winner for Best Screenplay Adapted from Another Medium.

. Paul Jabara, Oscar Winner for Best Song ("Last Dance" from "Thank God It's Friday").

. Anis Fuleihan, who gave his first public concert at age 19 in the Aelian Hall of New York; his works were played by the greatest conductors at the BBC.

. Emile Kuri, set decorator, nominated eight times for films like Mary Poppins, twice Oscar Winner ( "The Heiress" and Disney's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.")

Canada
. Wajdi Mouawad, actor, director and playwright, "marking figure of the young québecois theatre". He recently adapted his play "Le Littoral" to the big screen.
. Cyril Kamar, alias K-Maro, rapper, who topped the charts in France during the summer of 2004 with his single Femme Like U.

UK
. Skandar Amin Casper Keynes, best known for starring as Edmund Pevensie in the 2005 film adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, grandson of writer Cecil Fadlo Hourani.



Literature & Education

USA
. Writer-publisher Steven Naifeh, Pulitzer Prize for biography ("Jackson Pollack: An American Saga").
. Philippe Hitti, author of 25 volumes ("The Arabs", "The History of the Arabs", "Lebanon in History"...), collaborator to Encyclopaedia Americana.

. Amin Rihani, author.

. Jack Shaheen, emeritus professor of Mass Communications at Southern Illinois University and author of books like The TV Arab and The Movie Arab; also CBS News' consultant for the Middle East.

. David Adamany, longest-serving president of Wayne State University in Detroit (now retired).

. Octavia Nasr, Senior International Editor and Anchor for CNN World Report, graduate of the Lebanese American University, Beirut.


France
. Alexandre Najjar, novelist.


Great Britain
. Rezkallah Hassoun, publisher of England's first Arabic language newspaper.

Mexico
. Dr. Louis Farah, dean of the University of Guadalajara.
. Dr. Joseph Badaoui, general secretary of the Faculty of Medecine of Mexico.

USA
. Tony Kanaan (Antoine Rizkallah Kanaan Filho), Indycar's Champion
. George Halas, founder of NFL and the Bears, who coached and owned the team.

. Doug Flutie, first American college quarterback to pass for 10,000 yards, Heisman Trophy-winner, now quarterback of the Buffalo Bills.

. Don Shula, one time coach of the Dolphins.

. Jeff George, NFL quarterback.

. Rich Kotite, former NFL coach.

. Bill George, former Chicago Bears linebacker and NFL Hall of Famer.

. Abe Gibran, Former Cleveland Brown.

. Joe Robbie, Former owner of the Miami Dolphins.

. Jim Harrick, UCLA coach who took his team to the NCAA playoffs eight years in a row, winning the national championship in 1995; now coaching the University of Georgia.

. The late George Maloof Sr., former owner of the NBA's Houston Rockets.

. Joe and Gavin Maloof, owners of the Sacramento Kings.

. Joe LeHoud, Major League baseball player (Boston Red Sox).

. Fred Saigh, former owner of baseball's St. Louis Cardinals.

. Bobby Rahal, winner of the Indy 500 in 1986, later becoming the all-time earnings champ among Indy car racers.

. Eddie Elias, founder of the Professional Bowlers Association.

. Petey Sarron, winner of the world featherweight championship in 1936-1937.

. Zuhair "Steve" Mansour, weightlifting's Grandmaster of the World in 1990.

. Yasser Seirawan, three times U.S. National Chess Champion.


Australia
. Joseph Haydar, Australian champion of weightlifting.
. Eddie Skaff, twice representant of Australia in the Olympics.

. Ben Elias, who represented Australia in Rugby League and toured Great Britain, France and Australasia.

. Robbie Farah, 1st grade rugby league player

. Hazem El Mazri, 1st grade rugby league player, highest point scorer 2004.

. Buddy Farah, Premier league soccer player, represents Lebanon in Olympic and World Cup games


France
. Solange Tarazi, painter.



Science & Medecine

USA
. Michael Atieh, giant of mathematics. Developed the K-theory among others, receiver of the Fields award, master of Trinity College, University of Cambridge, etc. (Michael Atieh was a speaker at my commencement in 2001).
. Charles Elachi, head of Nasa's JPL labs, responsible for the latest success of Nasa\'s Mars exploration, etc.

. Dr. Farid S Haddad, foremost scholar on the history of Arab Medicine.


. Dr. M E Nassar, one of the pioneers that established, at the Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, what is now known as the coronary care unit.

. Rachid Matta, mathematician and engineer, who has just published a book claiming to demonstrate Euclid's parallel theorem – "a theorem that has remained unproved since Euclid wrote it in 300 BC and one that many of the world's greatest minds have deemed improvable".

. Dr. Philip A. Salem, Director of the Cancer Research Program at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, selected as one of America's top doctors in the premier edition of America's Top Doctors, a national guide to outstanding medical specialists throughout the United State.


. Dr. Michael DeBakey, inventor of the heart pump, "the world's greatest heart surgeon" (Reader's Digest).

. Dr. Fouad Salameh Achcar, specialist of diabetes and inventor of Mini Bell.

. Hassan Kamel As-Sabbah, one of the pioneers of solar batteries; he registered over 70 inventions in the field of electronics.

. Dr. Elias Core, Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1990.

. George A. Doumani, geologist whose explorations helped prove the theory of continental drift. A mountain peak in Antarctica is named after him.

. Christa McAuliffe, Challenger astronaut and martyr of the American space program. Daughter of Grace George and the niece of historian Philip Hitti. .


Great Britain
. Dr. Peter Medawar, Nobel Prize winner for his research on tissue implant; former director of the Royal Institute of Biology.

Mexico
. William Nehme, elected member of the Academy of Sciences of Mexico.
. Georges Dib, founder of the country's greatest factories of pharmaceutical products.


China
. Dr. George Hatem, charged by Mao with important missions in the domain of public hygiene: the methods he designed permitted the total eradication of venerial diseases in a population of over 800 millions.

Dominican Republic
. Emil Kasse Acta, very famous physician and pioneer in the field of Pediatric medicine.

Brazil
. Antonio Houaiss, father of Brazilian philology and lexicography.



Politics

World
. Rachid Karamé, president of the UN general assembly in 1959.
. Fouad Sarrouf, former president of the executive Committee (the highest instance) of UNESCO.


USA
. Congressman Nick Joe Rahall II of West Virginia
. Congresswoman Pat Danner (Missouri)

. Congressmen Ray LaHood (Illinois)

. John Baldacci (Maine)

. John E. Sununu (New Hampshire)

. Chris John (Louisiana).

. U.S. Senator Spencer Abraham of Michigan

. Donna Shalala, former secretary of Health and Human Services, now Dean of the University of Miami.

. John Sununu, former Governor of New Hampshire, who became the White House Chief of Staff, and later a political commentator on CNN-TV.

. Ambassador Selwa Roosevelt, America's longest-serving White House Chief of Protocol.

. Thomas A. Nassif, her assistant, who also served as US Ambassador to Morocco.

. Edward Gabriel, another US Ambassador to Morocco.

. Theodore Kattouf, US Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.

. Philip C. Habib, special Presidential envoy.

. Ralph Habib, former #3 of the State Department.

. Helen Thomas, dean of the White House press corps.

. U.S. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell (D-ME).

. James Abourezk, former U.S. Senator and member of the Chamber of Representatives.

. Former U.S. Senator James Abdnor.

. Former Congressional member Mary Rose Oakar of Ohio

. Former Congressional member George Kasern of California

. Former Congressional member Abraham Kazen Jr. of Texas

. Former Congressional member Toby Moffett of Connecticut

. Victor Atiyeh, governor of Oregon.


Australia
Marie Roslyn Bashir, AC, CVO, first female Governor of New South Wales and the first governor of any Australian state of Lebanese descent (among other distinctions).
. Sir Nicholas Shehadie, AC, OBE, former Lord Mayor of Sydney (1973-1975) and ex-Wallaby Captain in the Australia national rugby union team (married to Marie Roslyn Bashir above).

. Robert Khater, Minister of the Army for 3 years.

. Alexandre Alam, former vice-president of the Senate and representative of the city of Melbourne; creator of the worker city of Sydney and of localities such as New Bsharre, New daraya, New Ehden...

. Dr. Frank Geaha, former minister of National Education and Hygiene.

Mexico
. Najib Semaan, governor of a province.
. Alfred Aziz, deputy.

. Francis Sarkis, deputy.

. Carlos Attieh, deputy and head of party.

. Najib Abi Zaid, general director of the police.

Dominican Republic
. Jacobo Majluta-Azar, former President of the Dominican Republic.
. Rafael Kasse Acta, highly respected statesman in the Dominican Republic and founding member of the PLD (Partido de la Liberacion Dominicana), currently in power.

. Miguel Acta-Fadul, statesman and jurist highly respected across the political spectrum for his independence, judicial rigour, respect for the law and love of humanity.


Turkey
. Khalil Ghanem, author of the Ottoman Constitution.

Iraq
. Rustom bey Haidar, former minister of Finaces, National Economy and Communications.

KSA
. Fouad bey Hamze, former minister of Foreign Affairs.
. Jamil Baroudy, representative of the Saudi at the UN for 30 years.


Military

USA
. Gen. John Abizaid, head of the US Central Command.
. Col. James Jabara, "the greatest ace pilot of the Korean War and a true American war hero".

. Maj. Gen. Fred Safay, World War II US officer.

. Brig. Gen. Elias Stevens, part of Eisenhower's staff.

. Navy Lt. Alfred Naifeh, who gave his name to the destroyer escort USS Naifeh.

. Gen. George Joulwan, who commanded both the US and NATO forces in Europe.

. 14 000 Lebanese fought in the US army during WW2. The Gemayel and Hatem families alone respectively gave 43 and 76 soldiers tot he US.


Mexico
. Three Generals: Antoine Choueri, Youssef Khoury and Michel Naaman.
. Four Colonels: Antoine Karam, Fares fayad, Najib Kik and Georges Atallah.


Business

World
. The Sabra family, owners of 5th Republic in NY and other banks around the world (the father was killed in Monaco).
. Edouard Saouma, former CEO of the FAO in Rome.

. Assaad Kotaite, elected president of the International Organization of Civil Aviation ten times in a row from 1976.

.Georges Faddoul, president of the International Union of Official Tourism Organisms until its dissolution.

. Sami Rababy, former president of the Affiliated Members of the World Tourism Organization.

USA
. Claude Comair: Chairman Of NST (Nintendo software technology) and founder of DIGIPEN institute of Technology, Redmond Washington.
. Mansour Farah, founder of the Farah Clothes Company, now one of the world's largest clothing companies.

. J. M. Haggar, founder of Haggar Clothing Co., the world's largest manufacturer of dress slacks.

. Ray Irani, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of Occidental Petroleum.

. Najeeb Halaby, former head of the Federal Aeronautics Authority, former CEO of Pan-American Airlines; father of Queen Nour.

. Ned Mansour, president of Mattel, Inc.

. John Mack, president of Morgan Stanley Group

. Ray Jallow, internationally respected financial expert and economic forecaster.

. John Zogby, Zogby International, one of America's preeminent pollsters.

. Paul Orfalea, founder of Kinko's

. Tony Ismail, founder of the Alamo Flag Company in Dallas.


Mexico
. Jacob Semaan, president of the Chamber of Commerce.
. Selim Helou, listed on the Forbes billionaire list.


Law

World
. Roger Chikhani, former vice-president of the World Federation of Law Orders.
. Fouad Ammoun, former vice-president of the international court of La Haye.


USA
. Prof. Philip Areeda of Harvard Law School, author of the 10-volume treatise Antitrust Law. "The work, a standard in the field, is relied on extensively by lawyers and judges, so much so that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer once remarked that most lawyers would prefer to have on their side "two paragraphs of Areeda on Antitrust than four Courts of Appeals and three Supreme Court Justices.



:cheers:

[Hassoun]

WOW SUZAN,that was gr8 :) thanx

[Hassoun]

Hassan Kamel Al-Sabbah

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/Hassan%20Kamel.jpg

-Born in Nabatieh,Lebanon on the 17th of August 1895.
- He was distinguished at all stages of education.
- Served at Turkish compulsory military service in 1916 as an officer.
- Assigned as a math teacher at preparation school in Damascus in 1919.
- Studied Math at the American University of Beirut in 1921.
- Joined the University of Illinois in America, and got a diploma in science in 1923.
- Started working at General Electric company, and was called “Electrical Science Man” for his inventions.
- Registered 52 inventions in solar energy, televising and electric energy at Washington Union Office.
- Died on 1935 in a car accident, after leaving a scientific, social fortune.

A technological innovator whose inventions in electricity had a great impact on the development of 20th century technology. In August 1921, Sabbah traveled to the U.S. to study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for one year. In 1922, he enrolled at the University of Illinois, where he earned a master's degree in engineering sciences in 1923. He was hired by the engineering laboratory of the General Electric Company (GE) at Schenectady, N.Y. in1923. It was not long before his research efforts resulted in a number of patents. However, Sabbah had signed a contract with GE whereby all his inventions became the property of the company, and so he received a reward of one dollar for each of his patented inventions. Between 1927 and 1935, Sabbah invented 52 different applications.

[Herzeleid]

Edmond Jacob Safra: (Arabic: ادموند يعقوب صفرا) (August 6, 1932, Beirut, Lebanon –December 3, 1999, Monaco) was a Brazilian-naturalized, Jewish Lebanese banker who continued the family tradition of banking, in Lebanon, Brazil and Switzerland.

Joseph Safra: is a member of one of the wealthiest families in South America and currently runs the Brazilian banking and investment empire, Safra Group. As the chairman of all Safra companies, among them Safra National Bank of New York, and the large Banco Safra headquartered in São Paulo, Brazil. Joseph and brother Moise were recently ranked number 69 on the Forbes list of billionaries, with an estimated fortune of 7.4 billion (ranked number 1 for South America).

Rudy Haddad, (born February 5, 1985) is a French footballer currently on loan at Valenciennes of Lebanese descent. (he is also jewish :))

[crazyeight]

Mashallah! That's great, Lebanon should be proud of these people! Jewish Haddad family? That's a first...

[Hassoun]

^^ Crazyeight,,,U can find Christian and some Muslim Hadda family members also,,,this is the case in almost all familes in lebanon.

[Hassoun]

Tony Kanaan

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Name: Antoine Rizkallah Kanaan Filho

Date and Place of Birth: December 31st , 1974 - Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.

Height: 1.68m.

Weight: 66 kg

Nationality: Brazilian.

Marital Status: Married

Current Residence: São Paulo, Brazil / Miami, USA.

Favorite Music: All types of music.

Favorite Superstition: Putting on right shoe first, getting in car from left side and wearing a special pair of underwear.

Lucky Number: 6

Most Memorable Race Experience: Winning the 1997 PPG Firestone Indy Lights Championship, CART FedEX Championship Series Rookie of the Year in 1998, and winning the 1999 U.S. 500

Idol: World Champion F1 Ayrton Senna and Alex Zanardi.

Life Philosophy: Live the present the best way you can.

Tony Kanaan is one of the young, up-and-coming Brazilian drivers who will hold great promises in the world of motor racing. He built a solid reputation on the Brazilian karting circuit , earning six championship titles. After two successful years in the Brazilian Formula Ford and Formula Chevrolet Championships, Tony followed a familiar path and went to Europe to build his career.

After a partial season in the Formula Opel Euroseries , Tony contested the Italian Formula Alfa Boxer Championship and won the title. He graduated to Italian Formula 3 competition and posted nine podium finishes prior to joining Tasman Motorsports in 1996, at age twenty one, to contest the challenging PPG-Firestone Indy Lights Championship.

Tony made an impressive debut in North American racing, winning two races (Detroit and Laguna Seca), the Sea Doo/Ski Doo Pole Award, earned the Rookie of the Year title and finished second in the Indy Lights Championship.

In 1997, Tony opted for another season in Indy Lights to gain more experience, with his sights firmly set on the champion's crown. He accomplished this feat, winning the PPG-Firestone Indy Lights Championship and adding two more races to his list of victories (Detroit and Trois-Rivieres).

In 1998, having his talent recognized, added to his accumulated experience earned with Tasman, Tony was hired by Steve Horne, owner of the team, to be the only driver of the team on the 1998 season on the FedEx CART Championship Race Series. Tony surprised everyone in the category on his inaugural season: scored PPG Cup points in 11 of 19 starts - most for a rookie since 1993 - scored two podium finishes, finished ninth-place ranking, highest placed among the Brazilian drivers and earned the Rookie of the Year 1998 title

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1999 was Tony 's second year with Forsythe Championship Racing - McDonald's Championship Racing Team (formerly Tasman Motorsports). Finished 11th in points with a victory at the U.S. 500 and nine other top 10 finishes: Montegi (Japan), Rio de Janeiro (Brasil), Madison (Ill), Elkhart Lake (Wis), Detroit, Vancouver, Houston, Surfers Paradise (Australia),and Fontana (Calif.) Was also a pole sitter at Long Beach, California.

After a two-year run last season with Forsythe Championship Racing, in 2000 Kanaan, who scored his first victory at the 1999 U.S. 500, Tony began his third CART season behind the wheel of the #55 Nunn Racing Mercedes-Benz Reynard.

The 2000 season was not one of Tony ´s best year, although he finished the season as the best driver powered by Mercedes engines in the final point standings. The Brazilian suffered an accident during the qualifying for the Detroit Grand Prix and could not compete for four races. Tony fractured the left forearm and had four broken ribs. He finished in 19th place in the final point standings.

The 2001 season he finished the CART Championship in 9th place and the 2002 season in 12th place.

Tony finishes the 2003 season taking the 4th place, with 476 points (against 507 of the champion Scott Dixon). This year he renewed his contract with Andretti Green for another 5 years (up to the year 2008), the driver said: "I think we still have a lot to conquer in the years we have ahead of us. I have a lot to give to Honda and a tittle to Andretti Green. I will fight for those things, as I fought this past year." Here comes the 2004 season

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/tony%20kanaan/mariage%20kanaan.jpg

[Hassoun]

Carlos Ghosn

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-W/Carlos%20Ghosn%20talk.jpg

Carlos Ghosn (born March 9 , 1954 in Brazil to Lebanese parents) is CEO of Renault and Nissan Motor . Nicknamed "Le Cost Cutter", he is largely credited with turning Nissan around. As an outsider in charge of one of Japan 's largest companies, Ghosn has been extremely successful. He was voted Man of the Year 2003 by Fortune magazine 's Asian edition and is also on the board of Alcoa , Sony , and IBM . Ghosn became CEO of Renault , Nissan's parent and largest shareholder, in 2005 , succeeding Louis Schweitzer .

Education

Mr. Ghosn graduated with engineering degrees from the École Polytechnique in 1978 (X1974) with last year's specialization at the École des Mines de Paris .

Career


Mr. Ghosn joined Nissan as its chief operating officer in June 1999 , became its president in June 2000 and was named chief executive officer in June 2001 . His turnaround of Nissan has gained him celebrity status in Japan , where he has published books and even has an animated character based on him. When he joined the company it had a $20 billion debt and that only three of the company's 48 models were making any profit. He claimed that it would have none in 2005 . The year after he arrived Nissan and a profit of 2.7 billion dollars, it also has an operating margin of 10.6%.

Prior to joining Nissan, Mr. Ghosn served as executive vice president of the Renault Group, a position he had held since December 1996 . In addition to supervising Renault activities in the Mercosur , he was responsible for advanced research, car engineering and development, car manufacturing, powertrain operations and purchasing. He became president of Renault in April 2005 .

Before he joined Renault , Mr. Ghosn had worked with Michelin for 18 years. As chairman and chief executive officer of Michelin North America, Mr. Ghosn presided over the restructuring of the company after its acquisition of the Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Company in 1990 . Previously, Mr. Ghosn had worked as the chief operating officer of Michelin's South American activities based in Brazil ; as head of research and development for industrial tires in Ladoux , France; and as plant manager in Le Puy , France.

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-W/Carlos%20Ghosn%20japan.jpg

Miscellaneous

Mr. Ghosn was born in Porto Velho , Brazil on March 9, 1954. At age 6, he moved to Beirut , Lebanon , with his mother. He completed his secondary school studies there, in a Jesuit school. He and his wife, Rita, have four children.

Nissan CEO: The making of a superstar

Detroit listens to Ghosn's every word, and in Japan, women adore him.

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By Christine Tierney / The Detroit News

NEW ORLEANS -- As Carlos Ghosn slipped backstage after giving a speech at a dealers' convention, Charlie Clark broke past a pair of bodyguards to hug the president of Nissan Motor Co. and have a picture taken of them together.

"I've always wanted to meet the guy," said Clark, who plans to blow up the snapshot into a poster for his Nissan dealership in Harlingen, Texas.

Ever since Ghosn transformed ailing Nissan into the world's most profitable major carmaker, he has acquired superstar status normally associated with sports icons.

In Lebanon, his name -- which rhymes with phone -- has been floated as a presidential candidate. Detroit executives pick his brain over dinner. In Japan, he has become a comic book hero and a dream idol.

In a January poll, Japanese women picked the 50-year-old father of four as the most desirable husband, after a baseball player. Ghosn is saving it to show grandchildren someday.

"If they tell you you're ugly and unpleasant, you tell them, 'I'm sorry, but this survey shows that a lot of people would have liked to spend a lot of time with you, some of them all their lives,'" he said in an interview here.

Retirement is far off, as Ghosn prepares to take up a new, unprecedented challenge -- running two carmakers based in different continents.

On April 29, Renault SA, Nissan's biggest shareholder, is expected to appoint him as its CEO. He will remain president and CEO of Nissan, too -- and continue heading the team overseeing its U.S. operations.

In today's brutal environment, managing one carmaker is tough -- managing two that are 6,000 miles apart sounds like an impossible task, even for "Mr. Seven-11," as Ghosn was nicknamed in Japan because of his long working hours. Is he stretching himself too thin?

It's not a question that worries Ghosn, who has already mapped out how he plans to do both jobs, down to the housing arrangements. He will keep homes in Tokyo and Paris and his wife, Rita, will accompany him from time to time as he shuttles back and forth.

"I'll be spending 50 percent of my time on Nissan and at least 10 days a month in Japan. In those days, all the important meetings and decisions will be conducted," he said over a quiet lunch during the National Automotive Dealers Association 2005 convention. "I have spent six years at Nissan, so I don't need a lot of time to understand situations."

Last week, Ghosn revamped Nissan's powerful executive committee and appointed a chief operating officer -- a post that had been vacant since 2001 -- to manage day-to-day operations and ensure that Nissan does not lose momentum. The new team has its plate full: Ghosn is leaving it with a new set of three-year growth goals for Nissan.

After a six-year absence, Ghosn has to reacquaint himself with Renault. But the company is in good shape after the successful launch of its Megane cars -- with help from Nissan production experts. Last year, it was one of Europe's most profitable carmakers, earning $4.4 billion, including the rich dividends from its 44 percent stake in Nissan.

But Ghosn seems keenly aware that success is ephemeral -- and that the backlash can be brutal. "No one in this industry can say, 'I'm on solid ground,'" he said.

"It's an industry in which comebacks occur rapidly and downfalls occur fast. Managers have to be extremely attentive to changes because some of them are significant -- and if managers get it wrong, the consequences are terrible for the company."

The right stuff

In early 1999, when Renault CEO Louis Schweitzer bid $5.4 billion for a controlling stake in Nissan, he took the risk because he believed he had a manager who could shore up the Japanese carmaker.

Ghosn, his second in command, recruited from tiremaker Michelin in 1996, had drafted a restructuring plan in 1997 that brought Renault back to profit. Before that, Ghosn had revived Michelin's sinking operations in Brazil and restructured its U.S. business after its costly acquisition of Uniroyal Goodrich.

"He had a remarkable track record, and he was very good at bringing people together," Schweitzer said.

Because of Ghosn's upbringing -- he was born in Brazil to Lebanese parents and educated in France -- "I felt he was able to work in any corporate environment," Schweitzer said.

Ghosn also views his background as an asset, although it makes him an outsider not only in Japan's homogeneous society, but also in France.

"I've always felt different," Ghosn said. "Because you are different, you try to integrate, and that pushes you to try to understand the environment in which you find yourself. That tends to develop one's ability to listen, to observe, to compare -- qualities that are very useful in managing."

In his new autobiography, "Shift," Ghosn comes through as a keen observer whose talents and discipline overcame any obstacles in his way. Excellent in math, he won admission to France's most prestigious university, the Ecole Polytechnique in Paris.

He joined Michelin as a management trainee and was running a plant by the time he was 27. Patriarch Francois Michelin promoted Ghosn rapidly but reserved the top job for his son, Edouard, now CEO. When Schweitzer approached him, Ghosn was receptive.

The two men have sharply contrasting styles and personalities. Schweitzer, the grandnephew of illustrious theologian Albert Schweitzer, is mild-mannered and aloof. Ghosn is more approachable and direct. "He's more hands-on, whereas I delegate more," said Schweitzer, who will become Renault's chairman in April. "We're different, but one thing we have in common is that we're quite rational."

Both executives agreed that the Nissan deal could only work as an alliance of equals -- which may explain why it became one of the industry's most successful pairings.

Renault's stake is now worth $25 billion. Together, the two carmakers form the world's fourth-largest auto group after Ford Motor Co.

"It's a very tough industry, but Ghosn makes it look like a no-brainer," said Gaetan Toulemonde, Paris-based auto analyst for Deutsche Bank.

In June 1999, Ghosn flew to Tokyo with 40 Renault executives. On the one hand, they had to win over demoralized Nissan executives. But they also had to fix the company fast -- Nissan had lost money for six of the past seven years, its market share had fallen for 27 consecutive years and its debts totaled $20 billion.

Jason Vines, a spokesman for the Chrysler Group who was with Nissan in 1999, recalls Renault executive Patrick Pelata losing his cool when Japanese executives proposed to delay a model launch and dismissing them abruptly.

"Ghosn said, 'Find them and apologize. You don't do that in Japan -- some of them might jump out of a window,'" Vines said.

Yet Ghosn managed to get things done swiftly. "I conveyed a sense of urgency at the start, by systematically setting tight execution deadlines.

"When a house is on fire, you can't say that the people inside are patient or impatient. They're in a situation that requires them to react, and we had similar concerns in 1999," he said.

His Nissan Revival Plan violated nearly every Japanese business taboo: He planned to close five plants, lay off 21,000 workers in a culture where lifetime employment was the norm and shed stakes in 1,400 suppliers and affiliated firms.

He concluded his presentation of the plan with a pledge that if he missed any of the targets, he would resign. No one had taken responsibility for Nissan's dismal performance before, and Japanese managers were impressed by Ghosn's public commitment, says Dominique Thormann, now senior vice president for finance at Nissan Europe. "That was the turning point."

A mule race

At first, Ghosn didn't host social events with French managers, to avoid creating the appearance of a Renault clique. But after a year, he brought the French executives together and listened as they moaned about the enormity of their task. Progress had been made, but they felt overwhelmed by the challenges that lay ahead.

"He said he understood our frustrations, and he told us we shouldn't view the car industry as a thoroughbred race -- it was more like a mule race. Things will never be perfect. You just want your mule to run a little bit faster than the next one," recalled Pierre Loing, now product planning director for Nissan Europe.

"He has an enormous capacity to transform complex problems into things that are easy for everyone to understand," Loing said.

Ghosn not only fulfilled the revival plan's goals, but succeeded ahead of schedule. He poured investment into developing and building new vehicles, such as the sporty 350Z and the full-size Titan pickup. Last year, Nissan's U.S. vehicle sales jumped 24 percent to nearly 1 million vehicles.

Ghosn has already achieved two of the three targets set out in the second three-year plan, called Nissan 180. The 180 stands for 1 million additional global vehicle sales by Sept. 30, 8 percent operating margin, and 0 debt.

Nissan has eliminated its debt, and its operating margin last year was 10 percent -- the highest among full-line carmakers, exceeded only by Porsche.

"If you think about what we've accomplished under Ghosn's guidance, it's with 99.9 percent of the same people that were here before he got here," said Jed Connelly, senior vice president for sales at Nissan North America.

"It wasn't a question of bringing in a new team -- it was a question of mobilizing the current team."

If the Japanese were ruffled by Ghosn's methods, they didn't protest. "The Japanese are very courteous people. They'll never speak to you unpleasantly," he writes in his book. "When they don't think much of you, they keep quiet."

Some of Ghosn's cost-saving remedies were standard practice: In addition to job cuts and plant closures, Renault and Nissan pooled components purchases and shared auto underpinnings, or platforms.

But Ghosn also stresses the role of his "cross-functional teams" -- managers from different areas who are assigned to a common goal -- in Nissan's recovery. By uniting managers from different areas, all viewpoints are considered, problems get solved faster and departments are less likely to indulge in a blame game.

For all of Nissan's achievements, the automaker occasionally stumbles. It invested $1.5 billion to build a plant in Mississippi -- a state with no auto industry -- trained thousands of new workers and suppliers and set them on a demanding timetable. Starting in May 2003, they would roll out four new vehicles and one existing car within eight months.

Nissan's quality ratings took a dive as owners complained about wind noise, scratches from workers' rings and belts, and doors that didn't slide properly. In J.D. Power's 2004 initial quality survey, the automaker dropped from 6th place to 11th.

Ghosn reacted quickly, dispatching 220 Japanese engineers to correct the problems at Canton, but it's a topic that still makes him uncomfortable. After emphasizing that he views Canton as an industry benchmark for factory startups, he acknowledges that he has drawn lessons.

"Perhaps we should have launched the factory with a known vehicle, and perhaps spaced out the launches a bit more."

But Ghosn isn't someone who agonizes over past decisions.

"Sometimes I'll revisit the issue, but he moves on," said James Morton, a senior vice president of finance at Nissan North America who met Ghosn 16 years ago when they both worked for Michelin.

In the end, Nissan's U.S. sales grew faster than those of archrivals Toyota Motor Co. p. and Honda Motor Co. last year. Globally, Nissan has overtaken Honda to become Japan's second-largest carmaker.

It is also larger than Renault, but that will not alter the relationship, Ghosn says.

"When Renault and Nissan signed the alliance, many people thought Renault would ultimately take control," he said. "But Renault showed respect to Nissan. I think that tone will be perpetuated."

On his last day in New Orleans, Ghosn seemed reflective as he accepted an Industry Leader of the Year award from the Automotive Hall of Fame. "When you have a good moment, it's good to remember the bad moments, because that helps keep your feet on the ground," he said. "And when you have bad moments, it's good to remember the good ones, because that helps you keep your head above water."

As the audience drifted out after the awards luncheon, Ghosn's aides whisked him to the next meeting, with U.S. Nissan dealers, before his afternoon flight.

You can reach Christine Tierney at (313) 222-1463 or ctierney@detnews.co

[Hassoun]

Charles Malek ( or Malik )

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/Charles%20Malek.jpg

Dr. Charles Malek was a leading figure in the drafting and adoption of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Indeed, he headed the ad hoc committee formed by the UN, which spent three years drafting the declaration with the help of such members as Eleanor Roosevelt (former U.S. First Lady) and Rene Cassin (French Nobel Price). 1906-1987 The declaration was adopted on December 10, 1948, and since its adoption it continues to assert the human dignity and worth of every human being on the planet.

Dr. Malek was elected as President of the General Assembly of the UN for the year 1958-1959. In Lebanon, he held many governmental positions between 1956 and 1958, such as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Education and Arts,...He obtained more than 60 honorary doctorates from different international universities. His publications include The Problem of Asia (1951) and Man in the Struggle for Peace (1963).

Dr. Charles Malek's son, Prof. Habib Malek is human rights activist and academic. He is the founding member of the Foundation for Human and Humanitarian Rights in Lebanon.

He was educated at the American Mission School for Boys in Tripoli, Lebanon, and at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon where he received his B.A. in mathematics and physics in 1927. He then studied at Harvard University in the United States and received his M.A. in philosophy in 1934 and Ph.D. in philosophy in 1934.

[lebgurl]

Jenna Dewan; 1/2 lebanese as far as I know .. Actress, dancer, model and dating the hottest man alive!

http://www.musicvideobeauties.com/images/convention/rhino1.jpg
http://www.musicvideobeauties.com/hosted/jenna/8.jpg
http://www.musicvideobeauties.com/hosted/jenna/11.jpg

[Hassoun]

She's hot,dating min ba2a ?:D

[Hassoun]

Joseph Abboud

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/abboud_sm.jpg

Lebanese American designer Joseph Abboud keenly understands men's desire for relaxed, yet sophisticated, clothing. Renowned for his fine tailoring, simple silhouettes and rich fabrics, Abboud is often considered the sole designer who bridges the gap between American and European menswear.

Says Abboud of his creations, "[They're] real clothes that men everywhere can understand and appreciate. I believe casual clothes can and should coexist in a tailored clothing wardrobe."

Since the debut of his first collection in 1987, Abboud has received many honors. He won the Cutty Sark Award for Most Promising Menswear Designer in 1988 and the distinction of being the only designer to receive the prestigious Menswear Designer of the Year Award two years in a row(1989 and 1990) from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.


Lebanese Abboud was the first designer to win the CFDA award as Best Menswear Designer two years in a row. He sold the company in spring 2005 and left to pursue other interests after creative differences with Chief Executive Marty Staff, a larger-than-life apparel executive who previously worked for Hugo Boss. The two met while working together at Polo Ralph Lauren.

http://www.harpercollins.com

Designers are great white sharks, and we roam the waters ourselves. We often pretend to like and admire each other, but sometimes we don't even bother to fake it. The fashion industry is as hardworking, incestuous, and political as any other, and it's virtually impossible, given the size of designers' egos, to sincerely wish someone else well, because behind every false tribute is 'It should have been me.'"

So writes Joseph Abboud, who fell in love with style at five. There in the dark of the movie house, he wasn't just some Lebanese kid with a babysitter. He was the hero, in tweeds and pocket squares. That's where he learned that clothes represented a better life -- a life he wanted, and would grab, for himself. From his blue-collar childhood in Boston's South End to his spread-collar success as one of America's top designers, he has forged a remarkable path through the unglamorous business of making people look glamorous.

He transformed American menswear by replacing the traditional stiff-shouldered silhouette with a grown-up European sensuality. He was the first designer to win the coveted CFDA award as Best Menswear Designer two years in a row and the first designer to throw out the opening pitch at Fenway Park. He's been jilted by Naomi Campbell (who didn't show up on the runway for his first women's fashion show) and questioned by the FBI (who did show up in his office right after September 11 because he fit the profile). He's soared and sunk more than a few times -- and lived to tell the tales.

Threads is his off-the-record take on fashion, from the inside out. With breezy irreverence, he looks at guys and taste, divas and deviousness, fabric and texture, and all those ties. He takes us to the luxe bastion of Louis Boston, where he came of age and learned the trade, and to the seductive domain of Polo Ralph Lauren, where he became associate director of menswear design. He reveals the mystique of department-store politics, what's what at the sample sale, and who copies whom. He explains the process of making great clothes, from conception and sketch to manufacturing and marketing.

Whether he's traveling by daredevil horse, plunging plane, Paris Métro, or cross-country limo, Abboud is an illuminating guide to a complex world.

[Nadini]

She's hot,dating min ba2a ?:D


Channing Tatum

[Hassoun]

Sammy Haggar or Hagar

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/Sammy%20Haggar.jpg

After spending several years as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the mid-'70s hard rock band Montrose , Sammy began a solo career that produced several hits and made him an album rock favorite. Hagar became a true star once he joined Van Halen in 1985, but he was a popular hard rocker ever since his first album with Montrose .

After giving up a boxing career, Hagar began singing in the late '60s, performing with various California bands including Skinny , the Fabulous Catillas, Justice Brothers, and Dust Cloud. During this time, he built up a solid reputation in the Californian hard rock scene. Former Edgar Winter guitarist Ronnie Montrose asked Hagar to join his band, Montrose , in 1973. Hagar recorded two albums with Montrose before going solo in 1976, taking the group's bassist, Bill Church. Montrose 's drummer Denny Carmassi later joined Hagar 's band, along with keyboardist Geoff Workman. Hagar 's self-titled Sammy Hagar was his first chart entry; it eventually went gold.


In 1979, he created a new supporting band featuring Workman, Church , guitarist Gary Pihl, and drummer Chuck Ruff. This lineup played on Hagar 's most popular solo album, 1981's platinum Standing Hampton, plus 1982's gold Three Lock Box with only one member missing -- drummer Ruff was replaced by David Lauser.

After Three Lock Box and its number 13 hit single "Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy," Hagar played several shows with guitarist Neal Schon , bassist Kenny Aaronson, and drummer Mike Shrieve; the group recorded a live album under the name HSAS, as well as a studio version of Procol Harum 's "A Whiter Shade of Pale." His 1984 album VOA contained the hit single "I Can't Drive 55," which peaked at number 26.

In 1985, Hagar replaced David Lee Roth in Van Halen ;his first album with the group was 1986's 5150. Hagar released his last solo album, Sammy Hagar, in 1987; the title of the record was changed to I Never Said Goodbye in an MTV contest, but no copies of the record were ever issued with that name.

Hagar stayed with Van Halen through the remainder of the '80s and half of the '90s. During that time, the band had four other multi-platinum albums -- OU812 (1988), For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991), LIVE: Right Here, Right Now (1993), Balance (1995) -- before tensions began to surface between Hagar and the rest of the band. In the summer of 1996, Hagar either quit Van Halen or was fired; the band had Roth return to sing two tracks on Best Of, Vol. 1 before hiring former Extreme vocalist Gary Cherone as Hagar 's replacement.

The entire incident became a media sensation, ensuring that Hagar 's 1997 solo album Marching to Mars -- his first in ten years -- would be greeted with much media-generated fanfare. It sold surprisingly well, peaking in the Top 20 and re-establishing Hagar as a viable solo act. With a backing band called the Waboritas in tow (consisting of guitarist Vic Johnson, keyboardist Jesse Harms, bassist Mona , and drummer David Lauser), Hagar followed the success with Red Voodoo two years later; it too sold very respectably on the strength of the single "Mas Tequila," just missing the Top 20.

Hagar 's resurgence continued with 2000's Ten 13. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide .

VH1.com

[Hassoun]

Channing Tatum

lol,yeah,one of the hottest men "sigh"

[Nadini]

^^ LOOOL well she was dating Justin Timberlake I think also

[Hassoun]

Channing Tatum

http://justjared.buzznet.com/images/2006/06/channing-tatum-pictures.jpg

[asb63]

You forgot to include Elizabeth Najeeb Halaby...> Queen Noor

http://www.edu.joensuu.fi/eno/photos/QueenNoor2.jpg

[Hassoun]

^^ LOOOL well she was dating Justin Timberlake I think also
God,i wish i was her :D

[Hassoun]

You forgot to include Elizabeth Najeeb Halaby...> Queen Noor

Thanx :)

[Hassoun]

Najeeb Halaby

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/Najeeb_Halaby.jpg

Family

He was married three times, first to Doris Carlquist until they divorced in 1977. They had three children, Lisa (later Queen Noor of Jordan), Christian, and Alexa. He was married to the former Jane Allison Coates from 1980 until her death in 1996. From 1997 until his death in McLean, Virginia, he was married to the former Libby Anderson Cater.

Najeeb Halaby, longtime university supporter and volunteer, dies at 87

Stanford Report, July 9, 2003
1937 alumnus was trustee and member of IIS visitors board who advocated for better understanding of Islamic world

http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2003/july9/obithalaby-79.html

BY JOHN SANFORD

Onetime airline executive and Stanford trustee Najeeb E. Halaby, who managed successful careers in business, law and government but was perhaps best known as the father of Jordan's Queen Noor, died July 2, 2003, at his home in McLean, Va. He was 87.

The cause was congestive heart failure.

Halaby was a longtime supporter of Stanford and held several volunteer positions at the university, most notably as a member of the Board of Trustees from 1971 to 1974 and of the visitors board of the Institute for International Studies (IIS) from 1994 to 2003. (The visitors board is an advisory council of university alumni and friends.) He also was a founding member of the Stanford in Washington Advisory Council.

IIS Director David Holloway, the Raymond A. Spruance Professor of International History, remembers Halaby as a pragmatist with a good sense of humor. With his business experience and close ties to the Middle East, the institute was fortunate to have him as a member of the visitors board, Holloway said.

"One of the things he really pressed us to do was to develop our work on the Islamic world, and I have to say that we didn't respond as well as we might have done," Holloway added. "And everyone is clear now that that was a mistake."

Born Nov. 19, 1915, in Dallas, Jeeb, as he was known, had parents from remarkably different backgrounds: His Lebanese-Syrian father was a naturalized U.S. citizen; his mother was the daughter of a Confederate soldier from Tennessee. Halaby graduated from Stanford in 1937 with a bachelor's degree in political science. He was a member of the varsity golf team and Sword and Sandals, a men's honorary dramatic organization. He went on to earn a law degree from Yale in 1940.

As a Navy test pilot during World War II, Halaby flew the first operational American jet plane and, in 1945, became the first person to make a nonstop, transcontinental jet flight. In 1948, he was made foreign affairs adviser to then-Secretary of Defense James Forrestal, and later served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs under President Eisenhower.

For several years Halaby directed his own law firm, N. E. Halaby and Associates, and served as president of a Los Angeles-based venture capital company. In 1961, President John Kennedy appointed him head of the Federal Aviation Agency (which later became the Federal Aviation Administration), where he was known as a hands-on administrator and for his efforts to establish stringent safety regulations. He also was known as a staunch supporter of equal opportunity for minorities.

In 1965 he joined Pan American World Airways, where he served as director and senior vice president until 1968, the year he was elected president. He was elected chief executive officer in 1969 and chairman the following year. His tenure ended somewhat tumultuously, however, when he was forced to resign by the company's board of directors, which blamed him for the airline's deepening financial problems. (In fact, his leadership of Pan Am coincided with a nationwide recession and increased competition among airlines.)

After leaving, he helped to create an air academy to train aviation-industry workers across the Arab world. In 1978, his daughter Lisa Halaby married King Hussein of Jordan.

Halaby also served as chairman of the American University in Beirut and on the boards of many other organizations, including the King Hussein Foundation, the Jordan Society, the Hariri Foundation, the Aspen Institute of Humanistic Studies and the Eleanor Roosevelt Cancer Research Institute.

In addition to Queen Noor, he is survived by his wife of six years, Libby Cater Halaby; another daughter, Alexa Halaby; and a son, Christian Halaby.

[sf2mj]

http://img106.imageshack.us/img106/7493/salmafi8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


And Shakira

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/3070/shakirajo5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Hassoun]

Hi,welcome

Thanx :)

[Hassoun]

Shakira

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-W/shakira/shakira.jpg



Shakira is perhaps the most recognizable and certainly, the most intriguing voice in Latin pop/rock today.

The talented singer/songwriter, who catapulted to international fame with the multi-million selling "Pies Descalzos," effectively broke the formulaic mold of Latin pop with an authentic sound that hadn't been heard before.

Her tunes, like her hit single "Estoy Aqu?", are melodic, musically surprising and gritty, with intellectual lyrics and an electronic/acoustic blend.

Now, her gutsy, rock-infused album, "Donde Est?n los Ladrones," with Emilio Estefan's Executive Production, and Shakira's Artistic Production assures her position as a pioneer who has redefined the scope of Latin American singers.

The album shines with the superb production standards and crossover appeal Estefan is known for, while leaving intact the spirit and integrity of all that is Shakira. "My music," she says, "is sincere, everyday music. It is music that stems from a completely genuine source."



It is also remarkable music by any standard, but even more so coming from someone so young.

Born Shakira Mebarak Ripoll in the coastal city of Barranquilla, Colombia, Shakira-who goes by her first name only-- is that blend of raw talent, brains and charisma that only rarely comes along in any field. Her name, which in Lebanese means "woman full of grace," belies her ancestry.

She is the daughter of a Colombian mother and a Lebanese father-a jeweler and writer whose Arabic background greatly influenced his daughter. Shakira's fondness for music was apparent early on, and she started winning local and national talent contests at age 10.

By 13, she had signed a record deal with Sony in Colombia, which resulted in her first album, "Magia (Magic)," a compilation of songs she wrote between the ages of 8 and 13. It was an effort that put Shakira in Colombia's musical map, and led to her being chosen to represent her country at the Fesival OTI in Spain. Because she was under the minimum age of 16, she wasn't allowed to participate. So instead, Shakira recorded a second album of original material, "Peligro (Danger)."

At that point, Shakira took a break from music, graduated from high school (at age 15-really) and came back with a vengeance.

The result was the phenomenally successful "Pies Descalzos," a hit-laden smash, which has sold close to four million copies worldwide. Shakira became an international sensation touring for an almost solid two years, playing her songs to sold-out audiences throughout the world. In Brazil alone, "Pies Descalzos" sold in excess of 900,000 copies, leading Shakira to record remixes in Portuguese for her Brazilian fans.

She abandoned the light pop format she had been doing and declined her label's suggestion to explore more commercial avenues. Instead, she insisted on recording her very own brand of music: a blend of pop and rock that was unprecedented for a Colombian musician, much less a woman.

Such a smashing hit seems impossible to surpass. But Shakira has done it with "Donde Estan los Ladrones," a collection of potential hits that further explores the realms of rock 'n' roll without losing Shakira's authenticity.

"It is totally refreshing for me to work with an artist who knows exactly what she wants, both at a musical and a personal level," said Emilio Estefan. "Her music is Shakira. It's real music."

No wonder, then, that it was Shakira who was chosen among dozens of female Latin singers to grace the cover of Time Magazine in a recent article titled "Era of the Rockera".

Last year, the Colombian government designated Shakira as an official goodwill ambassador, the Pope granted her an audience in the Vatican, and she was named Latin Female Artist of the Year at the World Music Awards in Monaco in May. The next logical step is crossover to the English market, a goal that is now closer than ever.

Critics are already hailing "Donde Estan los Ladrones" as a breakthrough album whose thought-provoking songs (the title track skewers thieves) that leave her standing a notch taller than a slew of female singer/songwriters, heard on radio today. Shakira's first single, translated by Gloria Estefan, is already in the works.

For the most exciting singer/songwriter to come out of Latin America in years, the possibilities are endless. For the millions that already buy her albums, she is already the voice of a new generation.

Bio Courtesy of Sony Music

[Hassoun]

shakira is Breast-less :S

[Nadini]

^^ She still has the ass ;)

[Hassoun]

So what?She's not the only one ;)

[mahdial_x5]

http://justjared.buzznet.com/images/2006/06/channing-tatum-pictures.jpg

they were in the movie STEP UP together, no?

thanks for all the INFO HASSOUN!!! :D:D

DAYUM SHE IS HOT HOT HOT!

[Nadini]

^^ yes they were Mahdi, lool :nuts:

[sf2mj]

I was born in Bankstown Sydney.Is it still full of Lebanese people?lol.

[Hassoun]

So,r u lebanese?
anyway,,yes i heard it's still full of lebanese pple :)

[Jayme]

^^ bankstown !!! yes well half i think one part is asian

[Hassoun]

ELIE SAAB

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-W/Elie%20Saab.jpg

Elie Saab's shot from obscurity to fame when actress Halle Berry accepted her 2001 Best Actress Oscar® in one of his creations-a jaw-dropping sheer-topped crimson gown. Overnight, "People" magazine and the TV tabloids were broadcasting Berry in Saab's gown and introducing the Lebanese-born designer to the United States and the world.

Still, it wouldn't be fair to call Saab an overnight sensation. He's long been a favorite of fashionistas and Middle East society women, including many of the region's princesses who for years favored his unforgettable, sexy but dignified creations.

The designer's stylistic signatures include the blending of sumptuous fabrics with bold lines and surprising flourishes, such as the strategically-placed floral embroidery of Berry's Oscar® dress. Saab's designs have plenty of sex appeal, with plunging necklines and slit skirts revealing miles and miles of skin. And his appreciation and passion for wedding design is reflected in his unique fashion shows, which regularly showcase up to ten bridal dresses.

Saab founded his first atelier in Beirut in 1982 and has expanded operations, growing his atelier in the Lebanese capital, showing widely across Europe and establishing a prêt-a-porter line in 1998 manufactured exclusively in Italy.

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-W/Elie%20Saab%20berry.jpg

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/picture/LW/saab%20design%20hot.jpg

[Hassoun]

Emilio Estefan

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/Emilio%20Estefan.jpg

Emilio Estefan (born March 4 , 1953 ) is a Cuban musician and producer of Lebanese ancestry. Estefan's first taste of celebrity came as a member of the Miami Sound Machine , but he is currently better known as the producer of many famous singers.

In 1968 , Estefan moved to the United States , where he shared an apartment with 15 family members. He earned a living by running errands for neighbors, using an old car .

BMI President and CEO Frances Preston presents BMI songwriter/producer Emilio Estefan with the 2002 Hope and Harmony Award from the Diabetes Research Institute at a fundraiser at the Billboard Live club in Miami Beach. Preston cited Estefan as "...one of South Florida's most notable humanitarians and philanthropists." The event inaugurated Latin Music Week (May 6-10), featuring the Billboard Latin Music Conference & Awards 2002 and BMI's Latin Awards (May 8).



Estefan then began to work at local beauty contests, and at Bacardi , where he was employed as a mailroom worker. He reached the position of the company's Latin marketing department.

Emilio's real passion, however, remained with music. He started a group which became known as the "Miami Latin Boys". The group had success, being hired to play at multiple private parties and events around Miami . It was during one such event in 1975 that Emilio met Gloria Estefan , then Gloria Fajardo. He asked her to join their group, and the group was renamed "Miami Sound Machine". In 1977 , Gloria decided to join the band. In the band, Miami Sound Machine, Emilio played the accordion .

In 1978 , Emilio and Gloria Estefan were married . By the early 1980s , the group, which also included Cristina Saralegui 's future husband Marcos, had become a major international band, with such songs as "Get On Your Feet" and "Conga" becoming number one hits in many countries. The group's success came after Emilio had signed them to an exclusive contract with CBS Records . In 1980 , the couple's first son, Nayib, was born. He has gone on to follow in his father's footsteps as a music producer.

After Gloria Estefan decided to leave the group and embark on a solo career in 1987 , Emilio Estefan made the decision to become a full time music producer.

The success that Gloria Estefan experienced as a solo singer made Emilio Estefan a popular producer among Hispanic singers. He began to arrange albums for a wide array of singers, and the Estefans became friends with their compatriots, Celia Cruz and Pedro Knight . By the late 1980s, the Estefans already owned a mansion in one of Miami's exclusive neighborhoods' and Emilio Estefan owned a studio.

In 1994 , a daughter, Emily, was born to Emilio and Gloria Estefan. She has already expressed interest in the show business world.

In 1995 , one student from Howard University was killed and another was injured when their personal water craft collided with the Estefans' pleasure boat. [1] .

In 2002 , Estefan began to produce the Grammy Latino Awards , a yearly ceremony that is televised .

In 2003 , an actor alleged that Emilio Estefan had harassed him, but the actor turned out to really be a stalker; he was arrested by Miami police while trying to illegally enter the Estefan mansion.

On August 24 , 2005 , Estefan and well known rap singer P. Diddy announced the joint creation of a new record label, to help Hispanic rap singers. In November it was announced that Emilio will be the Executive Producer for Jennifer Lopez 's first Spanish album entitled Como Ama Una Mujer due for released in January 2006 .

[Lirtain]

Great thread.. very informative..

(Salma is damn hot)

[Hassoun]

Moustafa Chahine

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/Moustafa%20Chahine/AIRS%20-%20Features%20-%20Dr_%20Moustafa%20Chahine_files/mous_chahine_browse.jpg

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/Moustafa%20Chahine/AIRS%20-%20Features%20-%20Dr_%20Moustafa%20Chahine_files/footer_image2.gif
Moustafa Chahine
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Moustafa.T.Chahine@jpl.nasa.gov
818-354-6057

Moustafa Chahine was awarded a Ph.D. in Fluid Physics from the University of California at Berkeley in 1960. He is Chief Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where he has been affiliated for 30 years. From 1978 to 1984, he was Manager of the Division of Earth and Space Sciences at JPL; as such, he was responsible for establishing the Division and managing the diverse activities of its 400 researchers.

For 20 years, Dr. Chahine has been directly involved in remote sensing theory and experiments. His resume reflects roles as Principal Investigator, designer and developer, and analyst in remote-sensing experiments. He developed the Physical Relaxation Method for retrieving atmospheric profiles from radiance observations. Subsequently, he formulated a multispectral approach using infrared and microwave data for remote sensing in the presence of clouds. These data analysis techniques were successfully applied in 1980 to produce the first global distribution of the Earth surface temperature using data from the HIRS/MSU sounders.

Dr. Chahine was integrally involved in the AMTS study, which laid the basis for the current AIRS spectrometer. Dr. Chahine served as a member of the NASA Earth System Sciences Committee (ESSC), which developed the program leading to EOS, and currently is Chairman of the Science Steering Group of a closely related effort, the World Meteorological Organization's Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX). Dr. Chahine is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the British Meteorological Society. In 1969, he was awarded the NASA Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement and, in 1984, the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal.




A Conversation with Moustafa Chahine is the Science Team Leader on a suite of instruments known as the sounding system on the Aqua spacecraft. This sounding system includes the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), The Advanced Microwave sounding Unit (AMSU-A) and the Humidity Sounder for Brazil (HSB). Together they will measure, among other things, the Earth's atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles with high accuracy. Data from the Aqua mission will be used to help improve weather forecasts and to better understand our climate.

http://www-airs.jpl.nasa.gov/graphics/features/aqua_cleanroom.jpg
Aqua in cleanroom with
instruments onboard
Browse resolution

Q: What is Aqua?

Aqua is a satellite designed to observe our climate system with unprecedented level of details and accuracy. Aqua carries a set of imaging instruments that give the horizontal distribution of several climate variables as well as sounders that give their vertical distribution. So for the first time we will have an accurate three-dimensional view of our own climate system. The Aqua suite of instruments, if they work well, will be precursors to future operational weather satellites. In this regard, we are planning to test the operational capabilities of the Aqua data immediately for weather prediction.

I believe one of the objectives of Aqua is to understand the relationship between weather and climate. For example, are the weather anomalies which we're seeing today, such as hurricanes, related to climate change? This is a question we have no clear answer to today. We hope that from the Aqua data, we will be able to find the connection between such weather anomalies and climate change.

Q: The questions I've prepared today will really split into two areas - the water cycle and advanced weather forecasting. Starting with the water cycle, would you simply describe what the global water cycle is?

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/Moustafa%20Chahine/AIRS%20-%20Features%20-%20Dr_%20Moustafa%20Chahine_files/watercycle_155.jpg
The water cycle
Browse resolution


The global water cycle in its simplest form is the cycle of evaporation from the oceans and land, and precipitation from the global atmosphere back to the surface. This is a very important cycle for our own planet - which is known as the water planet. As a matter of fact, this is why we have called this mission "Aqua", because it is observing the distribution of clouds, water vapor and rain all over our planet.

We know there is a very strong relationship between temperature and water. A warmer atmosphere has a larger capacity to hold water vapor. At the same time, if you have more water vapor in the atmosphere, this water vapor will act to block the release of energy to space and thus keep the heat within, which in turn makes our atmosphere warmer. So you've got a feedback loop, where warmer temperatures will get you more water vapor in the atmosphere; and more water vapor will lead to higher temperature and the cycle goes on. This is in a sense what we call greenhouse feedback where the cause and effect amplify each other. The goal here is to improve our understanding of the global water cycle because, as you see, understanding the water cycle is critical to understanding our climate system.

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/Moustafa%20Chahine/AIRS%20-%20Features%20-%20Dr_%20Moustafa%20Chahine_files/recylingratebutton.jpg

Q: Can you tell us what it means to say that the water cycle is accelerating?

Current measurements indicate that the atmosphere recycles it's total water contents about 36 times per year. We obtain this number by determining how much it rains every year all over the globe. If we measure all the rain on our planet per year, it would cover the surface to a depth of about 95 centimeters.

Now, how much water do we have, at any time, in our atmosphere? If the entire water vapor in the atmosphere is condensed, it will cover the Earth to a depth of about 2.6 centimeters. This is the amount of rain we get if the atmosphere rained out fully all of the water it holds. Now, how many times does the atmosphere have to repeat this in order to reach 95 centimeters? You divide 95 by 2.6, and you end up with 36 times. This means that the atmosphere has to rain down its total water contents 36 times per year in order to give us the 95 centimeters of rainfall. Is the water cycle accelerating? Is the atmosphere recycling its water contents 37 times per year, 39 times per year, 40 times per year? We don't know. We know that the water cycle is changing. From the dearth of data which we have now we can estimate that the cycle is changing at the rate of 0.4 percent per year, less than 1/2 of 1 percent, within an uncertainty factor which is twice the rate of change. So in reality we don't know if the value of 0.4% is just noise or if it is an indication of acceleration of the water cycle.
An important step in understanding how the water cycle is changing is to determine, in particular, changes in the pattern and amount of precipitation. Rainfall is key to understanding the energy distribution in the atmosphere and how it is changing.

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/Moustafa%20Chahine/AIRS%20-%20Features%20-%20Dr_%20Moustafa%20Chahine_files/rainoverocean_thu.jpg
Rainfall over the ocean
Browse resolution

Q: Is the water cycle accelerating and how is this acceleration determined?

As I said earlier, based on measurements we have made from NOAA weather satellites there is an indication that the water cycle is changing and it is accelerating very slightly. The rate is about 0.4 percent per year, however, with a large uncertainty. To get a better handle on this number we need better measurements of precipitation. We need also more accurate measurements of the total water vapor in the atmosphere. Later on we will need to refine our estimate of the cycle and determine in what regions it is accelerating and by how much.

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/Moustafa%20Chahine/AIRS%20-%20Features%20-%20Dr_%20Moustafa%20Chahine_files/florida_hurricane_thu.jpg
Understanding the water
cycle will aid in weather
forecasting
Browse resolution

Q: Can you tell us what the implications of an accelerating water cycle are?


The implications are profound and complicated. Let me simplify it by following the water cycle from its start, say, at the evaporation point. We begin with evaporation from the oceans and lands; we have winds in our environment that will transport the water vapor all over the globe, water will also move up in the atmosphere, it will condense into clouds and then from clouds you have rain or snow. During the process of rainfall you have a change the state of water from vapor to liquid and release enormous amount of heat into the atmosphere. This is exactly the opposite of making water vapor. If you want to make water vapor from liquid water, you have to boil it; you have to add so much energy to it to become vapor. Now when this vapor condenses to liquid, it will give back the heat energy it acquired in going from liquid to vapor. Therefore, if we determine where it rained and how much, we can determine how much energy was deposited in the atmosphere at that location. We can then use this information for predicting storms and tracking hurricanes and for weather prediction in general. Determining where this energy is released determines the location of higher energy regions in the atmosphere, and since winds usually flow from high energy regions to lower energy regions we can assess wind patterns and in turn determine the general circulation of the atmosphere. This is why understanding the precipitation element of the hydrological cycle is a prerequisite to making meaningful prediction of weather forecasting. Accurate prediction of weather will have a considerable impact on our daily life ranging from agriculture to transportation and commerce.

Q: Now I'd like to switch over to weather forecasting. Let's start real simple and tell us what is the difference between weather and climate.


Local weather
Browse resolution
Simply, weather is a description of the conditions of the atmosphere at a given time in a given place. We say, in Los Angeles it rained 1 inch yesterday, but today, it is clear and there is no rain. To do this, you only need to make measurements at one time.
Climate is different; you have to take an average of what happens over an area for a long period of time. For example, we could say that in Los Angeles it rains 2 inches in the month of November. Here, we have to measure precipitation in November for several years and come up with a statistical average. So, for weather we can determine what's happening at anytime anywhere with 1 single set of measurement. For climate we need to average observations over a longer period of time. This is sometimes compared to having your own favorite sports team. They win one day, they loose at another game but at the end of the season you say we have a winning season or this is a winning team. So the average is climate, weather is the daily fluctuation of what we see.

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/Moustafa%20Chahine/AIRS%20-%20Features%20-%20Dr_%20Moustafa%20Chahine_files/desertdunes_120.jpg
Desert climate
Browse resolution

: Getting on specifically to the Aqua data, can you tell us will a 5 day forecast soon be as reliable as a 2 day forecast?

A quick answer to this is yes. Today's forecasts are done with the help of computers. We have computer models of our own atmosphere describing winds, temperature, clouds, etc. The best way to get tomorrow's forecast is to start with today's weather. So we make all sorts of meteorological measurements to describe today's weather. We then feed this information to the computer model which "digest" - we say assimilate - this information and then let computer model run for 2-3-4 days. Because of the nature of modeling which is an approximation to the real atmosphere, the computer model will accumulate errors and those errors get amplified to the point where the information value of the forecast is of no use to us. With today's model, we are finding out that the initial error doubles in about 2-3 days. This is the time when we quit relying on the forecast. If we observe today's weather with higher accuracy we can then feed our computer model better initial information. AIRS on Aqua will improve the accuracy of temperature and humidity by more than a factor of two over current levels. Therefore, it stands to reason that improving the accuracy of the initial state measurements by a factor 2 is equivalent to increasing the useful range of weather forecasts by two days or so, from 2-3 days to 5 days. In particular, we should also be able to predict severe weather and track the path of hurricanes more accurately - this is extremely useful, perhaps more so than having accurate prediction of normal weather for 5 days. Hence the great value attached to instrumental techniques that can deliver such improvements.

I'm also anxious to see this improvement in weather prediction. This is why we have engaged the U.S. operational weather prediction center in NOAA and the NASA Data Assimilation Office at Goddard Space Flight Center. We have also engaged two other weather prediction centers in Europe and we have engaged the Canadians and the Brazilians. More recently, we have engaged the Australians and the Japanese weather services as well. They all want to get the Aqua data and they want to assess its impact on improving weather prediction capabilities, regionally and worldwide.

Q: Did that also include economic-benefits?

The benefits from improving weather prediction or climate prediction are enormous. Just take rainfall and temperature. If we can improve our prediction of rain, we will be able to predict how much water we are going to have in our reservoirs for the coming season and have a better way of managing our water resources. In terms of commerce, if we can improve our prediction of temperature, we'll know where it is expected to be colder and be prepared to move merchandise where it will be needed. Fuel will be more needed in areas of cold temperatures. Transportation is another example, transportation by trucks or by air depend strongly on weather. The impact on our commerce or economy would be in billions of dollars.

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/Moustafa%20Chahine/AIRS%20-%20Features%20-%20Dr_%20Moustafa%20Chahine_files/aquainspace_175.jpg
Aqua in space. Beam
represents AIRS field of view.
Browse resolution

Q: Could you tell us one last thing about the satellite itself - what is advantage of satellite observation to improve weather forecasts?

Satellites are the indispensable means to acquire global observations of the Earth's atmosphere. Our planet is covered with about 25% land and 75% oceans. Over land, we have balloon-borne instruments, which can make very accurate measurements of several meteorological variables including temperature and humidity. We carry out these measurements routinely over land. However, 75% of this planet is water and we have no practical way for launching balloon-borne instruments over the vast expanses of those oceans. A major difficulty, which has paced our progress since the beginning of global weather forecasts in the 1970's, is collecting accurate measurements of basic meteorological variables over the whole world every day. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) together with the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU-A) and Humidity Sounder for Brazil (HSB), will provide the needed basic meteorological observations of atmospheric temperature and moisture, day and night, over areas where little or no data are available over both land and oceans. This means the Aqua mission brought two important elements together: global coverage and high accuracy. This is really how we are going to see the impact of this new system on weather monitoring and improved predictions.

Q: And the last question, could you describe Brazil's role in the Aqua Project and what are the benefits of an international endeavor?

The Brazilians used their own resources to give the Aqua mission an instrument which they called the Humidity Sounder for Brazil. They have established in Amazonia a set of ground-based observations to validate the sounder they have provided to Aqua. They have also developed a set of environmental experiments to be conducted in Brazil at the time when Aqua is flying. In addition, the Brazilians are beginning to train their university students on the use of remote sensing data. This is all good - it's a win-win situation, for us as well as for the Brazilians.

[mahdial_x5]

WOW bro your maadly updating! :okay:
tahnks for the info

[sf2mj]

Yes i am Lebanese.Salah is a Lebanese name isn't it lol.My father used to run a Coffee Shop in Kings Cross Sydney :).

[hornnieguy]

What About CArlos Slim ...The Richest Lebanese in the World ( Mexican)

[hornnieguy]

Can you imagine Lebanon with all of its Expat children at a home gala. ( most if not all are Christian).

Lebanon would rival Israel easily.

[Hassoun]

Yes i am Lebanese.Salah is a Lebanese name isn't it lol.My father used to run a Coffee Shop in Kings Cross Sydney :).

Welcome to the Forum :)

[Hassoun]

Can you imagine Lebanon with all of its Expat children at a home gala. ( most if not all are Christian).

Lebanon would rival Israel easily.

this day will come soon ;) :)

[sf2mj]

Welcome to the Forum


Thank you.

[suzan]

Emilio Estefan is Lebanese?!

[Nadini]

^^ yes Cuban-Lebanese

[sf2mj]

Is it hot in here?




http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/1980/salmaas5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Hassoun]

^^ Yes,HOT :D

[suzan]

^^ yes Cuban-Lebanese

THanks!
I feel so proud!
As if Lebanese make the world :D:cheers:

[suzan]

By the way, just wanted to share who is my favourite Lebanese celebrity.
Actually is Lebanese-COlombian.. I love her! Maybe because I am Lebanese-Colombian too? :D:D

This is her in her career life..

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/2677/shakirapiesdescalzosfrotr4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/7545/shakiradondeestanlosladyk7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://www.skinz.org/celebrity/shakira/shakira-wallpapers-4.jpg

Between all her CDs I love the Pies Descalzos one!!:D
Go Shakira!! :)

[Nadini]

Yup her spanish songs are great, but i dont like her english very much. Ojos asi is my favourite :)

[sf2mj]

I could eat her with some Lebanese bread and a falafel!!!:naughty:
Actually forget the falafel and Lebanese bread.


http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/3282/salmats5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[suzan]

Salma Hayek has gained so much weight! I will post her pic later on, as if its not her anymore..
Well, but still... for a lady with her age, its okay.. she is 40 now!

http://images.teamsugar.com/files/users/0/88/10_2007/salma1_0.jpg

http://images.teamsugar.com/files/users/0/88/10_2007/salma2_0.jpg

:ohno:

[Nadini]

ahh theres your answer

''Mexican actress Salma Hayek will be beefing up for her next role, where she will play an obese, sex-obsessed criminal, as we've never seen her before. The film, entitled Lonely Hearts, tells the true story of two criminals from the 1940s, Martha Beck and Raymond Martinez Fernandez, who lured their victims through personal ads. John Travolta, Dan Byrd and James Gandolfini will also star in the film.

Rest assured, however, that the Latina lovely won't be putting on all the weight needed for the role, padding will also be used to recreate serial killer. In 2003, Salma was nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal of the artist Frida Kahlo.''

And now she lost some but not all according to this

Sexy Salma Hayek beefed up for her role opposite Farrell in Ask the Dust by scoffing handburgers. The Latino lovely decided she wasn't curvy enough for the movie and found a fast food laid on by on-set caterers to help her out. "I ate lots of hamburgers," says Hayek. "They had a good hamburger place. I thought the character should be 1930s but Mexican so I needed a little extra weight. Actually I put a lot of weight on and I actually haven't been able to lose all of it." Thankfully the actress came to terms with her new look through a nude scene for the film. "Once I got naked with all that weight, I said, 'You know what? It's okay.' So I sort of stayed up since then."

[Nadini]

Recent pictures of Salma Hayek at the oscars that was held a few weeks ago

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/5729/hayekfx9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

And for the men (minus the gays :nuts:) out there...they grew

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/2618/2432449017150871411xt4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[sf2mj]

I can't get enough of Salma...or her accent.The first time i saw her was in fools rush in.
I tell you i was as happy as the klumps at an all you can eat buffet.

[suzan]

ahh theres your answer

''Mexican actress Salma Hayek will be beefing up for her next role, where she will play an obese, sex-obsessed criminal, as we've never seen her before. The film, entitled Lonely Hearts, tells the true story of two criminals from the 1940s, Martha Beck and Raymond Martinez Fernandez, who lured their victims through personal ads. John Travolta, Dan Byrd and James Gandolfini will also star in the film.

Rest assured, however, that the Latina lovely won't be putting on all the weight needed for the role, padding will also be used to recreate serial killer. In 2003, Salma was nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal of the artist Frida Kahlo.''

And now she lost some but not all according to this

Sexy Salma Hayek beefed up for her role opposite Farrell in Ask the Dust by scoffing handburgers. The Latino lovely decided she wasn't curvy enough for the movie and found a fast food laid on by on-set caterers to help her out. "I ate lots of hamburgers," says Hayek. "They had a good hamburger place. I thought the character should be 1930s but Mexican so I needed a little extra weight. Actually I put a lot of weight on and I actually haven't been able to lose all of it." Thankfully the actress came to terms with her new look through a nude scene for the film. "Once I got naked with all that weight, I said, 'You know what? It's okay.' So I sort of stayed up since then."

Good to know this!!!! :D

[Jayme]

edit

[Nadini]

^^ no its not, its beautiful, its just her eyebrows that are not well shaped

[Jayme]

Is it hot in here?




http://img177.imageshack.us/img177/1980/salmaas5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)



noooooo, her face is soooooo ugly

[mahdial_x5]

WOHAOAOOAHAHAHAH!HH!HHHWHAWHWHAHWAHAWHHHHHHH@HH!H!H!H!H!

:drool:!!!

YAAAAA!!!! WOWOW!

Hmmm IF ONLY *black cloth falls off, accidentally *

:|

[sf2mj]

http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/2161/untitledbg9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[mahdial_x5]

WOWOWOW HER BooBS GREW! :P:P

one is biigeer in that pic Nadini!!!!:nuts:

that pic abouve is niceeee ^^

[Hassoun]

Kathy Najimy

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/Kathy%20Najimi.jpg

Kathy Ann Najimy" Njeimi "

(born 6 February 1957) is a Lebanese American actress, best known as Olive Massery on the television series Veronica's Closet and the voice of Peggy Hill on the animated television series King of the Hill.

Najimy was born in San Diego, California and is of Lebanese descent. Her film career began in the early 1990's with a number of off-beat minor roles, but her first major role was in the 1992 comedy Sister Act, in the role of Sister Mary Patrick. She reprised this role in the 1993 in Sister Act 2.



From film, Najimy expanded into television roles, including a recurring role on Chicago Hope. Najimy was part of the cast of Veronica's Closet from 1997 to 2000. She also co-wrote (with actress Mo Gaffney)and starred in the theatrical production The Kathy and Mo Show. Beginning in 1997, she provided the voice of Peggy Hill on the animated series King of the Hill.

Najimy married Dan Finnerty in August 1995; her first daughter was born in 1996. Najimy is also noted as a activist for gay rights, as well as a feminist and human rights activist. She appeared as a contestant on a celebrity version of "The Weakest Link" where she attempted to win money for Afghani women.

Rarely do we encounter an actress with such a remarkable range of talents and scope of emotion than that of Kathy Najimy. Time and time again, film, television and stage audiences are enchanted with her captivating performances. These past few years have seen Kathy Najimy skyrocket to the top of an exclusive list of actresses in high demand.

Kathy recently stared as the legendary Mae West in the Broadway play, DIRTY BLONDE to great reviews. She currently provides the voice of “Peggy Hill,” on the Emmy award winning FOX TV hit KING OF THE HILL, for which she received 2 Annie Award nominations. For three seasons she starred opposite Kirstie Alley as “Olive” on NBC's VERONICA'S CLOSET, for which she received an American Comedy Award nomination. Najimy is known internationally for her portrayal of “Sister Mary Patrick” in the blockbuster hit SISTER ACT, which won her an American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Actress and a nomination by the Hollywood Women's Press club for female Discovery of the Year. Najimy recently performed on Broadway and in L.A. in the VAGINA MONOLOGUES with Susan Sarandon, Glenn Close, Gloria Steinem, Whoopi Goldberg and Alanis Morrisette. She was thrilled to play Sharon Stones' gynecologist in HBO's: IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK 2, written and directed by Anne Heche.

Najimy’s 1996 HBO version of THE KATHY AND MO SHOW entitled KATHY & MO: THE DARK SIDE, won Cable Ace Awards for both her roles as actor and Executive Producer of the special, as well as an American Comedy Award nomination for her performance. The original KATHY & MO SHOW: PARALLEL LIVES, which Kathy also starred in and wrote, with Mo Gaffney, garnered her two Cable Ace Awards for the special and an Obie Award for the Off-Broadway stage show.

Kathy's' other film work includes a starring role in HOCUS POCUS with Bette Midler, HOPE FLOATS with Sandra Bullock, NEVADA, CATS DON’T DANCE, ZACK AND REBA opposite Debbie Reynolds, THIS IS MY LIFE, THE FISHER KING, SOAPDISH, THE HARD WAY, and SISTER ACT II (American Comedy Award nomination), with cameo appearances in IT'S PAT, THE WEDDING PLANNER with Jennifer Lopez, JEFFREY, and THE BIG K.

Kathy sang and danced as Elmo’s stepmother on FOX’s TV special CINDERELMO, and also sang and danced her way through the opening number of the 1995 Academy Awards. In 1993, she starred in the Emmy award winning TNT musical special IN SEARCH OF DR. SEUSS.

On television, Najimy was featured in a three part arc on CBS’ CHICAGO HOPE, in which she portrayed an unstable psychiatrist battling manic depression. Additionally, she appeared in the television series SHE TV, FOOL FOR LOVE, guest starred on the hour drama EARLY EDITION, and was featured in 3 episodes of the hit sitcom ELLEN. She has voiced characters for HBO's animated SISSY DUCKLING as well as HEY ARNOLD!, PEPPER ANN, HERCULES, LITTLE BILL and several others. She currently provides the voice of "Peggy Hill," on the Emmy award winning FOX TV hit KING OF THE HILL, for which she recently received the Annie Award.

Besides six years of THE KATHY & MO SHOW, other stage credits include roles at The Old Globe, and over a dozen musicals, including GODSPELL and GREASE. She was a five year member of the feminist theater SISTERS ON STAGE and soloed in IT'S MY PARTY, her one-woman show.

Najimy directed the Off-Broadway production of the critical hit, BACK TO BACHARACH AND DAVID, and directed the Off-Off Broadway plays DON'T GET ME STARTED, and I CAN PUT MY FIST IN MY MOUTH. She is proud of her four years as resident director of the Emmy Award-winning New Image Teen Theater.

For her 15 years of AIDS activism, Najimy has been honored with the L.A. Shanti’s Founder award as well as the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center's Distinguished Achievement award. She is an enthusiastic supporter of AIDS, women and animal rights, and Najimy has lent her support to a variety of worthy organizations that include: Project Angel Food, APLA, GLAAD, Human Rights Campaign Fund, Broadway Cares, Equity Fights AIDS, AMFAR, Planned Parenthood, Voters for Choice, and NARAL. As a proud Lebanese American Kathy has received awards from the ACC and The ADC and in May 2000, Kathy spoke at the HRCF’s Equality Rocks concert with Melissa Etheridge, Garth Brooks, and Chaka Kahn.

Kathy has posed twice for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals popular campaign, “I’d Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur,” and last fall, she received PETA’s Humanitarian of the Year Award from Paul McCartney.

Najimy has been published in the New York Times, as well as several national magazines. She contributed a chapter to the Random House book THE CHOICES WE MADE, which was released on the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade and she will soon be featured in the upcoming book STARPOWER, which will showcase politically active celebrities. On tape, she voiced Wally Lamb's best selling novel SHE'S COME UNDONE.

In her rare spare time jumps out of airplanes. Kathy resides in Los Angeles and New York with her husband, singer/actor Dan Finnerty, their young daughter Samia, and their dogs Happy and Blondie.

[sf2mj]

I think Salma Hayek is fully sick bro....Give her one for me bro.....my zub is horny ha ha ha. (fat pizza)

[Hassoun]

^^ :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Hassoun]

James Jabara

Major James Jabara
First American jet ace, USAF F-86 Sabre pilot
Shot down 15 MiGs over Korea, awarded Distinguished Service Cross

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/James%20Jabara/jabara-1.jpg

With family roots in the village of Merjayoun, Lebanon, standing only 5 feet, 5 inches tall, and needing to wear glasses, James Jabara was an unlikely candidate to become a hotshot American fighter pilot. But he was, and he was one of the hottest, his country's first jet ace, and a triple ace in Korea.

In the Air Force community, if not to the American public, he was a legend. One night in 1953, a young pilot was ordered to fly Jabara into his base. He zipped out in a T-33 and picked up his famous passenger, who promptly stowed his gear in the way of the ejection seat and lit up a cigar. But the young pilot didn't object.

Flamboyant and successful hotshots like Jabara could still disregard the rules in those days, when what you did in the cockpit counted more than what you did behind the desk. As John Sherwood explains in his excellent book about the USAF jet pilots in Korea, Officers in Flight Suits:

"This was 'flight suit attitude', ... a sense of self-confidence and pride that verged on arrogance ... the aircraft of preference was the high-performance, single-seat fighter ... This culture placed a premium on cockiness and informality. A flight suit officer spent more time in a flight suit than in a uniform. In his world, status was based upon flying ability, not degrees, rank, or officer' skills." A fascinating book on the Korean War fighter pilots, check it out at Amazon.com.

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/James%20Jabara/jabara-3.jpg

Born in Muskogee, Oklahoma and raised in Wichita, Kansas, Jabara reflected the hard work ethic and patriotism typical of first-generation Americans. He worked in his family's grocery store and earned the rank of Eagle Scout. In World War Two, he entered officers' flight school as a teenager and earned his wings in 1943. He flew over 100 combat missions in a Mustang, with the 363rd Fighter Group, (9th Air Force) over Europe. He was credited with 1.5 kills in the summer of 1944, earning him a Distinguished Flying Cross. An Oak Leaf Cluster was added to it in 1945. After the war, he attended Tactical Air School at Tyndall Air Force Base. He qualified on the F-80 in 1948 and the Air Force's latest fighter F-86A in 1949, and was assigned to the 4th Fighter Interceptor Wing (4th FIW)

The 4th FIW, equipped with the new F-86A Sabre jet, began operating in Korea in December 1950. The 334th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (334th FIS) of the 4th FIW had been flying from Kimpo, South Korea in early 1951. From there the F-86s didn't have enough range to fly any further than Pyongyang. Then in March, 1951, the 334th FIS moved northward to Suwon, permitting its F-86s to fly up to MiG Alley and the Yalu River. Captain Jabara, flying with the 334th FIS, racked up his first kill in April 3, 1951, during a big air battle in which three MiGs were downed. Jabara added a second a few days later.

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/James%20Jabara/jabara-6.jpg

On April 12, he was involved in one of the biggest aerial melees of the Korean War. Some 48 B-29s from the 19th, 98th and 307th Bomb Groups went against Antung and the Sinuiju bridges. F-84 Thunderjets of the 27th FEG served as screen while F-86 Sabres of the 4th FIG provided high cover. Over 70 MiGs jumped American air forces. In the ensuing battle, altogether 10 MiGs were claimed: 4 by F-86 pilots: Jabara, Lt. Col. Bruce Hinton, Capt. Howard Lane, and Col. John Meyer, and 6 more by B-29 gunners. But the cost was heavy - three B-29s went down; more were turned back with heavy damage. By the 22nd of April, Jabara had shot down four MiGs and was the leading American scorer. As the 334th rotated to Japan, Jabara was temporarily assigned to the 335th, so he could get a chance at making ace.

Jet Ace
On May 20, 1951, the 4th FIW flew a standard fighter sweep over Sinuiju, four flights of six ships hoping to lure the MiGs up for a dogfight. About 27,000 feet over Sinuiju, they made contact with the MiGs and Lt. Col. Ben Emmert, leading the two "Awning" flights ordered "Drop tanks!" Just like the P-51s and P-38s of World War Two, the F-86s needed to lose their tanks for maximum combat speed and maneuverability. Standing orders required any Sabre pilot to head for home if he couldn't shake his tanks. (The lesson of Tommy McGuire had been well learned.)

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/James%20Jabara/jabara-2.jpg

Captain Jabara punched out his tanks but only the left one dropped away. The right tank held fast. Disregarding orders and his Sabre's impaired capabilities, he engaged the MiGs in a head-on pass without any hits. As turned to pursue, his wingman called out three more MiGs behind him. Turning as tightly as the Sabre and his consciousness would allow, he got behind a MiG and started a turning duel. At 25,000 feet he found the range, opened up, and ripped into the MiG fuselage and left wing with a deadly hail of .50 caliber fire from his six Brownings.

The MiG-15 flamed, snap rolled, and dived down; Jabara watched in fascination. About halfway down, the Communist pilot bailed out a few seconds before his plane exploded. Anxious to confirm his kill, Jabara also dived down low enough to photograph the descending pilot with his gun camera.

Above, the battle raged - as 50 MiGs swarmed around 28 Sabres. As he roared back up to altitude, he lost track of his wingman, but soon found six MiGs. He latched onto the tail of the trailing aircraft. Despite violently evasive maneuvers, the MiG pilot couldn't shake Jabara, who fired two bursts. One went high, but the other caught him in the fuselage. The plane began to pour smoke and lose altitude. As Jabara followed his second victim down to 6,000 feet where the Soviet plane broke up. Suddenly the other MiGs turned the tables and began firing at Jabara. Again the hung tanks impaired his Sabre's flying ability, and the MiGs closed in. As their gunfire hit home, it sounded to Jabara like a popcorn machine running right next to him in the cockpit. His wingman, having his own problems, couldn't clear his tail. Jabara dodged and twisted his sluggish F-86.

From above, two F-86s spotted Jabara's single F-86, obviously in serious trouble. After a brief radio call, the two Americans cleared the MiGs from his tail, and the three headed back to base at K-13. Now credited with six kills, he was the first jet-vs.-jet ace in history (the German Me-262 jet aces had scored on prop-driven planes). Col. John Meyer, CO 4th FIW, awarded him a DFC and promptly chewed him out for getting into combat with a hung tank.

The release of Soviet records in the 1990's has permitted us to get a look at the other side of American claims. I received the following e-mail from Sr. Diego Zampini, an Argentine expert on the Korean Air War:

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/James%20Jabara/jabara-5.jpg

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/James%20Jabara/jabara-4.jpg

It is highly likely that Captain James Jabara did NOT become the first Korean War ace and the "First jet-vs-jet ace" on 20 May 1951. According to an article written by two Russian historians, Leonid Krylov and Yuri Tepsurkayev, Three out of One Thousand, only four of his victims to that date could be confirmed.
All three MiG kills claimed by USAF Sabres on 3 April 1951 were confirmed by Russian sources (So, Jabara’s first kill is fully confirmed).

But there were no Soviet losses on 10 April, the date of Jabara’s second official kill, and no Chinese MiGs were in the air. Regarding 12 April 1951, during the huge battle between B-29s and their escort fighters against the MiGs of Antung, only one MiG was lost, against the four claimed by Sabre pilots. So, only one is confirmed, and it is not sure that Jabara scored that kill. The same happened on 22 April, the date of Jabara’s fourth official kill, only one MiG out of four claimed was actually downed, and again it is not sure that Jabara scored that kill. Even if the single MiG losses on 12 and 22 April were scored by Jabara, his tally on 22 April wouldn’t have been four, but three enemy aircraft downed.

Regarding 20 May 1951 his first kill of the day is fully confirmed. His victim was Captain Nazarkin (196 IAP, 324 IAD). His second combatant escaped, seriously damaged, but he escaped. So his score by the end of 1951 was only four. Additionally, the MiG-15 pilot who attacked Jabara was Sr. Lt. V.N. Alfeyev (196 IAP, 324 IAD) who also reached ace status, with 7 kills - including Jabara. Evidently the US pilot left the aerial battlefield so damaged that Alfeyev sincerely thought that he shot him down.

There is no doubt that Jabara became a high-scoring ace in his second tour in 1953, nor that he was an outstanding fighter pilot, but unfortunately he wasn’t the first Korean War ace nor the "First jet-vs-jet ace." Check out the article Three out of One Thousand, in the www.korean-war.com site.

At the time, he was lauded at the Korean War's first ace. The Air Force brass ordered him home, where he experienced a brief celebrity: pictures in the newsreels, parade in Wichita, and newspaper interviews. He then began training other fighter pilots at Scott AFB in Illinois.

But Jabara "always liked excitement" and was back in Korea by early 1953. He continued shooting down MiGs. On May 26, with the 334th FIS, he was leading a flight of four Sabres when he spotted 16 MiGs over the Yalu. Leading his flight into the enemy jets, he scattered them, and then went after a couple laggards. He shot one down and forced the other into a terminal spin, thus scoring his 8th and 9th victories. By the end of June, he had run his tally to 14, and he shot down his 15th, and last, MiG on July 15, 1953. He was the second-highest scoring American ace of the Korean conflict.

Later promoted to Colonel, he was on his way to a combat assignment in Vietnam in 1966, when he and his daughter were killed in the Volkswagen she was driving. He was 43. Sources:

James Jabara: Hero - article from the website of the airport named in his honor
Korean War Aces by Robert F. Dorr et al, an Osprey 'Aircraft of the Aces' series
F-86 Sabre Pilots Association - excellent articles in their Sabre Jet Classics on-line magazine
Arlington National Cemetery - very brief bio of Jabara and a photograph of his grave
MiG Maulers - a contemporary poster of the aces, double aces, and triple aces of the Korean War

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/James%20Jabara/jabara-7.jpg

[lebgurl]

http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/2161/untitledbg9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

is it just me, or is the one on the left bigger than the one on the right?? lol Kris u said u missed me .. and this comment is just for u :cheers:

[Hassoun]

^^ i don't think left one is bigger,i think right one is bigger :D :lol:

[Lirtain]

^^ I was going to have the same comment.. but you were faster :cheers1:

[Nadini]

is it just me, or is the one on the left bigger than the one on the right?? lol Kris u said u missed me .. and this comment is just for u :cheers:

I think our master Hassoun got this one, the right one is bigger (ohh maybe u were saying the left one from her side lol). But yes it is here.... not to go to much in detail, stand in front of the mirror leaning on one side loool, ull get the difference. Same applies for her :nuts:

[suzan]

Kathy Najimy

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/Kathy%20Najimi.jpg



CoooooooooL
I think she is funnnyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

[sf2mj]

is it just me, or is the one on the left bigger than the one on the right?? lol

I don't care which one is bigger....i will take both with a side order of hummus.

[sf2mj]

I know she has a little cellulite...but that's what a REAL woman has.
I still think she is sexy as hell!!.
I wish i was that bikini.

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/3020/salmakm4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Hassoun]

^^ lol,A total prick ;) :d

[mahdial_x5]

I think our master Hassoun got this one, the right one is bigger (ohh maybe u were saying the left one from her side lol). But yes it is here.... not to go to much in detail, stand in front of the mirror leaning on one side loool, ull get the difference. Same applies for her :nuts:

:naughty:

[lebgurl]

lol I wonder how many ppl actually got up and stood in front of the mirror

[mahdial_x5]

lol I wonder how many ppl actually got up and stood in front of the mirror

thats a question we must ask you,

how many GiRlZ are there in this Lebanese forum anywyas??

[shayan]

only lebanese i knew before visiting this forum, Shakira, Selma, Hariri, Nancy Ajram, Haifa Wehbi, Elie Saab and my ex.... -__-;

[suzan]

In some surprising Friday morning news we learned that Salma Hayak is pregnant and engaged to businessman, François-Henri Pinault.

Source: www.popsugar.com

http://images.teamsugar.com/files/users/0/88/10_2007/57493501.preview.jpg

http://images.teamsugar.com/files/users/0/88/10_2007/070309-salma.jpg

[suzan]

hehehe this one is funny

http://buzznet-81.vo.llnwd.net/media-cdn/jj1/headlines/2007/03/francois-henri-pinault-daniel-craig.jpg

Daniel Craig is Salma Hayek’s Fiance
Casino Royale star Daniel Craig (left) in 10 years = Salma Hayek’s fiance Francois-Henri Pinault (right)

[sf2mj]

In some surprising Friday morning news we learned that Salma Hayak is pregnant and engaged to businessman, François-Henri Pinault.



NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

(like i had a shot) lol

I bet he wakes up with a smile on his face everyday....LUCKY BASTARD!!!


Anyway alll the best to her and her new baby.

[mahdial_x5]

^^LLOOOLLL i shuold Learn from you ;)

NOPE :D

[Herzeleid]

look at this guy, this is what i call being diverse!!! :lol:

Darrell Issa: born November 1, 1953, is an American politician and former CEO of a consumer electronics company.

Darrell Issa's mother is of Bohemian German descent and his father is Christian Lebanese. Issa was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He grew up in a Jewish neighborhood and worked for a rabbi.

[sf2mj]

I do like another woman....her name is Jade Raymond.
She may not be Lebanese...but damn she is hot!!!
She is actually French Canadian.

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/3023/jademx3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Hassoun]

Lebanese entrepreneur closing in on Bill Gates as world's richest person

Compiled by Daily Star staff
Saturday, March 10, 2007


A self made Lebanese origin billionaire is closing in on Microsoft magnate Bill Gates and whole sale company owner Warren Buffet. Carlos Slim Helou, who set up the largest telecom company in Mexico, became the third richest person in the world after Gates and Buffet, according to the prestigious business magazine Forbes on Friday. His fortune is estimated at more than $49 billion.

"The world's third-richest man is $19 billion richer this year and catching up with Americans Bill Gates and Warren Buffett thanks to a strong Mexican equities market and the performance of his wireless telephone company," Forbes said in its annual report.

The son of a Lebanese immigrant, Helou made his first fortune in 1990 when he bought fixed line operator Telefonos de Mexico (Telmex) in a privatization. Last year he spent $3.7 billion to buy the Latin American operations of Verizon Communications, expanding his empire into Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

In recent years he has donated close to $4 billion to education and health projects, and to the revitalization of downtown Mexico City's historical district.

Saudi prince Alwaleed bin Talal's rank fell from 5th to 13th, although his fortune remained at $20 billion.

The nephew of the Saudi king, Alwaleed is considered the most active and successful investor in the Middle East.

His risky bet on Citigroup in the early 1990s paid off hugely and accounts for nearly half his fortune. A plan to list shares in his Kingdom Holding Company on the Saudi stock exchange late last year was delayed by weakness in the Saudi market, which has fallen 60 percent since it peaked in late February 2006.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb

The drop in value of Alwaleed's Saudi holdings was offset by gains in investments such as Citigroup and News Corp.

Kuwait's Al-Kharafi family was ranked the 52nd wealthiest man in the world with a fortune of more than $11.5 billion.

A number of other Lebanese entrepreneurs also earned a spot on the Forbes list.

Saad Hariri, who inherited part of his father's fortune, is estimated to be worth $2.3 billion, while his eldest brother Baaha holds the same fortune. Forbes said that the Saudi-born Lebanese parliamentary majority leader is pressing for a peace deal in Beirut and for an international tribunal on the slaying of his father, Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. He is also the general manager of Saudi Oger, the family's $8 billion holding company. "When the family's leading politician and Georgetown grad isn't working, he likes to scuba dive and draw on Cuban cigars," the magazine said.

The Forbes list also saw newcomers from Lebanon.

Former Prime Minister Najib Mikati has a wealth of more than $2.3 billion.

Forbes said that the former Lebanese premier, who is viewed as "a popular and moderate figure," founded telecom company Investcom with brother Maher at height of Lebanon's Civil War in 1982. The family sold the company in June 2006 to South Africa's MTN Group for a sum of $5.5 billion. - Agencies

[sargon]

Lebanese entrepreneur closing in on Bill Gates as world's richest person

Compiled by Daily Star staff
Saturday, March 10, 2007


A self made ...........

Former Prime Minister Najib Mikati has a wealth of more than $2.3 billion.

Forbes said that the former Lebanese premier, who is viewed as "a popular and moderate figure," founded telecom company Investcom with brother Maher at height of Lebanon's Civil War in 1982. The family sold the company in June 2006 to South Africa's MTN Group for a sum of $5.5 billion. - Agencies

^^ Where did he start his business? I mean finding a telecom company requires a wealth which he should have prior to establishing the mentioned company..

[Lirtain]

http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/7320/jamilmahuadze8.png (http://imageshack.us)

Jamil Mahuad, son of a Lebanese immigrant, was born in Loja, Ecuador on July 29th, 1949. He received a degree in Political and Social Science from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador; a Ph.D. in Jurisprudence from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (1979); and an MA in Public Administration from Harvard University.

Highlights from his political career:

President of Ecuador. August 1998-January 2000.
Mayor of Quito, August 1992-August 1998. (Two terms)
Member of the Ecuadorean National Congress, 1986-1988; 1990-1992.
Secretary of Labor, 1983-1984.

[Hassoun]

^^ Didn't know that

thanx Lirtain :)

[Hassoun]

THE ONE AND ONLYFayrouz:bow: :bow: :bow: :master: :master: :master:

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L/Feyrouz/feyrouz.jpg

Fayrouz's story

Fayrouz was born on Thursday 21st November 1935

F ayrouz was born as Nuhad Haddad, first born to Wadi' Haddad and Liza Alboustani on the 21 st of November 1935. The Haddad family lived in a humble house consisting of a single room on a cobblestone alley called zuqaq al-blat, an old neighborhood in Beirut where the poor of all denominations had for generations found company and shelter.




S everal other families lived in the same building. The residents shared the kitchen and other facilities. This was a time of migrations when a family would suddenly appear from nowhere and seek their next of kin, relatives, or just acquaintances from their own village who had already arrived in the big city. Wadi' (a name meaning "meek"), who worked as a typesetter in the nearby Le Jour print shop, was quiet and gentle in manner. He was readily accepted by the folk of the neighborhood as one of their own.

N uhad, who would later grow up to be Fayrouz, one of the most famous singers of the Arab nation and the world as a whole, and a legend in her own time, displayed a natural flair for singing from her early childhood. Many a winter night, in neighborhood gatherings, she would surprise everyone by suddenly bursting out into song.

T hey were poor as Fayrouz remembers but still insists that their lives were happy and they were never needy. Her family could not afford to own a radio, the magical commodity possessed by a fortunate few; it was a vehicle for dreams that, in the houses of the poor, provided solace and a vague feeling of belonging to whatever was throbbing out there beyond their reach. She used to sit on the window ledge to listen to the songs that fascinated her from the neighbor's radio. Some of the songs that she loved to sing over and over again in those early days were those by Laila Murad and Asmahan, two Egyptian female singers famous at that time. She did that as she stood in the backyard washing utensils, kneading the dough for marqouq (the Lebanese mountain bread), or helping her mother in the morning. At the same time, being the eldest, she had to take care of her two sisters, Huda and Amal, and her brother Joseph. Sharing things was an article of faith, as it still is among the poor. Once a week, a woman neighbor would shout to the mother from the window to send her children over for their bath. She would bathe the Haddad children with her own and before they would be tucked in bed the Haddad girl, lounging on her mattress, would sing for them a song or two for a good night's sleep.

N uhad was well known by all for her great love for flowers. She spent much of her time gathering wild flowers and arranging them into bouquets to decorate their home with. She loved flowers so much that her mother used to tease her that she will marry her off only to a gardener. She was a shy girl who shied away from others and even from friends. At the same time, she was serious and responsible in her ways. The only times she overcame her shyness were at gatherings where she was asked to sing, for she was known for the beauty of her voice since her early days.

H er love for flowers was rivaled only by her love for her maternal grandmother who lived in a village called Aldubbiyyah. Nuhad used to spend most of her summer vacations at her grandmother's house helping her with her chores by day and listening to her stories at night.

T he father put aside some of his meager income for his children's education, so Nuhad was able to attend school, where her voice was immediately recognized as having a unique quality that could transmute ordinary national hymns into something beguiling. She was a good pupil, though she hated arethmetics with passion. She could never understand the concept of adding or subtracting numbers, not to speak of multiplying them. It is said that she was never able to learn the multiplication table by heart till this day.

A t a school party one day in 1946, a teacher from the Lebanese Conservatory heard her and was struck by a certain intimation that he had just made a discovery. This man, Muhammad Fleifel, was looking for new talents at that time among school children to sing national hymns for airing on the newly established Lebanese Radio Station. Nouhad's conservative father was bothered by the idea that his daughter will sing in public and refused to grant his permission to Fleifel in the beginning. He also wanted Nouhad to continue with her school education. But Fleifel eventually convinced Mr. Haddad by assuring him that Nouhad will only participate in singing patriotic songs and that he, Fleifel, will pay for all the expenses of her education at the national conservatoire. After agreeing, Nouhad's father also demanded that her brother Joseph accompany her.

T he conservatoire at that time was headed by Wadi Sabra, the composer of the Lebanese anthem, who in turn refused to take any tuition fees from Nouhad and other students referred by Fleifel. Hearing the golden reverberations latent within the young singer's throat, Fleifel tended to her voice with fatherly care. He instructed her not to eat spicy food, citrus, or anything else that might hurt her vocal cords. He also cautioned her about singing in high register, or parts that required a shrill delivery. Later on, he was instrumental in helping her enter the National Conservatory. Perhaps his most outstanding contribution is that he taught her how to chant verses from the Koran according to what is known as tajwid , the high style of Koranic intonation in classic Arabic. Her studies at the conservatoir lasted four years, after which, Fleifel helped her in getting presented in front of the committee composed of Halim Al-Rumi, Khaled Abo Alnaser, Nqoula Almani and others who were appointed to test voices for the Lebanese Radio station. It was a deciding day in Nuhad's life. She stood there in her perpetual self-imposed code of clothing (blouse and skirt) and, with the accompaniment of Halim Al-Rumi on his oud, she sang Ya dirati Of Asmahan. Halim Al-Rumi was so stunned with her voice that he stopped playing in the middle of the song. Nuhad went on to sing the beginning of Fareed Elatrashe's song Ya zharatan fi khayali by the end of which, she was surrounded by the committee members who congratulated her profusely and showed their appreciation for her unique voice.

A l-Rumi, especially, was deeply impressed by her voice, which he found to be typically Eastern and at the same time flexible enough to render a Western mode admirably. She was appointed as a chorus singer at the radio station in Beirut after obtaining the agreement of her parents and that of the director of the Lebanese Radio Station, Mr. Fayez Makarem. Her father objected to her going to the radio station at first. It took a lot of coaxing and some heavy-handed interference by close acquaintances to convince him. He stipulated that Fayrouz was to be accompanied by her mother, her brother Joseph, or the neighbor's boy when she went to the station.

" M y wish was to sing on the radio," Fayrouz reminisces. "I was told then that I'd be paid 100 pounds ($21.00) a month. To me, this was overwhelming. But at the end of the month I wasn't fortunate enough to fill my eyes with a 100-pound note, because of the tax deductions (she received only 95 pounds after the tax cut). It took me a long time to get hold of a 100-pound note intact". Her first salary was spent right away on shopping for her and her siblings whom she wanted to "spoil" a little and compensate them for the financial difficulties they lived in all their lives.

T his was a period of practice and observation for Fayrouz. She closely studied the style of delivery of each singer in the chorus, and it often happened that she substituted for another singer who was delayed or failed to appear. She had a keen artistic sensibility and a memory so sharp that she was able to learn by heart in two hours four pages of poetry or five of notation. Nuhad's stint in the choir lasted about two months until she was auditioned for her solo performances.

H er first solo song was composed by Halim al-Rumi, with words by Michael Awadh, called Tarakt qalbi w tawa't hubbak which went: I left my heart to follow you/but ended up burning/far away from your love. While preparing to air the song, Halim Al-Rumi suggested that Nuhad take one of two stage names he proposed for her: Shahrazad and Fayrouz. Not taking him seriously at first, she finally took his advice and chose the name Fayrouz. The song was aired in the beginning of April 1950. The second song, Fi Jaww Sihr wa Jamal , was in the Egyptian dialect. The third, A'ashiq Elward was sung as a duet with Halim Al-Rumi. It was followed by two more songs: Ya hamam and Ahibbak mahma ashouf minnak which were cut on commercial records in 1952.

T hese were followed by many other short light songs of varied flavors, specially chosen by Halim Al-Rumi in an effort to keep Fayrouz unrestrained by a single delivery method. By 1951, she had sung songs written by Elrumi, Medhat Asem, Nikola Almani, Salim Elhelou, Mohamed Mohsen, Tawfick Basha, Khaled Abou Naser and many others.

A l-Rumi, so excited about the talent he had discovered and being too busy himself to give her her dues, he suggested to introduce Fayrouz to 'Assi Rahbany, a policeman by profession, violin player at the radio station and an aspiring composer. She was not overjoyed with the prospect at first saying that she did not like to talk to Assi. But he was successful in changing her mind. Assi's first reaction was that Fayrouz's voice was suitable only for folkloric songs but not for the more modern songs he was interested in. Al-Rumi countered by saying that Fayrouz's voice was unlimited in its capabilities, that it is capable of delivering modern as well as folkloric songs and that it will be recognized in the future as the most capable voice to sing modern music in the world. His foresight was proven correct.

T he first song she sang for Assi was Lama wa Lamyaa , a duet she sang with a singer called Hanan. The first solo song Assi composed for Fayrouz was Ghuroub by the poet Qeblan Mkarzal, followed by Maroushka. This was followed by the watershed song, that launched their career, a melancholic song called 'Itab (Blame) that began: You keep blaming me and I/of blame have had enough/my body has withered away/under the burden/and you say/you want to go away/please do/my heart is used to pain . Overnight, 'Itab established Fayrouz as a major singer throughout the Arab world. One of the reasons for the song's success was the excellence of the equipment at the Damascus radio station where the song was recorded on November 12, 1952. Later a commercial disc was cut in Paris. Their fourth song was Raja'a. Other songs of this early era were Bilmah thelal elhub fi a'uyounuh and Qawi hubbak. Thereafter, Mansour Rahbany, Assi's younger brother, joined them to form the Rahbany trinity which went on to make history.

A t first, their efforts were mainly in the area of light, dancy tunes. Beirut was attracting big bands who came from overseas to play tangos and rumbas to an expanding Westernized segment in the Lebanese capital. One of these was the Eduardo Bianco band from Argentina. While recording at the Near East Broadcasting studios, Sabri Sharif, who directed the music section there, suggested a new experiment hitherto untried in Eastern music. Fayrouz was to sing, with Bianco's orchestra, tunes originally composed for dancing, like La Compersita and the tango La Boheme. This took place on October 1, 1951, a decisive day in the life of Fayrouz and the two Rahbany brothers, 'Assi and Mansour. They believed that this was the true beginning of the dance-song in Arab music; only Midhat 'Assim an Egyptian composer, had been experimenting in this direction before.

A t that time, radio program went directly on the air and were not recorded. While waiting their turn, Fayrouz and her composer 'Assi, by now her constant companion, used to sit under a tree near a pond in the backyard of the broadcasting studio. Sometimes she daydreamed, but often they chatted together to kill time. She did not anticipate a great future for herself as a singer. Rather, her real dream was to become a teacher. She had said on many occasions that she would never get married. Brought up in a devout Melkite household, almost ascetic in her manners and bearing, Fayrouz was typical of many Lebanese young women of her class and age. Many of the people who have known her tell how they often found her during a break kneeling in prayer somewhere in the vicinity of the recording studio.

O ne day Fayrouz, in passing, told 'Assi that she did not like the way he paid attention to a certain girl at the station. This innocent remark did not go unnoticed. She still kept to herself and persisted in her obstinate rejection of the idea of marriage. But on a certain spring day in 1954, while they were practicing together at the edge of the same pond, under the same tree, 'Assi repeated an earlier offer of marriage. This time Fayrouz said yes.

T hey got married in January, 1955. At their wedding, large crowds of Beirutis gathered in that Sunday afternoon to witness the ceremonies. To the Lebanese, Hotel Masabki in Shtura, surrounded by aloe trees, is a dream place that lies in the heart of Lebanon's mountains; there, right after the wedding, the bride and groom went to spend their honeymoon.

W ith songs like Itab, Fayrouz and the Rahbany brothers were starting to become famous in many countries around the Arab world. They were invited many times by the Damascus radio station to present their works. Another radio station, Sawet Al-arab from Egypt, sent their leading anchor Ahmed Said to Lebanon to strike a deal with the trio. In 1955 the Rahbany brothers and Fayrouz went to Cairo, and it was there they wrote the most important musical work at that time, Rajioun . Fayrouz also sang many other songs including duets with the Egyptian singer Karem Mahmoud.

F ayrouz and the Rahbanys returned to Beirut six months later, and on the first day of 1956 she gave birth to her first son Ziad. In the summer of 1957, she faced an audience in the open for the first time, standing at the base of one of the six columns that comprise the temple of Jupiter in Baalbeck. It was the largest audience that had ever gathered at the Roman temple. Under a crescent moon, Fayrouz, flooded with blue light, began to sing, in a calm, confident voice, Lubnan Ya Akhdar Hilo (O Green, Sweet Lebanon). People were spellbound; it was a magical moment. From that day on, Fayrouz would sing and act, at least once a year, in major musicals such as al-Baalbeckiyya (The Baalbeck Woman), a fantasy in which gods ordain Voice to come to life among humans; Jisr al-Qamar (Bridge of the Moon), where a charitable fairy makes peace between parties hostile to each other; and Ayyam Fakhreddin (The Days of Fakhreddin), the story of a seventeenth-century prince who struggles to rebuild his country, having faithfully fought for its liberation. Fayrouz was on her way.

W hereas before her talent had found expression only through the lyrics and music of the two Lebanese brothers 'Assi and Mansour Rahbany, now the most creative poets of the Arab world rushed to compose lyrics to be interpreted by her voice. The list of those who have written lyrics for one or more of her over 800 songs includes 'Omar Abu Risha, Qablan Mkarzil, Nizar Qabbani, Michel Trad, Sa'id 'Aql, Joseph Harb, As'ad Saba, Badawi al-Jabal, Abu Salma, and other contemporary poets. She has also sung works by Kahlil Gibran, Mikha'il Nu'aimeh, Elias Abu Shabaka, Harun H. Rashid, and Boulus Salameh, as well as by such ancient classical poets as Ibn Dhuraiq alBaghdadi, Ibn Jubair, and Ayadmur al-Muhyawi. Fayrouz's list of composers has expanded to include Tawfiq al-Basha, Fi lmon Wahbeh, Zaki Nasif, Khali d Abul Nasr, George Daher, Muhammad 'Abd alWahab, Halim al-Rumi, and now her own son Ziad.

S he also starred in three motion pictures produced in the 60's: Biyyaa' Elkhawatem directed by Yousef Shaheen, Safar Barlek directed by Henry Barakat and Bint Elhares, also directed by Henry Barakat. Her social life However, was and still is very conservative. She disliked the idea of going to parties and other social gatherings, and preferred to stay at home with her children.

F ayrouz had an impact on Beirut when it was experiencing the growing impact of modernization. The influence that Fayrouz had on the country was vast, she managed to portray the Lebanese culture to the Western world.

H er songs, many of which were originally sung in folkloric musical plays, were compatible with the political, social, and demographic trends in Lebanon, especially as they existed before the civil war. Her songs have often expressed widely-shared Arab sentiments and used texts in classical Arabic by well-known poets such as Kahlil Gibran. Some songs have been based on the traditional muwashshah vocal form; others represent modern adaptations of older classics by the early twentieth century such as the works of Sayyid Darweesh and others.

F ayrouz's early songs featured the singer's distinct vocal timbre and lyrics expressing romantic love and nostalgia for village life. They meshed with a delicate orchestral blend in which certain Arab instruments figured prominently but which also subtly incorporated Western instruments and Western popular dance rhythms. She also sometimes sang adaptations of Arab folk tunes. By the early 1960s, Fayrouz was already one of the main attractions of the annual Baalbeck Festivals and a celebrity not only in Lebanon but throughout the Arab world. The dissemination of hundreds of songs, many musical plays and several films had widened her audience to include Arabs living in Europe and the Americas.

S ince the first time she appeared live before an audience in 1957, Fayrouz has traveled to places that as a child she seemingly could hope to know only through her grandparents' tales. She has sung at the ruins of the Philadelphia Amphitheatre in Amman, as well as in Damascus, Baghdad, Rabat, Algiers, Cairo, Tunis; she has travelcd overseas, reaching out to Arab emigrants in Rio de Janiero, Buenos Aires, New York, San Francisco, Montreal, London, Paris, and many other cities throughout the world. On these trips, Fayrouz has been offered as a traditional gesture of welcome, the symbolic key to many cities; perhaps the closest to her heart remains the golden key she received from the Mayor of Jerusalem which she received during a private visit there with her father in 1961. Although Fayrouz did not sing during her one visit to the holy city, Jerusalem is honored in many of the songs she has sung since her pilgrimage there.

F ayrouz's and the Rahbanis' relationship with Damascus calls for a special mention at this point. Damascus was where their art found its widest acceptance even at the time when it was being fought and criticized in their own homeland. No other stage hosted them as much and as enthusiastically as the stage of the Damascus International Festival where they presented their plays in addition to their specially prepared variety shows. Late each summer, Damascus, Barada and Kasion were at a renewed encounter with art and love. As for the Rahbanis and Fayrouz, they certainly felt the same love for Damascus and Syria and showed their gratitude by writing and composing many songs to honor them. You need not go any further in search of a proof for this mutual love than listening to Fayrouz sing "Ana sawti minka ya Barada", that phrase which is still repeated By Syrians till this day with deep longing for those glorious days of the age of eternal art.

T he collaboration of two and a half decades between Fayrouz and the Rahbany Brothers resulted in a wealth of production unprecedented in the Arab world. She sang more than 800 songs, played in more than 20 musical plays, 3 movies, several musical sketches, not to mention the innumerable concerts, tours and other appearances all over the Arab and Western world. They wrote and sang for a wide variety of subjects, speaking to the hearts and minds of almost every single Arab person. Fayrouz sang for countries, cities and people. Never for a single political figure. She sang of love, happiness, sadness, hope and optimism. She sang for the Palestinian people and their cause. She sang for mother earth, the skies, stars and the moon. For children, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, daughters and sons. She sang her heart out for her beloved country, Lebanon and carried it with her all over the world. But most of all, she prayed and confessed her faith in God. God and prayer are all over her songs for she is a devout believer. Narry a topic escaped Fayrouz's and the Rahbany Brothers' attention. They spoke to people of all ages, denominations and nationalities.

I n the late 70's however, Fayrouz's relationship with Assy and Mansour deteriorated and their work bond was broken. She continued singing the Rahbany songs as well as her son's Ziad ceative and mainly jazz influenced songs. She also got to work with Zaki Nassif and recently with Mohamed Mohsen after many decades of their last co-operation together.

D uring the Lebanese civil war, Fayrouz decided to remain in Beirut even though she had the financial ability to live abroad, and not even after her own house was attacked with a missile. Fayrouz didn't sing in Lebanon during most of the years of the war because she didn't want to imply bias to any group. When the civil war ended, she held a concert in Beirut in 1994. Fayrouz returned to Baalbeck in 1998 and her concerts were a smashing success. She continues to release new material and perform concerts around the world.

F ayrouz's songs owe a great deal to the musical and poetic genius of the Rahbany Brothers. In recent years, they have also reflected the composing talent of Ziad Rahbany, Fayrouz's son. In addition, they testify to Fayrouz's broad musical background, which encompasses Christian liturgical forms as well as the secular traditions of Arab music.

O f her most notable works of late were the two concerts she held in cooperation with her son Ziad at the Beiteddine Palace in the years 2000 and 2001. These two concerts heralded a new era in the life and works of Fayrouz and made clear her choice and preference to Ziad's compositions. Her latest album Wala Keef , also in cooperation with Ziad, put the final seal on the exclusivity of Ziad in any works to come in the future

[suzan]

^^:master:

[mahdial_x5]

^^so much to read :nuts:

[Halawala]

I just read that Ziad Al Rahaby is Fairoz's SON! OMG! I never knew that!!! THat's a shocker.

[Moroccanguy]

THE ONE AND ONLYFayrouz:bow: :bow: :bow: :master: :master: :master:

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L/Feyrouz/feyrouz.jpg

Fayrouz's story



A living legend. The only Lebanese singer I respect + Majda Roumi+ Marcel Khalifa.

[Hassoun]

^^ + Najwa karam and Heba Kawas :)

Thanx

[lebgurl]

Has anyone mentioned Helen Thomas??

http://www.case.edu/vpdebate/images/helen_thomas_sm.jpg

Commonly referred to as "The First Lady of the Press," former White House Bureau Chief Helen Thomas is a trailblazer, breaking through barriers for women reporters while covering every President since John F. Kennedy. For 57 years, Helen also served as White House correspondent for United Press International. She recently left this post and joined Hearst Newspapers as a syndicated columnist.

Born in Winchester, Kentucky, Helen Thomas was raised in Detroit, Michigan where she attended public schools and later graduated from Wayne State University. Upon leaving college,Helen served as a copy girl on the old, now defunct Washington Daily News. In 1943, Ms. Thomas joined United Press International and the Washington Press Corps.

For 12 years, Helen wrote radio news for UPI, her work day beginning at 5:30am. Eventually she covered the news of the Federal government, including the FBI and Capitol Hill.

In November, 1960, Helen Thomas began covering then President elect John F. Kennedy, following him to the White House in January, 1961 as a member of the UPI team. It was during this first White House assignment that Thomas began closing presidential press conferences with "Thank you, Mr. President."

In September, 1971, Pat Nixon scooped Helen by announcing her engagement to Associated Press' retiring White House correspondent, Douglas B. Cornell at a White house party hosted by then President Nixon in honor of Cornell.

Thomas was the only woman print journalist traveling with then President Nixon to China during his breakthrough trip in January, 1972. She has the distinction of having traveled around the world several times with Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton, during the course of which she covered every Economic Summit. The World Almanac has cited her as one of the 25 Most Influential Women in America.

Helen Thomas has written three books, including her latest, Thanks for the Memories Mr. President: Wit and Wisdom from the Front Row at the White House.

DFSBWxQ_3CU

[Hassoun]

OH,yes,i watched a documentry about this lady,that journalist in the white house.she's very popular.

[lebgurl]

random picture

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/71/229674080_d3f66284ea.jpg

[Tabouleh]

Check out this website!! I think it covers many people!

http://www.downtownbeirut.com/FamousLebanese2.html
http://www.downtownbeirut.com/CurrentFamousLebanese2.html

If only we could contact those people and make them say in an ad or something similar where they originate from, Lebanon's image all together would change in so many people's minds...
We need to lobby!!!!!

Hey we almost had an astronaut in space (Christa McAuliffe... but Challenger exploded...Good they didn't blame us LOL!!)

[mahdial_x5]

she was in the Challenger?

god bless her:ohno:


and us PERSIANS have a representatiive in space :banana: ;)
first tourist, first muslim, first persian

:D

[Giorgio]

Tennis Player Marcos Baghdatis and Former world number one Lleyton Hewitt's coach Roger Rasheed are both of Lebanese Descent.

[Brendan]

Actor Tony Shalhoub's mother and father are from Lebanon.

http://www.accesseonline.com/entertainment/premierepass/pics/g2003_tonyshalhoub.jpg

You can find his IMDB page here: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001724/

[Hassoun]

Rony Seikaly

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/rony%20seikali/rony.jpg



Name: Rony Seikaly
Nickname: Tender Rony
Born: 05/10/1965
Status: Retired
Origin: Beirut, Lebanon
Height: 6-11/
Weight: 253lbs/
College: American School (Athens, Greece), Syracuse '88
Drafted: 1988, First Round, 9th pick by the Miami Heat
Languages: Lebanese and English
Website: InterBasket Forums
Teams (jersey): Lebanese National Team (4), Miami Heat (4), Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic, New Jersey Nets (2)

FACTS: Seikaly came from Beirut Lebanon to Syracuse, after making a stop in Greece for High School. In 1988 he was named a Consensus Second Team All-American, ranking as Syracuse's all-time leading scorer, before Derrick Coleman was an Orangeman. Rony was drafted by Miami, but has been unable to assert himself as a center of recognition.

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/rony%20seikali/rony%20vs%20jordan.jpg

He led all rookies in rebounding with 7 a game. With Miami, in 1989-90, rony was named the NBA's most Improved Player. He was traded to GS where his stock as an NBA player fell rapidly. He peaked in 1993 with the Heat, and started to disappear. Golden State had been looking to unload this center, hoping that Fuller was their man in the middle.

The Warriors finally got rid of him, and helped Orlando along the way. The Magic sent Donald Royal, John Koncak and Felton Spencer to the Warriors for Seikaly and Clifford Rozier on November 2, 1996, the second day of the regular season. Will Seikaly fill the void of Shaq? So far he has fit in nicely and looks to be a reborn NBA Center.

The Magic tried to trade him to Utah during the week before the trading deadline in 1998, but he failed to report to his new team, so they tried again and shipped him to NJ along with second year player Brian Evans for David Benoit, Kevin Edwards, Yinka Dare, and a 1998 1st round draft pick (lottery protected).

Selected by Miami Heat in first round (ninth pick overall) of 1988 NBA Draft.

NBA Most Improved Player (1990).

... Traded by Heat to Golden State Warriors for F Billy Owens and rights to G Sasha Danilovic (November 2, 1994).
... Hosts a golf tournament every year to benefit Cystic Fibrosis.
... Visits Greece every offseason.
... Feels Hakeem Olajuwon is the toughest player to defend in the NBA.

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/rony%20seikali/ronys%20wife.jpg
Rony's wife Elsa Benitez, is a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Issue

[lebgurl]

^^ now divorced from elsa benitez

[Giorgio]

Sarbel, the famous young Greek singer who will represent Greece this year in Eurovision is half Lebanese. :)

[Hassoun]

^^ Cool :)
Thanx for the Info :)

[Jayme]

;12337391']Sarbel, the famous young Greek singer who will represent Greece this year in Eurovision is half Lebanese. :)

ive herd his music from a friend

[Phoenician Empire]

edit.

[Phoenician Empire]

#############

[Hassoun]

Elie Samaha

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/Elie%20Smeha.jpg

Biography: Elie Samaha, author

With the launch of a new film company and the continued success of another, Elie Samaha has quickly become one of the most prolific producers in Hollywood.
This year is proving to be another successful one for Elie whose newly formed production and distribution company, Franchise Pictures, is producing eight to ten films in the $15 - 65 million range each year. Franchise has a domestic distribution deal in place with Morgan creek at Warner Bros.., and is committed to $400 million for P&A. Samaha closed a credit facility with Imperial Bank worth $135 million. Projects have attracted such talented actors as John Travolta, Oscar winner Holly Hunter, Antonio Banderas, Bruce Willis, Marlon Brando, Cuba Gooding Jr., Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito, Sylvester Stallone, and Wesley Snipes to name a few. Franchise also has a co-production deal with Oliver Stone's Illusion Entertainment. Samaha's Phoenician Films boasts a library with over 35 titles and continues to produce films in the $5-15 million range.

Elie completed five films of special note recently. THE WHITE RIVER KID, starring Antonio Banderas, Bob Hoskins, and Ellen Barkin with Arne Glimcher (THE MAMBO KINGS) directing WOMAN WANTED, with Holly Hunter, Kiefer Sutherland and Michael Moriarty. He also gave newcomer Troy Duffy the opportunity to shoot his first film, THE BOONDOCK SAINTS. Duffy was able to bring forth explosive performances from Willem Dafoe, Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flannery. FREE MONEY with Mira Sorvino and Marlon Brando was completed this past year as was THIS IS MY FATHER, starring John Cusack, Aidan Quinn, James Caan and Stephen Rea, was directed by Paul Quinn and took the winner's slot of the acclaimed Dublin Film Festival and Toronto Film Festival. FATHER was picked up for domestic distribution by Sony Pictures Classics and will be released this Spring.

In addition to projects in various stages of development and production, Elie looks forward to the upcoming release of several films. This February, Fox Searchlight is releasing 20 DATES, written and directed by Mules Berkowitz with Tia Carrere starring. As one of the prior principles of Millenium Films, Elie partnered with October Films to produce SHADRACH starring Harvey Keitel and Andy MacDowell, which was released through Columbia Pictures in December of 1998. He also produced MONUMENT AVENUE, which showcased the talents of Denis Leary and Billy Crudup. This was recently release through Lion's Gate Films. Under the Phoenician banner, Elie recently wrapped prodduction on THE THIRD MIRACLE starring Ed Harris and Anne Heche, it was directed Agnieszka Holland.

THE WHOLE NINE YARDS, starring Bruce Willis; BATTLEFIELD EARTH with John Travolta and being directed by Roger Christian who just came off the extensive shoot of the newest STAR WARS as 2nd Unit director; and THE ART OF WAR, with Wesley Snipes are set to begin filming this may, July and August, respectively.

Elie was born in Italy and now resides in Los Angeles with his wife, actress Tia Carrere .

[wonderXman]

Chantal Chamandy is a newborn Canadian Singer with Egyptian/Lebanese background.

Find her at her smash hit "You Want Me" clip shot in Marrakesh, Morocco

66tPpoAGbAs

[Hassoun]

^^ kinda boring :D
But thanx anyway :)

[Hassoun]

Haggar

http://www.lebaneselobby.org/lebanese/picture/L-A/haggar.jpg

Joseph M. Haggar Sr., a 34 year-old Lebanese immigrant who recognized the need for quality pants for the working man found Haggar Clothing Co. in 1926. Little did he know that it would become a multi-million dollar enterprise. Today, over 77 years after its founding, Haggar remains a dynamic leader in the apparel industry and is a leading marketer of men's and women's casual and dress clothing. With nearly 1,500 associates working worldwide to develop, manufacture, market and deliver great clothing to our customers, we will continue to provide buttoned-up customer service and stylish clothes for another successful 77 years.

A key to our success is a corporate culture rich in two important attributes: competence and creativity. Together, our competence and creativity have resulted in a history of innovation unmatched throughout the industry. Take a walk down memory lane for a brief history of a few of Haggar accomplishments and successes.

Did you know?

* Haggar coined the term "slacks" in the 1940's.
* In the 1950's, Haggar was first to advertise slacks on network television.
* Haggar was the first apparel company to ticket merchandise with UPC bar codes.
* In 1992, Haggar invented Haggar Wrinkle-Free Cotton® Khaki pants. It's also the year Haggar became a publicly held company.
* Haggar anticipated the casual-dress revolution in the workplace and introduced City Casuals® line to meet a burgeoning need.
* Haggar was the first men's wear company to market and advertise directly to the primary purchaser and influencer of men's wear clothing - women.
* 2002 marked the launch of the Haggar pant featuring a hidden expandable waistband. The new innovative design of the hidden waistband extensions revolutionized consumer's expectations of comfortable clothing.
* 2003 marked the launch of the Freedom Khaki™ pant and Freedom Shirt™ line of clothing. This new line offers stain-resistant and liquid repellant fabrications to keep your clothes looking newer, longer.

www.haggar.com

Fresh and innovative products are key to Haggar's strategic development, states CEO Full article published: 05/11/2001 JOSEPH M. HAGGAR III is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Haggar Corporation

[Fox-Tale]

Nicolas G Hayek, the founder of Swatch Group is one of the most well-known Lebanese, as well as Carlos Ghosn, and Abdul Hadi Debs(maybe Mr. Abdul Hadi is only famous in Japan).
http://www.revolution-press.com/news/wp-content/uploads/swatch/citytime/senior.jpg
Nicolas G Hayek Center is going to open next month in Tokyo!
It is the first & the only Watch landmark building in the world and they are going sell all brands from Swatch there, such as Omega, Tissot.

See the link below for details::)
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=12776975&postcount=362

[metal gear]

may be we should count the non lebanese celebreties ,that should be easier :lol:
not surbrised though, ive known that about lebanon all along, wish they would contribute more to the motherland ,they could make a substantial difference,:ohno:

[ZOHAR]

did u know Paula Abdul's father is a lebanese jew?
http://www.sem40.ru//i/up/19313/image_big.jpg

[LeB-iT]

i thought he was a syrian jew?

[ZOHAR]

me too (btw she's half,her mother is a canadian jew)

[Hassoun]

did u know Paula Abdul's father is a lebanese jew?
http://www.sem40.ru//i/up/19313/image_big.jpg

Yes,i knew it:cheers:

[ZOHAR]

^^liar :lol:

[lebgurl]

I think her father is syrian actually .. i never thought the day would come when i would google her, but i did
"Abdul's father was a Sephardi Syrian Jew who immigrated with his family to Brazil and then to the U.S.,[2] while her mother is also Jewish and originally from Saint Boniface, an area of Winnipeg, Canada." (wiki)

[Daryae_Abi]

What about my wife, Maryam Fares? :D

[Nadini]

^^ shes Lebanese, I think shes the most beautiful and natural out of all of them. She's to good to be true!

[Hassoun]

I think her father is syrian actually .. i never thought the day would come when i would google her, but i did
"Abdul's father was a Sephardi Syrian Jew who immigrated with his family to Brazil and then to the U.S.,[2] while her mother is also Jewish and originally from Saint Boniface, an area of Winnipeg, Canada." (wiki)

maybe her father immigrated when the whole region was under the same name,but they maybe from what we call now lebanon ;)

[Nadini]

^^ no her dad is a half Syrian half Brazilian jewish, she said it on american idol!!

[Daryae_Abi]

^^ shes Lebanese, I think shes the most beautiful and natural out of all of them. She's to good to be true!

Amin!

http://palestiniangurls.blogg.no/images/ce4357a007a9a1bf5fb8f577b7b362e7_1166901283.jpg

http://www.farfesh.com/article-images/b06427123514.jpg

http://www.sowar.m3loma.com/data/media/2/miriam-faris11.jpg

http://img398.imageshack.us/img398/4919/mmmmmmmmmmmmmmk6.jpg

http://www.sayidaty.net/SiteImages/News/316.jpg

http://www.kuwaitup.com/images_big/104.jpg

http://www.jouhina.com/images/pic5/big/21b.jpg

http://www.myriamfaris.com/photo_albums/large_photos/IMG_2595_l.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/130/337261066_8f48a0f635.jpg

:lovethem:

LoL, I'm not upset about Iran's loss to Korea anymore :)

[LeB-iT]

she looks soooo much better with straight hair...i'm gonna attack her with a hair straightner lol

[Daryae_Abi]

she looks soooo much better with straight hair...i'm gonna attack her with a hair straightner lol

Noooooooooooooooo
Curly looks better on her :bash:

[LeB-iT]

^^noo :P she looks like a poodle dog like that lol

[Daryae_Abi]

^^noo :P she looks like a poodle dog like that lol

Akhi, she would look perfect even without hair, that's how pretty she is. :lol:

http://myriamfaris.com/photo_albums/large_photos/015w3371-mail.jpg

http://myriamfaris.com/photo_albums/large_photos/IMG_2750.jpg

http://myriamfaris.com/photo_albums/large_photos/IMG_2752.jpg

http://myriamfaris.com/photo_albums/large_photos/IMG_2767.jpg

http://myriamfaris.com/photo_albums/large_photos/IMG_2833.jpg

http://myriamfaris.com/photo_albums/large_photos/IMG_2823.jpg

http://myriamfaris.com/photo_albums/large_photos/IMG_2814.jpg

http://myriamfaris.com/photo_albums/large_photos/IMG_2789.jpg

http://myriamfaris.com/photo_albums/large_photos/IMG_2879.jpg

[eklips]

Very pretty!

[Daryae_Abi]

In Iran everyone loves Nancy and Maryam. Nancy is especially famous, she is on a lot of magazine covers.

http://nancyajram.blogfa.com/
http://myriamfaris.blogfa.com/

[LeB-iT]

^^it's Myriam ;)

[Nadini]

^^ I think he knows who his gf is :nuts:
hehe did you guys ever hear Myriam Fares live??? Her voice without the playback is not bad at all, its pretty good!

[Daryae_Abi]

^^it's Myriam ;)

Yes I know but in Farsi it's Maryam.
Either way it's a beautiful name and I love her. :D

Nadini,
I think her voice is better live than in the shows.

[LeB-iT]

she's pretty good...but the other girl Amal is better :P
2dmsGc19F9A

[Daryae_Abi]

she's pretty good...but the other girl Amal is better :P

No, no one is better than her :bash:

[LeB-iT]

hehe i guess we should open u a Myriam fares fan thread like Mahdi has one for Haifa

[Nadini]

^^ lol, her voice is also good in this one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJdfZ-oLXzY
She didnt become an artist just because of her looks, she can sing and dance as well!

[mahdial_x5]

Amin!

http://palestiniangurls.blogg.no/images/ce4357a007a9a1bf5fb8f577b7b362e7_1166901283.jpg

http://www.farfesh.com/article-images/b06427123514.jpg

http://www.sowar.m3loma.com/data/media/2/miriam-faris11.jpg

http://img398.imageshack.us/img398/4919/mmmmmmmmmmmmmmk6.jpg

http://www.sayidaty.net/SiteImages/News/316.jpg

http://www.kuwaitup.com/images_big/104.jpg

http://www.jouhina.com/images/pic5/big/21b.jpg

http://www.myriamfaris.com/photo_albums/large_photos/IMG_2595_l.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/130/337261066_8f48a0f635.jpg

:lovethem:

LoL, I'm not upset about Iran's loss to Korea anymore :)



IM NOT EIETHER!

:eek2:
:drool:

[Daryae_Abi]

hehe i guess we should open u a Myriam fares fan thread like Mahdi has one for Haifa

Is there already one, or should I start it myself?
BTW, "Fares" is spelled the same as "Fars." I think that s an omen. :D

[mahdial_x5]

^^

HAHA!

START ONE YOURSELF BRO!

but i GUARANTEE

it will NEVER REACH the same status as MINEEE FOR HAIFOUUFFAAAAAA :lovethem:


;)

hahahah

jkz bro, make one for sure!

iI for one will contribute ;)

[sargon]

Yes I know but in Farsi it's Maryam.
Either way it's a beautiful name and I love her. :D

Nadini,
I think her voice is better live than in the shows.


^^
Maryam also in Arabic but Chritians, Jews and some Muslims use Myriam

[metal gear]

^^ to us maryam is FOSHA arabic meriam is slang........

[Nadini]

here she is singing yana yana, that is NOT bad!!! shes pretty good im impressed lol
http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/myriam+fares/video/x16n6u_myriam-fares-yana-yana_music

[Daryae_Abi]

here she is singing yana yana, that is NOT bad!!! shes pretty good im impressed lol
http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/myriam+fares/video/x16n6u_myriam-fares-yana-yana_music

That was good.
She sang Waheshni Eih very good too, I liked it better than the "official" one:
http://rapidshare.com/files/9665917/EQaa3_Mysteria.avi

[Nadini]

^^ yeah I saw that, she has the whole package I guess lol
Here's Najwa Karam's new video Hayda Haki, gosh she's hot for her age!
http://www.dailymotion.com/search/najwa+karam/video/x2m557_najwa-karam-hayda-haki_music

[Daryae_Abi]

^^ yeah I saw that, she has the whole package I guess lol
Here's Najwa Karam's new video Hayda Haki, gosh she's hot for her age!
http://www.dailymotion.com/search/najwa+karam/video/x2m557_najwa-karam-hayda-haki_music

"For her age?" She looked pretty young in that video!
How old is she?

[Hassoun]

she's in the 40s

[Daryae_Abi]

she's in the 40s

:eek2: :uh:

[LeB-iT]

she does look good in that video except for that horrendous orange dress she's wearing and the awful granny hair lol...the song's very 3adeh Shu hal 7ala was wayyy better

[Hassoun]

^^i like Chu hal 7ala more,i agree :)

[Hassoun]

LEBANESE COLOMBIANS -VALERIE TARUD DOMINQUEZ AND RAFAEL NOVOA WEHBE

http://www.cromos.com.co/cromos/Recursos/ImagenesNoticias/624281_374.jpg

[LeB-iT]

^^is it just me, or are the Lebanese living abroad MUCH hotter? lol

[kheireddine]

^^ I bet that they have mixed blood ;)

[Hassoun]

^^is it just me, or are the Lebanese living abroad MUCH hotter? lol

Not just you :D

that Rafael looks like Ragheb Alemeh though :S

[Jayme]

I herd the guy in Charge of NASA is Lebanese

[Hassoun]

^^Charles el 3ashe

[Hassoun]

Beirut Famous Births

* Ibrahim Ballout, Pro European Rugby League Player,Businessman.
* Keanu Reeves, Canadian actor.
* Elie Saab, world famous Lebanese fashion designer.
* Amin Maalouf, author born in 1949.
* Mika, Singer and composer born in 1983.[74][75]
* Hadi Kazemi, Iranian actor born 1986.
* Serj Tankian, Lead vocalist for the Los Angeles band, System of a Down.[76]
* Michel Elefteriades, Greek-Lebanese politician, artist, producer and businessman.
* K-Maro, Lebanese RnB singer now living in Canada.
* Massari, Lebanese Hip-Hop singer.[77]
* Dom Joly, comedian and journalist.
* Freddy Deeb, professional poker player.
* Steve Kerr, 5 time NBA Champion.
* John Dolmayan, Drummer for the Los Angeles band, System of a Down.

[houssam]

^^ yeah I saw that, she has the whole package I guess lol
Here's Najwa Karam's new video Hayda Haki, gosh she's hot for her age!

ewwwwwwwwwww
sorry guys i just dont like her

[houssam]

Beirut Famous Births


* Keanu Reeves, Canadian actor.

really, keanu reeves is originally lebanese
nice, didint kn:)w that

[Hassoun]

^^He was just born in Beirut,lived for i guess 4 years then moved when civil war started,but non of his parents is Lebanese.

[houssam]

^^ ah oke
i like him by the way

[Hassoun]

^^Me too "sigh"

[Hassoun]

Revered surgeon with Lebanese roots compared to Thomas Edison
Wednesday, 23 April, 2008 @ 10:05 PM

http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2008/04/23/Dr%20Michael%20DeBakey.jpg

Famed U.S. heart surgeon Michael DeBakey, the son of Lebanese immigrants, can add the Congressional Gold Medal to his long list of honors.


President George W. Bush presented DeBakey with the medal during a ceremony Wednesday in the Rotunda of the domed Capitol building.

The Houston surgeon pioneered such procedures as heart bypass and has invented medical devices to help heart patients. He's also recognized for developing the idea of battlefield mobile army surgical hospitals known as MASH units.

Bush said the award put DeBakey in the company of inventor Thomas Edison, Army physician Walter Reed, who confirmed yellow fever was transmitted by mosquitoes, and Jonas Salk, who developed the polio vaccine. The president noted that he was awarding DeBakey the honor four decades after another president from Texas, Lyndon B. Johnson awarded DeBakey the Congressional Medal of Freedom.

"His legacy is the unlost hours with family and friends who are still with us because of his healing touch. His legacy is grandparents who lived to see their grandchildren," Bush said of the 99-year-old DeBakey who sat in a wheelchair onstage. "His legacy is holding the fragile and sacred gift of human life in his hands and returning it unbroken."

DeBakey "a magician of the heart"

http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2008/04/23/Dr%20Michael%20DeBakey%202.jpg

Michael Ellis DeBakey (born Michel Dabaghi) was born September 7, 1908. Dr. DeBakey's parents, Shaker Morris DeBakey and Raheehja Zorba, were Lebanese immigrants.

In 1948, Dr. DeBakey moved to Houston, Texas, and became chairman of the Cora and Webb Mading Department of Surgery at the Baylor College of Medicine (at that time called Baylor University College of Medicine). Dr. DeBakey was one of the first to perform coronary artery bypass surgery, and in 1953 he performed the first successful carotid endarterectomy. In recognition of his work, he received the Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research in 1963.

In 1965 Time Magazine featured Dr. DeBakey on its cover for his pioneering work and innovations in cardiovascular surgery and the artificial heart. In 1969, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. During the same year, the Baylor College of Medicine separated from Baylor University under his direction.

http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2008/04/23/Dr%20Michael%20DeBakey%203%20Time%20Cover.jpg

In 1987, President Ronald Reagan awarded him the National Medal of Science. On October 2, 2007, legislation passed to award DeBakey Congressional Gold Medal. Dr. DeBakey has operated on more than 60,000 patients, including Russian President Boris Yeltsin, who called him "a magician of the heart" after Dr. DeBakey and a team of American cardiothoracic surgeons, including Dr. George Noon, supervised quintuple bypass surgery performed on Yeltsin by Russian surgeons in 1996.

Both the DeBakey High School for Health Professions and the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston in the Texas Medical Center in Houston are named after him. Several atraumatic vascular surgical clamps and forceps that he introduced also bear his name.

Dr. DeBakey still practices medicine to this day. In 2008, Dr. Michael DeBakey will be 100 years old. His contributions to the field of medicine will have spanned the better part of 75 years. He's a Health Care Hall of Famer and a Lasker Luminary. He's a recipient of The United Nations Lifetime Achievement Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction and The National Medal of Science. He was given the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Foundation for Biomedical Research and in 2000 was cited as a "Living Legend" by the Library of Congress.

Sources: AP, Wikipedia, Ya Libnan

[Rabat_M6_lover]

:eek2: :uh:

her real age is 44 :)

[þopsï]

Yasmien Kurdi (Filipino singer and actress of Lebanese origins)
http://media.prepys.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/20_In%20The%20Name%20Of%20Love_Yasmien%20Kurdi.jpg
http://media.prepys.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/yasmien2_front.JPG
http://www.tugtog.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/yas_01.jpg

[Hassoun]

^^ She's Gorgeous :eek:

Filipino-Lebanese Mix is Awesome ;) :D

[þopsï]

^^true (;

[þopsï]

John LeguizamoColombian-American comedian, actor and producer..

His maternal Grandfather is Lebanese.
http://z.about.com/d/movies/1/0/f/a/8/iceage203190625.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/John_Leguizamo.jpg


Charbel Touma Swedish National Football Team player.
http://www.svenskafans.com/image/1/38703.jpg

Bruno Bechir Mexican actor.
http://www.bankside-films.com/headgear/artman/uploads/34.jpg
http://www.bankside-films.com/headgear/artman/uploads/anto1.jpg

Daniella Sarahyba Brazilian Supermodel.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/Daniella_Sarahyba.jpg/402px-Daniella_Sarahyba.jpg
http://celebslam.buzznet.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/daniella-sarahyba-brazil-model-front.jpg

Samia Smith British actress.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a4/Maria_sutherland_CS.jpg/180px-Maria_sutherland_CS.jpg
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/5999/samiaexpressaf3.jpg

Luciana Gimenez Morad Fashion model , TV show hostess.
http://bp0.blogger.com/_RSgvGH71sKo/R5hFnGVWIEI/AAAAAAAAGik/jRr0JMpYBHE/s400/bookLuciana+Gimenez.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/Luciana_Gimenez_3.jpg/280px-Luciana_Gimenez_3.jpg

[lebgurl]

I had no idea, but apparently wentworth miller is of lebanese descent

Miller was born in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, England; the son of Joy Marie (née Palm), a special education teacher, and Wentworth Earl Miller II, a lawyer and teacher.[1] Miller has stated that his father is of African-American, Jamaican,[2][3] German, English, Jewish, and Cherokee Native American Indian ancestry,[4] and that his mother is of Russian, French, Dutch, Lebanese and Syrian descent.[3]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/95/241383115_ac59c5b798_o.jpg

[Jayme]

^^ only a tad Lebanese , less then a tad actully

How do you get so much into you

Its like saying Im a Lebanese-Australian-Brazilian-American

[lebgurl]

How do you get so much into you



well jayme, when a man and a woman love each other very very much ....
but yea ur right, he's microscopically lebanese
Hassoun, sev, nadini, urban and I will take care of finding the tiny piece of him that is lebanese

[Herzeleid]

Miller has stated that his father is of African-American, Jamaican, German, English, Jewish, and Cherokee Native American Indian ancestry, and that his mother is of Russian, French, Dutch, Lebanese and Syrian descent.

and i tought i was mixed!! :nuts:

[þopsï]

Vince Vaughn :D
http://handson.provocateuse.com/images/photos/vince_vaughn_03.jpg
He has English, Irish, German, Lebanese, and Italian ancestry

But a working-class kid in a posh Chicago neighbourhood meant Vaughn grew up feeling like a bit of a misfit. 'We were like the Beverly Hillbillies, completely out of place.' Vaughn was something of a joker in school, a bright spark without the grades to prove it, a popular athlete who acted in community theater, the class president who nearly didn't graduate. 'I always defied categorisation,' he says now. I'm half Protestant and half Catholic, parts Irish, Italian, English, Lebanese and German. I was never 100% welcome in any club and I think that's a real blessing.'

[Rabih]

I once heard that the creators of Tom & Jerry were Lebanese :)
(first name ) Hanna & (first name) Barbera

[þopsï]

Wendie Malick :D is a model/actress of Irish and Lebanese heritage

http://cache.viewimages.com/xc/1692678.jpg?v=1&c=ViewImages&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF1939057D9939C83F106EB6D239D1F229AB35A5397277B4DC33E
http://www.buddytv.com/articles/Big-Day/images/wendie-malick-2.jpg

i love her in Just shoot me!

[houssam]

^^ Oh Really? i Love her ..... but those shots r seriously messed up..

[Hassoun]

Hassoun, sev, nadini, urban and I will take care of finding the tiny piece of him that is lebanese

U BETCHAAA :D

[Jayme]

There was an actor on Australian drama Neighbours , her name is Natalie saleeba
she was in the show for 2 years. Not 100% sure if she is Lebanese, Urban Missy and I were talking about it once.

[Hassoun]

Saliba? She has to be Lebanese :)

[þopsï]

yes that's a lebanese lastname jayme

[eklips]

Paris' most famous skinhead of the 80's is of lebanese descent.... Serge Ayoub

Here's him on tv
http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/batskin/video/x4vnwo_ciel-mon-mardi-skinhead-vs-harlem-d_fun


...

[lebgurl]

^^ shameful! what happened to him?

[eklips]

In the late 80's early 90's Paris got cleaned of it's skinheads so he kind of faded away.

He's still around though, he's a biker now and has a bar.

[þopsï]

Maha Khatib ,Minister of tourism -Jordan
[half lebanese]
http://www.panrotas.com.br/admin/redacao/fotos/jordania2.jpg
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/013bg0V2TV7pE/610x.jpg

[Hassoun]

^^ Yes,her mom is Lebanese :)

[þopsï]

Van Vicker-Ghanaian actor
http://bp0.blogger.com/_ugxe3Y71MsY/RpWM5EOxJpI/AAAAAAAABK0/4_5BAvU1C7M/s320/vanvicker.jpg

Nadia Buari-Ghanaian actress
http://bp1.blogger.com/_ugxe3Y71MsY/Rcc7DGwkp1I/AAAAAAAAAbE/Nv_62KMLOPw/s200/nadia.jpg

http://bp2.blogger.com/_ugxe3Y71MsY/Rcc8RWwkp2I/AAAAAAAAAbM/k4ff9JPqFiQ/s200/nadia2.jpg

Nicole Ghazal -Miss Australia 2002
http://media.santabanta.com/gal/mw2002/contestant/australia1.jpg

[kheireddine]

Paris' most famous skinhead of the 80's is of lebanese descent.... Serge Ayoub

Here's him on tv
http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/batskin/video/x4vnwo_ciel-mon-mardi-skinhead-vs-harlem-d_fun


...

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serge_Ayoub

C'est un voyou et un imbécile! Il est raciste et et il a une tête d'arabe...

Ciel, mon Mardi! et Dechavannes, Ça fait tellement longtemps!

[Hassoun]

Tulip Joshi aka Sanjana Joshi

http://tulipjoshiwow.com/tulipjoshiwallpapers/Tulip_Joshi_01.jpg

Tulip Joshi was born on september 11, 1979. She is an Indian model who carries her carreer in the Bollywood industry. Her father is a Gujrathi while her mother is Lebanese-Armenian.