Mind Soup

By the time a person reaches 25, it seems that he/she has become fully saturated emotionally, mentally and sometimes physically. In fact, our generation has witnessed the highest stress level among all generations. Recent studies  have shown that high school students today have the same anxiety levels as insane asylum mental patients during the 1950’s. Our generation strives so hard to stand out, both at work and at home, in an attempt to be noticed in the highly competitive environment that we live in. Suddenly, attaining a comfortable living is not such an easy task. We work hard to be able to hold everything together and push ourselves to and beyond our limits and this has taken its toll greatly on us. The amount of information that we now acquire by the time we are twenty is probably more information than previous generations could learn in a lifetime. With the widespread access of information through the internet, TVs, mainstream and social media, we are bombarded...

For the 5th year in a row, Beirut will host the MENA’s leading event for the digital creative sectors: ArabNet Beirut.  The 3-day festival of digital creativity, business, development and entrepreneurship will bring together more than 700 digital experts and entrepreneurs from across the MENA region and beyond. The event will feature a Design+Code Day (March 4), which will host workshops for developers and designers to hone their skills and network, and two Forum Day (March 5-6), which will include panel discussions, talks, and interviews about the opportunities in web and mobile for the media and entertainment industries, fashion, creative communities, food and beverage, and more. The conference will feature ArabNet’s signature competitions, the Startup Demo and Ideathon , which will highlight the most promising digital ideas and young companies from across the region, and give them the opportunity to connect with accelerators, incubators, investors, clients and media....

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

This is not a peace offering, as I am not at war with anyone. This is a simple and straight-forward clarification about a few points about my relationship with the Online Community in Lebanon. As a member since the very early days of Twitter, I have witnessed all the phases that this community has went through from the cuddly adorable early days to the bitchy whiny era that we are in now. In 2010, I was super proud of the hard work of the bloggers and tweeps that I thought there should be an entity that protects and promotes this community. The Online Collaborative was born from a group of enthusiasts who wanted to make it worthwhile for this growing community and till this day, it has only served the goal of promoting proper online citizenship and creating an open platform for every member of the Online Community with no exclusions. Three years into the project, our volunteers have made a HUGE impact on this society (if you like to admit it or not) in an attempt to make...

Cinco Lounge, a Peruvian inspired concept has opened its doors in the heart of Beirut over a three-day extravaganza. Guests were taken on a mesmerizing journey by savoring thedelicious cuisine, tasting the trendy Pisco brandy available exclusively in Lebanon and the region at Cinco Lounge, as well as listening to the inspirations behind the new venue. Located in Sofil Center in Beirut, Cinco Lounge brings together various elements from exotic traditions, and blends them harmoniously with international culture and tradition. In essence, it is a place for people to mingle after work and meet one another, by sharing exquisite food and delightful cocktails. The idea behind the Cinco Lounge is a unique one, drawing inspiration from a trip to Peru, taken by Yasmina and Elissa Yared, who are the owners and sisters behind Cinco Lounge. They were keen to share a documentary with guests, unraveling the true charm of the venue. The entire concept of Cinco Lounge is based on the Pisco b...