I'm not someone who particularly likes prequels, but this previous week was the start of much-anticipated shows of two epic fictional realms of Westeros and Middle earth. House of Dragon streams on HBO (but for residents of Lebanon that won't be able to have an HBO account there are many alternatives for free streaming). Now House of Dragon takes us back to a period where the realm of Westeros was in prosperity yet same time of uncertainty. I will not go further in the storyline not to spoil especially for people that never Ice and Fire book or any of Martin books. 
I have to say the long awaited series as far as the first two episodes did not disappoint from visual and acting point of view. For many who watched the full eight seasons of Game of thrones could not wait for latest HBO especially that final season of GOT had disappointing ending. 
As for Rings of Power ( streams on Amazon Prime) which takes us thousands of years further even before the hobbits. Yet with so much potential to have a memorable show the first two episodes did not provide the effect I had with House of Dragon. But still I will continue with both shows to see where they go.  

​It's been far too long since I've written anything, but currently, we are in dangerous conjunction in this country. With few months left till the end of one of the worst presidential eras in the history of Lebanon, we are charting familiar waters that seem worse than ever. Every time we face expected emptiness in power like what happened almost eight years ago before finally Aoun was elected. For a neutral observer one might think that our politicians never learn from their mistakes of the past, the sad reality is that we Lebanese who elect such politicians choose not to learn and take the easy way out. We choose as Lebanese not to confront the regime in a bloody assault as one united front against all of them. When I say all of them am not being poetic but simply against who led us to this status quo. Again the presidential elections are near and it seems clear whoever is the elected president won't matter because as before he's got no authority. This struggle in the region between the United States and Russia is affecting the whole globe including our country, though there's a big opportunity for Lebanon to exclude itself from such struggles including the roles Hizbullah plays in the region in supporting militants against the will of the government. Am far from being an economist or a politician but even a ten-year-old child can figure out that any kind of financial correction won't be achieved without stability.
 In conclusion, the truth is ugly but we will be in a shit swamp for the next twenty to thirty years if no real change to the current regime happens in abolishing all things relating to sectarianism and political parties adopting clear programs in which they are chosen through proper and fair elections. 

It's been a very long time since I've written anything especially with the situation in Lebanon is in turmoil since 17 October last year and with the Covid-19. After the speech yesterday I had to post something, for years I've been an avid supporter of the "resistance" against any clear danger to Lebanon and Lebanese.  But in recent years you just can smell it, you can smell the sham that the Lebanese being fed for decades. For decades Lebanon is under what is called " resistance against the west & Israel". True Sham and misguided truth to half of the Lebanese who are evidently Shia. The ugly truth is that Islamic republic of Iran and its tool in Lebanon Hezbollah are mere pawns in a bigger regional plan to control the middle east and those two are in reality in allegiance or at least in some kind of understanding with their supposedly mortal enemies ( no need to name them everybody knows who are they) and the plan as long as the middle east is in chaos then all surrounding countries will be in check starting with Gulf countries who are always frightened by Iran and U.S. benefits from this by selling Gulf countries war equipment that would use for a regional conflict that causes more chaos and no clear victor like the Saudi-Yemeni war or like the Syrian civil war that in its actuality more contract from the west to Russia to flush out extremist in their countries and send to Syria to die. As for my beloved country Lebanon who doesn't even exist on this chessboard the actual ruler of the country spoke yesterday and declared to his mob that this is it " Strive or kill us we will fight you till the end" and he gave the instructions to go make agreements with countries like China and other developed countries in the far east. Talking is nice but meaningless when it comes to the people on the streets since Nasrallah & Hezbollah took power in Lebanon and they never kept promises on fighting corruption but in fact, they allied themselves with corrupt politicians. Current president Aoun made a huge mistake when he chose to fulfill his long-awaited dream. The real president of Lebanon sits in Tehran and awaiting instructions from Russian and Americans for the next move or maybe will tell him to do nothing at all and let the country sink further in chaos.

  This Thursday the major tournament of football is starting " The World Cup" and like any other international tournament, the elite are present. Sadly two huge fan bases won't be able to support their teams. The Italians & the Dutch failed to qualify and it wasn't really a surprise at least for me, both don't have the quality like before and some players aging. But in a few years time, they'll bounce back especially with the talents coming through.  Like previous tournaments, there's the favorites and the dark horse(s), and there are, of course, the teams that are just proud to be in Russia. I'll go briefly through who's favorites and predictions for group stages and further rounds.