Mustapha Hamoui
@beirutspring.com
🇱🇧 I've been watching and writing about Lebanon for more than 20 years. I can sometimes get carried away.
Opinion | How the Gay Rights Movement Radicalized, and Lost Its Way
www.nytimes.com
June 27, 2025 at 10:38 AM
I muted the words “Fascism” and “Fascist” in my RSS reader, and now @kottke.org is readable again
May 15, 2025 at 9:18 AM
I muted the words “Fascism” and “Fascist” in my RSS reader, and now @kottke.org is readable again
@om.co when I opened my RSS reader this morning, I wasn't expecting to be treated to a history of Stents and their technological advancement as compared to iPhones... and AI! This was a joy to read, and I don't think anyone else could have written it... Thank you.
om.co/2024/12/28/t...
om.co/2024/12/28/t...
The Story of Stent
Today is my 17th re-birthday. If you’ve been a longtime reader, you know why I call it my re-birthday. If you are new around here, well, here is a short recap. Just after I turned 41—17 years ago—a…
om.co
December 29, 2024 at 8:19 AM
@om.co when I opened my RSS reader this morning, I wasn't expecting to be treated to a history of Stents and their technological advancement as compared to iPhones... and AI! This was a joy to read, and I don't think anyone else could have written it... Thank you.
om.co/2024/12/28/t...
om.co/2024/12/28/t...
In this interview with Saudi’s @aawsat_News , Al-Share3 (Joulani) sends all the right messages to the Arab Gulf:
- Says won’t export revolution to other countries
- Says he defeated the Iranian project
- Praises MBS & his plans
- Says he wants economic prosperity like the Gulf’s
- Says won’t export revolution to other countries
- Says he defeated the Iranian project
- Praises MBS & his plans
- Says he wants economic prosperity like the Gulf’s
December 20, 2024 at 7:26 AM
In this interview with Saudi’s @aawsat_News , Al-Share3 (Joulani) sends all the right messages to the Arab Gulf:
- Says won’t export revolution to other countries
- Says he defeated the Iranian project
- Praises MBS & his plans
- Says he wants economic prosperity like the Gulf’s
- Says won’t export revolution to other countries
- Says he defeated the Iranian project
- Praises MBS & his plans
- Says he wants economic prosperity like the Gulf’s
My take on this is that if you're moderately famous and don't own your namesake domain name, unless your name is really common, this is mostly on you...
tedium.co/2024/12/17/b...
tedium.co/2024/12/17/b...
So, Bluesky Has An Extortion Problem
An apparent extortion scheme lit up Bluesky the other night. It raises some important questions about whether Bluesky is up to the task of moderation.
tedium.co
December 19, 2024 at 6:27 AM
My take on this is that if you're moderately famous and don't own your namesake domain name, unless your name is really common, this is mostly on you...
tedium.co/2024/12/17/b...
tedium.co/2024/12/17/b...
I keep coming away from watching Joulani's interviews with "This man is either extremely naïve or a Machiavellian son-of-a-bitch that is running circles around everyone"
December 15, 2024 at 8:33 AM
I keep coming away from watching Joulani's interviews with "This man is either extremely naïve or a Machiavellian son-of-a-bitch that is running circles around everyone"
🇱🇧The battle for the Lebanese Presidency is becoming interesting again. It's still an opaque, intractable & maddeningly complex process, but now there is a new environment that has potential to upend everything. Watching the jockeying of the same players with new rules is fun
December 13, 2024 at 9:41 AM
🇱🇧The battle for the Lebanese Presidency is becoming interesting again. It's still an opaque, intractable & maddeningly complex process, but now there is a new environment that has potential to upend everything. Watching the jockeying of the same players with new rules is fun
If Syrian women are not forced to cover their hair, it will be thanks to Mahsa Amini & the #WomanLifeFreedom movement in Iran—not to any ‘benevolence’ or ‘moderation’ from HTS. Joulani saw the protests in Iran & understood the high cost, unpopularity, & futility of such policies
December 11, 2024 at 10:24 AM
If Syrian women are not forced to cover their hair, it will be thanks to Mahsa Amini & the #WomanLifeFreedom movement in Iran—not to any ‘benevolence’ or ‘moderation’ from HTS. Joulani saw the protests in Iran & understood the high cost, unpopularity, & futility of such policies
Reading about the cruelty of the Assad regime prisons and its so-called justice system is one thing. Watching families recount the harrowing stories of loved ones lost to that abyss is another. The heartbreak is relentless, the cruelty unfathomable—and the stories never stop
December 10, 2024 at 8:25 AM
Reading about the cruelty of the Assad regime prisons and its so-called justice system is one thing. Watching families recount the harrowing stories of loved ones lost to that abyss is another. The heartbreak is relentless, the cruelty unfathomable—and the stories never stop
What is the official process by which country emoji flags are changed on the various platforms? When I search for Syria I keep getting this wrong emoji: 🇸🇾
December 9, 2024 at 11:11 AM
What is the official process by which country emoji flags are changed on the various platforms? When I search for Syria I keep getting this wrong emoji: 🇸🇾
A lesson to everyone. You can’t control Middle East fires. Senwar thought the outcome of Oct 7 can be controlled. He didn’t want the Iranian Axis to fall. Netanyahu thought the outcome of bludgeoning Hezbollah can be controlled. He didn’t want Assad to fall.
December 9, 2024 at 7:09 AM
A lesson to everyone. You can’t control Middle East fires. Senwar thought the outcome of Oct 7 can be controlled. He didn’t want the Iranian Axis to fall. Netanyahu thought the outcome of bludgeoning Hezbollah can be controlled. He didn’t want Assad to fall.
The new excuse for not choosing a Lebanese president: We need to wait to know what will happen in Syria. You heard it here first.
December 8, 2024 at 4:08 PM
The new excuse for not choosing a Lebanese president: We need to wait to know what will happen in Syria. You heard it here first.
2024 is going to go down as Hezbollah's worst year ever...
December 8, 2024 at 8:59 AM
2024 is going to go down as Hezbollah's worst year ever...
All the Lebanese complaining that Syrian warlords can’t possibly tune into normal politicians, some self awareness please.
December 7, 2024 at 10:55 AM
All the Lebanese complaining that Syrian warlords can’t possibly tune into normal politicians, some self awareness please.
🇮🇷 Iran: Angry
🇹🇷Turkey: Complacent
🇦🇪 Gulf Arabs: Nervous
🇱🇧 Lebanon: Paralyzed
🇪🇬 Egypt: Simmering
🇹🇷Turkey: Complacent
🇦🇪 Gulf Arabs: Nervous
🇱🇧 Lebanon: Paralyzed
🇪🇬 Egypt: Simmering
December 6, 2024 at 4:37 PM
🇮🇷 Iran: Angry
🇹🇷Turkey: Complacent
🇦🇪 Gulf Arabs: Nervous
🇱🇧 Lebanon: Paralyzed
🇪🇬 Egypt: Simmering
🇹🇷Turkey: Complacent
🇦🇪 Gulf Arabs: Nervous
🇱🇧 Lebanon: Paralyzed
🇪🇬 Egypt: Simmering
Never trust militant islamists, whether Sunni or Shiaa. They *always* break their promises of moderation when they assume power.
December 4, 2024 at 6:29 PM
Never trust militant islamists, whether Sunni or Shiaa. They *always* break their promises of moderation when they assume power.
December 4, 2024 at 6:28 PM
🇱🇧 The deal is starting to sound less like a ceasefire and more like a permission structure for Israel to shoot anything and anyone it wants in Lebanon
December 3, 2024 at 7:25 AM
🇱🇧 The deal is starting to sound less like a ceasefire and more like a permission structure for Israel to shoot anything and anyone it wants in Lebanon
I made something...
December 2, 2024 at 12:29 PM
I made something...
Dear Syria Experts and Pundits. More mainstream audiences are reading you now. Please easy with the alphabet soup initials. People can't tell their FSAs from their HTS from their SIG, SDF, SAA...etc. It's like you're speaking another language. Please have mercy on us...
December 2, 2024 at 11:13 AM
Dear Syria Experts and Pundits. More mainstream audiences are reading you now. Please easy with the alphabet soup initials. People can't tell their FSAs from their HTS from their SIG, SDF, SAA...etc. It's like you're speaking another language. Please have mercy on us...
Watching Russian officials and pundits discuss Syria on Arab TV, I’m yet again impressed by their command of the Arabic Language. Over 20 years since 9/11, it’s strange that American officials still can’t match that.
December 1, 2024 at 5:43 PM
Watching Russian officials and pundits discuss Syria on Arab TV, I’m yet again impressed by their command of the Arabic Language. Over 20 years since 9/11, it’s strange that American officials still can’t match that.
The Lebanese Army as "wobbly linchpin" for the Lebanon-Israel ceasefire
www.nytimes.com/2024/11/30/w...
www.nytimes.com/2024/11/30/w...
Israel-Hezbollah Cease-Fire Rests on a Wobbly Linchpin: Lebanon’s Army (Gift Article)
The Lebanese Army is tasked with ensuring that Hezbollah abides by the cease-fire. It has failed at that task before.
www.nytimes.com
December 1, 2024 at 8:35 AM
The Lebanese Army as "wobbly linchpin" for the Lebanon-Israel ceasefire
www.nytimes.com/2024/11/30/w...
www.nytimes.com/2024/11/30/w...
It truly must suck to be Joe Biden. Doing years of work and preparation for the economy and foreign policy in the Middle East, only for Trump to swoop in and take all the credit as the results start emerging right after his election
November 30, 2024 at 10:48 AM
It truly must suck to be Joe Biden. Doing years of work and preparation for the economy and foreign policy in the Middle East, only for Trump to swoop in and take all the credit as the results start emerging right after his election
This is the mirror image of Joe Rogan’s “everyone on blue sky is a libtard”. In truth, both of these platforms are tools that have their niches & uses. Both can be managed to reduce spam & hate. Some beats can only be followed on X (Middle East, AI, etc) some only here. Netflix & Prime so to speak
I’ve been trying to keep using it, but Twitter is truly gone, like literally everything there is irredeemable garbage now, it feels like the moment the election was over it completed the transformation into just another soulless empty content mill for brain rot videos and low effort right-wing slop
November 30, 2024 at 10:07 AM
This is the mirror image of Joe Rogan’s “everyone on blue sky is a libtard”. In truth, both of these platforms are tools that have their niches & uses. Both can be managed to reduce spam & hate. Some beats can only be followed on X (Middle East, AI, etc) some only here. Netflix & Prime so to speak