QNMZ
Archived Posts from this Category
November 9, 2011
@yuhaa ‘l-Lubnaniyoun: The Zu`ama Discover Twitter…
Posted by Qifa Nabki under Free Patriotic Movement, Lebanon, March 14, QNMZ | Tags: Middle East, Saad Hariri, Twitter |[36] Comments
June 14, 2010
Alternatives to Skype in Lebanon
Posted by Qifa Nabki under Lebanon, QNMZ | Tags: Charbel Nahas, Skype, Telecommunications Ministry, VoIP |[9] Comments
Click to see the full comic.
The blogosphere is boiling over with rage at the news that the Lebanese government may ban several voice-over-IP (VoIP) services this week in a crass move to boost revenue for the Telecommunications Ministry.
Here at Qifa Nabki, we’re wondering what all the fuss is about. Surely there are alternatives to Skype, no? Are we so addicted to the Internet that we’ve lost the capacity to communicate using other means? Click the image to the right to see what Maya Zankoul and I came up with…
[For previous collaborations between Qifa Nabki and Maya, click here.]
March 15, 2010
As many of you know, the Lebanese-Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim Helou was in Lebanon last week meeting with political and business leaders and discussing various projects of interest. Slim, who recently regained his title as the World’s Richest Man, was given a medal by Lebanon’s President Michel Suleiman, and fêted in the Lebanese press for demonstrating the inherent superiority of Phoenician DNA in producing successful traders.
Lucky for you, we’ve teamed up again with the wonderful Maya Zankoul to bring you an inside peek at Slim’s meetings with Lebanon’s leaders.
Click the image below to see the entire comic strip.
Click the image to see the rest of the illustrations!
Thanks to the wonderfully talented Maya Zankoul for the illustrations. For previous collaborations between Qifa Nabki and Maya, click here.
February 21, 2010
The iPhone App Store Comes to Lebanon
Posted by Qifa Nabki under Lebanon, QNMZ | Tags: apps, iphone |[34] Comments
Wouldn’t it be great if Lebanon’s problems could be solved by saying, simply: “There’s an app for that?” Now they can. (Click to enlarge)
Thanks to the wonderfully talented Maya Zankoul for the illustrations. For previous collaborations between Qifa Nabki and Maya, click here.
January 27, 2010
Quid Pro Quo
Posted by Qifa Nabki under Lebanon, QNMZ | Tags: electoral law, expatriate voters, Municipal elections, voting age |[52] Comments
(The scene: A Beirut cafe)
Abu Michel: Did you hear that they’re trying to lower the voting age to 18?
Abu Samir: Of course. What a ridiculous idea.
Abu Michel: What do 18 year-olds know about anything?
Abu Samir: When I was 18, I was still a child.
Abu Michel: And the 18 year-olds these days? They’re even more immature, with their video games and their internets.
Abu Samir: Well, I’m glad that Hakim has been very clear on this point. He will not accept lowering the voting age unless they also allow Lebanese emigrants abroad to vote absentee.
Abu Michel: What do you mean “Hakim has been very clear”? El-General has been even clearer!
Abu Samir: So we see eye-to-eye…
Abu Michel: Absolutely.
Abu Samir: I have soooo many relatives living outside Lebanon. If they could vote, the entire picture would change.
Abu Michel: I have so many as well. Dozens!
Abu Samir: Hundreds!
Abu Michel: Thousands!
Abu Samir: Fourteen million! That’s the number of Lebanese living in the diaspora.
Abu Michel: I heard it was more like twenty million!
Abu Samir: Whatever the number is, it’s a lot ya zalameh. And they’re mostly Christian. Why do you think the Berris and Hariris and Jumblatts don’t want to let them vote?
Abu Michel: Absolutely. Look at Carlos Slim. Richest man in the world. Lebanese.
Abu Samir: (smiling) Not just Lebanese. Maronite.
Abu Michel: (smiling) Naturally. And I’m sure that Mr. Slim would love to vote in the municipal elections here in Lebanon. But noooooo, what do Berri and Hariri say?
Abu Samir: (sarcastic voice) “He’s been away too long… he’s never been to Lebanon… his father left when he was 14… he doesn’t even speak Arabic…” Give me a break! Once a Lebanese, always a Lebanese!
Abu Michel: Exactly! He has a right to vote in his ancestral municipality, even if he’s never stepped foot in it!
Abu Samir: Hell, I’ve never even been to my municipality either! We were registered erroneously in Akkar two generations ago and we’ve never been able to change it!
Abu Michel: Me too! I’ve never been to West Bekaa, but do you think that’s going to prevent me from impacting the lives of the poor schmucks who do live out there?
Abu Samir: Exactly! And so if it’s good enough for us, why shouldn’t it be good enough for Carlos Slim?
Abu Michel: And Shakira!
Abu Samir: Yasmine Bleeth!
Abu Michel: Salma Hayek!
Abu Samir: Keanu Reeves!
Abu Michel: Tiffany!
Abu Samir: And that hot chick who plays the Czech student in American Pie!
Abu Michel: You see? There are so many expatriate Christians… I mean, umm, Lebanese… who should not be deprived of their right to vote.
Abu Samir: I couldn’t agree more. Plus, if we let them vote in our elections, maybe they’ll finally start taking an interest in Lebanese affairs.
Abu Michel: Good point. If there’s one thing that Lebanon needs, it’s foreigners taking an interest in Lebanese affairs.
Abu Samir: Pass the sugar.
**
Thanks are due to the talented Maya Zankoul for the illustrations. To see previous collaborations between QN and Maya, click here.
December 7, 2009
Flights of Fancy
Posted by Qifa Nabki under Lebanon, QNMZ | Tags: Defense strategy, Maya Zankoul, Middle East, MiG-29, Russia, traffic |[22] Comments
November 18, 2009
Defensive Strategy
Posted by Qifa Nabki under Lebanon, QNMZ | Tags: Hezbollah, Israel |[31] Comments
(The scene: a Beirut cafe)
Abu Michel: Says here in as-Safir that the next Israel-Lebanon war is gonna happen next April.
Abu Samir: You still read that rag? An-Nahar says that the war is gonna be sooner than that. January, February, maximum.
Abu Michel: Impossible.
Abu Samir: Suit yourself.
Abu Michel: The Israelis won’t attack in the winter. A winter campaign would be a nightmare for them. Low cloud cover makes flying conditions bad, and their soldiers will be disoriented in our valleys and mountains when they’re surrounded by fog.
Abu Samir: You think they’re going to care what they bomb, next time around? They’re going to bomb the entire country indiscriminately, from top to bottom, cloud cover or not. Once they’re done with that, they’ll send in their sissy soldiers.
Abu Michel: They wouldn’t dare bomb the entire country. Hezbollah will bomb Tel Aviv and Dimona.
Abu Samir: As per Iran’s instructions?
Abu Michel: Funny. What is March 14 doing about defending us from Israeli aggression?
Abu Samir: We just got Russia to donate 10 MiG 29′s.
Abu Michel: Ha! You think ten busted Russian jets are going to deter the Israelis?!
Abu Samir: You think a bunch of Katyushas are?!
(silence)
Abu Michel: (whispering conspiratorially) Look… at the end of the day, the resistance’s weapons are meant to prevent the worst possible scenario: naturalization of the Palestinians.
Abu Samir: Of course. What do you think the MiG’s are for?
Abu Michel: Of course, of course.
Abu Samir: Pass the sugar, will you?
**
Thanks are due to the talented Maya Zankoul, who agreed to illustrate what I hope will turn into a new series on this blog.
