Four Seasons, Alexandria

Located in the Grand Plaza shopping and residential complex, alongside the Mediterranean, the hotel features expansive views of the sea and the city skyline. Designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon, the rooms feature a blend of unique and traditional Egyptian furnishings, and come with private balconies. There are six restaurants, including Byblos for Lebanese-French fine dining, and the Pool Bar & Grill for snacks, sushi and sashimi. The spa comes with men's and ladies' lounges and steam rooms. El Nozha airport is just 30 minutes away and Borg El Arab airport is 60 minutes.

WoW-zards!!!

Madeeha Hasan Odhaib

It's not every day that success stories echo out of Iraq into the halls of power, but Madeeha Hasan Odhaib defies the norm. Armed with her sewing machine, unflinching stoicism and determination, Madeeha, 37, is mending the fabric of Iraq.

Four years ago, this mother of two and seamstress turned district council member took three sewing machines, leveraged them into 60 and built a business sewing hospital sheets and flags. She now employs 100 women. That figure may seem insignificant compared with the accomplishments of other achievers on TIME's list. But in a country with more than 60% unemployment and rampant poverty, such efforts provide a lifeline. Each woman Madeeha employs returns home with an invaluable sense of self-respect, money in her purse, food for her children and optimism for a daughter desperately seeking a role model amid mayhem. Madeeha also treads—or, rather, threads—the line between activism and heroism. She has coordinated with the Red Crescent, Red Cross, Hands of Mercy and Iraqi army to distribute food around Baghdad. And despite threats, she says she'll never give up.

Iraq is suffering one of the worst humanitarian crises we have ever seen. While Madeeha rightly makes Time's list, women like her are found throughout Iraq, sewing hope one stitch at a time. Through Madeeha, we celebrate all of Iraq's courageous women, whose resilience and resourcefulness hold the promise of a new dawn.

Time

Realness!

Gorillaz

Gorillaz is a virtual band created in 1998 by Damon Albarn of alternative rock band Blur, and Jamie Hewlett, co-creator of the comic book Tank Girl. The band is composed of four animated band members: 2D, Murdoc, Noodle and Russel. The band's music is a collaboration between various musicians with Albarn being the only permanent musical contributor. Their style is broadly alternative rock, but with a large number of other influences including hip hop, electronica, dub and pop.

Gorillaz debuted in late 2000 with the Tomorrow Comes Today EP, which they followed early the next year with the Clint Eastwood single; their self-titled full-length debut arrived in spring 2001. Gorillaz was a massive worldwide success and achieved platinum-level sales in the U.S.sold over seven million copies and earned them an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records as the Most Successful Virtual Band. The group's Svengalis were quick to capitalize, and released the B-sides collection G-Sides, the Phase One: Celebrity Takedown DVD, and the dub-inspired remix album Laika Come Home in 2002. The project went on hiatus as Albarn resumed work with Blur for their seventh album, 2003's Think Tank.

When he was ready to begin the next Gorillaz album, Albarn turned to Danger Mouse, the DJ behind The Grey Album, the infamous mash-up of the Beatles' White Album and Jay-Z's Black Album, and a host of other collaborators, including De La Soul, Shaun Ryder, Debbie Harry, Dennis Hopper, and Martina Topley-Bird. Although Del tha Funkee Homosapien and Nakamura did not return, 2-D, Russel, Murdoc, and Noodle were all present and accounted for on Demon Days, another Top Ten hit, which arrived in spring 2005.

uk.music

Check out "Dirty Harry"....Dopeness!

Jeezy

Atlanta-based Young Jeezy originally planned on having a background role in the music industry -- as a businessman, not as a rapper. Years before making his first Def Jam album -- Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101, released in July 2005 -- he set up Corporate Thugz Entertainment and promoted Cash Money releases. From there, he branched out as a label boss and artist in his own right, releasing albums and mixtapes. Come Shop wit' Me, his independently distributed debut from 2003, allegedly sold more than 50,000 copies. As a member of Boyz N da Hood, he was behind a self-titled album (released just weeks before Let's Get It) that debuted in the Top Ten of the Billboard album chart. Driven by the hit "Soul Survivor," Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 eventually did even better, nestling at the number two spot in the Top 200. The Inspiration: Thug Motivation 102 followed in late 2006, and by that point, Jeezy had become one of the most prominent MCs. In 2007 he introduced his U.S.D.A. crew with the album Cold Summer, and then returned to his solo career a year later with the politically minded The Recession.

Young Jeezy may seem like an unlikely political commentator, given his status as a gangsta rapper. But on his new CD, “The Recession,” he talks about more than just hustling, putting in his two cents about the economy, struggling times and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.

The platinum-selling, Atlanta-based rapper is broadening his subject matter as he also tries to appeal to a wider audience. So far, it seems he’s achieving that goal. He got a boost when Michael Phelps gave him props in Beijing, noting he jammed to the Jeezy hit “Go Getta” before bringing home a record eight Olympic gold medals.

msnbc

Ryan Sheckler

Ryan Allen Sheckler was born dec 30th 1989. he is an American professional skateboarder as well as star and namesake of the MTV reality show, Life of Ryan. He was also featured on MTV`s show "Cribs" when he was 14.

Sheckler was born in San Clemente, California. At the age of 18 months, Sheckler found his dad's old school skateboard. Sheckler taught himself to push it around by using one knee, and eventually stood up on the skateboard. Since the age of 6, he spent up to 22 hours a week practicing tricks in his backyard - which includes a half pipe, table tops and several grind rails. He developed his own trick called the Sheck-lair - an indy kickflip flyout.

He turned professional in 2003 after winning in the X Games, Gravity Games, Vans Triple Crown and Slam City Jam.

Sheckler's career took shape during the summer of 1995, when Sheckler's dad built a new quarter pipe along with a few other additions making it a small skate park. A few years later, he joined the CASL (California Amateur Skateboarding League) and entered one of their contests and won. He idolized Tony Hawk and wanted to invite him to his seventh birthday party. Hawk attended the party and took some time to practice with Sheckler. During 1997-2001 Sheckler was winning the CASL state championships, where he picked up his first eye wear sponsor, Arnette, the same company sponsoring Tony Hawk. In 2004 he was named the World Cup of Skateboarding’s National Street Champion. In 2005, he was named the World Cup of Skateboarding’s National Street Champion and the AST Dew Tour Athlete of the Year. For 2006, he won the Global Assault in Australia and finished fifth at the Tampa Pro in Florida. Sheckler has had roles in the movies Grind, Dishdogz, and MVP 2: Most Vertical Primate, and stars in his own MTV reality show "Life of Ryan". In "Life of Ryan", Sheckler deals with the intense emotional problems that come along with being a rich, famous professional skateboarder.

About The Sheckler Foundation

The Sheckler Foundation was founded as an avenue for Ryan Sheckler, his family, friends and business associates to give back to the community and industry that they are so grateful to. The community is mostly comprised of children and their parents, who as his fans, buy his products, attend his events, and watch his show. The industry is comprised of numerous action sports athletes and companies who have helped Ryan achieve monumental success. It was his ultimate desire to form a foundation that could contribute to many causes that directly benefit and enrich the lives of children. It is also his desire to support and fund programs that help action sports athletes who are injured in their line of work.

shecklerfoundation

ryansheckler

Chic & Swag Friday

Lighthouse of "la Jument"



La Jument is the name of a lighthouse at the North-Eastern part of France, Brittany. The lighthouse is built on a rock (that is also called La Jument) about 300 metres from the coast of the island of Ushant, in the middle of the ocean. There is also an almost identical lighthouse about 3 kilometers to the North, the Nividic lighthouse. Together with the lighthouse Kreac'h , they are the 3 most famous lighthouses of the region.

Sunrise & Sunset are my favorite times of day! :)

jean-guichard.com

Tom Abercrombie

He was invited to work at National Geographic Magazine, where his first report was from Lebanon. He had never been abroad before.

As a staff member of National Geographic magazine, Abercrombie was known for his work in Muslim countries, visited all seven continents, and was one of the first two journalists to reach the South Pole in 1957 (the other was Rolla J. "Bud" Crick of the Oregon Journal). Abercrombie was the first person to win both the Newspaper Photographer of the year (1954) and the magazine photographer of the year (1959). He dived with Jacques Cousteau which he said "was like swimming with a fish".

After 1965 Abercrombie frequently covered Saudi Arabia and he converted to the Muslim faith, taking the name Omar. He was the magazine's expert on the Middle East, and reported from Mecca. He covered the region from Morocco to Afghanistan for more than three decades, until he retired in 1994.

Magazines

Wilmott

How much would you be willing to fork over for a subscription to a magazine about quantitative finances? Forget the ten to twenty dollars you’d pay for a subscription to Maxim, Cosmo or Rolling Stone. Quantitative analysts who want to keep up to date in their chosen profession may need to pay up to nearly $700 for the most expensive magazine subscription in the world.

Individual subscribers pay only $325 for a year-long subscription while institutions pay $650. Subscribers to the expensive magazine are also inducted into the Wilmott Book Club, giving them discounts on many quantitative finance and popular science books.

Kohl

For the most expensive single issue, however, we’ll have to turn to Kohl magazine. The United Arab Emirates’ one and only women’s lifestyle and fashion magazine, Kohl is targeted at expatriate Asian women.

Publisher ITP teamed up with Damas, a UAE jeweler, to create the stunningly bejeweled cover for the single most expensive magazine in the world. The cover, which features sexy Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif, was hand-made with 91 grams of gold and 622 diamonds. Gold leaf was applied by hand to the cover as part of an 86 hour process.

Very Interesting. :0

Henna

Henna dyes hair, skin, and fabric organically, similar to a black tea dye. Henna is extracted from a tree by drying and grinding leaves and stems. The greenish powder, when mixed with an acidic liquid, makes a temporary red, brown, or orange design on a porous surface. People use henna in ritual skin painting, called Mehndi, for birth and marriage celebrations. Western cultures have adopted henna to make temporary tattoos and organic hair dye.

I really like henna. Remember, henna is to be stored in a cool place, otherwise it looses its potency. Have fun!:)

Simplicity

Sudanese friends in the north converse in a private home where life is comfortable. In their civilized world, they are removed from the war in the south.

Sudan, the largest country in Africa.

Elie Saab Spring Collection 2009

Sheer Free Flowing Elegance!

Brighton, England

For a more modern outlook, stop by Fabrica, a Regency-era church that has been converted into a contemporary art gallery. Four artists are selected every year to transform the vaulted interiors into often outlandish installation pieces like "The Undercroft," left, by Vincent Mauger.

Air Jordans

I don't think Jordans will ever go out of style.What ever you do, DO NOT step on anyones Jordans!!!:0..;) ..LOL

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York, on February 17, 1963. His parents, James and Delores Jordan, moved to Wilmington, North Carolina when he was still a toddler. Jordan has two older brothers, one older sister, and one younger sister.

Jordan loved to play baseball when he was a child, and also played some basketball and football. His love for basketball began when his older brother, Larry, continuously beat him in one-on-one pickup games. As with any challenge Jordan faces, this determined Michael to become a better player.

Jordan played basketball for Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. Ironically, Jordan was cut from the varsity team as a sophomore. Instead of giving up after failing to make the team, Jordan used it to spur himself to greater achievements, practicing hour after hour on the court. "Whenever I was working out and got tired and figured I ought to stop, I'd close my eyes and see that list in the locker room without my name on it," Jordan said, "and that usually got me going again." He eventually made the team and led it to the state championship.

Jordan accepted a basketball scholarship from the University of North Carolina. As a freshman, Jordan's ever-growing popularity began when he scored the game-winning basket in the 1982 NCAA championship game against the Georgetown Hoyas. Jordan was selected college player of the year in the 1983-84 season, and led the US Men's Basketball Team to an Olympic Gold Medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics under coach Bobby Knight.

Jordan left college and entered the NBA in 1984, he was selected third in the draft (First pick: Houston--Hakeem Olajuwon; second pick: Portland--Sam Bowie) by the Chicago Bulls, a team that had won only 28 games the previous season. Ironically, Jordan played in his first game as a pro against Washington on Oct. 26, 1984. Jordan became an immediate impact in the league and proved that he belonged among the elite players. He finished his rookie season as one of the top scorers in the league, averaging 28.2 points per game, was named Rookie of the Year, and also made the All-Star team. Jordan led the Bulls into the playoffs in every season, but didn't make the NBA Finals until 1991, where he led the Bulls to their first of three consecutive NBA Championships (1991, 1992, and 1993).

Jordan played in the 1992 summer Olympics with the original Dream Team, perhaps the greatest team ever assembled. It was the first time NBA players were allowed to compete in the Olympics. Michael Jordan averaged 12.7 points per game as the USA Dream Team went 6-0 to win the gold medal, Jordan's second in his career.

--23Jordan

Slick Rick

Born Richard Walters to Jamaican parents in South Wimbledon, London, on January 14, 1965, Rick was blinded by a piece of broken glass as an infant. He took to wearing an eye patch from an early age, an accessory that would later serve as part of his image. In the late 1970s at age 14, he emigrated with his family to the Bronx in New York and attended the La Guardia High School of Music and Art. At school, he met and befriended another future rapper, Dana Dane, and the two boys formed the Kangol Crew and began performing at hip-hop parties around their neighborhood. During one performance in 1984, Rick met rap artist Doug E. Fresh, who asked him to play with his Get Fresh Crew (which also included Chill Will and Barry Bee). By 1985, Fresh saw one of the groups songs called "The Show" ascend to number four on the R&B charts, and the single "La-Di-Da-Di" would become a rap classic. Upon the success of their hit singles, MC Ricky D, as Rick was then known, left the Get Fresh Crew in 1987 to sign a solo contract with Def Jam Records, the biggest label in hip-hop at the time.

Instead, The Art of Storytelling resurrected the artist's cinematic tales of X-rated fantasies, as well as his humorous old-school rap technique. In the song "Who Rotten 'Em," Rick returns to ancient Egypt and imagines himself as a rapping slave. The more cohesive record, which also included tightly constructed songs like "2 Way Street," "I Sparkle," and "I Own America Part I" proved that Rick was well on his way to reassuming his former reputation as a talented rap artist. While critics agreed that Rick performed at his best on the solo tracks, the album also featured appearances from fellow rappers and hip-hop artists such as Clark Kent, Large Professor, Q-Tip, Nas, Outkast, and Raekwon.

musicianguide

Alec Baldwin

Born April 3, 1958, Alec grew up in Massapequa, Long Island where his father was a high school teacher for twenty-eight years and his mother raised six children, including his sisters, Beth and Jane. Alec is the eldest of his brothers, Daniel, William, and Stephen Baldwin, all of whom are actors in film and television.

Alec attended George Washington University and planned to attend law school, when he auditioned for the New York University Undergraduate Drama Program on a dare. He was accepted, and in 1979 began what would become his professional training. In 1980, he was cast in the daytime TV series "The Doctors" on NBC and has worked in nearly every venue as a professional actor ever since. Whether in regional theater or on Saturday Night Live, blockbuster movies or Broadway, literary festivals or television mini-series, Alec has always attempted to balance his love of communicating with an audience with the demands of a motion picture and television career.

On television, Baldwin is currently starring in NBC's Emmy award winning comedy series, "30 ROCK", for which he received the 2007 Golden Globe, SAG and Television Critics Association awards as Best Actor in a comedy. Baldwin has starred on "Knot's Landing" for CBS and numerous other TV shows including "Dress Grey" (a miniseries for NBC), "Nuremberg: Infamy on Trial (for TNT) and appearances on "Saturday Night Live" (too many to count).

Alec is an out-spoken supporter of various causes related to public policy, including environmentalism, the government's support of the arts, campaign finance reform, animal rights and gun control. He serves on the board of directors of the East Hampton Daycare Center, People For American Way and NYU Tisch School of the Arts Dean's Council. He is on the advisory board of the NYU/Brennan Center for Justice and the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund. He is a vigorous supporter of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), just to name a couple.

His new book just released. "A Promise to Ourselves." It's a journey through fatherhood and divorce.

--alecbaldwin

Khaled Hossein

Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1965. His father was a diplomat with the Afghan Foreign Ministry and his mother taught Farsi and History at a large high school in Kabul. In 1976, the Afghan Foreign Ministry relocated the Hosseini family to Paris. They were ready to return to Kabul in 1980, but by then Afghanistan had already witnessed a bloody communist coup and the invasion of the Soviet army.

The Hosseinis sought and were granted political asylum in the United States. In September of 1980, Hosseini’s family moved to San Jose, California. Hosseini graduated from high school in 1984 and enrolled at Santa Clara University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology in 1988. The following year, he entered the University of California-San Diego’s School of Medicine, where he earned a Medical Degree in 1993. He completed his residency at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. Hosseini was a practicing internist between 1996 and 2004.

While in medical practice, Hosseini began writing his first novel, The Kite Runner, in March of 2001. In 2003, The Kite Runner, was published and has since become an international bestseller, published in 38 countries. In 2006 he was named a goodwill envoy to UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency. His second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns was published in May of 2007. He lives in northern California with his family.

I've read both books, and Khaled characters pose undauntedly courageous characteristics. I had a myriad of emotions while reading his books. A definite page turner.

redroom

Rap Up Time

I hope everyone enjoyed "Travel Week" as much as I have. Definitely more "Travel Week" to come!

Thanks!
The Cee List

South Beach Florida

U.S.A.

Overview

South Beach is the American Riviera, Hollywood of the East, Sobe, or the Art Deco District - whatever you call it, Miami's South Beach is hot year-round. The embodiment of excess, South Beach is an international playground offering non-stop nightlife, sandy shores, unique architecture and plenty of eye candy.

Tourists and natives alike flock to Ocean Boulevard. Wild street parties, neon-lit buildings and raucous nightclubs are much of the norm and luxury cars cruise up and down the strip where many come to enjoy the scene more often than the cuisine.

When imagining the South Beach scene, think "Baywatch"with an architectural twist ... even the lifeguard stands are art deco masterpieces. The long, man-made beach stretches up the Atlantic for miles and is perfect for early morning runs. The beach is also about the best spot to view the city lights at night. Tourists, however, are drawn to South Beach for the culture. The city is a melting pot of nationalities. The Latin-American population has profoundly affected the area, and the diversity of the community is apparent in the various ethnic neighborhoods, food and music.

Beautiful people, staying at boutique hotels and lazing on the sand, but all had to be done to bring you the best of "The Best." So slip on your shades, pack your party pants and get ready for some fun in the sun.

My personal thought... I wouldn't want to live there because the humidity is like a SAUNA. Its a perfect vacation spot at arm reach.

southbeach-usa.com
travelandleisure.com/cityguides/miami

Los Angeles California

Get to know Los Angeles and you'll see how it transcends its Hollywood-and-palm-trees cliches. In its sprawl you’ll find some of the most exciting nightlife and restaurants in the country, plus the highest-end shopping and the edgiest design hotels. Rent a convertible and tour with us: our L.A. Destination Guide has the insider tips and recommendations you’ll need to plan a trip—you’ll find maps, articles, and travel deals, as well as up-to-date listings for the best L.A. hotels and restaurants.

Personal Thoughts...Very beautiful but kind of boring after a few days...lol

travelandleisure.com