Middle East

After Twitter and Facebook helped protesters topple regimes in Egypt and Tunisia, embattled governments in Libya and elsewhere know to keep an eye on the popular social networks. So in Libya, tech-savvy revolutionaries have moved to a less obvious social site: one catering to online dating.

Making sure to always be one step ahead of the regime, opposition leader Omar Shibliy Mahmoudi created a profile on the matchmaking site Mawada and began exchanging love letters with supporters using coded language. Since I doubt Muammar Gaddafi is reading TrèsSugar, here are some of the code phrases:

• "And the same to you, I hope you call me" means "We're ready to begin."
• "I want love" translates to "I want liberty."
• The numbers of "Ls" used in the phrase "I love you" indicates how many people you have with you, so "I LLLLove you" indicates that you have four people with you.
• "My lady, how I want to climb this wall of silence. I want to tell the story of a million hurts . . . But I am lost in a labyrinth . . . Maybe we can meet on Yahoo messenger" is a long way to say, let's take this chat to Yahoo as to not raise suspicions.
• "May your day be full of Jasmine" is a reference to the Jasmine Revolution.

Men and women can't communicate with each other on the dating site, so some men are posing as women, filling out profiles that indicate how much of their faces they cover and whether or not they would find a shared marriage acceptable. Considering Mahmoudi already has 171,000 admirers, and that his strategy made international headlines, I have a feeling the sham love affairs have caught the attention of Gadaffi. But as international pressure builds on the regime, it probably doesn't matter now.

When in Lebanon, eat as one of the Lebanese! That's the philosophy YumSugar member FinnLover had in mind when she headed to the Middle East on a recent backpacking trip.
My husband and I spent the month of July backpacking in the Middle East.  One of the four countries we visited during our trip was Lebanon.  I was really looking forward to discovering the rich food culture there and I was not disappointed.  Every single meal we had in Beirut was amazing. Fresh vegetables, grilled meats, nuts, fresh salty cheeses, olive oil, flat breads... Every meal was like a delicious, healthy feast. Eating Lebanese food in Lebanon was an incredible experience.

Taste a bit of everything she ate when you keep on reading.

An Iraqi politician spoke with female lawmakers today, as the country's parliament tried unsuccessfully to form a majority government. Women make up 25 percent of Iraq's parliament. By comparison, only about 15 percent of members in the US House and Senate are women.

If you loved the Abu Dhabi sets in the sneak peeks of Sex and the City 2 as much as I did, you'll be all about incorporating that exotic look in your own abode. The rich fabrics, intricate designs, and bold color choices are sure to add some spice to your living space. I'd love to mix in some of these pieces for that well-traveled look, since I haven't yet made it to these faraway locales.

Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.

I am not a hero. But I have a point of view. I have a stance. It humiliated me to see my country humiliated; and to see my Baghdad burned, my people killed. Thousands of tragic pictures remained in my head, pushing me towards the path of confrontation.

— Iraqi Muntadhar al-Zaidi reminded the world that he's a journalist yesterday by using powerful words to explain why he decided to throw his shoes at George W. Bush. The emotional statement he released is filled with sad images of war, but it gives some insight into his actions. Zaidi received a hero's welcome when he was released from prison this week.

When Muntadhar al-Zaidi, the man who threw his shoes at George. W. Bush, is released from prison next Monday, he will receive a hero's welcome. The Iraqi journalist has already fielded countless marriage proposals while hanging out in his jail cell. An Iraqi in Morocco offered to send his daughter and women in Saudi Arabia are asking for Zaidi's hand in marriage. One family even said, "We are willing to present him with a bride loaded with gold."

Zaidi's ballsy shoe toss is attracting women — and a lot of swag! His former boss built him a four-bedroom house. In addition, he'll have a new car waiting for him along with thousands of dollars, donated to help pay off his legal bills.

Do you think the Iraqi shoe thrower deserves all the love?