Lela Uncensored

Disclaimer: I support the abolition of all monarchies and hope to live to the day all countries will become republics First, there was Wallis Simpson, the infamous two-times divorcée American socialite who robbed the British Monarchy of Edward VIII. In 1953, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary became Elizabeth, Queen of England, succeeding her father, Edward’s brother. Four years later, one of Hitchcock’s famous blondes, Grace Kelly, gave up her Hollywood career to marry Monaco’s prince, becoming a real life princess. Then came along Diana: aristocratic, young, peachy cheeks, pink pretty, virginal, silent, obedient, Diana, the eighteen-year-old child bride of Charles, Prince of Wales. Diana was never supposed to become a media sensation. She was a princess of Wales, the wife of the heir apparent of the British throne. All she had to do was deliver an heir and its spare, stand a step away from her husband, wave graciously to the crowds, nod or smile when proper, speak when spoken t...

Exactly one week tonight (I wrote it on the one week anniversary of the loss), Lebanon got kicked out of the FIBA Asia Cup by none other than Iran! As if losing the quarter finals despite home court advantage and a stadium filled with Lebanese fans wasn’t enough, it had to be against the Islamic Republic of Iran.    While the Lebanese team’s overall performance and the lack of fighting spirit raise some suspicious questions, I will rise above the conspiracy theories and stick to proven facts. It’s true that the Lebanese selection had the home court advantage but the Iranian one had the advantage of being purely Iranian. Indeed, all of the players and their coach are Iranians who wanted a victory for their nation. On the other hand, one of the main players of the Lebanese team is actually a 24-year-old naturalized Antiguan (and American) who spent the championship proving that you don’t have to be relevant to retain a place among the starting five. This leads us t...

The concept of role model is credited to Robert K Merton who came up with the expression in 1947. The Webster’s dictionary defines role model as a person whose behavior in a particular role is imitated by others . Dictionary.com defines it as a person whose behavior, example, or success is or can be emulated by others, especially by younger people . The Collins English Dictionary gives a similar definition, going for a person regarded by others, especially younger people, as a good example to follow . The American Heritage Stedman’s Medical Dictionary gives a rather scientific definition. A role model is a person who serves as a model in a particular behavioral or social role for another person to emulate . Finally, our last resource, The American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy opts for a longer definition illustrated with examples: a role model is a person who serves as an example of the values, attitudes, and behaviors associated with a role. ...

In the epilogue of his book Jeffrey Toobin summarizes the civil trial (1997) at the end of which Orenthal James Simpson was found liable for the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. And while one would think OJ Simpson would silently disappear in the land of criminals who got away with murder, the verdict was the beginning of another trial starring the unapologetic ex American football player. Ordered to pay nearly 35 million dollars to the families of his two victims, OJ claimed bankruptcy. Today, he owes them as much as 58 millions. Among the possessions Simpson gave away to avoid them being seized by the Goldman's lawyers were the trove of items OJ will stand trial in 2008 for stealing at gunpoint. At the end of this third trial, OJ was sentenced to 33 years in jail with eligibility of parole in nine year. Shockingly or not so shockingly enough, he was granted parole and becomes eligible for release as early as October first,2017.  In his remarks dur...