Time's Up for Time Out

One of the side effects of the tension in Lebanon recently is that people are unwilling to invest in many areas of the country's economic life. As a result, businesses are going to the wall. Sadly, this happened to the magazine I work for, Time Out Beirut, yesterday. It's closed - hopefully just for the next few months - but it's hard to see how it will be able to come back, even online, if the current uncertainty continues. Essentially, very few companies are able or willing to pay for print advertising. Without advertising, it becomes harder to print the magazine as sales alone cannot keep it afloat. We were all set to print the Christmas Listings issue - to complement the website - but with major advertisers pulling out after the assassination of Pierre Gemayel the owners had no real choice but to close. There were only five of us working full time - but obviously everyone has to find new jobs; not easy in the current climate.

So I am starting my second attempt at having a career break three weeks earlier than planned. Politically, it's likely to be eventful. There's an indefinite sit-in starting tomorrow in Downtown - massively disrupting business down there. Hopefully it will be peaceful, but with tensions running so high and nerves being as frayed as they are, it's anyones guess as to what will happen next...