“Lincoln Street a year ago, it was like Beirut”

Once again it seems, a little road maintenance has brought up the “looks like Beirut” comment:

A newly rebuilt section of Lincoln Street on Spokane’s South Hill contains an innovative system for gathering and reusing storm water in Cannon Hill Park.

[...]

The 12-block stretch from 17th to 29th avenues contains a series of “storm gardens” that are filled with small plants and shrubs on what was previously blacktop.

[...]

Lincoln Street was arguably one of the bumpiest arterials in Spokane before the reconstruction, which took $1?million out of a 2004 voter-approved bond issue.

[...]

“Lincoln Street a year ago, it was like Beirut,” [Mike] Taylor, [director of engineering services]  said.

Well Mike, your certificate is on the way.

The recently opened Lincoln Street (Spokane, Washington, USA) which previously "Looked Like Beirut"

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Lynnwood Fire Marshal: “It Looks Like Beirut”

Firefighters in Lynnwood, Washington, USA, had to tackle a major fire at a 40+ year old building earlier this week and Fire Marshal Leroy McNulty has the details:

The Lynnwood Fire Marshal says firefighters had trained several times a year at an apartment building that was destroyed by fire on Monday because of the conditions at the aging LynnView apartments, which were built in 1969.

[...]

McNulty said the type of construction of the building allowed the fire to spread quickly.

“This whole side of the building is nothing but glass; once the glass broke it spread out and all across all the verandas that were on this side of the building,” he said.

McNulty said it’s amazing nobody was hurt in the fire.

“It looks like Beirut,” he said. “And so you look at the damage and you compare it to what could have been, no lives were lost.”

Apparently, the charred remains of a 40 year old building looks like Beirut. Strange, I was in Beirut the weekend before and it didn’t resemble the fire marshal’s comments at all.

A Looks Like Beirut certificate seems well deserved.

Fire Marshal Leroy McNulty: "It looks like Beirut"

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“Would You Move in to a Property that…Looks like Beirut”

The news report begins as any sensationalist American news article would:

There’s an area in Northwest Houston you have to see to believe. The crime is so bad the city of Houston is now fighting a court battle to help get rid of it.

Residents say their community is so overrun with crime the criminals no longer try to hide. They say the criminals have taken over.

The neighborhood is called Tidwell is located close to downtown Houston, Texas. You know there’s going to be “looks like Beirut” comment when you see this:

There’s one abandoned apartment complex after another. Residents compare it to living in a war zone.

And here it comes:

“They’re simply afraid. Would you move in to a property that looks like that across the street? It looks like Beirut” says Tom Miller who owns an occupied apartment complex in the area.

As a result, I’ll have to create two certificates, one for Tom Miller and another for the reporter, Damali Keith, who seems to have been inspired by Tom to use the comparison “living in a war zone”.

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Lebanese Restaurant Takes Turn for the Disgusting

OK, when someone mentions Lebanese restaurant, what do you think of? You probably think of a generally healthy mix of vegetables and starches with your occasional meat, right? Something like this:

House-made Yoghurt and Chickpea Dips (hummus)

At no time what so ever would this cross your mind:

Crave Doughnut Burger comes with doughnut bun and can be found in Astoria, Queens.

A Lebanese burger joint in Astoria, Queens, [New York City], is serving up a quarter-pound cheeseburger on a sugary doughnut bun, complete with slices of halal turkey bacon.

“It sounds pretty gross,” admitted Crave Shack co-owner Firas Zabib, 24. “But it’s different, and it actually does taste good.”

This halal bad boy will set you back US$6.50 (LBP 9,750) and at least 1500 calories.

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“This is Beirut! This is a war zone!”

From Chester, Delaware County, Pennsylvania:

…Chester residents were asking themselves yesterday after the all-too-familiar “pop, pop, pop” of gunshots again rang out in Delaware County’s besieged city – sending a cop to the hospital and a gunman to the morgue.

“This is Beirut! This is a war zone!” Latisha Jenkins said as she sat on a Potter Street porch around the corner from the taped-off crime scene.

Well Latisha, I’ve tried Googling you but I couldn’t come up a specific address though I did find your neighborhood. So, as I told the anonymous person at Lesmurdie Road, please click here and print out your “Looks Like Beirut” Certificate.

PhillyDailyNews: Armor-wearing Chester police get ready to enter house after officer was shot yesterday afternoon.

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