Above are the statistics of total adult smokers of tobacco, rated through percentage of total adult smokers. It says:

1. Yemen 44.50%
2. Turkey 44.00%
3. Lebanon 40.50%
4. Jordan 29.00%
5. Israel 28.50%
6. Cyprus 23.10%
7. Iraq 22.50%
8. Qatar 18.80%
9. Kuwait 15.60%
10. Bahrain 14.60%
11. Oman 8.50%

As for approximate average number of cigarettes smoked per adult per year:

1. Kuwait 3,062
2. Turkey 2,394
3. Bahrain 2,179
4. Israel 2,162
5. Jordan 1,832
6. Iraq 1,430

I really hate smoking. This one of the issues that we really need to try to solve.

[Source: World Health Organization, via NationMaster.com]

I really, really hate it when I’m with someone and they start talking on the phone. I just think its the pinnacle of rudeness, although I know that you can’t really not answer your phone when it rings…
“Mass Distraction” is a project that tackles and tries to solve this problem.
The project included 3 jackets that challenge the experience of balancing your attention between the friend right next to you and the person calling your mobile phone.

Article as quoted from Cool Hunting, “The three jackets: Hood Jacket, Coin Jacket and Game Jacket each force an awareness of both the caller and the person in your physical presence.

The Hood Jacket In this jacket there is a mobile phone. In order to answer the phone, close the hood completely. The phone call continues, if you don’t try to open the hood.

The Coin Jacket In this jacket there is a mobile phone. In order to answer the phone, insert a coin in the upper-left pocket. The phone call continues, if you don’t stop to put the coin in the pocket.

The Game Jacket In this jacket there is a mobile phone and a videogame. In order to answer the phone, hand the game to your friend. The phone call lasts as long as he keeps on playing.”

[via the delicious Cool Hunting]

Oh, my God!
Aretha Franklin’s “I Will Survive” is one of my all-time favorite songs, and I never thought that it could be good in Arabic as well. I was really, really pleased when I heard the Arabic version of “I Will Survive”, called “Helweh Il Hayat”, sung by the cast of Star Academy. It’s actually a job well done! I also love how they added an Arabic flair to the music.
Bahaa’ has an amazing voice, most suitable for such a strong song.
To listen to “Helweh Il-Hayah”, go here. To view the rest of the songs sung by Star Academy, and to have the option to download this song, go here.

[via AraBlog]

Talk about gorgeous! I do wish someone would undertake such a project to beautify Amman’s unhospitable asphalts. It’s also a print that I can finally use those lino pads for!

Wow. This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I’m not a huge fan of astronomy, but these photographs are just mind-blowing. Courtesy of Stefan Seip, IT consultant by day and intrepid astronomy photog by night.
I have always lived in huge, over-populated cities, so I consider myself lucky when I get a glimpse of a few stars at night. Once when I was a kid, we were coming back from Petra a little past midnight, and the stars filled the sky. It was the first and last time I ever see a real night sky.

To look at the rest of the amazing photographs, go to
this website.

This is such a creative idea! I think that these belts, when worn as a separate item with jeans or whatever, would look really funky and unique. These belts also look amazing together as one item, its a piece of art. It’s an extremely innovative approach to selling limited items. I’m sure each costs a fortune though.