Help me form my own opinion. You guys have always been a source of inspiration and guidance on tough matters, and this is definitely one of those moments.

Last Week’s Poll

The results are somewhat astonishing. Only 28% would never try it, while 39% smoke up regularly, 19% have tried it once or twice and the remaining 13% wouldn’t mind trying it….

So, I guess this is one of the few local industries which the majority of Lebanese people (or at least readers of this blog) encourage generously.

Perhaps the most divisive subject in many of the world’s cities is whether or not marijuana should be legalized, or at least the ineffective zero-tolerance policy most nations adopt be amended. With the trillions of dollars spent on the “War on Drugs”, drug abuse has only gone up, making it an epic failure. Countries where marijuana is decriminalized, such as the Netherlands, have among the lowest levels of drug abuse in the world, while the US with one of the most tough drug laws, leads the world in drug abuse. But a less-known and more recent successful example is Portugal, with its drug abuse levels dropping 50% in the 10 years after decriminalization. Canada is on track to legalize marijuana in the coming weeks as well, with public polls suggesting the approval rating of such a move are over 80% in liberal parts of the country, and a staggering 60% in more conservative parts.

As for Lebanon, I remember 5 years back, when one said “hashash” it was equated with vile things such as rapist and murderer (legally, it still is). Today, it is the butt of most jokes and the word is less-associated with negative connotations. We also hear of widespread use of marijuana in Lebanon, especially among the youth of the country. But, here this post is just to gather an approximate estimate of how many Lebanese youth actually do smoke Hashish. It is for a massive post I’m preparing about the history, present and probably future of Hashish in one of the world’s oldest and finest producer of Hashish.

• Lebanon has been growing cannabis for centuries, with notoriety for some of the best crop in the world (very high-quality Lebanese Red and Blonde Hashish)
• During the Lebanese Civil War, Lebanon produced 1,000 tonnes of Hashish resin every year, amounting to 500 million USD in profits for one of Lebanon’s most under-developed regions (the Bekaa)
• Hashish was legal in Lebanon before its prohibition in 1926
• 1000 square meters of Hashish yields 1,000USD for the farmer, while the same amount of wheat yields 50USD only
• Drug lords in Lebanon have enough wealth, firepower and influence over the government that the corresponding authorities don’t even bother to pursue them, only lower members of the cartels
• From 1991, every year, the Lebanese government goes on a mission to destroy cannabis fields in the Bekaa, which are widely seen as a failure after only 17 million USD of the UNDP’s estimated 300 million USD needed to develop the Bekaa enough to stop the cannabis industry were raised by 2001
• People convicted of abusing Hashish, get sent to jail, and many come out veteran heavy drug abusers seeing how they’re incarcerated with inmates convicted of much more serious crimes like rape, murder and heroin/cocaine addicts. Add to that the unimaginably corrupt correction system in Lebanon, and you get a massive crack house we call Roumieh Prison.

Anyway, this is just a very small part of much larger post on Hashish in Lebanon. I know many of you might feel uncomfortable talking about this, but I feel the elephant in the room should be addressed.

CAUTION: the poll is completely anonymous, chances of your vote being traced back to you is virtually 0, so don’t worry about being honest if you do smoke. And even if for some reason someone was specifically monitoring you at that precise time, it is inadmissible legally.

BUT, make sure your comments are anonymous as well (don’t sign in with Facebook/Wordpress/Twitter). Remember, Hashish is illegal in Lebanon and if you use it, and make that information available online, you could risk getting in trouble.

Check here for last week’s poll

courtesy of www.skileb.com

With well over 4.5 meters of snow accumulated at the Cedars ski resort, and more still falling, it’s fair to ask which of you guys and gals will be up on the slopes this semester break!

Last Week’s Results

So more than 31% of you already have tattoos, and only 5.71% have had enough! Guess it really is addictive… As for the rest, 27.41% are open to getting inked while the rest are completely against it. My, if only my grandma knew so many of today’s youth “desecrate” god’s creation =P

Simple question, do you have a tattoo? If so, do you want more? If not, will you ever get one?

Last Week’s Results

It’s clear that when it comes to playlists and shows, Radio One is on top, and that, I agree with. However, MixFM’s heavy presence in the events department pushed many to vote for them. So, in pure terms of a “radio station”, Radio One came out on top and when it come to event organization, MixFM was king.

My favorite shows? Gavin Ford in the morning and Dave Asher on NRJ! I toggle between them in the morning.

Note, in a previous poll, Light FM was you guys’ favorite station (at 32%). This poll is to settle it between these 3

All three radio stations have been spamming us with hour-long ads on why they’re the “official number one” But which one really is? Let us know and tell us why!

The BDS chapter in Lebanon is planning to protest and boycott NYE-1 tonite, read more here and vote!

We all finished our Christmas shopping. If you haven’t, well sir/madame, you are screwed! Good luck with the traffic and if you manage to get to a mall or souk, good luck in finding a parking spot!

Anyway, in my search for the best present for each person in my life, a LOT of options popped up in mind. I’d have to say my most popular choice was books, because you can find one that suits every person. I did my fair share of accessory and electronics shopping too though.

So, let us know what kind of items you buy for your loved ones, and maybe share why too!

Christmas: A Universal Holiday

Well, a few weeks back I was trolling on Facebook and suggested that Christmas was in fact no longer a truly Christian holiday, but in fact a universal one pushed by what many believe is the kind of world and economy we live in.

I for one believe Christmas is an excuse to be good, charitable and very jolly. Everyone seems to pitch in, we give time or money to charities and we’re all happy about all the good food, family and friends and of course the presents! Whether or not Jesus Christ was born on the same day over 2000 years ago is really irrelevant and isn’t really the driver of all this goodwill and cheer. That’s what I believe at least, feel free to disagree.

Will You Be Celebrating Christmas (Christians, Non-Christians and Non-Believers Versions

I for one definitely will be. I celebrate it because it brings the whole family together, because it makes everyone a wee bit more selfless, because the gigot is awesome, because of the gifts, because of the cheesy but heart-warming Christmas carols

Faraya and Michel Hayek Tie

Seems like most of you guys are going to spend it watching TV or in a chalet in Faraya… Looks like I need to prepare a post about upcoming NYE celebrations!

I’ve been spending NYE in chalets in Faraya for a long time. I generally utterly despise every single New Year’s Celebration there, because everyone is usually drunk well before midnight and by then fast asleep or sitting in front of the  toilet seat. Also, if you’re not playing cards, you’re probably plotting how to have sex with someone who might or might not know you exist. The music also sucks, with everyone wanting to pitch in with “their favorites” which are all coincidentally horrible and non-compatible with each other.

Now that I’ve vented out my frustration, I’m gonna vote with home, watching Michel Hayek because the NYE parties are always the most-overpriced, yet the worst parties of the year (in general). If I find something worthwhile, I’ll definitely share!

Feyez Shukr or Mustapha Alloush?

I’m sure you’ve watched the above, and if you haven’t or don’t understand Arabic, watch the subtitled video above. Anyway, it’s simple, who would win if Walid Abboud didn’t do his pixie-run and stop them? Or, rather who would you be rooting for?

And by the way, respect for the MTV camera man who zoomed out and made sure we saw everything! Love you man/woman!

iOS Most Common OS

As expected, it was a tight race between Android and iPhone, with Blackberry third in line! I’m still not convinced with the iPhone… Sorry guys =P

I know I’ve asked this before, but the blog’s readership has grown exponentially since then. So, I’d like to ask you guys again about what your phone runs on!

As for Jon Stewart versus Stephen Colbert

So, I know most of you watch these two hilarious pundits/news anchors. Heck, I understand American politics and follow its news through these two. I follow both religiously and find them both extremely hilarious and unbelievably witty. I also adore the sarcasm and tongue-in-cheek-ness they both dish out every day. BUT, let’s find out who’s loved more, and that’s why I didn’t add a “both” option

Last Week’s Results

They were to my liking =P