Lebanon, Beirut -- In Lebanon, you're never far from the whiff of cigarette smoke. In restaurants and cafes, on the streets, in the airport and even in elevators, Lebanese delight in lighting up. The World Health Organization says Lebanon has one of the highest smoking rates in the world. CNN's Schams Elwazer reports I would love to see a "No Smoking" Lebanon but I doubt that will ever happen in my lifetime. On a side…

Brilliant Beirut, Article by Jonathan Ford, co-founder of PearlFisher, a design company. Here are few excerpts: In my third piece about the foreign creative influences that all designers should be aware of when looking for a fresh perspective, I'm going to talk about THE place that has left THE biggest impression on me recently: Beirut, Lebanon - a city with more texture than diamond-studded sandpaper. Brands - some local - are emerging everywhere and there's…