Smoking
First time caller, I was trying to wade through all the comments but couldn't seem to catch up and decided to jump in. Fascinating discussion, thank you all.
Re: smoking...
I highly recommend if you're going to smoke, roll your own. I smoke a 100-percent additive-free natural tobacco made by American Spirit. For one thing, no additives means a healthier smoke. Having made the switch, I'm convinced I was more "addicted" to the additives than to the tobacco. Just a hunch. All I can is, the "cravings" are much gentler, almost -- but not quite -- a take it or leave it sort of thing.
A $10 pouch (1.41 oz/40g, includes 50 chlorine-free, 100-percent natural flax rolling papers) lasts me 7-8 days (I use more than 50 papers per pouch). And pretty much smoke whenever I want.
I'm smoking LESS. Instead of going through a pack of cigarettes like a bag of potato chips, I roll a smoke, take a few hits, set it down, and it goes out. Fifteen or 30 minutes later, there it is, right where I left it. No more wasted cigarettes.
Less (in fact, hardly any) second-hand smoke (which even as a smoker I find damn annoying).
It SMELLS better. Even non-smokers have said so.
I save and strip the butts. Yes, the tobacco's a little drier, but the taste and satisfaction remains. I can smoke for two days on a film canister of "butt"-tobacco. That's when I feel like I'm really sticking it to the man.
I'm still smoking, but rolling my own has virtually eliminated the urge others may have to bum a cigarette. More money saved.
I'm enjoying it more. Instead of smoking like a mindless drone, I can take a moment and ask myself if I REALLY want another cigarette. Smokers know they smoke a lot of cigarettes they don't really want. It's just a little "too easy" to reach for the pack, shake out a stick, and light up. Now I have to REALLY want a cigarette to take the time to roll one from scratch. Maybe by the end of the day I've stalled on smoking two or three extra cigarettes.
Fact is, I have a lot more respect for tobacco and take a lot of satisfaction from the ritual of rolling my own. Plucking the tobacco to a nice rolling consistency, sprinkling it over the paper just right, making the turn and touching it off with a quick touch of the tongue, trimming and packing the ends. I know, it sounds like a giant pain in the ass (can I say ass?), but you learn to treat the time it takes as part of the sacrament (and pleasure) of smoking. If I'm going out, I'll roll a few in advance. Or not. It's not that big a deal, honestly, the cravings aren't that bad. I won't even bum a manufactured cigarette. That's how inferior they are. I'd rather quit than smoke "store bought."
Bottom line, apropos to the discussion, I've been married 32 years and my wife can't remember the last time I was sick. Personally, I think the 'phlegm' smokers hack up from time to time is filtering out a lot of stuff we don't want in our lungs, like toxic dust particles and chemtrail fall-out.
But, that's just me.
Peace!
First time caller, I was trying to wade through all the comments but couldn't seem to catch up and decided to jump in. Fascinating discussion, thank you all.
Re: smoking...
I highly recommend if you're going to smoke, roll your own. I smoke a 100-percent additive-free natural tobacco made by American Spirit. For one thing, no additives means a healthier smoke. Having made the switch, I'm convinced I was more "addicted" to the additives than to the tobacco. Just a hunch. All I can is, the "cravings" are much gentler, almost -- but not quite -- a take it or leave it sort of thing.
A $10 pouch (1.41 oz/40g, includes 50 chlorine-free, 100-percent natural flax rolling papers) lasts me 7-8 days (I use more than 50 papers per pouch). And pretty much smoke whenever I want.
I'm smoking LESS. Instead of going through a pack of cigarettes like a bag of potato chips, I roll a smoke, take a few hits, set it down, and it goes out. Fifteen or 30 minutes later, there it is, right where I left it. No more wasted cigarettes.
Less (in fact, hardly any) second-hand smoke (which even as a smoker I find damn annoying).
It SMELLS better. Even non-smokers have said so.
I save and strip the butts. Yes, the tobacco's a little drier, but the taste and satisfaction remains. I can smoke for two days on a film canister of "butt"-tobacco. That's when I feel like I'm really sticking it to the man.
I'm still smoking, but rolling my own has virtually eliminated the urge others may have to bum a cigarette. More money saved.
I'm enjoying it more. Instead of smoking like a mindless drone, I can take a moment and ask myself if I REALLY want another cigarette. Smokers know they smoke a lot of cigarettes they don't really want. It's just a little "too easy" to reach for the pack, shake out a stick, and light up. Now I have to REALLY want a cigarette to take the time to roll one from scratch. Maybe by the end of the day I've stalled on smoking two or three extra cigarettes.
Fact is, I have a lot more respect for tobacco and take a lot of satisfaction from the ritual of rolling my own. Plucking the tobacco to a nice rolling consistency, sprinkling it over the paper just right, making the turn and touching it off with a quick touch of the tongue, trimming and packing the ends. I know, it sounds like a giant pain in the ass (can I say ass?), but you learn to treat the time it takes as part of the sacrament (and pleasure) of smoking. If I'm going out, I'll roll a few in advance. Or not. It's not that big a deal, honestly, the cravings aren't that bad. I won't even bum a manufactured cigarette. That's how inferior they are. I'd rather quit than smoke "store bought."
Bottom line, apropos to the discussion, I've been married 32 years and my wife can't remember the last time I was sick. Personally, I think the 'phlegm' smokers hack up from time to time is filtering out a lot of stuff we don't want in our lungs, like toxic dust particles and chemtrail fall-out.
But, that's just me.
Peace!
