The life is good thread.

[[BTF]adam]

Quitting is not going so easy. I thought i'd limit myself to 5 a day but ended up smoking 6 yesterday, then about 6 rollups already today because i'm out of straights. I'll get there, when I start training properly again i'll get annoyed with the lung capacity and be like phuck this.

in other news, my girl and I are going sooo well it's crazy, sometimes I feel like I don't really deserve this and start freaking out because it's been soooo long since I've actually been happy on a regular basis, but she grounds me and reminds me and everything is wonderful again. I am however, so terrible at games now. It's embarassing!

Smileeeeeee on!

[haunted]

Girlfriend's that smoke cigs can be a bad influence, I have been through 3-4 of them...

Nicotine has never been addictive to me, whatsoever, no matter how many years I've smoked or how many packs I smoke a day.  So yeah, I usually just smoke when women around me that do and I'm drunk these days. When I kiss them it isn't as nasty that way.

[|iR|Focalor]

I suppose that works both ways. 2 of my ex's were definitely only "occasional" smokers when we first met. But as things progressed, and since I was a chainsmoker... they picked up the habit full time too. And when we broke up, both of those bitches stopped smoking almost immediately.

Also used to work with a guy who was a smoker for probably 30 years and some change. He was smoking those Marlboro Ultra Lights though, and those are about as mild as you can possibly get without smoking something like those old Kent cigarettes. Dunno if they even make them anymore, but the couple of times I got them as a teenager, they were like smoking air, not much smoke to them at all. Anyway, he was probably 45 or a little older and was starting to have some really minor health problems, so he wanted to quit before things got any worse. He'd do pretty good some days, but I guess he'd be around me smoking like a chimney all day and those cravings would just be too much for him, and every few days he'd come into work smoking again and cussing himself for not being able to stay quit. I kinda felt bad about it after a while and tried to cut down on smoking myself, or at least only smoke where he couldn't see me do it.

[ex]

Addiction is a crappy thing for sure.  The best way I've found to beat back addiction is to replace it with another chemically-involved stimulus that is good for you.  Here's where exercise comes in.  Exercise releases endorphins (the feel-good chemicals) as well as balances all other chemical levels, and helps you maintain a good life.  I read that just 5 minutes of walking daily will cut down by 50% your chances of developing mental illnesses and deterioration.  Now just imagine what it does when you do more than that!

I've found that getting to the gym 3-4 days a week, 1 1/2 to 2 hours on workout days keeps your body in very good health.  Lots of weights, and a good amount of cardio as well.  Do that and you'll feel little need for those death sticks. 

TBH I've even "stopped" smoking weed because of the breathing troubles it causes.  Not totally stopped, but I usually only smoke once every 1-3 months nowadays simply because I don't like how it clogs my airways.  Of course, that one time usually consists of a couple days of non-stop smoking just to have a stoned-out party. 

But yeah, cigarettes are the devil in its purest form.  The "high" they give only lasts while you're smoking them from what I've heard, and you're needing another one as soon as you're able to breathe again (if breathing troubles aren't there, you chainsmoke like no tomorrow).  Not really worth it IMHO.  The human body is not designed to inhale (and hold) smoke.  Knowing our biological background and repulsion from smoke in our natural state, it's amazing we're able to do it at all, actually.

[The Dreaming Dragon]

TBH I've even "stopped" smoking weed because of the breathing troubles it causes.  Not totally stopped, but I usually only smoke once every 1-3 months nowadays simply because I don't like how it clogs my airways.  Of course, that one time usually consists of a couple days of non-stop smoking just to have a stoned-out party.  .

Its somewhat what way you smoke weed that gives you trouble as well. If I have a lot,I'd go for a medium sized joint. A well rolled joint acts like its own filter with smoke drifting through the dense resin-y buds before getting to your lungs. Otherwise I'd prefer a short easy to clean pipe,with plenty of screens at hand.Broken up buds just fine enough to burn evenly,yet not enough to fly into your throat through the screen unfired. I've had elaborate pipes,hookas and bongs,and they just trap the tar residue in various unpleasant ways,and suddenly you have to suck on the pipe so hard just to get smoke out of it at all its so clogged,and a squirt of molten tar lands on your tongue. And forget those hookas with those long nozzles...impossible to clean. A small pipe with well open air passage,and no curlybits that would make anything less than boiling it in water to lossen the gunk a waste of time cleaning it. I had a steel one that could be disassembled easily and took screens well. Unfortunately I have only a glass pipe atm and its bad at booth holding screens and high maintenance. Or you can forget smoking at all and try cooking with it.

I also used to smoke clove cigarettes...sweetheavy smoke that I heard makes little ulcer holes in your lungs,but has a nice lingering buzz from it,and the smoke keeps the mousquitoes away as well. New Jersey doesn't sell them,and New York has convinced themselves that it was a Gateway Drug and noone sells them there anymore.A friend from Texas mailed me 4 packs that I made last nearly half a year. I'd smoke one a day,maybe 2 if i was forced to leave the house on some errand that required a long walk,but I'd treat myslef to one on my 10:30PM  walk to work,ears full of my favorite MP3sand one would last nearly the whole 25 minutes it takes me to get there.
Walk in the door with a nonchalance and indifference to whatever mountains of work I'd deal with that night,and a taste of tar like sugar on my lips. I understand the whole Smoker's Way,and understand the pleasure of the act of smoking. But I'd stay clear of the Marboros and such such:they were designed to be addicting,and there are far better things to smoke.

[|iR|Focalor]

But I'd stay clear of the Marboros and such such:they were designed to be addicting,and there are far better things to smoke.

In another thread, I discussed how they cured 95% of all tobacco for American brands of cigarettes. They flue cure it by hanging the leaves in a large room where they pump in hot dry air and wood fire smoke from whatever choice woods they pick for the blend as well as whatever additives they mix in with the wood to further "flavor" the curing leaves. They also pump in ammonia fumes which helps the leaves to retain more potent levels of nicotine that might otherwise evaporate during the normal process of curing it. So just imagine that. What you're smoking has been hanging in a room filled with noxious ammonia fumes. Good shit, huh!?! I'm not 100% sure, but I think this process also somehow changes the state of the nicotine in the leaves to make it easier to burn and vaporize and thusly... easier for your lungs to absorb more OF it. This is what got the big tobacco companies in deep shit several years back. They were all testifying before congress that they didn't really think or have any reason to believe that nicotine was addictive,... when in reality not only were they lying and they KNEW that it was highly addictive, they were using this ammonia curing process to actually BOOST how addictive their product was.

You should also be aware that this process is not just exclusive to American cigarettes. Even the larger clove cigarette makers use this process. Some of these Indonesian cigarette companies are subsidiaries of American companies, so they do the same things. Dunno what brand you're smoking, but I'm pretty sure the ones like Djarum and Sampoerna do it too. Cloves are worse for your lungs because not only does the tobacco tar up your lungs, but the cloves also produce a smoke that irritates the living shit out of lung tissue and causes lesions and ulcers and bleeding if you use it often enough. I used to smoke them every now and then until the girlfriend I was dating at the time started complaining about the smell. We'd be in my car driving somewhere and I'd light one up and she'd start going PMS on me because she said the smell was the worst thing she'd ever smelled in her life. And she was a smoker too.

I'm sure there are a few Indonesian cloves that don't contain ammonia cured tobacco. These will undoubtedly burn 2 and 3 times longer than something like a Marlboro or a Camel cigarette. There is one fairly popular American based tobacco company that doesn't use this process though. American Spirit cigarettes prides themselves on making "additive-free" cigarettes. I've tried them a couple of times. They do burn a lot longer than other American cigarettes, and if you're a long-time smoker who's used to smoking Marlboros and Camels, you can instantly tell that you aren't inhaling the same levels of nicotine. After you smoke full flavored American cigarettes at a rate of a pack or more per day for a long time, it's nearly impossible to get any kind of a buzz from smoking any cigarette anymore, but you can still somehow tell you aren't getting nicotine fix as fast as you would with another cigarette. Anyway, I kinda enjoyed the additive-free flavor of them, but they were just too damned expensive for me to smoke regularly. Dunno how much they cost a pack these days, but back then they were probably a dollar more per pack than Marlboro.

[ex]

TBH I've even "stopped" smoking weed because of the breathing troubles it causes.  Not totally stopped, but I usually only smoke once every 1-3 months nowadays simply because I don't like how it clogs my airways.  Of course, that one time usually consists of a couple days of non-stop smoking just to have a stoned-out party.  .

Its somewhat what way you smoke weed that gives you trouble as well. If I have a lot,I'd go for a medium sized joint. A well rolled joint acts like its own filter with smoke drifting through the dense resin-y buds before getting to your lungs. Otherwise I'd prefer a short easy to clean pipe,with plenty of screens at hand.Broken up buds just fine enough to burn evenly,yet not enough to fly into your throat through the screen unfired. I've had elaborate pipes,hookas and bongs,and they just trap the tar residue in various unpleasant ways,and suddenly you have to suck on the pipe so hard just to get smoke out of it at all its so clogged,and a squirt of molten tar lands on your tongue. And forget those hookas with those long nozzles...impossible to clean. A small pipe with well open air passage,and no curlybits that would make anything less than boiling it in water to lossen the gunk a waste of time cleaning it. I had a steel one that could be disassembled easily and took screens well. Unfortunately I have only a glass pipe atm and its bad at booth holding screens and high maintenance. Or you can forget smoking at all and try cooking with it.

To me, screens are bad because unless they're one of those glass screens, you're smoking metal.  Doesn't matter how lightly you hit it, you're still inhaling fucking metal, which is deadly.  Also smoking out of a metal pipe is just as deadly, very toxic for you.  Bad decision IMHO.

Now a small simple Pyrex glass pipe is actually the best.  Small, so you don't have to waste a bunch of money on one, and Pyrex glass, because Pyrex can handle very high temperatures without putting toxic shit in you like metal pipes will.  What's great is if you spend a mere $5-$10 on one of these, when it gets too clogged you just bust it apart and buy a new one.  No loss there.  And you have some leftover resin saved for dipshits that want to come over and get high on your weed (give 'em that shit, they'll be high as fuck).

As far as actual weed goes, joints are gay for smoking weed.  I never get shit that I can't smoke out of a little glass pipe, it's just not worth it wasting my time like that.  Some dro with hash (non-opium) on top, or just some really killer corn (middies) or some spectacular dro by themselves is great for smoking.  But just average middies or reggie is a waste of time to roll up joints of.  You don't get fucking high on them, it's bullshit.


edit:  You know it's funny you guys bring up clove cigarettes.  As a non-smoker, I've noticed cloves smell sweet as fuck (almost sugary) and I'm inclined to want to try one whenever someone's smoking one around me.  It's funny that Foc's ex-gf couldn't stand them...I always loved that smell, reminded me of some sort of really nice incense.  But truth be told, I've never smoked a cigarette in my life, much less a clove, so I might change my mind once I hit it.

I've always noticed what smelled good vs. bad, even being a non-smoker.  Black & Milds, some flavored blunts (grape especially), and cloves all have a very sugary "good" smell to them which I can actually stand being around, unlike most cigarettes which smell like toxic death and choke the air out of the room you're in.

You know what?  I've smoked blunts (Swisher sweets) with weed in them before.  Hollow them out and remove the tobacco strip so it's just the outside hull with the flavoring on it, pack it full of dro or some corn, and I can smoke it.  It doesn't tear my throat up too bad compared to leaving the tobacco strip in.  I feel like my tounge is wearing a coat the next morning if I leave it in.   

[|iR|Focalor]

I always smoked the Djarum Black's. I can't really say much about the taste because at the time I was also smoking 2 packs of Kools a day, which are about the harshest menthol cigarette out there. If you're used to smoking something like Marlboro Lights, the first drag off a Kool will literally feel like someone threw a baseball as hard as they could and hit you dead center in the chest and knocked the wind outta you, probably the best way I know to describe the ass whooping that a strong cig you ain't used to feels like. Anyway, smoking 2 packs of killer Kools a day completely annihilates your taste buds, so as I was saying, I don't remember much about the taste of them other than they definitely irritated my tongue and lungs after smoking several of them. I don't really remember them tasting sweet, although they did leave a bit of a sweet afterflavor on my lips that I could taste if I'd lick my lips after smoking one. But they didn't really give off a sweet smell while smoking them. I suppose it didn't help that I was smoking Kools in between clove cigarettes too. Kools leave a hideous disgusting smell on your clothes and in your hair if you smoke a lot. For some reason, menthols just have a tendency to have that trademark nasty old man smoker smell, and Kools were always the worst about it. I'd rate Newports about as strong as Kools, and for some reason, even Newports weren't as bad about leaving that nasty after-smell in my clothes. So if I had to describe the scent they gave off while smoking them... it'd probably be something like a really funky cigar scented incense. And since cigars tend to smell like absolute disgusting SHIT to most women, it's understandable that she thought they smelled like ass.

You mention Black & Milds. My ex actually liked when I'd smoke those. She WAAAAY preferred it when I'd smoke those as opposed to cloves. Then again, Black & Milds are filled with pipe tobacco. It's a lot more moist, but I highly doubt that kinda pipe tobacco is any less deadly than American cigarette tobacco. There's a HUGE difference in smell from a burning cigar containing all-natural sun cured leaves with zero additives and the smell of burning pipe tobacco. Pipe tobacco is definitely more pleasant smelling, but I don't see how in the world it can smell so differently from natural cigar smoke without having tons of "extra" (ie really bad) stuff in it.

[ex]

So what's worse, Kools menthols or American Spirits?   

[[BTF]adam]

so i'm making my cup of tea, sorting out my cereal and rapping along to a nerdy rap song about league of legends, I did not realise my family was awake standing behind me in hysterics as I merrily rapped along to this. I am not impressed, life is NOT good. Where's my cigarettes!

 

[|iR|Focalor]

So what's worse, Kools menthols or American Spirits?   

Depends on what you like. I used to like smoking the stoutest menthols because I liked the cool burn it produced deep down in the lungs after smoking some dope. I used to smoke weed like a moron though, I'd always take huge hits and hold it in until I was damn near turning blue. Smoking it like that would always burn up my lungs and irritate the hell out of them, and it didn't help that I was smoking 2 packs of full flavor menthols a day too, so I'd always be hoarse as fuck and hacking my head off. These days when I toke up, I take it a lot easier. I take smaller puffs and try not to hold it in so long so it won't fuck my lungs up so harsh. I also don't smoke ALL DAY EVERYDAY like I used to either.

But these days if I had my choice between the two, I'd probably smoke American Spirits. Not really into menthols anymore. On the rare occasion when I do fuck up and do something stupid like buy myself a pack of smokes, I usually go with Marlboro 100's or Marlboro Light 100's. They actually taste like cigarettes. Since I've quit smoking regularly, I've been able to actually taste the cigarettes I smoke since my sinuses and throat aren't coated with shit from smoking full-time anymore. I can actually tell a HUGE difference between the taste of Camel and Marlboro. Camels taste like SHIT. It's like nothing but a complete burning paper flavor. It's like smoking a rolled up piece of newspaper. Don't get me wrong, Marlboro's taste like shit too, especially now that I'm not a smoker. It's weird how that happened. When you smoke all the time, that shit coats the whole inside of your fucking head and you can't really taste how awful it is anymore. Once you quit for a good while, that shit cleans out of you. And then the first time you light up again... you actually taste all that the shit has to offer. And if you really pay attention to it, you find that the taste ain't nearly as wonderful as you remembered.

But then again... what the fuck do I know about "taste". I dip snuff. Most people think smokeless tobacco tastes like chewing on a horse turd.

But to get back on topic... yeah, life is good. Been a pretty crazy summer so far, but business has been great. Had a friend blow in from out of town who I haven't seen in eons. Been pretty cool showing him around town and catching up on old times, talking about the good old days and all the hell we used to raise, remembering old friends, talking about the crazy shit that's happened between then and now. The older you get, the more you find out how much you really take life for granted. You have so many fond memories of the past. Back then when the shit was happening, it was just another day on the calendar. It ain't until later when you remember those times that they become something truly special to you. So the older I get, the more I try to slow the fuck down and look around and take everything in and just plain old ENJOY LIFE and realize that the here and now is special too. Gotta recognize that and keep it in mind at all times, because it can all change in a minute.

[haunted]

I don't like menthol, the only applicability I've found with it is with one of those camel crushes. When you smoke it and it's nothing down to the nasty short, I like crushing it and taking a drag or two to finish off. . . otherwise, I don't really enjoy air conditioning my lungs with menthol.

american spirits all day in that comparison, kools blow.

[|iR|Focalor]

I sent my old lady to the store one day with a Camel coupon, told her to pick me up a pack of Camel blue 99's (what used to be Camel Light 100's, they got new names for everything now). She doesn't smoke so I gotta be specific. I tell her "MAKE SURE THEY ARE THE LONG ONES. IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE BLUES, GET THE REGULARS IN THE BROWN PACK, JUST MAKE SURE THEY'RE THE LONG ONES." What does she come back with? A pack of those fucking menthol Camel Crush things. I fucking HATE those little girly fucking things. I was so pissed I could've wrung her damn neck. Her defense was, "Well, it's got some blue on the pack, and thats all they had." Was a nice huge fight over it. Kinda sorta had the same fight before over what kinda dip she buys me. One time she went shopping and said they were out of my usual Grizzly wintergreen, so she got a few cans of the Grizzly mint thinking that mint and wintergreen are similar enough. Nah. Not at all. That mint shit is terrible. Snuff should NEVER come in mint, that shits just heresy in my opinion. I'll take mint flavored toothpaste, I'll take mint flavored chewing gum, I'll take mint flavored mints... but I don't want my chaw tasting anything like some shit I'd brush my teeth with. The first time she did it, I wasn't upset over it really. I never tried it before, that's all they had, no biggie. But after the first can of it, I specifically told her not to buy that crap for me anymore, and if they're out of my usual shit just get another brand of wintergreen. But then a month or two later she goes to the same store that never stocks my Grizzly wintergreen and she comes home with a whole 5 can roll of the mint shit again. Women... ya know, they can remember all the horrible shit you've done and bring it up 2 years later in a completely irrelevant argument, but they can't remember what I say about buying my tobacco.