#also i am very aware that cigarettes and tobacco in general are very bad for you and that the industry itself is inherently malicious.

[cringecompilationin480p]

tf2 mercs and the smokes i think they would pick up from a gas station. source: i work at a gas station

reasonings below the cut:

scout: i chose newport red shorts for him because i feel like he would think menthol is for losers. newports to me are a very. basic cigarette. the layman's cig. i also find newports, especially red newports to be a little nasty lol. also i dont see him as much of a cigarette smoker but i do think he smokes every once in a while, esp if hes really stressed out or had a bad match. his 1 box will last him a few months. after a while i think he would switch to newport gold shorts, as theyre lighter.

soldier: i know theres a lot of art of soldier smoking cigars, esp blue soldier. while i don't disagree with that notion, i dont think hes coming into a convenience store and picking up a pack of cigarillos. i went with lucky strike red shorts because theyre an All American cigarette and have been around forever. theyre on the cheaper side as well and he smokes them in Emesis Blue. i didn't go with american spirits because theyre advertised as an "organic" cigarette, and i feel that he would find that to be pretentious and an overall turn off. also american spirits are more expensive.

pyro: i dont think pyro is a tobacco smoker. if the pyro is smoking anything its going to be weed wrapped in a banana backwoods. banana is one of the more strange flavors backwoods has, and i feel like they would go for something on the fruitier side. i also chose backwoods because backwoods fucking rule and the shits look like twigs bc theyre full leaf wraps. i also feel like they would choose banana because none of the other mercs would want to smoke that.

demo: with demo it was more a process of elimination than anything. i dont think he's a cigarette smoker. so i went with a cigarillo because i can so very clearly see him smoking one. i don't think he would go for swishers as a lot of them are fruity, and that doesn't seem up demo's alley. i went with white owl sweets because theyre simple and straight forward, and i feel he would like a pack of sweets. to be honest, im a little shaky on this one, but i don't think anything else would suit him besides like. game greens. to be fair, i don't think he smokes much, and would probably go for something higher quality and hand wrapped if he was smoking a cigar. overall he would get these if he needed something quick and cheap.

heavy: idk about other stores but my store has 1 million dorals and nobody is buying them except for maybe one person every 6 months. heavy is that person. if heavy is smoking anything he's smoking light 100s because i can't see him smoking or liking a rich or full flavor cigarette. also dude is big so he's not getting shorts because they're too small and will be gone in two seconds. these smokes are a mystery to me; i have no idea of the quality or price range. but in my mind i can see him coming up to my counter, asking for these, and leaving without a word.

engie: i almost went with marlboro southern cut for this guy but it felt too on the nose, even if i think he would enjoy the smoke of those. i went with honey bourbon backwoods instead. the flavor seems right up his alley, and i can clearly see him asking for these at a convenience store. as to what he does with them... i can see him smoking them as they come in the package, or using them as a wrap. overall engie looks like he drinks good whiskey, and these cigars look like good whiskey. well... bourbon.

medic: i had a hard time deciding what medic would smoke and went thru all the brands i know of. at first i discounted marlboro because of how commonly bought they are, figuring he would smoke something weirder. but when i came back to it i had figured he would enjoy menthols, and i landed on marlboro menthol blue 100s. he wouldn't go for full flavor, as they would irritate his throat. i feel like smoking these shits would be like sipping cold water after having mint gum. i mean, they're described as "smooth" and "cool." medic is smoking basically spearmint and cold water, but not enough to the point of where he's buying a pack of marlboro ice and its variants of gum package looking cigs.

sniper: i chose cheyenne menthols for him because to me sniper looks like he loves old school shit. the youngest person i have seen come in and buy these has been maybe 40. i don't think he would go for a basic cigarette. cheyennes are box cigars, and a box of these goes for under $3, and typically have more tobacco in them. i feel as if he would enjoy that as well as menthol full flavor, and the smokes themselves are brown instead of white. i can see him smoking a brown looking cigarette so clearly. also the packaging has an outdoorsy look to it lol. basically, i just Know he would go for these. if he was going to go for anything else, he might smoke camel menthol wides. he would also pick up zig zag unbleached cones for his joints.

spy: look we all know spy is smoking that hoity-toity imported french bullshit but if for whatever reason he had to pick up a pack a cigs from a mobil or something it would be parliament blue 100s. i already think he smokes 100s in general, and would go for parliaments because theyre expensive. where im from they sell for like $13 a pack and its always dudes in suits and/or gold chains asking for these things. the packaging isn't an issue here as spy keeps them in a case, but i don't feel like he would turn up his nose at it. overall these are his best option for a gas station cig.

[darkmindsotome]

Risque Rouge pt8

Tagging: @umbralaperture​ @otome-smut-queen @silver-fox-of-azuchi @tsundere-mitsuhide @jennacat84

General warnings for the whole fic: Angst, some fluff, Mental health issues, emotional things, trauma, blood, death and possible triggers. Please read responsibly. 

Darkmindsotome Masterlist

---

Chapter 8

If she had thought the outside of the mansion was impressive the impossibly large entrance was seriously beyond imagining. She had always known that the man who asked to be her sponsor was something of a wealthy man and possibly lived in a grand home, but this was so much more than she dreamt.

White columns and arches sprung up from a lush dark red carpet that held up the floor above. Golden sconces holding tall tapered candles mounted on the walls awaiting lighting. A large glistening central ceiling light that seemed to be powered by electric shone down from on high like a second sun.

Ornate plasterwork, carved balustrade and a large wide staircase completed the space. It was a design that gave both a warm greeting but also displayed wealth without rubbing a guest’s face in it. That feeling of unworthiness loomed over her again as she allowed herself to be led further into the building all too aware of the gap between her world and his.

Rich dark woods and more of that luxurious carpeting continued on into the rest of the mansion on the upper levels. Many doors lined this particular hallway as did the golden accents and motifs. It could have been a very dark choice of décor had it not been for some large arched lead-lined windows draped in swathes of fabric. Light from outside fell on the floor in warm diamonds and squares as they made a turn and went into another section of the property that seemed a little darker by comparison.

“Welcome to my humble abode.” Comte stated as they walked together.

Sebastian had disappeared saying he was going to prepare fresh tea. She couldn’t help but wonder why tea preparations involved a pencil and notebook. As they walked it became even clearer her host was a very generous man. She was told about the different rooms and how she could explore and have use of any of them.

“It's beautiful, I feel like I just stepped into a storybook.” She gave a smile that rivalled the sun outside at his side.

“It pleases me to hear that.” Comte let out a small unnoticed sigh as he hummed with pleasure. There were still trials and tribulations to go through, but for now, his main concern was making sure that his latest guest was comfortable and settled in his home. As she continued to smile looking around like a child struck by wonder and imagination at the mansion, he started to plan how to make her stay with him as perfect as possible. First dresses then --.

“It’s so different from what I’m used to. I really have no idea wha—AH!” His planning came to an abrupt halt as the Princess beaming at his side suddenly vanished. Her entire body tumbled to the ground like a marionette with its strings cut. His paused mid-stride and looked down to see a tangled mess of limbs that may as well have been a depiction of some far-eastern deity.

“Mmm, Loud…” An all too familiar voice from the ground had Comte rolling his eyes and feeling irritated before he even addressed the moving trip hazard that plagued the mansion.

“Leo, what are you doing sleeping in the corridor?” Comte looked down at the man who was running one hand through his messy hair his other holding the fallen girl up preventing her from the carpeting by balancing her on his lap. Her face was blushing red as a peony, a sight that both made him want to chuckle but also seemed to irritate him right now.

“Well I was waiting to see you and I guess I got tired.” Leo gave a nonchalant shrug turning a pair of sleepy eyes towards her and adjusted his arm to aid her in escaping his embrace. “Pardon Signorina.”

She scrambled back to the side of the man she knew to trust her eyes hardly daring to leave the new male who seemed a lot more like one of the patrons in the performing house. His clothes were quality but how they had been applied to him made it seem like he had dressed either in a hurry or found the idea to be simply too much hassle. He seemed to be the complete opposite of the composted and elegant Comte.

“No, it was my fault I wasn’t paying attention.” Evie gave an awkward apology from Comte’s elbow. She seemed even more adorable to him as he reached out his arm to wrap it around her delicate shoulders. It was as much a move to reassure her as it was one to send a clear message.

“Genevieve this is Leonardo. He is an old friend of mine and also one of the guests in the mansion.” Comte shifted his own golden eyes to look at his friend and didn’t miss the playful delicate shimmering under the surface of Leo’s eyes when he looked between the young lady and him. “Leo, Genevieve is to be my new guest here starting today.”

“Ah, well that explains why you have been absent these past few nights.” Leo gave a suggestive wink that worked as he intended and Comte could feel himself bristle at the provocation. Why the man seemed to delight it being a provocative nuisance at times like this was beyond him. The now wide-awake Leonardo gave a semi bow as he bent over and kissed Evie’s hand. “A pleasure to meet you Cara mia.”

“Monsieur.” Evie’s reply came as an automatic reply from a place that was still a kind of bewilderment.

“Just call my Leo, all that Monsieur stuff isn’t necessary.” Leo brushed away her formality as if he were swatting a fly and favoured her with a kind smile. His eyes much closer and clearer now looked a bit like candle flames. The amount of light they seemed to hold was mesmerising in a different way to Comte’s.

“Alright, Leo.” She nodded understanding all to well what it felt like to be called in a manner you felt uncomfortable with. She glanced to her side wondering why after discovering her full name her sponsor had decided to use it. Had she not made it clear she was unused to it or was it a shift he moved into around others that meant he felt obligated to call her a set way? Fine Society was something of a mystery to her thanks to her humbler origins so she didn’t feel she could say for certain one way or another.

“Bene, grazie.” Leo happily nodded giving her a pat on the head that made her feel a little like a pet and then he started to pat down his jacket.

“You said you were waiting for me? Was there something you wished to discuss?” Comte's enquiry seemed to remind Leo of his original intention before the distraction of a new guest. Leo pulled out a tin from his pocket that seemed to contain some sort of tobacco product and pulled out a thicker than a normal looking cigarette.

“It has waited this long, I can wait a while longer. Ciao” Leo shrugged again slipping the tin back in his pocket before turning away from them. He cast his hand up, holding his newly selected cigarillo in his hand and gave a wave over his shoulder as he made his exit.

“What a strange man. Oh, sorry he’s your friend and that was rude of me.” Evie once more realised she had said something that should perhaps not have been spoken aloud. It seemed all too easy for some reason to speak freely around Comte but she had no idea exactly when that had happened. When had she become comfortable enough to forget he was there? Her safe and comforting shadow.

“No, I would agree with you ma petite. Leo is rather a free bird so to speak. He is not a bad man but I could not completely say I would…” Comte stopped short of finishing his word of warning against becoming romantically entangled with his friend finding he neither wished to imagine such a prospect and also became aware as she had that he had started to speak casually around her as well. “Oubliez-le. You need not concern yourself with such things. Right now, we must find your room and you should dress.”

Urging her forward once more with a gentle hand on her back they turned another corner and stopped at a door that seemed exactly the same as every other door they had passed so far. If this was there destination and supposed to be her room, she seriously wondered how she should navigate herself back and forth from it. Was she to be given a map and a compass?

“Dress? And what am I to dress in exactly? I only have a blanket and what used to be a nightgown.” Her tone became a bit more petulant as she asked her questions. She had also become more animated at his side than she had been when they first exited the carriage.

She felt a little stupid for acting like a troublesome child but it was Comte’s reaction to it that grabbed her attention most. He waited patiently for her to finish, with no signs of annoyance or that he was going to dish out a reprimand for being so unladylike. If anything, he seemed rather amused as if this was nothing out of the ordinary. When he was certain she had recovered her composure, he placed his hand on the door handle and turned it.

“I have already prepared some things for you. Remember I told Sebastian that your visit was earlier than planned? I had every intention of at least having you here for tea and gifting you a few items.” He spoke as if he were conversing in general small talk as he wandered into the room and straight up to a wardrobe that took up nearly an entire wall.

“Wha--?” Evie followed looking at the room completely overwhelmed. It was larger than her room in the performing house and looked as elegant as the rest of the building.

All the furniture in here were white and the walls had been painted in pastel shades. A big bay window provided a lot of light, the curtains dropped the full length of the window and pooled on the ground. Extra fabric of a more sheer variety hung over the pole and muted the harsh light. There was a long sideboard with washbasin and jug, covered in a lace cloth.

A white vanity table that looked exactly like her one in the performing house except it had intact gilding and no shoddy repair work. The centrepiece had to be the massive four-poster bed. A deep mattress covered in a large fluffy duvet with a mountain of pillows. The pastel shades of the walls were reflected in the combination of plain fabric, with scalloped edges, on the bed. Instead of curtains attached to the frame of the four posts, there was the same sheer fabric used on the windows wound around them like vines.

“This room gets the light the most. I realise the dresses might not be to your taste, but if you could choose one for the time being, I would happily take you shopping to find more that would suit your own tastes better.” Comte pulled several elegant and very expensive dresses from the vast wardrobe laying them flat on the bed apparently oblivious to her wonder. Her feet moved to his side her hand reaching out to touch the dresses he had selected and her fingertips brushed over fine silk and handmade lace brocade that was a far cry from anything she had experienced before.

“This is… they are all so beautiful. Are you really sure I can wear one?”

“Naturally Ma Cherie. They are all yours after all.” Comte watched admiringly as she traced her fingers delicately over the dresses as if she expected them to evaporate at her touch. This was the moment he enjoyed the most when giving a gift. The expression on her face told a thousand words of wonder and disbelief, and he wanted nothing more than to turn them to reality for her. “I shall be downstairs. There is an ensuite just behind the other door and I shall ask Sebastian to call on you when you are finished.”

Stepping away, after excusing himself, he found he was already feeling her warmth slipping away from him and something cold and familiar seeping back into his heart. The sun might be high in the sky with rays falling on his skin but in truth, he hadn’t been able to feel its effects in years. Stealing a glance before he closed the door on her and her room, he saw her picking up a cream coloured dress covered in floral embroidery a bittersweet smile playing on his lips.

Alone for the first time since the events of that night, Evie couldn’t help but feel the loss of the man who had been her constant companion of late. Naturally, she was glad of the space in order to dress but she still didn’t think she was in the right frame of mind to process what had happened yet. She knew it was not good to depend on others to distract yourself from reality but she still couldn’t place what the feeling of loss was.

Tears began to fall from her eyes as she walked to the window and opened the latch. A cool breeze drifted into the room, the smell of fresh air she could never find in the city, and a faint fragrance of flowers filled her lungs calming her.

“I can’t believe all this is real. It’s like stepping from a nightmare into a fantasy.”

---

[celiarollins]

can i get insurance with a permit

BEST ANSWER: Try this site where you can compare quotes from different companies :cheapinsurance4you.xyz

can i get insurance with a permit

can i get insurance with a permit? I can t believe the answer is yes. This is not an opinion piece on or against smoking but rather, about having a permit to smoke. This is because I am aware. I have smoked several times in my life having been a smoker for over a year. And I do smoke. And I am able to get insurance from my permit as a smoker, as an independent agent. What am I missing out on? I have to ask! Does insurance cover tobacco smoking? This is a pretty common question whether I was drinking or smoking when I was 20 or 20 years old in the 1980s or in an attempt to quit, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have insurance or that no insurance is your best bet other than being a smoker. Now that we’ve talked about why cigarettes aren’t covered by insurance and how cigarette use affects insurance, let’s go over what it might mean when you’re researching your car policy, etc. can i get insurance with a permit as i never in my life have been in a wreck. i only drive my parents cars occasionally. Is it in a couple of years a car that never ends up? And if I was driving one it would end up in someone else s place or in a wreck for whatever reason it seems you dont want people driving insurance on your insurance, I hope the only reason I can drive a car with no insurance is by the car and you should know that it is not a car. I don t know if they will allow people to drive it out of a car but i get a check that means they are going to have to pay me if i was driving it out of my car. Any tips? I think you have mentioned that in the quote i am talking to the same type of car and driving on a different type of liability to insure it, my suggestion would be for people to do it because that is the way it is and there is a different risk to you. But for the most i. can i get insurance with a permit? If you re looking to save or get car insurance without a permit, it really isn t worth the risks. Your vehicle registration, license plate, and license plate will be impounding, and you will likely be unable to drive the vehicle. The best approach is to call up your insurance company to discuss options, but remember that the best rate is actually going to pay, with the latter being that it will likely include the cost of the vehicle itself. Let s discuss this in deeper detail. If you drive legally but don t own a car, then you re probably paying a lot for insurance and you shouldn t be driving. Auto insurance companies generally expect the riskiest drivers to have a poor driving record, and not to let them get into accidents or let an uninsured driver cause a crash. These type of drivers tend to have very minor accident injuries and need to be insured to drive the vehicle. The only exception to this was when drivers were asked to pay out of pocket for damages caused by another.

Learner’s Permit Insurance Policies

Learner’s Permit Insurance Policies, the new rules say these costs will have to be paid through your personal checking account, and you won’t have to submit a claim directly to your insurance company through either the site or a website. For more information, . You can also opt for an independent insurance agent in West Seattle City to guide you and get quotes from several popular nationwide insurance companies in one place to ensure you’re getting the best rates.  by calling (888) 983-8683.  If you know the individual, you can usually add a representative to make sure they understand your specific needs and can help guide you in reaching out to agents. The plan also includes a list of insureds that can make a claim, and one person in the insurance process who will look up information about your policy details.  You can also check out the . A West Seattle City agent can help you compare and shop your insurance plans. The average monthly cost of West Seattle car insurance premiums are $65..

Do you need insurance to get a learners permit?

Do you need insurance to get a learners permit? In order to get a learner’s permit, you must have an existing car insurance policy and satisfy the state’s motor vehicle liability requirement. To , you must have some basic automobile insurance coverage in place. While these types of coverage will get you a license, they aren’t considered the coverages that you would need to carry on your car insurance policy. The coverages you select will protect you, your passengers and your vehicle and will include bodily injury, property damage, collision or . Keep in mind that these coverages aren’t absolute. Some coverages may have a small discount for certain driving behaviors, like walking or air parking. Also keep in mind that certain coverages do have benefits. If you need the coverage offered, it will have an overall cost that will depend on your policy. Many adult children need to have basic coverage, but sometimes they may come with some special features like a learner’s permit or a vehicle or permit. For.

Do you need insurance for a learners permit in tn?

Do you need insurance for a learners permit in tn? To get a learner’s permit, you can only be issued insurance before you finish your studies. You do need to have insurance before you finish your studies. If you need insurance BEFORE you finish your studies, you’ll pay more per month. Insurance companies see it as serious business, so they’ll try to pay as much of your costs as possible. If you don’t have insurance and aren’t able to complete your studies before the end of the summer semester, your records will indicate you as a student are considered a total risk. They’ll also try to obtain a good student discount on your premium. If you pay too much for insurance and miss the summer semester, you could go in with a negative outlook for your insurance policy once again. If you have questions about obtaining insurance before finishing your studies, call 888-626-0315. You’re required to have insurance before you can finish your studies. You don�.

Can you get a car insurance with only a learners permit?

Can you get a car insurance with only a learners permit? Here’s what to consider when it comes to getting insurance with a permit. Once you have a permit, it doesn’t have to be difficult to get and keep insurance if you’re a learner driver. With a permit, you can drive for rideshare or other rideshare services, even if you’re on your parents’ car insurance policy. Car insurance for young drivers is higher than for experienced drivers with a more professional driving record. That’s because of the lack of experience behind the wheel. As the cost of insuring an adult rises, so do the rates of teenage drivers. Even with a permit, it’s important to know what are the types of insurance that a learner driver would need to have. Some insurance companies consider the policyholder as a primary driver, so a learner’s permit driver could not be added to a car insurance policy or vicegele. If a learner driver is in an accident.

Do you have to add your teenage to your insurance if they got their learners permit in tx?

Do you have to add your teenage to your insurance if they got their learners permit in tx? No need for this insurance because you can add your teen to your auto insurance policy at any time. Your teenager often lives in a college or university residence because of it because their parents often add them to their parents’ auto insurance since it s not required. If your teen lives on campus, you should also consider making changes to your homeowners or renters insurance policy. However, if they re living with their parents or a college roommate, you may not need homeowners insurance. After all, their driving record is bad, their home is older, and they are less likely to have accidents. Your best bet before adding someone to your auto insurance is to contact your insurer and ask. If you don t have the same questions about your teenagers, take a look at the car insurance coverage offered their parents. It might be better to do nothing but put them off buying their own policy. Many major insurance companies will be willing to sell their company’s coverage for teens. As you can see, there are.

Can you drive a car without insurance if you have a learners permit?

Can you drive a car without insurance if you have a learners permit? If so, you wouldn’t be required to buy car insurance on your own if you attended school in the U.S. and your parents are licensed in the legal U.S. If you own a car, you probably can’t legally drive your parents’ car. It’s illegal in almost every state to drive a car without proof of car insurance. In Texas, you are required to register your car and provide proof that you have insurance. If you don’t, you’ll end up paying for the car and face fines. Even if you can’t legally drive your parents’ car because you have a permit, it still might be a wise decision to drive their car. It’s a lot easier to just keep the car you’re borrowing and show the insurance company that you’re insured (provided that you have a valid license and registration). Compare car insurance quotes to find your best rate Property and Casual.

Can you get auto insurance with a permit?

Can you get auto insurance with a permit? Most people know that unless they live in Massachusetts, they must have auto insurance with a permit. The easiest way of doing this is by simply getting a quote online. If there are multiple customers nearby, you might see them listing the same quote. Some quotes are much less expensive compared to others because you can see them instantly on your phone. After you’ve put your phone number in, you can call the insurance company or click on their website to continue the quote. It might be a little confusing to go from one quote to another. If they let you do a quote, you can also speak with the company. One thing to note about insurance quotes is that some companies do not let you start an account prior to your term of service. You have to ask the insurance company before the policy gets issued. For this reason, it’s very important to be honest with your insurance company. Ask them, but you can also talk to a representative from the start. The company might let.

Do you need car insurance with a learner’s permit? Does a child with a learner’s permit need insurance? Yes to both questions, but you don t need a separate car insurance policy for a learner s permit. The average car insurance rates for new and teen drivers are $320 a month. There are also discounts for learner s permit car insurance.

Do you need car insurance with a learner’s permit? Does a child with a learner’s permit need insurance? Yes to both questions, but you don t need a separate car insurance policy for a learner s permit. The average car insurance rates for new and teen drivers are $320 a month. There are also discounts for learner s permit car insurance. It s best to check with your insurance provider before you buy to see if it offers specific low-cost rates. If you re a young driver with a parent or guardian, you can still get insurance at age 24, though most companies will let you keep your coverage until the car s new owner. There aren t any age restrictions. Car insurance for new and teen drivers can be expensive, but choosing to stay on a parent s policy is still possible. The car s new owner insurance probably includes , which pays for a covered wreck for the next 72 hours. If your vehicle is still owned by the owner, it may not include coverage. A car s new owner insurance might help you pay for any expenses that come up as a result of an accident, like transportation. Some states provide special driver-related programs that reward drivers with a clean record who try to stay on the road safer. However, this won t happen to all parents and legal guardians, even if their vehicle is insured on their parents.

Does one need auto insurance to drive with a learners permit in Texas?

Does one need auto insurance to drive with a learners permit in Texas? You could face a $300 fine and a suspended license for a lapse in coverage, not to mention higher car insurance rates. A may also have your license suspension if your auto insurance rate continues to rise. Texas does allow you to drive without auto insurance if you have a permit but it is a mandatory step. If you can prove you are covered and you get into an accident, the court will let you drive your car legally. You must maintain proof of financial responsibility on file with the Texas Department of Insurance. If you don’t have a current auto insurance policy, you may be required to get SR-22 insurance if you’ve been convicted of driving without insurance in Texas. SR-22 insurance covers the state’s minimum required liability coverage but most drivers should expect to pay hundreds of dollars more per year to secure and maintain their coverage. There are three main types of SR-22 insurance: The SR22 form is sent to drivers who need it most. After being.

Can your parents have liability insurance when you have a learners permit?

Can your parents have liability insurance when you have a learners permit? The answer is yes, this depends. The state where you live and the type and level of coverage you select will be entirely based on your personal needs. We’ve researched the ins and outs of car insurance: What Is Coverage? What Is The Standard? and does car insurance really matter? In this brief answer, we will cover the various types of car insurance available for drivers: What Is The Right Level Of Coverage? A insurance policy is typically the most expensive in the U.S. What is a Good Student Discount? Is your child a driver? What Are The Odds That You Will Need It When Drivers Are Old In Car Insurance? The insurance companies are interested in something when they take a car to school, but what is the age limit? Is an older person covered in the U.S. insurance? So, in this very brief question, we’ll go through all the relevant information that you can ask. Do You Ask What Is Contingent Coverage?.

[collinovuv975]

Clinical Cannabis Medical Applications

"From the ancient Egyptians to 20th-century medicine throughout Prohibition, there has always been a belief that alcohol has medicinal effects. Also today they declare that drinking a glass of merlot will certainly decrease your possibility of heart disease. Naturally, a glass of average grape juice would achieve the very same. Now, for the very first time, below in the 21st century, there are severe attempts to legalize and also offer legitimacy to the positive medicinal results of marijuana.

Using cannabis has major social and also lawful results on society as a whole. Socially, is utilizing marijuana acceptable? It is certainly becoming more so as 14 states and the District of Columbia (our nation's resources) have actually legislated the medication for medicinal usage. The city of Breckenridge, Colorado has actually legislated it for leisure usage. It is not uncommon to see people smoking marijuana joints on the Pearl Road Shopping Mall in Stone. Is this socially appropriate habits? In November, California, desperate to stabilize its budget plan, has a proposal to legislate the leisure use marijuana by adults!

Now, I am not a prude or a grouchy old man (possibly a crotchety middle-aged male), however as a parent of two young, impressionable children, I definitely do not want my kids subjected to cannabis use in public. I also would agree to bet that the majority of that cigarette smoking cannabis would certainly not desire their children to establish a dependency to cannabis when they matured.

Legitimately, just how does police react to people utilizing or possessing marijuana? This inquiry is the root of all that is essentially incorrect with present regulations relating to medical cannabis. President Barack Obama's Administration has mentioned rather plainly in March 2009 that they will not pursue representatives of medical marijuana. That basically put the enforcement guidelines right into the states themselves.

The golden state and Colorado are both most noticeable states managing the consequences of their voters legislating cannabis for medical use. Among the standard troubles that all states that have legislated using cannabis for clinical functions face is that nobody was ready when these suggestions passed. By that I imply, the suggestions did not lay out how the state would certainly go about refining and also settling this brand-new market. There were no procedures for who could become a clinical cannabis dispensary, exactly how to classify the businesses, where they might open shop and even exactly how to strain the market.

It is interesting to keep in mind that after The golden state came to be the first state to pass a law legislating medicinal marijuana in 1996, nothing truly happened. Consider the present ""pot shop"" phenomenon in California for a moment. Physicians, clients, and also owners took extremely cautionary courses. Couple of medical professionals would certainly risk their clinical licenses by recommending marijuana, couple of brave business owners would take the chance of opening up a shop that could be invaded by government agents any time. Just those that the regulation was created for, clients struggling with glaucoma, cancer cells, and AIDS sought referrals for medical marijuana.

What happened? Why the rapid growth in applications to make use of as well as sell clinical marijuana? While the modification in presidential managements and also lawful placements pertaining to the enforcement of government cannabis legislations from Bush to Obama favors the ""pot shop"" neighborhood, there is no doubt that the substantial rise took place well before Bush returned to Texas.

The variety of medicinal marijuana dispensaries has actually exploded in all states where it has become lawful. According to a tale in USA Today (March 8, 2007), the variety of dispensaries in Los Angeles raised from four in late 2005 to 98 less than a year later. In June 2010 there were 186 ""pot shops"" running within the Los Angeles city limits. Actually, an estimated 50 similar stores were forced out of organisation because of market over-saturation. With 186 ""pot stores"" open up the City of Los Angeles had greater than 400 authorized applications for dispensaries within the city limitations that had yet to open their doors.

Police as well as common council were absolutely unprepared for the legalization of cannabis. With the number of shops and individuals boosting at astonishing prices the legal marijuana sector is practically running itself, with lawmakers trying ever-so-hard to catch up to the gigantic snowball that is collecting size and also rate daily. The pharmaceutical market has actually not seen such a drastic increase in the demand for medicine given that Jonas Salk developed the polio vaccine.

According to a neighborhood information network in Denver, the state was getting greater than 1,000 applications for a clinical cannabis permit on a daily basis. According to the station, since August 26, 2010, the state had a stockpile of between 60,000 and 70,000 applications.

What were every one of these bad suffering spirits taking previously medical marijuana came to be legal therefore available? When you have your ""clinical cannabis card"" there are numerous places you can go to discover your ""medicine"". If a dispensary such as ""CannaMart"", ""Selection Organics"", Nature's Wonder"", ""Blossom Power Botanicals"", ""Premier Wellness Center"" or ""Ganja Depot"" is not within a brief drive, simply check online via Google.

With the federal government determining to step back and states completely unprepared as well as not sure how to manage this market, it has fallen under the hands of specific communities. Lots of common council like those in Aurora as well as Broomfield, Colorado has actually outlawed griswold salve dispensaries from their towns. Obviously, these cities will certainly face claims from prospective owners as well as needy individuals that find it challenging to drive 10 miles to obtain their ""medicine"".

The cities are beginning to obtain more aid from the state level. In Colorado, those with a rap sheet are no more allowed to own a dispensary. The attorney generals are beginning to take an active take a look at how to control the shops. While this is a good idea and has forced many locations to shut, the industry still appears to be spiraling out of hand.

Regulating the sale of this market is key. It is smart to start with the people who possess the stores and also function their method down. Then, maybe the most significant obstacle of all will be to tackle those just how and also that obtain prescriptions for medical marijuana. That is a topic for the future.

It is very important to keep in mind that like alcohol and also tobacco, cannabis is a medication. If you or somebody you recognize might be addicted to cannabis or various other medications, it is very important to look for help. There are numerous alcohol and drug awareness programs one can go to, along with a range of support groups like Twelve step programs (AA). For those that would certainly choose to take a program in the privacy of their own house, there are also on-line alcohol classes and also alcohol and drug training courses."

[beauqqnp018]

Selecting a Trusted Medical Cannabis Dispensary

"From the ancient Egyptians to 20th-century medication throughout Restriction, there has actually constantly been an idea that alcohol has medicinal impacts. Also today they assert that consuming alcohol a glass of red wine will reduce your opportunity of cardiovascular disease. Certainly, a glass of average grape juice would certainly complete the exact same. Now, for the first time, below in the 21st century, there are serious attempts to legalize as well as provide legitimacy to the positive medicinal impacts of marijuana.

Using cannabis has major social and also legal results on society overall. Socially, is using cannabis appropriate? It is absolutely coming to be much more so as 14 states and the District of Columbia (our country's resources) have actually legislated the medication for medical use. The city of Breckenridge, Colorado has actually legislated it for leisure use. It is not unusual to see people smoking cannabis joints on the Pearl Street Shopping Center in Rock. Is this socially acceptable actions? In November, The golden state, determined to balance its spending plan, has a suggestion to legislate the recreational use of cannabis by grownups!

Now, I am not a prude or an irritable old man (maybe a crotchety middle-aged guy), but as a parent of 2 young, flexible youngsters, I definitely do not desire my children exposed to marijuana usage in public. I likewise would certainly want to bet that most of that cigarette smoking cannabis would certainly not desire their youngsters to create a dependency to cannabis when they matured.

Legally, exactly how does law enforcement react to individuals using or having marijuana? This one inquiry is the root of all that is basically wrong with current regulations concerning medical marijuana. Head of state Barack Obama's Administration has mentioned rather clearly in March 2009 that they will certainly not go after suppliers of clinical marijuana. That basically put the enforcement regulations right into the states themselves.

The golden state and also Colorado are the two most famous states handling the consequences of their voters legislating marijuana for medical usage. One of the fundamental issues that all states that have actually legislated using cannabis for clinical objectives encounter is that nobody was ready as soon as these propositions passed. By that I suggest, the proposals did not detail how the state would certainly deal with refining as well as adjudicating this new industry. There were no procedures for who might end up being a clinical marijuana dispensary, just how to classify the businesses, where they could open shop or perhaps just how to strain the market.

It interests note that after The golden state ended up being the very first state to pass a legislation legislating medicinal marijuana in 1996, nothing actually took place. Think of the existing ""pot store"" phenomenon in California for a moment. Physicians, clients, and owners took very cautionary courses. Couple of physicians would risk their clinical licenses by prescribing cannabis, few endure entrepreneurs would certainly risk opening up a store that could be raided by government representatives any time. Just those who the legislation was developed for, clients struggling with glaucoma, cancer, and AIDS sought referrals for clinical marijuana.

What occurred? Why the rapid development in applications to utilize and sell medical marijuana? While the adjustment in presidential managements and also lawful placements pertaining to the enforcement of federal cannabis laws from Bush to Obama prefers the ""pot store"" neighborhood, there is no doubt that the massive rise happened well before Bush returned to Texas.

The number of medical cannabis dispensaries has taken off in all states where it has actually come to be lawful. According to a tale in USA Today (March 8, 2007), the number of dispensaries in Los Angeles enhanced from 4 in late 2005 to 98 less than a year later. In June 2010 there were 186 ""pot shops"" running within the Los Angeles city limitations. Actually, an approximated 50 similar stores were displaced of business because of market over-saturation. With 186 ""pot shops"" open up the City of Los Angeles had more than 400 authorized applications for dispensaries within the city restrictions that had yet to open their doors.

Police as well as common council were totally unprepared for the legalisation of marijuana. With the variety of stores and also individuals increasing at astonishing prices the legal marijuana industry is virtually running itself, with legislators attempting ever-so-hard to reach the huge snowball that is gathering dimension as well as rate daily. The pharmaceutical market has not seen such an extreme boost in the demand for medication considering that Jonas Salk griswold salve developed the polio vaccination.

According to a neighborhood information channel in Denver, the state was receiving more than 1,000 applications for a clinical cannabis certificate on a daily basis. According to the station, since August 26, 2010, the state had a backlog of between 60,000 and 70,000 applications.

What were all of these bad suffering souls taking in the past clinical marijuana ended up being lawful therefore available? When you have your ""clinical marijuana card"" there are numerous places you can go to locate your ""medicine"". If a dispensary such as ""CannaMart"", ""Option Organics"", Nature's Wonder"", ""Blossom Power Botanicals"", ""Premier Wellness Center"" or ""Marijuana Depot"" is not within a brief drive, just check on the internet through Google.

With the federal government choosing to go back and states completely not really prepared and unclear exactly how to control this industry, it has fallen under the hands of individual communities. Many common council like those in Aurora as well as Broomfield, Colorado has banned dispensaries from their communities. Of course, these cities will certainly face lawsuits from potential owners and also clingy individuals who discover it difficult to drive 10 miles to get their ""medicine"".

The cities are starting to get more aid from the state degree. In Colorado, those with a criminal record are no longer allowed to own a dispensary. The attorney general of the United States are starting to take an active take a look at how to manage the stores. While this is a good thing and also has forced many areas to close, the sector still seems spiraling out of control.

Controling the sale of this industry is essential. It is wise to start with the people that own the shops as well as work their means down. After that, maybe the greatest hurdle of all will be to take on those just how as well as that receive prescriptions for medicinal cannabis. That is a topic for the future.

It is very important to note that like alcohol as well as tobacco, marijuana is a drug. If you or someone you know may be addicted to marijuana or other medicines, it is necessary to seek aid. There are numerous alcohol and also drug awareness training courses one can participate in, along with a range of support system like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). For those that would certainly like to take a course in the privacy of their own home, there are also on the internet alcohol courses as well as alcohol and also medicine courses."

[sjscorner]

Vaping saved my life, Mi-Pod lets me live it

Now, I’m not the first to say that vaping saved my life, far from it, the number of people who have had their lives saved by vaping is easily in the millions and growing daily. The National Health Service backs vaping as a safer alternative than smoking, a 95% safer alternative to smoking. I myself have felt the physical benefits of making the switch from tobacco products to vaping. My asthma has improved greatly (yes, I’m the idiot with asthma that smoked) and things that used to leave me breathless, such as walking up a hill, no longer do. Then of course the other benefits such as being able to taste food properly, my sense of smell has also improved. Now for most people I’m sure that’s just an ok additional bonus but for me, this is actually a great additional bonus, particularly in the long run as I am having to learn more and more to rely on my other senses as I am gradually losing my eyesight.

My name is Sam but if you know me on instagram then you’ll know me as SJ or that girl with the eyepatch. I like to think of myself as a fairly honest person and because of this, I am very open not just when it comes to dealing with my sight loss, but with my mental health as well. If the acronyms for mental illnesses were viewed the same as those ones you get when you graduate college or university, then I would be considered a genius. I live with BAD, BPD, GAD, SAD, EDNOS, OCD and ICD. Both OCD and ICD have their own set of illnesses, some cross over with each other. Scared yet? That’s a lot of letters but I’ll simplify them for you.

BAD - bipolar affective disorder. More specifically bipolar type 1.

BPD - borderline personality disorder.

GAD - General anxiety disorder.

SAD - Social anxiety disorder.

EDNOS - Eating disorder not otherwise specified.

OCD - Obsessive compulsive disorder.

ICD - Impulse control disorder.

Needless to say I have a lot going on, that combined with my eyesight, I think is enough to explain how I became a prisoner of my own home. I also happen to be a warrior, I refuse to say survivor because to be a survivor I have to be a victim (in my mind) and I am not a victim, and have been through my own fair share of ups and downs in life including abusive relationships. Why is this relevant? Because now you understand why, at the time, I was incredibly reluctant to be around people. I trusted very few people for a very long time and this was not helped by my mental health.

I made the switch from cigarettes to vaping in June 2017, it had nothing to do with my desire to be healthier, I was fully aware of the risks of smoking but I honestly didn’t care. No, I switched to vaping out of frustration with my eyesight. I used to roll my cigarettes by hand but with the loss of depth perception and peripheral vision, rolling became an issue and more often than not I would miss putting the tobacco in the paper and end up with it all on the floor. I was in no way ready to give up smoking so switching to vaping made sense to me because not only would I still get my nicotine (I had tried other NRTs in the past) but I would still get the satisfaction of exhaling that all so important plume of smoke or in this case vapour that is entwined with the psychological side of addiction to cigarettes. My first vape shop experience wasn’t exactly brilliant, I was sold a faulty device, it was not local at all and at the time I had no knowledge of vaping and they didn’t provide me with any either. I worried that vaping was going to be a flash in the pan for me but between myself and my Mum (my biggest advocate of all aspects of my life) we were able to locate a local store. SpaceInvapers.

I cannot sing enough praises for SpaceInvapers because they have done so much for me. They gave me a safe place that I could go and spend time, talk vape, try new juices, get help and help me with socialising and learning that not all people are out to hurt each other. They even gave me a little corner of my own to stop people making me jump and because when I do get anxious I like being in a small space, it helps me to calm down. Through SpaceInvapers I discovered the vape community on instagram and that opened up a world of doors for me. SpaceInvapers were my step in the right direction but I was still locking myself away at home, though I now had the social aspect of the community online. My sight was stable enough that I was able to learn about ohms law, RTAs, RDAs and how to do my own build. Unfortunately my sight took a nose dive in the early months of 2018, I stopped going to SpaceInvapers, I was struggling to do my builds which made me frustrated and angry at myself because this was something I knew how to do and all of a sudden I couldn’t do it anymore and on the occasions that I did manage to do build, my builds weren’t very tidy and it would take me half an hour or more. I was seriously contemplating giving vaping up and going back to smoking, even if it meant having to buy packets of cigarettes now that rolling was pretty much no longer an option. I was even struggling with Subohm tanks. I’d often overfill them or I wouldn’t see that I hadn’t screwed the coil in properly and end up with juice all over my hands and desk and on more than one occasion I’d end up burning out the coil before I’d even really had a chance to use it. I tried to put a brave face on about it all, I tried to be proud of myself for still trying to build despite how long it took me but it was also causing me a lot of pain. My vision is permanently in and out of focus, my eyes get tired so much quicker than that of a normal persons vision, but on the occasions where I would push myself (which was happening more and more), it would cause pressure to build up behind my eyes, unimaginable headaches and migraines. My anxiety was increasing because of my vision, I was often bumping into things and tripping over things, vaping when I was out was a time of vulnerability for me as I had to stop, take my vape out of my pocket, use my vape, then put it back in my pocket so I could carry on. Now, I’m very aware that people know I’m visually impaired when I’m out by myself as I use a cane but to then reduce my vision even further with a big cloud? I would have no idea if someone were to approach me and that thought alone was enough to make chest tight with anxiety. I’m sure people will say, surely cigarette smoke would’ve obscured your vision also and they are right but I had the weird comfort of knowing that while my cigarette was lit, it was also an item I could use for self-defence. I may joke about using my cane as a weapon but 1) I’m not at all inclined towards violence, especially with something that could cause serious harm and 2) when you’re trained with a visual aid cane such as mine you are actually told to never hit someone with it, especially around the head because you could actually kill them (whether this is is true or not I have no idea, but I have no desire to find out).

I was back at square one, perhaps even a few squares further back as I’d had a brief taste of what the outside world was like. I’d lost all confidence in going out. I hated that I’d lost my independence when it came to vaping as I was at a point where I need other people to do my builds and help my change coils, dependent on the colour of the tank or juice, I sometimes had to have someone help me fill my tank. I was depressed, I was cutting myself off from the world again, I didn’t see the point in trying and was genuinely contemplating selling what vape stuff I had and just going to buy a pack of cigarettes and be done with it. While I was still debating, I ended up browsing online (as you do) and I came across something I had never seen before. The Mi-Pod. I’m not going to lie, I was intrigued. I’d never see a vape device that small before, nor was I familiar with pod systems at the time, so I gave it a click so I could find out more about it. It sounded so simple and easy to use. This was to be my last attempt at sticking with vaping. If this little device, as simple as it sounded, was too much for my eyes then that was the “sign” that vaping wasn’t meant me for me and I’d go back to cigarettes (because the last time I tried cold turkey the nicotine withdrawal impacted my mood so much that bipolar had a field day and believe me when I say it was not good for anyone).

March 8th 2018, vape mail! It’s daft, but I was excited and nervous. It felt like I had so much riding on the Mi-Pod, I felt that if I went back to smoking I would lose all of the friends I had made within the vape community and I really would go back to being cut off from the world. Even I have to laugh at how over-dramatic it all sounds, but I also knew that if started backsliding that it could potentially land me back in the psychiatric unit in hospital or worse.   I’d say it was love at first sight, but back then I couldn’t see the details of the Digital Orange Mi-Pod, but I can say it was love at first touch. I had such a little nerdy moment that I think you can only understand when you’ve had to learn to rely more on touch than your sight, this wasn’t smooth metal or plastic or even carbon fibre, this had lines that I could trace, smooth corners and edges that would mean if I were to grab it in a hurry (usually when I’ve knocked it off the table) that I wasn’t gong to hurt my hands, but oh the texture! It was a vape with a tactile experience and I loved it! The grey pod concerned me at first glance but once I had it flipped over and I saw that the little bung was white, my concern quickly dissipated. The pod was even opaque which meant I felt ok enough to fill it myself, admittedly I did hold it so a light was shining through, and it was easy to do. The bung was something that I soon found was something I could do without help at all or even having to look at it, I could do it simply by feel. While I let the juice settle in the pod, I explored the rest of the contents of the box. Charging cable - standard. Lanyard - huh? Little black doohickey to attach to your Mi-Pod so you can attach it to the lanyard - that’s bloody genius! I had no idea about the lanyard when I ordered it and I have to say, I did think I’d lose my Mi-Pod more than once, even if it was bright orange, because of the size. The lanyard solved that problem instantly and so much more but we’ll get to that. With the lanyard and the doohickey attached, the pod now in place, I finally tried out the Mi-Pod, I was expecting the flavour to be a dramatic loss after coming from RTAs but I was pleasantly shocked. The flavour was great, it was actually even better than some of the Subohm tanks I owned. I decided I’d give it a trial period, flavour is always amazing at first but there comes a point of drop off with most tanks, right? Or not as the case may be. I was so impressed that less than a month later I had ordered another.

The Mi-Pod was the answer when it came to my eyes, I have never (to date, touch wood) had to ask anyone to help me refill my pods or anything. I had a slight issue with my second Mi-Pod, I was heartbroken because I was beginning to rely on these devices, I got in touch with Mi-One and told them about the issue I was having. The customer service was amazing, they replaced the faulty Mi-Pod, their response time was insanely quick considering they’re in America and I’m in the UK, not only that, they were genuinely nice to talk to. I’m very old school in some ways, if you have you crappy customer service, I don’t care how good your product is, you won’t be getting my service. Mi-One had the product and the customer service. I was beyond impressed.

Back on track to stay off of cigarettes, I started to immerse myself more in the vape community but I needed to start doing more outside of the house. I needed to be able to go out by myself. A grown woman in her 30s should be able to do something as simple as go to the corner shop alone or go for a walk around the park for some fresh air, right? Anxiety is evil, it steals so much from you, destroys your confidence, brings along its friend, paranoia. I had my Mi-Pod, I could wear it around my neck which meant I could still use my cane with ease and when I wanted a vape I wouldn’t have to stop, I could keep on walking (albeit a little slower). I started out small, the corner shop was quite literally a two minute walk from my house. At first you’d think I’d sprinted there and back but I gradually slowed my pace until I felt that I was ok. Next I moved on to the local park, from my house, round the park and back to my house again is about a ten minute walk, a terrifying ten minute walk in the beginning. I did this everyday until I felt ok with it. I discovered that my Mi-Pod was more than just a vape, it was a source of comfort. When anxiety crept in, I would wrap my hand around my Mi-Pod and trace the pattern with my finger tips and tell myself that I’ve got this. All the while, I documented my journey with my anxiety through my stories on instagram. The support I received was mind blowing. I had so many people cheering me on, including Mi-One which I didn’t expect at all. In the grand scheme of things on instagram, I’m not much of anyone, I’m by no ones standards an influencer or the like, I’m just a person thats part of a community and yet this company, which I supported and had created a device that was helping me in so many ways, not only saw me but reached out and offered their support and encouragement. My family were supporting me, my friends were supporting me and so were Mi-One. I’ve never had so much support in my life! I’ve always been the person that gets torn down, kicked about, told they won’t amount to anything and suddenly my life is full of all these amazing humans who believe in me. Once I conquered the park, I moved on to the local pharmacy and doctors. As time passed I was even able to go to doctors appointments alone, something I hadn’t done since I was twenty one. Going to a doctors appointment alone was pretty freeing and it urged me to push myself further but I had done all the local places that I would actually go to, I’d have to go further afield. I hadn’t been on a bus myself in twelve years, even standing in the bus stop made me anxious as I can’t read the timetables as they’re so small. That first solo journey on the bus was terrifying. I felt like everyone was watching me, judging me. I think if I’d gripped my Mi-Pod any harder I might’ve cracked it, I was clinging to it that much. That first puff when I got off the bus is quite possibility the most satisfying vape I have ever had, I had gotten the bus to town and I hadn’t had a panic attack. I was anxious, it was my first trip on a bus in so long but I didn’t have a panic attack. I still get anxious on the bus sometimes but it’s more due to the people on it than the bus itself, but to be fair, it gets uncomfortable when people stare at you cos you have an eye patch so I think it’s fair to experience some anxiety over that.  

Vaper Expo UK October 2018, was an experience. I travelled alone by train, I felt fairly relaxed about it all. I would’ve been even more relaxed if I could’ve vaped on the train but then wouldn’t we all? Because of my cane, security helps me right to the desk to pick up my pass and is even kind enough to let me in an entrance that means I don’t need to go through the tunnel with all the lights that hurt my eyes a lot. Once inside, things changed. It was extremely busy, my anxiety was present but I was still able to enjoy myself. I’d customised my patch for Halloween with googly eyes and so many people had said they’d love it but it only takes one bad apple to turn good into bad. A random guy saw my patch and laughed at me. My confidence and ability to handle people disappeared and his laughter echoed in my skull. I was done. I couldn’t breathe. I stopped to say goodbye to a friend and was heading out. I paused for a moment to text my mum and let her know I’d be getting the next train home, I had my Mi-Pod in my hand and for whatever reason I decided that my expo was over but I wanted to go round to a few companies that I support and are always lovely to me to say thank you and hope they enjoy the rest of the show and get home safe. It was an excellent decision because it turned my expo around, instead of leaving on a bad note with some idiots laughter in my head, I had people that actually matter to me saying if I put him out, they’d sort him out. Obviously I declined that offer, but it made me laugh and I went home with a smile on my face.

Prior to Vaper Expo UK, a couple of weeks before hand, I was at a family meal to celebrate my Nana’s purchase of an apartment in Milton Keynes. We were planning on doing so much together, taking the bus to places, getting lost together. We were the blind leading the blind. Whist out to dinner Nana noticed my Rose Stars Mi-Pod, she couldn’t get over how cute it was. “It’s so small!” She couldn’t see the details in but she was able to see the colour and that it glittered. I remember her disbelief when I told her it was a vape, she really was gobsmacked by it. “I like this one much better than your other vapes,” I remember her saying. Every time I look at my Rose Stars Mi-Pod I’m reminded of that day and how happy my Nana was. It is a memory I cling to dearly as not long after that day, on November 8th 2018, my Nana passed away. It broke my heart in ways I can't explain. My Nana was the only person in my life who understood what it meant to be losing my sight as she too was losing hers. I found myself feeling very alone in the world and I wanted so much to disappear, but I was now part of a community that wouldn't let me, my best friends wouldn't let me and I am so grateful for all these people that I have in my life, because of vaping. Nana had put aside a little bit of money for myself, my sister and my brother, it was something she did out of the blue on occasion and would tell us to go treat ourselves. I had decided that with that money I would get a Mi-Pod that I was missing from my growing collection, I had a few by now, all different colours and textures which allowed me to set them up with different flavours and identify them by touch. I was missing a dragon skinned Mi-Pod, it was (at the time) the only texture I was missing. It would've made Nana happy to know that she had bought me something that I could use in a practical sense but also gave me joy. I encountered a slight problem though, no matter where I looked, I couldn't find a dragon skinned Mi-Pod anywhere. I posted on instagram that I was having trouble finding one, the amount of people that responded to help me was mind blowing. There were so many people scouring the internet, their local shops, to help find me a dragon skinned Mi-Pod and to say my heart was full, is an understatement. I'm happy to say, a Sea Dragon Mi-Pod was found and the shop someone had spoken to about it, was kind enough to hold it until I called them and allowed me to pay for it over the phone. It's one of my favourite Mi-Pods, because not only did my Nana buy it for me which she would've been made up about, but it showed me how remarkable this community is. It was such a silly thing, in the grand scheme of things, but in my time of grieving, all these people came together just to help me find this one Mi-Pod and that is something I will never forget.

Unintentionally, I've become known for my love of Mi-Pods, which I don't have an issue with at all, it amuses me sometimes that people know me because of my love of Mi-Pods even though I imagine a lot of them don't know why I love Mi-Pod so much. Anyone that knows me knows that I have some other loves that I also make no apologies for, in particularly Stitch. Yep, I am a grown ass woman and I'm obsessed with a Disney character. Stitch is special to me for a reason but that story is for another time. What does Stitch have to do with Mi-Pod? Nothing, except I thought it would be so amazing to have a Stitch Mi-Pod so I could have two things I loved as one. February 2nd 2019 I get tagged in a picture on instagram to find that a very talented individual (@vapeillustrate) had designed a Stitch Mi-Pod for me. I'm not going to lie, I cried. I was having a really hard time, the loss of my Nana and the events in my life after had rocked the boat with bipolar and I had lost my stability. I was in pretty bad shape, rapid cycling between deep depression and hypomania and experiencing an increase of psychotic episodes. Out of nowhere, this random act of kindness. It felt like an angel had sent me a reminder that even with all the chaos and uncertainty I was experiencing, there was still good in the world. One random act of kindness changed so much for me. I told anyone who would listen (and even those who wouldn't) about how this one person had designed this Mi-Pod for me, it had given me something to genuinely smile about. I wished there was a way to make the design a reality and once again, the community came to life, figuring out ways to make it so I could actually own a Stitch Mi-Pod (the design also featured my initials). Soon Zap Wrapz UK were found and the design (with the artists permission) was turned into a skin. I'm very much a person that believes in not forgetting important moments in life, I often commemorate them in some way or another, often via the means of tattoo. I'm sure you're not surprised that I got the design tattooed. Even if I ever stop vaping, I have this permanent reminder that there is good in the world, that with the right tools (Mi-Pod) I can achieve so much more than I realise I am capable of and that there are so many people that care about me, even when I feel entirely alone. It serves as a reminder to never give up, no matter how tough things get sometimes.

My life has been far from easy. I've spent most of my life with people grinding me down, I'd been made to believe that I was stupid, incapable, that I would never achieve anything in life. I am one of the, now all too many, that were told to go kill themselves. Finding this community has been a shock to the system. Instead of being told I can't, I'm encouraged to try. When I find that I can't do something, people reach out and offer help. For some people, being a brand ambassador is just another thing they've done, for me it is something I take great pride in. I've spent most of my life being told that I'm nothing, I don't look good, etc, etc, etc. That's why it means so much to me to be a Mi-Pod ambassador. I'm not a model, I never will be and I have no desire to be one. I live with mental health obstacles and sight loss. To have the people behind the very device that kept me from going back to cigarettes turn around and say we know you have sight loss, we know you have mental health obstacles but we don't care, we want you to be part of our family and we love you? No one will ever be able to fully understand what that means to me. I love my family and I love my friends but there comes a point where they can't boost you up anymore than they already have just because of the way the world works. Your family can think you're the greatest baker in the world but that's not going to get you the job in the bakery, you know what I mean? So for this company with over a million followers to notice tiny little me and say, yep, that's the person we want - it's mind blowing.

Mi-Pod even gave me the opportunity to be on the stand with them at Vape Jam UK this April, did I turn it down? Hell no! Was I anxious? I was terrified! Did I do it anyway? Damn right I did! For the first time since I began losing my sight, I not only took the train to London alone, I successfully manage the Underground by myself and I did it without having any panic attacks. That is a BIG deal! London is very different from Milton Keynes and Birmingham. The last time I had taken the Underground, I was with someone else, no one cared that I had a cane and my cane actually got stuck in the tube doors. I was terrified of doing it alone because I had no one else there to protect me but I did it. I went and I stayed at a lovely apartment with someone I had yet to meet (even more terrifying), and Charlie turned out to be one of the nicest people I've been blessed to encounter and I am genuinely thankful to have met him and still talk to him from time to time now. I got to meet Geoff (one of the co-founders), which as a Mi-Pod nerd was awesome but getting to meet him as a person, he's so genuine and down to earth! Don't let the suit fool you! Between Charlie and Geoff, I had some of the most mind opening conversations and neither one of them could give a rats ass about my eyepatch or cane. Vape Jam UK was very different to Vaper Expo UK, it's an experience I will never forget and it has boosted my confidence in so many ways. I got to meet so many amazing people, talk til I was blue in the face about something I love and have a fantastic time.

I cannot thank Geoff and Amir enough for taking a chance to get to know the random half blind girl on instagram and allow me to be part of something special and enable me to grow in ways that were just inconceivable to me. Two years ago, I was a shell of person, afraid to leave my house, unable to go anywhere alone. Now I'm constantly challenging myself to be the best version of myself I can be, testing my limits everyday and overcoming obstacles instead of retreating. My sight will continue to deteriorate, I can't do anything about that, but I know that I am capable of handling things and adapting. Mi-Pod stopped me from going back to cigarettes and because of Mi-Pod I've learnt to never say never because every never I said I'd never be able to do, take the bus by myself, do the London Underground, I've done. Vaping saved my life but it wasn't until Mi-Pod came into my life that I finally began to live it.

[giantpurplerabbits]

The World is Round - 18/09/16

///(((I’m just going to note that what follows is a rather intense piece of writing that I spurted out on a particularly godless journey on the aforementioned date. I’m fine now, really. - 03/05/17)))\\

I smell awful. Really awful. I should be a museum exhibit. It may be terrible, but I feel freed by my smell. I feel like the smell of my exterior may have finally attuned to my interior in a way that has finally freed me from general expectations.

I wonder whether other people can smell it? I believe they must be able to. But from what distance? 15 feet? 20 feet? I’m counting in metric because it feels a lot better at accounting for short distances. Or is that imperial? I must check later when I have an Internet connection.

I don’t normally write. I’m a very lecherous being really. It’s probably why the smell is helping. The warning people never normally get. I don’t really know how to feel about my ability to destroy people. They come to me. It must ultimately be what they want. I’m what they want. For no real good reason. A change of perspective I suppose. I guess that is what destruction is good for… A change of perspective.

One might wish that people had a better ability to judge their interests. But then, really, that’s not very high on the problem list of the human race. Really, anyone who’s not a genocidalist is really a saint. But then who am I to judge? I’m sure genocidalists have lives too. Long, long lives of seconds and minutes and hours and days and years and decades of moments that struggle to conjure up a human being. Who is anyone to judge? We’re fucked, really.

So it continues, boring and monotonous. I’m currently on the train. A world is falling past me. Many worlds in fact, but I won’t get into listing infinities again, I’m sure you get the idea. I just saw The Fat a White Family. Good band. Expressing so you don’t have to. I feel thankful to them really. In many ways they’ve sacrificed decent lives to provide what some might consider to be artistic meaning. They’re not very well people, that’s for sure. I think Descartes tried to do something similar. But in all honesty, everything he discovered was wrong.

The words are falling out of my head. Sooner or later this will all stop.

Tomorrow is a blank cheque. A blank cheque of my time, effort and money. I don’t want to talk about work. So I won’t. Other than to say that I work as a projectionist. Yes with film once. The world is becoming increasingly less isolated and increasingly more obsolete. Trains stopped. Anyway. It’s not fun. Not as much as it ought be.

Data.

I’m lazy, insecure, relatively hopeless, reliable (but not in love), , ,

To be honest I’ve kind of given up. I used to be happy, you know like that real kind of happy, where you know you’re miserable, but you know you’ll always be miserable, the truth is that this is practically as good as it’s ever going to get. I wish I wasn’t so accurate in my predictions. So after years of struggling with all that, I’ve finally given up. My life is sacrificial bread, now I’m just trying to figure out how best to give it away.

Everyone and everything /everyone is dying in 2016, it’s practically celebrity deathmatch./ sorry people on the train are interrupting my train of thought. Is telling me the same thing at the moment. Something along the lines of the past was good (that one comes to varying degrees, after all, the recent past was good, beyond that is…) the present is a transitional phase, the future will be complicated. Fairly straightforward.

I was quite thankful not to get shot by something extremists tonight. It would have upset my girlfriend too much.

Next station is the airport.

It’s only a matter of time till there is a terrorist attack in England/London, so say the experts. Culture is eating itself, with little seeming to flow in. The planet is invariably dying. We’re past the levels where our man made pollution was manageable. It’s really as apocalyptic a time as it has ever felt. I feel like in my more luxuriously bitter moments, one can count the number of generations left with a couple of half-severed fingers. When culture goes, so do the rest of us. And bring it on. The UK and the US are drowning in their own mistakes, the world is given to mass disaster, human nature is evil and the world celebrates mother Theresa. Just cut the chord, nothing is worth the suffering of so many, and no it’s not for any damn good reason.

Rant over. Life gets boring when one invokes too much emotion. I always quite liked the long-necked things in Star Wars episode II. I always felt like they were essentially what the human race would be if built slightly better, but hey, they were arms dealers and responsible for the death of everything, so who am I to judge?

Yawn yawn yawn.

Why am I so obsessed with being built to fail? Defective? It was only today I realised that was actually regarded a trait of being an INFP. How rewarding. Nice to know I’m on schedule.

One has to be very careful when one gains an interest and belief in the mystical not to let it damage your life to levels you’re not willing to support on a purely rational level. But then I’m a pretty rational person. I like logic too much. It’s why I’m not really to be trusted with people. I mean, I’ve got an emotional side too, it’s just, it’s quite well governed by the rational one, which means under bad influences I can become pretty well… Pragmatic, that’s the word I wanted. It also means that in the past I’ve thought that you could deal with people logically and that when they said they understood and agreed with you they meant you were on the right side of history. That’s not really how it works.

So the mystical is not a thing I can explain very easily (the justification comes and goes in my mind) all I can say is it starts with energy and fairly common things that one can easily witness, and comfortably spreads out beyond that. Magic does seem to be a thing. Some people seem attuned to it, some not. But that’s not a morality or value judgement, it’s merely an observation, but then I do a lot of that too. No wonder I ruin people.

My cigarette appears to be vomiting out tobacco of its own free will. I can’t blame it, I only smoke, like most people, as a form of long-term undetectable suicide. I wouldn’t mind getting stabbed tomorrow. But then maybe I would once it happened. There’s so much freedom in the inevitable, or maybe good will is a better word. People really enjoy the feeling (by which I mean on what would appear to be an instinctive level) of having lost control. I mean sure, enjoyment is a strong word, but then, emotions can be quite odd things. Enjoyment might be the least desirable one.

A little, long or middling time ago I dated a crazy girl. She was not very well. Times were tough. If she ever read this she might have a problem, so I’m going to stop.

Secret doors, morality calls. What is one to do. Try and care. Well. Caring is inevitable, for some anyway.

Did you ever see that film ‘The Act of Killing’? I’m not explicitly recommending it, because some people won’t enjoy it. There’s that word again… Enjoy… Misuse, or truly an odd emotion? Anyway, it’s not an enjoyable film. But it will show you something.

I hope you realise I’m an unreliable and deeply flawed narrator because otherwise you’re probably not going to enjoy this very much. Also, I’m not fishing for compliments, I’m perfectly happy to accept this is a really pointless, vain, unreadable (well now you’re being just a bit silly) boring and poorly written piece of writing WITH self-aggrandising statements, I mean… Semi-colons, I mean, colonoscopies, I MEAN ANGRY VOICE DEEP TONE LOW THROAT VOMIT IT OUT … eurgh…. Writers should leeArn to not … (Self-aggrandisement again, not fun) (invert commas? No) getting closer… It’s a stupid joke I’m sure you can finish it…

Now at Haywards Heath.

There was a man opposite me, that is at the table adjacent to mine, who was frowning I suspected (drowning by numbers) at my having my feet up on the seats. I took them down. As he left he took the bag of wrapping which I had left on that table when I had been previously sat at it and put it in the bin as he left. Would I have done the same? Maybe so, actually, as I left. I envisioned a situation somewhat like that one when I left the bag there in the first place. It was somewhat guilty of me I recognised, to not be taking full account of my rubbish, but then I know how trains are cleaned, at least partly, firstly people wander down the aisles and pick stuff up. I feel for these people I really(?) do, but it surely must be said without doing whatever the opposite of reducto ad absurdum is (y'know, butterflies and Hurricanes type stuff) that there will be nothing lost to that person by picking up that bag and putting it in the bin. The Karmic cost of the action, should there possibly be such a thing, surely can’t be that high if to be honest entirely existent, but then if karma exists then who the hell knows who’s fucked in the hereafter or not. I’m pretty sure it doesn’t balance out down here, but then these are old arguments.

No I’m not very educated, yes I’m aware, the occasional references to philosophical ideas, terms or really anything that to the wrong mind may be considered to be an attempt at learnedness should know I’m fairly in on the joke, an A-level in philosophy doesn’t count for shit, it’s merely a joke unto itself, and to be honest in the long run I didn’t even get a good grade. I like to think because I didn’t like the way the second year was graded as goes for my academic college life (or, the years I learnt I didn’t want to be an academic) but then that’s just inflation.

The next station is Brighton. Nearly home. Hipster twats here I come.

Split-infinitives… That’s the fucker.