batsbrew

kennywtelejazz

batsbrew
Worldwide, tobacco use causes more than 5 million deaths per year.
 
what's left to discuss?

actually Bat, there is plenty left to discuss …..  
tobacco is not illegal & I'm way past the age of 21 
I'm talking about my own personal free will and how I feel about having some one dictate to me personally what I can and can not do in the comfort of my own personal space … MY HOME  
 
Kenny
 
 

i pay for your free will, thru my taxes, to handle your bills in the hospital when you develop lung cancer.
it really affects everyone else too.
 

 

 I don't do passive aggressive  & your argument does not hold any water w me ..
 
I pay taxes too….
 
trust me dude if I was standing toe and toe and face to face w you I would have no problem telling you this to your face 
 
you can pucker up and Kiss my lilly white New York  Scott A$$ ….. now go F*ck your self and leave me alone 
 
Kenny
 
 

batsbrew
wow, add anti social personality disorder in there too,  Kenny

Yep …..
folks that know me in real life would tell you that I am a perfectly ballanced individual  
they have said that I have a chip on each of my shoulders 
 
 
just so we are clear Bat, 
I have nothing against you personally ...
I have heard your songs and playing over the years many times …though I haven't commented much online 
I have always felt that you had some really good playing and a fantastic ear for guitar tones 
 
so were cool there…..
 
the thing is I do have a background in dealing with addictions and recovery issues (substances and violence ).
 
Having survived both and gotten through to the other side I can assure you that many folks arent that blessed or that lucky or fortunate . 
I know this first hand because for the first 15 years of my recovery ….
I used to go to jails , hospitals ,  instutions , and places like Covent House  to carry a message ….my message that I was now living ….one day at a time 
 
This thread is somewhat specificly about people trying to find a way to over come smoking …..
some people quit cold turkey and many of the participants in this thread are discusing how they can get a grip and beat this thing by using an e cig …..
 
I fall into the second camp …the e cig ….
 
now I'm just flapping my gums …so bear w me ...
 
if you happen to know anything about addiction you would know that the person that is dealing with overcoming their addiction has to find their own bottom …..some people find it some people don't 
no amount of statistics , social brow beating or social pressure will have a positive affect on the afflicted person.
that comment also applies to what ever legal consequences  they may or may not happen to suffer…...
even my own mother was smoking and drinking in the hospital where she died at the age of 51 .
which brings up the point that many of the problems are of the persons own making and that if one was able to gain a higher perspective they could see that they are suffering because of the  actions of their own hand and making ….
still many people have a hard time accepting that fact and finding a solution to overcome their own self created suffering .
this is why in recovery programs one would hear a phrase that went something like this ...
 
"Self Knowledge availed  us nothing as we stood near the turning point "………….
 
now I don't plan on sitting here a writing a book , so I will keep try to keep this breif ….
 
Why is it that non smokers and former smokers have this need to make it a personal crusade to constantly attack and try to use any means at their disposal to judge and belittle smokers in general ?
Now in all fairness there are some people out there that smoke that don't respect the non smokers rights , but I'm not talking about them ,,,,
I'm talking about a thread where people are discusing their victories or failures on how to beat this thing ….via the e cig…..
I personally feel that Judgment or condemnation has no place in this type of discusion and when pressed I will self advocate and if need be throw down  
Yeah I smoke …I'm trying my best to work through it and find a solution that works for me (one size don't fit all …)
 
so whats my point ? 
How would society as a whole like it if I treated the people in it as the non smokers have treated me ?
I'm drug and booze free for 30 years ,, now does that give me the right to invade peoples space to judge them and treat them as if they were second class citizens because they are incapable of having a clear mind while under the influence ?
do I get to beat a drum , pound my chest and quote and throw around statistics on how many people they might kill on the way home from the bar….
trust me dude I've ridden motorcycles for over 40 years and I do know first hand whats happening out there on the roads….
What about fat people ? I'm not fat …my videos don't do me justice ….my body fat is 15 % and I'm a healthy weight
do I get to point my finger at overweight people and tell them that my taxes are going to fund their future diabetes treatments ?
Lets talk Ugly 
Lets talk Stupid ,
Lets talk people w disabilitys ….
What about mental and emotional issues ? 
I can go on and on …..there are many things that people do to them selfs that can put themselves in the above mentioned categories….
 
What ever happened to compasion ? but for the  grace of G__D…I go there ….
 
take a good look around you …..every last person that walks this planet today will live and die some day ….
 
as far as I'm concerned we can agree to disagree as long as we keep the peace and respect each others right to have an opinion   
 
Kenny
 
 
 

I've smoked for the biggest part of my life, starting at 12 years old. For years, it was almost two packs a day - unless there was alcohol involved, then it was more. And I used to drink regularly...
 
I managed to quit smoking 4 times - by quitting I mean not smoking more than a few hours or days. I've tried a dozen times.
 
In my experience, every attempt is different. I remember one of my first times, I was shaking and scratching and lasted a mere 3 hours. A few months later, I managed to quit "cold turkey" and the only problem I had was that I couldn't focus on anything and felt tipsy for a couple of days.
 
In fact, that light headedness is the only thing that was a constant every time I managed to quit. For the rest, it's always different. One of the last times, I remember suffering terrible memory issues - which can be worrying for someone who has enjoyed an impeccable memory for his entire life.
 
At one point I managed to quit for almost 18 months. And started again.
 
The one thing I can pinpoint is that, every time I quit, part of me regretted it. It was an issue on an emotional level. I just loved to smoke. I didn't need it anymore, I just missed it. It was like the icing on the cake that I had had to give up on.
 
When you're smoking 20 or 40 cigarettes a day, that's 20 or 40 times a day where you get some kind of relief and pleasure, 20 or 40 times where you "reward" yourself, where you feed that dependence. 
 
No amount of reasoning will make you stop smoking. My mom suffered from lung cancer which eventually spread to her brain and she died at 49. I smoke all the way to the funeral home and back. My lifelong smoking grandfather begged me to quit smoking on his dying bed... I never even tried until years later.
 
Anyway, I managed to quit again January 31st 2013. Patches seem to work best for me. That time I reached a point where I actually hated the cigarette and what it was doing to me - and every withdrawal symptom I experienced when I did quit made me hate it even more. I cursed that thing.
 
I cursed it for having to wear patches every time I went on a plane because I could put not even up with 4 or 6 hours without a smoke, I cursed it for having to get out of bed and dress up at 2 AM to sneak out for a smoke at subzero temperatures when we visited the in-laws for x-mas, for all those times when I had to excuse myself from the table when we had dinners just so that I could get my fix, and so on.
 
It's been almost a year. I hated that thing for months. Then there were a few times when I sort of missed it. But I was perfectly aware that, in order to get the relief, I'd have to smoke enough to re-create the actual need. Having one smoke would only be disgusting.
 
I couldn't fool myself in thinking that I could smoke occasionally or smoke only a few. I'd need to be hooked to enjoy it.
 
My lovely lady still smokes - only 5 or 6 a day. I often go out for a smoke with her, though I don't smoke. It never bothered me that she smoked after I quit. Anyway, now that we're working on the family thing, she'll have to stop at some point. :P
 
As for me, at this point, smoking would compromise other things which are crucial to me, like my training. I want my kid to have a healthy and energetic dad.

One last comment from me...  YOU have to want to quit or you have very little chance.  When I was going to set up a practice, some of the training talked about prequalifying patients.  If the person was there only because someone else wanted them to quit smoking (spouse, friend, family member, etc.), then they would not be treated until THEY really wanted to quit.  This includes those that know they should quit but don't want to.