Vaping: New Tank, Anyvape Gamma

For awhile now, like most new vapers, I have been using what is known as a "Kanger-style" tank.

"Kanger-style" products are very prolific, easy to use, and able to be rebuilt, for a low-cost.  I have enjoyed using the Davide tank from Anyvape Products for a little over a month, my first glass tank.

The Davide is great, I love that it holds a lot of juice, 3ml, enough to last me about a day and a half or so.  When needed, changing the coil was simply a matter of unscrewing the housing with the burnt wick and screwing in the new wick.

I was bothered though, the flavors of the juice, no matter type of tank I used, were not consistent.  Sometimes the flavor was strong, at other times it tasted like chemicals.  I tried switching to cotton wicks.  The chemical taste, mostly, went away.  Unfortunately, it was replaced with a taste similar to the smell of a burnt t-shirt.  Not always present, I thought I was just burning through the wicks too fast.  Not the case.

So I started thinking about "dripping."  Dripping is a process of vaping where you, literally, drip a few drops onto the wick and atomizer, take a few hits, and rinse repeat til you are satisfied.  I had the opportunity to read posts online from drippers relating to the full-bodied tastes of their juice.

With my previous curiosity regarding dripping, and some of the research I performed online, looking for mods that are a sort of hybrid between the easy-to-use Kanger-style and the dripping method.

A new shop opened up close to where I work, I had heard many good things about the owners first vaping store in a nearby town, so I definitely wanted to check it out.

I went in a couple days after the opening of the new store.  Had a chance to taste a few new flavors and talk about hardware.

The Kraken, from Vicious Ant, is what one of the employees was using.  One of the wonderful features of the Davide, and the Kraken, is that the mouthpiece is removable.  This allows you to use your own mouthpiece to sample flavors and mobs from other people with similar tanks.

The Kraken hit smooth, very smooth, and produced wonderful flavor.  It was a little on the uncomfortably-priced side, so I went with the Anyvape Gamma, a similar tank about $10 on the more-comfortable side.

The Gamma, until you find the sweet-spot, will hit like a train.  With the easily manipulated airflow regulator, finding that sweet-spot is not hard.  Simply, a twist with the thumb will cover or uncover the airholes.

The flavor from the dual-coil atomizer is great, the vape is great.  Absolutely loving it so far.  Taking a bit of time to get used to firing it for a second or three before taking the hit, but that will fade.  And, like the Kraken and the Davide, the mouthpiece is removable!

Three days in with this tank and I have very few complaints.

1. Hard to fill: The fill hole is very small and although with practice you can get it filled somewhat quickly, it is not as easy as the Kanger Style tanks to fill.
2. Hard to empty: I had a new flavor in the tank, and I wanted to find out what my old flavor tasted like.  Removing the juice from the Davide is simple, take the top off the bottle and pour it out.  Removing the juice from the Gamma, due to the small fill hole, is more a matter of sucking it out with the bottle, if there is an easier way, I am currently unaware.

Those are my only issues with this tank, I may have more in the coming weeks, as I burn through the wick, but as of now I love it!

RPG: Music for Inspiration and Atmosphere

The question was posed on Talislanta FB page regarding how we use music in our gaming sessions.

I understood that this would be a post way to long for FB, so I am putting my reply here.

The questions presented:

1) a) how many of you use music when you run a game? and; b) if you do use music, do you mainly play it in the background, or do you use certain pieces/albums/artists for specific purposes or moments in a game?
2)what CDs/bands/composers do you listen to either while gaming, or for inspiration before gaming?

I have used music in the past at the gaming table. The second part of the question, and question #2 I want to elaborate on.

While running WEG Star Wars the main theme would be used to get the players on track, and while it was playing I would recap previous events, much like the beginning of the movie with the synopsis scroll.

Since 1993, the game I have run the most often was SLA Industries, a gritty sci-fi urban horror game.

For inspiration in SLA Industries I would use anything that brought to mind corruption, rain, city life, dreams of money and fame, etc. Some of the music I had on my driving CD at the time:

Faster Pussycat - Ship Rolls In, City has no Heart
Metallica - Master of Puppets, Disposable Heroes, Damage Inc
Duran Duran - Girls on Film, A View to a Kill, Skin Trade

And many others.

During the sessions I was able to play music for background it was important to match the music with the game.

Star Wars soundtrack while running Star Wars, a given.

While playtesting Midnight Realms for Talislanta, and a few Cannibal Sector missions for SLA Industries, I had the Black Angels CD from Kronos Quartet playing, just at the audible level. Some of the violin strikes were startling, and completely appropriately timed (players and GM alike jumped at one point, lol).

Music definitely brings a new dimension to the gaming table, even if low in the background.

The main problem I ever had with using music for specific scenes was having to stop the game to get the correct track playing, or you might be stuck running a dramatic, dark scene with something upbeat.

Not sure Alien would have had the same feel with the Indiana Jones Soundtrack, lol

Vaping: MO to restrict to 18+

News from Missouri, go ahead, read it, it is short.

  Missouri Legislature Approves E-Cigarette Legislation

Notice anything?

This legislation will restrict purchases of Vaping products to people who are 18 yrs of age or older.  That is great news!

But even better news is in that article:

"But the legislation passed on Thursday would also exempt those products from the state’s tobacco taxes, which opponents say would allow the nicotine products to be sold with fewer restrictions."

The current taxes on tobacco products are ridiculous, because legislators can get away with it.  Taxing tobacco for health care revenue, schools (why are schools mentioned in every tax?), and any additional taxes for the 'issue of the week.'

Everybody wants people to stop using tobacco products (except the tobacco companies, of course), but they seem to want to get rid of any acceptable alternative at the same time.

Another thing I would like to point out from the article:

"Supporters say taxing the products would prevent the measure from passing the Republican-led Legislature."

What?  REPUBLICAN-LED?  Additional taxes would PREVENT it from passing?

But the media tells me that Republicans are all about big business, and they are evil facists...

True story, folks, the media lies.

And all the "product research" that has been done and resulted in negative results, (you know, the very few reports from 5 or 6 years ago that make sweeping generalizations based on an e-cig that was 5 years old at the time...) are all paid for by the tobacco companies, the people that will lose business as more and more people start vaping.

Vaping is a healthier alternative to smoking, MUCH healthier.

Kudo's to the MO Legislature for passing this bill, and not adding in additional taxes.  Common sense, E-Juice is not tobacco, so it cannot be taxed as tobacco.

Deceptive Media vs Vaping

This article http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/24/business/selling-a-poison-by-the-barrel-liquid-nicotine-for-e-cigarettes.html?_r=0 has been circulating social media sites warning of the dangers that having e-juice in the home can cause.

The title is clearly deceptive and meant to provoke rather than inform.

Yes, keep your e-juice out of children's reach and let them know it is not a drink or candy, kind of like alcohol and tobacco products.

Common sense rules the day.

Also, the study that the media continues to refer to is years out of date, and sponsored by tobacco companies, you know, the people that want you NOT to switch from cigarettes.

Nobody is saying that vaporizers are healthy, but they are definitely healthier than smoking with approximately 234 LESS chemicals than cigarettes.

Get informed, stay alert, and follow the money-trail.

Communist Goals, or "How to Dismantle America" and My Thoughts and Observations

Communist Goals (1963) Congressional Record--Appendix, pp. A34-A35 January 10, 1963

Current Communist Goals EXTENSION OF REMARKS OF HON. A. S. HERLONG, JR. OF FLORIDA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Thursday, January 10, 1963 .

Mr. HERLONG. Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Patricia Nordman of De Land, Fla., is an ardent and articulate opponent of communism, and until recently published the De Land Courier, which she dedicated to the purpose of alerting the public to the dangers of communism in America.

At Mrs. Nordman's request, I include in the RECORD, under unanimous consent, the following "Current Communist Goals," which she identifies as an excerpt from "The Naked Communist," by Cleon Skousen:

[From "The Naked Communist," by Cleon Skousen]

1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war.  - basis for "hate-crime" laws, amnesty laws, etc

2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war.  - we have made it known that our arsenal of weapons is nothing more than a smokescreen that we will not use

3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament [by] the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.  - "We lay down our weapons first to show that we are in the right!"  This would disarm us as a nation and not only weaken us internationally, but domestically as well.

4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.  - done, and done!  Let us sell weapons to our enemies!
5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites.  - Done.  Our enemies owe us money, let us lend them some more!
6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination.  - To weaken the US economically

7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N.  - Done!  Weakens us politically on the international stage.
8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N.  - Thankfully, Germany has been re-united!
9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress.  - Letting all those other countries test and test but retarding our research
10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N.  - Giving more voice to the Communist regime
11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces.  - oh, and as a bonus, how about primarily using the US military to do so!
12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party.  - "Freedom of Speech!"  US Bill of Rights, Amendment I:  Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof (unless of course, that exercise goes against current political agenda from lobbyist groups); or abridging the freedom of speech (unless we can call you a terrorist, which according to the NSA if you are a) Christian, b) ex-military, c) own a firearm or d) speak against the government or its policies, you are a terrorist), or of the press (which is now just about fully owned by Communist/Socialist-led corporations); or the right of the people peaceably to assemble (unless it is religious or anti-government, or unless a lobbyist group calls you 'racist,' 'homophobic,' or 'Christian'), and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances (so the NSA can get your name in order to label you a terrorist).

13. Do away with all loyalty oaths.  - like the Pledge of Allegiance, also, in accordance we should get rid of anything promoting 'patriotism.'  Let's go ahead and label patriots as terrorists also...we can do that (thank you Bush and Obama)
14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office.  - Done!  Since our patents and copyrights mean absolutely nothing to them!

15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.  - Done!  Both parties currently work for overseas interests and care only about how they can please the almighty UN, WHO and IMF

16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.  - More 'hate crime' stuff!

17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks.  - Have you seen some of the 'Common Core' stuff that is out there?  Not to mention the difference between an 8th grade test now and what it was in the 1920's!

18. Gain control of all student newspapers.  - (admittedly, I have not seen this firsthand, but I would imagine, due to the multiple fringe groups that colleges support, this has taken place - if you are not liberal, you have no place in the paper)
19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.  - consistently used, evidence abounds wherein student groups will attack, or protest, groups that are protesting the liberal agenda

20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policy-making positions.  - Bingo, the press is owned by 'Progressives'

21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.  - again, the media is owned by 'Progressives,' and any deviation by an actor that can be influential can result in said actor losing credibility and job worthiness

22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."  - this is obvious

23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art."  - yep

24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.  - yep

25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.  - this is EVERYWHERE,  if you do not see it, it is because you have been exposed to it so much that you are now numb to it
26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."  - and when people protest, let us send out the students to protest or attack them, which will cause a civil disturbance so we can send in our police forces and blame the original protesting group for the disturbance!

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity, which does not need a "religious crutch."  - "COEXIST," "All religions are the same," "My God and your God are the same," just a different flavor of kool-aid
28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."  - obviously being done

29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.  - Just ask our current President

30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man."  - Until my junior/senior year of high school, they were 'Great Men,' now the educational focus is that they are atheists/deists, drunks and womanizers, who cares what they actually accomplished
31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.  - the last half of this I have not seen, but the first part is definitely being done in schools and in the media.  All we need to know is that 'White American Conservatives are bad, want to enslave other races and force women to have children'
32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.  - I am sure we can agree that there are many TLA's that should be private by are controlled by the government
33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.  - like those first 10 laws in our constitution

34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities. - have not looked this one up
35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI.  - obviously has not been done, but the FBI is nowhere near as powerful as they were in the past
36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.  - obviously has been done, can be seen everytime there is a left-leaning protest that needs people bussed in
37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.  - mainly mass media, food corporations and pharmaceuticals

38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand [or treat].  - oh yeah!  TSA, BABY!  And do not dare to speak against the healthcare services, they will tell you that it is drugs, not diet that can help you!

39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.  - I'm sure they would label me as paranoid at this point...

40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.  - I do see how anyone can argue that this is not being done.

41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.  - Politicians and members of the Dept of Education are OPENLY stating that the schools know what is better for the children than the parents do

42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use ["]united force["] to solve economic, political or social problems.  - again, have not seen this first hand

43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government.  - that is an interesting one to look into, alas I have not at this time
44. Internationalize the Panama Canal.  - done!
45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction [over domestic problems. Give the World Court jurisdiction] over nations and individuals alike.  - The Connally Reservation basically states that the UN States have no jurisdiction in the US if we declare a particular issue to be a domestic issue (for example: civilian owned firearms), repeal of this reservation would mean that another country (for example Mexico or Canada) could take the US through international proceedings regarding the use and sale of firearms within our own borders.

Bill Nye and Ken Ham/Evolution vs Creationism Debate, My Thoughts

Disclaimer:  I am a Creationist, I believe that man was created by God.  I also believe that my faith has no bearing on science, or scientific breakthroughs with the universe at large, and I think that science is REALLY AWESOME STUFF!  I am also stating publicly, I am not a scientist.  This post is merely to explain some basic precepts.

So, by now just about everyone has seen, heard about or watched clips of the Bill Nye vs Ken Ham debate titled, "Is Creation a Viable Model for the Origins of Life in Today's Modern Scientific Era?"

The debate is still available at http://debatelive.org/ for those that would like to see it in full.

When we sat down to watch the debate I was expecting a debate.  A discussion of evidence and theory.

What I saw was two men on a stage, one trying to add to a discussion that needs to be had, the other politicking, insulting the intelligence of the audience and hand-waving or even completely ignoring evidence.

Ken Ham delivered Creationism at an elementary-middle school level, touching only on the basics, this was a debate after-all and not a full on discourse on the subject.  All the while, admitting that science is awesome, and fun.  The only theory at issue is the Origins of Life.

Bill Nye did everything he could to dance around the Origins of Life, pointing out that a particular type of Nuclear Science is not taught in Kentucky (which, I am sure is also not taught in many other states due to the specialty of the field), begging taxpayers to keep funding science education and insulting the intelligence of those that do not believe in evolution as presented.

People, including Mr Nye, seem to fail at understanding a simple concept:  Christians and Creationists DO NOT HATE SCIENCE!  We love it!  By using logic and experimentation we get to explore God's Creation.

Please remember, WE LOVE SCIENCE!

The Theory of Evolution is not observable science, as it pertains to the Origins of Life.

ORIGINS OF LIFE

We are not trying to discuss evolution as it pertains to dogs and wolves, or horses and zebras.  We get that.  We can observe that, we can experiment with it, we except that as truth kind breeds same kind.

What Creationists do not believe, that the textbooks and majority rule (as Mr Nye pointed out again and again), is that Man evolved from Ape, which evolved from small mammalian insectivores, which evolved from reptiles, which evolved from fish, which evolved from something similar to a sea squirt, which evolved from a sort of plankton, which evolved from a multi-celled ameoboid, which evolved from a single-celled amoeboid, which evolved from a soup that was nothing more than water drainage off of rocks that just happened to be struck by lighting and just the right mathematically impossible moment.

Evolutionists tend to lump that one disbelief in with a disbelief in science in general, stating that Creationists are nothing more than 'backwards hicks with no education.'  But there are plenty of scientists who believe in Creationism.

There is actually MORE observable and documented evidence for Creation than there is for Evolution.  Of course, the only people exposing it are Creationists, but in case you are curious in learning more about Creation Science, for any reason, INCLUDING debunking, please check out the free seminars from Kent Hovind.

The main point of Creationist thought: expose and remove the lies in the science textbooks.  When something is proven false, remove it.

For example, Embryogenesis today shows us that every animal embryo is different, and looks different from one another at every stage of development.  So why are we still putting in the textbooks that the human embryo goes through a 'fish-stage?'

Many of the fossils used to prop up Evolutionary Theory have been debunked, with science!  So why are we still using them as 'evidence' to teach evolution to our children?

Simply put, the false evidence is left in the books to continue to indoctrinate our children into a belief system that has no room for morality, life value or free-thinking.

Evolutionary Theory is NOT SCIENCE, it is a BELIEF SYSTEM based on faith.  The same as Christianity and Creationism.

So, where is your 'Separation of church and state' now?