Why is cigarette smoking banned in most public places, while heavy perfume use remains completely acceptable? Most perfumes contain a mess of toxic chemicals known to cause a variety of health problems from weakening the immune system to cancer.

"Freedom of expression" isn't anymore valid with perfume than it is with smoking. Some people think smoking looks cool, some people think smoke smells good (I personally love the smell of tobacco smoke). So "personal expression" just doesn't cut it. The only difference I can see between air-choking perfume and second-hand smoke is political.

My dad:

His surgery went fine and should be out in time to vote straight Republican. They are going to put the second stint in next Monday. Things are looking good and he appears very willing to give up cigarettes.

Me:

I do not have Behçet's disease (with about a 95% certainty). However, he was cautious about the" ulcerations" on my tongue and suggests that I get a biopsy after I get a teeth cleaning. He did not have a suggestion as to what they might be looking for with a biopsy. I've had the ulcerations on my tongue for as long as I can remember, the one dentist I asked said I must be biting my tongue in my sleep. I accepted that then, but now am questioning that assessment.

Of course, since the doctor I saw today is an Behçet's expert and outside my normal insurance it would make sense to attempt to find the care in-network. I'm not even sure if this is where I want to put my energy: if the weird tongue issues are not connected, I'd rather concentrate on the vertigo.

The smoke from burning marijuana leaves contains several known carcinogens and the tar it creates contains 50 percent more of some of the chemicals linked to lung cancer than tobacco smoke. A marijuana cigarette also deposits four times as much of that tar as an equivalent tobacco one. Scientists were therefore surprised to learn that a study of more than 2,000 people found no increase in the risk of developing lung cancer for marijuana smokers. "We expected that we would find that a history of heavy marijuana use--more than 500 to 1,000 uses--would increase the risk of cancer from several years to decades after exposure to marijuana," explains physician Donald Tashkin of the University of California, Los Angeles, and lead researcher on the project. But looking at residents of Los Angeles County, the scientists found that even those who smoked more than 20,000 joints in their life did not have an increased risk of lung cancer. full article

With the recent debunking of the marijuana kills brain cells myth, there is now no known health risks associated with marijuana. With the legalized status of alcohol, it is obvious that simply being an intoxicant is not sufficient to warrant prohibition. What is more, alcohol has many well known and verified health risks, is known to dramatically increase violence, and is physically addictive; all of which make it a much more dangerous substance. There is simply no good reason for marijuana to be illegal at this point.

The crazed war on drugs is what has lead to the outrageously high levels of incarceration in the United States. In the in the 1920's United States prohibition of alcohol did not stop people from drinking, but instead lead to organized gangs of criminals terrorizing the inner city streets of places such as Chicago and New York, as well as creating a countryside full of producers and smugglers. Sound familiar? History tends to repeat itself. It's time to legalize marijuana and start focusing on real threats that we face today.

After she got off work, purpleglitter met me at the house_of_clocks. From there we went to Walgreens and noticed a smoky smell. Then we noticed the smoky smell was coming from the smoke that was coming from the trashcan by the entrance. Someone had apparently thrown some sort of ignited tobacco product in the trashcan, which is just plain stupid as the Walgreens trashcans are equipped with a disposal unit on top of them specifically for ignited tobacco products. I stuck my hand in the can to try to put it out as purpleglitter squawked at me that I'd set my clothes on fire. Very shortly after I took my hand out the smoldering turned into sizable flames.

A couple Walgreens employees attempted to douse the flame with water, however they simply lessened its magnitude. Within a few minutes, the fire department arrived and put the fire out properly. No damage to anything but the trashcan, which is trashed.

----

Upon arriving back at purpleglitter's apartment, I decided to make us pizza in the oven. The heating element of the oven fell down while the pizza was cooking and started burning the cheese. This produced much smoke but no real flame. We had to open the doors and air out the apartment. Luckily the oven suffered no real damage and the heating element can be easily reattached.

----

Later in the evening, the toaster decided to completely burn our bagels. I would probably not mention the occurrence otherwise, but it seemed to top off the evening of burning.

There needs to be some consistency needs to be built into the United States legal system.

If a 14 or 15 year old can be tried as an adult, then they should be consistently treated as an adult. They should be able to drive, vote, and buy cigarettes and alcohol. They should be able to make their own choices when it comes to psychiatric and medical care, just like an adult. They should be granted all the rights of adulthood, not just the penalties. Either that or don't try them as adults.

If a extremely poor person commits a petty crime and can't afford to pay the fine they go to jail, often for 10 to 30 days or more. They have done nothing worse than a person with the money that commits the same petty crime. The jail time is a much harsher punishment than someone who can pay the fine. And if the person paying the fine is rich, it isn't really much of a punishment at all. If the crime is concerning enough to throw the impoverished in jail, it should be concerning enough to throw anyone in jail. Do away with the fine, and make it a flat out jail sentence. Either that or weight the fine to the persons income and wealth.

If a person would not be considered mentally competent enough to be be responsible for their own actions and decisions in criminal matters, they should be able to choose what if any psychiatric care they want to receive. Forcing medication, elctroconvulsive therapy, residential programs, and other "treatments" on people who can make their own competent decisions is a travesty of civil liberties.

I could go on with examples like these for quite some time. The claim of consistency is often used to defend the American legal system, but that's absolutely not the case. It is so unfair and inconsistent it literally reeks. Change needs to be had.

i dealt with rob's (mutehalo) death mostly by dissociation. it never seemed real. It still doesn't. It feels like part of a dream and he's going to meet me at the diesel and we're going to walk to my house. on the way he'll give me a cigarette, the only time i really smoked tobacco. we'd get stoned and make out. it was an almost weekly ritual. i miss him. fuck.

Room available immediately in 4 bedroom on Mass Ave in Arlington. We are 3 very queer non-smoking individuals and 4 cats (even one of the cats is gay). Enclosed back porch with view of Spy Pond in winter. Beautiful hardwood floors, bay windows. Cable modem internet. Off-street parking. On 77, 79, 89, and 350 bus routes. 15 minute walk to Alewife redline stop. 30 minute walk or 10 minute bus ride to Davis Square. 2 floors. 2 bathrooms. Very spacious. $400+

i read in national geographic there is a creature called the butt worm
the butt worm has nothing to do with asses
it is a creature that lives in the deep sea that looks like a cigarette butt
just thought i'd share that tidbit of information

i have learned that drinking water or soda is, for me, less grounding than eating.
and drinking a hot beverage is more grounding than drinking a cold beverage
this is important to note
because during a panic attack i might want something more grounding, like smoking a cigarette
or when i'm stoned i might want something less grounding, again like smoking a cigarette
but i don't really smoke many cigarettes
3 or 4 cigarettes a month
everyone tells me i should be worried about getting addicted
i know it happens very easily
but i've done this for years
i have a respect for tobacco
i know it's powers of suduction
but i have always been able to keep those powers in check
so i worry not

purpleglitter drove me to my pdoc appointment, which I thought was at 10:30am, but turned out to be at 10:00am. Luckily, I arrived at 10:20am, and was able to at least get in a short session. She increased my Geodon by 20mg, so now I take 60mg in the evening and 40mg in the morning.

-----

After my appointment, purpleglitter drove me around Mount Auburn Cemetery. It was very rainy, so purpleglitter didn't want to get out of the car. After driving around a bit, the rain let up, and we walked up to the tower. The view of the Boston skyline over the multicolored trees and silent gravestones was breathtaking. The wind ripped past me as I stood on the precipice above the garden of the dead.

-----

After Mount Auburn Cemetery, purpleglitter took me to Punjab Food & Spices a.k.a. the Chai Café. She bought me a yummy Indian lunch, after which we enjoyed cigarettes together on the benches nearby.

-----

Last, but not least, purpleglitter's power is back on. Yay!

Yesterday afternoon, I went to the Salvation Army with merryperseis and purpleglitter. I got a ton of new clothes for only $15. I didn't get as much summer stuff as I had planned, but I did get a wonderful knee-length piece of lingerie that will make a very nice summer dress.

-----

After we got back from the Salvation Army, we went and fed the geese at Spy Pond. Even the swans ate out of my hand. Only the ducks are too timid. Or too short. Or are simply afraid getting in front of the geese.

merrryperseis brought bubbles. After she was done making bubbles, she let me make them. The geese didn't quite know what to make of the bubbles. They'd inspect them as they floated by and the scurry away if they got too close.

A woman who had her toddler at the pond brought her to see the bubbles. She loved playing in the bubbles. She stayed for about ten minutes as I blew bubbles at her. It was big fun. She kept reaching his hand out trying to catch one. They always seemed to miss her hand and hit her face. She didn't seem to mind. In fact she laughed every time one hit her face.

I took much time to smell the flowers on the way back. Spy Pond is a little piece of paradise right in Arlington.

-----

After Spy Pond, we sat and talked in the livingroom fo an hour or so, then purpleglitter went home. Rosey joined merryperseis and I on a trip to the Diesel Café. The Diesel's front windows can be raised in a garage door type fashion as they were today. We sat at a table right on the edge of the sidewalk, which was very convenient, as Rosey could smoke and talk to us at the same time.

-----

Back at home, merryperseis and I spent a beautiful romantic evening together. The day would have been perfect if I didn't have a freakout in the closet after merryperseis went to bed. I woke her up and she helped me get back into a good state so I could sleep. Even with that sour note, the day was wonderful, One I wouldn't mind repeating.

Slept most of today away. I've been very tired with no real reason. Awake now. Lake is at work. I think I'm going to smoke one of those tobacco-free cloves.

It took Lake over 2 hours to get through the interview and tests. She did fabulously.

We didn't do fabulously waiting. We had a couple loud arguments in Harvard Square. Scratched arms up with my fingernails, though not badly. People stared, but that's nothing new.

We also got hit on by some creepy guy who wanted our number. I'm a creepy guy magnet.

Bought some cigarettes. Don't really smoke, but felt like I really needed some.Went for some cloves. They turned out to be disappointingly tobacco free.