Snow Melt

Electric Cigarettes, Outdoor Toilets, and Rent-a-Johns

The March 14, 2013 prompt for "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS"  is
What modern invention do you think is a waste of time?

My first thought when I read this prompt was that nothing which assist a person is a waste of time, but then my first up of coffee kicked in and I realized there are probably numerous inventions that are a waste of time. So I went into the kitchen, poured myself another cup of leftover coffee, put it in the microwave (which I do not think is a waste of time) and waited for my coffee to get hot. While I was watching my coffee cup turn in the microwave, I realized that there is one invention that I think is a complete and utter waste of time and money (at least on the part of its users)

As an ex-smoker who had one hell-of-a-time giving up nicotine, I believe the electric cigarette, or e-cigarette as it is known, is a waste of time. The e-cigarette, according to my research, is an inhaler that uses the nicotine extracted from tobacco. The nicotine is the addictive part of a regular cigarette, it is the part of the cigarette that gets people hooked on smoking. Since nicotine extract is all that this cigarette uses, it is supposed to be safer then ordinary cigarettes. The presumption raises a couple of questions. Will people smoke more e-cigarettes if the think the health risk is lower? Will smoking more e-cigarettes increase an individual's nicotine addiction? What health risk does the increased nicotine addiction pose? For more information on e-cigarettes see http://www.rferl.org/content/electronic-cigarettes-safety/24903852.html

If smokers smoke ordinary cigarettes,
do vapers smoke e-cigarettes?

The March 14, 2013 prompt for "Blogging Circle of Friends Prompt Forum"  is
What is the one thing you cannot live without?

I think I have addressed this question or a similar question before, either that or someone offline asked me the question. My stock answer is indoor toilets, I can deal with all most anything except an outhouse on a cold winter night or rainy summer night. I also have difficulty with the creepy crawlies that tend to inhabit these little wooden houses; I also detest the rent-a-johns and I believe that is because the remind me of the wooden outhouses I used as a child. I have no problems using public restrooms, but I will go out of my way and dance on one foot to avoid a rent-a-john. I will say this about the rent-a-johns, at least they have rolls of real toilet paper and not old catalogs, newspapers, or dried corncobs.

Thought of the Day: “My aunt in Knoxville would bring newspapers up, which we used for toilet paper. Before we used it, we'd look at the pictures.” - Dolly Parton