Essay #4

Robert Kidd

Which E-Cig?

One process that requires some very methodical steps is the process of finding the right E-cig. Like many other devices there are many different kinds and they cater to different needs and desires of the customer. Often lifestyle, smoking habits, schedule, and environment play a role in the choice that is made but all of these aspects need to be addressed before the right choice for an individual is made. The steps include: learning about E-Cigs, figuring out what kinds of things different E-cigs offer, figure out what you are looking for, fitting the capabilities of a given E-cig to your needs, and lots of trial and error along the way. The most important part is finding the type that fits your lifestyle best, but the process will include a lot of other steps before you will know which one does fit you best.

            In the beginning the first thing you need to do is research. This can be done online or by talking to someone who is familiar with E-cigs. Just learning about the different types will require a good amount of time and cutting corners will only result in frustration later, so doing it right the first time is crucial. It will remind you of what it was like finding the brand of cigarettes that you liked best. But it will also show you that using E-cigs requires a little more work than regular cigarettes. Before you would just smoke the cigarette to the butt and throw it away. When you were craving another you’d simply light one up. Now it is much more complicated. There are things that were not a concern, before, but are very important now; these include: battery life, charging time, cleaning, refilling, and flavor. Enjoying your nicotine now means you have to do all those other new chores; because, after all, you are maintaining an electronic device. During this time you will begin to get an idea about which types would fit your lifestyle and also the different pros and cons of different brands. Along the way you will begin to notice different things that appeal to you and this will naturally lead you to the next step.  

            The next step is the most important one because it dictates how you spend you money on the most expensive part of using e-cigs. The idea behind e-cigs is that the initial purchase will cost you a lot of money but over time you will save money because the maintenance and upkeep for E-cigs is very inexpensive. Now it is time to figure out what kinds of capabilities you are looking for. You will need to factor in the time you can devote to maintenance, cost, how much you will use them, and many other things that are important to you. This is important because if you don’t like your e-cig you will end up having to spend more money on a different one. Since you are addicted, quitting isn’t a realistic option but you might as well try to get the most out of your situation. Once you have figured out what you want its time to go to step three.

            This is the final step and is pretty much trial and error. Now that you have the various choices narrowed down it’s time to buy some. This should be easy because after all of your research it should be clear which ones are the most likely to fit you needs. During the trial and error phase it is important to remember that all of this effort is going to benefit your health as well as your wallet. While at times it may be discouraging or confusing keep in mind that there are plenty of people around the world who are doing nothing about their addiction, but also plenty who are working even harder than you are. Hopefully you buy the right one because the research and methodical approach should’ve considerably narrowed the field. Generally the first brand you try will be appealing simply because you don’t know any better. Also during the trial stage remember that E-cigs are NOT cigarettes so looking for the “perfect” one is futile.

            It is obvious that finding the right E-cig is not an easy process. It requires perseverance and a will to be better but the most challenging things in life are the ones worth doing. Most processes involve some kind of choice so simply knowing what you want is half the battle. Once you know what you want finding it is not too difficult in this Internet age. 

Essay #3

Robert Kidd

3/14/12

Revolvers To Automatics

            Through the 1980’s Revolvers dominated the handgun market and were the obvious choice for Law Enforcement personnel. What Changed? At some point the Police started moving towards automatics and away from the revolver. Each offer very different Pros and cons but obviously the school of thought changed and has evolved into something completely different today.  I find it very interesting that for 100 years revolvers and automatics have both existed but that in the mid 1980’s the more favored type of handgun switched. 

            First, there are some things that you should know about the different types of firearms. They are both considered “handguns” but cannot both be called pistols. They both fire cartridges that are mad up of an igniter, gunpowder, and the bullet itself.  Think of the cartridge as a bottle of champagne and the bullet as the cork. Revolvers have six “Chambers” that each holds one cartridge. These chambers are rotated when the trigger is pulled or the hammer is cocked, which in turn strikes the igniter on the cartridge in the top chamber and the gun goes off. This is repeated until all cartridges are fired and then each chamber must be reloaded individually.  An automatic however does not have any chambers. It is comprised of a handle and a “slide.” They have a detachable Magazine (Box that holds cartridges) that is inserted into the gun and cartridges are swept into the barrel by the back-and-forth movement of the slide.

            Starting in the late 1800’s revolvers were used by everyone. They were the type of handgun that was favored by Cowboys of the Wild West and also the lawmen of the era. They were seen as very simply and reliable. Back in the olden times the cartridges, which were manufactured, were often unreliable, which gave a revolver an advantage. When a cartridge fails to go off in an automatic handgun the user must grab the slide and manually pull it back in order to clear the bad round and load another into the barrel, but when a cartridge failed in a revolver all one had to do was pull the trigger again in order to rotate the cylinder holding the chambers and a fresh cartridge would be fired. This obviously was a serious advantage because it much faster to shoot again.  As time went on, however, the manufacturing process became better and better which eventually cancelled out the advantage because there were less and less cartridge failures. So once this happened they were even again in terms of recovering from a bad round.

            Then there was the question of power. Everyone wanted the most power and back in the early 1900’s revolvers could accept more powerful cartridges because of the manufacturing process. The cylinder, in a revolver, was made by drilling six holes into a single piece of metal. This was much stronger than the process for making an automatic, which was made by stamped parts held together by pins and welding. Thus the revolvers could hold up to higher pressures and were able to fire bigger bullets than autos. Once again the manufacturing process improved and automatics became equal in terms of durability.

            Finally one of the most important aspects of any firearm, which will be given to a lawman, was simplicity.  This is not to say that lawmen are simple but with the growing need for law enforcement training costs money and the faster someone could train a new officer the more cost effective a given handgun would be. Revolvers have always been seen as very simple. In reality they are comprised of more parts than an auto but in terms of training, it used to be easier to train someone to use a revolver because they were reliable and had no safety. The safety for a revolver was the holster. Also the trigger pull on a revolver is much longer and heavier than that on an auto. This means that accidental discharges were much more rare for revolver users. During the 1980’s a new gun was introduced, the Glock. It was an automatic that had no safety and was made up of plastic and metal. It beat the revolver in all categories and served as the biggest reason for the switch from revolvers to automatics. It has a long trigger pull like the revolver and actually has a safety mechanism, which keeps it from being fired accidentally. Also it holds 17 cartridges compared to revolvers which hold six.

            After researching the topic it has become clear that the idea that a simple firearm is better has been redefined. The added benefits of an automatic handgun clearly outweigh the negatives, thanks to modern manufacturing capabilities. The movement from revolvers to automatics, in hindsight, was probably inevitable because the reasons for using a revolver were mostly based on manufacturing capability. 

Essay #2

Robert Kidd

2/20/12

One prominent topic for discussion has, and always will be, the continued use of tobacco and or nicotine. For thousands of years people have used tobacco for medicine and as a stimulant. As many know, the use of tobacco has many negative effects; but why do we continue to use it? The big issue here is not that it gives you cancer, makes your breath smell, wastes money, turns your teeth and nails yellow, smells bad, or kills you; it is that we, as a world, put up with it.  Yes there are “No Smoking” areas but why do we allow smoking at all?  There are some who say that fighting an international habit is impossible. They say that the cigarette companies have too much money to be defeated. I disagree with this. At one time we thought that slavery was fair, that a man could be judged by the color of his skin. We truly thought it was ok and eventually realized our mistake and changed the world.  If we can fix something that we didn’t realize was wrong then I believe that we can certainly fix something that most of us believe needs to be changed.

             The public has shown that it is willing to battle issues but fighting the use of tobacco is less prominent in nightly news. Often on television we see people arguing about: politics, war, marijuana, abortion, national debt, corporations, and stocks; while tobacco usage is being ignored even though it is a global issue. It is as if we have all become numb to the idea and have accepted it as something that has existed, does exist, and will exist. Some people believe that the widespread use of tobacco isn’t their problem. They say that since they don’t smoke, it’s not their problem. They fail to respect the awesome power of nicotine. While they may not smoke their kids and loved ones may someday. The attitude that the previously mentioned individual displayed is the same attitude that perpetuates many problems that have plagued society in the past.

            There is a famous quote, which addresses the recurring problem of people ignoring issues. It reads, “Evil prevails when good men fail to act.” This could not be more relevant for the issue at hand. When we apply this quote to the issue it is important which parts of the quotes are linked to the different aspects of the issue. The “Evil” is not that tobacco kills; it is the people who dismiss the issue and ignore the people who are dying. The “Good Men” are the people who are trying to rally the bystanders who pretend that smoking isn’t a serious issue.

            The facts speak for themselves. Smoking is definitely an issue.  There are 443,000 deaths a year due to smoking and secondhand smoke.  That’s just what happens to the global population. But lets take a look at what it does to the individual person.  Most smokers do not look into their addiction in depth. It just is. Its one of those things they just do. Little do they know that nicotine is taking over their entire body and even changing the way they think. 

After becoming addicted people start to think in “cigarette terms.” They weigh options and tackle situations based on their addiction. In this example it is made clear how much the nicotine changes someone.  “A never-smoker and a smoker both experience flat tires while driving in a freezing rain. They stop, get out and look at the flat. The never-smoker sighs then immediately reaches for a jack to change the tire. The smoker reaches for a.... That’s right, a cigarette.” It is scary how much of an effect it really has. This shows how even the most simple habits change and how people do not even behave logically because of smoking.

Finally, it’s important to remember what the real issue is. We all agree that smoking is bad but the next step is to solve it. The problem is that people are not actively fighting smoking. Unlike other issues smoking is seen as unhealthy but not bad. If we were to see a bank being robbed we would call the police, but when we see someone smoking there is nobody to call.  Even though it feels like it’s the smokers vs. the non-smokers it’s really the world vs. tobacco. We can either wait until the death toll is so high that people finally act or we can act now before the problem gets worse. 

First Essay: Evaluating Sources

Robert Kidd

Essay 1: Evaluating Sources

For my entire life I have been a seeker of knowledge. Sometimes it would be something as trivial as how to shine a pair of shoes, and Other times it would be as serious as questioning the meaning of life. Since I was a toddler I was always the kid asking everyone why things were the way they were. It seems there is/was a driving force that compelled me to want to know about things. Throughout my life the sources for information were always very informative and they are similar I suppose.  Some people want to know the “what” I, however, want to know the “why.”

            For my entire life one of my biggest sources for information has been my dad. He’s one of those guys who seems to know just enough about everything, which means he can do almost anything. I always had a million questions for him and rarely got an answer like “I don’t know”. Since I was very young I loved being read to and later learned to love reading myself. In elementary school I spent many summers, much to my dismay, reading aloud to my mom. I would read American classics like Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. A childhood of reading, and discussing ideas with my father is what shaped my information gathering predilections into what they are today.

            Throughout middle school and high school I still loved reading, but often found myself being forced to read things that were boring. I was especially bored when we would read the classics! During my time in middle school, I learned that a very powerful tool for finding information was the computer. My generation has literally grown up with Google and it is undeniably one of the most common sources for information. Once we learned how to use the Internet, everything changed. There really were articles out there on the exact topic you needed and you could access them in seconds.  During the time from 6^th to 12^th grade I did learn that there was another very common source of information: friends.

            Before middle school there was no need for gossip. I was at a small private school and had been in class with the same 28 kids for my entire life.  We would often all adopt a given pastime and we would absolutely master it. A lot of our information gathering was done through trial and error and through each other. At our school we learned everything from caring for farm animals to pottery to archery. I can definitely say we became our own sources. In 8^th grade I switched to public school and my sources were pretty typical. They included the Internet, books from the library, and my peers.  All of these resources from my entire life of learning all have different uses and bring different things to the table.

You can often tell what kinds of things you will find in a source just by knowing what kind of source you are looking at. The main sources I use for academic writing are, scholarly articles, books, educational videos, and sometimes, the media.  When I am looking at a scholarly article I can expect to find the results of some tests or studies, which back up their opinions or findings.  They often contain similar writings like the following: “Results indicated significant differences in the personality styles of intrinsically and extrinsically religiously oriented students.” (Silva 1) This was a quote from a psychology article that is talking about the different personalities of people who are self-motivated and people who are not.

The scholarly articles are usually very specific and revolve around a single idea or point. Sometimes I find that they are good for single pieces of information, but generally don’t have a huge amount of information.  Books are also good sources for information. They will have a broader scope of an issue, and give the author enough time to explain his/her thoughts on a particular subject. In a book about freeing oneself from nicotine the author gives the reader a page and a half of information on dopamine, while a standard article may give the reader a single sentence on a single topic. The simple fact that the author has time to fully explore ideas and opinions means that we learn that much more about a given topic. Then, we can create our own ideas about topics because we have a greater understanding of the information. The third source of information that I use is the educational video. Videos are a great way learn about a challenging topic. They give us information and allow us to learn through seeing and hearing. The last type of source is the media. Depending on how mainstream your topic is you will probably be able to find two or more views on the issue. The media tends to discuss issues in depth online or in articles but generally scratch the surface when on television. No matter what, the type of information the media presents is entertaining and engaging. You can count on news articles to be packed with facts, and they are usually about issues that the average person would like to know more about. This excerpt shows the broad audience some media articles can attract. “Cigarette and alcohol use among teens is at the lowest level in decades, but marijuana use is on the rise, according to a survey released on Wednesday.” (Keiper 1)  This not only captures the readers attention, it also has information for Teens, parents, smokers, drinkers, and marijuana users.

            Earlier I found two sources on the topic of quitting smoking and I can expect to find different types of information in each one. The first source is a full-length book written for the smoking population. I expect to find a lot of information about all aspects of smoking tobacco and also plenty of facts and anecdotes as well. The second source is a scholarly article on the same topic. I came assume that there will be less information on quitting than the book but I may find the results to a study or some research.  I expect the book to be more useful to me because it is longer and, once again, the author has time to thoroughly explain his ideas, opinions and experiences.

            After reading both sources it is clear they were meant for two different audiences and one of them did not contain information that is useful to my paper. I am looking for information that would help people get through the quitting process and also teach them about their addiction. The scholarly article is focused on the motivation to quit. The information I found was interesting but not really what I was looking for. This excerpt gives a good overall summary of their article: “Self esteem related to quitting was positively related to desire to quit, expected success at quitting, confidence in quitting, and motivation to quit.” (Mazure 1) They are interested in the psychology behind wanting or not wanting to quit. Even though their focus was not on my specific topic I did learn some interesting facts about motivation. They are also curious about the reasons why people may choose not to seek treatment. This is illustrated in the next excerpt:  “Little is known about beliefs about quitting and treatment motivation in non-treatment seeking smokers.”  (Mazure 1)  This tells me that their target audience is people who are treatment seeking and want to quit smoking. The information from this article was not useful but what I found in the next source was information that is.

            The book was able to give me lots of information about quitting and also many facts about the quitters’ enemy: nicotine. It was able to explore the entire idea of quitting and give the reader real life stories of quitters, one of which is the author. In the very first chapter he gets the readers involved by saying the following: “Remember how you body reacted to that first-ever inhaled puff, dip, or chew of tobacco? Although some took to smoking like fish to water, what most recall is how utterly horrible it tasted.”  (Polito 13) This breaks the ice and makes the reader comfortable. Either way, he is referring to your experience because he talks about both kinds of first experiences. Then later he explains the feelings we got from smoking: “In addition to producing a noticeable “aaah” reward sensation, the brain records the entire event in what may be the highest definition memory (plasticity) that the mind is capable of producing. It’s what researchers call “salient” or “pay attention” memories.” (Polito 14) This excerpt is stating how our brain gets a pleasurable experience when nicotine is absorbed into the body. While both sources were about quitting smoking clearly one was more useful than the other. I feel that the book will be more useful to my paper than the article for some simple reasons. First, it has more information to offer. Second, it gives examples and personal experiences of the challenges and difficulties a quitter will face. And thirdly, it addresses the topic of my paper. Using these sources for my paper I would start by giving the reader some of the information that has been given to me. My paper would answer the simple question of why people should quit the use of tobacco and also nicotine. The information I found will help me complete all of these aspects and is from a reliable source.

            From the very first information I absorbed from picture books to the complex arguments I have found in college level articles I can safely say that my information gathering techniques have evolved with the level of academic writing I am required to do. In the future there may be better sources but for now I feel that books are the best. Though time consuming and complex they do seem to offer the most information and best developed ideas of the sources at my disposal.

Works Cited 

Keiper, Lauren. “Teens Using Cigarettes, Alcohol Less but Smoking Pot More.” Msnbc.msn.com. Reuters, 14 Dec. 2011. Web. 30 Jan. 2012. <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/‌id/‌45671219/‌ns/‌health-addictions/‌#.TycY_JjDbao>.

Mazure, Carolyn M., Sherry A. Mckee, and Andrea H. Weinberger. “Perceived Risks and Benefits of Quitting Smoking in Non-treatment Seekers.” Addiction Research & Theory (Aug. 2010): 456-463. Web.ebscohost.com. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. <http://web.ebscohost.com>.

Polito, John R. Freedom from Nicotine the Journey Home. Goose Creek: FFNicotine.com, 2009. E-Book file.

Silva, Adilia, and Sumaya Laher. “Religious Orientation and Personality Styles in Psychology Students.” Web.ebscohost.com. Ebsco Industries, 1 July 2011. Web. 30 Jan. 2012. <http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.vccs.edu:2048/‌ehost/‌detail?vid=3&hid=106&sid=266bfff8-7361-489f-9ce1-5118dad93b9f%40sessionmgr111&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=66960373>.

The believing game: Electronic cigarettes

Health Risks of E CigarettesQuick info on Electronic cigarettes for people who arent farmiliar with these devices. They are generally a device with three parts: the battery, the atomizer, and the cartridge. They give the "smoker" a dose of nicotine, which can be any amount ranging from 6mg/ml to 34mg/ml, with each inhale in the form of water vapor.

Summary 1
One side of the argument says that E cigarettes are not safe and they need to be researched more. The Food and Drug Administration is one of the biggest groups who say the devices are not safe. They say that some tobacco-specific nitrosamines which are known cancer-causing agents were found in all of the cartridges of one brand and two of the cartridges of another. The FDA also said the levels of nicotine in some of the devices were not exactly as advertised. Furthermore they say that the devices are marketed to young people and lack appropriate health warnings.  The FDA found that cartridges marked as no nicotine actually did have some of the addictive substance, that the devices emitted some human carcinogens, and that there were some tobacco-specific impurities suspected of being harmful to humans.

Summary 2
The other side of the argument obviously sees Electronic Cigarettes as a good alternative to smoking regular tobacco cigarettes. The Electronic Cigarette Association says that the FDA testing was not broad enough research and cannot reach any valid or reliable conclusions. Another proponent of the devices, the American Association of Public Health Physicians, supports the sale of E cigarettes to adults. they say that the possibility exists to save the lives of four million of the eight million current adult American smokers who will die of a tobacco-related illness over the next twenty years. The AAPHP is against the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors though. Some users have noted how many of the tobacco related feelings and negative results of smoking went away after switching to E cigarettes.

First Essay Citations: Quitting Smoking

Article 1

Mazure, Carolyn M., Sherry A. Mckee, and Andrea H. Weinberger. "Perceived Risks

     and Benefits of Quitting Smoking in Non-treatment Seekers." Addiction

     Research & Theory (Aug. 2010): 456-463. Web.ebscohost.com. Web. 25 Jan.

     2012. <http://web.ebscohost.com>.

Book 1

Polito, John R. Freedom from Nicotine the Journey Home. Goose Creek:

     FFNicotine.com, 2009. E-Book file.

TSIS on Twitter Vs. Facebook

Some say that Twitter is better than Facebook. The proponents for Twitter say that it is better because it is easier to set up, more convenient, and just plain simpler.  I, however, believe that the two cannot be compared. The very reasons that they say Twitter is better are the reasons why they cannot be compared. The two cannot be put into the same group. I think of Twitter as a form of online texting and Facebook as peoples' life stories, if you will. So, in short, my opinion is that Twitter is not better than Facebook because they are unrelated things.

I'd Like to write about the controversial gadgets known as "E cigarettes"

As I read through the 2 chapters of They Say I say, I soon realized that the answer to what I should write about was within those pages. The book really made me think about writing, and my style/ skill level. I soon realized that my writing definitely lacked some important "moves" and could use some updating.
As for what I would like to write about, I learned that in order to write an interesting paper I needed to have something that was important to me. Something that would engage me and also be able to be examined on many levels. I decided that having just switched from standard cigarettes to the "safer" e cigarettes, It would be good to delve deep into the history of these devices and also create some opinions of my own. Maybe I will even end up challenging the common belief that they are actually safer.

Public Diary?

My thoughts on the setup process is that it was pretty simple. I guess its purpose is to allow people to write whats on their mind on a sort of "public diary". interesting. I'll be exploring this further but as of now I'm not sure I have anything to "blog".