My personal fantasy is to have John Oliver cover it on “Last week tonight”, get the “Oliver bump”. Lets face it, he has covered seemingly more mundane subjects and made them entertaining and informative. With his crack team of investigators and a nudge from some of the influencers in the vape world, I think he could grab some attention.
And I can almost hear him in his English accent saying, “You might think your brother in law STEVE is vaping clouds of buttercream blueberry nipples just to annoy you, and because it matches his samurai swords over the mantel and his pet ferret, but the truth in the matter is, as obnoxious as he may seem, he might just stick around longer because he switched from combustible cigarettes to halloween fog and small doses of nicotine. And there are are bigger forces at play here… Every state receives payments in the millions from big tobacco, etc etc etc”.
A fella can dream.
You got the Oliver-speak DOWN! 
Poifect! I think you should call John 
It would be great to see John Oliver do a segment on vaping. A wonderful suggestion !!
Where can we compile all of the information in a ready to peruse, easy to get to the meat and potatoes format?
I’d be happy to try and contact him.
I thought the doc “you dont know nicotine” was quite informative, would like more comprehensive coverage on the money states receive, could use a reminder of what that B.S. is called.
Charts on how much each state gets.
I can handle the PACT act part, oh heck any help wouldn’t hurt nuthin’.
Oooh!
Joel hits it pretty hard right here…
You know what? The compilation of facts just might be right here on ELR.
It’s called the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement
You can google what each state gets each year from the fund. The part that enrages us is that the states are supposed to use that money for smoking cessation and damages done to smokers but the states are using it for their own greedy needs.
One thing to keep in mind about the MSA is that most of the states immediately issued bonds for that money. Many of those bonds are coming up for payment soon with interest. The money allocated was based on packs sold so vaping cut into that pile of cash in a big way and the crooks are pissed off about that. On top of that is the money lost on taxes for each pack so states are losing money on two ends.
What’s worse is that some states(Including my home CA) have leveraged bonds on the future potential earnings from MSA payments. That means that they have a vested financial interest in making SURE THAT PEOPLE CONTINUE TO SMOKE TOBACCO. If that isn’t blood money, I don’t know what the hell is!
this is what someone replied :
It’s worked in jersey. I had been vaping for 4 years cig free until a few months into the ban when driving hours to get juice or coils got too rough I bought a pack of cigs. 1 year later and I’m smoking 2 packs of reds a day again smh.
Ami Horowitz is ok. This video shows how little thinking some people will do.
the future of this country = we are doomed
I’m surprised to see so much anti Covid vaccination discussion on this site. In checking out the main thread I didn’t see many dissenting views (I skimmed) . It’s a pretty hot topic and definitely views vary around the world a not just America.
I’m curious if that’s because largely the community here are in alignment with the idea that Covid isn’t what people think it is / isn’t real / government made it / being used to control people / any other objection, or if those who disagree are simply not bothering to do so in this forum - perhaps thinking that such firmly held beliefs won’t be changed or conversation welcomed.
Perhaps it’s that the minority community of those who believe that Covid isn’t real / bad / etc are just a louder contingent as is often the case with many minority opinions.
As for vaccinated people wearing masks - I would think the practise is held as very few vaccinated people have had proper antibodies tests and as such it’s been a continuing mandate to protect spread from those who fail to develop immunity. Additionally some may choose to continue wearing a mask if they’ve been vaccinated and many others haven’t to avoid rubbing others the wrong way.
I think another question could be - even if one doesn’t believe in anything Covid related, why would one wish to make others uncomfortable if the larger society does believe.
Wearing a mask would seem to be, for most; a relatively minor sacrifice in the interest of providing comfort to others.
And then there are replies like this - which couod be either way!
Speaking for myself, it’s simply not worth the drama that seems to automatically ensue.
When such monumental lashback can be stirred by something as seemingly inconsequential as a stupid little dot by someone’s avatar, or as minute as the topic of using heat to make a mix more conducive to chemicals mixing together more easily, it doesn’t take long to realize that you might as well be tacking into the wind.
There just comes a point when you say “it’s just not worth it”.
It does get discussed in certain company, in depth, and with supporting science-based evidence. (I’m indebted to those who aren’t afraid to dissent while maintaining a level head, as I’ve learned a great deal more from those who actually look beyond the media’s manipulation of the situation for facts.)
I wouldn’t say it isn’t real.
I would say that it’s not what it’s being portrayed to be (for a few different reasons).
Don’t go there Sparky… 
I agree. It’s not. Especially as you said with the completely innocuous “inside jokes” and also the way 4chan and the like can flick a finger and whip an entire group of people into frenzy.
This is what I look at too. Unfortunately evidence and statistics can be turned for any argument. “ 4/5 people agree” is also “20% unsatisfied”. A great many people cannot understand this and even when I try to take sports as an analogy they don’t get it.
On 3/4 of their last games with a record of WWWLLLLLWLL is also won 4/10 and 3/7 but announcers will say 3/4. The argument people have is that it’s a streak. My argument is there was a Losing stream before that so is it really relevant to overall statistics?
Before you joined ELR @Aphonic we got into MANY heated arguments (discussions) about COVID. Faucci (and others, WHO, CDC) were throwing out outrageous infection/fatality numbers (which have now been proven completely inaccurate), many people were in a panic, etc,. etc., etc. It ended up getting shut down because of that very same panic, and heated debate.
Now that the dust has settled, and the real fatality rate (including admission of incorrect counting, and the like), no one here has really felt the need to take what we now know, and compare it to what we were all TOLD previously.
People who are in the know, or WANT to be in the know, have already researched what’s what, and know. Those who haven’t either don’t care, or have no interest in knowing IMO.
Perhaps why there is more of an ANTI vac discussion on a DIY forum would be that many of us are NOT dependant, and/or are more self reliant. Buy juice, or make it yourself. Take the easy way, or get into it, and do it yourself. It’s a different mindset, and it extends BEYOND ejuice IMO.
For the skeptic, the above statement/mindset begs the question, what good IS the vac ? The goal posts have been moved soo many times in this “crisis” that many of us have lost count, and/or given up trying to keep up with the new “reason(s)”. Remember way back when, when everything was being done, to “Slow the spread” ?? LOL, look how far we’ve come.
I believe that is an oversimplification. I talk to an extremely large sample of people daily, and from all walks of life, and I’ve found far more people who do believe completely that COVID is real, but they have serious concerns about the ever changing severity, real lethality, and most have grown weary of the lockdown/restrictions, that seemed to be based far less on actual science, and more on (fill in the blank here …).
I don’t know which side of the fence the real “larger” society falls on, but as far as being uncomfortable, there seems to be a LOT of that, on both sides.
Ahhh, the biggest new, new debate. I will await to see what the new next new normal becomes. Many (not all) people that I talk to have been compliant since this all began, and many have grown tired of the ever changing goals, reasons, reasoning, and have lost faith in Fauci, the CDC, the WHO, and especially politicians, who seem to almost CRAVE situations, like COVID for a multitude of reasons. Power, control, funding, etc.
Promises made, promises broken is a term I hear regularly. People are told to lock down until (fill in the blank), they do. Told to continue until (fill in the blank), and they do. Told to wear masks, distance, etc., they do. Now we’re on to the vac.
I’ve been hearing more and more about “booster” shots, so it makes one wonder, will it ever end ? Only time will tell. People have been VERY compliant, understanding, reasonable, despite all of the changing rules, reasons, motivations, promises, but nothing lasts for ever, including patience. BUT, just my opinion.
Doesn’t mean COVID isn’t real, doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous to some, but it also doesn’t validate all of the “claimed” risks, lethality that has been bandied about either. It also doesn’t mean that many people are convinced as to the safety of the synthetic mRNA.
The future will tell us.
