Support reasonable regulation of the vaping industry

I was a smoker of 30+ years. I smoked a pack a day and, for a few years, I smoked two packs a day. Almost two and a half years ago, I tried an e-cigarette and I stopped smoking and started vaping. Millions of smokers try to quit every year and fail. They try patches and gum and drugs, but none of it works effectively. Electronic cigarettes, however, have been exceedingly effective in smoking cessation. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to regulate e-cigs and I’m not keen on kids getting into vaping because of the candy-flavored juices, but that’s no reason to let a small group of puritanical zealots smash the one industry that smokers can count on to quit into little bits. After all, you don’t use a sledge hammer to put in a thumb tack. If anything, the e-cig industry has been looking for regulation, but you have to understand vaping is NOT smoking. You can’t just apply the same laws that are applied to cigarettes.

So, stand up and say something. The following is a message I received from Mt. Baker Vapor, my supplier of vaping products. What the CTFK is doing is fine, but e-cigarette juice is not tobacco and analog cigarettes have around 7,000 chemicals (which is 6998 more than in e-juice). There is no comparison, and vaping actually helps people actually quit smoking. Sure, nicotine isn’t great, but neither is caffeine, and yet Americans drink tonnes of the stuff every day.

As a customer of ours, we try not to overburden you with messages, but we have been making a concerted effort to try and help inform our consumers around the nation about important government developments that threaten your ability to use electronic cigarettes and other vapor products.

Today, longtime vaping opponent, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) has assembled a call to action to urge President Obama to pressure the FDA to finalize their Tobacco Deeming Regulations. What has been failed to be mentioned is that if these regulations go into action, 99.9% of vapor products currently on the market will be gone within two to four years. These proposed regulations will have a crippling impact on businesses and consumers.

If you have not already done so, we urge you to please send an email to your Congressional representative and Senators and ask them to support and co-sponsor HR 2058, a bill that will stop the FDA from banning 99% of all vapor products.

The link [above] will take you to the CASAA blog where you will find all the information you need to contact the White House and let your voice be heard. Together we can show that the American people DO NOT support these regulations.

This only takes about 30 seconds and it’s the best resource we have for influencing the national conversation on vaping legislation. Please consider taking the time to send this important message!

Please be courteous and respectful at all times during your message. Ask that your representative support HR 2058 and be sure to share how vaping has made a positive impact on your life.

THANK YOU!

Thank you for your willingness to weigh in. It’s important for all adult consumers of electronic cigarettes and vapor products to help educate policymakers about vaping.

The Mt. Baker people are just trying run a business, provide a quality, American-made product, give great customer service, and all at the best prices around. And, no. They didn’t ask me to do this. I know a few dozen people who quit smoking through vaping. I’ve helped a few into it. I see thousands online, and I know that there are tens of thousands more whom I do not know, all who have used vaping to stop smoking. That’s a potential of hundreds of thousands of people who will no longer be murdered by the tobacco industry just for using their products.

In Defence of The Grand Tour

Granted, I'm not entirely in love with the first season of Amazon's highly anticipated Clarkson, Hammond, and May vehicle (that's a pun), The Grand Tour, but it needs to breathe (that's a wine reference) somewhat before it starts to shine.

In the latest R&T op/ed from Jack Baruth, the Avoidable Contact scribe rants about the failings he perceives are being perpetrated by The Grand Tour team, and he is right on some accounts. It does feel overly scripted, for the most part, and the best thing about Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May is their repartee en flagrante. We don't quite get to see it just yet, but it's more complicated than just getting the trio back in front of the cameras again.

We need recall that the BBC fired Clarkson for bitch slapping a production assistant. Clarkson walked and so did his fellow presenters. When he was courted by Amazon, show runner Andy Wilman and much of the Top Gear production team followed. The problem isn't that these people don't know how to work together, it's that the book they took 23 series (we call them seasons) over 18 years to write had to be tossed into the fire. You don't think the BBC would just let Clarkson and Co. walk off with the Top Gear formula, did you? Top Gear has been one of the BBC's biggest international golden gooses ever.

Episode #2 from the first series back in 2002. Look at how empty the hanger was!

Production needed to be different or the BBC would sue the hell out of Amazon. So, not unlike trying to get a cruise ship to do a backflip (both impossible and an impressively epic visual metaphor), the well-oiled Top Gear machine, honed over two decades starting with the almost utterly unwatchable first season, was going to have to start mostly from scratch. This is what we're seeing now. They had to do it to learn what was and was not going to work, and they need the crucible of public opinion to craft all new material.

We've also seen how hard it is to replicate Top Gear. The Australian version was cancelled after four years. The Russian version was cancelled half way through the first season. The US version has run for five seasons, but has never drawn significant viewership and is widely derided. There are South Korean, Chinese, and French versions as well, but I can't tell how well they're doing, though the French version posted a record viewership for the first episode.

It's not easy because good television is hard. So, let's give The Grand Tour and Amazon some room to get it right. It's fun to watch already, and the hosts and Andy Wilman will start to dial things in after this season. Like a fine wine, they just need room to breathe.

The stupid way to delete all photos from your dumb iPhone

So, I gave up on Apple a few years ago and have no ragerts. Apple has simply lost the thread of late and Microsoft is the real innovator these days. For the record, Windows 10 is the bomb and is far more functional than Mac OS X. Regardless of my enthusiasm, however, my wife Rima still insists on using her dumb ass iPhone 5s and it's admittedly sweet 8MP camera. She takes a lot of images, and that takes up a lot of room. She needed to archive the images she had taken and make room for a few thousand more. 

But, ahem... iOS only lets you delete images one at a time, or a bunch, but you have to select them manually. One. at. a. time. How annoying, and terrible UI/UX design. Jesus, Apple, I thought you guys were supposed to be awesome at this. 

Enough with the griping. Found out a simple-ish way to backup and delete all of your images. YMMV, since I only did this on an iPhone 5s with recent-ish software on it. You will need: 

  • A PC with Windows (since I have no idea how a Mac will respond, and frankly don't care). 
  • Your iPhone.
  • The USB cable. 

It's likely you'll also need to have the iTunes software installed so you have the mobile device drivers for your iPhone, or this probably won't work. 

  1. Fire up the PC.
  2. Fire up iTunes (maybe, maybe not). 
  3. Plug in your iPhone.
  4. Open up Windows Explorer.
  5. Go to My Computer or, if you aren't living under a rock, Computer.
  6. Open up the iPhone drive that should be there. 
  7. Open the DCIM folder in there. 

Now, at this point, you should see a few folders that have stupid names. These are the different folders you have on your iPhone in the Photos app. You can't delete these. 

  1. Now, open each dumb folder. 
  2. Select all. 
  3. Press Delete. 
  4. Watch them all go away. 
  5. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Now, I suggest you copy these to your hard drive before deleting them, or you can MOVE them, which is kind of the same. If you don't, you'll lose every last one of them. In case you don't know, when deleting files from a connected drive, there is no Recycle Bin. It just goes away.

Poof. 

So, take your time, be careful. Use checklists if you have to. Mind your surroundings. Keep your guard up. 

Coals on the inside

Emotionally, I’m about as drained as one can be, without simply keeling over dead. Spending day after day after day just being little more than alive, constantly searching for a solution that cost more than my heart can afford, is like a desiccant for my... me. I have these little fires in me somewhere, but I can never quite track them down. I know they’re burning and sometimes, on good days, I can even see a wisp or two of smoke, but then it’s gone. If I could just find one, I’d stoke the flames as high as I could.

Yet, I know what that means. 

If I cannot handle the flames, then I will be consumed by the conflagration. Some form of me might remain, but it won't be me. It will just be a husk of me, working through the motions of a genuine life. Eventually, I will wear down and scatter. I'll end up becoming the nothing I already believe I am. 

If, on the other hand, I can withstand the fire, watching it lick across my presence, finding the edges, darkening them, making them sharper, I might move something, somewhere. 

Like an ant moving a mountain. 

Before I'm sure I'm not that ant, I might as well try to prove I am, when I reach the other side of whatever awaits me. Maybe then, I'll find some of those fires that I know are smoldering somewhere deep inside. 



In case you're wondering: Why Windows 10 Phone, HP?

This isn't going to be a long read. The simple answer, and this is a guess, is that HP sees three things. 

  1. Windows 10 development is reportedly significantly easier than for 8/8.1. That should induce some developers to prep versions that run on all Windows 10 systems.
  2. Microsoft may have dumped Project Astoria, a dev kit to help Android app devs port to Windows 10, but Project Islandwood, a similar dev kit for iOS apps, is still on the workbench, and the iOS app ecosystem is significantly more cultured than Google's.
  3. HP has a very old relationship with corporate culture. HP can see the writing on the wall, and it's screaming CONVERGENCE = LOWER COSTS. 

It should come as any surprise that companies would prefer to adopt an ecosystem that gives them the most control, the most integration, and the most efficient workforce for the lowest possible outlay. That's exactly what the HP Elite X3 is all about, and HP sees the potential quite clearly. They don't even care if they sell fewer traditional enterprise-grade desktops. Those are loss leaders. If they can get in on the ground floor, nay, BE the ground floor of this hot new segment, they can cement their dominance and exert control over the formation of the new segment. 

Word from MWC last week was that an Elite X3 kit with optional laptop "dumb terminal" will cost much less than a smartphone and laptop, and the buyer gets both in one purchase. The dock comes with the handset, so just add a Monitor/Keyboard/Mouse combo kit for a few hundred more and you've completely outfitted one employee at a lower cost, reduced the time IT works on that employee significantly, cut down on the potential for shadow IT, and don't have to adopt any kind of lame BYOD policy. Sure, some people will complain, but I'm sure they'll pick their paycheck over their smartphone. 

For the coup de grâce (if you think I'm misspelling it, look it up), HP has developed Workspace, something of an app store for virtualized desktop applications to run over a network to the device, though real details aren't yet available. I do know that HP Workspace requires a subscription fee, so it's unlikely that any consumers who are able to get a hold of one of these magnificent* devices will be able to afford to use it. All that will remain to be seen later this year when HP starts rolling them out. 

* early reports from presser hands-on periods have suggested it's marvelous, but time always tells the truth when it comes to smartphones. 

The Elegant Cape: A year in the life of America's preeminent perpetual loser optimist

NOTE: The original title to this piece was "If you feel like someone's out to get you, they probably are". I decided to change it because I had just written down what popped into my head and it's a little "out there", if you know what I mean. Nobody is out to get me. When I spent some time thinking about it, a visual metaphor came to mind. Hence, the new title. The cape is a beautiful distraction. Inside, my soul is broken and the laughing, jovial, juvenile, and kind imbecile I project is just a shadow of who I am. Look inside the cape, and the elegance fades quickly away. And yet, I remain optimistic, hoping that one day I achieve something, even something small and insignificant. Or, something big, like saving my family. 

Ah, good old paranoia. It's an American classic with two slices of cheese and a side of Freedom Fries. The funny thing is, sometimes you are completely right to feel paranoid. I know I do, and with good cause. My little family has been having the shit hit the fan for well over a year now.

It started back in 2014 when we were told we'd have to move out of the condo we'd been living in for five years because they were selling it. It happens, and I had been wrapping up my book, so we'd just move. And so, we did. Now, you're already at a disadvantage, because you don't have the benefit of understanding that we're not rich. Hell, we're barely even solvent. I earn almost nothing since I can't get work. I get little gigs here and there, but most people just ignore me. It doesn't matter how often I apply for work or what kind. I almost never hear back, and when I do, they find out I'm 47 with 20 years of experience and they ditch me then. So, it wasn't a big surprise to find out from our former neighbors that our condo wasn't sold, they were renting it out to someone else for more money. 

Message to HP: I really hate you, so stop trying to make me love you again

In all honesty, I used to love HP, but not for the reasons you might think. Their enterprise and server gear has long been solid, including their desktop and laptop products. I have much experience with many years of such equipment. That changed for me a few years ago when I purchased a brand new HP ProBook 4540s. Aside from the display being of lower resolution than I wanted, the machine was a 15.6" mid-range powerhouse. It has a 2.5GHz 3rd-gen Core i5, 8GBs of RAM, 750GB drive, all of the expected widgets for connectivity, and hybrid graphics featuring Intel HD 4000 for mundane stuff and an AMD Radeon HD 7650M with 1GB of RAM. That last item would be perfect for my gaming needs, which aren't cutting edge, but can tax integrated systems. I thought I'd found my soulmate, and at $600, a thrifty value, too. 

Boy, was I wrong. Just try to imagine Tom Hanks having his maniacal laughing fit in The Money Pit after discovering hidden issue after issue with what he'd hoped was his dream home. To make an already long story short, all sorts of bits went wonky, I fought with HP over repairs covered by the warranty, had to take the battle to the BBB, and won without winning. Today, I still use it. The trackpad doesn't work. There is no keyboard anymore. It works, but it's a frustrating thing to be forced to work on a $600 lemon and that it was HP that screwed me. HP fought tooth and nail to avoid doing anything to make me happy, and if that was their goal, mission accomplished. So, like any jilted suitor, I decided to shun them. 

For the longest time, they only released a few things that I found tempting, but I was able to. I won't even bother to list them because I can't. Hideous recall, you see. One was a tiny little blob of a compy. Overpriced. Another was a gorgeous laptop of some kind. WAY overpriced. Then today, they came out with this...


Right? That little guy on the left isn't so little. It's the HP Elite X3 and it's just shy of 6 inches. There's a better picture of the front at the end of this piece, and if you already desire it (who can blame you) prepare to be disappointed. Price and release date are not yet known as HP isn't talking, but there are hints of a Summer release. Timing could very well be up to when Windows 10 Mobile is released to Gold Master. If you need additional technical deets, here are the specs from Ars Technica:

Hardware-wise, the Elite x3 ticks all the boxes and then some: Quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 running at 2.15GHz, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage, 5.96 inch 2560×1440 AMOLED screen with Gorilla Glass 4, 2×2 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, LTE-Advanced, 16MP rear and 8MP front cameras, both iris recognition and a rear-mounted fingerprint reader, microSD, USB 3 Type-C, dual SIM, a 4150mAh battery with wireless charging using both the Qi and PMA standards, and IP 67 water resistance (safe against immersion in 1 [meter] of water for 30 minutes).

And, if you can't tell by looking, it's running Windows 10 Mobile. Now, that "laptop" next to it isn't really a laptop. It's the modern equivalent of a dumb terminal. See, Windows 10 Mobile has a neat trick called Continuum where, with a special dock, you can run a Windows-like desktop environment while still getting to use the phone. If you already have a nice monitor, keyboard, and mouse, HP does have their own dock, too. The lappy bit would come in handy for mobile workers, though. 

That's exactly who HP is going after, too. Enterprise. HP already sells really well into corporate markets. Windows 10 will start to take off in those markets soon, and integration is highly prized because it can reduce costs and complexity. HP wants to be the winner for Windows shops by offering a complete, all-in-one, fully integrated Windows experience for users and administrators, a hat trick, if you will. Most data-intensive apps these days are SaaS, anyway. You don't need huge local storage, and mobile CPU capabilities are improving like gangbusters. My Dell Venue 8 Pro runs Windows 10 better on a dual-core Atom with 2GBs of RAM than my laptop does with a quad-core Core i5 and 8GBs. It's not bad with games, either (just not Team Fortress 2, my one and only love). 

So, I'm faced with a quandary. Do I unreasonably sustain my harmful grudge of HP for dissing me and being unapologetic for said diss, or do I just let that anger and resentment go free to sulk in its own dark, gloomy corner so that I might readily accept the entire Elite X3 product lineup into my heart? I'm inclined to think that yes, I should let it go and just move on. 

It's just that HP hurt me really bad, and right where I live; my writing. 

I find it difficult to allow the superficial promise of something glossy and new override my ethical, if emotional, position. Then again, it is really nice looking and it's just a gadget. So, HP, if you're reading this, you can apologize by sending me one, with all of the accessories, of course. 


How To Behave In Public - Water Fountains

Water is the single most important component for life on Earth. 70% of the human body is made of water. If you place your ear against a person who is jumping up and down, you might even be able to hear some of that water sloshing about. Isn't science fascinating? In order to live, a human must drink at least two gallons of what every day. Fortunately, American scientists armed with this knowledge were able to invent one of the most important devices we have in today's society. 

The water fountain. 

Imagine, if you will, being able to walk up to a box, push a button, and receive a refreshing, life giving stream of clean, clear water directly into your mouth! I know it seems insane, but I can assure you that the water fountain is indeed real. Studies have determined that the average human will encounter at least a dozen water fountains during their lifetime. This is testimony to the fact that American science has made a truly great achievement through the installation of water fountains all over the United States of America. If you see one, do not pass on your chance to experience a water fountain. 

Now, if it wasn't enough to simply press a button to get water directed into your mouth, a true scientific milestone in its own right, try to embrace the concept of the electric water fountain. Don't worry. You won't shock yourself to death. The electricity, through the magic of science, keeps the water chilled, making already fresh water even more delicious!

Here are some tips and tricks you should keep in mind when visiting a water fountain: 

  • Water fountains come in all shapes and sizes. When in a public area you are unfamiliar with, try pushing, pulling, and tugging on anything that might look like a handle or button, and you're sure to find one of the many cleverly hidden water fountains those playful American scientists had installed
  • Water is a precious commodity, so be sure to place your face as close to the Tubular Water Emitter as possible so as to avoid waste.*
  • It's important to note the difference between a spigot and a water fountain. Spigots have knobs to turn on the water flow, water fountains have buttons, and sometimes unicorns. 
  • If you see someone acting suspiciously around a water fountain, be sure to contact the police, as they will want to make sure there are no villains around licking the splash guards of water fountains. 
  • Don't lick the splash guards on water fountains, at least not without permission from your local police or city mayor. 
  • Try to keep the time you spend using a water fountain to under 10 minutes so as to allow others the joy of using a public water fountain. 
  • If you are rich, consider installing water fountains in your home and around your property, so you can share fresh water with the proletariat. Trust us when we say that you will be heartily thanked for your consideration. 
  • We'd prefer not to say this, but recent actions have forced our hand. DO NOT pee in the smaller water fountains. Yes, they do resemble urinals, but they are not urinals. 

* A principle rule of thumb is that the pressure of the output at the emitter is defined by the average height of the people who use it. In other words, if the stream arcs water over your head, it is meant for tall people. This doesn't mean you are forbidden to use it, just do so with caution. 

There is little like the pure and simple joy one derives from the experiences that can be had when engaging with a public water fountain. Be respectful, wait your turn in line, don't leave anything behind, and if you have a fire pit, don't forget to stir the coals.

How To Behave In Public - Elevators

Congratulations! You've discovered vertical transportation through the miracle of the Elevator!! Elevators carry 3.82 billion people over 82.3 quadrillion vertical miles every single day. Elevators are one of the single most popular modes of transportation on the planet. Now that it's the first time you've been in a elevator, you should take a moment to savor that landmark you have achieved. 

After some self-congratulatory back patting, however, it's time to understand your role in the Elevator. The following are some tips that will help you become acclimated to life in Elevators. Pay close attention to prevent anyone from becoming injured, or even killed. Who knows... The life you save may be your own. 

Please memorize these important tips:

  1. Be aware that you will be given very little time to make adjustments or decisions. It's best to act as impulsively as possible when engaging an Elevator. 
  2. After the doors have opened, quickly move inside and stake your claim. If this is your first Elevator, look to the left and right of the doors from the inside. On one or both sides, you will find the Elevator control panel. Do NOT panic.*
  3. Once the Elevator begins to move, you are free to move about the Elevator, just don't go to far. You might miss your floor!
  4. Elevators make a noise to indicate when it has arrived at a floor. Please keep your screaming and/or loud horseplay to a minimum so the other passengers can hear the indicator sound. 
  5. Some Elevators use flimsy glass for the outside walls instead of bullet-proof steel plating. Make sure to keep your profile towards the glass or carry a shield for extra protection from snipers. 
  6. Some Elevators that use flimsy glass are located in upscale regions where sniper fire is not common. In these cases, make sure to keep your hands on the glass to steady yourself as the Elevator moves. 
  7. In case of an emergency which does not result in your Elevator falling hundreds of feet to reduce all passengers to a sticky, wet mess, you will find an escape hatch in the ceiling. Before opening the hatch all the way, be sure to check for trip wires or feral rodents.
  8. On the rare occasions you find yourself feeling confined or are prone to fits of claustrophobia, position yourself near the door and face the back of the Elevator. This signals your fellow passengers to respectfully back away to give you some room to clear your head. Be sure to smile broadly and give a thumbs up to show your appreciation. 

* While you may think the Elevator a space craft or amazing machine from the future, the Elevator is well grounded in complex scientific theory. At no time should you ever try to reprogram an Elevator. 

Once you start taking trips via Elevator, be sure to follow all the rules of etiquette and decorum and you'll do just fine. Also, remember to feel comfortable. Feel free to talk on a mobile phone or chat with your fellow passengers about their potential destination. People often feel tense while traveling, and a friendly face can help ease their anxiety.

Before you know it, you'll be an Elevator expert!

John Oliver skewers voter ID laws

The idea that a few million people can't vote in America because of deliberately misguided voter ID laws is reprehensible at best. I can't explain it any better than John Oliver, so take a look.