#118: Bollywood Smokers: Saif Ali Khan

Ask his mom Sharmila Tagore and she will tell you, 'Saif smokes too much.' The Agent Vinodstar was addicted to the cigarette stick till a little while back.

#117: Bollywood Smokers: Hrithik Roshan

Hrithik Roshan, the otherwise clean fellow as far as controversies goes, is not as clean when it comes to smoking. We are told he took to smoking regularly when he was shooting forGuzaarish. He is eager to kick the butt though.

#116: Bollywood Smokers : Ranbir Kapoor

This chocolate boy cum casanova cum Kapoor khandaan lad is in the news for his talent and penchant for tall lasses, but what few people know is that Ranbir Kapoor is also a heavy smoker. Prakash Jha, his director in Rajneetihad a tough time when Ranbir craved to have a smoke in between his shots.

#115: Bollywood Smokers : Shahrukh Khan

So many of our hot favourite actors don't do justice to that amazing personality and body of theirs. They smoke, not only in films but also in real life. While we wonder women want them smoking hot always, we want them to kick the butt for good!

ShahRukh Khan is probably the leader of the cig-smoking pack of Bollywood. He has been fined in the past and has been seen speaking openly about his addiction to the cigarette, finishing 4 packs in a single day sometimes!

#114: Top 10 Best Selling Cigarette Brands

Despite the fact that many people are obsessed with their health these days, there are still plenty of folk that still enjoy smoking cigarettes. As long as they keep making cigarettes there are sure to be people to buy them. New cigarette brands appear all the time but currently the 10 most popular in the world would be:

10 – Hilton Cigarettes

The Hilton brand of cigarettes is popular worldwide. They are usually chosen because they offer a quality cigarette at a relatively low price. People do smoke these because they actually prefer them so they are more than just a low cost option. The nice thing about Hilton is that people can smoke these without feeling like they are being cheap. Hilton Lights are probably the most popular of all their products.
9 – West Cigarettes

West cigarettes are a European brand that is popular in the US. This is another brand that is considered to offer high quality tobacco at a reasonable price. This brand will also be recognized by sports fans as they sponsor many events – including the increasingly popular cage fighting.
8 - Liggett and Myers (L&M)

L&M are a relatively new arrival in the US, but they have managed to capture a respectable position in the marketplace. They are advertises as being of the highest quality and having the best filter – they come as menthol and non-menthol. This brand has also managed to become popular in many other parts of the world.
7 – Parliament

Parliament cigarettes have been around since 1931. These are well known for their white filters which are recessed – this makes it look as if they have no filter. There are many different types of Parliament cigarette including menthol and non-mental. They also produce light cigarettes.
6 – Pall Mall Cigarettes

Pall Mall cigarettes have been traditionally associated with wealth and luxury – the brand has been around since 1899. They are named after one of the richest parts of London. There is no need to be wealthy in order to enjoy this brand, and this is why it is no one of the most popular around. The pack has a distinctive coat of arms which further gives the impression that this is a high class pack of cigarettes.
5 – Lucky Strikes

Lucky Strikes have been around since 1871 making them one of the oldest cigarette brands in the world. This was the top selling cigarette in the US for decades, and it many people still would not consider smoking anything else. They are more popularly referred to as “luckies”. They have appeared regular in films and TV shows over the years – most notably in the hit eighties TV show Miami Vice.
4- Newport

Newport is the number one brand for African Americans, but they only manage number four in our list. The menthol version of this cigarette is the most popular – they account for about 35% of all the sales of menthol cigarettes in the US. The brand has been around since the 1960s but it really became popular in the nineties. Newport cigarettes are the favorite of many famous rap artists, and they have to be given at least some credit for popularizing this brand.
3 – Winston Cigarettes

Winston cigarettes first became available in the mid fifties. They were once associated with the cartoon show the Flintstones because Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble were used to advertise the brand. This was back in the 1960s and it is doubtful that any cigarette company would get away with using cartoon characters these days. Winston Cigarettes are popular in many countries around the world – they were the number one brand in Puerto Rico for many years.
2 – Camel Cigarettes

Camel Cigarettes probably have the most distinctive packaging of any of these brands – or at least it was up until a few years ago when they were forced to change it. The picture on the front of the pack is a camel –his name is Joe Camel. This used to be a cartoon camel, but the company decided to change the design because there were accusations that this made their cigarettes more appealing to children. Camel cigarettes have a harsh taste that some people seem to really enjoy – those who are not use to them get the impression that they are stronger than other cigarettes because of the taste.
1 – Marlboro Cigarettes

Marlboro cigarettes are the most popular brand in the world. They are produced by a US company and have been available since the 1920s. They became so well known because of their distinctive taste, and the talent of its advertisement department over the years. Despite the macho image of Marlboro today it was originally marketed as a woman’s cigarette. It was only during the 1950s that the idea of associating the brand with cowboys came about. This turned out to be the move that made the brand so popular. Marlboro has been heavily involved in sponsoring sporting events around the world, and this has also increased their public profile to make them such a well known name.

#113: Most Expensive Cigarette Pack For $100,000

Here we have the $100,000 cigarette pack from BAT International. The leading cigarette brand has unveiled an 18ct white gold pack of Lucky Strike for display at major airports throughout to boost the iconic design profile of one of its leading cigarette brands. The one-off pack comes studded with a single large diamond and a ruby and the limited-edition packs will be launched for exclusive sale at selected European airports only.

#112: Aishwarya, Kareena, Katrina: Top Bollywood actresses caught in smoking scenes!

Nowadays, celebrities pictured on-screen are no longer unreal and stereotype. The 21st century idea of women confidence has made it easier for the current female stars to achieve that dream position, which was once just a simple dream.

In addition to skin shows and intimate scenes, the new age Bollywood stars have shed shackles and inhibitions by smoking cigarettes on-screen. Though on-screen smoking acts have always been criticized by the Censor Board committee, it never urged the filmmakers to go the other way. For example, the most recent smoking conflict from the film Heroine that took the entire beau monde by storm.

Here is the list of the top-notch smoking celebrities like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone, who had done some onscreen smoking scenes in the past.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Smoking In Guzaarish

Kareena Kapoor smoking In Heroine

Priyanka Chopra Smoking In Fashion

Katrina Kaif Smoking In Mere Brother Ki Dulhan

#111: Eva Longoria the secret smoker stashes nicotine in her gym tracksuit

She is known to go to great lengths to avoid being photographed with a dreaded cigarette, but Eva Longoria came a cropper yesterday.


Eva Longoria displayed a packet of Marlboro Lights under the band of her tracksuit bottoms as she crossed the road in Hollywood on 24th November 2011.

Almost quite literally, as the 36-year-old’s crop sweater revealed a packet of Marlboro Lightstucked under the band of her sweat pants.

The Desperate Housewives star seemed oblivious to the fact that the game had been well and truly given away as she dashed across the road in West Hollywood in her scruffs and Ugg boots.

Perhaps she was engrossed in a conversation with her boyfriend, Eduardo Cruz, 26 , and let her guard down for a few minutes.

The pretty star, who looked incredible with a fresh face and impossibly bouncy hair, certainly seemed to be smiling at something.

And she and 37-year-old Penelope Cruz’s little brother have looked particularly loved up of late.

They were spotted smooching at the Home Depot Centre in Carson, California on Sunday as David Beckham lifted the MLS trophy.

And a few days earlier, Eva put paid to rumours that she was romancing Lakers star Matt Barnes by enjoying quality time with Cruz in Florida.

The couple joined Chicago Bulls Scottie Pippen and wife Larsa for dinner at Casa Tua in Miami Beach.

Last week Eva sparked rumours she and Barnes were more than good friends when she was seen picking him up from the airport.

After the Wisteria Lane stalwart jumped into to her fancy BMW car she drove him back to his house, where they spent several hours together.

It was not the first time they have been spotted together – things were very cosy between the pair when they hung out with failed chat show host George Lopez at an event in Las Vegas last month.

The rumours Eva and Matt were becoming more than good friends were sparked by his split from his recent split from partner of five years Gloria Govan.

The pair have twin children together, and it is rumoured she was unhappy about his blooming friendship with the comedy actress before their split.

However sources close to Eva insist that there is no romance going on between the pair, and told TMZ they are just ‘good friends’ who know each other through charity work.

#110: CIGARETTE INVENTIONS THAT DIDN’T QUITE STICK

Nothing spawns innovation quite like a man’s vice, which is why we have off-track betting and interactive virtual masturbating devices. It’s also why a slew of patents were filed over the course of 75 years, all of which were designed to make cigarette smoking more… well, in many cases, just more. As such, we continue our report on the ridiculously fabulous golden age of the American smoker with:

1) The Lover, 1963


2) The Fag Nicotine-Withdrawing Syringe, 1937


3) The Two-Banger, 1945

#109: Cigarette Tricks With Pictures

#108: Electronic Cigarettes Will Never Be Cool

As a connoisseur of cultural detritus, you've probably seen this ad in which purported actor "Stephen Dorff," looking weary from days of dogged stubble-trimming, juts his chin repeatedly in your direction while explaining why he chooses to smoke Blu™ brand e-cigarettes, besides the fact that he is their paid spokesman. "Negative! One! I'm tired of being a walking ashtray," says "Stephen Dorff," no doubt bathed in Tom Ford cologne at that very moment.

I'm afraid that actor "Stephen Dorff" and all of his glamorous compatriots are lying to you, friends. No matter how many attractive models pose for pictures exhaling clouds of electronically vaporized nicotine solution, and no matter how many sixteenths of an inch "Stephen Dorff" allows his stubble to grow while striding down a beach with the alien-looking neon blue tip of his Blu™ brand e-cigarette glowing betwixt his fingertips, electronic cigarettes will never be cool.

"With Blu, you can smoke at a basketball game if you want to," says actor "Stephen Dorff." Exactly, person writing Stephen's lines. Exactly. You can smoke at a basketball game, if you wanted to, for some reason. And do you know what that tells us? That tells us that electronic cigarettes are not cool. Because they are inoffensive. They are safer. They are not as dangerous. Exactly. Cigarettes were never cool just because of their phallic connotations, and the fact that they gave you something to do with your hands. They were cool because they are dangerous. They surround you in a protective cloud of deadly poison. By smoking a real cigarette, you symbolically tell the world: "I am too badass or, more likely, dumb to care that I am killing myself and others right for no particular reason. I am, in other words, the type of person that you want to fuck."

E-cigarettes just don't say that. And they never will. Electronic cigarettes say, "I can't decide whether to stop or not." Nobody wants to fuck a wishy-washy school crossing guard.

Plus, the glowing neon thing on the end. Come on.

#107: Pro Smoking

Sound Advice on the Advantages of Smoking Tobacco
 
1) You will always have something to do with your hands.

2) To avoid headaches later in the day, always have a cigarette first thing in the morning.

3) If you work with explosives, you have a handy method of lighting the fuse.

4) Smoking is a good career move if you want early retirement and would like to use up your sick leave.

5) On New Years Eve you don't have to go out to the fireworks. Just dip your cigarette into a jar of ground up sparklers.

6) Amuse your friends and be the life of the party by blowing smoke rings.



7) Always discard your butts in flower pots and garden beds as it helps fertilise the plants and keeps insects away.

8) Occasional house fires will help keep firemen employed.

9) By buying cigarettes from corner stores, you help support local businesses and help retain the fabric of our society.

10) At the beach, children can use the butts to decorate their sand castles.

11) Annoy neighbours you don't like by staying home and smoking heavily.

12) You will always have a good reason for loitering - "Officer, I'm just having a cigarette".

13) Always smoke when you are pregnant. Your smoking helps the unborn baby prepare for the air pollution in the real world.

14) When your neighbour's kids are too noisy, trigger their asthma by breathing smoke on them.

15) By smoking heavily, you get out of boring work and will have plenty of short breaks during the day.

16) Develop your cool image and fun-loving personality by being a smoker. Non-smoking is for wimps and wusses.

17) You will have a good reason to paint the ceilings every three years.

18) Why celebrate world no-tobacco day once a year, when every day can be celebrated as a pro-tobacco day.

19) You will know when it's time to throw out your old lounge suite by the number of burn marks.

20) Smoking is an adult custom. Add years to how old you look by smoking heavily.

21) If you run out of smokes late at night, help the taxi industry by getting them to deliver your smokes to the door.

22) You can demand more services and benefits from the government because you have paid more in taxes.

23) Help keep the bush fire brigades trained and ready for any emergency by throwing lighted butts from your car window.

24) Keep your weight down by smoking cigarettes instead of eating them.

#106: 5 Health Benefits of Smoking

1. Smoking lowers risk of knee-replacement surgery

While smokers might go broke buying a pack of cigarettes, they can at least save money by avoiding knee-replacement surgery. Surprising results from a new study have revealed that men who smoke had less risk of undergoing total joint replacement surgery than those who never smoked. 

The study, from the University of Adelaide in Australia, appears in the July issue of the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism. What could be the connection? Knee-replacement surgery was more common among joggers and the obese; smokers rarely jog, and they are less likely to be morbidly obese. 

After controlling for age, weight and exercise, the researchers were at a loss to explain the apparent, albeit slight protective effects of smoking for osteoporosis. It could be that the nicotine in tobacco helps prevent cartilage and joint deterioration.

2. Smoking lowers risk of Parkinson's disease

Numerous studies have identified the uncanny inverse relationship between smoking and Parkinson's disease. Long-term smokers are somehow protected against Parkinson's, and it's not because smokers die of other things earlier. [10 Easy Paths to Self-Destruction]

The most recent, well-conducted study was published in a March 2010 issue of the journal Neurology. Far from determining a cause for the protective effect, these researchers found that the number of years spent smoking, more so than the number of cigarettes smoked daily, mattered more for a stronger protective effect.

Harvard researchers were among the first to provide convincing evidence that smokers were less likely to develop Parkinson's. In a study published in Neurology in March 2007, these researchers found the protective effect wanes after smokers quit. And they concluded, in their special scientific way, that they didn't have a clue as to why.

3. Smoking lowers risk of obesity

Smoking — and, in particular, the nicotine in tobacco smoke — is an appetite suppressant. This has been known for centuries, dating back to indigenous cultures in America in the pre-Columbus era. Tobacco companies caught on by the 1920s and began targeting women with the lure that smoking would make them thinner. 

A study published in the July 2011 issue of the journal Physiology & Behavior, in fact, is one of many stating that the inevitable weight gain upon quitting smoking is a major barrier in getting people to stop, second only to addiction.

The relationship between smoking and weight control is complex: Nicotine itself acts as both a stimulant and appetite suppressant; and the act of smoking triggers behavior modification that prompts smokers to snack less. Smoking also might make food less tasty for some smokers, further curbing appetite. As an appetite suppressant, nicotine appears to act on a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, at least in mice, as revealed in a study by Yale researchers published in the June 10, 2011, issue of the journal Science.

No respectable doctor would recommend smoking for weight control, given the toxic baggage accompanying cigarettes. This recent Yale study, however, does offer an inkling of hope for a safe diet drug to help obese people control their appetites.

4. Smoking lowers risk of death after some heart attacks

Compared with non-smokers, smokers who have had heart attacks seem to have lower mortality rates and more favorable responses to two kinds of therapy to remove plaque from their arteries: fibrinolytic therapy, which is basically medication; and angioplasty, which removes the plaque by inserting balloons or stents into the arteries.

There's a catch, though. The reason why smokers have heart attacks is that smoke scars the arteries, allowing fat and plaque to build up in the first place. So, one theory as to why smokers do better than non-smokers after such therapies is that they are younger, experiencing their first heart attack approximately 10 years before the non-smoker.

A study published in an August 2005 issue of the American Heart Journal, however, states that age alone is not enough to fully explain the survival differences and that "the smoker's paradox is alive and well."  No alternative theories have been put forth since.

5. Smoking helps the heart drug clopidogrel work better

Clopidogrel is a drug used to inhibit blood clots for those patients suffering from coronary artery disease and other circulatory diseases leading to strokes and heart attacks. Smoking seems to help clopidogrel do its job better.

A study by Korean researchers in the October 2010 issue of the journal Thrombosis Research builds upon work by Harvard researchers published in 2009 that demonstrates the benefit of smoking at least 10 cigarettes a day. It seems that something in cigarette smoke activates certain proteins called cytochromes, which convert clopidogrel into a more active state.

Again, no respectable doctor is encouraging patients to start smoking to get the most out of clopidogrel. But this and the other four "benefits" of smoking reveal how tobacco — perhaps not unlike other potentially toxic plants — might contain certain chemicals of real therapeutic value.

#105: A Smokers Game ... CLICK ON IT TO PLAY

Smoked
Click to play this game.

#104: LIGHTING WEED

LEARN ABOUT LIGHTERS, MATCHES, ZIPPOS AND HEMP WICKS

STEALING LIGHTERS

You probably have a lighter or two that you didn’t pay for. In fact, you may have half a dozen lighters that you’ve stolen from friends. There’s nothing wrong with this act of theft, provided you follow a couple of simple rules:

1) Don’t take a lighter that was not handed to you.

2) If the person asks you for it, give it back.

3) If it’s an expensive, unique, or meaningful lighter, don’t take it.

CHILDPROOF LIGHTERS

During a session, it’s critical to use a lighter that lacks a child-safety device. If you don’t own a lighter without a safety device, be sure to de-childproof the lighter you have. Most stoners are strict on this rule, because it makes even the most stylish smokers look foolish, when they can’t figure out the safety mechanism. (In most cases, de-childproofing a lighter is simply a matter of breaking a small piece of plastic off the back.)

CAR LIGHTERS

Car lighters are practical only for igniting joints or “hemp wicks” (as described below.)

HEMP WICKS

One of the newer products on the market (used to ”spark” up your smoke) is the hemp wick. Once lit, the thin hemp cord is fueled by beeswax which keeps it burning for the full length of your session. By using this product, you guarantee that you will never have to inhale butane from a lighter or sulfur from a match. Instead, the idea is to taste only your quality buds by producing a continuous organic flame made with hemp and beeswax.

Since hemp wicks are relatively new to the scene, I have included simple instructions below:

1) Light one end then tilt it up or down to control burn speed.

2) Do not leave wick burning unattended.

3) Wick must be completely put out after each use.

Caution: Beeswax may drip from the wick.

ZIPPOS

Zippos are quality lighters, but shouldn’t be used to light pipes or bongs, as the fuel tastes bad. An exception to this rule can be made under windy conditions as the Zippo’s flame may stand up to high winds better than the flame from a conventional lighter. In most cases, however, butane lighters are the better choice.

MATCHES

For sparking pipes and bongs, matches don’t work as well as lighters. Matches contain sulfur, which can ruin the taste of your bud. If matches are your only option, make sure to let each one burn a few seconds before lighting the bowl. This should allow enough time for the sulfur in the match head to burn off. Also, once lit, try to keep the bowl “cherried” (burning) to minimize the number of matches used during your session.

SNUFFING THE BOWL

As well as lighting your weed, your lighter can be used to “snuff” your bowl. After taking a hit from your pipe or bong, place your lighter horizontally across the utensil’s bowl to put out the cherry (“snuff” the fire) and keep your weed from burning needlessly. The best lighters for this purpose are rectangular in shape rather than cylindrical. However, rectangular lighters are often of poor quality.

SIMULTANEOUS PASSING

One way to avoid the loss of a lighter is to pass the lighter and the bowl simultaneously. If the lighter and the pipe are passed at the same time (and in the same hand), you may be able to prevent some wannabe lighter stealers from making off with your precious flame. This tip works especially well for pipes and should be used only with caution while smoking from a water pipe or joint.

#103: POT SMOKING WITH OTHERS

LEARN HOW TO RESPECT YOUR FELLOW POT SMOKER

HOUSE RULES

Every host has different rules for what you can and can’t do in his or her house. Make sure you know what your host’s rules are, and then follow them completely.

Here are a few examples:

No pot smoking. Ask your host if they allow pot smoking in the house.

No cigarette smoking. Some hosts will allowing pot smoking, but  NOT cigarette smoking.

Munchies. Ask permission before grabbing drinks or munchies.

Use common sense. If you’re not sure what your host’s rules are, ask.

PEER PRESSURE

Don’t force people to smoke pot against their will. A little ribbing might be expected or even appropriate, but don’t try to convince other people to smoke so that you can feel better about your own drug habit. If you’re the only one who wants to get high, smoke by yourself or don’t smoke at all.

ILLNESS

This is an important principle that is often ignored: let other people know when you’re sick before sharing their smoking device. Don’t try to convince them that you’re not contagious any longer. Your peers may not want your germs getting all over their pipes or bongs. When you’re sick, consider carrying your own pipe to smoke from. Furthermore, if you and your friends practice this rule, you’ll get sick less often.

SMOKE SCREEN

It’s not polite to blow your smoke into the faces of others. The fact that they are also smoking is no excuse.

YOU CALL THIS CHRONIC?

Don’t try and pass your dirt off as “chronic” (excellent quality weed), even if it smells and looks great. Do you really think that others can’t tell the difference once they’ve tried it? Everybody will be disappointed when they smoke it (after expecting a great high) and then find out that it’s crap.

GHOST HIT

If you take a puff from a joint, pipe or bong, but blow out no smoke, you have just taken a ghost hit. This is accomplished by holding the hit in your lungs for 20-30 seconds or until all the smoke is fully trapped in your body. While this technique is not recommended on a regular basis, it is pretty cool to witness…especially when someone belches and blows out a lung full of smoke 15 minutes after the end of a session.

DON’T SLOBBER

Whether smoking from a pipe, bong, or joint, make sure not to slobber. It’s disgusting when you go to take a hit and you feel someone’s saliva on your lips. Also called “fish-lipping,” this sick habit needs to be dealt with quickly and harshly. Be direct; tell the offender that they slobber and must stop. If they continue to slobber, don’t let them smoke your weed.

MUNCHIES

Everybody gets the munchies after smoking weed. A good host will offer you something to snack on, but don’t be greedy.

Here are some points to keep in mind:

Ask permission. Ask your host’s permission before grabbing food from the fridge or pantry.

Pace yourself. If you eat too fast you’ll make yourself sick and there won’t be any munchies left for anyone else.

Clean up your mess and throw away the trash. Don’t leave your wrappers and crumbs for the host to clean up.

Supply the munchies. If you regularly smoke at the same house, you should supply the munchies on occasion.

#102: WEED SMOKING RULES

LEARN WHEN AND HOW TO SMOKE WEED

JUST SAY “NO!”

Don’t be afraid to turn down a hit. If your friends pressure you to smoke, they haven’t read this book and are therefore less informed than you are. If you do not wish to get high, do not smoke weed… period.

HEAD SHOP ETIQUETTE

Before entering a “head shop” (smoke shop) for the first time, there are some things you should know.

Not a “bong!” Don’t say the word “bong” in a  US head shop (even in states where medical marijuana is legal.)  Shop owners must insist their products are for tobacco use only to remain completely legal.

No weed. Don’t talk about weed in a head shop, and definitely don’t bring weed into a head shop. Most places will kick you out instantly.

Residue. Don’t bring dirty used glass into a smoke shop. Clean all glass before bringing it into a head shop for repairs.

Window shopping. Don’t ask to handle pipes if you are not serious about purchasing one. Glass is fragile and shop owners don’t like it when their products break.

Not a dealer. Don’t look for weed connections at the head shop.  It’s not the right place as you are putting the shop owner at risk.

Haggling. While haggling is a part of the head shop culture, low-balling and/or hardball negotiation will likely get you a worse deal.

Picture ID. Always bring an ID no matter how old you are.  Many shops have a strict ID policy for all purchases.

DON’T OVERDUE IT

Don’t smoke more weed than necessary. Depending on the quality of the weed, you can only achieve a certain level of high no matter how much you smoke. Sometimes, smoking more only makes you “burnout” (come down) more severely in the end. Also, you can always smoke more, but you can’t smoke less, so take it easy. Don’t make the mistake of getting too stoned, and then wishing you could be sober again. Only the passage of time can bring you down from your high.

TOP SHELF

Top shelf is the name for the type of inhalation that only travels half way down your lungs.  The smoke seems to get caught in your chest and usually makes for an unpleasant hit followed by much coughing and embarrassment.  To avoid top shelving, take a slower hit and don’t try to talk or laugh while breathing in.

COTTONMOUTH

Anyone who has ever smoked bud knows that “cottonmouth” (dry mouth) sucks. So it’s only fair that you share a sip of your drink when your buddy is suffering. Gulping and chugging, however, are not covered under this rule. Inversely, if you take a swig of someone else’s drink, don’t consume too much.

ACTING “HIGH”

Never attract attention to yourself by pretending to be more stoned than you truly are. First of all, you won’t fool anybody. Secondly, they won’t invite you over again. And finally, people will talk about you behind your back. Enjoy your high, but don’t flaunt it.

MOOCHING

Are you continually smoking other people’s weed? If your answer is yes, you might be a “moocher.” A moocher is someone who never supplies the pot, but is always there to smoke yours after a score. Once you have been labeled a moocher, it’s hard to break free of the stereotype. But, by supplying the weed on occasion, you can avoid this issue completely.

On the other side of the coin, you must not let others mooch off you. When other people are cutting into your stash all the time, it becomes a burden to smoke at all. Every time you want to get high, there are people expecting you to supply them as well. Be generous with your weed, but remember: it’s your weed, and you have the right to end their session at any time.

DON’T GET LAZY

Sometimes, smoking pot can motivate you to be creative. However, there may come a point where getting high only makes you tired and lazy. If you notice this happening to you, take a break from smoking. (Sobriety is a trip when you have been getting high everyday.) Then, if being sober loses its edge, you can always smoke another fat joint.

#101: PLACES AND TIMES WHERE A CIGARETTE IS AWESOME!

After every year, people make tons of resolutions. Work out more, jerk off less, etc. The most popular resolution around me is to quit smoking. I agree that smoking is bad for you health but here are some places and times when a cigarette is amazing:

10. When you are stressed or angry

I get stressed and/or angry a lot. I sometimes wish certain people need to go run into trees or have bad things happen to them. Sometimes, it is just the workload or the things that I need to get done with the day to day life that stresses the fuck out of me. When that happens, smoking a cigarette really calms the nerves. I’d probably be arrested for punching someone’s teeth in or destroying a few walls and doors in the last 5 years but thanks to the power of the cigarette, I haven’t been arrested in close to more than a decade.

9. In Vegas

Vegas is an awful place. I say this not because I don’t have fun there. Rather, its because sometimes it’s a little too crazy. Next time you are in Vegas, go to the green door. Trust me, you haven’t seen shit til you have been there. Fucking weird place! Anyways, the great thing about vegas is that you can smoke damn near anywhere. On the roulette table, as you are losing your ass because your “lucky number” hasn’t hit since last week. At the club, you can dance with a cigarette in your fucking mouth. Amazing! It’s just awesome because if you did it in the cities where you live (outside of Las Vegas) you would get the shit kicked out of you by a security guard (black guy).

8. After a meal.

After a meal, any meal, a stogie really hits the spot. Being Korean, I eat quite of bit of soups and stews. Usually of the spicy kind. Anyways, after some soon tofu or pho, a cigarette just hits the spot. I use it for digestion really. When I was a kid, if I ate too much (which was often) I would drink a 7up for digestion. But now, I got for the good ole Malboro. Don’t believe me? Try and then email me on how much of an genius I am afterwards. You’re welcome in advance.

7. While having a meal.

This is something you can experience at home or in Ktown LA. After all these healthy conscious nut jobs took over and bitched about how they hate cigarette smoke, most cities in this country have made it illegal to smoke at restaurants. But in certain spots in Korea Town, you still can. Blame it on the fact that Korean people don’t give a shit about the law or they can’t understand the language. Whatever the case, I think it is amazing that you could smoke while eating galbi. So take that you tree hugging pansies!

6.       Underneath cover when raining

I don’t know what it is. It doesn’t rain much in LA, but when it does, I will find a random awning and light one up. I don’t even have an awning at my apartment. I will go drive til I find the nearest awning and light that bitch up. Maybe its just the mood. I guess I am some weird emo fuck like that. Whatever the case its awesome so don’t judge me.

5.  While High

It is something about smoking a cig after smoking some trees. I know I have younger kids reading this so some of you are judging me for setting a bad example but if you couldn’t tell already, I like to play that game of I don’t give a fuck. I’m very good at it. Like hall of famer status. Words can’t explain the gratitude of having nicotine go thru your system after the thc. Actually, doing almost anything while high makes it better. Aside from active things like walking, running, manual labor.

4. While drunk

Why is a cigarette so much better when you are drunk? Not quite sure really. But it is very much up there. If I am drunk enough, I can dust through a whole back in one night. I have done it and woke up the next morning thinking a deep throated a porcupine. But drunk cigarettes are dangerous so be careful. I’ve burned myself (literally) many times. I had a cigarette burn on my back once. That was fucking weird!

3. Long Plane/bus rides

I fucking hate plane rides. I am impatient and claustrophobic. Plus I am super addicted so that calls for one crazy ass situation for cross country flights. 6 hours without cig while a fat dude that smells like a homeless woman’s vagina is sitting next to me. (I don’t know what a homeless woman’s vagina smells like but I could imagine it being pretty bad. Summer’s eve isn’t readily available in skid row.) Anyways, so after a torturous 6 hours flight, I love to treat myself to a cigarette. Hell I don’t even go to the baggage claim until I get my fix.

2. After sex

I know a lot of girls hate the smell of cigarettes on their partners breath. Frankly, I am not a fan of it either. BUT after you bump uglies, it just feels great to have one. Maybe I have been programmed by the media. Who knows but after an hour of bumping uglies and your girl’s head has been a battering ram against the headboard, lighting one up is the icing on the cake. One of my former gf’s smoked cigs too. After an hour or two of phenomenal sex, we both would go out and have a cig. After the cig, we would go at it again. Damn she was so sexy.

Some of you might be wondering, how the fuck is this one number 2! Because number one is…

1.       Smoking while taking a shit.

I don’t know how many people do this but smoking a cig while shitting is the best combination since peanut butter and jelly, kobe and shaq. A cigarette is already a laxative, but smoking while shitting is just putting 2 of my favorite things together. If I could eat steak while having sex, shit I wouldn’t do anything else. Hint hint to all you steakhouse owners.

If you guys think of other places please let me know. If i havent tried it, I probably will try it out at least once. Thanks!

#100: How to smoke a Chillum

While I prefer a well rolled joint I do own a collection of pipes for different occasions. Thirty years ago my brother and I had a rotating collection of shared pipes. Pipes would be acquired or carved and then shared until a place in the collection was determined. Some pipes just didn’t make it; for what ever reason, they were clumsy or difficult, some were just too hard to clean. The chillum was one of the first pipes in the collection. 
I was traveling through Southeast Asia in 1968, as a civilian I might add, when I encountered a pair of monks trying to light a straight pipe along a mountain pass on the Thai border with Laos, we were almost into the “Golden Triangle”; a place I wanted to avoid. I had seen these straight pipes in every market since I had left Bangkok, but I wasn’t sure how to smoke one. I was carrying an old corn cob but it was a bit worse for wear and I wasn’t sure how much longer it would last. 
The monks were sitting along the trail in the shade as we approached the summit of the ridge. One monk was striking a flint into a pile of tinder and the wind was playing havoc with his best efforts. The other monk was rubbing his hands together and occasionally a black snake of softened hashish peeked out between his palms. My obvious curiosity caused a small smile to cross the monks face. He motioned to a rock close by and indicated we should sit. I reached into my pack and found the “windproof “Zippo I had picked up in Hong Kong. With a flick we were able to get his pile of tinder blazing. With a small splint he provided the flame to heat the bowl of hashish the other monk had prepared. 
I took a couple of tries to get the feel but after a bit I got the hang of using the device. I was able to regulate the air to smoke ratio by how tightly I held my palms together, and the hits were blinding. Here we were about seven thousand feet in elevation, with seventy pound packs and the hash had been rubbed this morning. We finished the thumb sized bowl and the monk rolled out another snake to fill the bowl. When he tapped the ashes out he reached onto the path and selected three small rocks which he placed at the bottom of the bowl. On top of the rocks he crumbled the hash coil he had softened. With another splint we shared another two gram bowl.
We were finished when we were finished. The monks arranged themselves for meditation and we shouldered our packs for the hike down into Leio province. 
The basic process is like making a cup of your hands; only you interlock the index finger between the index and middle fingers of the other hand. With the heels of the hands pressed together you lay your thumbs in place and inhale. Of course you need a friend to hold the flame but it is a most rewarding smoke. This is the pipe I used when my sons turned eighteen and we could enjoy a ceremonial smoke together. I keep saving this pipe in the event my grandchildren want to get stoned when they turn eighteen.

#99: Skull Ashtrays – Gifts for Cigar Lovers

Victorian Skull Ashtray

The Victorians were obsessed with death and the exotic. Medicine still hadn’t found a way to reliably determine if a person was dead, so Victorians were terrified of being buried alive. The British still ruled the world and their upper class loved traveling the world from Egypt to New Guinea. They returned to their English homes with all sorts of exotic souvenirs from skulls to Egyptian papyrus. These were often transformed into every day items. Human skulls could become every day home accessories such as bookends, lamps and ashtrays.

I’ve found skull ashtrays to be an ironic home accent. Skull Decor is really hot these days. Some of it could be Victorian inspired as well as Goth inspired. When you look at the Goth culture fashion, you do see a heavy Victorian influence. Both share the same fascination with the dead and undead! Of course skull ashtrays are important Halloween accessories, but you should use them throughout the year.

#98: Choosing the Right Lighter

There is no more important tool in the cigar smoker’s arsenal than the cigar/cigarette lighter.  A good quality, dependable lighter is indispensable to enjoying your favorite stogies.  Good cigar lighters provide tremendous convenience and they allow you to dependably light your cigar in any conditions – indoors/outdoors, windy/calm, warm or cold.

I have had many cigar smokers ask me which cigar lighters are the best and how to find the best, most dependable lighter.  There are many good quality cigar lighter brands available.  I will not attempt to provide insight into which brands or specific lighters to look for, but I will provide an outline of some key elements to look for when selecting a good cigar lighter.

 

Type of Lighter:

We know premium cigars/cigarette are different than cigarettes.  Cigars require more heat to ignite and they take much longer to light, primarily because they have vastly different tobacco ingredients.  Because of this, it is advisable to use a cigar lighter to light your cigars, rather than a cigarette lighter.

Cigar lighters use butane fuel rather than lighter fluid, as butane fuel burns hotter and cleaner.  It is perfect for cigars because it has enough heat to ignite them and it is odorless, so it does not add any unwanted flavor (like its lighter fluid counterpart will).

Cigar lighters are often referred to as torch lighters, as the flame exiting the lighter is wide and strong, resembling a torch.  The strong flame allows the lighter to stay lit in most any conditions, including wind.

Cigar Lighter Features:

Once you are set on buying a good quality cigar torch lighter, it is time to consider some of the features to look for to add convenience, comfort, and functionality.  To that end, here is a list of the features I would include, if I could custom build the very best cigar lighter (not necessarily in order of importance):

1)      Large fuel tank – no one likes to refill the butane fuel every other day.

2)      Fuel level viewing window – it is very handy to see how much fuel is left so you have a heads up on refilling before you leave with your lighter.

3)      Ergonomic, side trigger for igniting lighter – more natural position for trigger.

4)      A second trigger to allow for a second flame, when needed.

5)      Cover for lighter, but no flip top lid – the flip top lid protects the lighting implement when the lighter is not in use, but they always get in the way when you try to use the lighter.  I would find a lighter with a cover that recesses when lighting, so it is out of the way.

6)      Recessed lighting nozzle – lighters are often difficult to keep lit in a breeze.  It is important to find a windproof lighter, but equally important to find a recessed lighting nozzle as this contributes to keeping the flame alive in inclement weather.  It also helps keep dust and debris out of the nozzle to keep it in working condition.

7)      Large flame adjustment knob that can be adjusted with one finger – it is often necessary to adjust the flame on your lighter, depending on the conditions you are in.  An easy, finger touch adjustment knob is essential.  It is absolutely useless to have a flame adjustment that requires a small screwdriver.

Happy lighter shopping.  I hope this guide assists you in finding a good cigar lighter that will help you get more enjoyment out of your premium cigars.