E-Cigarettes...wow...what the world has come to.

As I was glancing through categories and news article titles. I saw this article - "E-cigarettes attracting attention - and scrutiny" and I was kind of curious. What the heck is an E-cigarette? At first I thought this was some, buy your cigarettes online thing, but it is far from that. The E-cigarette, more so the Ruyan V8, was invented in Beijing, China. It is a battery-operated cigarette. This name for the e-cigarette, Ruyan, means "like smoking". China, the largest tobacco market, sells about 2 trillion cigarettes a year.
As it gains popularity, it also gains the attention of many health officials. Not only does Ruyan Group Ltd. claim it is healthier because you are just getting the nicotine and not the hazardous materials that come with smoking, but they are also saying it may be a good way to kick the habit. A benefit to this e-cigarette, is there is no burning, so there is no chance of second-hand smoke. In addition, everyone knows how much they just enjoy sitting by a smoker... So that could be beneficial for Ruyan Group Ltd. when it comes to promoting it. This article then goes on claiming that the World Health Organization does not believe Ruyan Group's claims, they state that there is no evidence that it is a way to help you quit or to avoid the toxins that come with regular cigarettes. Unlike all those other ways to help you quit, these e-cigarettes have not gone through all of the vigorous tests that are required from the alternatives. A reason why the WHO says this is still just as unhealthy is that "Nicotine is highly addictive and causes the release of the "feel good" chemical dopamine when it goes to the brain. It also increases heart rate and blood pressure and restricts blood to the heart muscle."
These e-cigarettes have been around since 2004, and honestly, this is the first time I have heard of them. The sales for these e-cigarettes take place mainly over the internet.
This is good PR for those who are selling these e-cigarettes, by saying there are a way to kick the habit, a way to avoid the toxins, and a way to eliminate second hand smoke. Another tid bit from the article states that: "Prices range from about $60 to $240. Kits include battery chargers and cartridges that range in flavors (from fruit to menthol) and nicotine levels (from zero — basically a flavored mist — to 16 milligrams, higher than a regular cigarette.) The National Institutes of Health says regular cigarettes contain about 10 milligrams of nicotine."
Yet, this is not good PR for all those advocates of quitting smoking. Who really wants to figure out how much harder they are going to have to work to make it look less appealing and help people quit. This is going to make all the PRs that work for the health departments really step it up a notch.
It is probably safe to say that society is always going to try to find ways around smoking laws and bans somehow.

Obama's First Border Crossing

For the first time since president, President Obama traveled across the border and into Canada. He met, for the first time ever, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper to talk about the slumping economy, trade, energy and the war in Afghanistan. From the article Obama touched down in Ottawa with a list of things for discussion, some of which were - a promise of a new strategy in Afghanistan as Canada moves to pull out all its troops there; and talk of clean-energy cooperation as controversy hangs over Canada's massive oil-rich tar sands.

These oil-rich tar sands are estimated to have 175 million barrels of oil just sitting there. This along would make Canada second to Saudi Arabi with the most crude oil resources. The only problem for Canada to get to these resources is that they would have to produce a lot of greenhouse gases. This is one thing that environmental activists will not allow to happen, they are pushing to have Obama not allow such a thing.

From the oil in the past, Obama has criticized America on its dependence from the Middle East for oil. According to the above link, Canada (especially Alberta where these oil-rich tar sands are located) has warned Washington that their oil security there in Canada may be lost. Daily production of 1.2 million barrels from the oil sands is expected to nearly triple to 3.3 million barrels in 2020.

According to his visit to Canada and talk with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Obama's economic stimulus plan has put aside money to help out environmental issues. These issues are carbon capture and sequestration technology, in which Obama has set 3 billion aside for that, and smart grid efforts which has 11 billion put aside for that.

From the article about President Obama traveling into Canada I saw this, which is very interesting to me - "Canada and the United States have the largest trading relationship between any two countries in the world. And for all the talk of ending a dangerous reliance on foreign oil, the U.S. depends more on Canada for imported oil than it does any other country."

For Obama's image, this is really good for him. To go up to Canada, have an audience and have a good talk with Canada's Prime Minister. This not only helps him, but makes America look good too. Because ultimately, it was America who picked this guy to run the country.

Flight of Phoenix

You have got to love it when actors and actresses make complete fools of themselves. It just means, in my opinion, they must be more like us than they pretend not to be. On Wednesday, February 11, Joaquin Phoenix, most famous for his part in "Walk the Line" starring opposite of Reese Witherspoon, pretty much did just that. His interview with David Letterman was quite bizarre, to put it lightly. Joaquin showed up with dark sunglasses, a full beard and no sense of humor. For crying out loud he even stuck gum underneath Dave's desk!
He recently has announced that "Two Lovers" is his last movie, and that he plans to start a career in hip-hop music. Many think this may be an act because according to what happened on the David Letterman show, Casey Affleck was following him around with a camera. I wonder if Dave felt like he was suddenly on EdTv? Joaquin's interview with Letterman is "leaving him destined to join Farrah Fawcett on the list of late-night guests memorable for the wrong reasons." (according to msnbc)
David joked with Joaquin and said, "I'm sorry you couldn't be here tonight." Apparently he was way more out of it than they make it seem. Joaquin also asked if he could come perform on The Late Show after he starts his hip-hop career, and Dave replied "“You know, that seems unlikely, we’ll certainly keep you in our Rolodex.” The audience roared in laughter, but Joaquin did not appreciate that one too much.
This fall from grace is going to take a lot for his publicists to bring him back from this one. And to take a jump from acting to hip-hop and be taken seriously will be a huge issue for him.

Timeliness Is Key. . .

So for a change, I wanted to do something outside of the book. So I started looking around. Seeing articles about Michael Phelps, the Hudson River plane crash and Obama's stimulus plan being pushed further. But then I stumbled across an article about a doctor not showing up on time for a scheduled abortion.
Turns out that this gal, Sycloria Williams, who is only 18, hired Dr. Pierre Jean-Jacque Renelique for her abortion (for $1,200!!). A couple days later Miss Williams goes in to the clinic to get her 23-week old (mind you that's almost 6 months) unborn child aborted, and the doctor was late. Therefore, she went into labor and delivered a live baby girl. One of the medical clinic's owners cut the baby's umbilical cord and then proceeded to place the baby in a plastic bag and throw her away. Through tips, police recovered the remains of this baby in a cardboard box.
Now Sycloria Williams has a lawsuit against Dr. Renelique and the clinic. Turns out this doctor received his medical training in 1991 at the State University of Haiti, and has had 5 medical malpractice payments in the past decade. And now, no one can find him. Hmmm... Wonder why? For that clinic, they'll probably never have business again, and when they find that doctor, I'm sure he's doomed. Even a great public relations department could not save this from this. Abortion has been a touchy issue for who knows how many years! So by blotching an abortion that badly, and it upsets people on both sides of the abortion case, yeah no saving that clinic from going down in flames.
From another source, (after simply typing in "Dr. Pierre Jean-Jacque Renelique") I found that Sycloria had named the baby, Shanice Denise Osbourne. Turns the day of the abortion, an unlicensed receptionist gave Williams Cytotec, which induces labor and dilates the cervix. Hence the reason she gave birth at 23 weeks. Reasons why she didn't just go through and have the baby? Because she didn't feel mature enough and did not have the right resources to take care of a baby.
I did some research just to see when the safe time for an abortion would be, and obviously 23 weeks is way too late if one will give birth to a living, breathing little baby. Turns out that not even 1% of abortions happen on the 20th week of pregnancy. Another interesting fact that I got off of a site dealing with Abortion Facts, is that 93% of abortions are because of some "social reasons", which are basically, the baby is unwanted or bad timing. It is just crazy to see that, the rest of it breaks down that rape and incest are among 1% of abortions and potential health problems account for the other 6%.