The law was passed to stop people from smoking but what it did was destroy businesses, cause people to go out of their way to buy tobacco and make a bunch of smokers get extremely bad headaches from going cold turkey so suddenly.
A lot of parents are happy that their kids can’t smoke at 19 anymore but when has that ever stopped someone from purchasing something they are addicted to? You can’t just change a law and make people who have been smoking for years to quit. The worst part is that they weren’t even grandfathered in, which is usually the procedure when the law changes when you are in between ages.
Not only that but it is destroying businesses. Many vape store owners, who rely on their customers to come back and buy their products saw an extreme decrease in profit since they can no longer sell nicotine products to people who are 19 and 20. That may seem small but the amount of people who smoke at that age is extremely large. Can you imagine losing all those customers?
Also, stores in North Jersey are facing a lot of heat. Since they are only a fifteen/ twenty-minute drive from New York, they are seeing their customers go to New York to purchase their tobacco products since the age to legally buy it is 18 in New York. Broad Smoke Shop in New Milford is facing this problem since the main age group they sell to is college kids because they are near two major universities.
Not only can they not sell products to their most faithful and frequent customers, the cops are starting to crack down even harder on these businesses as if they weren’t suffering enough. Some customers come in with fake IDs that scan, which is hard to tell for even the owners. Due to their inability to notice a fake, which can be very hard that times, they are facing fines that could ruin their business. Multiple store owners have gone to court due to fake IDs that they could not have prevented. To minimize this issue they are not accepting any licenses that are out of state, which can be a huge blow to business. If they don’t abide by these rules they can face major fines, ranging to up to 5,000 dollars and can get their stores closed down. So not only are they losing business they are being fined for issues that they could have not even prevented.
Another issue they face is that they cannot sell any products that people underage can inhale. Even products with no nicotine cannot be sold to minors. This includes vape juice without nicotine content, which is clearly outrageous. They can’t buy water pipes either which is a major source of income to these stores.
Overall this law was unnecessary and is only causing damage to store owners who are struggling not to get fined. People who have quit cigarettes and transferred to the vape are even going back to smoking cigarettes since it is much easier not to get carded for a pack than at a vape store. It was Christie’s last attempt at putting another bogus law into effect before his time ran out. There is a reason we voted you out Christie, have fun at the beach while you still can.
Remember when he closed all New Jersey’s beaches just so his family could use it?
People claim that the new generation of rap doesn’t make sense or that it is cheap but people don’t realize that these artists can actually indeed rap. One has to have the talent to make it big in the industry and if you think that these people didn’t put in any work to get to their level of fame you are wrong. Most of these artists know what people want to hear and take full advantage of it to make a name for themselves.
Lil Uzi Vert has been said to be someone with no talent and just someone who got famous for no reason with the help of mumble rap. But there is talent behind his stage persona.
Just check out him in 2013:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OMJp76-CeY
Watch his music evolution here for further proof:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlKyNd6F5n8
Mumble rap is defined as a catch-all term to describe any young rapper whose appeal lies in melody and mood rather than traditional lyricism. But the thing is that Lil Uzi Vert does know how to write lyrics and rap. He saw the trend in rap and jumped right on the boat. He could tailor his voice to become a huge name in rap so why wouldn’t he? I actually think that it adds so much to him and fits his voice better. If he stayed in the traditional style he wouldn’t have gotten as big as he did. Isn’t hip-hop all about innovation?
Can you imagine a world where XO Tour Llif3 didn’t exist?
Lil Uzi Vert used mumble rap to define his certain style and to get big within the scene. He became a character and that shot him to stardom. In 2015 you can clearly see that he had a change in his style that it suited him nicely to bring out his greatest assets. And he carefully constructed a gothic rapper image who apparently “worshiped the devil.” He made a name for himself in the game, even though at first everyone was questioning what it was all about. Everyone was talking about him, and for the good or the bad- it made him an instant celebrity. Haters say that he can’t rap but the evidence is there that he can certainly do it, and do it well. I wouldn’t say he tricked us but he certainly is intelligent.
I would expect him to come out with an “actual” rap album later on in his career. He has this hidden talent that he has been waiting to let out. He is riding the wave of how popular this new style is, and it really works for him. I think he is a much better entertainer with mumble rap and his stage persona. He is a well-rounded artist who is interesting and someone you want to listen to. I wouldn’t say it’s all an act but a really carefully constructed way to get attention so he can let out his true talent. There is only a hand full of people who make it in the industry, and he certainly has. Many people would say that he isn’t intelligent but clearly, he is smarter than all of us. I can’t wait for him to display different styles of rap in the future and continue to keep us on our toes.
Snapchat has made an ass of itself in the past month. Not only did they create a ridiculous update that made them lose $1.3 billion of the company’s market value, they have been messing with the wrong people.
The creators of Snapchat are acting like a victim but they are doing everything in their power to deserve the backlash they are getting. How could you possibly turn something as serious as domestic violence into a joke? That is just horrible and distasteful. It wasn’t funny at all and makes fun of victims of this horrible crime. Rihanna is a strong person for coming out of this situation alive and probably feels horrible that Chris Brown somehow still has a career. On top of this Snapchat put out the worst update in the history of updates to confuse users across all platforms. This company is giving me a headache and I am thinking of deleting the app. You can’t just make fun of domestic violence and expect your company not to lose millions of dollars. Like Rihanna said, “shame on you.”
Cigarettes are a lot of people’s vices but the long-term effects of smoking are extremely bad for your health as if we haven’t heard that before. But quitting a nicotine addiction is one of the hardest things to overcome, especially if you have been smoking for a long time. To quit, you probably should have never picked up the pack, but hey sh*t happens and now it’s time to end it for good. I have devised some of the best ways to quit smoking if you are actually motivated.
And I’m not here to tell you the basics like it causes cancer or you smell because everyone already knows that and by saying that over and over again you actually start to want to smoke more since everyone is up in your case about it. No, I’m here to be real with you. And yes we get it, we would save money, yea blah blah blah.
MOTIVATION
The first step to quitting smoking is actually having the motivation to quit and I’m not talking about if you’re on your sixth cigarette and tell your friend “ugh I need to quit” because how many times have you said that? Probably the last 30 packs you have bought. No, to quit you have to be dedicated to making a change and if you are not in the place of mind to do that, then save it for a time where you are mentally healthy and motivated. There have been so many times where people have talked about quitting but go right back to it because they want to smoke. You have to be at the point where enough is enough.
SET LONG TERM GOALS
My first trick to quit is to have something in your life that gives you the motivation to. Maybe it is a new boyfriend or girlfriend that hates going outside with you when you have to smoke. Do you really want to see them in the cold and giving you a nasty glare? Or maybe it’s a new job that would look down at you if you smoked. Or set a goal for your future and how smoking can come in between that. If you want to have a career and your future is looking bright you don’t need something that brings you down. Can you imagine if your life finally gets better and suddenly you have a health issue because of the time in your life when you were down? Believe you have a future.
GET A PHIX
The first step is to buy a vape or an e-cigarette. I wouldn’t suggest a traditional vape because it just doesn’t hit as hard as cigarettes. The juice is expensive and to get a “buzz” you have to smoke it a lot and it creates insane clouds that annoy everyone in the room because you are constantly blowing it in their faces. I had a vape for a while and I couldn’t seem to really get into it without having at least a cigarette a day.
Most people will buy a Juul to quit, but I don’t like the Juul as much because there are better and more effective options. The real secret to quitting is the Phix.
Purchase the Phix (on the left) instead of the Juul (on the right)
The Phix is the next step up from the Juul and will save you money in the long run. Juuls have a lower nicotine content. The Phix is truly the only way to quit. Go to your local vape store to buy one. It is also extremely easy to understand, unlike vapes, which could take a whole month to fully understand the contraption- which could lead to a frustrated cigarette break. Also, you will probably save no money when you quit so I’m debunking that rumor right now. The Phix is not the best product since it dies almost every four months after intense usage but hey, at least it’s not cigarettes right?
WORKING OUT
During the first few weeks of quitting- YOU WILL HAVE TO WORK OUT. I don’t care if you hate running, you have to. It is the only way to initially cut off the cravings. I would say go for a jog for about an hour every day when you are in the process of ridding your body of nicotine. And hey, I know you probably don’t have the best lungs for running but don’t get down on yourself. If you run for two minutes and have to walk for the next five, do it. Make yourself proud and continue to fight for yourself. Remember the reasons why you want to improve your life. This will also keep you skinny since quitting triggers intense cravings for junk food. Instead of the doughnuts go on a run, you’ll still be skinny.
DON’T GET MAD
Also don’t get mad if you have a cigarette on a cheat day because those things are going to happen. Or you might go to a party and chain smoke and feel like all your progress is gone because it isn’t. Quitting is hard and everyone is going to have their off days but just know that it is all a part of the process. Don’t tell yourself that you have failed and go back to smoking just because you have a misstep. Believe in yourself that you can do it. You might be in this process for a few months before you finally put the pack down, or maybe a full year. It is a process.
Also after you finally quit it is ok to have a cigarette once in a while if you had a bad day. Hopefully, you will kick the Phix, Juul or vape for good and be free of nicotine. It’s a nasty addiction but quitting truly opens up your mind, improves your health and gives you your power back.
If you love reading music reviews, which I am sure you do, Youtube is another great platform to get the reviews you crave. Since Youtube is an open platform there are many people who share their opinion with the world. But some of the channels are very credible and give great insight and perspective on your favorite albums, bands and new releases. I love spending my time seeing what other people have to say about an album and the numerous countdowns of their favorite singles by various bands. Nothing is better than having your opinion about an album validated, and the best part is that since YouTube has an open comment section it is really easy to start and maintain conversations about the subject.
Here I have listed my favorite Youtube Music Review Channels:
Anthony Fantano
Not only is he a funny guy you can tell that he has a lot of knowledge on the subject. Also, he posts a lot so he is always updated about what is happening in the music world. When an album drops you bet he is going to make a review right away.
Dead End Hip Hop
The panelists on this channel discuss hip-hop and it is sure to keep you entertained with their banter.
Spectrum Pulse
He is a highly intelligent guy that puts so much effort into his reviews.
Todd In the Shadows
I have no idea why he wears a mask, but his voice speaks volumes.
ARTV
This is my all-time favorite music review channel on Youtube because of how insightful he is about the subject. He truly does study music and it shows in his reviews. Not only that, but he creates content very frequently and has great lists that I watch for literal hours sometimes. His opinions sometimes are harsh but that is just his viewpoint.
Nothing is better than hearing an album and having the ability to go on Youtube to see what other people thought about it in an instance. It sometimes is even better than the written review if you feel lazy. I hope I showed you your next favorite channel and make sure to subscribe to them for weekly updates.
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