I tweet what comes to mind about vaping. For that matter, I blog the same way! I rarely have a plan, Almost off the cuff, I take chances and just go with the flow. Sometimes I jump in head first, sometimes I star a tweet, almost always retweet… sometimes I leave well enough alone.
Sometimes I’ll drag it and beat it and find it again because it pissed me off enough to add two more cents into the barrel of monkeys. I’ll take the lead, I’ll putz along behind two hours later…
LOVING the people I follow and who follow me, for their dedication, teamwork, awareness…. and much more… we really are like a huge global family, we don’t always agree, we definitely watch out for each other and when its time for someone else to do the dishes, we do them.
I try optimism, yet the lure of lies within the tweets I see or that are pointed out to me almost always bring me to pessimistic side of me at best. I kind of go “good cop/bad cop”. Like the vaping devil’s advocate, I ~try~ to have a standard, giving a chance to anyone to see the opposite side, yet knowing it may be on deaf ears.
That’s ok, it’s the followers of that person I’m more concerned about seeing the followup…with the original tweeter battered and bruised with the truth. Normally, one or 12 will jump in with a link, a statement – and have a knack for being there. I don’t often see that with “the other side”. They leave themselves to us to either show the truth or be tweeted alive….
I’m still learning – from all of you, and I thank you for it. We’re either tweeting to the choir or tweeting to someone with a predisposed position. Rarely can there be a change of heart, thought, goal or motive…. but we’re doing it anyway!
I try humor (try, it’s not always “funny” I’ll admit). Truth. Valiance. Hero & villian within the same tweet on occasion. Sarcasm. Evil thoughts. Friendly questions…. sometimes I’m just an ass. Please note, I am not an expert. Not “trained” in social media, and certainly don’t know what I’m doing half the time, faking it the other half. 🙂 I see others doing. Not being afraid. Taking “social risk” if you will, with or without thought. Tweeting their asses off for the better of man/womankind.
We, and more than likely you who are reading this, are an advocate. We’re waiting for the next “bad news” story. It might *doubt it* actually be true. With global emphasis on “how bad” e-cigs are, we’re paying attention worldwide, we’re not uneasy about tweeting mayors, senators, governors, organizations like the CDC & FDA…the President himself… it doesn’t mean I (we) always take the “best way” to handle situations, but it’s how we roll… and I’ve been told I was “over the top” very early in my twitter account by a vendor..one time, and I couldn’t believe I was even close yet. 🙂
There can be some very serious damage control to be done when one tweet says “dangers” from an “expert” or health pro and so on……and thousands see and some believe before I or others have to assess their intention. The perception is that we’re ganging up on people when we see an idiotic tweet in regards to bans, restrictions, children, taxing, dangers….
That’s important to me and others who are advocating and standing up to these lies, to
“cut them off at the tweet”
so to speak. Advocating in the vaping world can be such a blast, and such a draining effort at times. I know I’ll do it whether I’m encouraged or not, retweeted or not. It’s about everyone – current smokers afraid who may see the misinformation, people who aren’t sure, and it is about future smokers and their choice as well.
Sometimes it’s a snipe hunt. I realize some health/control people like my pal Simon Chapman have ulterior motives. I’ve been following him quite a while. He finally blocked me. It took a while for him to hit that block button, though.
Simon recently called (vapers) out here like he’s done so many times…
I saw no point other than to respond the way I did here if you’re so inclined:
https://twitter.com/SimonChapman6/status/594373015778959360
Had I provoked him? I didn’t think so, at least not on that particular tweet, but yes, yes I have. I did after, and made them much more personal and tailored directly to him. Questioning his integrity, questioning his intelligence. Well then he blocked, and for a lack of better terms, He’s blocked bigger and better folks than myself long before I started and he’ll do it forever.
I followed him and others, to not only see the idiocy of their tweets for my own enjoyment, I figured I may learn something from him along the way.
I learn things about wind farms and tobacco control from people like simple Simon.
He’s the “expert”, right?
Reducing tobacco use should be the priority….Shouldn’t we be on on the same side?
I’ll miss you Simple Simon!
Lets move on down the vape trail a bit. I try my best to be civil, but in the end, advocacy, in my mind, has no battle line. Bruises are common, some will block without provocation, some will tweet & tweet until there’s just a big circle of stupidity…..and not care in the end.
Some will be awesome and at least pretend to understand even if they don’t, and some flat get it right away.
The pretenders and the get it right away folks are the best.
It’s not in my nature to be just “nice”.
Some of my fellow tweeters are unbelievably awesome at it. I absolutely admire you who keep your calm, cool & composure. I try, but in the long run, I’m more reactionary and constantly at the line of incorrigible.
I don’t believe when there are things like this – that there’s a line.
Mr. Bezanis is obviously an idiot, so we’ll move on.
When I see something from a Tobacco Control group, Cancer, actual Doctors, Public Health… and it’s irresponsible, I make it my mission to spot check these people.
I added the words after in the graphic below to post to them, but you get the picture in their tweet & mine.
I can bore you with these as well from Tobacco Free Broward if you’re interested…
https://twitter.com/NoSmokeBroward/status/587638692438761474
We, with all our might by being advocates are trying to get a message across to the world about vaping.
There are a FEW vendors who do as well, but almost all I see are individuals. Unpaid and very committed to the vaping cause & community in various ways and means.
Radio shows, chats, facebook pages, multiple facebook pages… running meets. Advocating in court. Calling representatives. The works. Do something.
There IS notblowingsmoke.org
and what an AWESOME site it is.
No blog of mine goes without the mention of two things.
Research:
www.ecigarette-research.org
and Medical Professionals at M.O.V.E.
Along with tweeting & facebook, we have blogs.
ANYthing you can do to make people aware that vaping is better than smoking as an alternative, DO IT.
Vaping Links And More 
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