CASAA | Board Nominees & Elections

[Vocalek]

So when do I start shaking hands and kissing babys?

Just make sure you don't get them confused and start kissing hands and shaking babies.

[Kate51]

I am also highly movitvated to see this wondrous technology accepted by legal and yes even regulatory entities necessary to promotion of the best answer to tens of thousands of "ex" smokers' number one problem ~ to avoid smoking tobacco.
I am 62 years old, heading for 63 at blinding speed. When I was 18 my girlfriend and I went through hell to learn how to smoke, inhaling and everything! From that time on I could not stop, for 44 years. Tried it all, even hypnosis, but that was not practical to me or the hypnotist. I secretly laughed at him during sessions. Guess my heart wasn't in it.
Early in February I knew it was going to be over for me unless I could get out from under my smoke cloud. I could barely function, the best thing I could do was sit down with my coffee and my cigarettes, that's about all I had strength and breath left for.
To shorten up this story which is by no means unique, I fell into a suddenly new and different way of coping with COPD/asthma/allergies and a couple other minor things like ADD and arthritis when I spent an ungodly sum of $80 for an NPro, and from that day on was totally 100% dis-connected from smoking. Then I found ECF, and learned how to do it right! Was even better! My health has been almost totally restored, more than I ever could have hoped for.
So my focus is now totally on helping find the way out, with the understanding that knowledge is power, understanding does mean researching and sharing, and pursuing our right to choose our own path even if not in the realm of "accepted" rubber-stamped methods, and to do that with as much know-how an uneducated simple person can muster.
I will continue to work as hard as I can for ECF, ECA, and CASAA, whether it's in an elected position (not my mandate, however!) or voluntary input.
I've been very flattered by my nomination to CASAA's Board, but want everyone to know I will work with CASAA regardless of the boards' makeup, these are fabulously talented and capable people all, I feel under-qualified to be included.

[Sun Vaporer]

When I was 18 my girlfriend and I went through hell to learn how to smoke, inhaling and everything! From that time on I could not stop, for 44 years.

Kate--this is a classic statement you make---Big Tobacco would have been proud back then to know what they where doing was working.


Sun

[stevo_tdo]

Well, I might as well jump on the band wagon and write a little about me:

My name is Stephen.... and I'm an alcoholic... no not really, couldn't help myself.

Really though, my name is Stephen Layton. I'm a young pup (23). I live south of St. louis, Missouri. I have a beautiful daughter Cameron and a supportive Fiance' Jacque. I worked for 5 years as a small engine technician before I became disabled (if you're curious I've talked about it in detail in previous posts). I'll be the first to admit i'm not half as strong as I once thought I was but I will give everything that I have to support Casaa. (And you all)

I heard about pv's late one night browsing the torrent sites trying to find a copy of a dos game I used to play (Gobliiins) . It was instant gold. I'm on a fixed income and was worried about my 2 pack a day chain smoking. Not to mention the possible health risk for my daughter being around 2 parents that smoke. So the safer and lower cost alternative to cigarettes was a no brainer.

I am a jack of all trades. Mechanics, Computer building, Hell, gardening you name it and I'll learn it and do it better than most. I have a lot lot lot of free time.

I try to get all the smokers I know to at least consider trying a PV. Some do some don't. ( my brother won't even take one drag) Most of the people I know are around my age and I hope that they in the future have a safer alternative to the crap they currently use before it is too late for them.

If you have a question then please feel free to p.m. me.

[WILDJC]

I can relate to President Obama when I say I am "humbled" and honored just to be nominated and I feel a little corny for saying that. So I'll heed the call to action and share a bit about myself and my background:

My name is Thad Marney, but I generally post as Thulium or sometimes "The Devil's Thadvocate"--a reference to a jab a former roommate once made about my tendency to offer alternate viewpoints for argument's sake. In that spirit, I feel that my natural tendency to take a step back and try to re-examine issues from multiple viewpoints is the most important asset I would try to bring to the CASAA board.

I was raised in a traditional nuclear home as the oldest of 5 children. My father worked in the computer industry all my life, but he was also a licensed Minister so I was fairly conservative (politically and socially) growing up. After undiagnosed ADHD and some poor choices foiled my educational plans, I moved to southern Idaho and spent 2 years in volunteer service as an Assistant Director for a media production company and outreach ministry for At-Risk Youth that has since transitioned into a nationwide outreach called the eXtreme tour.

After that period, I returned to the Portland area and to my more technical roots and have spent the better part of the last 15 years in various systems support and quality assurance roles for businesses including Freightliner, Nike, Microsoft and Providence Health & Systems. Along with my technical savvy, I've worked in various customer service and even medical related industries which I feel gives me some additional perspective.

Currently, my only technical work is usually private consulting and the occasional bit of web development. The majority of my work now is as a home care provider for my friends with physical disabilities and I work part time as a guest attendant in Portland's Rose Garden Arena. (Go Blazers!!) I also have experience volunteering with Oregon Public Broadcasting and various organizations that advocate for adults and children with disabilities.

In no small part thanks to my exposure to a variety computer industry professionals, fellow customer service and call-center worker bees, and a lot of artists and musicians...I'm sure you can imagine how I might have developed a smoking habit despite my conservative upbringing. When I discovered e-cigarettes from a SmokingEverywhere vendor in the local mall, I was impressed enough at the basic concept that I spent way too much money on impulse only to be quickly dissatisfied with the quality but I remained convinced that this is an idea whose time has come. The way I see it, even if it turns out that I am still tempted to smoke the occassional analog, every one that I don't smoke is that much less pollution for me and more importantly I am not exposing my daughter to second-hand smoke while simultaneously improving the odds that her daddy will be around for her for a long time.

I've tried the patch, it irritated my skin and made me feel sick. I tried the gum--it was better than the patch because I could titrate, but it is expensive and pretty disgusting. I tried the lozenge--better than the gum, but I still wanted to smoke. I tried cold turkey--that worked, but never for long. I actually quite good success with hypnotherapy, but the effects of hypnotic suggestion for behavior modification are temporary without good follow-up.

In the final analysis, I support every person's right to choose the smoking replacement that works best for that individual. Personally, I love the e-cigarette because it takes the burden of "quitting" off my back. I don't really want to quit smoking--it helps me slow down and focus and I enjoy watching the smoke and I enjoy socializing with my friends over a cigarette. It is only with the e-cigarette that I don't have to quit the parts of smoking that I like while still getting rid of the things like nasty smelling breath and clothes, the constant coughing and wheezing, the fact that I catch colds and flus more often and they stick around longer, and most importantly e-cigarettes keep my daughter from being exposed to my smoke.

A few days ago, my daughter found an a mostly broken Smoking Everywhere e-cig lying unused and said, "That's healthier for you, isn't it daddy? You should use that." So right now I am trying out my first 510 and if my perspective or experience on the CASAA board can do anything to help promote our freedom from poisonous smoke, I would consider it an honor to serve either on the elected board or as a lay member.

Best regards,
Thad Marney

You are the devil's advocate. A necessary position (not highly coveted though) for equitable "checks and balances." Thank you for your efforts.

[Webby]

Mister's bowing out brings up a question, Webby: Will you be adding another candidate to the field to keep the same number?

I would love to see PhiHalcyon on the list - he(?) clearly has a great understanding of the legal issues at hand.

This brings up a good point. The nominations were based on public vote (a popularity contest, if you will) Not always the best method for selecting the most qualified candidates, but certainly the most democratic.

Seminolewind has also asked to be removed from consideration. That makes two vacancies in the available pool of nominees. What do the rest of you think? Should those positions be re-filled or let the Sunday deadline come and pass? Assuming we do nothing, the voting site is complete and ready to come live as soon as I post the link at midnight on Sunday.

I have doubt some very qualified people were missed in the initial sweep. If anyone should be allowed to make the decision to replace (or not) it should be the nominees.

1) Should the nominees be replaced? Yes or No. Not replying is considered abstaining from voting for or against this action.

2) Who would you recommend to be considered? Post an ECF nickname and if #1 passes, their name will be added to the voting link on Sunday.

There is a short window in which to decide. Please voice your opinion now.

[ladyraj]

Hi to all, I can offer a brief bio that may be reviewed to assess if any of my talents can be put to good use.

-I'm 52, raised 3 men, and I'm currently retired but raising a grandson.
-I served in the Air Force for 5 years in radio maitenance and basic electronics.
-I worked in a Pulmonary department of a Children's Hospital as a pulse oximetry/x-ray technician.
-I have a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology with specialized certification in testing/assessment.
-I taught General Psychology for a hospital university that specialized in training RNs.
-I was a psychotherapist with hospital priviledges, led weekly groups dealing with addictive disease, individual and family therapy, the dual-diagnosed, and disabled individuals.

Those are the pertinent areas of my experience but my views may be slightly different than others on this forum and may alter any decisions made by the board or members. To be more specific...I do not hold the nicotine addiction theory to be true. Many ascribe to this theory but I simply can not.

Further, I have fought for smoker's rights for 3 years now (lost in Ohio) because I believe in choice. I do not believe a lot of the research studies as it pertains to tobacco products, nor what is being touted about e-cigs.

On a personal note, I lost a brother to lung cancer when he was 21 years old. My brother did not smoke, my parents were non-smokers, none of my siblings smoked...I'm the only nicotine user in the family. So I knew at a base level that to be very wary over what information one chose to believe to be true.

I question everything, I always have, I'm a rebel at heart!

[ladyraj]

Replace, how about MaryKay for nomination?

[Mister]

If I had the chance to nominate a replacement it would definitely be Territoo, someone I'd very much like to see ending up on the board.

[mtndude]

1) Should the nominees be replaced? Yes or No. Not replying is considered abstaining from voting for or against this action.

2) Who would you recommend to be considered? Post an ECF nickname and if #1 passes, their name will be added to the voting link on Sunday.

There is a short window in which to decide. Please voice your opinion now.

Considering the limited time, I would suggest allowing Mister and Seminolewind to propose a replacements to their nomination.