Okay, I’m not one to tout smoking. I know it’s really really bad for you and causes all kinds of problems like cancer and emphysema–a couple diseases that are nothing to sneeze at, in my opinion. But it’s also true that smoking is one of the hardest habits to quit, and if so many people are doing it I figure, there’s gotta be a way to help smokers that actually WORKS, right? Well, turns out that there IS, and it’s called the electronic cigarette.
E-smoking, as it’s called, involves using a battery-charged device to simulate the act of smoking tobacco. But instead of actually combusting tobacco product, e-cigarettes instead vaporize liquid nicotine to provide smokers with their fix of the stimulating, plant-based chemical, without any of the cancer-causing, tar-ingesting effects of smoking regular cigarettes. Now, it’s true that nicotine itself isn’t without its downfalls. While studies show that nicotine doesn’t directly cause cancer, it is responsible for hindering the body’s ability to destroy and get rid of unwanted cells. The problem with that is that if unwanted cells stick around with nothing to do, they might turn into cancer. Furthermore, most liquid nicotine is combined with the chemical propylene glycol, which, though found in most personal care products like soap and lotion, has some toxic properties.
But the good news is that most smokers who switch to electronic cigarettes report a significant decrease in the desire to smoke regular cigarettes, less consumption of nicotine overall, and improved health, including being able to take fuller breaths, exercise longer and overall improved quality of life. All good things, in my opinion.
Now you’re probably wondering, where do LEDs come in? Well it turns out that one of the big reasons for e-cig’s success is that using them feels remarkably similar to using a regular cigarette, and a lot of that has to do with the LED installed at the tip of most E-cigs. When the user pulls on the e-cig, the LED at the tip lights up to give the effect of a burning ember at the end of a smoke. And, because LEDs are so low-wattage, it has a very low effect on the overall life of the battery of the e-cig. Overall, the LED helps smokers to feel that they’re not missing out by switching to the healthier alternative of an electronic cigarette…which helps them to continue using e-cigs as opposed to relapsing back to smoking.
Once again, LEDs are helping our planet (and its inhabitants) to be healthier and happier!
Yes, it’s true. I”m one of the sorry Lakers fans who witnessed the travesty that was the Christmas game at the LA Staples Center on Dec. 25th, 2009 (AKA: yesterday, AKA: a day I’d rather forget). I’m not even going to get into the game itself, since it was such a disappointment, such a lump of coal in the proverbial stocking of life, if you will. Suffice to say, my favorite part was when, after yet another foul on the Lakers’ part, fans booed and hissed and threw yellow foam fingers onto the court, erupting simultaneously into one giant tantrum-inflicted mass. It actually provided some comic relief from the otherwise not-so-funny situation playing out for the Lakers (and their fans).
I have a friend who won’t eat red M & M’s; something about how the red dye isn’t good for you, he says. Well, I think the Gray squirrels of Fredericton, New Brunswick may have gotten the same idea, except their tasty treat of choice won’t melt in your hand OR your mouth. That’s right-officials have discovered the reason why LED Christmas lights all over town are malfunctioning…the squirrels are eating them, all except the red ones. WHY this is happening is still a conundrum; no one understands what it is about the LEDs that have nutritional value to the squirrels, or even why they might think they taste good. In fact, it is reported that Gray squirrels can’t distinguish between red and green visually; that is to say, red and green appear to be the same color to squirrels. So why would they eat green LEDs and not red ones? I might speculate that the green and red LEDs smell different or perhaps they give off a different invisible wavelength that the squirrels can detect, but I’m really not a scientist.
I know it may sound weird to wish for a light bulb this season, but aren’t the holidays all about lights? Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights, after all. And I’m not just wishing for any light bulb, you see. The bulb that I want is quite special, in fact I do believe it’s my new favorite product that we carry! (Though I still hold a special place in my heart for the 
Without further ado, please feast your eyes upon the never-before-seen (by me), all-in-one bookcase/huge LED clock! Besides holding your books or whatever else fits in the storage cubes, this unit will also make sure you never, ever forget what time it is. I’m also guessing it acts as a neato red night light, because LEDs that big have gotta be bright, right? (By Hong Kong manufacturer Anka.)