bellerophon90

I saw the movie and it was below-average. Sex scenes were toned down and not very explicit. Pretty tame the whole way though. I've seen far worse on an HBO or Showtime show AND I've seen worse in mainstream hollywood movies. I don't know what the controversy is.

I watched the first half of season 1 and I'm not sure if I will continue to watch it. It's like a teenaged Damages. And the flash forwards are excessive and nauseating. Although Viola Davis is fantastic.

I haven't really done anything "irrational" as a smoker, but who knows?... you be the judge. Of course, I used to smoke in -30 degree weather. I had to. I also used to car smoke in my old 2003 Echo (with all the windows down), although I never did it with anyone else in the car. I also used to have this habit where I would smoke a cigarette every time I would either get out or get into my car. I have a new car, so I don't smoke in it now.

UPDATE Hey guys, just wanted to let you know that it's been over a month since I quit! I haven't caved once, and my cravings are slowly starting to subside. I drink various herbal and green teas now since I do not associate tea with smoking, and therefore do not crave when I drink it. I hope everyone had a good Christmas!

Hey everyone. If any one is worrying about me falling off the wagon, don't. I'm still going strong. Still craving (especially at night), but I have taken up tea-drinking as an hobby. I haven't used the patch in about 10 days. El and Sazarac: I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels this way about smoking being "me time". Do you think it's a good idea to go outside (and not smoke) to get the same time or would it making the craving to smoke stronger?

Well, it's been over a week so I guess we can talk about the mid-season finale now. DON'T READ THIS IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MID-SEASON FINALE!! It was very clear from the very beginning of the episode that Beth would die. It was a strange move, to be sure, but the atmosphere of the episode of certainly pro-Beth dying (if that makes sense). I also knew someone would die in the mid season finale. At the start of the season, I thought for sure it would be Glen. It seems a pattern is emerging with Walking Dead deaths that makes them totally predictable. As soon as the writers give a character more screen time in a story that's separated from the main storyline, they will die. This of course does not include Rick or Carol. And I know that they've given characters significant screen time before where they did not die, but usually, you can predict. Another major example of this is Andrea's death. Her story took over the better part of season three and she did die. Likewise, Beth's separate story arch took up a lot of season 5, and she died. Also see the Governor, where he was given a separate side story before his season 4 death. Also, like Andrea, it's like Beth wanted to die (I am putting aside the fact that many think Beth "sacrificed" herself to save her friend-- which is something I do not believe for a minute since she hardly knew the guy and longed to be back with her group). In the moments preceding their deaths, Beth and Andrea made stupid, stupid decisions. Andrea paused to dramatically stare at Milton when her life was on the line. Beth foolishly stabbed the police officer (name?) in front of people armed with guns. Anyway, those are my thoughts on the episode.

Thanks everyone for your encouragement and advice!

My enjoyment of cigarettes is undoubtedly as a result of my addition. But there was something nice about going outside to be alone. I live with my wife and daughter, so I guess it was nice to be able to do something without someone asking, "where are you going?" It's hard to explain, but smoking gave me more privacy. But like I said, you simply cannot smoke occasionally- once you smoke full-time like I did, you can't revert back to occasional. I am trying to replace smoking with other things. For instance, I am drinking herbal tea at night and it really relaxes me. Finally, re: alcohol, I am really challenging myself either consciously or unconsciously. I figure that its best to torture yourself (I am quitting mid-exam time) at the beginning so it will get easier as time passes. I think I mentioned in a previous post that I forgot to wear a patch on my 3rd day. I also drank alcohol on the first night. Getting over these humps at the beginning without smoking was important to me and will decrease the likelihood of me slipping up later. I'll update again soon!

Hey guys: So, tomorrow at 4:30 PM marks 7 days quit! My cough is much better, and when I do cough, it feels like I'm getting something up. I cough especially in the mornings. I have to say, last night, I had a glass of wine and i really, really craved a cigarette, even with the patch. Since I am feeling better, my mind thinks its OK to smoke again. The thing about all of this is: if i could smoke 1 cigarette a day, I would! It is actually enjoyable having one occasionally. Unfortunately, it's just not possible. I wasn't even enjoying smoking at the end, because I smoked so much. If I started smoking again, I would never enjoy it b/c i will be back to 15 a day! Today, I went without the patch and I was generally irritable and my cravings were moderate all day. With the patch, I certainly miss the habit, but I don't really feel the physical need for one. Nonetheless, I haven't had a single puff since last Wednesday :)

Hey everyone. Today was my third full day quit. So, I woke up, got ready and left my house for work.... it turns out, I forgot to put on my patch. I have generally been irritable all day and am having strong cravings. On the bright side, my cough is MUCH better and I've slept very well the past two nights. Will keep you guys updated!

Thanks everyone for the support! I'm into my second full day of NO smoking... Last night, I took off the patch at around 8:30 PM and I had no trouble sleeping. When I woke up this morning, I felt refreshed. I put a new patch on this morning and am finding that I don't like the feeling of it... My heart is always racing and it makes me feel dizzy (like I just smoked a cigarette). However, I know that if I take the patch off now the craving will come back at full force.... so I will ride this out.. I've been drinking a hot cup of neo citran every night, which helps with my cough. Luckily, although I'm a coffee drinker who'd like to always have a cigarette with my coffee, I am enjoying coffee even without a cigarette! Is there anything else that you guys suggest would be a good medication/vitamin/regiment to help with my cough or to counteract with the constant nicotine effects as a result of my patch? I will post again tomorrow.

Hi all, So, yesterday I "quit" smoking and thought that joining a message board to discuss the struggles of smoking cessation would help reduce the stress. I am 24 years old and had my first cigarette at the age of 12. By the time I was 14, I was smoking off-and-on throughout the year. My smoking gradually increased to everyday up until the age of 20, when I finally decided to quit. I was quit for a full year (with the help of the patch starting off) but started up again the following year when I went on vacation. I thought to myself, "I'm on vacation, of course I can smoke!" Sadly, even a single cigarette can pull you back in, and it did. Since I started again, I unsuccessfully tried to quit probably a dozen times. I've tried the patch (which I would just rip off when I wanted a cigarette) and gum (gum prolonged the pain and cravings). Since I started law school last year, my smoking frequency has dramatically increased. I went from smoking 7-8 cigarettes a day to 12-13 a day. For the past few months, I've been smoking up to 15 a day. It made me feel awful, especially in the mornings. I absolutely hate the smell and always obsessively washed my hands and used hand sanitizer constantly. The smell attached to my coat made me sick. I decided several months ago that "cutting down" simply doesn't work- it actually makes quitting worse. It prolongs cravings and, whenever I tried to cut down gradually, I was in a constant state of anxiety while I awaiting my next cigarette. The only way to go is to stop all together. Yesterday, I was smoking a cigarette per hour (my usual nowadays) and I felt sick. Not only physically, but also mentally. I was sick of my addiction controlling my life. The anxiety of having to go to the store to buy a pack of cigarettes when I was low was reaching the tipping point. Over the past year, I have started to hate myself for smoking and yesterday I finally had enough. So I went to the store and bought 21mg/a day patches. Since I was smoking around 15 a day, I figure step 1 was my best option. Now onto the more negative portion of my story: I had my last cigarette at 4PM yesterday and found my self up ALL night last night (I made the mistake of leaving my patch on overnight) with my heart racing. I laid there all night and watched the sun come up. I have a final exam tomorrow (I know, I've picked the WORST time to quit), and in addition to my lack of sleep, I also have the worst cough of my live since I quit (started last night). I don't know if I coincidentally caught a nasty cold at the same time that I decided to quit, or whether it's a mixture of withdrawal symptoms with my cold. In any event, I will take off my patch tonight before I go to bed. Any advice on getting through this would be great. I am very determined to quit this time for good!