Thursday, March 28, 2013

The CDC launches a new batch of antismoking ads...

The CDC is releasing new television ads that focus 
on Second Hand Smoke as a major culprit in the 
War on Tobacco. AP's Mike Stobbe, Medical writer, 
reported this article earlier for ABC.

Let's hope these ads kick ash.




Wednesday, March 27, 2013

RTS has been downloaded more than 800 times since The Great American Smoke Out!

Just found out that the Kindle Fire version 
of Romancing The Smoke has been 
downloaded more than 800 times 
through their giveaway KDP program 
since November! Worldwide!

In full color, this book is easy to download 
now at the reduced rate of $5.99 on Amazon.

Link: John Aaron's Amazon Author Page

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Art Done in the Land of Tobacco...

The author and artist first made a comment 
about cigarettes in clay back in 1969. This 
link is to a photogallery of one of the bodies of 
work done in ceramics while working around 
the Washington, DC Beltway from 2002-2006. 
The photo is of the work KOOLS, the artist's 
first sculpture.

The 3-D Sculptural Bowls of DC Artist: John Aaron

Monday, March 25, 2013

The price is outrageous...




































And we're not talking about the cost of cigarettes...
                                  

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Is the book more popular than the author is being told? Let's hope...

Asking a favor from our friends in the blogosphere. 
My book, Romancing The Smoke, in the Kindle 
version, has been offered in a free promotion 
three times since November. Amazon Kindle 
suggested that there wasn't much activity; yet I 
just discovered that there were more than 300 
downloads during the Great American Smoke Out 
in November alone. Worldwide. I'd like to know if 
you used any of the Kindle promotions to get this book.
Please leave a comment here if you downloaded the 
book, so I get an idea from you of what's going on.
Thank you for all your incredible support!

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

America decides to keep cigarette packs good looking....

Placing graphic antismoking imagery on cigarette 
packs, while legal in other countries, has been struck 
down in a court of law. The FDA is not appealing 
the decision to the Supreme Court. The government
is now considering a different approach to grotesque
graphics on cigarette packs in the U.S.

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/feds-abandon-graphic-cigarette-warning-labels-148059

After companies like R.J. Reynolds  and Lorillard 
Tobacco successfully argued their First Amendment 
rights by breaking out a carton of lawyers (and with 
the assistance of their advertisers), they were able to 
slither out of having to use warning labels by decision
in the lower courts. They stopped the government 
from labeling each pack with the truth. Big Tobacco 
is being allowed to keep its imagery in place. 
That's power.

Adweek says the FDA is planning some other approach. 
Are they open to ideas? Anti-smoking needs greater 
visual power that does not challenge First Amendment 
Rights. We need some badass editorial mockery. 
Forget the tasteless crap. Pulitzer Prize stuff.
We've got to outsmart them.

In the visual battle that they're currently waging, 
clever anti-smoking graphics are required in this 
unholy anti-smoking war. People need to be creeped 
out the right way. Clearly this is very hard to do.

Artists, take up the call...



Is smoking worse than passing gas?

Q: Is smoking worse than passing gas?
A: Way worse. Gas dissipates; and while 
it fouls the air temporarily, it doesn't poison it, 
like tobacco smoke.

This Canadian ad is a twisted but perfect way
of summing it up. SMOKING STINKS.
http://msnvideo.msn.com/?channelindex=7&from=en-us_msnhpvidmod#/video/aa76142f-41ef-4ed5-b591-c0fdfaaff08a



By the way, I'm back after a break from cyberspace.
Everyone needs one. I promise to bring you current with
the world's Nicotine News, no matter how absurd it gets.

Monday, March 11, 2013

Getting an early start on the Great American Smokeout 2013

Here's my first submission for the official poster 
for the Great American Smokeout 2013. Breathe!

Thursday, March 7, 2013

The machine that got things rolling....





















The Bonsack rolling machine was invented 
by James Bonsack during the Civil War. It 
could crank out 120,000 smokes a day. 
This made the habit huge. 
Image courtesy Wikipedia

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

This is no prank....

http://news.yahoo.com/smoking-keep-getting-hired-192858002.html

On April 1, 2013 Orlando Health will begin its tobacco 
free hiring rule that will test all applicants to ascertain 
nicotine use. If you smoke, you won't get hired.
That's walking the walk.....


From "Pack A Day..."

That bear still scares the hell out of me....

Saturday, March 2, 2013

UnSmoker's Rap- "Pack a Day" by John Aaron

Pack a Day
Pack a Day 
Pack it in today
Pack it up today
Soon as I was born I was puffing away
Salems? I'd Inhalem
Knockin' down Marlboros like tombstones
In a footrace with air I didn't care 
I can breathe when I'm dead. 
Wait...no I can't
But that movie star president sold me Chesterfields 
when I was just three
Gave 'em as a Christmas present, didn't even card me 
Stole them from my folks for a smoke in the woods
And ONLY YOU can prevent forest fires...
That bear still scares the hell out of me
Everyone smelled like a conflagration back then
When I was a nicoteenager
You need an extra lung to smoke the extra longs
You need an extra lung to smoke the extra longs
You need an extra lung to smoke the extra longs
Kool babee play it cool
Will that be a lung or a liver
Fight as you might it still delivers
Is that what they call a lung transplantation?
Uncle called for Phillip Morris 
right after they removed his kidney (Johnnie!)
Somewhere RJ Reynolds is laughing 
Til he wets his pants.
It will persist...I will resist
I'm just one smoke away from another ten thousand
Just one smoke away from another pack a day....
Stitch my lips shut induce a coma 
So I won't smell that tobaccaroma
Would you prefer regular....
or menthol?

copyright 2010 John Aaron 
All rights reserved