See my reply to PeterM above. I ditched the tobacco source a while ago.

I have to say, every now and then, /. surprises me in a good way. People actually give a damn here.

In reply to the question on smoking:

At 19, I was stupid and didn't think of anything aside from smoking as a solution. After a few years and not being able to run like I used to, I started looking for another option. The gum made my mouth feel rotten, and something about the delivery mechanism of the patch (the steady delivery, perhaps?) didn't give me the "kick" I was, frankly, addicted to.

Technology, though, is a hell of a thing. These days, I use a cigarette-sized atomizer. It delivers nicotine, water vapor, propelyne glycol, and optional flavoring on inhales. Nothing else--no burning, no other carcinogens. Charges by USB, one cartridge has 16mg nicotine and lasts 150 puffs, so it's trivial to determine dosage. I still call it "smoking" though it's not Sure, start up cost is high, but my health prefers as few carcinogens as possible. Also, it's less obnoxious to people around me. Anyone in the same boat should seriously look at them--handles the fixation as well as delivering nicotine.

Have to admit, now and then I do enjoy a good cigar, though.

Ulcerative colitis (warning, gross picture of internals). I've been a sufferer since I was in my early teens, and was in a state of active flare ups for nearly five years, even going to the hospital now and then. I've been on dozens of medications for it, from immunosuppressants to steroids to everything doctors could come up with.

When I was 19, a doctor mentioned smoking, off the record. He didn't want to actively advise me to smoke, but I was 19 and in danger of needing my colon surgically removed already. I, like a good geek, read everything about it I could find. I hated my first pack of cigs, but by the time I was through it--nearly a week--my symptoms were subsiding. Since then, one flare up in six years that lasted for two weeks. Trade-offs, eh?

...but I'm not sure that's being totally honest. I'm a teacher at a "high tech high" school, one-to-one laptop program, online classes, and all that. We're one of the only districts I've seen that has these sort of resources and actually puts them to good use.

The problem? It's a huge amount of work. Technology lets us work smarter, but creating good, engaging materials, helping train other staff members, sitting on the technology committee, and helping to re-write the curriculum to match the new ways things are being taught, it's draining. I love every minute of it, but explaining to people that my 8:00 to 3:00 workday is more like 7:30 to 8:30 is another story. I also teach an adult class once a week and advise SkillsUSA.

Frequent, varied assessments, though, really do enhance student learning.

Fortunately, there is summer. You know, for professional development, creating materials, and working on my next degree while trying to publish my book. I don't think I would have it any other way!

I'm student teaching at a school in Ohio called Toledo Technology Academy right now. It's a public high school.

One of the kids made me a shuriken and a 3D tiger head (their logo) on one of these machines. Normally, they use it along with their CAD classes, though, not just to make something cool for the geeky English teacher who thinks the printer is cool as hell.

So, in some schools, the kids are already complaining when they run out of resin :).