megidolaon

QUOTE (Stuie @ Feb 27 2009, 05:30 PM) I prefer the phunnel over the vortex. Simply because it heats better. I do use my vortex from time to time. Comparing pictures of the shapes and such, I can definitely see why that would be. Definitely something for me to keep in mind.

I think it might be the coals. I have natural lemon wood coals and a ton of quicklights from free crap that got thrown in with some of my hookah purchases... even though the quicklights do, er, light quickly I found I had to 1) light them outside (never indoors) in a well ventilated area, 2) wait till they were red hot + wait another 5ish minutes. It could also be that you weren't a big smoker beforehand? I didn't smoke before taking up hookah smoking, and I a year later still get a buzz that can knock me off my feet if I'm not paying attention. Coals would be the main thing, but it is probably a combination of several factors mentioned in reply to your post (best bet for your health would be to assume that anyways). edit because my proofreading sucks

QUOTE (GNUWorldOrder @ Feb 26 2009, 09:16 PM) they are a decent bowl, i use my chinese phunnel for everything now minus nak which i use my vortex I think I'll pick one up from Sahara Smoke and see how they are, and go searching for a cheap phunnel and see what works best on my hookahs. I smoke by myself a lot though and the size of all the phunnels I've come across & reviews I've watched say those things are kind of huge/a but much for a single person. Thanks for the info!

QUOTE (jellywerker @ Feb 26 2009, 09:20 PM) http://www.hookahforum.com/?showtopic=28606 Second page of this section of the forum. Seriously. General consensus seems to be that they are fine, if you get one that has the holes at the top of the bowl, but in general a phunnel is better. Thanks for the link, but no need to be a dick about it. I did a search on several of the forum sections last week for "vortex" and "vortex bowl" and didn't come up with directly related (but a few random mentions). I don't live in these forums, and due to the general lack of hits I found with my search last week, I really did not expect someone else would have brought it up in the last week since I've been here to comb through the posts. Just didn't seem to be a popular topic.

They seem to be the same concept as the phunnel bowl, but I haven't really read much about them online. I've seen a ton of reviews for the phunnel, and about... two for the vortex that had any actual useful content. Anyone have any wisdom to share on these? Or at least a link to a good video or written review?

No. That hose reminds me of pubes.

Tumwater/Olympia, WA Gonna be moving to the Ft. Lewis area probably in the next 6 months though.

Well, what is the definition of freedom we're using here? Freedom as in... I can do whatever I want, when I want, without regard to how it may impact others? Freedom as in... I feel safe and secure where I live? Freedom as in... I am not forced to do unpaid labor, the results of that labor being owned by someone else? "Freedom" is a very vague term in all honesty. Or is this really about what "freedom" really is?

QUOTE (clumsygrace @ Feb 16 2009, 10:28 PM) I don't really believe in medication to treat depression. I think that's taking the easy way out. Same with therapists. The only one who can help is yourself. Worked for me, it just takes time and extreme amounts of self reflection. In no way I mean to offend anyone, this is just my view on it. For many folks with depression, seeing a therapist helps them see things or examine things in a way they were unable to do so before. Depression clouds the mind and a therapist and the right kind of medication can be very helpful if used as a tool to help a person help themself... the only problem is when people think that medication/therapy is a magic cure all and taking a pill will "get rid" of the depression or that the therapist will "solve" their problems. What worked for you may not work for others, and a judgmental comment such as yours (even if you meant it harmlessly it still came off quite harshly) may make someone who really does need to reach out for external help less likely to do so. Not everyone has the time to dedicate to deep personal reflection. Some people may be too deeply entrenched in their depression. Some people may be overwhelmed by school, work, family obligations, etc. some people may simply not know where to start. For the record - I'm someone who will not touch medication because of some horrible experiences I had when my depression was first diagnosed, and for the last 6+ years of the decade or so I have been diagnosed I have rarely been to therapy. Different things work for different people, and that in no way makes someone weak. There is NO "easy way out" with depression.

Well, this is what I've been doing to lose weight and it works well... 1) Don't count calories. Use common sense when I eat. I don't stuff myself, I make sure I eat 3 meals a day and have two small snacks. 2) Eat a varied diet with lots of veggies and fruits. I don't eat much red meat, I stick to chicken/turkey and fish. I like soymilk for my milk, but I like my yogurts and cheeses. Need to make sure you get your calories from a variety of sources, and also make sure your vitamin intake from food is varied. 3) I drink a lot of water, and only water. Tea and coffee are alright for you (without extra sugar, milk, creamers, etc), but they're not necessary. 4) Don't stress about food honestly. Stress will cause you to gain weight, and there is enough crap in life to be stressed and worried over. 5) Get enough sleep at night. This helps reduce the stress hormones in your body, and you can lose weight more easily. 6) Do exercise that you enjoy. If you like walking do it to your hearts content, or if you like weightlifting do that, or both, or yoga, or pilates, or whatever it is that is enjoyable and fun to you. Expand and try new things as you go along. Make exercise a relaxing, invigorating, and enjoyable thing you look forward to. 7) Food is fuel, but it can be a tasty and enjoyable thing. The healthier you eat you might find you actually start craving healthier food choices. 8) Be happy Maintaining a good emotional/mental balance is just as important to losing weight as working out and eating right. 9) Give yourself plenty of time to ease into a workout routine, diet, etc. It is okay to make mistakes! If you're feeling icky one day it is okay to take a break. Just keep on with the progress... it takes time to develop new habits and for your body to adjust to them. 10) And again, cut down on the stress in your life. Burn incense, start reading a new book, pick up knitting for yourself/family/charity, pick up gardening, whatever. I found when I started making other positive changes in my life and developed other healthy/fun hobbies it made making changes in how I ate, worked out, and thought a lot easier as as well. I probably sound like a complete idiot but I hope some of this advice is helpful, or at least back up some of the previous five pages I couldn't make it through (I read the first two!).

I bought a Bambino from TheHookah.com early last year. This was my first hookah purchase, and I must say that I think this is a wonderful first hookah, hookah for a single person, or hookah for toting around with you if you travel a lot. Bowl: I would say it is on the fragile side if one is prone to clumsiness. I broke mine while moving about a month back, it landed at just the right angle to shatter. Other than that, the thing is the perfect size for one person smoke sessions of about an hour. This depends on the shisha and how you pack the bowl, but I personally average that with Layalina and Fumari. Grommets: The seals are good on this one. I've been smoking this hookah regularly for about a year and have yet to need to replace any of them. I ordered some extra hose and bowl grommets from TheHookah.com for this hookah... and I'm not sure how I feel about the fit of the ones they sent me. The original grommets have lasted me a VERY long time with regular use, finding replacements with a nice good fit looks like it will take some looking into though. For as long as the originals have lasted me I don't count this against this hookah. Vase: I bought a dark blue, and I have had no issues with being able to see the water level. This vase is SOLID and VERY STURDY. It would take a lot of effort to knock this thing over, something I appreciated greatly with my first hookah. It is also absolutely stunning to look at. Stem: Very solid as well. Well balanced and contributes nicely to the stability of this hookah. Very easy draws, very easy to clean, and very pretty to look at just like the vase. Tray: Standard plain tray. Misc: Carry case is a nice touch, but could stand to be padded a bit. When I've transported mine I've tucked a few 50g boxes of shisha, a package of pre-cut foils, and the hose in there. There is still a little wiggle room in there though. This is my go to hookah for smoking alone, even though I have expanded my collection quite a bit since then. Definitely a model a recommend to my friends when they ask me about a good starting hookah.