Miss Slik's Guide to Fair Use and Appealing Blocked Videos on YouTube

So I learned more about the concept of "Fair Use" this morning than anyone probably ever wanted to know... But you should know if you ever try to make a video that uses any portion of a copyrighted work. This applies to music producers out there too.

I made a video that was Episode #2 of my new series called Becoming Overnight Internet Famous - Miss Slik Does Bollywood. In my video, I showed snippets around 1 minute long of 4 Bollywood videos I found (in another video on YouTube ironically). Then I did my own version of those dances. Much like my first episode of Becoming Overnight Internet Famous, I also added my own subtitled comments throughout the entire video. 

I finished doing all the video editing yesterday morning and subsequently posted my video on Facebook and YouTube. It was then taken down on both platforms about an hour or so later. I got messages from FB and YT saying that this was due to Yash Raj Films, the copyright owner of one of the videos I used, claimed copyright infringement.

Well I wasn't happy about this... But ever the diplomat, I sent a very lovely message to Yash Raj Films through its Facebook page and politely requested permission to use the video snippet. I have yet to hear back from them though. 

Here is my polite message:

Hi There.. 

I'm Niki Slik.. You blocked my video I made so I deleted it. I would like to repost but I will add more info to the credits with links to your page if that is agreeable with you. I should have to begin with so please accept my apology for the oversight.

I write a blog called Miss Slik's Guide to Life and will make sure to shout out your production company in the accompanying blog post as well so my readers all over the world can learn about your production company.

My intention is not to infringe on your copyright. It's to show an example of a great Bollywood music video (which Aaja Nachle definitely is) and compare the singer's great dancing to my terrible dancing in my unsuccessful attempt to try to become a Bollywood star. I have a reader in Mumbai who reached out to me over the weekend and he inspired my video idea.

The Aaja Nachle video is 12 years old and, while it may be a quintessential film in Indian culture, it probably doesn't get much attention from the diverse audiences of other ethnicities in North America and Europe where most of my readers live. 

My video might help with that a little, especially if I add in shoutouts to Yash Raj about how awesome and nice you are about letting me use the video snippet.. which I would really like to do because I love establishing new working relationships with cool people and companies.

I greatly appreciate your time and understanding. Please let me know if you are open to this idea.

Thank you!

Niki Slik

I meant every word of that message and still do if anyone from Yash Raj ever responds.

However, I was marinating on the message I received from YouTube about my video being blocked and decided to do some research. That is how I found out about this concept called "Fair Use", all that it entails, and which type of works can claim it to defend their work which uses copyrighted material.

So here's where this gets fun and interesting... We actually have 2 Live Crew (ya'll know I love me some 2 Live Crew and Uncle Luke) to thank for Fair Use. They got sued for copyright violation by making their own version of the classic oldies song "Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison. Now, it wasn't Roy Orbison who sued 2LC since he doesn't own the rights to his own super popular song. A company called Acuff-Rose Music owns the song so it did the suing.

Just FYI BTW so you have some perspective, we all know the Roy Orbison version... But here is the 2 Live Crew version....

So Acuff-Rose Music and 2 Live Crew went to court to legally duke it out. The battle lasted 3 rounds and our hip hop heroes lost the first 2 in the regular and appellate courts. But, 2 Live Crew didn't give up. They took their case all the way to the Supreme Court... And they freaking won.... And thus they established a defense for all artists to come after them who use copyrighted works as part of their own new work they create.

But... And this a a big BUT (insert 2 Live Crew joke pun here)... Your new work you create that uses someone's copyrighted work has to meet certain criteria in order to successfully claim Fair Use as a legal defense. If it does, then YAY! If it doesn't, you're screwed.

Now I found this explanation of Fair Use in a very helpful article from Stanford University Libraries called What is Fair Use?...

"In its most general sense, a fair use is any copying of copyrighted material done for a limited and “transformative” purpose, such as to comment upon, criticize, or parody a copyrighted work. Such uses can be done without permission from the copyright owner. In other words, fair use is a defense against a claim of copyright infringement. If your use qualifies as a fair use, then it would not be considered an infringement."

So, in order for the new work to be protected from a legal thunderstorm by this Fair Use umbrella, it has to meet certain criteria that make the new work "Transformative". That means the copyrighted material is used in such a way that it becomes more your own than someone else's because it's about what you did with it now... Not what they did with it then... Well sort of...

Here are the 4 Factors in determining Fair Use:

• Purpose and Character of the use of the copyrighted work... i.e. The new work is a Parody, Commentary, and/or Critique of the original copyrighted material... Like someone reviewing shows and movies using snippets of that show or movie being reviewed are Fair Use because the creator of the work is adding commentary and critique on the original work. This can be positive or negative.. But Fair Use definitely exists when it applies to the negative even moreso because whoever owns the copyright doesn't necessarily want the original being used so it can be ridiculed. This falls into the Constitutional realm of protecting free speech and if the copyright infringes on the 1st Amendment.
• Nature of the new work and its use of the original... If the copyrighted work is published versus unpublished and/or factual versus fictional... Published, factual info taken from an original work is considered Fair Use like 99.9% of the time. This is why people don't get sued for copyright infringement for writing school papers that include quotes from various books and articles. When it's for educational purposes, Fair Use applies.
• Amount taken from copyrighted work and substantiality it has on your new work... 2 Live Crew's version of Pretty Woman was a parody rather than a remake and it used samples of the original song to give the audience context for their parody. But you can only take as much as is necessary to make your point. You CANNOT present the whole original work in it's verbatim entirety without any sort of added context to substantiate why you're using it.
• Effect of the new work on the potential market for the original copyrighted work... which means your new work can't be considered a replacement of the copyrighted work and the new work can't take potential money and attention away from the copyrighted work.

Well, after conducting my research on all this Fair Use stuff, I concluded that my Bollywood dance video falls under that Fair Use umbrella. It definitely meets the majority of the criteria I outlined above, especially the first point since it's a parody, commentary, and/or critique of the original works.

So I decided to submit a formal dispute to YouTube so that my video will be unblocked and allowed to be freely viewed by the world once more. This wasn't the easiest process to do on my cellphone because you have to get into a certain part of the YouTube Studio website to access the details for why the video was blocked. I figured out this can't be done in mobile view.. You have to change it to Desktop view.

Once you get to the right place to file the dispute, you have to check several boxes, including one for claiming Fair Use. Then you have to pick a reason from a dropdown list for why your video is Fair Use. After that, you have to type up your "Rationale" for why your video is Fair Use that will be read by YouTube and whoever owns the copyright, which in this case is Yash Raj Films.

Here is my "Rationale" from my appeal to YouTube: 

I'm claiming Fair Use based on the fact that my video meets several of the points outlined in Supreme Court Case Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music which established federal legal precedent for Fair Use in a new "Transformative" work:

1) My video includes Commentary and Critique of Copyrighted Work - Each video snippet of Bollywood dancing used in my longer video, including Aaja Nachle, has subtitles I added with my own commentary and critique through the duration of the video snippets and my video in its entirety. My added subtitle comments are about the actors and actresses, costuming, dancing, and my own thoughts on the Bollywood videos. As Commentary and Criticism of copyrighted works is one of the main factors allowed when determining Fair Use of said work, I believe my video and use of Aaja Nachle in it is completely within that realm along with thousands of other videos on YouTube which do the same.

2) My video includes Parody of the Copyrighted Work and uses said work so the parody is relevant. - My video is about me trying to emulate the dancing in the Bollywood videos in a comedic way. I named several of the dance moves in the original works in funny ways. For example, in Aaja Nachle, I called one of the moves the "One Arm Swim Kick". I then repeated a similar move in the portion where I am dancing... though not nearly as smoothly. But that is intented as my video is a comedic parody of me trying to immitate the dancing in Aaja Nachle. The beginning of the video snippet I used of Aaja Nachle has the actress dancing in front of a moon and then the lights come on. In my parody, I turned my overhead ceiling fan light off and then on and added subtitle comments about my low budget effect because "I don't have a moon".

3) My work does not replace the original nor damage the market value of it. My video positively highlighted a 12 year old obscure 146 minute movie by showing a 1 minute clip of it. That would improve market value of the original if anything.

After you submit your dispute, you get a confirmation screen with a note that the Disputing Party has 30 days to make a decision. Hopefully my explanation is compelling enough to get my video unblocked. I think I made some good points and presented a strong argument with my legal precedent jargon and whatnot. Citing a Supremely Court case definitely has to give it some legit weight right?

I guess we'll find out the official verdict some time in the next month so definitely stay tuned because I'll be sure to update you. I'll also finally post my video if and when it's unblocked. In the meantime, I think we've all learned an invaluable lesson today.

So until next time, stay up.

Miss Slik's Guide to the Wonderful World of Vaping!

In my recent video I made and featured in my last post Becoming Overnight Internet Famous with Miss Niki Slik I promised I would do an article on vaping... Well promise kept because here it is!

Just FYI BTW, this is a long one folks so go grab a snack and settle in... Any of my more diehard fans already know the drill.

As I mentioned in the video, I quit officially smoking cigarettes on August 10, 2018 and have not had even one single puff from a cancer stick ever since. I'm very proud of myself because I never thought I'd be able to successfully give up tobacco. I'd been a smoker for 2 decades and went through a pack a day or more since I was 17 years old.

I had tried to quit twice before... unsuccessfully obvi... The first time was when I was 21ish. I went cold turkey because I was off my ADHD stimulant meds and it lasted maybe a 2-3 months. The stimulants made me want to smoke... So off them I had no desire... But as soon as I went back on them, I went right back to the chain-smoking. 

The second time was about 6-7 years ago and that time I did it with nicotine patches and nicotine gum. I had started to feel gross smoking so many cigarettes and decided it was time to stop. So, I finished off my pack on a Sunday night and bought a pack of Nicoderm Monday morning. 

My former place of work had a wellness benefit that reimbursed for smoking cessation... But only for patches and gum.. Not electronic cigarettes. I got one of those too though. I also found out our Employee Assistance Program with Aetna would supply me with all the patches and gum I wanted for free so I took advantage of that too. And they really did.. I got enough boxes filled with patches and gum to help the whole of Paris quit smoking. They even provided me with a coach to speak with regularly.

Of course, the week I decided to quit smoking, my grandfather died. That was rough. I really loved my Grampa... Still do and always will. He was a really great man. I smoked one cigarette that week because I was sad and also I was out drinking at karaoke... Singing helped me get through. I really did have a tough time for awhile because I sucked at grieving.

If you've been a MSG2L fan from the beginning back when it was called Miss Slik's Guide to Gracefully Faking It Through Life, then you'll recall that I started blogging a lot around this quit attempt and mentioned it. Instead of taking smoke breaks at work, I took blogging breaks and wrote articles. That helped. 

But, I slowly began to slip off the wagon... Week after week I started smoking more and more again. Then, the worst happened... even worse than my beloved Grampa dying... My mom got diagnosed with cancer... And that broke me. Pretty sure I wrote about that too so some of you all remember. So I went back to the smoking and did it A LOT.

Then in February 2018, so almost 2 years ago, I started to feel gross again smoking so much. My roomie/tenant at that time, Bruce, who was renting my basement of my house was into vaping though so I started talking to him about it. I also knew a bunch of people who had started vaping and successfully stopped smoking and it was working for all of them. I figured maybe it would work for me too so I decided to give it a whirl.

I initiated what I call the Cut-Back Plan where I weaned myself down and then off cigarettes. It took me 6 months to successfully complete this behavior modification/replacement therapy. I started setting goals where I would do 3/4 smoking (of a cigarette pack which has 20 in it) and 1/4 vaping, then 2/3 smoking and 1/3 vaping, then 1/2 and 1/2, then 2/3 vaping and 1/3 smoking, and when I got to about there to 3/4 vaping and 1/4 smoking, I just said F the cigs I'm all vape now. 

It also helped to set those goals with times of day.. Like I would smoke cigarettes until 4pm and then only vape after that. Then I moved the time up a bit as I decreased my cigarette allotment. It also helps to have that good flavored ejuice you really like. I had just bought a bunch of new ejuice that I really loved and didn't want to spend additional money on cigarettes anymore. So that was that. I'd intended to quit by my 35th birthday and I ended up doing it almost a month before my goal date.

Additionally, I assessed my triggers... The things that made me smoke more... When I'm triggered I could easily chain smoke an entire pack of cigarettes in a few hours... Like when I drink alcohol (that's a biggie), when I'm really stressed, when I'm writing articles, when stuff is going on at work, when my ADHD meds kick in and I'm super hyper, etc... Whenever I was triggered, instead of grabbing my pack of cigarettes, I started making a point to grab my vape instead. I had to train myself and it was difficult... But I did it. I puffed the hell out of my vape to the point it was super annoying to anyone around me... But I did it. 

Fortunately for me when I made my decision to start the Cut-Back Plan, Bruce set me up with my first vaping device for free and gave me a lesson in Vaping for Beginners 101. For those of you out there who don't have your own Bruce, I will give you a similar lesson in the form of this article. Unfortunately for you, I'm not giving out free mods though.. Womp womp. But, I can tell you where to get the vape stuff to get you started on your own Cut-Back and Quit Plan.

It started with finding out what kind of Ejuices or E-Liquids I liked. He sent me to this shop called AVAIL Vapor. It's a vape shop chain in Northern Virginia and they have this AVAIL Life Club where you pay $1 (only a dollar folks) to join. One of the perks is that you can try every ejuice flavor in the store to figure out what kinds you like. I definitely for sure recommend doing this at AVAIL if you live in the DMV or finding a similar vape shop near you that will let you try all the flavors.

So I took an afternoon and I did that... I tried EVERY SINGLE FLAVOR in the ENTIRE SHOP. I discovered I am a fruity person... But only when the schnozz berries actually taste like schnozz berries... Some ejuice brands make ejuice flavors that taste like someone's idea of what something should taste like. Others make ejuice flavors that actually taste like whatever it says the flavor is on the bottle. This is especially true when it comes to dessert flavors.. It was also the major issue I had with ecigarettes before back in the day when they only came in menthol or non menthol flavors. 

The menthol in the old ecigarettes was someone's idea of what a menthol cigarette tasted like who had never had a real menthol cigarette... Either that or it was just a big, jumbled amalgamation of all the different brands of menthol cigarettes... This is why I personally avoid any tobacco flavored ejuices. The menthol flavors have definitely grown on me though because fruity menthol can actually taste good so metimes.. Like when I get a cold the menthol vape flavors are mad soothing.. like inhaling a rack of fruity Vicks. It's also definitely way better than inhaling a rack of chemicals from smoking a cigarette.

Anyway, once you know what kind of ejuice flavors you like, you can go online and buy them for cheap from a rack of different websites. My go-to site is Element Vape. I order from them like every other month or so. They always have great deals and promo codes to save you money. Plus, they're regular shipping they do for free when you spend $50+ is actually super fast so my stuff usually gets here all the way from Cali to VA in 3 days. 

The only time it takes longer is if I order during the weekend since they only fill stuff Monday-Friday.. or if they have to email me to let me know one of my items is out of stock.. YES! The people who run this site will actually send you a personal email to let you know and ask you if you want to replace the item with something else or just get a refund. It's my bad it takes longer in those instances because I'm slacking on my email correspondence. But I've gotten in the habit of checking during the order fulfillment window just in case. Now, Element Vape is my fave site but there are a rack of other good vape shop websites though so just research.

In addition to getting my ejuice from these places, I also get my devices and my accessories too. Right now I have 2 functional vape devices I use regularly (they're in the first pic of this article) because I've learned the super hard way that you really need to have a spare on hand just in case. Stuff breaks and then you're stuck. I've been stuck. Don't be stuck. 

Now to refresh your memory, here is that pic again showing all my vaping stuff...

I'm showing you a second time so you don't have to keep scrolling back and forth while I tell you what's in the pic. So I have 2 functional devices. One (on the right) is a Vaporesso Sky Solo Plus Pen Style All-In-One Kit in rainbow color. I bought it at AVAIL for about $40 when my other mods broke because I needed something not too expensive to tide me over while I ordered a new box mod from Element Vape. 

This same Vaporesso Sky Solo Plus Starter Kit at Element Vape would cost you $20.95. The regular Sky Solo is $16.95 and the Plus is $4 more. The difference between the regular and Plus is the tank size. When it comes to tanks, bigger is better. The regular only holds 3ml, which is too small. But the Plus has an 8ml tank, which is just right.

The nice thing about All-In-Ones and Starter Kits is that they come with everything: mod, tank, coils, replacement glass tank tube, etc.. And if it's got a built-in battery then it comes with a charging cable.. If it doesn't have a built in battery then you'll need to buy a battery or two.

My main device I use most of the time is a Geek Vape Lucid Mod I got from Element Vape for $21.95 with a Smoktech Big Baby Beast Brother TFV8 tank (no hyperlink because they don't seem to make the same one anymore) that I bought from AVAIL when I first started vaping. Another perk of their dollar AVAIL Life club is that you get discounts on devices. But they do tend to charge a bit more for mods than you'd pay online. Same thing with ejuice. It's a convenience tax. So benefits and drawbacks to in-store versus online shopping.

Then the tube on the tank (the middle part where the ejuice goes in) is a Blitz Resin Expansion Tube Set for Smok TFV8 and TFV12 that I got from Element for $5. I broke 3 Pyrex glass tank tubes because I'm prone to dropping my vape all the time. So I got the resin tube because it's way more durable. I've dropped it a million times and the tank tube is still perfectly in tact (*knock on wood*). You can buy replacement Pyrex tubes and they're not expensive. But if you break the glass all the time then go for the resin.

Now my Lucid box mod does not have a built in battery so I had to buy batteries for it. The mod uses one 18650 size rechargeable battery but I got 2 batteries so I'd have a spare. I recommend having spare batteries because it takes awhile for them to charge. This is also another reason why I have 2 devices in case one dies on me. So I bought the LG brand which are like $6 on Element Vape but there are several different battery brands like Samsung, Sony, iJoy, etc.. They run around like $9-10 per battery depending on the size and the brand.

When you're buying your mod either ask the person at the vape shop what kind of battery you need and how many (some mods use one battery and some use 2) or if you're buying online then the mod item description will tell you what kind and how many you need. If you're buying online then there is usually a dropdown selection for the option to add the batteries you need when you're adding the mod to your cart.

Also, I got the Efest Lush 2 Bay Intelligent LED Battery Charger which is pictured above also from Element for $16.95 but now it's down to $14. I highly recommend you buy a mod that uses rechargeable batteries and also that you buy a separate battery charger and charge your batteries in it. I like my Efest one because it protects against overcharging and wasn't expensive. It's also very reliable, fast, and durable too... It's fallen off the end table in my living room several times thanks to Felicity trying to use that way as a cut through to the back door and her tail catching the power cord.

Be forewarned that the micro USB ports on the vape mods SUUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKKKKKK. That's why I recommend the battery charger and a mod that uses separate rechargeable batteries rather than mods with built-in batteries. The micro USB ports break and then you're stuck because you can't charge your vape mod that way anymore. The port on my current Geekvape Lucid mod broke too.. like the little metal lining part of the port just straight up came out.. which I've never seen happen before.. But it doesn't matter because I have the battery charger.

Here is my vape mod graveyard....

The Compak mod (bottom left) and the Geekvape Aegis (top right) had the broken micro USB port issue and the batteries are built-in so that was the end of them. The other issue that killed 2 mods, the Smok Priv V8 (white and rainbow top left) and the iJoy Capo 100 (black and yellow bottom right), was loose tank mounts. The little thing you screw the tank into that holds it on the mod became loose and then ultimately came off. I really don't know why it happens. What I do know is that using super glue is only a temporary fix and it's time to order a new mod if you start having that problem.

The last issue I had was with the Smok V8 Prince pen mod (the peeling purple and silver cylinder in the middle). The power/fire button started sticking and then recessing into the mod. I tried to fix it and it straight up popped off. Then I tried to put it back on and it went inside the mod. It's lost in there forever so that mod is no good anymore. So far the button on my Vaporesso is hanging in there.. But I do have to quick press it A LOT of times to turn it off and on... Like way more than the 5 times it says.

Anyway.... 

Then I have replacement coils for my tanks. The small stubbier box are the Smok V8 X-Baby Q2 Replacement Coils Pack of 3 and is designed to fit my big tank with the resin tube. Then the longer, skinner box are the Smok V8 Baby Q2 Replacement Coils Pack of 5 and they fit in my Vaporesso Pen Vape as well as an additional smaller Smok V8 Baby Tank (not pictured) I have somewhere as a spare. Different tanks need different size coils so be sure to check the owner's manual that comes with your tank or kit to make sure you get the right ones. The nice thing is that your tank or kit will come with 2 coils so you'll have an example. 

Each coil can last up to like 3 weeks or so if you prime it well and you're good about making sure the juice never goes below the the little points on it where the cotton peaks out. I learned that lesson the hard way and fried many a coil prematurely. You know a coil is fried when the juice starts tasting burnt. You can also tell it needs to be changed if you dismantle your tank and look at the coil and it's got layer of black crud caked on the inside. 

Then the rest of the products in the pic are my ejuices. I like variety as you all know... But when it comes to my juices, I like flavors that mix well with each other so I can do my own different flavors. The ejuices shown in the pic above starting from bottom left are: OKVMI - Twerps! (sweet and sour fruity), Fruit Monster - Strawberry Kiwi Pomegranate, Finest Sweet & Sour - Blue Berries Lemon Swirl, PvffLabs - Psycho Unicorn (like a sweet cake flavor), It's Pixy - Cucumber Watermelon, Vapetasia - Pink Lemonade, Fruit Monster - Mango Peach Guava, and Keep It 100 - Peachy Punch. All are 100 ml size unicorn bottles with a nicotine strength of 3mg. 

Which reminds me... Nicotine strength is another important thing to consider when you purchase your ejuice. There are 3 common strengths of nicotine: 1.2 or 12mg is the strongest, 0.6 or 6mg is the middle, and 0.3 or 3mg is the lowest... unless you count 0mg which you can actually buy if you decide you're done with the nicotine but want to keep vaping because you like it.

I tried the highest strength of 1.2 or 12mg at the very beginning of my vape experience. It was WAY WAY WAY too strong for me. It's like for people who smoke regular Newports.. Like the Newport level of juice. If the juice makes you cough when you inhale then it's too strong. Now AVAIL sells this high strength and there are other vape shops that sell even higher nicotine strength juices.. But try not to stay at this super high level too long.

I recommend the 6mg to start out if you're like a regular smoker of cigarettes that aren't Newport brand. It's the Goldilocks of the juices... Not too much... Not too little.. Just right. I was at this strength while I weaned myself down on the cigarette smoking from February to August and then for awhile after I quit the cigarettes. It worked for me for like a year then started to feel a little too strong so I dropped down.

The 3mg is the lowest nicotine strength level. If you're a very light smoker then you can start at this level. But I don't recommend it for regular to heavy smokers as a starting point even for weaning. Bruce first gave me some of his 3mg when I started my Cut-Back Plan and it was too weak back then. It was like inhaling flavored air without the bite I needed that comes from the nicotine.

But, after vaping for a year, the 6mg started to be a bit too strong so I started mixing it up with the 3mg... Not mixing the 6mg juice with the 3mg juice in my tank because that doesn't really work.. I mean I used 6mg juice during the day and 3mg in the evening so it wouldn't have me so wired. Then I went into see my doctor for a physical or something and she brought up dropping down on the nicotine levels. I told her I'd been getting ready to do that... And she said I should.. So I did.

Now I'm at good at the 3mg strength and it's continuing to work for me. I may stay here forever or eventually drop down to the 0mg because I do like my vaping habit and don't necessarily want to give it up... Then again, I said the same thing about smoking cigarettes... But for right now, I'm good and feeling much better about myself. 

Vaping has had a lot of advantages and upsides for me so I know I made a good choice on my nicotine replacement therapy method.

• My hair, clothes, breath, and the air around me all smell A LOT better. You're not as aware of how cigarette smoke permeates everything when you're a smoker. But once you quit, you become very aware of the smell and it's awful.
• My sense of taste and smell is stronger now.. In addition to bad smells smelling worse, good smells will be AMAZING.. And once your sense of smell comes back, your sense of taste gets better too... Because smell and taste are linked senses. Food will become way more delicious and you'll be able to taste all the complex flavors in everything you eat. (This may be part of why I got fat after I quit smoking.. and why other people who quit smoking also tend to get fat too. But, a little extra weight probably won't kill me as fast as the smoking.)
• My blood pressure went down and is in the normal to low normal range now. It used to be like 150/95... Now it's usually a perfect 120/80 or slightly lower. I was prehypertensive before and my doctor was ready to put me on beta blockers. Now they are not needed... even with the extra bit of weight.. So YAY for that!
• My asthma has improved and the dosage of my maintenance meds for it got lowered. Breathing easier and better is important. And FYI BTW... Regular vaping of nicotine ejuice bought from respectable places did not cause that whole Vaping Illness situation. The people who got bad upper respiratory illnesses from vaping were using THC cartridges that had unhealthy amounts of Vitamin E in them to thicken the weed oil. I've been vaping for nearly 2 years and I'm getting healthier and better than I was as a smoker. This is a safe method of nicotine replacement smoking cessation therapy when it is done properly with reputable products.
• My wallet/bank account has more money in it because vaping is cheaper than smoking.

For real, let's do the math.. 

If you're a pack a day smoker like I was then smoking costs you about $240 a month ($8 per pack times 30 days in a month). That's a car payment ya'll. And the cost per pack of cigarettes keeps increasing. The $8 per pack price is what I was paying 2 years ago. I've heard it's like $10 a pack now, which would be $300 total per month, and even $12 per pack some places, which would be $360 per month total. You could lease a pretty dope Lexus for $360 a month. Just sayin.

Switching to a vape today would cost you way less than that.. 

If you bought a decent All-In-One or Starter Kit, that would be about $40. Then like 4 bottles of 100ml e-liquid (that's about what I use in a month) at an average price on Element Vape of $15 per bottle for a total of $60 if you buy online (which I highly recommend) versus $30 per 100ml bottle at brick and mortar shops which would be $120 total. These are everywhere prices and you can find deals online for cheaper on both the starter kits and the e-liquids. Then it will cost another $10 for a pack of replacement coils, which you will also need but not for awhile.. and that price is about the same whether you buy online or in a shop. 

So the total monthly cost of vaping comes out to around $110 if you buy online and like $170 if you buy at a brick and mortar shop... at least it would be around Northern Virginia.. It could be a little more or less depending on where you live. However, the online total will be the same no matter where you live, excluding sales tax, but that's only another like $6 maybe. But, Element Vape and most other online vape stores offer free domestic shipping in the USA for orders over $50 so the total doesn't include shipping since that would be free.. Unless you live outside this country.. Then idk ya'll. But it's still probably cheaper than smoking cigarettes there too.

Anyway, hopefully this article has been helpful, convincing, and informative. If you're looking to quit smoking and you've been considering switching to a vape to help then go for it! Now you have a ton of firsthand knowledge from someone who has successfully done it. If you're a current vaper then you already know it's way better and maybe you found some new shops to patronize. And if you're one of the shops or brands I've mentioned in this article, then you're welcome for the free advertising and holler at your girl. I do accept free samples and products and whatnot *wink wink nudge nudge*.

Until next time everybody... Stay up.

Becoming Overnight Internet Famous with Miss Niki Slik

So it's Week #2 of my return to blogging and I'm keeping my promises people. In my previous article Miss Slik's Guide to Job Searching in the OH-20... I talked about how I should build a buzz and become a viral internet sensation so I can have an easier time finding a new job. Well, in my efforts to achieve this, I made my first legit video in what will be a series of videos called Becoming Overnight Internet Famous with Miss Niki Slik. 

Here is the first episode... The pilot.. The debut... The premiere.... 

Now that you've seen all the magicness...

A few key points:

First, my Missy Elliott Inspired DIY Exercise Heat Suit definitely worked. I lost a whole pound. Of course, it was in water weight though, so I'll probably gain it back.

Second, Miss Té West really is an awesome lady and would definitely make an excellent asset to MSG2L.

Third, the dude at Giant who danced with me is also awesome.

Fourth, I had fun dancing in the grocery store.

And finally, Leslie is also awesome for filming the video and helping me out. So much love to her.

Let me know what you think about my first episode people. If you like it, please remember to share it with all your friends. MSG2L really needs the support and the shares and the likes and the tweetstagrams so please do and thank you!

Last, but not least, I made this dope meme from the video...

Hope that makes your day!

Miss Slik's Guide to Job Searching in the OH-20...

So, as I mentioned yesterday, I'm in the midst of pounding the proverbial pavement to find a new day job. 

I just left a job that I was at for the majority of my adult working life. I got hired there as a bright-eyed, emerald green AF, wet behind the ears 24 year old girl... So full of all the world's hopes and dreams and excitement.. Then the place I worked at for 11 and a half years systematically killed all that. Now I'm a jaded, run down, disillusioned woman on the wrong side of my mid-30's... But with experience working for a large nonprofit.

I feel like Pam from The Office when she has to find a new job because Jim wants to relocate to Pittsburgh or Philly or wherever they ended up moving. Remember that scene where she shows her resume and it's tiny because she's only ever worked 2 jobs in her life and they were both for Dunder Mifflin? Yeah, that's kinda me and where I'm at.

https://www.reddit.com/r/DunderMifflin/comments/6vvu8j/applying_to_jobs_right_now_and_i_think_pam_said/

My resume definitely has a bit more to it though. I have my education section about my 2 degrees, a BA from GMU and an Associate's from NVCC, both with solid GPA's and some academic accomplishments. Plus I also took almost every course in the Harvard Management Mentor Series and did well on those too.

Then I've got my Employment History... Obviously my nonprofit day job is first.. Then I've got my blog writing stuff because it's relevant to the type of jobs I'm looking for now. After that is my NM550 Productions stuff when I did all those Miss Slik's DJ Dance Party events.. which is relevant too because it was an actual business I actually started and ran with employees I had to pay.. A business that I made enough money from I had to file proper tax return forms and whatnot. So it's actually legit experience that shows I'm creative and entrepreneurial and know how to handle a staff of people that I hired, trained, and managed.

After that, I've got a list of all my special skills and talents and various computer things I'm proficient at using along with the link to my online portfolio I made of my writing samples. If you want to view it btw, here is my Online Portfolio.

Cindy... Y'all remember Cindy right? Yeah ya do.. She's the best and is a mommy now and doing well.. So everybody send her some love.. She's also still my personal manager of all things life-related and she gave my portfolio a big thumbs up and like 5 or 6 clapping hands emojis.. And she especially loved my profile pic.. Because she's the one who took it. But you know if Cindy approves then it must be dope as her taste is super fancy and flawless. So check it out.

Anyway, my resume is respectable and looks mad professional... and it should.. Because I had to learn how to write all different kinds of resumes for one of my Comm classes when I got that degree from GMU.. and I got A+++ on all that stuff and Dean's List because I write dope resumes. I also help people with their resumes BTW FYI.. So if you need some help with that.. And if you'd like to pay me a fee for that since I need some income right now.. Then let's chat and I'll see what I can do for you. My last client found a new job within like 2 weeks thanks to the revamping I did on her resume. I have a dope track record... Maybe this should be my new job. Idk.

But yeah.. moving on...

I also spent yesterday crafting some beautifully worded cover letters to include with my dope resume. I put in some good stuff.. Like about all the aforementioned things about me.. How I'm looking for a new career and I'm interested in said job I'm writing them about.. Plus my Mensa level abstract reasoning skills since that makes me one of the best problem solvers in the world.. which us actually true... For real.. Right here.. Me.. In the World's Top 4% of Best People at Solving Problems and Thinking Abstractly.. I have the test from the Behavioral Psychologist to prove it. You got a problem? Come to me and you won't anymore.

So I have all of that.. And I'm sending it out to people and places.. And I'm getting the confirmations that my submissions went through... And I'm all excited just knowing that I got this... And I just know these people are going to jump at my awesomeness and call me any minute now.... And.... CRICKETS.

CRICKETS.

CRICKETS.

MORE CRICKETS.

I haven't gotten like one phone call yet.

I know my phone works. I just paid the bill with what little money I have left.

WTF yo?!?! Are they shy? Maybe they're trying not to seem too eager? Playing hard to get? Why don't they want me? I don't understand.

Beyond that, I've submitted resumes to like every major staffing agency in the area and that hasn't done much for me yet either.. which is shocking.. Cause that's like the whole point of why they exist.. For people like me to be helped by them to find a new job.. Like that's how they make their money.. And I'm a good candidate for jobs.. So what's going on here?

Back in the day it was so different.. All I had to do was post my resume on Monster and apply for one job.. And then my phone would straight blow up non freaking stop with calls from recruiters. I'd have interviews lined up with said recruiters and having discussions about what I do and don't want and making decisions and turning down those bottom rung jobs while they sort out the good jobs that I really want.

But that's not happening.. I can't get the people at Robert Half to call me back. 

I really don't understand. 

I'm even up at 6am people.. Like early bird hunting for the worms so I can get them. I'm doing productive activities like working out on my new rowing machine (which is dope btw and I'll do a blog post on it because you need one)..  and also restarting my blog... which I'd say is professionally productive. 

And my post yesterday has already been read by like 30 people.. And I got a really epic fan message from a chick named Stephanie who has messaged me before.. and is probably MSG2L's #1 Fan.. So let's all show her some love for all her support she gives. 

But clearly, I don't totally suck at life and 30 people care enough about me and my writing to read it when it comes at them out of the blue... And thank you to those 29 other people out there who aren't Stephanie. All the love to you too. I'll love you even more if you each tell one or 2 people you know about my blog and that they should read it.. Or even share the Facebook page posts about the articles and/or the blog on your InstaSnapTweetBooks.. Cause that would really help and be super great.

Maybe if I build up enough random buzz about myself right now then I can get the attention of these companies I'm trying to get to hire me for a day job... Viral internet sensations probably have easy times finding jobs right? Considering I'm looking for PR and Marketing jobs, it would definitely prove my capability.

So let's do this my people... I'm going to marinate on a plan to become Overnight Internet Famous and then you all are going to help make it happen by sharing it everywhere. Deal? Ok. Deal. It's on.

#SlikSquadGoals 

Miss Slik and Her Guide Have Returned!!!!

So I'm back once again with my ill behavior from my self-imposed hiatus. I can feel all your excitement through my screen. But why am I suddenly back now? The answer is simple. I got fired from my day job last week so I quite literally have nothing better to do right now.

Well... That's not entirely true... I have a few better things to do... Namely, look for a new day job that pays me money... which I'm actively doing. But that's way easier said than done for a multitude of reasons... The biggest one being that I'm not exactly sure what I want to do next.

For my entire adult working life, my jobs have all been in Accounting doing Accounts Receivable stuff. I hate it. It's soul crushing. I'm not even all that distraught about losing my job because I was extremely unhappy for the majority of this past decade. 

My goal when I started working at the organization I just left was always to transfer to a different position in another department once I completed my Bachelor's Degree in Communications. I graduated from GMU in 2011 and was still doing the same job 9 years later... dying a little more inside with every invoice entered and every check reconciled.

My stagnant career path was not stuck from lack of trying to transfer to another department. I applied and interviewed for several jobs during my tenure. But, obviously, I never got hired for any of them for one reason or another.. Mainly because the evil overlords that were my management screwed me over at every turn... And they kept screwing me until they could finally get rid of me.. which took them 11 and a half years because I'm resilient.

But why were they so hard on me? The answer is simple and very sad. I am autistic and autistic employees actually need good management to be good employees. They liked round pegs to go in their round holes and fit molds and be quiet slaves who dwell in caves with their adding machines. That ain't me.

I am a star-shaped peg and their constant attempts to shove me in their plain holes only served to crumple my points and warp me. I kept telling them that and asked why they could never simply create a star-shaped hole on the board for me to go in. All I wanted was acceptance as a person with a disability and the support I needed to do my best. For where I worked and the mission of the organization, this really shouldn't have been an unreasonable request. 

Unfortunately, I know I'm not the only person who has had this problem. It speaks to a much greater issue that A LOT of people with mental health conditions face every day when it comes to their work experiences. I know plenty of people who have been disciplined at work and their employment terminated for issues relating to their mental health conditions.. And I'm now one of them... A sad statistic.

There is a massive stigma against employees with what are considered "less visible/less apparent" disabilities and the neurodivergent community.. Simply put.. If you're in a wheelchair then you'll have no problems getting help from work to do your job. But if you're autistic or bipolar then you better gear up for battle if you hope to get anything.

It's not fair. It's definitely not right. But it's happening.

My goal at my now former job had always been to help kill the stigma. It was in line with the mission of the organization so I thought I was in the right place. I probably could have made a significant impact had I been given the chance.. But they did not value me or my contributions or my potential to do great things. So fuck them.

But what happens to the dream and the goal now? Do I just let it go? Do I just go forget about all the people out there getting crapped on? Do I just forget about how I was crapped on? It doesn't seem right. 

So now we're coming back to my original dilemma. What do I do next? 

First, I'm debating over filing a complaint with EEOC and making a big deal out of my firing. My doctor thinks I should. My friends think I should. I think I probably should. So maybe I should. If I win my suit then I get money to help me live and satisfaction from punishing the place that did me dirty after 11 and a half years. That might help with the whole stigma thing and strike a blow in the heart of injustice. 

But what happens in the meantime? What should my new day job be? What do I want to be when I grow up now that I'm actually grown up? I definitely need to answer these questions very quickly but I'm at a loss.

I had dreams when I was younger... So many dreams of what Grown Up Niki looked like. I wanted to be a combo movie star and singer.. Like Cher and Madonna.. I wanted to be a fashion designer for awhile. I also wanted to be a lawyer... which I would have been awesome at. I wanted to be a detective and investigate crimes.. I'd be good at that too. I wanted to be a journalist and write Pulitzer Prize winning articles about important things. I wanted to be a lobbyist and advocate for the downtrodden. I wanted to be President of the United States and lead our country.

All that and Grown Up Niki ended up spending the prime time of her adult working ladder climb sitting in the same chair doing the same job that she got at 25 to pay the bills and help pay for school. Now at age 36, Grown Up Niki is a sad figure and far cry from what Baby Niki imagined.

I feel like this is my time to remedy the situation and repaint the image. I just don't exactly know how to take all the dreams I had, the experience, skills, and education I have, and the reality of what the working world is and focus it all into a new career for which I get paid sufficient money with benefits to pay my mortgage and bills.

All I do know is that I definitely want to write. Written words are my life and using them makes me happy. I know I'm really good at using them to communicate with people to entertain, inform, persuade, and even embolden them. I believe some company, agency, organization, or publication could benefit from having a writer like me to wield on its behalf. But who? How do I get hired to do this for my adult working living? I am open to any and all suggestions. Please leave them below.