Bob Cesca: Republicans Have Made It Harder to Vote, Easier to Buy Guns: " we've seen over the last two years are Republican lawmakers who have passed multiple forms of legislation that force Americans to get an additional license from the government in order to vote -- on top of the pre-existing voter registration process. These new laws in effect add a second layer of government approval and regulation in order to vote. In Mississippi, for instance, the Voter ID law, which has yet to be approved by the federal government under the Voting Rights Act, requires that a birth certificate be presented in order to attain an ID. But Mississippi law also requires a photo ID in order to be issued a birth certificate copy."
'via Blog this'
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Voter ID Laws Are the Last Gasp of a Fading GOP Strategy | Mother Jones
Voter ID Laws Are the Last Gasp of a Fading GOP Strategy | Mother Jones: "Voter ID Laws Are the Last Gasp of a Fading GOP Strategy"
'via Blog this'
'via Blog this'
Thursday, July 12, 2012
...."like the birdies sing, cheap, cheap, cheap, cheap, cheap".
First the cheapest. At 26 cents each (by the hundred) Good Times Cigarillo's are sharp but provide a lot of smoke for their size 4.2x27.
Second in line are the Magellan Dominican Coronas 5x42 (ring gauges vary from 32 to 44) at $35 for 50 or $59 for 100.
I went down to my local Tabac Shop (Red Light, on 2nd St in Macon, GA) and gave one to Chase, the Manager, just to see if my opinion of these held water. What I told him was "Magellan's are not good cigars but not bad cigars, they are 55 cent cigars and that's all you can say about them". After he finished smoking one all he could say was "Uh, so this is 55 cents then?" It's the perfect cigar for mindless puffing.
Then there are the La Aurora Principes. I had smoked these years ago in SF and didn't like them. I stuffed them away in a file cabinet and forgot about them. Now SF is usually 65 degrees and foggy where I lived so the whole area was a giant humidor. Years later I found them again and damn if they weren't pretty good! The new packaging has them wrapped up in foil and they were ready to smoke, no resting needed. They're 5x38 with a pre-clipped end so you don't lose anything. They have a pretty decent flavor (as they are made from all the sweepings from all the other La Aurora products they aught to have flavor). At 66 cents apiece, $34.95 for a box of 55 (& right now, Aug.2012, they're on sale at CI for $29 a box) they are a good everyday cheapo.
Second in line are the Magellan Dominican Coronas 5x42 (ring gauges vary from 32 to 44) at $35 for 50 or $59 for 100.
I went down to my local Tabac Shop (Red Light, on 2nd St in Macon, GA) and gave one to Chase, the Manager, just to see if my opinion of these held water. What I told him was "Magellan's are not good cigars but not bad cigars, they are 55 cent cigars and that's all you can say about them". After he finished smoking one all he could say was "Uh, so this is 55 cents then?" It's the perfect cigar for mindless puffing.
Then there are the La Aurora Principes. I had smoked these years ago in SF and didn't like them. I stuffed them away in a file cabinet and forgot about them. Now SF is usually 65 degrees and foggy where I lived so the whole area was a giant humidor. Years later I found them again and damn if they weren't pretty good! The new packaging has them wrapped up in foil and they were ready to smoke, no resting needed. They're 5x38 with a pre-clipped end so you don't lose anything. They have a pretty decent flavor (as they are made from all the sweepings from all the other La Aurora products they aught to have flavor). At 66 cents apiece, $34.95 for a box of 55 (& right now, Aug.2012, they're on sale at CI for $29 a box) they are a good everyday cheapo. Sunday, July 8, 2012
EVEN ROLLS-ROYCE TURNS OUT A LEMON EVERY SO OFTEN
I grew up smelling Cuban cigar smoke from all the Encyclopedia salesmen my adopted father knew. Years later when I was in Canada I encountered that same aroma again and knew instantly what I was smelling.
The taste of a Cuban cigar, likewise. No other cigar tastes like a Cuban. They haven't tracked down the reason but I would hazard a guess that it is much like the reason one cannot make SF Sourdough bread outside the City & County of San Francisco (the bacteria "Bacillus Sanfranciscanalis" doesn't grow anywhere else).
This does not mean that all Cubans are the best. It just means that they are Cuban. Case in point; the Cuaba figurado a friend gave me. Now this guy isn't the friend I usually speak of so it is possible that the Cuaba was a 'fake' but it did have a tinge of Cuban about it and he had good bonifides. It was the most tasteless Cuban cigar I've ever had. It tasted like balsa-wood. This was shortly after the Cuaba Line had been introduced and, hopefully, they have improved since. I only smoked one but one was enough.
Another Cuban cigar that did not pass muster was the Vegas Robiano, Churchill. Now the taste of this cigar was great but out of the box I got of 25, 24 were plugged so hard they might have as well been wooden sticks. The one that would draw was so stiff that it gave the muscle of my diaphragm a charlie-horse. Made all the worse because the taste I did manage to get was fantastic and Cigar Aficionado had just rated them at something like a 98 0r 99!
Truly heartbreaking and I never had a chance to get my mitts on any more.
The taste of a Cuban cigar, likewise. No other cigar tastes like a Cuban. They haven't tracked down the reason but I would hazard a guess that it is much like the reason one cannot make SF Sourdough bread outside the City & County of San Francisco (the bacteria "Bacillus Sanfranciscanalis" doesn't grow anywhere else).
Another Cuban cigar that did not pass muster was the Vegas Robiano, Churchill. Now the taste of this cigar was great but out of the box I got of 25, 24 were plugged so hard they might have as well been wooden sticks. The one that would draw was so stiff that it gave the muscle of my diaphragm a charlie-horse. Made all the worse because the taste I did manage to get was fantastic and Cigar Aficionado had just rated them at something like a 98 0r 99! Truly heartbreaking and I never had a chance to get my mitts on any more.
A DISCLAIMER
And now for a disclaimer for all of you who may be relaxing from a hard day at the US Custom Service or other governmental agencies tasked with keeping law abiding US Citizens from buying or possessing products from Cuba.
"Everything I have posted here is a lie. It is all fictitious and I have never even seen a Cuban cigar in my life!
There! Now you can go on back to your nap and not have to worry about slapping me in jail. Thanks, Marc Lewis
"Everything I have posted here is a lie. It is all fictitious and I have never even seen a Cuban cigar in my life!
There! Now you can go on back to your nap and not have to worry about slapping me in jail. Thanks, Marc Lewis
FROM THE EL LAGUITO FACTORY
When El Laguito opened it was staffed only by women. Now I don't know if this was at the request of the women Torcedores who had gotten tired of Latin machismo or if they were exiled there by the same machismo but the result is the best cigar factory in Cuba (hence in the world). I was lucky that my friend had a lot of relatives there and I was always able to get many different styles of their products. In other words; the whole Cohiba Line as well as Trinidad's.
Cohiba's all seem to share the same blend. The Esplendido, for example, tastes roughly the same as the Siglo III's. I've also smoked many El Laguito No. 1's and Robusto's and find that the size controls the way the smoke is delivered but the blend remains, basically, the same.
The only one of El Laguito's products that tasted different, to me at least, was the Trinidad. It was much the same but milder and more subtle. If I could have controlled myself (which I never can) and aged them a bit I have no doubt that a great deal more subtlety would have appeared. The Trinidad's also came in a box of 21, instead of the usual box of 25. I got these the year they went on the open market (before that they were only given out as State gifts by Fidel Castro himself).
If you go to the upper right hand corner of one of my Cuban cigar band pictures (see Po' Boys Cigar Blog) you'll see a band of gold with black printing that says Trinidad. This is the original label. The later labels have a triple "T" logo (as seen below).
Of them all I will have to say that the Esplendido was my favorite but only because it was the biggest (to me, bigger is always better).
The Esplendido is a Churchill (julieta 2) 47x7.0 The Laguito No.1 is a Lancero (gran panetela) 38x7.9/16, The Robusto is a 50x4.7/8 and the Trinidad was a long, thin panetela whose dimensions I no longer know but as I remember them they were as long as the No. 1 but a bit thinner (maybe a 36 ring gage).
Cohiba's all seem to share the same blend. The Esplendido, for example, tastes roughly the same as the Siglo III's. I've also smoked many El Laguito No. 1's and Robusto's and find that the size controls the way the smoke is delivered but the blend remains, basically, the same.
The only one of El Laguito's products that tasted different, to me at least, was the Trinidad. It was much the same but milder and more subtle. If I could have controlled myself (which I never can) and aged them a bit I have no doubt that a great deal more subtlety would have appeared. The Trinidad's also came in a box of 21, instead of the usual box of 25. I got these the year they went on the open market (before that they were only given out as State gifts by Fidel Castro himself).
If you go to the upper right hand corner of one of my Cuban cigar band pictures (see Po' Boys Cigar Blog) you'll see a band of gold with black printing that says Trinidad. This is the original label. The later labels have a triple "T" logo (as seen below).
The Esplendido is a Churchill (julieta 2) 47x7.0 The Laguito No.1 is a Lancero (gran panetela) 38x7.9/16, The Robusto is a 50x4.7/8 and the Trinidad was a long, thin panetela whose dimensions I no longer know but as I remember them they were as long as the No. 1 but a bit thinner (maybe a 36 ring gage).
Saturday, July 7, 2012
TO FAN THE FLAMES OF DISCONTENT (In the Heart of Georgia).
While we're on the subject of cigars, just stop and think about how labour intensive the whole processes of cigar making is.
From the first plantings and cultivation, though it is indeed "stoop labour", it is also highly skilled "stoop labour".
In fact the entire labour force from top to bottom must be highly skilled and highly knowledgeable or the end product wouldn't be worth smoking.
But is this not also true of nearly every other industrial en devour? In fact the only non-skilled worker in most places turns out to be the 'Boss'.
Everyone "knows" that commie's turn out inferior products, right? If there's no "profit'" in it for them they're not going to try very hard, right?
So how come Cuban cigars are so damn well made? How come their doctors are so good? And for that matter, why don't we hear about mass doctor defections, seeing as the Cuban Govt. sends so many of it's medical personnel abroad?
Funny but all the Doc's seem to come back home to Cuba after their foreign stints are done (and anywhere outside of Cuba they can make a hell of a lot more money than they can at home).
So think on it while you're smoking a 'second best' Dominican. And when you are done, go to http://www.iww.org and as the bible says in John 8:32 "The truth will set you free".
From the first plantings and cultivation, though it is indeed "stoop labour", it is also highly skilled "stoop labour".
In fact the entire labour force from top to bottom must be highly skilled and highly knowledgeable or the end product wouldn't be worth smoking.
But is this not also true of nearly every other industrial en devour? In fact the only non-skilled worker in most places turns out to be the 'Boss'.
Everyone "knows" that commie's turn out inferior products, right? If there's no "profit'" in it for them they're not going to try very hard, right?
So how come Cuban cigars are so damn well made? How come their doctors are so good? And for that matter, why don't we hear about mass doctor defections, seeing as the Cuban Govt. sends so many of it's medical personnel abroad?
Funny but all the Doc's seem to come back home to Cuba after their foreign stints are done (and anywhere outside of Cuba they can make a hell of a lot more money than they can at home).
CIGAR ECONOMICS (and a bad review).
Now, after that, one might ask, "How then do you afford even your "cheap" cigars? The answer is that as I became poorer, I dropped one costly habit after another till I was out of "bad" habits but for one. That one being Cigars.
The way I see it, if I give every "bad" habit up, I might as well get myself thrown into a Federal Pen. and have done with it.
For those of you who smoke cigarettes think about how you do not think about it. Really. I'm serious. If you smoke a pack and a half a day at aprox. $4 per. that's $6 a day or $180 a month. But you don't think like that. You just 'need' a cig. and buy another pack.
On the other hand, because Cigars are indeed a habit but not an addiction, I buy a months worth of Cigars all at one go, depending on what my finances can tolerate (or what I am willing to forego).
Sometimes I get screwed. Like last months order, where I got both Padilla Fumas and a Padilla 5-Pack, only to discover that I simply do not like the way Padilla makes Cigars.
Lets start with the Fumas. Yes they were cheap but even cheap cigars shouldn't be made "sandwich style" (meaning folded over like a book) so they burn down only one side (besides tasting gritty and sharp).
Then the Padilla 5-Star Pack. The Obsidian belicoso maduro wasn't too bad (and I don't like maduros) but had a bitter finish.
The Churchill Miami had an irregular burn a 'heavy' high nicotine taste from the middle on.
The Toro had to be re-lit 4 times, burned irregularly, and was bitter.
TheChurchill 1932 had a bitter finish and I had finally decided I just did not like the way Padilla blended their cigars.
The Solomon was the only high point of the entire affair, mostly because it burned ok and gave out a lot of smoke. It was slightly reminiscent of a Cuban H.Upman. Though they aren't my favorite Cuban brand. This Padilla was actually quite good.
Any road, I went through the month on my 100 machine made $.26 ea. cigarillos and my 50 tasteless $.70 coronas (a revue later).
This month though is looking up, as I have just scored one hell of a deal on some La Aurora Preferidios Perfecto #2's & a few La Aurora 1495 Robustos. These have always been far too expensive to even consider so now I'll be able to find out how much is hype or be happily surprised, with out having to go on bread and water for a week or two.
The way I see it, if I give every "bad" habit up, I might as well get myself thrown into a Federal Pen. and have done with it.
For those of you who smoke cigarettes think about how you do not think about it. Really. I'm serious. If you smoke a pack and a half a day at aprox. $4 per. that's $6 a day or $180 a month. But you don't think like that. You just 'need' a cig. and buy another pack.
On the other hand, because Cigars are indeed a habit but not an addiction, I buy a months worth of Cigars all at one go, depending on what my finances can tolerate (or what I am willing to forego).
Sometimes I get screwed. Like last months order, where I got both Padilla Fumas and a Padilla 5-Pack, only to discover that I simply do not like the way Padilla makes Cigars.
Lets start with the Fumas. Yes they were cheap but even cheap cigars shouldn't be made "sandwich style" (meaning folded over like a book) so they burn down only one side (besides tasting gritty and sharp).
Then the Padilla 5-Star Pack. The Obsidian belicoso maduro wasn't too bad (and I don't like maduros) but had a bitter finish.
The Churchill Miami had an irregular burn a 'heavy' high nicotine taste from the middle on.
The Toro had to be re-lit 4 times, burned irregularly, and was bitter.
TheChurchill 1932 had a bitter finish and I had finally decided I just did not like the way Padilla blended their cigars.
The Solomon was the only high point of the entire affair, mostly because it burned ok and gave out a lot of smoke. It was slightly reminiscent of a Cuban H.Upman. Though they aren't my favorite Cuban brand. This Padilla was actually quite good.
Any road, I went through the month on my 100 machine made $.26 ea. cigarillos and my 50 tasteless $.70 coronas (a revue later).
Friday, July 6, 2012
J.P.MORGAN RIDES AGAIN (in Georgia)
I get $16 whole dollars in Food Stamps a month (my local grocer calls it the "Ham of the Month Club").
This month I received this notice from the State about how the day I get paid will change from the 12th to the 19th of the month.
This did not bother me.
The Web Address at the bottom of the page bothered me.
It was not enough that they have "outsourced" the SNAP (Food Stamp) program but that they have turned it over to an institution that has been greatly responsible for putting hard working Georgians on to the "Dole" and is now making money off this misery by administrating the States Food Stamp Funds!
I ask you, why a State, Tax Funded, Program should have a Web Address like:
www.ebtaccount.JPMORGAN.com
This month I received this notice from the State about how the day I get paid will change from the 12th to the 19th of the month.
This did not bother me.
The Web Address at the bottom of the page bothered me.
It was not enough that they have "outsourced" the SNAP (Food Stamp) program but that they have turned it over to an institution that has been greatly responsible for putting hard working Georgians on to the "Dole" and is now making money off this misery by administrating the States Food Stamp Funds!
I ask you, why a State, Tax Funded, Program should have a Web Address like:
ALL AD's SHOULD BE THIS HONEST
BOLIVAR GIGANTES, HABANA
Now after my favorite "cheap" cigar I'll discuss my favorite Cuban.
This would be the Bolivar Gigante (maybe). Maybe? Well it's like this; here I am in SF where Cuban Cigars are illegal and I run into a guy whose whole family is still in Cuba making cigars at Partagas (and sending them back to him in the States, somehow). Oh, they're real enough but sometimes my friend gets Habana "seconds" pawned off on him from the relatives now and again (who get a couple of boxes a month gratis but sometimes they just get to keep their mistakes). Which brings me to how I wound up with a box of 25 Bolivar Gigantes 7 x 47 that were the size of Ramon Allones Gigantes 7. 5/8 x 49 ! Both are made at Partagas ( FPG, Francisco Perez German) where most of my friend's family worked. Definitely Bolivar's but Allones' size (the Bolivar labels on the box were, for that matter, just a little small for the boxes size).
Any road, of all the Cubans I've ever smoked I liked this one the best! I only got one box and have pined away ever since for more.
A big, full, flavorful smoke that last a good hour and a half (even with me 'hot-boxing' it, as usual). My all time favorite, hands down.
This would be the Bolivar Gigante (maybe). Maybe? Well it's like this; here I am in SF where Cuban Cigars are illegal and I run into a guy whose whole family is still in Cuba making cigars at Partagas (and sending them back to him in the States, somehow). Oh, they're real enough but sometimes my friend gets Habana "seconds" pawned off on him from the relatives now and again (who get a couple of boxes a month gratis but sometimes they just get to keep their mistakes). Which brings me to how I wound up with a box of 25 Bolivar Gigantes 7 x 47 that were the size of Ramon Allones Gigantes 7. 5/8 x 49 ! Both are made at Partagas ( FPG, Francisco Perez German) where most of my friend's family worked. Definitely Bolivar's but Allones' size (the Bolivar labels on the box were, for that matter, just a little small for the boxes size).
Any road, of all the Cubans I've ever smoked I liked this one the best! I only got one box and have pined away ever since for more.
MY PICK FOR THE BEST TWO BUCK CIGAR
The Calle Ocho Presidente. 8x52 (bundle of 20) $42.99
This monster is made by Oliva (apparently only for Cigars International) and has a great deal going for it.
Well made, (no runs), long smoke, tasty, a goodly amount of smoke, and a damn cheap price. Unlike the Flor de Oliva this one does not need to rest a month or so in the humidor to tame it. It's ready right from the git go. All Nicaraguan tobacco with a Sumatra wrapper.
Downside; not a lot. It does get 'sharp' in the last inch (yes I always smoke them to the nub!) and they contain a lot of nicotine (not as much as a La Gloria but enough to make you woozy by the last quarter if you puff 'em down as hard as I do).
Definitely try them!
Well made, (no runs), long smoke, tasty, a goodly amount of smoke, and a damn cheap price. Unlike the Flor de Oliva this one does not need to rest a month or so in the humidor to tame it. It's ready right from the git go. All Nicaraguan tobacco with a Sumatra wrapper.
Downside; not a lot. It does get 'sharp' in the last inch (yes I always smoke them to the nub!) and they contain a lot of nicotine (not as much as a La Gloria but enough to make you woozy by the last quarter if you puff 'em down as hard as I do).
Thursday, July 5, 2012
The Po' Boy's Cigar Blog
"Eating and sleeping are the only activities that should be allowed to interrupt a man's enjoyment of his cigar". Mark Twain
Now I've decided that, along with politics, I'd add my opinions on various cigars that I've smoked. Once upon a time, in Old San Francisco, I smoked hundreds (no shit, hundreds) of Cuban cigars. Alas now I've fallen on hard times and have to scrape along on 'cheapies'. Never the Less, I'll in devour to persevere and rate the cigars I can afford as best I can. Now Twain did humor, social criticism, and politics but he didn't (as far as I know) rate his cigars. So, not being his equal in these other areas I'll tackle cigar rating, knowing that ole' Sam Clemens would approve.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Robert Reich: Patriotism July 4, 2012
Robert Reich: Patriotism July 4, 2012: "When arguing against paying their fair share of taxes, some wealthy Americans claim "it's my money." They forget it's their nation, too. And unless they pay their fair share of taxes, Americans can't meet the basic needs of our people. True patriotism means paying for America.
So when you hear people talk about patriotism, be warned. They may mean securing the nation's borders, not securing our society. Within those borders, each of us is on our own. These people don't want a government that actively works for all our citizens.
Yet true patriotism isn't mainly about excluding outsiders seen as our common adversaries. It's about coming together for the common good."
'via Blog this'
So when you hear people talk about patriotism, be warned. They may mean securing the nation's borders, not securing our society. Within those borders, each of us is on our own. These people don't want a government that actively works for all our citizens.
Yet true patriotism isn't mainly about excluding outsiders seen as our common adversaries. It's about coming together for the common good."
'via Blog this'
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