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.       

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                                            

ALL AD's SHOULD BE THIS HONEST

This kind of advertising makes me glad I buy stuff from these people, so obviously it works.  

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.  

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! 

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.   

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'