The Borons Cigar Blog

Whatever happens or comes my way during the day, no matter what goes wrong, no matter who pees in my Cheerios or rains on my proud little Polish parade… there is ALWAYS my cigar.

If you’re reading this blog, then I have to make the logical assumption that you do indeed enjoy the premium-aged, hand rolled tobacco products of Latin America. And if you love your Honduran, Dominican, and Nicaraguan sticks like I do, then you’re well aware of the powerful, soothing, and intoxicating effects that a well-timed, flavorful smoke can provide.

Who am I kidding, “well-timed”… ANY place or ANY time is the exact RIGHT TIME to light up a La Flor Dominicana or La Aurora 107! Well, maybe not in school, at church, or in the gym, but you know what I’m talking about. After a long, arduous day of slaving in the salt mines, you plop yourself into your favorite and most comfortable spot and torch up a great cigar (because as the saying goes, ANY cigar you’re smoking at that moment is a great cigar.) You lean into your chair, crank your head back while gazing at the heavens and release a big old swirling cloud of satisfying smoke, and man, you are officially living large at that moment in time.

Felt it was a good time to share one of my favorite quotes from Thomas Mann, German novelist, Nobel Prize laureate, social critic, philanthropist, and true Brother of the Leaf… “I never can understand how anyone can not smoke – it deprives a man of the best part of life. With a good cigar in his mouth a man is perfectly safe, nothing can touch him, literally.” We agree whole-heartedly, Sir Thomas.

A good cigar really is the ultimate escape from the monotonies and curve balls that life throws your way on a daily basis and I know that most of us will use ANY excuse imaginable to find time for a smoke. “Yeah, honey, I had this, you know, this thing going on all day today and I really need to savor a CAO at the moment.” Trust me guys, my wife has heard it all and she doesn’t even try to stop me when she knows I really need one – which is as I said, just about any time imaginable.

If I sound like a junkie, well, yeah, I am… I’m a junkie for relaxing, slowing my heart rate, lowering my blood pressure and calming my nerves… I’m a junkie for feeling invigorated, mentally, physically, and even spiritually. A good cigar touches a person on all levels and there are many physicians who have publicly stated that the relaxation benefits of cigar smoking FAR outweighs the possibility of any kind of physical dangers or disease.  In fact, I can’t tell you how many doctors, surgeons and dentists I know personally that smoke cigars on a regular basis. They know that it’s without question, good for what ails you.

So go ahead, I give you permission to kick back, torch up a torpedo and completely forget about what went wrong, who was a jackass, and what was annoying, as it doesn’t really matter – because there is ALWAYS your cigar, and for that brief moment in time, life is truly special.

I urge you to PLEASE SUPPORT Cigar Rights of America as they continue to deal with congress, the senate, and all US legislators who need to be made aware that our cigars are the best friends we know of and we will fight like hell to keep them in our lives! >> http://cigarrights.org

Michael Giannini has been spear-heading several projects over at General Cigars.  He was the one who helped form the Team La Gloria several years ago with Rick Rodriguez, Yuri Guillen and Leo  Peraza.  That team developed the Artesanos series for La Gloria.  Up until now,  he was just part of General Cigar’s marketing team, but now he has a new title: Creative Director. What does that mean?  Well Giannini compares it to the fashion industry where a creative director comes up with ideas, which is what he is doing.  He says he is like an orchestra conductor.  He comes up with the ideas and then works with the company’s artisans and masters to make the idea a reality.

He was the one behind the La Gloria Cubana Serie N last year and this year his newest idea is the steampunk cigar called Foundry.  Giannini has been in the cigar industry for 30 years working as a retailer, a cigar rep, sales manager for La Gloria Cubana and now Creative Director.

Good News

On Saturday, there was a vote held in Switzerland to try to tighten the nation’s smoking ban.  As of now, 18 of the country’s 26 cantons (or states or provinces) currently allow for exemptions to the smoking ban most are in special smoking lounges with waiter service and in small cafes and bars.  The proposal would have wiped out those exemptions.

Ahead of the vote eight of the cantons, particularly in French-speaking western Switzerland, had banned smoking from restaurants and bars altogether. They only tolerate special rooms without waiter service.

 Guess they thought it would pass.  Whoops. The proposal failed miserably.

 Two out of three voters rejected the Lung League’s initiative for a uniform nationwide law banning smoking in indoor working places, but allowing cantons to state exceptions.

 Oh well…they will try again.

Really, Really?

In June, the World Health Organization decreed that exhaust from diesel trucks causes lung cancer.

It’s raised the status of diesel exhaust from “probable carcinogen” to carcinogen. That means diesel exhaust joins the same category as other known hazards such as tobacco, asbestos, arsenic and ultraviolet radiation.

The WHO says diesel is not as bad as second hand smoke but still bad.

One of the biggest studies the group analyzed found that diesel fumes was more cancer causing than secondhand cigarette smoke, but a much smaller risk than smoking two packs a day, said Dr. Debra T. Silverman, a cancer researcher for the United States government who headed the landmark study that led to Tuesday’s decision, The New York Times reported.

Ok so this is a study from June…well last week comes ANOTHER study and this one says hold on, diesel is not as bad as another health danger.  Charbroiled hamburgers.  Yep you read that right.  Burgers are much more dangerous.

 “For comparison, an 18-wheeler diesel engine truck would have to drive 143 miles on the freeway to put out the same mass of particulates as a single charbroiled hamburger patty,” said Bill Welch, the principle engineer [of the study].

Of course this study was paid with California tax dollars.  Nice to know the state’s plentiful cash is being spent on something worthwhile.

I Forget

Another new study out last week says second hand smoke can wipe out your memory.

Researchers found that the non-smokers who had been exposed to second-hand smoke forgot almost 20% more in the memory tests than those non-smokers not exposed. However, both groups out-performed the current smokers who forgot 30% more than those who were not exposed to second-hand smoking.

The study done in the United Kingdom had a huge sample…wait did I say huge?  There were a total of 83 people making up the three groups tested. 27 each for current smokers and people exposed to second hand smoke and 29 non smokers.

But this contradicts a 2003 study which showed that Nicotine improves memory and may protect against Alzheimers, Parkinsons and even schizophrenia.

During times of stress, smokers tend to increase the number of cigarettes they light up — perhaps as a form of self-medication to counteract the harmful effects of stress on the brain. Stress, which may range from mild anxiety to posttraumatic stress disorder, has been shown to impair normal brain function, including learning and memory.

I know a well timed cigar helps me relax.

Foundry is a new boutique brand by General Cigar. I’m not exactly sure what the deal is with the band ornament. It is said that each year, a new blend will be released, along with a new band ornament. Eventually it will all mean something. Anyway… Thanks to General Cigar for sending me some samples of the Foundry. Let’s see how it smoked.

Wrapper: ?

Binder & Filler: ?

Size: Wells 6 x 50

Price: $7.95

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper was oily, velvety smooth, and a little veiny. Cedar was the only aroma off of the wrapper, and the foot was a mild natural tobacco. Overall, the cigar was solidly packed, with some tight spots near the head. The draw was on the snug side, but it fell within my tolerances. The pre-light flavor was mild earthiness with wood.

The ash held for about one inch, and the burn required two minor corrections.

Flavor:

The first third was pretty mild and straight forward. Smooth cedar and earthy notes were dominant, yet mild. Through the nose, I could barely detect any spice or pepper, just woody notes. The smoke feel was very smooth and dry.

The second third basically kept the same flavors, but they crept up a notch in strength. Things seemed to feel more balanced in this third as well. An easy bitter sweetness, along with butter, joined in at the half way point to round things out.

The last third was status quo with the second third. There was a slight increase in strength, but things remained in the lower medium to medium range.

Conclusion:

This was a good, simple cigar. Advertising gimmicks aside, this is a cigar geared towards the mild to medium bodied smoker. Coffee would compliment this smoke nicely. Otherwise, it is a bit too mild and one dimensional for my taste. If you’re a mild smoker, or a beginner, this may be up your alley.

I just love cigar people. I love hanging out with cigar people – talking about cigars, discussing brands and blends, and best of all, I love smoking them (cigars, not the people.)  If you are reading this blog, then I would have to guess you feel the same way as well.

When I was a little kid, I remember my uncles coming over to watch pro football – they ate good food, drank beer, bullshitted for hours on end, and yes, they smoked cigars. The feeling of camaraderie was very apparent to me, even at a young age, and I loved watching the guys yell at the TV while the luscious scent of viscous cigar smoke wafted through our northern New Jersey apartment. Jeez, you know if they did that now the Division of Youth and Family Services would be busting the door down and confiscating your offspring while having you evaluated for 50 counts of abuse. Yeah, the world has gone a bit off kilter since those days (all the reason we have to keep fighting for our right to smoke the cigars we love.)

So, early on in my life I was shown the joy that a cigar brings and how people from all vocations and walks of life, bond and live for the moment. Hmmm… that makes me want to digress for just a few seconds – smoking a cigar really allows us the opportunity  to live in the present, providing us a way of not only living in the moment, but enjoying the hell out of it while we’re at it. Whoa, deep, man… (Damn, I smell an article coming on this subject for my “What Really Roasts My Robusto” column in the JR Catalog.)

So, around 17 years ago I started smoking premium hand rolled cigars and it was definitely the camaraderie factor that drew me back time and time again. I used to hang out in a small lounge in Morristown, New Jersey, that is long gone, but really indoctrinated me to the bonding power of the Latin grown leaf. Guys of every make and model smoked there nightly, unwinding their pummeled brains from the relentless pressures of the world, and I was one of them. There were garbage men, waiters, teachers, doctors, lawyers, and I believe a real live indian chief as well, who gathered nightly for their favorite cigar and a chance to escape from absolutely EVERYTHING the world had thrust upon them that day. It didn’t matter where you were from, how old, what color, or how much money you had, it was that you loved premium aged tobacco – that’s ALL you needed to be a part of this special brethren.

And, this is why I love cigar people – there is no other group of humans like us that I know. First of all, we smell damned good, something that our spouses and significant others will argue, and how I love parading around the Central American scent of ligero in the morning.  And we are without question a very caring and giving group and will share our best and most expensive smokes with our fellow brothers and sisters of the leaf at the drop of an ash. It’s simply amazing, but people who were perfect strangers only an hour earlier become best buds in the whole world – all because they enjoyed a cigar together.

So be sure to take part in your nightly and weekend smokes my brothers and sisters, and hopefully you will enjoy them amongst your leaf loving friends as the troubles of the world disappear if only for a few fleeting moments in time.

As Always, Stay Smoky My Friends,

JR Cigars Blog with the Zman

> CLICK HERE to Check out this week’s J•R CIGARS Weekly Special

I often overlook the lower shelves at the local cigar shop. A couple of weeks ago, I reached down and randomly grabbed the cigar up for review today. I could find very little information on this smoke, so let’s get to it.

Wrapper: Connecticut Maduro

Binder & Filler: Nicaragua

Size: 6 x 50

Price: Around $3.00

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper was a little rugged looking, but overall no major flaws were noticed. I could detect no smell off of the wrapper and foot. Squeezing the cigar revealed some lumps, but nothing extreme. The draw was a bit stiff, and the pre-light flavor reminded me of hay and earthiness.

The ash held firmly for an inch, and the burn required two minor corrections.

Flavor:

The first half was earthy and had a touch of leather and hay. A slight pepper was noticed when retrohaling, and it stuck around in the aftertaste. The smoke feel was crisp, but to my surprise, it didn’t leave me craving water.

The last half developed a slight bitter sweetness. It leaned more towards the bitter side though. Like before, earthiness, hay, and a slight leather rounded things out. Pepper remained the same, as did everything else.

Conclusion:

What can I say… It was a $3.00 cigar. Construction, burn, and ash were good. The flavor was one dimensional. Basically, this is your run of the mill yard gar. As Ed would say, “It was just another cigar…”

Last week, we told you about a new AVO 6” x 60 Heritage Special Toro.  This week, the company is announcing a special cigar to mark AVO’s 25^th anniversary.  The release says AVO is sharing his two passions…cigars and the piano.  (If you did not know Avo is an extremely talented musician.  He wrote what became Frank Sinatra’s Strangers in the Night.)  For this AVO 25^th Anniversary edition, the box is a cool looking black lacquered wooden piano shaped box which contains a short term humidification device and a small storage space.  The special toro  is a 6” x 52 with a silky Sun-Grown Dominican Criollo wrapper over a Piloto Cubano binder and Dominican fillers.  The edition is limited to 2,000 boxes and the retail price will be $16.  The AVO 25^th should start showing up in stores this week.

“No Effect” from Smoking Ban

Right, that is the usual line so why am I surprised that yet another “study” shows that to be the case.  This time in Michigan. The University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research claims the smoking ban caused no negative impact on businesses.

“It is important to note that while some establishments saw sales fluctuations after the passage (of the law), bars and restaurants as a whole were not adversely affected,” health department Director James Haveman said in a news release.

 But not everyone in the real world agrees.

For 17 years, Bo Burton has managed the Blarney Stone Pub, which sits on the west side of Woodward Avenue in Berkley. And the 19-month period from the start of the ban until last December was one of the slowest periods he has seen.

“Our overall sales dropped immediately by close to 30 percent,” he said. “And this was at a time when the economy was already down. The timing couldn’t have been worse.”

 And in another article proclaiming the “solid “research:

Scott Ellis, executive director of the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association, which opposed the ban, expressed skepticism about the new study. Analysis by MLBA and the Dept. of Treasury has found a real decline in tax collections and Keno lottery sales linked to the smoking ban, Ellis said.

“I get phone calls on a daily basis from people who are hurting,” he said, “I’m surprised (by Levy’s findings). She may have looked at the numbers, but I don’t think she talked to (bar) owners.”

Fine research indeed.

Big Gulp Spared

As expected, Nanny Bloomberg’s hand-picked health panel voted to ban sodas over 16 ounces. But the board of health exempted convenience stores—hello Big Gulp.  The vote was unanimous with one abstention—a doctor who thought it wouldn’t do much.  Bloomberg says this will save lives…so will his trans-fat ban, smoking ban…and starting this month New York City hospitals will be encouraging new mothers not to use formula.  Golly New York must be a healthy paradise.

According to the experts:

They say the proposal strikes at a leading cause of obesity simply by giving people a built-in reason to stop at 16 ounces: 200 calories, if it’s a regular Coke, compared to 240 in a 20-ounce size. For someone who drinks a soda a day, the difference amounts to 14,600 calories a year, or the equivalent of 70 Hershey bars, enough to add about four pounds of fat to a person’s body.

Wow, 4 whole pounds a year…yeah that will help.  Reason says it is win-win for Bloomberg:

 If the city’s obesity numbers drop, it will be an argument that the ban worked and it should be expanded. If the obesity numbers don’t drop, it means the ban obviously didn’t go far enough and should be expanded.

This echos the outdoor smoking ban logic.  The ban begins in 6 months and in the meantime there will likely be lawsuits.

 Bye Jake

Jake

Excuse me for a personal note, but this is a blog after all…if you did not know, we had to put our dog Jake to sleep on Wednesday.  Dog owners should know about Old Dog Syndrome, which is vertigo.  Jake had it in January but as predicted in vet articles he recovered within 72 hours.  Apparently when dogs get old, they can get severe vertigo.  For the owner it is tough, but the dog makes it ok.  On September 6^th Jake started having trouble again.  We kept him quiet and hand fed him and by Sunday he was doing much better.  By Monday, he was feeling good.  On Tuesday he was back to his old self, going on a long walk and even barking at a nearby cat.  Then at 3am Tuesday morning, he began to tank.  That afternoon, we gave him a cortisone shot per the vet to try to help him heal faster.  A couple of hours later he stopped breathing for a short time, but then recovered, barely.  We knew at that point, he was suffering and it was time.  The vet agreed saying he had just put his dog down for a similar problem 3 weeks earlier.   This is the fourth dog we have had to put to sleep and it never gets easier.    To celebrate Jake’s life, I smoked a great cigar gifted to me by Jonathan Drew at this year’s trade show on Thursday.  (Mandatory cigar content.)

Jake was a great dog and I still remember the day we found him 12 years ago.  We had lost our yellow lab Barney a short while before.  We weren’t looking for another dog, but then here he was, next door, running around with a bird in his mouth…happy as could be.  No collar, so we brought him in and he immediately became friends with our black lab Buddy.  We tried to find who owned him and found out another neighbor was fostering him.  Jake had been shot in the neck as a puppy and had been nursed back to health.  They asked if we wanted him and we said yes.

Jake became an important part of our family.  He is the reason we have a cat now too.  When this kitten got into our back yard, Jake went after him, biting him.  We had to nurse the little stray back to health and eventually brought him in to the house.  Jake and Izzy, the cat, became fast friends and often slept together.  Now, our home is emptier.  The cat and other two dogs are looking for their friend.  One piece of advice…you can never have too many pictures of your pets nor loved ones.

Thanks to General Cigar, owner of the CAO brand, for sending me some samples of the cigar up for review today.

Back in the day, pre-General Cigar buy out, CAO was known for it’s flashy packaging and presentation. It looks like General is returning to that with the CAO Concert. It is said that this is inspired by CAO’s roots in Nashville. The cigar band is basically a guitar pick, along with a couple of guitars, which are complete with an “F cut.” I only point this out for the music geeks out there.

In the end, I don’t care about any of this. Read on, and see if the cigar delivered where it counts.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Rosado

Binder: Connecticut

Filler: Nicaraguan and Honduran

Size: Roadie 5.5 x 54

Price: $6.75

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper was shiny, a little toothy, had minimal veins, and a mild earthy aroma. Off of the foot, I could only smell a mild cedar, and a touch of pepper. Overall, this cigar was solidly and evenly packed. This led to a draw that was a little on the tight side, but it was well within my tolerance. The pre-light draw had a woody and earthy flavor.

The ash held for just over an inch, and the burn required one minor correction.

Flavor:

The first third had no buildup. Immediately I was greeted with a dark woody flavor. Up next was zingy pepper, followed by earth and hay. The smoke feel was thick, dry, and had a generic tinge of sweetness.

The second third kept the same core flavors as the first third. The main difference was a bitter sweet note. The pepper lost a little zing, but kept enough so that I had to pay attention when retrohaling. The smoke feel wasn’t as dry, resulting in less craving for water.

A bitter cocoa developed in the last third. It mixed with the ever present wood, earth, and peppery spice. The smoke feel remained dry, and bordered on creaminess.

Conclusion:

While the CAO Concert didn’t bring anything new to the table, it was a solid medium bodied cigar. Construction, ash, burn, and flavor were all consistent. I think the price point was met, and if I see them on the shelves, I may smoke one from time to time.

Back in July, General Cigar hosted a cigar giveaway here on this site.

Needless to say, 138 of you entered to win a three pack sampler (shown above). After some slacking, I finally drew 10 random winners. Eight of you get a three pack sampler of the Reposado en Cedros. Two of you are getting a sampler of other offerings from General Cigar.

Aaand the winners are:

Mike Sproat

Simon

Needle

Williamam

Randy Kong

Dan Dale

Steve

Matt Maronna

Joseph

Roguer

I will be emailing each of you for your mailing address. You may want to check your spam filters. I’ve been known to get filtered out from time to time.

Thanks to all 138 of you that entered the contest, and thanks to General Cigar for providing the smokes.

While there are a few definitive things that get the testosterone flowing within a man, we’ll skip the obvious and delve into premium hand rolled cigars and horsepower laden exotic sports cars. Put these two elements together and your engine will be revving all night.

So, the good folks at the Avenue A Club in Newark have put together a little shindig that’s guaranteed to grease your gaskets and pump your pistons (okay, I’ll can the goofy metaphors). On Wednesday October 3, 2012 they’re throwing a most awesome cigar event, in their unique century-old building housing a spectacular exhibition of classic and luxury cars. The event is entitled: Dinner With the Masters, celebrating our longtime friends at Arturo Fuente Cigars.

If you love your premium aged smokes, then I’m sure you’re aware of the Fuentes, one of the most lauded and storied families in the history of the cigar industry. While they have endured both triumph and tragedy, this family has risen above adversity to become a true blue legend of the leaf. And to make the evening even just a little more special, Cynthia Fuente, the first lady of cigars will join us for the festivities, meeting and greeting our guests throughout the night. Yes, how cool indeed.

Now with a venue like this and a guest of such prominence, this is certainly no burger, dogs, and wings night, as the Avenue A Club will be hosting a cocktail hour with Hors D’Oeuvres followed by a gourmet buffet, dessert, and unlimited beer and wine. But best of all (if do we say so ourselves) cigar smoking will be permitted in the club all throughout the evening! Throw in a scotch tasting along with raffles and prizes, and a seriously top-flight cigar goody bag – wow, I really don’t think there’s anywhere else a cigar lover would rather be. And hey, your very own JR Blogger and Social CROMAG Tommy Zman will be there, hob-knobbing and making merry amongst the distinguished cigar brethren! 

The cost for the evening is $159 per person, well worth the price of admission with all of the swag and accoutrements that will be delivered throughout the night.

So for a recap, here’s what you will be getting that evening…

• A Premium Cigar Goody Bag worth over $125 in Value
• Cocktail Hour with Passed Hors D’Oeuvres
• Gourmet Dinner Buffet Including Dessert
• Unlimited Beer & Wine
• Meet & Greet with Cynthia Fuente the “First Lady of the Cigar”
• Scotch Tasting Provided By The Models Of Moët Hennessy
• Complimentary Massages by DePasquale Spa
• Raffles, Prizes and More

And again, smoking will be permitted all night long (you just don’t hear that anymore), there’s on-site valet parking, and a shuttle will be running to and from Penn Station.

Okay, show of hands… who’s up for an amazing evening of cigars, classic cars, and outstanding food on October 3, 2012? I think the answer is pretty damned obvious, don’t you think?

For information about the event or to purchase tickets, please call 1-888-442- 8262

JR Cigars Blog with the Zman

> CLICK HERE to Check out this week’s J•R CIGARS Weekly Special

Remember this date

Today is the 11^th anniversary of the day that changed everything.  September 11.  While you enjoy a cigar today, please reflect back on your feelings and emotions of that event.  I do not mean to dwell on the tragedy, but we need to remember the largest attack on American soil so that it does not happen again.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program…

Avo goes big

I guess there is no fighting these huge ring gauges.  Davidoff of Geneva is launching  a new addition to the AVO Heritage series with the AVO Heritage Special Toro.  The cigar will be produced in limited quantities and will  measure 6” x 60, a first for the AVO line.  According to the release, the cigar uses a large percentage of Ligero tobaccos to provde a spicy flavor.  The wrapper comes from Ecuador and is a specially fermented Cuban seed.  The binder is Dominican San Vicente and the fillers are Dominican Ligero, Dominigsn Seco and Peruvian Seco.   The cigar was introduced at the show with only 1,000 boxes being available at that time. (huh missed my sample.) The AVO Heritage Special Toro will retail for just under $10.

 More Affordable

Now if money is no object, I wrote at the show about the cigar from Regius of London which is the world’s most expensive cigar.  This single double corona costs $70,000. In fairness, you do get more. If you buy the cigar, Regius CEO Akhil Kapacee will come to where you are and personally light it for you.  And then the buyer and his or her tobacconist will get an all expenses paid VIP trip to Nicaragua where they will be able to blend and name a cigar according to their taste.  The buyer also gets 1,000 of the custom blend.  A total of ten cigars have been made and they will be sold in London and in a few select high-end shops around the world.  But Akhil also has some much more affordable cigars.  His black label is made in Nicaragua by the Plasencias range from $5.95 for his 4” x 50 Short Robusto up to $7.95 for the 7” x 47 Grandido. He also introduced a new white label line at the Orlando show which is made by Manuel Quesada in the Dominican Republic.  (Akhil’s cigars are distributed by Quesada’s SAG Imports in the US.)  Initially there are three sizes—a Royal Robusto 5.625” x 54 for $7.25, a Toro of 6” X 50 for $7.75 and a Torpedo 6.125” x 52 for $8.25.  I have tried the torpedo and found the flavors very nice.  It is a medium bodied cigar with full flavors and a razor sharp burn.  Very ince indeed.  Think I’ll save the $70k and go for these instead.

Really?

If you ever wonder about the minds of those who think we have to ban/limit or increasingly tax cigars “for the children” here is one for the books.  Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) has a new idea…it is for the kids after all.  Apparently what keeps Chuckie up at night is worrying about whether kids will mistake detergent for candy.  No I am not kidding. He wants warning labels and child protective lids on the pods of dishwashing gel and laundry detergent.  Schumer claims there have been “dozens of isolated reports in New York of kids getting sick after eating the pods.” He is asking the Consumer Products Safety commission to look into the matter.

Says Schumer:

“These pods were supposed to make household chores easier, not tempt our children to swallow harmful chemicals. I saw one on my staffer’s desk and I wanted to eat it.”

Oh so YOU are the dummy….now I get it.

Question…what good would the warning label do for kids who can’t read?  Second, how stupid are the kids to think a big pod for washing dishes or laundry is a candy?  About as stupid as the people who fear second hand and third hand smoke.   Damn nannies.

Happy Birthday

Tomorrow, Cigar Aficionado will hold its 20^th birthday party at the Grand Havana Room in New York.  (My invitation must be lost in the mail.)  It is quite an achievement…Happy Birthday guys.