Monday, December 31, 2007

Happy New Year!


I just wanted to thank all of you who have read my BLOG during its first year of existance, and I hope you all have enjoyed it. I hope to keep it up in the coming year and would be honored if you would continue on this voyage with me!

Continued health and happiness to you all!

TomC

Auld Lang Syne

"Auld Lang Syne" is a song by Robert Burns (1759–1796). It is one of the better-known songs in English-speaking countries, and it is often sung at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Day. Like many other frequently sung songs, the melody is better remembered than the words, which are often sung incorrectly, and seldom in full.

The song's (Scots) title may be translated into English as 'long long ago', or 'days gone by'. In his retelling of fairy tales in the Scots language, Matthew Fitt uses the phrase “In the days of auld lang syne” as the equivalent of “Once upon a time”.

"Auld Lang Syne" is usually sung each year at midnight on New Year's Day (Hogmanay in Scotland) in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Hong Kong, and English-speaking areas of India, Pakistan, and Canada, and signifies the start of a new year. In the United Kingdom, it is played at the close of the annual Congress (conference) of the Trades Union Congress. In many Burns Clubs, it is sung to end the Burns supper.

Beginning in 1929 Band leader Guy Lombardo is often credited with popularizing the use of the song at New Year’s celebrations in America, through his annual broadcasts on radio and TV. The song became his trademark, and besides his live broadcasts, he recorded the song more than once.


Auld Lang Syne

Shid ald akwentans bee firgot,
an nivir brocht ti mynd ?
Shid ald akwentans bee firgot,
an ald lang syn ?

CHORUS:
Fir ald lang syn, ma deer,
fir ald lang syn,
Wil tak a cup o kyndnes yet,
fir ald lang syn.

An sheerly yil bee yur pynt-staup !
an sheerly al bee myn !
An will tak a cup o kyndnes yet,
fir ald lang syn.

CHORUS

We twa hay rin aboot the braes,
an pood the gowans fyn ;
Bit weev wandert monae a weery fet,
sin ald lang syn.

CHORUS

We twa hay pedilt in the burn,
fray mornin sun til dyn ;
But seas between us bred hay roard
sin ald lang syn.

CHORUS

An thers a han, my trustee feer !
an gees a han o thyn !
An wil tak a recht guid-wullae-wocht,
fir ald lang syn.

CHORUS

A Link for the non-Scottish. . .


TomC

Saturday, December 29, 2007

The Bhoys Take Care Of Business, Finish The Year In Style!



Scottish Premier League
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Celtic Park, Glasgow


CELTIC… 3
(McDonald 35, Brown 49, McGeady 90)

GRETNA… 0

CELTIC (4-4-2) Boruc; Caldwell, Balde, McManus, Naylor; McGeady, S Brown, Donati (Sno 74), Riordan (Hartley 64); Vennegoor of Hesselink, McDonald.
Subs: M Brown, Killen, Caddis, O’Brien, O’Dea.

GRETNA (4-5-1) Caig; Cowan, Collin, McGuffie, Horwood; Skelton, Deverdics (McGill 69), Jenkins, Murray (Makinwa 81); Deuchar, Yantorno.
Subs: Fleming, Paartalu, Grady, Innes, Barr.

Celtic saw out 2007 with what was ultimately a comfortable 3-0 victory over Gretna at Celtic Park.

Gordon Strachan’s men had to show a fair amount of resilience as the visitors started the game strongly, but having gone into half-time a goal ahead thanks to Scott McDonald, the champions showed their quality in the second period.

Scott Brown doubled Celtic’s lead in the 49th minute and then in the very last minute of the match, man-of-the-match Aiden McGeady scored a third thanks to a wicked deflection of Gretna defender, Ryan McGuffie.

From the outset the visitors looked like a side determined to hold out against any early onslaughts, with the midfield and defensive ranks sitting-in deep inside their own half.

(Article.)


Way to take care of business against a team that the Bhoys should beat. Next up: Rangers at home!


'MON THE HOOPS!

TomC

Arturo Fuente Añejo No. 50

Name: Arturo Fuente Añejo No. 50
Size: 5 1/4" X 50
Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Connecticut Broad Leaf Maduro
Binder: Chateau de la Fuente Dominican
Filler: Chateau de la Fuente Dominican
Notes: The names of the various Añejo vitolas (ie "No .50") are derived from the ring gauge of the cigar in question:

1. No.50 (5 ¼" x 50)
2. No.46 (5 5/8" x 46)
3. No.55 (6" x 55)
4. No.48 (7" x 48)
5. No.49 (7 5/8" x 49)

There is one exception. The "No.77" designation comes not from the ring gauge of this cigar, as it does for the other cigars in the Añejo line, but rather from a more amusing reason altogether. Carlito took his kids to Sea World in Orlando, FL, and there noticed that some of the sharks in the tank had two pectoral fins, which looked sort of like two 7's.

Añejo (which means "aged, refined" in Spanish) cigars were originally released in June 2000 (in a very small batch), and then again in December 2000. Añejos have a blend of Opus X, Don Carlos, and Hemingway filler, with Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrappers that are cured in cognac barrels for 6-8 months as a finish after the bulk of the aging time is done in tightly packed bales.

Appearance: I was lucky this year, through the generosity of a fellow "Brother of the Leaf" (thanks JoeBob), to acquire one of the special holiday released beauties. As most of us cigar lovers know, the Añejo is a very limited release cigar and finding these at all some places can be a bit of a crap shoot, so I feel lucky in getting the single stick. As for the appearance itself, These cigars are a thing of beauty. Firmly rolled and without a blemish or vein to be seen. They are wrapped in an almost black dark chocolate oily wrapper they almost look appetizing. As I mentioned, amusingly, in my review of the Shark vitola:

"That beautiful dark wrapper. Dont you just wanna tear it off and eat it? NowI know that that would probably be gross, but judging by looks alone, wouldnt you want to try?"

Pre-Light: Clip was not big deal with my Credo Synchro Cutter, and the prelight draw seemed just like a well constructed car should. Notes of rich chocolate and that distinctive Añejo note teased the palate and begged for this cigar to be lit.

Burn/Draw: These cigars are a dream to smoke. The light was easy and the burn was even the whole length of the cigar. Also, the cigars burn very slow. this cigar took well over 90 minutes to smoke, making this a long contemplative experience. The draw was just perfect and produced volumes of rich, round, and very flavorful smoke. Languid and delicious. The ash was rather white and held for quite a long time. Just a fabulously constructed cigar.


Flavors: This is a clinic on what a nice holiday cigar should taste like, as I detected many of the flavors one expects from the season. The first third was all spiciness, with sage and pepper floating over an earthy and leathery base. About a third of the way through, it sweetened up a bit, the earthy not became more of a molasses not and the spices became sweeter, possibly cinnamon or nutmeg (this cigar would go great with any of a large number of craft brewed spiced holiday ales!). All the while that delightful Añejo cognac note was wafting in and out. Over the final third the power of the cigar kicked up and the depth of flavor increased, with notes of unsweetened chocolate, and espresso building to the final crescendo. Like I have mentioned before, a command performance of a cigar, and it is a damn shame it isn't more easily accessible.

Now there are a few caveats to this cigar. this cigar burns very slow, and to those who haven't had one before, it is quite a bit stronger than you might initially think. I suggest a nice robust holiday meal before this cigar or you may be unpleasantly surprised. But with that in mind, and the appropriate amount of time set aside, this is the kind of singular cigar experience the cigar lover strives for, and one I think every one should experience at least once. HEARTILY RECOMMENDED!

TomC

Thursday, December 27, 2007

CAO America Monument

6 1/4" X 54, Barber Pole (Natural Connecticut & Maduro Connecticut)

Appearance: No one can argue that this is a pretty cool looking cigar. The picture tells the story better than I can, with the beautiful tan "pinstripe" swirling around the rich and oily maduro wrapper. Coupled wit the cool, and a bit over the top band, it is quite a sight to behold.

Pre-Light: Clip was easy and the draw seemed like it was going to be kind of on the loose side, but not unpleasant. The pre light flavors were a light tang and a bit of nuttiness.

Burn/Draw: This was a very pleasant burning cigar. This came as a bit of a surprise to me as I was kind of expecting the dual wrappers to burn a little funky, but this just was not the case. The burn was relatively even (and self correcting) down the entire length of the cigar. The draw was free and easy and produced tons of round feeling white smoke. The ash was relatively firm and light in color and held as long as I liked.


Flavor: Well right off the bat it has to be said that despite the claims of the CAO website, there is no way that this a full strength cigar. More likely medium bodied and medium strength at best. there were some nice tangy flavors, and a bit of almondy nuttiness. The problem is, that there really isn't a ton of flavor to it. So while it was a generally pleasant smoking experience it did leave me decidedly lacking. A disappointment.

TomC

Celtic FC Finally Return To Winning Ways


Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Tannadice, Dundee

DUNDEE UNITED…0


CELTIC…2
(Vennegoor of Hesselink 68, McManus 75)

DUNDEE UNITED (4-5-1) Szamotulski; Dillon, Wilkie, Dods, Flood; D. Robertson (Conway 59), Gomis, Buaben, Robson, Hunt; J. Robertson
Subs not used: McLean, Kerr, Cameron, Kenneth, Duff, Dow

CELTIC (4-4-2) M.Brown; Caldwell, Balde, McManus, Naylor; McGeady, S.Brown, Hartley, Jarosik (Donati 72); McDonald, Vennegoor of Hesselink
Subs not used:McGovern, O’Dea, Sno, Killen, Caddis, Riordan

Attendance: 12, 357


CELTIC produced a superb second-half display to sweep past Dundee United and emerge from this Boxing Day cracker with a hard-fought win.

Dutch hitman Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink scored his 10th goal of the season midway through the second half to put Celtic ahead and Stephen McManus sealed the three points.

The win ensures Celtic stay two points clear at the top of the SPL, while a clean sheet was another pleasing aspect from a hugely satisfying 90 minutes.

Bobo Balde made his first competitive start for Celtic in 12 months after being handed a recall by Hoops boss Strachan. Steven Pressley made way for the Guinean defender, who had last featured against Dundee United on Boxing Day 2006.

Jiri Jarosik, who came off the bench to score Celtic’s equaliser against Hibernian on Saturday, also returned to the Hoops starting XI, with Massimo Donati dropping out.

Article.

Its about damn time they returned to form. . . . . Next up, Gretna, where they should continue their winning ways!

'Mon The Hoops!!

TomC

Monday, December 24, 2007

CAO L'Anniversaire Maduro 10th Anniversary Perfecto

Country: Nicaragua
Length/Ring: 6" x 50
Shape: Perfecto
Wrapper: Maduro

Appearance: This was one elegant looking perfecto. Covered in a beautiful deep french roast coffee colored wrapper, there was nary a vein or imperfection to be seen. This cigar seemed to be oozing flavorful essential oils as I held it. A sight, that's for sure.

Pre-Light: Clip was easy, and the prelight draw was free and had notes of sweet cocoa and roasted coffee.

Burn/Draw: The burn was never an issue. From the very beginning, lighting the perfecto nib until the final nub this cigar burned straight and true. The draw was free and easy. . .maybe a smidge to easy, as it seemed to offer no resistance at all. The cigar didn't seem to burn hot, so it wasn't a very big deal, but I would have liked a little resistance. The smoke, while quite copious, was cool and flavorful. The ash on the cigar was light grey and held quite well. Overall a well constructed cigar, though I may have liked it a bit more firmly packed.


Flavors: This cigar tasted like a slightly improved version of a CAO maduro. Is it wrong for me to find this to be a bit of a disappointment? The cigar had nice maduro flavor, some underlying tanginess, with top notes of semi sweet cocoa and french roasted coffee wafting in and out throughout the experience, a great example of what a medium strength/ medium bodied cigar could taste like. So then, why do I feel slightly let down?

I think it has a bit to do with the marketing. This is supposed to be an Anniversary Cigar, which to me means its supposed to be something special (see, for example, Padron Anniversary). and while it is an improvement over what I find to be a pretty nice stogie (the regular CAO Maduro), is it really that much better? Maybe, but I don't know if it is enough to be a special edition and command a premium price. So overall while this was a pleasant smoke, I doubt I will be buying any more. You can take that however you like.

TomC

And The Other Side Of The Story:

It might seem odd, but this does have something to do with my rant of last evening. In these days of Rampant Consumerism sometimes people need to be reminded. If you are of the Christian tradition, Christmas is not about presents or trees or decorations or parties or arbitrary dates or any of those things.

Why Christians SHOULD be celebrating Christmas:



Luke: Chapter 2

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.






Merry Christmas to all of you out there in Cyber-Land!

TomC

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Taking The "Christ" Out Of Christmas. . .

(Origen)
I have a gripe I would like to air today. In my various holiday adventures I have seen many a person, deeply religious or other wise, complain that people (or corporations, or whomever) are taking "The Christ Out Of Christmas", by calling it X-Mas or making it to commercial or celebrating alternative Winter Holidays or whatever (I realize this sentence is running on, sorry). Well I would like to postulate that people have every right to do this if they want, as it was humans that put Christ into our current Christian Holiday to begin with!

For the first three centuries of Christianity, Christmas wasn't in December—or on the calendar anywhere.

If observed at all, the celebration of Christ's birth was usually lumped in with Epiphany (January 6), one of the church's earliest established feasts. Some church leaders even opposed the idea of a birth celebration. Origen (c.185-c.254, an early Christian scholar, theologian, and one of the most distinguished of the early fathers of the Christian Church.) preached that it would be wrong to honor Christ in the same way Pharaoh and Herod were honored. Birthdays were for pagan gods.

Not all of Origen's contemporaries agreed that Christ's birthday shouldn't be celebrated, and some began to speculate on the date (actual records were apparently long lost). Clement of Alexandria (c.150-c.215) favored May 20 but noted that others had argued for April 18, April 19, and May 28. Hippolytus (c.170-c.236) championed January 2. November 17, November 20, and March 25 all had backers as well. A Latin treatise written around 243 pegged March 21, because that was believed to be the date on which God created the sun. Polycarp (c.69-c.155) had followed the same line of reasoning to conclude that Christ's birth and baptism most likely occurred on Wednesday, because the sun was created on the fourth day.

The eventual choice of December 25, made perhaps as early as 273, reflects a convergence of Origen's concern about pagan gods and the church's identification of God's son with the celestial sun. December 25 already hosted two other related festivals:

The Romans held a festival on December 25 called Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, "the birthday of the unconquered sun." The use of the title Sol Invictus allowed several solar deities to be worshipped collectively, including Elah-Gabal, a Syrian sun god; Sol, the god of Emperor Aurelian (AD 270–274); and Mithras, a soldiers' god of Persian origin. Emperor Elagabalus (218–222) introduced the festival, and it reached the height of its popularity under Aurelian, who promoted it as an empire-wide holiday.

December 25 was also considered to be the date of the winter solstice, which the Romans called bruma. It was therefore the day the Sun proved itself to be "unconquered" despite the shortening of daylight hours. (When Julius Caesar introduced the Julian Calendar in 45 BC, December 25 was approximately the date of the solstice. In modern times, the solstice falls on December 21 or 22.) The Sol Invictus festival has a "strong claim on the responsibility" for the date of Christmas, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia. Several early Christian writers connected the rebirth of the sun to the birth of Jesus "O, how wonderfully acted Providence that on that day on which that Sun was born . . . Christ should be born", Cyprian wrote.

Seeing that pagans were already exalting deities with some parallels to the true deity, church leaders decided to commandeer the date and introduce a new festival.

Also, it should be noted, Pagan Scandinavia celebrated a winter festival called Yule, held in the late December to early January period. Yule logs were lit to honor Thor, the god of thunder, with the belief that each spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born during the coming year. Feasting would continue until the log burned out, which could take as many as twelve days. In pagan Germania (not to be confused with Germany), the equivalent holiday was the mid-winter night which was followed by 12 "wild nights", filled with eating, drinking and partying. As Northern Europe was the last part to Christianize, its pagan celebrations had a major influence on Christmas. Scandinavians still call Christmas Jul. In English, the Germanic word Yule is synonymous with Christmas, a usage first recorded in 900.

The pagan origins of the Christmas date, as well as pagan origins for many Christmas customs (gift-giving and merrymaking from Roman Saturnalia; greenery, lights, and charity from the Roman New Year; Yule logs and various foods from Teutonic feasts), have always fueled arguments against the holiday (In Colonial America, the Puritans of New England disapproved of Christmas; its celebration was outlawed in Boston from 1659 to 1681. Christmas again fell out of favor in the United States after the American Revolution, when it was considered an English custom.). "It's just paganism wrapped with a Christian bow," naysayers argue. But while pandering to worldliness must always be a concern for Christians, the church has generally viewed efforts to reshape culture—including holidays—positively. As a theologian asserted in 320, "We hold this day holy, not like the pagans because of the birth of the sun, but because of him who made it."

Now some might think I am trying to be an anit-Christian buzzkill with this post. Far from it. I am a Catholic and actually ardently believe in a celebration in the Christian faith. But I also believe that, because the "taking Christ out argument" is kind of silly and ignorant to history, and especially due to the arbitrary nature of the date of this holiday, that anyone wanting to celebrate any of the other, arguably more traditional winter holiday feasts, should be able to do just that, without bother.. People can take Christ out of December 25th, because it was people who put Him in there in the first place.

So, as Krusty the Klown famously said:

"So, have a merry Christmas, a happy Hanukkah, a kwaazy Kwanza, a tip-top Tet, and a solemn, dignified, Ramadan. And now a word from MY god, our sponsors!"


GLAD YULE!!


TomC

Another Half-Hearted Result. . .


Scottish Premier League
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Celtic Park, Glasgow


CELTIC… 1
(Jarosik 78)

HIBS… 1
(Murphy 20)


CELTIC (4-4-2) M Brown; Caldwell, Pressley (Riordan 79), McManus, Naylor; Brown, Donati (Jarosik 64), Hartley, McGeady; Vennegoor of Hesselink, McDonald.
Subs: McGovern, Conroy, Killen, Sno, O’Dea.

HIBS (4-4-2) Makalambay; Chisholm, Hogg, Jones, Murphy (McCormack 73); Kerr, Beuzelin, Stevenson (O’Brien 65), McCann; Benjelloun, Zemmama (Morais 65).
Subs: McNeil, Shiels, Donaldson, Noubissie.

There proved to be little in the way of festive cheer at Celtic Park on Saturday afternoon as Gordon Strachan’s men had to fight to earn a point against Hibernian.

The Easter Road club, who beat Celtic at Easter Road back in September, took the lead through left-back David Murphy after a brilliant first-half counter attack.

And in the second half the defending champions had to work hard for the equaliser, which came via substitute Jiri Jarosik 12 minutes from time.

For a team still reeling from the sudden midweek departure of manager, John Collins, Hibs started this match well and looked comfortable in possession, while working hard to repel any early attacks from the home side.


Another crap draw, two more points lost. They really need to get this together soon!

TomC

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Jeebus Likes J-Pop Idols (Christmas Edition): Maki Goto





Maki Goto (後藤 真希, Gotō Maki, born September 23, 1985 in Edogawa, Tokyo, Japan) is a J-pop singer and a former soloist of Hello! Project and member of Morning Musume. She has performed in numerous Hello! Project subgroups such as Petitmoni, Akagumi 4, 7-nin Matsuri, Sexy 8, Gomattou and Nochiura Natsumi.

In 1999, Maki Goto was selected as the only member for the 3rd generation of Morning Musume. Their first single after Goto joined, "Love Machine" sold over a million copies, over nine times the amount of copies they had sold for their previous single. During her time in Morning Musume she was one of the founding members of Pucchi Moni and she started a solo singing career in 2001 with the single "Ai no Bakayarō" (愛のバカやろう, "Ai no Bakayarō"). Until her graduation from Morning Musume she was one of the leading vocalists in most of the songs released. Post-graduation she has mostly concentrated on her solo career and occasionally on limited time Hello! Project units such as Gomattou, Nochiura Natsumi, and DEF.DIVA. As time has passed, she has increasingly concentrated on acting in addition to singing. She has also performed at the Asia song festival 2005 in Pusan, Korea to represent Japan.

In early 2007, Goto was chosen to be a member of Morning Musume Tanjō 10 Nen Kinentai (モーニング娘。誕生10年記念隊, Morning Musume Tanjō 10 Nen Kinentai)—a unit created to celebrate Morning Musume's 10th anniversary as a group. Morning Musume Tanjō 10 Nen Kinentai also consists of Natsumi Abe, Kaori Iida, Risa Niigaki and Koharu Kusumi. Their single, Bokura ga Ikiru My Asia (僕らが生きるMy Asia, Bokura ga Ikiru My Asia), was released on January 24, 2007.

Her seventeenth single, Secret (シークレット, Secret), was released on April 11, 2007. On September 19, 2007, Goto's fourth original album How to Use Sexy was released.

On October 20, 2007, Goto's younger brother and former member of EE Jump idol group Yūki Goto (祐樹, Yūki Goto) was arrested on the grounds he and two accomplices, aged 18 and 19, had broken into a construction site in Edogawa Ward in Tokyo back on July 15, 2007 and made off with 80 reels of electric cable worth approximately 1 million yen. According to Flash magazine, Goto and one of her brother's accomplices had been romantically involved for some time, after the two met at Yūki's wedding in 2005. Due to the circumstances surrounding the robbery scandal, they haven't been in contact with each other.

On October 28, 2007, during the last concert of her G-EmotionII ~How to Use Sexy~ tour, Goto suddenly announced to fans that she would be graduating from Hello! Project, though she was also leaving UpFront Agency completely. Her graduation was said to be that she was overworked and overly stressed, causing her health problems. She also had different ideas of the direction of her career than what her agency had planned. Because of her graduation, she would not be able to participate in the Hello! Project 2008 Winter concert tour, previously said to be because of "scheduling conflicts".



Merry Christmas, Jeebus!

TomC

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

LOVO Rosado Figurado (revisited)

Having Smoked and Reviewed this cigar previously, I was hoping to do a more detailed full review of it today. The thing is, after smoking it again tonight, the first, simple review was rather spot on.

"I found this to be a rich, medium strength, medium bodied cigar, with tangy sweet notes that developed early and gathered steam all the way through to slightly more robust flavored bang up finish."
This is pretty much this cigar. Strait forward, a little tangy, and medium/medium. It really is a pretty decent everyday cigar for the price, and worthwhile for those times when you don't want to think too much about what you are smoking. It would make a pretty decent herf cigar or a cool one to give to your neophyte smoking friends. That said, those who are looking for a deep and meaningful experience might want to venture elsewhere.

So instead you get a bit more LOVO pr0n instead. They really are rather pretty looking sticks.


TomC

Monday, December 17, 2007

The Kids Take On The Opus X #4!!











Another Great Review by my boys Serg and Jeebus, I look forward to their continued collaboration!!

TomC

La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero Chisel Natural

6 1/2" X 54, Natural

Appearance: This gives me another opportunity to gush about a variant of one of my favorite cigar shapes, the "Chisel". I have already sung the praises of the "Chiselito" & the "Chisel Puro" on this site in the past. Well this is the largest size in this shape variant. The cigar looked expertly rolled in its unusual shape with a nice rich, earthy looking medium brown wrapper. I am always kind of surprised that these bad boys stay together, and yet they always do.

Pre-Light: Taking the Palio cutter to the very end of the cigar, I removed just the slightest bit from the chisel end, which is more than enough to produce a very pleasant pre light draw. The pre light notes were of black pepper, and the sweet tobacco tanginess that I love so much about La Flor Dominicana offerings.


Burn/Draw: This cigar was clearly well constructed. Light was a breeze and the burn was never a real problem. It wandered just a bit on occasion but quickly self corrected. I never had to worry about it again. Despite the small cut this cigar produces copious amounts of flavorful white smoke that just hung in the air, begging to be savored. The ash was fairly white and held for as long as I wanted. This cigar is a breeze to smoke.


Flavors:
This is a mighty tasty cigar. While not necessarily the most nuanced stick you will ever smoke, the flavors it does present are quite enjoyable. First it should be noted that while it is not a cigar for someone new to smoking or the weak of heart, it is not quite the powerhouse its maduro brethren can be. I would say full flavored, and medium/full in strength (whereas the maduro is full/full). It starts of with a burst of black pepper spiciness, but it is never harsh. The smoke is creamy and lingering for the entire smoke, which tempers some of the beastly flavors. At about a third of the way in notes of earthiness and especially sweet tangy tobacco notes come to the forefront, which is great because that tangy not is something I quite look forward to in this line of cigars. The last third maintains these notes while bringing the spiciness back to the forefront for a bang up finish. Like I said, not the most nuanced of smokes, but for those who like rich & bold flavors, and to know what they are getting into up front, this cigar will not dissapoint. Recommended.

TomC

Celtic Craps Another Win Away!

Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Tulloch Caledonian Stadium


INVERNESS CT…3
(Rankin 42 pen, Proctor 57, Cowie 61)

CELTIC…2
(Vennegoor of Hesselink 24, 26)

INVERNESS CT (4-5-1) Fraser; Duncan, McGuire, Munro, Hastings; Cowie (Wilson 85), Rankin, Black, Proctor, McBain (Tokely 68); Niculae (Bayne 81)
Subs not used: Malkowski, Bayne, McAllister, Vigurs, Duff

CELTIC (4-4-2) M. Brown; Caldwell, Pressley (Riordan 76), McManus, Conroy; S. Brown, Donati, Hartley, McGeady; McDonald (Killen 81), Vennegoor of Hesselink
Subs not used: McGovern, Sno, Jarosik, Balde, O’Dea

Inverness Caledonian Thistle stunned SPL champions Celtic as they fought back from 2-0 down to beat the Hoops in a five-goal thriller.

Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink put Celtic ahead with two headers in the space of 60 seconds in the first period, but Caley midfielder John Rankin reduced the deficit with a penalty on the stroke of half-time.

The home side then levelled through David Proctor before Don Cowie made it 3-2. Proctor saw red for a professional foul on Scott McDonald in 68 minutes as Celtic pushed for an equaliser, but it never arrived.

Gordon Strachan decided to stick with the same starting XI that beat Falkirk 4-0 in midweek. Ryan Conroy continued at left-back, while Mark Brown lined up in goal against his former side.

Inverness in December is never the most exotic of locations and the freezing conditions came as no surprise to anyone inside the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium. For the players, however, the rutted, rock-solid pitch was far from ideal.

(Article.)

crapCrapCRAP!

They need to figure out how to play more consistently!

gah!

TomC

Friday, December 14, 2007

The Kids Take On A Punch Rare Corojo!

The Second Installment in Sergio & Jeebus' video review series:













KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK GUYS!

TomC

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Punch Black Prince

Name: Black Prince
Factory Name: Corona Gorda
Ring Gauge: 46
Length: 14.30 cm /5.6 inches
Weight: 11.41 gr.
Tobacco Procedence: Vuelta Abajo
Factory: La Corona

Info: The Punch brand was first registered in 1840 by German named Stockmann and named for the European puppet show character, Mr. Punch (not the magazine, which was created a year later). The brand quickly became a success, especially in Great Britain. The first change of ownership came in 1874, when the brand was bought by a Luis Corujo, and again in 1884, when the brand was purchased by Manuel López Fernández and its bands and boxes still bear his name to this day. Retiring in 1924 and passing away shortly after, López gave ownership of the brand to Esperanza Valle Comas, who only held it for a few years before the Stock Market Crash of 1929.

Like most other businesses around the world, the Cuban cigar industry faced financial hardships. In 1930, the firm of Fernández, Palicio y Cía bought up the brand, where it became one of the company's headlining cigar marques, along with Belinda, La Escepción, and Hoyo de Monterrey, and maintained its popularity with British cigar smokers.

After the embargo was set against Cuba by the United States, Fernando Palicio fled Cuba for Florida, where he subsequently sold his cigar lines to the Frank Llaneza and Dan Blumenthal of Villazon & Co., which has continued to make Punch, Hoyo de Monterrey, and Belinda cigars from Honduran tobacco for the American market.

Cuba subsequently nationalized the tobacco industry and Punch continued production and is still a popular, multi-locally-marketed Cuban cigar line. Among connoisseurs, the eponymous Punch, Double Corona, Churchill, and Super Selection No. 2 are especially prized and sought after.

Punch also produces two machine-made cigarillos: the Cigarritos and Cigarritos Reserva.

Punch has not been chosen before for any Edición Limitada productions as of yet, but in 2006 it did see a special Edición Regional release: a Robusto released only in Switzerland.

Appearance: This was a pretty looking cigar. I have never seen a cigar box pressed quite like this one. Instead of being square, it was more like a round cigar with squared off corners, giving the cigar a diamondish look. The wrapper was smooth and rich and free of veins and noticeable blemish. The wrapper was practically glistening with crystallized oils, it looked like it was aged to perfection.

Pre-Light: The clip on this cigar was a breeze. The pre light draw was a smidge tight but not really a big deal. Pre light notes were of woodiness, nuttiness, and cuban earthiness, a great combination of flavors.


Burn/Draw: The cigar burned like a dream. I on occasion have issues with funky burns in habanos, but that was definitely not the case with this vitola. It was of the light and forget variety. The draw, honestly, was a little bit tighter than I generally enjoy, but thankfully it did not adversely affect the cigar experience, as the stogie produced an adequate amount of flavorful smoke. The ash was quite dark and mottled, but it held firmly for as long as I wanted it to. Overall it struck me as a well constructed cigar.

Flavors: This was one mighty tasty medium strength/medium body cigar. It started off kind of sweet and nutty, with noted of cinnamon, nutmeg and almond. This cigar eases you slowly nicely into the experience. At about a third of the way into the cigar, it gets decidedly dryer and more spicy in nature. The dominant note I tasted at about the half way point is white pepper (TAKE THAT SERGIO, HAHA!). Over the the last third the cigar finally started to open up, the smoke filling out into a richer and round, creamier experience. Barreling towards the finish the spice picked up significantly (black pepper this time) and cedar woodiness, and that classic woody earthiness (that was frankly and undertone the whole time) you see in most great Cuban cigars comes more to the fore.

Overall this was a pretty good cigar. It develops nicely over time and keeps you interested in the smoke throughout the whole length of the stick. In my case it is also a great change of pace to the habanos I generally favor. While it may not enter my regular rotation, it is definitely worth the time to smoke, and I suggest you seek one out while you still have the chance. Evidently, these are no longer in production, so there are only a finite amount left. Try to find some. Recommended.

TomC

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

McGeady Hat Trick Seals Win V. Falkirk


Scottish Premier League
Tuesday, November 11, 2007
Celtic Park, Glasgow


CELTIC… 4
(McDonald 9 pen, McGeady 41, 68, 82)

FALKIRK… 0

CELTIC (4-4-2) M Brown; Caldwell, Pressley (O’Dea 78), McManus, Conroy; S Brown (Sno 85), Hartley, Donati, McGeady; McDonald, Vennegoor of Hesselink (Killen 80).
Subs: McGovern, Zurawski, Riordan, Jarosik.

FALKIRK (4-3-3) Krul; Aafjes, Milne, Barr, Holden; Thomson, Cregg (Riera 69), Arfield; Barrett (Scobbie 66), Higdon (Latapy 75), Moutinho.
Subs: Olejnik, Ross, Finnigan, Moffat.

Aiden McGeady banished any hint of the winter blues with a stunning hat-trick to bury an on-form Falkirk.

John Hughes’ men arrived at Celtic Park off the back of two good wins over Dundee United and St Mirren, determined to take advantage of a recent blip in league form that has seen Celtic draw home and away in their recent matches.

But there wasn’t a hint of nerves or uncertainty as McGeady rammed home the first hat-trick of his Celtic career while Scott McDonald dispatched his 13th league goal of the season from the penalty spot.

The first half began with Celtic displaying confidence and assertiveness in abundance, carving out a couple of early opportunities which immediately had the visitors on the back foot.

Sensing a weakness on Falkirk’s right flank, Celtic continued to probe and press their defences and got their rewards in the ninth minute as the experienced Kenny Milne dived in rashly and brought down McDonald inside the box.

The penalty was coolly dispatched by the Australian striker, who sent the keeper the wrong way, but rather than immediately push forward in search of a second, Celtic initially lowered their pace and allowed their opponents back into the match.

(article)




Good to see the bhoys return to form in a league make up match! Hopefully they can use the next few matches to put a little distance between themselves and Rangers, as well as heal up before the Champions League resumes in the new year!

HAIL! HAIL!


TomC

The Kids Take On HDM Petit Robusto

A pair of my buddies from StogieChat.com, take on the Hoyo Petite Robusto:









Can't wait for the next installment!

TomC

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Uninspired Result As The Bhoys Draw V St. Mirren At Home.


Scottish Premier League
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Celtic Park, Glasgow


CELTIC… 1
(Riordan 85)

ST MIRREN… 1
(McGinn 74)

CELTIC (4-4-2) M Brown; Caldwell, Pressley, McManus, O’Dea (Riordan 70); McGeady, S Brown, Hartley, Jarosik (Sno 55); Vennegoor of Hesselink (Killen 86), McDonald.
Subs: McGovern, Zurawski, Caddis, Balde.

ST MIRREN (4-5-1) Smith; Van Zanten, Maxwell, Millen, Miranda (McCay 77); McGinn (Brady 74), Murray, Mason, Reid, Corcoran; Mehmet.
Subs: Howard, Potter, Kean, Burke, Barron, McCay.

A late equaliser from substitute Derek Riordan was enough to salvage a draw for Gordon Strachan’s men in what was a thoroughly dismal afternoon against St Mirren at Celtic Park.

The stresses and strains of Celtic’s recent European exertions were all too evident in this disappointing encounter, with Riordan’s superb finish the only bright spot, cancelling out Stephen McGinn’s opener.

After the midweek drama at the San Siro, this was a strangely subdued return to Celtic Park with the supporters huddled against the bitter cold and the rain falling steadily on a heavy-looking surface.

There was, in truth, little to warm them in the opening half, with this match never really getting going and St Mirren content to sit-in and fill the gaps with a four-man defence and tightly packed, five-man midfield.


Article


Crap Weather. Crap Play. Crap Result.

What a disappointing way to kill the momentum gained by advancing in the Champions League, against a team that should be beaten handily!


TomC

Saturday, December 8, 2007

The Feast of The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

I had always wondered why my Mom waited until after December 8th to put up Christmas decorations, maybe this is why:"Father You prepared the Virgin Mary to be the worthy Mother of Your Son. You let her share beforehand in the salvation Christ would bring by His death, and kept her sinless from the first moment of her conception. Help us by her prayers to live in Your presence without sin. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

The feast of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated on December 8, was established in 1476 by Pope Sixtus IV. He did not define the doctrine as a dogma, thus leaving Roman Catholics freedom to believe in it or not without being accused of heresy; this freedom was reiterated by the Council of Trent. The existence of the feast was a strong indication of the Church's belief in the Immaculate Conception, even before its 19th century definition as a dogma.

In 1854, Pope Pius IX's solemn declaration, Ineffabilis Deus, clarified with finality the long-held belief of the Church that Mary was conceived free from original sin. In proclaiming the Immaculate Conception of Mary as a dogma of the Church, the pope expressed precisely and clearly that Mary was conceived free from the stain of original sin. This privilege of Mary derives from God's having chosen her as Mother of the Savior; thus she received the benefits of salvation in Christ from the very moment of her conception. This great gift to Mary, an ordinary human being just like us, was fitting because she was destined to be Mother of God. The purity and holiness of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a model for all Christians.

In the Roman Catholic Church, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is a Holy Day of Obligation, except where conferences of bishops have decided, with the approval of the Holy See, not to maintain it as such. It is a public holiday in some countries where Roman Catholicism is predominant, and is often seen as one of the markers of the beginning of the Christmas Season.

There is a widespread misunderstanding of the term immaculate conception: many believe it refers to Mary's conception of Jesus, a confusion frequently met in the mass media. In the sense in which the phrase "Immaculate Conception" is used in Roman Catholic doctrine, it is not directly connected to the concept of Mary's "virginal conception" and the Incarnation of Christ. The Church celebrates the Immaculate Conception on 8 December, exactly nine months before celebrating Mary's birthday. The feast of the Incarnation of Christ, also known as The Annunciation, is celebrated on 25 March, nine months before Christmas Day.

TomC


Angelus Domini

Ángelus Dómini nuntiávit Maríæ.
Et concépit de Spíritu Sancto.

Ave, María...

Ecce ancílla Dómini.
Fiat mihi secúndum verbum tuum.

Ave, María...

Et Verbum caro factum est.
Et habitávit in nobis.

Ave, María...

Ora pro nobis, sancta Dei génetrix.
Ut digni efficiámur promissiónibus Christi.

Orémus.

Grátiam tuam, quæsumus,
Dómine, méntibus nostris infúnde;
ut qui, Ángelo nuntiánte,
Christi Fílii tui incarnatiónem cognóvimus,
per passiónem eius et crucem,
ad resurrectiónis glóriam perducámur.

Per eúndem Christum Dóminum nostrum. Amen.

Glória Patri...

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Celtic FC Lose, But Reach Last 16 of UEFA Champions League!!


UEFA Champions League – Group D
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan


AC MILAN…1
(Inzaghi 70)

CELTIC…0

AC MILAN (4-3-2-1) Kalac; Cafu, Bonera, Simic (Kaladze 30), Favalli; Gattuso, Pirlo (Brocchi 75), Ambrosini; Seedorf (Gourcuff 69), Kaka; Inzaghi
Subs not used: Fiori, Gilardino, Oddo, Aubameyang

CELTIC (4-5-1) Boruc; Caldwell, Pressley, McManus, O’Dea; McGeady, Hartley, Donati (Sno 71), Brown, Jarosik (Zurawski 75); McDonald (Vennegoor of Hesselink 67)
Subs not used: M.Brown, Balde, Caddis, Killen


Celtic FC have progressed to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League for the second successive season, despite losing 1-0 to AC Milan in Italy.

With Benfica beating Shakhtar 2-1 in Donetsk thanks to Oscar Cardozo’s double, the Hoops still finished second in Group D and accompany holders Milan into the knockout stages.

Manager Gordon Strachan joined his players, who had all worked tirelessly on the night, on the pitch afterwards to take the acclaim of the thousands of Celtic fans inside the San Siro.

His side may have lost this game, but following the historic run to the knockout stages last season, qualifying for the last 16 again goes down as yet another fantastic achievement during Strachan’s tenure as Celtic manager.

The Hoops supporters, who have backed the team all the way in this UEFA Champions League campaign, filled an entire stand of this vast arena and had every right to be proud of their team.

In comparison to some of Celtic’s recent, dramatic UEFA Champions League matches, it wasn’t a classic, but all that mattered was the final group table.

Celtic, with nine points – two more than third-placed Benfica – deservedly take their place in next phase.

(Article)

Consecutive trips to the Champions League Knock Out Stages For the Hoops, WHat a historical Time For The Boys!!


HAIL!! HAIL!!

TomC

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Ohio State To Play In National Title Game!!


I must admit I haven't watched much (American) Football this year. For whatever reason it just doesn't hold my interest terribly long (and not nearly enough to Blog about it most days). You can call me Un-American if you want, I suppose. That said, when it comes to either the New England Patriots, or the college I attended, Ohio State, I become all that much more interested. Well, today the Buckeyes got a bunch of good news, as their National Title hopes (and opportunity to avenge last years crap showing in the title game) have not been dashed yet!

Three weeks after their unbeaten season, No. 1 ranking and dreams of redemption in the BCS title game seemed to turn to ashes, Ohio State is headed back to the ultimate game in college football.

The Buckeyes, No. 3 in the Bowl Championship Series rankings going into Saturday's final regular-season and conference title games, will make a return trip to the national championship game to meet a yet-to-be determined opponent on Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. in the Sugar Bowl.

Having waited two weeks since beating Michigan in their last game, the Buckeyes will have to wait a little longer to find out who they'll play. The possibilities include Georgia, Kansas, Virginia Tech, LSU and USC -- the teams ranked Nos. 4 through 8 in the most recent rankings.

Ohio State appears to be a lock for the game. A combination of human and computer polls will decide the final rankings on Sunday afternoon, making the 1-2 matchup official.

West Virginia, No. 2 in the BCS rankings, played at home against Pittsburgh in its regular season finale on Saturday night. Quarterback Pat White was hurt, crippling the Mountaineers' hopes, as they fell 13-9 in a colossal upset.

That was enough to punch the Buckeyes' ticket for the BCS title game.

Missouri, No. 1 in the latest BCS rankings, played Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship game in San Antonio later on Saturday night. The Sooners pounded the top-ranked Tigers 38-17, but Ohio State was already all but assured of being in the top two even as that game was being played out.

The Buckeyes look to avenge last year's humiliating defeat in the National Title Game. A year ago, the Buckeyes were ranked No. 1 from the preseason through the bowl games. In the BCS title game against Florida, Ted Ginn Jr. returned the opening kickoff and it appeared Ohio State would back up its lofty ranking.

However, the Gators dominated the rest of the night in Glendale, Ariz., winning 41-14 and saddling the Buckeyes with a defeat that still hurts.



GO BUCKS!

TomC