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As someone who works in the cigar industry, it takes a lot to get me excited about a cigar. I’m used to sales reps hyping up the “latest and greatest” from whichever brand they happen to be representing. It’s their job, I get it, but it’s made me very skeptical. So, you can imagine how thrilled I was to discover that one company always delivers the goods. That company is Davidoff and their newest line, Puro D’Oro, did NOT disappoint.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t already partial to Davidoff. I don’t think I’ve experienced many cigars smoother than the Davidoff Thousands series that offer such an amazing caliber flavor profile. Emerson’s Cigars is one of the few brick and mortars in my area, Hampton Roads, Virginia, that offers Davidoff at all five of their locations for such an amazing price. So, when I heard Davidoff was introducing the Puro d’Oro, I knew exactly where I would be smoking my first one.

Davidoff Puro d’Oro is a very special cigar, not only because it’s from Davidoff, but because it has such an amazing story. Literally meaning “pure gold,” Puro d’Oro is a testament to what can happen when someone combines science, creativity, and lots of patience. In 1996, Hendrik Kelner began experimenting with tobaccos for this cigar’s wrapper. His initial attempts with Criollo seeds failed, at least to Davidoff standards, even though they were meticulously and expertly cross-bred with specially selected hybrid seeds. Then came the miracle idea. Hendrik hypothesized that the red, clay-like soil of Yamasa would produce a unique, interesting, but rich flavor as a wrapper leaf. Flash forward years later and success was granted. The Puro d’Oro was born.

I tried the Davidoff Puro d’Oro at the Emerson’s Cigars new location in the up-and-coming Peninsula Town Center in Hampton, Virginia.  They have an extremely comfortable and chic lounge area with beverages and flat screens. (If you can’t make it to one of their stores, they have amazing prices on their online store- (www.EmersonsCigars.com) I decided to begin with the Notable. Construction was impressive, not many veins, with a classic pigtail end. I’ve obviously never smoked a cigar with a Yamasa wrapper before so there wasn’t anything to compare it to!  The initial taste was buttery with a slight hint of cream. This moved into notes of spice, becoming heavier and more earthy through the end. I really love a Dominican puro. I think the flavors are bold without being overpowering yet delicate enough to be enjoyable. The burn was as even as could be and held a brilliant ash through the better part of the cigar. Price points are pretty fair. Emerson’s Cigars sells them in 25 count boxes and pre-packaged four packs. The Puro d’Oro from Davidoff is definitely a lovely, innovative, yet traditionally packaged and presented cigar. Well worth its weight in gold.

Those who know their cigars well also, by that same token, know Brazil-albeit as a source of great tobacco rather than as a top cigar-producing nation. Brazilian tobacco, mainly produced in the country’s temperate northeastern and southern regions, turns up in such world-class cigars as Carlos Torano’s Toro, but the country’s cigar producers themselves haven’t always gotten the same respect. But that may be about to change. After all, Brazilian cigars-including the Angelina, Dannemann and Dannemann, Le Cigar, Don Pepe, Dom Porfirio, and Dona Flor (named for Jorge Amado’s classic novel Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands)-have already convinced many US cigar aficionados that this country’s cigars are as good as its tobacco.

But Brazil’s own rich history-and its sure-to-be-turbulent future-make it an important place for cigar smokers to understand. How has one of the world’s important tobacco-producing nations come to be the home of one of the strongest anti-smoking movements in the Western Hemisphere? And will these two opposing tendencies continue, uneasily, to coexist? Only a prophet could say-but perhaps a brief backgrounder on this Latin American nation can provide some helpful context.

The first thing to know about Brazil is that it’s big-in resources, landmass, and people. It’s the fifth-largest country in the world, and the fifth most populous. Among the world’s pro forma democracies, it ranks fourth in population size, and it controls a powerful economy, ranking ninth in the world in purchasing power. It’s a diverse country, too, with one hundred-eighty-eight living languages, and, interestingly enough, the world’s largest confirmed reserve of uncontacted peoples-small pre-industrial tribes that, for all practical purposes, have stayed sealed off from the rest of the world. In this single nation, then, an ultramodern economy exists side-by-side with some of the world’s last refuges of pre-industrial life, and gleaming cities (Sao Paulo and Brasilia) share the same boundary with huge swaths of rainforest.

What kind of culture does such a diverse country produce? Well-a similar situation produced artistic riches for the United States, and things are hardly any different for Brazil. Consider tropicalismo, one of the country’s major artistic exports. This musical movement, spearheaded by the legendary band Os Mutantes and the singer-songwriters Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, and manic genius Tom Ze among others, fuses all the diverse musics of this country (along with a hefty dose of Bob Dylan, Velvet Underground and jazz) to create some of the best-regarded music of the 1970s. Whatever political and logistical headaches it may pose, such bursting-at-the-seams diversity is good fortune for any artist lucky enough to benefit from it.

Like many Latin American countries (and like the US), Brazil was originally the colony of an ambitious European nation-in this case, Portugal. Led by its Portuguese-born regent, Pedro I, the country won its independence in 1822. What followed was a long power struggle between Pedro (eventually replaced by his son Pedro II), various rebelling factions of the population, and the country’s economically dominant classes, who found Pedro variously useful and irksome, depending on the situation. Following the deposition of Pedro II in 1889, the country became a republic; during the twentieth century, though, Brazil fell frequently to military coups, some of them (most infamously in 1964) made possible by covert US assistance. Its current relative freedom has lasted only since 1985.

Made up of twenty-six states and a federal district (think Washington, D.C.), the country’s exports include (among others) coffee, iron ore, ethanol, textiles, shoes, and cars. With a major modernizing initiative underway-in 2007, the country’s government, under President Luis Ignacio DaSilva, dedicated three hundred billion dollars to renovating power plants, roads and ports-Brazil clearly intends to keep those exports booming. Including tobacco? Well-that’s dicier. Brazil is incredibly rich in natural resources, but that rainforest shrinks every day. The resulting controversy raises issues for tobacco farmers: only a sustainable ecology will ensure that Brazil continues to yield those fine tobacco crops, and yet some sustainability measures may threaten farmers’ short-term profits (small farmers, many of them, and small profits). It’s a difficult balance.

More threatening, perhaps, for those of us who value Brazil’s contribution to cigar culture, is the strength of its anti-smoking movement. The country has some of the toughest anti-smoking laws in the world, funnels large amounts of money into anti-tobacco campaigns, and forbids tobacco-products advertising in any form. Still, the total number of smokers grew slightly during the past decade. Some business experts forecast that the country’s tobacco industry will have to get used to a shrinking overall population of smokers, and concentrate instead on increasing brand value, making better and safer products. Cigars, designed to be used in moderation and savored, may well flourish in this environment. At any rate, the reported use of genetically-modified tobacco crops in the country’s southern region suggests that tobacco-related controversies will continue in Brazil.

In tobacco-related news: Recent reports in several media outlets throw some light on the deepening problem that illegal small cigar factories, known as chinchals, pose for the Cuban government. It turns out that other United States neighbors face similar problems in managing the flow of tobacco.

A flurry of news reports suggests that Canada is having trouble controlling contraband tobacco–generally tobacco either stolen from producers or sold off-the-books in order to avoid the country’s high tobacco taxes. The scale of the problem? No one’s entirely sure, but one of the largest Canadian tobacco companies has suggested that untaxed revenue from contraband tobacco is costing the country billions of dollars. And in a recession, that’s not chump change.

The same study (funded by industry groups) found that up to thirty percent of the tobacco used in Canada is illegal. That number balloons to forty or fifty percent in places like Ontario and Quebec.

One reason this is a serious issue is such tobacco, often sold on the super-cheap in bulk to consumers for a rate that amounts to pennies per cigarette, does not have to clear any health, safety, or quality control boards.

In addition, the larger the trade gets, the bigger the revenue that the government misses out on taxing–which creates big problems for a society with such a generous tradition of social spending. It also means lower sales for convenience stores and other legitimate businesses, not to mention the tobacco companies themselves, who figure their lost revenue at nine hundred million.

Where is this tobacco coming from? The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (who seize large amounts of the stuff every year) say it’s coming from the United States. More specifically, they trace some of the tobacco to the Akwesasne Mohawk reserve near Ontario, which extends across the US-Canada border. Thus the problem with enforcement: the tobacco is coming from a place that crosses national boundaries, and has a certain amount of limited freedom from both. Several levels of a couple different governments need to be enlisted in any effort to significantly reduce the tobacco influx … as well as, most likely, a study of who is producing this tobacco, and what economic, social or legislative changes might reduce their incentive to do so.

In the meantime, say critics, the Canadian government could at least prohibit sales of tobacco products such as rolling papers to those who don’t, you know, have a license to make or sell tobacco products.

In any case, news reports don’t mention a widespread illegal-cigar tobacco problem. And cigars do indeed represent a less attractive option for counterfeiters. Cigar aficionados are looking for better-quality cigar tobacco, and part of the reason for growing illegal cigar tobacco is that you don’t have to do quality control. Also, chopped-up cheap tobacco is easier to transport and hide than the full-leaf kind that tends to make a great cigar. Illegal cigar-making tends only to happen in cases where there’s a strong incentive to do so, as in Cuba … and people don’t exactly stream across the border for these great Canadian cigars.

Still, in a troubled economy, how long before we can expect to see similar problems arise in the other areas? In the meantime, the Canadians’ problem is one more reason to buy cigars from a trustworthy, known source.

I stopped smoking over 15 years ago because the Government had jacked up the taxes yet again. I wasn’t going to pay (I think it was $2.00 a pack)! That was it. I had to stop smoking. <br>

Luck would have it that I wasn’t sitting with my father on the porch discussing fishing, when I noticed that he wasn’t smoking. Here was a man whose cigarettes were so strong and raunchy, that I even refused to borrow them from him. He had been smoking these air pollutants for over 40 years. I asked him why he wasn’t smoking. He informed me that the company he worked for had a program to help smokers quit smoking. He had taken it and he had smoked for over a month.<br>

I asked my father for a summary of how he quit. It was really quite simple. They were handed out a book “How to Quit Smoking” (the author escapes me), he gave me the book. Whenever I had a cigarette, I would read the book. The book revealed how much smoking controlled my life. I would go out in the middle of the night to get cigarettes, or even something simple like matches. Or I would wait until I had finished having a cigarrette before I entered a building. The worst was when I moved to the North-east and I had to smoke outside in an artic squall. It was so cold. It became unbearable.<br>

When the break bell ran at work I would jog to the nearest exit to have a cigarette, and if I was lucky enough I could quickly inhale 2 cigarettes. During lunch break I would wolf down my lunch and jog outside into an artic squall, have two cigarettes. It was quite pathetic when I look back on it. <br>

I had tried everything to quit smoking, I was even dumb enough to take the advice of a dear friend. He suggested that I should smoke a pipe or cigar. The logic was that I would smoke a cigar or pipe instead of a cigarette. This would replace the cigarette which was worse because you inhaled the cigarette, but not the pipe or cigar. What a great idea.<br>

Shortly, after I started this stop smoking program, I was smoking a cigarette, a cigar, and a pipe. I was smoking so much, I didn’t even have time to breathe oxygen. I smelt like an incinerator. People would turn the fire extinguishers on me. <br>

I chose a long weekend to quit smoking. I purchased 5 lbs of peanuts, this would help when I felt the urge to inhale. I made it through the weekend. I would still have an urge to smoke, but I would resist. Now 15 years later, I am one of those self-righteous non-smokers. Unfortunately, I think if I can quit a pack and half day, plus the cigars, and pipe smoking, everybody can. <br>

It is tough at the beginning, but if you can quit, the urges will pass. There are now so many inexpensive aids to help you, like the patches, the pills, hypnosis, etc. it can be done.

Cigar smoking is all about shared pleasure. After all, it swept Victorian England and became a national pastime in part because it gave men something to do with their hands while they talked after dinner. And it took off during the so-called “cigar boom” of the 1990s in part because new publications, online forums, cigar clubs, and other social venues allowed cigar smokers to talk about their passion.

So it’s no surprise to find cigar-related events all over the social calendar of smokers around the world. In addition to the lavish, expensive Big Smoke conventions put on by Cigar Aficionado magazine – at least two a year, in Las Vegas and New York City – there’s the Ybor City festival in Tampa, Florida, free and open to the public. And that’s just November. Check out a few other, more-exotic possibilities from all over the globe.

The Dominican Republic is the world’s largest source of premium cigars, surpassing even Cuba (from which many of the country’s cigar-making families and technologies emigrated during the years after Castro). La Aurora, Davidoff, Arturo Fuente, and La Gloria Cubana, among many others, all operate there, and as of 2007, it has its own yearly cigar festival as well! Taking place in Santiago, the two-day Procigar Festival (the first of which took place March 5-7, 2008) featured cigar factory tours, visits to tobacco fields, chances to hobnob with some of the world’s greatest cigar makers, and cigar-and-liquor matchups. Companies such as La Aurora, General Cigar Co., and Tabacalera de Garcia, among others, participated, and the inaugural bow was successful enough to motivate a second – to be held February 16-20, 2009.

While you’re there, if you go, you may want to check out some of the other sights offered by this important Latin American cultural capital. The Dominican Republic was the first place permanently settled by Europeans anywhere in either American continent – the oldest cathedrals, universities, and European-made roads can all be found there. Santo Domingo, the country’s capital, butts up against its southern coast, offering breathtaking views (the Procigar Festival takes place far further north, in Santiago, but the country is not super-large in total area). Four mountain ranges decorate the country; the Cordillera Central (“Central Mountain Range”) approaches Santiago, so visitors to the Procigar Festival could also schedule a day trip to see Pico Duarte, the jewel of the Cordillera Central and the highest peak in the West Indies (over 3000 meters). And, of course, Santiago is itself located in the Cibao valley – between the Cordillera Central and Corillera Septentrional (“Northern Mountain Range”), which run parallel to each other – and it’s this rich and fertile area that houses most of the country’s farms, including its tobacco farms.

Or you could follow in author James Joyce’s footsteps and visit Zurich, Switzerland, where the expatriate Irish modernist polymath-writer completed large sections of his surreal novel Finnegans Wake, and where the Whiskyship sails every November. (What is it with November and cigar events?) This whisky-tasting event, which also offers three hundred premium cigars for the sampling, allows those with sharp noses and tastebuds to enjoy single malt whiskies from all over the world, and to enjoy the companies of folks with similar tastes. The 2008 Whiskyship will be the tenth such event. Switzerland, of course, features all sorts of other attractions – among other things, there’s the James Joyce Foundation, but also, you know, mountains and pristine lakes and thousands of years’ worth of European scenery – and would be worth a visit regardless.

Another possibility – albeit somewhat closer to home, at least for North American smokers – is the Nebraska Cigar Festival in Lincoln. Taking place in late November (which pits it against the Ybor City Festival and the two CA Big Smokes in drawing the attention of Midwestern cigar fanatics who don’t feel like going to Zurich), the one-evening event brings in cigars, munchies and a pair of drink tickets for those willing to shell out the admission fees and deal with early-winter Midwestern cold.

Life insurance, specifically Term Life, is arguably one of the best values in the entire financial services arena. Where else can you go and get hundreds of thousands of pounds in protection for literally pennies per day? Rates for Term Life insurance remain at all-time lows, and now is the time to lock in the best prices. Here are some ways to help you save money when purchasing life insurance.

Buy when you’re young. Although your financial needs may be lower at a younger age, the rates are also substantially cheaper when you’re young. Remember, the goal is to cover your primary assets (like your salary and house) so that if something were to happen to you, your beneficiaries would be able to persevere financially. The best advice is to lock in as much protection at a young age while your health and prices are still good.

Your “half” birthday could be costly. While some companies raise their prices based on your actual age, most companies increase the price of their policies six months before your birthday. It’s a term called “Age Nearest” in the industry, and that half-year price increase could really add up over a 20-year term policy.

Buy before any major health issues arise. Healthy people have the best mortality risks and thus are much cheaper for companies to insure. This translates into lower rates for the “Super Preferred” customer than someone with higher risk factors such as a heart condition, cancer or diabetes. Conversely, if you were unhealthy when you acquired your policy, and your health has now improved, it might be time to shop for a new policy, as your rates are likely to be lower.

Select the right length of coverage. Everyone has different needs, and not one size fits all when it comes to term life insurance. While it may make sense for people in their 30s and 40s to secure a 20-year term length, a 10-year term might be more appropriate for someone nearing retirement.

People who are trying to quit smoking, for example, might be best suited purchasing a shorter term (and then replacing it with a longer term policy when they qualify for non-tobacco prices). Lastly, individuals who have 30-year mortgages might want to consider a 30-year term to ensure that the house is protected throughout the period of the loan.

Check for price breaks. Companies often offer “price breaks” at certain coverage amounts (i.e. £250,000 vs. £225,000). The truth is that many people can actually pay less money for more coverage. Check how much or little your prices increase when you increase coverage to £250,000, £500,000, or £1,000,000.

Buy the right amount of coverage. Many agents may try to sell you more coverage than you need. The purpose of life insurance is to “indemnify” (replace financial loss), and what most people should be looking for is income replacement for their beneficiaries. Independent financial planners recommend the following rule of thumb: purchase an amount of coverage equal to 6-10 times your annual gross income.

The right hobby with the wrong company could cost you. People who participate in high-risk sports or activities (such as hang-gliding, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, and racing), or even those who like to have an occasional cigar could very well pay more money if they don’t pick the right company.

Every company looks at risk factors differently and some are more liberal in certain areas than others. Make sure you work with an insurance company that has properly matched your personal profile with their underwriting criteria.

Work policies aren’t always the best deal. . Work policies are often based on a composite profile of the employees you work with, many of whom may be less healthy than you, or have other underwriting factors that might drive up rates.

These type of policies also expire if/when you leave the company. Inexpensive term life insurance polices that cover your dependents until they can live comfortably on their own are often a better alternative.

Check out your payment options. Many life insurance companies offer discounts to consumers who pay their premiums annually.

Review your policy often. Do a review of your life insurance policy a minimum of every three years, if not more often. Rates may be lower, and your circumstances may have changed, necessitating more or less protection. If you are replacing a policy, make sure you allow enough time to get your new policy in place so coverages won’t overlap or lapse.

Don’t overspend on protection. Term life insurance is the most affordable and cost-effective pure protection available, and it is typically much less expensive than a comparable whole life policy. The old axiom still rings true: “Buy Term and invest the difference.”

Starting up a new hobby can be intimidating. Going golfing for the first time with a bunch of guys who have been doing it for years can make a beginner feel self-conscious about his lack of prowess on the links. People just learning to play guitar will go for years refusing to play in front of others. Even someone learning to cook might be embarrassed to share a less than savory meal with his family.

Some people might not consider smoking cigars a hobby, but it certainly is a pastime and it has its own intricacies just like anything else. There are traditions and faux pas when it comes to smoking cigars that any old puffer at the country club will notice and call you out on in a heartbeat.

Good-natured as the ribbing may be, it can’t hurt to brush up on some cigar “do’s and don’ts” before you have a cigar among the aficionados. Included are some suggestions for classy cigars and accessories that will show off your sense of refinement and good taste.

1. It is not a race. Smoking a cigar should be a leisure activity. The best way to start is to smoke as if it is no big deal. Take your time and enjoy it.

The Ashton Magnum is a smooth and creamy cigar that is perfect for new smokers. The aroma and flavor is remarkably consistent so you won’t ever get a bad draw. Ashton Magnums are made from Dominican leaves and shade-grown Connecticut wrappers. It is truly a cigar to be savored.

2. Trim the end of your cigar with a cigar cutter. Don’t try to bite it off with your teeth. This may look cool in the movies but it will just leave you with an unsightly and decidedly uncouth mouthful of tobacco.

The Double Blade Stainless Round Cigar Cutter from Orleans is an inexpensive yet fully functional cigar cutter. In other words, it is perfect for beginners. It works with a dual-blade guillotine action, which ensures a shred-free cut. It is housed in a durable stainless steel case for a long lifespan.

3. Don’t grind out a cigar in an ashtray. Let it go out on its own. This is a handy technique for being able to re-light a cigar later on. It is also polite to not leave the smudged out remains of tobacco scattered around in an ashtray.

In your own home, it is also nice to have a relatively clean ashtray. The Flor De Gonzalez Ashtray is made of simple black porcelain with the company’s logo in the center. It is square with resting places for your cigar in all four corners.

4. If there is less than a quarter left, let it go out in an ashtray. When a cigar starts to get that short, it will begin to lose its flavor. Nothing gold can stay. When it gets to the ¼ mark, it is time to let it go.

Another practical and stylish ashtray is the Hexagon Crystal Cigar Ashtray from Orleans. It looks incredibly luxurious for its modest price. It has wide stirrups (that’s where the cigar rests) to accommodate bigger cigars and a deep bowl for plenty of ash.

5. Don’t show off. Nothing screams amateur more than someone who makes a big deal out of smoking a cigar. Cigar holders and fancy smoking techniques are the antithesis of the cool guy casually smoking a cigar. You are allowed to blow smoke rings though. That’s a cool trick that’s not overtly flashy.

The best way to look natural smoking a cigar is to find one that you enjoy. In the beginning, it is best to start with a milder cigar and work your way up to fuller flavors. The Montecristo #1 is a legendary Cuban-inspired cigar that is made in the Dominican Republic.

6. Don’t chew on it. You are not Peter Parker’s grizzled boss at the newspaper. You are not a grunt in World War II. Unless you are being shot at or trying to ruin Spider-Man’s good name, chewing on a cigar is just plain gross.

Fine cigars can be works of art and the Griffin’s Robusto Natural is not something that you chomp away at. It has a rich and mild taste that smokers of every level can enjoy.

7. Don’t ask for a light. Seriously, you are a cigar smoker now. You should be carrying your own lighter around. In the worst case scenario, ask the bartender for a pack of matches.

The refillable Xikar EX Windproof Flame Cigar Lighter is far more practical than it sounds. It looks good and is affordable without appearing cheap or flashy. It is a functional, fantastic lighter that gets your cigar lit. What else could you want?

8. Don’t be afraid to let it go out and re-light it later. If you have spent some money on a nice cigar, there is no need to smoke it all at once and no need to waste it. Just scrape the ash off and rotate it over a flame for a moment to catch it again.

The Davidoff Millienium Churchill is a full-bodied, hearty, Dominican cigar that you won’t want to let go to waste. These cigars are top-notch and have a complex blend of aromas and flavors. Don’t be afraid to let it go out and enjoy the rest later.

9. Take your time warming up the end before you light it. This prevents you from charring the tobacco.

The Vector Vulcan Triple Flame shoots out a powerful trident flame that will allow you to perfectly light your cigar without over-toasting it.

10.  Don’t smoke one after another. You are not chain smoking cigarettes here. Cigars are meant to be savored. Take your time and enjoy it. When it’s done, it’s done. Get on with your life for a while before having another.

If you find yourself enjoying your new pastime of smoking cigars, you are going to want to eventually invest in a humidor to keep them fresh. The Capri Humidor is a lovely, affordable way to keep your cigars tasting fresh for a long time.

Smoking cigars isn’t like smoking cigarettes. It is a hobby, not a habit. It is the difference between enjoying a fine glass of wine and slamming whiskey before noon. Take to heart these tips and smoke in moderation and you will be on your way in no time.

For those who do a lot of entertaining, it’s hard to come up with new party themes. But the recent popularity of cigars offers a great creative party idea for stressed-out would-be party hosts.

Putting together a good party is hard – and gets harder as you grow older. In college, it’s easy enough to satisfy your guests with, say, a bowlful of pretzels and a keg of beer, but friends burdened with adult responsibilities – a job to get up for, a child to raise – may not want to drive out to your place just for some stale salt-heavy snacks and a can or two of average quality beer. So you’ve got to come up with fun new ideas. But this gets stressful, complex, and sometimes expensive as well. After you’ve tried out your first two or three great inspirations, you may begin to burn out on entertaining all together.

But there’s hope. Try throwing a cigar-sampler party.

Cigars aren’t just your grandfather’s chosen indulgence anymore – they’ve grown increasingly popular during the past fifteen years or so. After bottoming out during the 1980s, cigars became the break of choice for a well-educated, younger demographic, even as other forms of smoking went into decline. They’re just luxurious enough to feel like the break you deserve, but, since they’re designed to be smoked slowly, one at a time, and in moderation (unlike cigarettes), they won’t break the bank. Their infinite differences in taste offer the pleasures of connoisseurship as well: experienced smokers learn to enjoy the differences between double claro cigars (light and generally dry-tasting, with very tan outer wrappers) and maduros (dark brown in color and sweetish), between the great cigars of Nicaragua and those of the Dominican Republic or Turkey. A cigar-themed party makes sense if your friends are smokers, and it also makes sense for those who aren’t (as long as, you make sure not to invite anybody who’s passionately anti-smoking or allergic to tobacco).

Here are some tips on throwing a cigar-themed party:

1) Buy a sampler or two of premium cigars, until you have enough to cover the number of planned guests. (Keep the guest list small – you’ll have better-quality interactions, and you’ll keep the party affordable.)

2) Cigar samplers are easy to buy online, but be careful. Some cigar stores “lead off” with a too-good-to-be-true deal – an inexpensive sampler labeled “premium.” Usually these cheap “premium” platters actually contain only a few top cigars, and are then rounded out with cigar pawns – cheaply-made knockoff cigars. Make sure that your sampler comes from a high-quality cigar shop or online store, and that you know what you’re getting.

3) Once you have your premium-cigar sampler, assign one cigar to each guest.

4) On the night of the party, serve simple snacks before you serve the cigars. (Cigars tend not to go well with ultra-creamy or rich foods.) Hard cheeses, dark chocolates, fruit, coffee, and fine red wines or beers are recommended. Remember – avoid anything too rich!

5) After folks have eaten and had a few drinks, bring out the cigars. Have everyone head outside with his or her assigned cigar and a drink; light everyone’s cigar, and tell them to smoke up. You’ll have given all your guests something new to talk about.

6) If desired, encourage your guests to bring their own cigars, which can be collected and served as part of a “second round” later. Guests could compare the tastes of their two assigned cigars. You could even encourage one of your guests to bring some non-premium cigars, even off-brand gas-station cigars, as a gaga – though only if you’re going for a second round of smoking!

Experienced cigar smokers will enjoy the chance to share their enthusiasm with others. New smokers and nonsmokers will be trying and enjoying something new.

Remember when lighting to cut the cap of the cigar, then, using a wooden match or a zippo lighter or other full flame (not a paper match), turn the end of the cigar in the flame a full 360 degrees until every part of it is lit. Remind your guests who haven’t smoked cigars before that they shouldn’t inhale – this isn’t a cigarette! Pull the smoke into your mouth and taste it thoroughly without allowing it into your lungs. Remember, it’s about the taste.

The number of people shopping online for cigar accessories has been on the rise, in the past one decade or so. Perhaps this is yet another piece of evidence that the Internet market has come of age – so that people shop there for things they wouldn’t even have considered buying remotely, in days gone by. And the beauty of online shopping is that trends can be very easily monitored. It is from such monitoring of online shopping for cigar accessories that we can be in a position to work out what the most commonly bought cigar accessories are.

Understandably, cigar lighters come across as the most commonly bought cigar accessories online – and presumably, offline too. These, for the benefit of those who are new to the whole cigar smoking business, are the devices you use to light up your cigar, so that you can smoke it. Of course, anything that produces an open flame can serve this purpose. But using the ‘right tool for the right job’ (the specialized cigar lighter in this case) makes you come across as a person with a refined taste,  a person of class; which is definitely not the case when you use a matchstick for the job. Some cigar lighters will tend to be very beautifully crafted; whereas others are rather rudimentary, practical if you like. Ultimately, you tend to get what you pay for.

The reason as to why cigar lighters are amongst the most commonly bought cigar accessories is because their usage is inevitable. You have to light a cigar to enjoy it. And if your image is something you care about, you need to ensure that it is a proper lighter you are using. It also doesn’t help that the lighters are notoriously easy to lose; so that most people are perpetually replacing theirs.

Cigar tubes are another variety of cigar accessories that are very commonly bought. They are meant to serve the purpose of protecting the cigars, the same way an arsenal would protect the arrows in it. They are also image devices: you don’t want to be seen pulling cigars out of your pocket, if you can afford to be seen getting them out of a proper case.

Then there are cigar cases, as another variety of very commonly bought cigar accessories. These too, serve a practical purpose of protecting the cigars (just as the cigar tubes do); but they tend to be larger in size. They are also something of image devices – being seen pulling your cigars out of a case is definitely better than being seen pulling them out of your back pocket.

Cigar cutters are the next most commonly purchased cigar accessories. These find application in the smoking process itself; and they are quite indispensable. They are the devices you used to nip the ‘cap’ of the cigar so that you can start enjoying it. Of course, you could use your knife to uncap your cigars; but only will you look uncultured, you will also be taking the risk of making a mess of them.

Electronic Cigarettes Review

A Long Time Smoker Speaks Out

For me smoking cigarettes is an addiction, an obsession. I have smoked most of my adult life. Sure-I quit several times-10 years being the longest period of abstinence. So if I could make it that long-what happened?

Well mostly it was a separation and ultimately a divorce that weakened my resolve.

We smokers make all sorts of excuses for continuing, but I am intelligent enough to realize that I’m just lying to my friends and family, and more importantly, I am lying to myself.

We smokers will grasp at any evidence that smoking is OK! My step-grandfather smoked a pack of unfiltered Camels for as long as I knew him. He was in his mid-nineties when he died-not of cancer or heart disease.

We can call the cause of death simply old age…

Now this is, of course, a pretty weak excuse for me since he wasn’t a blood relative, so I can’t claim any hereditary benefits. Electronic Cigarettes Review

I’m Really in The Nicotine Rut

My days all begin about the same way: During the week I drag my weary butt out of bed at 5:00 a.m., shower, dress and then walk the dog. All this time until I hook up Cindy’s leash I’m thinking about that first cigarette.

And so it goes throughout the day. Oh, I have cut back a bit. One pack usually lasts a day and a half. As I write this I often think of myself as a 73 year old idiot. But you see…I am addicted to nicotine.

Government at every level has come down on us smokers. Most places are off limits and smoking has been banned anywhere I go.

Is There Any Hope?

At times over the years I’ve been given something to hang onto. Medical science will come up with some new finding that gives me a glimmer of hope. But is there really any defense against the myriad health problems that smoking lays claim to? Quitting seems like medical science’s only solution.

A short time ago -in an email exchange, a lifelong friend said, “You’ve been smoking so long that it probably won’t make any difference if you did quit.” Unfortunately I tend to believe him.

So what is on the horizon for us smokers? The most recent flash of light came from a report I read about a very amazing discovery. I was researching material for an article I was writing on “free radicals.” The free radicals I speak of are not a bunch of 1960′s flower children who avoided prison. The free radicals in this case are inside our bodies and they are an enemy of our good health. Electronic Cigarettes Review