Obama is Spock?

This article came out in the last week on Newsweek's website and has some startling and inane comparisons of President Obama and Mr. Spock from Star Trek. My questions are simple: can't we just enjoy entertainment for the sake of entertainment anymore? Why does some Obama lickspittle have to do their best to ruin the entertainment value of this movie for the close to 50 percent of the American public that did not vote for Mr. Obama? Is it any wonder why no one takes Newsweek seriously anymore (along with MSNBC, CBS and the New York Times)?

10 Albums: The Late Great PFR

The Late Great PFR (1997)
This album is a simple and definitive proof that a Christian band doesn't have to suck. There are other Christian bands that I enjoy a lot (Jars of Clay and Third Day, to name two), but PFR is the classic band that paved the way for these and many other Christian rock bands and this album features all of their best music.

First and foremost, of course, what comes through in these songs is the writers' faith in God. Unlike the stereotype of Christian music, though, there are no illusions that the singer is perfect or that life is always easy. "Great Lengths" (one of several new songs on the album) talks about how the speaker has done much to please himself, but hasn't worked so hard on pleasing God and how that has been to his own detriment. "Pray for Rain" turns the notion that rain is a bad thing on its head, speaking of God's healing rain in a dry season of life.

Then there are the unusual songs, like "Goldie's Last Day," the first--and perhaps only--song about the last day the writer got to spend with his beloved pet dog. The melody and arrangement are playful and sorrowful at the same time, with echoes of the Beatles and Queen throughout. The hidden track at the very end of the last song is destined to bring a smile to your face; it's a little country ditty about how they ran over some pigs on their tour bus.

Other songs speak to relationships; "The Love I Know" talks about how love that flows from God can overcome relational obstacles. "Fare Thee Well" is the song they wrote about breaking up as a band; they remain friends and brothers in Christ but the time they worked together has come to an end (they did get back together a few years later, but it didn't last).

I love most of the songs on this collection, but my favorites are "Forever," "Anything," "That Kind of Love," and "Pray for Rain." As a band, PFR (stands for Pray For Rain, by the way) demonstrated to me that Christian bands could have a great pop sensibility with awesome hooks, fun melodies, and premiere musicianship without compromising their beliefs.

10 Albums: Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen

Born to Run (1975)
This album would exist on this list if it were a single and only contained two songs: "Born to Run" and "Thunder Road."

My brother is the one who introduced me to Bruce Springsteen back in the days when everyone thought Bruce was patriotic for singing "Born in the U.S.A." That album was great, but Born to Run is epic. A fairy tale, love letter to New Jersey where The Boss (you have to capitalize both the "T" and the "B") takes us on a journey through a land populated with losers, has-beens, and never-weres...and the occasional person who lucks out like Bad Scooter did when the Big Man joined the band.

This is another of those albums where there really are no bad songs. There are lesser songs, but no bad ones. "Meeting Across the River" and "Night" are probably the least memorable in my mind. It's easy to get caught up in "Jungleland," "She's The One," "Backstreets" and "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out."

Again, what really makes this album for me, though, is the presence of two songs: "Thunder Road" is my favorite Springsteen song. I love how it's done on this album, I love how he does it on the "Live" Box Set. The loneliness and desire to be accepted and rise above strikes a chord with the everyman. "Born to Run" is simply the finest rock song ever written or recorded. It's anthemic and universal and has some of the finest sounds ever to pump out of your stereo speakers, from Boom Carter's fantastic drumming, Clarence Clemons rippin' sax and the amazing keyboards of David Sancious and Danny Federici. Bruce's vocals, an acquired taste, are perfect for this job.

How Swine Flu is Spread...

President Barack Obama shakes hands with Venezuelan thug strong-man, Hugo Chavez. I'll leave you to decide which one is the swine...

Thank you, Fox Network!

I was a frequent critic of President George W. Bush's inability to connect with people and refusal to talk straight to the people on a regular basis. On the other hand, Barack Hussein Obama's monthly teleprompter-led news conferences are getting on my nerves simply because every time he decides he has to have one, every station in existence feels they have to carry it. Honestly, with C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, CNN, Headline News, MSNBC, CNBC, Fox News, Fox Business and the Home and Gardens Network all carrying it (alright, I made that last one up), is there any reason for ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox TV to all pre-empt their carefully scheduled lineup in deference to the arrogant ravings of a madman? Especially when practically every family in the country with a TV has the option of watching BO on cable stations? And that would include pretty well every voting family!

So, I say a hearty "Thank You" to Fox Television Network for saying "Thanks, but No Thanks" to Obama's request for yet more primetime airspace this Wednesday evening. At least they are giving us a choice of watching Eli Roth's "Lie to Me" or watching Barack Obama's "lies to us." We haven't yet watched "Lie To Me," but I think this week we just might!

10 Albums: Tribute by Ozzy Osbourne

Tribute (1987)
In 1987, I was not a heavy metal fan...until I started hanging out at a friend's house. Darren was a big metal fan and I got pulled into it after listening and finding out that not all of it was the "devil's music." I got a fuller appreciation for the musicianship in certain bands and the lyrical content, which could be surprisingly complex...or just sometimes very stereotypical...almost Spinal Tap-ish in nature.

The album that cemented my interest in metal was this one: Tribute, by Ozzy Osbourne and Randy Rhoads (no, not the pathetic Air America lamebrain). Being of a conservative Baptist upbringing, I had been taught that Ozzy was the worst of the worst. I disagreed vehemently at that time. Twenty years further down the road...well, Ozzy isn't a Christian singer, but he's also not the devil incarnate. His reference to himself as the "Prince of Darkness" is more showmanship than anything else.

Randy Rhoads was a singularly-talented guitarist who is still one of my favorites over 25 years after he died in a tragic plane accident. After Ozzy left Black Sabbath, he embarked upon a solo career and one of the first orders of business was to find a spectacular guitarist. He found that in the young guitarist for Quiet Riot. Randy left the band to join Ozzy, recorded two awesome albums (Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman) and then died. This live album captures the energy from the live shows immediately following these two albums and actually includes most of the songs from both albums, including "Mr. Crowley," "Flying High Again," and Ozzy's signature solo song, "Crazy Train." Also included are a handful of Sabbath covers, including "Iron Man" and Ozzy's signature song from that period, "Paranoid."

From here, my tastes in heavy music ranged everywhere from Motley Crue and Bon Jovi to Metallica and Megadeth. At the same time, though, I refused to let go of the other music I liked: Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen, etc. These days I don't listen to a lot of heavy metal, but I can still appreciate much of it and I haven't made a concerted effort to get rid of old albums. I am glad to have it as one of the many genres of music in my collection.

10 Albums: Us by Peter Gabriel

Us (1992)
Peter Gabriel is a visionary fan of "world music" sounds who never fails to incorporate his passions into what often becomes "pop music." I was a fan after 1986's blockbuster, So, but became an even bigger fan upon the release of this collection of songs. If you can find a better collection of songs that deal with communication and relationships than this one, let me know.

From the start, you can tell this one is special. The swelling guitar followed by tribal drums that presage the bagpipes of "Come Talk To Me." The language is metaphoric as the speaker pleads with his lover to please just "talk to me" so they work through the issues that have hindered their relationship.

Gabriel explores similar relational problems in "Blood of Eden" with Sinead O'Connor along as the female side of the coin; this song doesn't end on a hopeful note, though, as "Talk" does. "Love to Be Loved" and "Digging in the Dirt" are a more introspective side, with Gabriel expressing his own feelings and frustrations as he tries to work out just what's wrong.

"Steam" and "Kiss That Frog" represent the more "pop" side of Gabriel's music, with upbeat danceable tracks. If you can't understand the strong sexual undercurrent in "Steam" you just aren't trying very hard. "Frog" is based upon the "Princess and the Frog" fairy tale, and is an encouragement to not always judge someone based on first impressions.

My two favorite songs on this album are the ones that look at the maturing of a love affair and the happiness and joy this brings. "Only Us" ends the first side of the original tape version I have of this album. It talks about a sort of tunnel-vision that has occurred: "The further on I go, the less I know. I can find...only us breathing...only us sleeping...only us dreaming...only us." As he has travelled the world in his "great escape" he has realized what is most important in life."

My favorite song ever by Peter Gabriel is "In Your Eyes" (thanks, Say Anything!), but a close second is "Secret World," the song that closes this album. Here Gabriel's "Secret World" is the place where he and his lover exist, a "sun-sheltered place" where he has dwelled long enough to see her for who she really is: "the face behind the face." Everything has not been easy in this world as they are "divided in two like Adam and Eve" but he has made the choice to stay "in this house of disrepair" and work on it.

10 Albums: Faith Hope Love by King's X

Faith Hope Love (1990)
I first heard a King's X song listening to the radio in 1990. Yes, there was a time when you could actually hear a King's X song on the radio...occasionally...and that song...that one song...was "It's Love" from Faith Hope Love. I was immediately intrigued by the hard rockin' sound and the tight vocal harmonies. I picked up the album soon thereafter.

This album is one of the finest pieces of rock art ever produced by an incredibly talented band that was in their prime in the early '90s. King's X epitomizes the concept of the "power trio;" bass is handled by Doug Pinnick, guitars by Ty Tabor and drums by Jerry Gaskill. All three sing lead, all three sing harmony. In their entire catalog, Doug problems sings lead on about 70 percent of the songs, Ty leads most of the rest and Jerry leads about 3 (but he had a solo album where he did all lead vocals--the guy really can sing).

One thing to address is the question "Is King's X a Christan band?" At the time that this album came out, I think the answer would have to be "Yes." Besides the title of the album, a reference to 1 Corinthians 13, there were several other overt references to God and Jesus on the album, including "Talk to You," "Moanjam," and "Everywhere I Go" not to mention the snippet of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" at the very tail end/fade-out of "Legalkill." They later maintained that they were never a "Christian band" but simply a band made up of Christians, but the distinction really didn't make any difference when their early albums were littered with worshipful words and C.S. Lewis references.

The title of the album defines the themes: Faith is talked about and struggled with in "Mr. Wilson," "Moanjam," and "I Can't Help It." Hope is expressed in "We Are Finding Who We Are" and "Legalkill." Love overflows in "It's Love," "I'll Never Get Tired Of You," "The Fine Art of Friendship," and "We Were Born To Be Loved." The vocal harmonies are tight and the musicianship is incomparable throughout, with tasty guitar solos, crunchy bass (with a smattering of 12-string bass in some songs), and rock-solid drumming anchoring everything.

I can't talk about this album without mentioning "Legalkill." I have for many years believed this song to be a straight-out anti-abortion song. I still believe that. Ty sings lead on this one and I think he's saying that he believes abortion to be wrong, but he has a hard time dealing with some of the people on our side of the argument.

King's X is still together and still putting out great music. It's not quite as avant-garde as it was 20 years ago, but they do still sound great. These days, all three guys have rejected organized religion while maintaining their belief in God. All three have gone through some tough personal issues in the last 15 years or so, and some of that gets reflected in the music, which isn't nearly as positive as it was on Faith Hope Love.

Friday Funnies: AMAZINGLY SIMPLE HOME REMEDIES

1. If you are choking on an ice cube simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat. Presto! The blockage will instantly remove itself.
2. Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop.
3. Avoid arguments with the Mrs. about lifting the toilet seat by using the sink.
4. For high blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure in your veins. Remember to use a timer.
5. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.
6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives; then you'll be afraid to cough.
7. You only need two tools in life - WD-40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.
8. Remember: Everyone seems normal until you get to know them..
9. If you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical problem.

Daily Thought:
SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES; NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING BUT THEY
BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS.

Thank you to one of the regulars at Nashville Cigar Club for posting this list a few days ago.

T-Shirt Design Worth Wearing

10 Albums: Abbey Road by the Beatles

Abbey Road (1969)
What really needs to be said here? The final output from what is widely regarded as the finest rock band to ever exist. The album where they decided to put aside their differences (mostly), forget about experimental psychadelia (mostly), and create a lasting testament to the power and majesty of rock music. Okay...maybe a little overdone, but this is my favorite Beatles album...

From the beginning to the end, this album is a masterpiece. John Lennon's "Come Together" kicks off the proceedings, followed by George Harrison's inimitable "Something" and Paul McCartney's silly fun "Maxwell's Silver Hammer." Well, that last one probably could have been left off, actually; it's an interesting, fun song about a brutal murderer, but not nearly as good as the rest of the album. McCartney quickly acquits himself with "Oh! Darling," one of the best songs he did ever sing, then Ringo gets his chance to shine with "Octopus's Garden."

The second side of the album is the magnum opus of the Beatles, though. Starting with "Because" and continuing through "You Never Give Me Your Money," "Sun King," "Mean Mr. Mustard," "Polythene Pam," and "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window" the assembled members of the band present a story of themselves and character studies of curious individuals, all with barely a break between songs, making the whole thing seem like a giant classical piece. And as that piece ends, another begins with "Golden Slumbers." The wistful, melancholy words ring true for the band: "Once there was a way to get back home." There's no way for the band to return to what they were at the beginning (home); it's a sad thing and the members will "carry that weight a long time." But there is still celebration to be done in "The End" where Ringo kicks it off with a drum solo and then George, John, and Paul take turns trying to out-do each other on guitar. "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."

Of course, the Beatles always had a sense of humor and even after "The End" they couldn't resist another little snippet about "Her Majesty."

One of the finest moments in rock music, it made me a believer in the Beatles legacy and sustained power.

10 Albums: Beyond Nature by Phil Keaggy

Beyond Nature (1991)
It's not often that the first album I buy from an artist is still my favorite 15 or 20 years later, but this is one of those cases where that happened. I had heard of Phil Keaggy, but had never actually heard his music, so when I signed up for some music club, I put this album on my list of "10 for a penny," or whatever the offer was. I was not prepared for what arrived in the mail. A tour de force of fingerstyle acoustic guitar. To put it simply, Phil Keaggy is a singularly astounding guitar player.

If you are looking for something as loud as Eddie Van Halen, this is not what you're looking for. But if you are looking for absolutely beautiful, classical-style music with acoustic guitar, occasionally accompanied by orchestral instruments, definitely give this a try. I have found this to be the most relaxing and soothing album in my collection--as well as among the most musically inspiring. Keaggy features Celtic-inspired songs, hymn interpretations, and what he called in concert once "Debussy meets 'Yellow Submarine'"--"Fare Thee Well." Many of the songs are in alternate tunings...and he lists the tunings in the CD booklet where there would normally be lyrics! This is one of my favorite albums to listen to on a relaxing morning where I don't have anything that "has to be" done. I can just kick back with a cup of coffee and a nice cigar, sit out on my front porch and take in God's creation while listening to a man that God has gifted greatly.

It took a few years to work my way into Keaggy's other albums, but when I did, I couldn't stop until I had bought everything available...and some that weren't readily available, but eBay helps with that! I now have about 56 of his albums, with a few still missing from the collection. If you ever get the chance to see him in concert, you should. He generally plays in churches and many of the concerts are free of charge (a ministry of the church he is playing in) or are very inexpensive. He usually plays solo concerts with just his guitar and a few tools/toys. His tools include his pedals (or stomp boxes) and a JamMan that allows him to record loops while he is playing, layer loop over loop over loop, and make it sound like several people are on stage creating this beautiful sound. I've been to 3 concerts myself and have DVDs of 4 others--and I plan to go again when he performs within an hour's drive of where I now live.

Do I Want This Man to Lose Again?

Illegal immigration.
Gang of 14.
Close Club Gitmo.
Global Warming.
Tax Cuts.
Teaming with Ted Kennedy (on anything).
Trampling the 1st Amendment (McCain/Feingold)

Hmm, let me think about it...yes, I want John McCain to lose the Republican primary for his Senate seat next year. And if he wins that, I would like to see him lose to the Democrat in the general election. We've had enough "liberal Republicans" like McCain...time for the Reaganites to take back the party!

10 Albums: Walk On by John Hiatt

Walk On (1995)
That's right, a John Hiatt album that is not the one that inspired the name of this website...I don't remember the first time I heard of John Hiatt. I think it must have been after Bonnie Raitt struck the big time with "Thing Called Love" and someone mentioned that it had been written by some fellow named Hiatt. One her next album, I found the song "No Business" written by the same person and like the song, although it was not destined to become a big hit for her.

I was listening to the radio one day and they had Hiatt live with some of the members of his band promoting his latest offering. I was amazed at the sounds coming from my radio: guitar and mandolin and unusual vocals with very interesting lyrics. The songs I remember from that day were "Cry Love" and "Walk On" and shortly thereafter I acquired the album.

Those songs have held up very well, but so have "Dust Down a Country Road," "Ethylene," "I Can't Wait," "Your Love is My Rest" and...well, the whole album has held up pretty well. Hiatt has a great way of mixing rock, country, blues, and bluegrass that can best be summed up as "roots music." His lyrics are heartfelt and personal many times and it's easy to see all what he has experienced through the prism of the words he sings in his songs. Obviously, not every song is autobiographical, but he has a knack for making you feel like they are.

In the 14 years since I got this album, I think Hiatt has put out a few albums that top it, including The Tiki Bar is Open, Crossing Muddy Waters, and Beneath This Gruff Exterior, but I find myself coming back to this album frequently--a great example of Americana.

10 Albums: Invisible Touch by Genesis

Time for a new series/feature here on the Tiki Bar: 10 Albums That "Changed My Life." Did these albums literally change my life? Some yes, some no. All of them definitely had an impact on my life, changing my listening habits, helping me to appreciate a new type of music, or introducing me to an artist who would eventually become one of my favorites. Just because these particular albums had an impact on me does not mean they are what I would consider to be that particular artist's best album--again, some yes, some no. It was pretty easy to narrow it down to 10 albums, but I did make one rule for myself: only one album per artist or group--and if an artist fronted a group, that doesn't mean that I can have one solo and one group unless the solo artist wasn't part of the group effort. For example, I do have a Peter Gabriel album on the list, but he wasn't part of Genesis for Invisible Touch so I don't consider that a violation of the rule. However, I could not have Phil Keaggy and Glass Harp because Keaggy was part of all Harp recordings. I'll post one entry per day until I finish the 10 albums; they are not in order of impact, preference, or chronology--the order is random.

Invisible Touch (1986)
Sometime in 1986, I made my first trip to the record store to purchase my very first rock album. That album would be Invisible Touch by Genesis (on cassette tape, by the way). I had fallen in love with the sound of Phil Collins, Tony Banks, and Mike Rutherford thanks to songs such as "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight," "Land of Confusion," and the title track. Hard-core Genesis fans will usually dismiss this album as a sell-out to commercialism...and maybe it is...but that didn't stop me from enjoying every minute of it and I still enjoy it today. Last year I bought the re-mastered version--the first time I have ever owned the album on CD. I am still impressed by the densely layered sounds in "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" as well as the wonderful musicianship in "Domino" and "The Brazilian." Really--there's isn't a bad song on this album, even after more than 20 years. If you don't own it, you really should. And now's a great time to buy, too, as Rhino Records was part of the re-mastering and re-packaging of all Genesis albums in the last few years. The current CD incarnation is a double-disc affair with the second disc being a DVD. Said DVD includes interviews with the players about the making of the album, all the associated music videos and 5.1 surround sound mixes of all songs on the album.

Following this album, I would go on to buy many, many more rock albums over the years, but I will always remember this one as my very first. I think I even have the original cassette somewhere, too!

Cigar Review: La Flor Dominicana, Grand Maduro No. 5

This La Flor Dominicana cigar is from their "Premium Line" (it says so right on the band!) and measures 6.25" by 52 ring. I got this cigar as part of the 10-pack at last month's LFD event at Burns in Chattanooga. I wanted to take the time to review this one because I have never had a cigar before from their "Premium Line" and wanted to see how it compares with the Ligero, Double Ligero and Coronado lines that I am very familiar with.

The appearance was smooth with a few larger veins. It was slightly oily to the touch, but also had that semi-velvety feel that you get with a Torano Exodus 1959. The aroma was a mix of black licorice, coffee and dried fruit, with just a little bit of barnyard mixed in. The box-press was a mild one, with just slightly rounded corners. As a matter of fact, the picture of this cigar on the LFD website does not even look like a box-pressed stick. The prelight draw was very easy and the flavors are more of dark chocolate and coffee. I wasn't thrilled with the aroma on prelight, but the prelight flavors got my interest and expectations back up.

After lighting, the initial flavors are of black coffee and earth with some black pepper and leatheriness on the finish. It struck me as a medium to full-bodied smoke right from the beginning and gave off a prodigious amount of smoke. During the first third, the cigar displayed mostly the coffee flavor while retaining the peppery finish. The body remained mostly in the high-medium range--definitely not a butt-kicker, but very nice.

During the the second third, the burn got a little unever and I had to touch it up a bit. The flavor got a little more on the earthy side, but some of the coffee flavor remained, too. The pepper spice had all but disappeared by this time. As I finished up the second third and head into the home-stretch, I am impressed by the construction: the draw remained perfect and the ash holds on for at least an inch. The flavors remained very consistent throughout the smoke, with just some minor variations on which ones were most prominent at different times.

Overall, this is a very fine cigar that would probably be most appreciated by the less-experienced smoker who wouldn't want the kick of the Ligero and Double-Ligero cigars and wouldn't distinguish the complexity they have either. My biggest beef with this one is price: it's really not complex or flavorful enough to justify the $8 to 9 per stick price tag.

Body: 7
Strength: 6
Complexity: 4

AFP Scale:
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 3/5
Value: .5/1
Total: 7.5/10

Farewell, old friend

Hard to believe it was just about a year ago that I first discovered An American Front Porch, courtesy of Stogie Review, where AFP proprietor Nathan McIntyre had posted a guest video review (Nub Connecticut, if memory serves me well). Several members of the Tiki Bar listened faithfully to the AFP Porchcast and stuck with AFP through a transitionary period when Nathan wasn't sure he would be able to keep the blog going. The new version of the blog was less cigar-centric, but was still one I hit daily to see what was on other people's minds.

AFP was the instigation for the revival of the Tiki Bar blog, in case you didn't know. I had tried the blog another time, but found it too difficult to keep going the way I was maintaining it so I decided to try Blogger. AFP was an inspiration to get the Tiki Bar going again and has been a continued inspiration as I try to keep fun and interesting postings going--whether they relate to cigars (not enough of those lately, I know), politics (probably too many of those), pop culture, or whatever.

Today when I tried to surf to the site, WordPress informed me that the site had been deleted by the owner. I have an e-mail in to Nathan to see if this is indeed the end of AFP, but it looks like that's the case as the site hadn't been updated regularly in a couple months. If I receive a reply, I'll amend this post later.

Nate and Cam, if you read this...thank you, again. You guys were always a kick to listen to on the podcast and the blog was always provocative and interesting. I wish you guys well. Please drop a line if you are able to revive AFP.

P.S. I did get a reply from Nate concerning the blog. As I suspected, he just didn't have the time to continue it. For those of us who followed, there was this message: "Thanks so much for being faithful to the Porch. It's not dead. It's just a website. :)"

P.P.S. I forgot to mention one other aspect of AFP that will continue to live on...When the guys were doing the podcast, they came up with the "Everyman's Cigar Review Scale." I found it to be a interesting and tremendously easy way to break down my thoughts on cigars so I began using it. It's also very easy to remember...a huge bonus! I will continue using the scale and will refer to it as "AFP Scale" from now on. For those who don't know or don't remember the scale, I will detail it in a blog posting soon.

A Thousand Words

Barack Obama: the Presidential choice of convicted murderers!

With Apologies to Jeff Foxworthy

I found this article today linked to on the Drudge Report and it immediately brought to mind a take-off on "You may be a redneck."

If you think that abortion is morally wrong and wish to protest outside an abortion provider...you may be a right-wing extremist!

If you think that our country is being completely over-run with illegal immigrants and that the federal and/or state governments should damn well do something about it...you may be a right-wing extremist!

If you think that the Obama administration's handling of the current economic crisis is only making things worse...you may be a right-wing extremist!

If you think that Barack Obama is an absolutely lousy commander-in-chief and leave the armed forces because of it...you may be a right-wing extremist!

If you bought a new gun since Obama was elected President...you may be a right-wing extremist!

If you want the Obama administration's far-left goals to fail...you may be a right-wing extremist!

Thankfully, not all the citizens of this great nation are as blinded by the left-wing lunacy of the Obama administration and the new head of Homeland Security (Janet Napolitano, pictured above). The great state of Texas is declaring state's rights sovereignty under the 10th Amendment and intends to tell the federal government where to stick it when they try to pull any unconstitutional shenanigans. And I've heard that other states are trying to do the same thing. I may have to take back some of the things I've said about Texas...

Talkin' About a Revolution...

Only 3 days (maybe less, by the time anyone reads this!) until Tax Day 2009 and, more importantly, TEA Party Day. That's TEA, which stands for "Taxed Enough Already." There are dozens, if not hundreds, of protests against oppressive tax policy and big government happening all over this great nation on Wednesday and I would encourage everyone to take part. I will be attending the Chattanooga, TN event with my dad and will make sure to post any interesting pictures and/or video I take.

Stand up for your freedom...while you still can! Find an event near you and let your voice be heard!

Close to Home

Thoughts and prayers go out this Good Friday to the folks living in the city I was born: Murfreesboro, TN. Just a few hours ago, Murfreesboro was hit by at least one tornado. At least 13 people have been hospitalized at this time and 2 have been confirmed dead. Several areas of the city were severely damaged, including areas very close to my great aunt and uncle's house--thank God, they are okay. More information:

Here

And Here

And Here

We were hit a little while ago by the same line of storms. The lightening flashes were almost constant and the thunder rattled the house. The wind was the strongest we've seen since moving here, but at the end of the experience, everything and everyone is okay.

Cigar Event: Nub Live 2009 Tour Kickoff

Saturday, April 4, my wife and I took a drive to Nashville so I could attend my first (but hopefully not last) event with the Nashville Cigar Club. The event was held at the world-famous Uptowns Smoke Shop in the southern end of Nashville and the occasion was the kickoff of the Nub 2009 Tour. It's been a year since the first Nub cigars came out and people have been clamoring for more, so Sam Leccia and the Oliva cigar company have delivered: this event was the public debut of the Nub Maduro...but more on that later.

One downside of this event was the "price of admission"; in order to get the special package, you had to buy a whole box of cigars. More money than I am usually prepared to spend at a cigar event, but I ended up buying a box of the smallest Nubs available: Connecticut 354. I personally think the Nub Connecticut is the best mild cigar on the market--and I got to tell Sam that. I told him that, in my opinion, it has better flavor than Davidoffs costing 3 or 4 times as much. So, I now have 23 (yes, I smoked on already) small Nub cigars that are a perfect morning smoke and last about 35 to 45 minutes.

For buying a box, you received a bunch of Nub Live 2009 swag, including a T-shirt, a baseball cap (which I got Sam to sign), stickers, temporary tattoos, and a bag to carry it all in. The two biggest deals you got, though, were two special cigars: a pre-release Nub maduro and a special Nub Live 2009 barber pole, rolled by Sam Leccia himself. There are only 3,000 of the barber pole cigars in existence, all rolled by Sam, and he says that's all there will be--the roll is just too tricky and he doesn't want to do it again. It's a nice looking cigar, though, rolled with Connecticut and Habano wrappers--I'll have to save this one for a special occasion!

Another one to save for a special occasion is the Sam-rolled cigar that I got at the event. After posing for pictures with a bunch of people (myself included) he set to work rolling a bunch of cigars, which he put a special "signature" label on and handed out. I got one of those--again, not sure when I'll break down and smoke that one.

The event was co-sponsored by Gentleman Jack whiskey and they were pouring free-of-charge all night. Not usually my favorite expression of whiskey, but...did I mention the "free" part? There was also live entertainment provided by several singer/songwriters, all of whom were good, but all of whom were turned up way beyond the point of hearing damage. While the music played, I went outside and hung out with some of the NCC members around the classic car show. There were several Corvettes, a Chevelle, and the Pimp-mobile (a 77 Lincoln Continental) with NCC member, Stogie, at the helm.

Oh, and that cigar, the Nub Maduro? Best Nub ever. Full-bodied and full-flavored, sweeter than the Habano but not nearly as butt-kicking (that's a plus in my book, your mileage may vary). The scuttle-butt is that the Maduro should be out later this spring or early this summer--while they have some samples that are ready for these events, they don't have enough properly aged yet to put out for sale. And speaking of not having enough to put out for sale yet, I was told that the Nub Miami, originally slated for November 2008 release, should be out by the end of the summer. This cigar was developed in partnership with Ernesto Padilla so it should give yet another twist to the Nub lineup.

Check out the Nub Live site for complete information about locations and dates of events and try to get to one if you can. Unfortunately, they seem to have forgotten that Southern California exists--the closest they are getting is Fresno.

More pictures of the event can be viewed here.

Words Escape Me...

Getting in the Spirit

To get revved up for tonight's Nub event in Nashville, I decided to smoke a Nub Habano last night. It was great, if stronger than I remembered. Anyway, I got a good (if slightly out-of-focus) picture of the Nub-stand...

Friday Funnies

Check the Big Hollywood website for Steve Crowder's hilarious take on Joe Biden...

and have a Happy Friday and a great weekend!

I will (probably) be heading up to Nashville tomorrow for the kick off of the new Nub tour, featuring the Nub Miami and Maduro cigars (at least that's the rumor). I'll have a full report on the goings-on next week.

Also, for those parties to whom it might be of interest (and you know who you are), I have completed the DVD of the move video and pictures and expect to have copies in the mail early next week. It's about an hour long and the soundtrack is killer, even if some of the dialog and acting is a bit on the amateurish side. :)

Friggin' Global Warming!

Can you believe this:

The Great Red Spot on Jupiter is Shrinking.

The linked-to story doesn't spell it out, but I believe there can be only one culprit for this catastrophic event: global warming. If you don't believe me, just ask Algore or look it up on the internet!

Lefty Freaks on Parade

While most cigar-oriented sites are blogging about the stupidity that is SCHIP today, another story caught my eye:

Clinton backs talks with moderate Taliban

To me, this just smacks of the fanatical leftist agenda that Obama's administration is pushing through. "Moderate Taliban" is like "safe sex"--there really is no such thing. This idea ranks right up there with closing Club Gitmo and releasing some prisoners on the U.S., lowering the office of POTUS by appearing on "The Tonight Show", and the government backing GM's warranties as stupid and possibly disastrous policies of the new administration. Yeah, you read that right...the Obama administration is still "new," having been in office only a couple of months. Of course, in that couple of months, they have spent more money than "W" did in eight years and they have done far more to hinder freedom than the Patriot Act ever did. Can we talk impeachment yet?