One Man's Thoughts

[TJCoro]

As a recent member of this wonderful forum and a long time member of the CA forum, I am finding more and more that I spend much more time here than the other forum. I can think of many reasons why, but I only want to mention one on this thread - The posts at UK Cigar Forum center on the pleasures of the puro and not politics.

I was just at the CA forum and under the General Chat area, the latest thread was nothing but raves about a former president from over 20 years ago. The reason I enjoy posting on cigar forums like this one is because of one simple fact - I Love Cigars! And I don't think I need to mention here what that means, but the primary reason for me is because I love the simple pleasure of relaxing with a fine puro and discussing same with like-minded patrons of the leaf.

Maybe it's just me, but I find that cigars and politics don't mix. At lunch the other day, I brought three wonder NC God of Fire, Double Robusto 06 to enjoy with two of my fellow cigar lovers. Actually, only one is an aficionado; the other has just begun to discover the magic of cigars. It wasn't long after we sparked up and the gushing began that the topic turned to politics . Well, the tensions rose and before I knew it my double robusto was well half gone. So I suggested that we not talk politics while smoking and simply enjoy the pleasure of one of the finest NC puros produced. All agreed.

I became a member of this forum after following a link posted on CA on fake CCs. (I wonder who that was???) I instantly fell in love with the forum and the good folks who post here.

So I hope the forum remains pure as the finest CC puro you can imagine.

Just one man's thoughts.

[Robusto]

Great post, TJ.

I love this forum because not too long ago all I could find were US websites where the cigars discussed were often not available in the UK and I 'couldn't get in'. These were Facebook groups, and they were pretty argumentative. Some guys like to play Top Dog on forums, and I got fed up with one forum where a key player dismissed cigars of fat girth as 'cocksuckers', and - by implication - those who liked them. It could have been funny, but was taken quite seriously. It became Battle Of The Cocksuckers on a daily basis!

I also couldn't find a UK-oriented cigar lovers' site for toffee! In this country, if you are in the provinces, the nearest Havana cigar stores can be scores of miles away.

My 'politics' tends to be motored by ire at the arseholes who are limiting my rights as a cigar smoker. I actually cannot believe how passionate I have started to feel about this.

I like that we don't row on here. I've said that before. ALL the forums (fora?) for musicians I go on are full of arguments and misinterpretations. Oh yes!... Those forums also have battles between the self-elected Top Dog Musos. When you meet some of the bruisers from these sites, they are usually charming and unassuming. Quite pale individuals, in fact. Why do some people spend time trying to impress each other like that?... We all - I think - fictionalise ourselves to a greater or lesser extent on the web. I do!

It's great that we have US and UK BOTL on here, by the way.

I understand how you must have been fed up with political discussions and disagreements affecting your cigar bliss over lunch, and I knew exactly what you meant the other day when you said that your puro moment is best when you are in splendid isolation.

I come on here primarily as a man in love with cigars who wants to learn more about them. I have found out more from this forum and its members than from any other forum.

I cast myself almost as something of a 'saddo' forum jester on any forum. Hence my Ednaesque smoke rings and ashtray challenges. It's bollocks, really, but it allows me - and anyone else - to throw in a bit of different colour. I don't feel the site here is massively specialist or a 'pure' site, so I don't think I'm lowering the tone too much. I drop in whenever possible all through the working day as my day job - as much as I love... quite like... being a teacher - can drive me potty, and I have to escape.

A decade ago, there was me, cigars, Cigar Aficionado... and nobody to communicate with. It was all a bit secretly masturbatory, to be honest!

How much better to be able to communicate with fellow brothers and laugh! (And I think being simultaneously serious and twattish is very British, btw. We usually don't take ourselves too seriously - and the US members on here are just the same!).

I have quite strong political opinions... but I want to share thoughts on cigar cutters, on Cohibas, on Cuba. There has to be a place for political discussion and chat about all sorts, but the last thing I want on here is for someone to take exception to something I've written, for there to be a public row... and for someone to threaten to come round to my house and do me over. Yes - Music forums do head in that direction, and I've lost sleep over stupid posts before now on other sites! Excuse me, but that's fucking ridiculous!

I'm glad you like it here. In the last six months with a number of members we've gifted each other great cigars, we've swapped them between Continents. Several of us are musicians and teachers and talk very similar language about other interests. We've posted pictures of our bands, and sound and YouTube clips of our live shows, as well as of tunes that we've written ourselves. Poems. Lyrics... I've just had a DVD through the post from one member which is really generous and my heart glows at things like that. The UK Cigar Forums member numbers are growing slowly, and for me this is now the first forum I log on to. A while back it was my last favourite to visit.

I've met up with a local guy for a herf, and with another member I know we will hook up quite soon as we live only ten miles apart. I think it's great that my cigar fetish is echoed in another guy's home not far away - and seemingly in ALL members' homes on here. That's splendid compared to the solo interest pre-Web. I'm meeting up with another member in London in a week or so who dropped by to my town on his travels, and with whom I polished off a great cigar in friendship.

Without being too starry-eyed, herfing is about exploring the potential for friendship, brotherhood and companionship in a fat cloud of rich smoke, I feel. In that sense, I see it just as I consider making music with compatible musicians on the same wavelength. There are great parallels for me.

In fact it's wonderful that we are all hooked on the same perfumed bliss of the leaf!

The herf. A great concept. It should be quite easy, given the stated enthusiasms of folk on here, to meet in person and smoke a great Havana together and NOT to fall out over politics!

If you meet up, smoke a cigar or two and realise you have nothing in common, so be it. End of.

If I were super rich and didn't have to go out to work, I could quite happily smoke great cigar after great cigar all day long. Cigar smoking is one of the most peaceful, restorative and civilised things I do, and I derive massive pleasure from all of the rituals of the leaf. I am hooked on it all!

So I would say that there is room for wider discussion on here as long as we keep our heads in the blue blue clouds and don't go at each other with roaring chainsaws on the doorstep!

I'm quite happy to puff away and eat up the server space with posts that are sometimes serious and sometimes frivolous!
I'm glad you like it here, TJ.

[TJCoro]

Well said, Robusto. I appreciate the thoughtful response.

[Drewmidorn]

I have heard about politics before.... never smoked one though.