Maduro Woman Cigar News

Craft Beer and Cigars Tonight!

2012-01-27T23:59:00.010-06:00

So, What do I do, on Friday nights, if I stay in? I make it special. I may cook something I really like, buy a new drink, or simply try something new. Tonight, I decided to make it, a craft beer night. I went to a local large chain that sells an assortment of spirits and cigars. They had a special on craft beers. So I decided to try a couple tonight. I have a Vanilla Porter by Breckenridge Brewery and Jack Stout by the Wild Onion Brewing Company, a small bowl of Snyder's pretzels dipped in dark chocolate, and a Don Rigo Biaggio Cigar.

The Biaggio cigar is has Cubano and Dominican seeds, lots of flavor but has a subtle and smooth finish and could be pretty much paired with a lot of different drinks.

Vanilla Porter

I started with the lighter of the two beers, which was the Vanilla Porter. Vanilla Porter has ale brewed with real vanilla beans. I did not have any chocolate pretzels with this beer. I paired it with my cigar. I really liked it for an ale. Usually, I prefer stouts because they are fuller and maltier. But this went well with my medium body cigar. It had lots of flavor. It did not disappoint me. The Vanilla Porter was mild and mellow to my palette. It was a smooth beer with a hint of sweetness. You can taste the richness of the malt as you swallow. The cigar and the Vanilla Porter did not overpower one another. It was a yummy pair. Now, I am not an expert in spirit and cigar pairings. But I had no arguments here.

More about this beer: http://www.breckbrew.com/brews/vanilla-porter

Jack Stout

The Jack Stout was pretty good too. It's a very full-bodied oatmeal stout. The beer is brewed with five different roasted malts. It's rich, creamy, full, dark in color, malty and you can smell the espresso before taking the initial taste. It is rich with espresso and chocolate. These are a couple of my favorite things, in a beer. I paired this beer with the chocolate pretzels and the cigar. It' was great with the cigar, but sometimes there is a such thing as too much of a good thing. So I will not have chocolate with this beer again. The beer had a lingering sweetness with the chocolate pretzels that I did not like. And the beer already has just a small hint of sweetness, but nothing too overpowering, to even notice. So the pretzels wasn't the better choice to pair with this beer. This probably would have paired better with a steak or cheese. Overall, the beer is another winner. And I wish I would have made a nice steak tonight to accompany this beer. But it was a lesson.

More about this beer: http://www.onionbrewery.com/tradition/

Cheers!

Discuss My Experience: The Cigar Lounge, Schaumburg, IL

2012-01-26T02:07:00.003-06:00

Chilling at "The Cigar Lounge" in Schaumburg, IL

Larry, Owner of "The Cigar Lounge" in Schaumburg, IL

So I started a new project called "Discuss My Experience" as you see on the Tab to the left. "Discuss My Experience" features and showcases my Cigar Adventures in or around town, as I take a stop in at some of Chicago's friendliest, most bustling cigar lounges. All cigar lounges will not be on my list of course. And the reason why I say this, is because some of them suck! I have argued with my beau, in the past, about what cigar lounges are suppose to be like. I get that a lot of men frequent there. But there are more women cigar smokers, now. And we would like to have a place to go as well. Women cigar smokers may go with a male companion, few may go by themselves, some may smoke at home or others make smoke at a bar that has comfortable outdoor seating. And I am yelling right now as I write this. I am angry. I have been so uncomfortable, so unwanted and so mistreated in the past. But not all cigar lounges are this way. But there are some really crappy ones out there. If I could put them on a public shit list, I would. But that would not be right. And I wouldn't do that, anyway. But anyway, I have to get it all out.

I want to feel welcomed. I want to feel appreciated. I want to feel comfortable and I want to be able to sit down and smoke my entire cigar without getting up to leave because the room feels unwelcoming and uninviting. Some of the patrons at these cigar lounges look over as if they want to say, "What are you doing here"? And I just want to say back, "I am having a smoke dammit. Just like you. What are you doing here"?

And at last, I do not want to sit on top of another patron while I smoke my cigar. It's fine for some of you guys, but I do not want to do that.

Okay, I feel better now. My significant other says I will not get everything I want out of a cigar lounge. And he says sometimes people are not nice. I explained that I did not care. If I am spending my money, I don't expect the patrons to be nice, but I expect the people who run the facility, to treat me with respect or like any other patron there. But many of these cigar lounges do not care because they have plenty of male patrons. And I get that these businesses are not going to roll out the red carpet or anything. But I just want to feel welcomed. That is all...Bada bing bada boom!

And I get it. Some of us patrons are really annoying. I can just imagine some business owners may be thinking, "just buy the darn cigar, and go sit down somewhere for goodness sake". We CAN be a bit annoying. I know. But I guess we all come with different needs. And we all have different reasons why we frequent the places we like. So this is the reason why I have developed the project, "Discuss My Experience".

------------------------------------------------------------------------

But anyway, I took a 15 minute trip to a place called "The Cigar Lounge" in Schaumburg, IL. And it was totally unexpected. The place was huge. You have leather seating in the front, a man made fire place made out of cigar boxes, an elegant pool room, cabinets of cigars that grace the perimeter of the entire front area, a large back room area with additional seating like tall leather stools and tables, leather lounge chairs and more , funky ashtrays everywhere, some ashtrays were standing, off to the side was a sweet conference room for meetings. Plus a lovely young woman named Brianne greats you, when you walk in. I really liked it. Larry the owner briefed me about the place and its amenities and introduced me to some new cigars. I decided to try the San Cristobal Elegancia. It was a great daytime cigar. It was nice , mild, smooth and crisp. I will follow up with a rating in the following days. But anyway, here is the kicker. And it really doesn't matter because the place is so great. No BYOB and no alcohol whatsoever. I know some cigar lounges allow you to bring booze but I thought the place was really cool. This is why. There are different areas. There is a front area for seating in case you do not want to go back to the main room. The front area reminds me of a far more luxurious Starbucks. You can chill up there and have a smoke especially if you rather retreat from the main room. The back area is perfect for game days, night time functions and pulling out your laptop if you want to do some work during the day. I saw a guy taking a nap. I am assuming he snoozed off after having a cigar. The conference room is perfect for business meetings or simply working away from your regular office for the day. The pool room is particularly special. You can have fun, laugh with friends or sit on one of the leather stools to have a cigar while observing a game of pool. Of course you have to be there to experience this. And I did not take pictures of the lounge because their website was a better source. But there is a couple of me. Larry is in one photo with me.

Cheers!

Visit the Link: The Cigar Lounge in Schaumburg, IL

Updates

2012-01-24T02:22:00.006-06:00

Confession
Okay, last week I went on a panic spree because I noticed a lot of people had all these Facebook "likes". And I was like what the f###. So I spammed like 100 groups. Sorry. If I spammed your group, I apologize. But it didn't work. And I kind of gave up on the Facebook thing anyway. I have been looking at it like this...where is FB going anyway? Is it for me? I don't need it and it's annoying on so many levels. And its over-saturated with fake accounts. It is, what it is. Here's the thing. I have been behind a lot of e-marketing campaigns in the past. But I have been a bit out of the loop simply because I write, I read and study quite a bit for my political think-tank site. So that is priority. So I am picking up some social marketing techniques as I go. And I have to admit, that I do have a few tricks up my sleeve. But I may decide to pass up the Facebook thing all together. So we will see. If I see a need, then I will utilize it. Otherwise it may be useless for me.

Overall, I was given some advice. And the advice was to just enjoy Maduro Woman. And so I decided to slow down a notch, just a teeny- weeny bit. :) This is not business, just pleasure.

Poetic Cigar Justice
I am working on this bad ass project. Well at least I think it is bad ass. And I really hope you will like it. I have gotten very little feedback from my previous videos. So I assume you did not care for them that much. But hey, sometimes people will like your work and sometimes they will not. And that's a rule of thumb for me. And as long as I am enjoying putting them together, then that's what it is all about. And if you like the next project, then shoot me a twit or comment and let me know. I did get some shouts. And I thank those for sharing their thoughts with me.

My Cigar Adventures
I have a cool new cigar adventure brewing. I am really excited. Plus I get to hang out with fellow Chicago Cigar Aficionados. That's all I will disclose for now.

My Collections
I still have a lot to show you in my cigar luxury collection. So I will keep it coming.

Finally

As always I am having a great smoke. The cigar I am smoking tonight is by my bestie, Jose of Don Rigo. This particular smoke is called Biaggio. Yeah, I know. I am always smoking a Don Rigo Cigar. But if your bestie sent you samples of his new blends, you would always be smoking them too!

Cheers to You!

Mr. Libera, The Cigar ( A Poetic Cigar Justice Project)

2012-01-19T00:54:00.002-06:00

Mr. Libera, The Cigar (POEM)

The day I met Mr Libera, he assured me that he would upgrade my life...
My sense of reality changed. Mr Libera was the new Mr. Right.

Mr Libera, that 1st love of premium cigars,
unleashed me from my humdrum life, and lit my fire.

Mr. Libera saved me from a life of restriction,
and introduced me to the world of cigar exhibition,

a world known by just a few.
Letting go of your inhibitions, is what Mr. Libera could do for you.

Mr. Libera could make my head spin.
Some will say it was wrong, or even call it a sin.

You have felt his hold too, You know who you are.
That's life with Mr. Libera, the Bohemian of Cigars!

Some call it unconventional,
or even a cult.
But I have never felt more liberated.
Mr. Libera had a way of making me melt.

But Mr. Libera inspired me to try others,
and open the door for something new.
This is why I am sharing this poem,
so you can try Mr. Libera too.

Now, I have moved on to MESMERY the hypnotic cigar,
and Mr. Libera has been added to my cigar memoir.

Cigar Shaming

2012-01-17T03:49:00.003-06:00

Cigar Shaming- Attempting to make someone feel ashamed of smoking or smoking cigars.

As the saying goes. "Ain't no shame in my game".

Have you ever dated someone or was interested in someone, but they did not care too much for your cigar enthusiasm? Did they attempt to make you feel ashamed for liking cigars? Did you even care about their perception towards smoking cigars? Or did you think that, basically, they could just get lost? Did you ever consider compromising with this person? Or did you feel like this person was worth tossing cigars to the side? I mean after all, a cigar can't keep you warm at night, right? Wrong. I beg to differ. Just ask Monica Lewinsky. Just kidding.

Anyway, 1) Don't attempt to make me feel ashamed. I have no shame at all, actually. 2) I really like cigars, a whole lot more than some people.

And if someone feels that they do not want to get to know me, because I smoke cigars, then that's their issue. Not mine. Maybe there had been a really hot guy and I compromised for a short time. But that's it. That was a long time ago. I didn't know any better. And in your case, if there is a really hot woman, you may have compromised a bit. This compromise is simply temporary, of course. Because you don't really plan on never smoking cigars again!

My significant other smoke cigars and I smoke cigars. And its a match made in heaven, if you ask me. I love cigars. He likes cigars. It's perfect. If there is one cigar left in the humidor, I will probably get it! :)

Other people's hang ups do not belong to me. And that has been a motto that I have lived by. It keeps me happy. And it keeps me sane. Because we can't really please everyone. People will like us or dislike us for some reason or another. And I prefer people to like me for me being me. I will change because it makes me better, not simply because it's what someone wants of me.

I remember when I was out a few years ago, and this guy walked up to me. I pulled a cigar out and he turned up his nose and told me that its not cool for women to smoke.

He should not have said that to me. My thoughts were... 1) I did ask him for his opinion. 2) I guess I am not cool then. And I guess I am not a lady. So I am going to enjoy being totally not cool and unladylike. I will leave that for another woman to set that bar. 3) I was not interested in him. He wasn't my type. 4) "Go away. I do not need your validation. Go validate someone else."

But anyway, I think I turned up my nose and said to him. "I enjoy cigars and I will continue smoking them".

The point is that, there are people out there that want you to feel ashamed for smoking. And I do not subscribe to that. We will always be reshaping ourselves if we live off other people's validation. And that's not cool. So someone else's perception means very little to me. Anyway, there is a entire world of cigar smokers out there. So something has to be right if we exist in a world of our very own.

I have found that those that shame smokers are especially critical towards women smokers. And maybe I am far more resistant because of that. My environment and social network for years have shamed women who smoke. How many times have we heard someone say that women who smoke are unladylike? And maybe the criticism has been mostly towards women cigarette smokers. But it still isn't right. But in their minds, both are the same.

And now, celebrity women smokers are sharing their cigar enjoyment with the world. Maybe some of these misconceptions have been changing. But there is still an environment that is hostile and vicious towards smokers all together. And they are fighting with lawmakers every day in hopes of snuffing out smokers and tobacco use.

Shame on these Cigar Shamers. Many of them are uneducated about cigar enjoyment. And if they would just open their eyes and their minds, they could develop an understanding of why this world of cigar enthusiasm exist and why we persist in-spite of their cigar shaming and prejudices.

Humidor Notes/ Product Review

2012-01-15T20:23:00.005-06:00

Hey Cigar Aficionados and Aficionadas!

I just wanted you to be aware of something I felt was truly special. You know, I have put off purchasing my own cigar dossier so I can record the cigars I have enjoyed in the past. Because I have put off doing this, I have accumulated bags of cigar labels from cigars I have smoked over the years and I have noted my my thoughts on these cigars in journals that I have kept stored away. This hasn't been the most organizing way to handle my cigar reviews.

That's why I am truly thrilled about a cool product called Humidor Notes. What's so cool about this product is that the creator behind it literally has thought of everything you need to review your cigars. Plus there is a cool way to store you cigar labels. It comes with a ruler for measuring cigars and a built in ring gauge guide. It beats looking up a guide on the internet every time its time to review a cigar. This book turns the cigar aficionado into a true cigar reviewer. Seriously. Each page is dedicated to that one single smoke, from where you smoked your cigar, who accompanied you on the smoke, what was paired with the cigar, to a break down guide on doing your very own cigar review. Plus it comes with these cool adhesive glue dots that makes it easy to store cigar labels. I love this product so much because I can simply toss it in my hand bag and if if I am having a cigar while I am out or at at a lounge, I can keep track of every single smoke. I can immediately store my label as oppose to the hassle of possibly losing labels in between smoking my cigar and attempting to store it later at home. This reminds me of a pocket book planner. Humidor notes could be stored in any compartment in your car. It's compact size make it easy for storing and accessible for anyone on the go. And its perfect for the executive; it fits nicely inside the lapel of a business-suit jacket.

Humidor Notes is a perfect gift for the Cigar Aficionado and a great product for the cigar friendly retailer.

This is a very thoughtful product that comes in a small package. It's modern and friendly for today's young cigar smokers during the age of simplicity and accessibility. We may be turning the pages on large bulky dossiers and welcoming Humidor Notes instead. Who would think that this would have so many cool attributes in such a small package? Plus its made in the USA!

Now I am challenged to try those cigars that I have smoked in the past all over again. So a new project awaits me thanks to my new book by Humidor Notes. I am giving this product five out of five flowers for its rating.

Cheers to humidornotes.com I think they are going to have a wonderful year!

How to Make Use of Bad Tasting Wine

2012-01-14T01:46:00.001-06:00

So my honey brought home this big jug of wine. I will leave the companies name out. (giggling)

Anthony informed me that the wine was on sale and so he grabbed it. He didn't know how it would taste. I shook my head and just knew this jug of wine wasn't going to taste good. He told me if I liked it, he will buy a few more jugs so I could stock up on wine and keep my wine decanters filled.

I poured the first glass, swished the stuff around, took a whiff, then a swallow and practically spat it out. It was probably on that list of worse wines. It tasted like I had a mouthful of vinegar!

So Anthony and I, sat together, and had a brief discussion on how to make use of bad tasting wine.

And I wanted to share with you what bad tasting wine could be good for.

Bad tasting wine could be turned into top notch sangrias. I will post a recipe of my sangrias in the near future.
Bad tasting wine could be enhanced with a lot of fruit such as apples, melons, cherries and strawberries, to name a few.

Bad tasting wine can be paired with a cigar. If I am drinking a really good merlot, I enjoy it better with a meal or simply by itself. But if the merlot is from a bad batch, the cigar will alleviate some of the vinegary taste.
Bad tasting wine is terrific for cooking or great to dash in homemade vinaigrettes.
Bad tasting wine could be mixed with a better wine. The better wine should have at least 3/ 4 parts so the bad tasting wine does not dominate the taste.
Or you can simply toss out the bad tasting wine if it is too much trouble. It's up to you!

So I am sitting here with a glass of bad tasting wine and a great cigar from the DR.

Cheers!

My Cigar Line?

2012-01-12T00:48:00.001-06:00

My good friend owner of tobacco farm in the Dominican Republican would be manufacturing this line for my family. This is no secret. We have been working on blends for some time. I am planning a trip by the end of the year to visit the farm in the DR. The farm is family owned passed down from his father. The farm strictly emphasizes premium tobacco and top rollers. Who knows I may retire there some day.

But Maduro Woman will continue to promote and discuss other cigars and cigar related products. This new line would be under my family name, Dell'Amor Family. I am pretty excited but also freaking out a bit. You know, cigar connoisseurs are pretty critical about new companies you know. It's like a fraternity around here.

What can I say. I am a woman that enjoys cigars and politics. And both worlds are male dominated.

Twitter: @DellamorCigars

What's the drive behind that cigar?

2012-01-11T00:19:00.000-06:00

I am on my second cigar tonight and I am wondering if cigars are a way for many cigar smokers to retreat from everything or does it simply make you feel powerful? What is it about cigars that make people enjoy them the way they do?

Cigars can be empowering. And if you love them the way I do, it kind of separates you from anyone else or the rest of the world, rather. Sure there are wine lovers, rum and whiskey enthusiasts. But a cigar enthusiast or cigar connoisseur comes in a different package.

We have been far more excluded from anything and everyone else even more-so because of the smoking laws. So if we don't smoke them in the privacy of our homes, we enjoy them at cigar lounges. People who frequent cigar lounges are usually cigar smokers. They are not there to smoke cigarettes , to have a bite to eat or to even meet women. They are there to enjoy a cigar.

So what drives our enthusiasm? What makes us pay for that $10- $20 stick? And what makes us so different? Or are we, really?

Antique Brass Relief Indian Ashtray in the Womans Cave

2012-01-08T23:43:00.002-06:00

So I recently collected this antique brass Indian ashtray. This has a nice relief pattern with an image of the Taj Mahal in the background. It needs some polishing. But I kind of like the patina on the ashtray. Patina is the surface appearance of something grown beautiful especially with age or use . There is a such thing as good patina or bad patina. Some surface age just looks crappy while others have a certain nostalgic appearance. I think this makes a great addition to the woman cave. It's simple but also has a certain touch of elegance.

How to have the best recession proof cigar on the planet! Little Cost

2012-01-07T17:38:00.005-06:00

There is little cost and little effort.

So I found out that my my Factory Throw-outs are by Fuente and JC Newman. They aren't bad, especially after they sit inside my humidor for a day or two.

Just to get into factory throw-outs really quick. Usually they are rolled with left over tobacco leaves. Instead of tossing out the imperfect shorter leaves, tobacco manufacturers will roll these and sell these with out a label. Some say they are pretty good, others may say they are indifferent. But this is how I enhance my factory throw-outs so I walk away with a supreme smoke.

I take orange peels, wrap them in a netted bag, similar to the one oranges come in, or I may use those netted covers that come with wine bottles. I tie the ends with the orange peels in them. I drop the orange peels in a humidor with my factory throw-outs. I don't let the cigars touch the orange peels because it can absorb too much of its moisture. The floor of the humidor is covered with coffee beans or you can use whole tea leaves of your preferred flavor. And then I may leave a shot or two of rum inside, contingent on the size of the humidor. You can experiment by improvising with stuff you like.

Other great things to add in your humidor is cayenne pepper, black pepper, grounded coffee if you have no coffee beans and mint leaves. Things like cayenne pepper and black pepper are good to sprinkle in the rum that is sitting in the humidor.

I will let my cigars sit with my concoction in the humidor at least 24 to 48 hours before I smoke my first cigar.

The orange peels gives the cigar moisture. They make great replacements if you don't have any humidor solution or moisture packs. Plus it enhances the flavor. And you don't really taste the orange. Orange peels have to be changed weekly, because they will start to go bad at some point. Orange peels can be great in the humidor but they have to be monitored regularly.

This is cost effective, recession proof and great for the cigar lover who always want a top notch smoke.

Truthfully, a good cigar is what you deem it to be.

Salute

About JC newman and Fuente Factory Throw-outs:

[http://www.bonitasmokeshop.com/no_59_factory_throwouts_bundled.htm]

For those in the know these hidden treasures are one of the best priced cigars on the market today. They are made from the same tobacco, grown in the same renowned Ecuadorian fields, as that used for the well known Fuente and JC Newman cigars. In order for a leaf to be used in a higher priced ($8 to $10 a stick) premium cigars they have to be an even color. The leaves used in the No 59 Throw-outs are slightly off color so they cannot be used in the much higher priced Fuentes. These small color differences do not effect the flavor. These are truly a tremendous value for your smoking dollar.

These usually average no more than a $1.00 per stick. You can get an entire bundle for the cost of one or two premium cigars.

Related Posts

Pictures of Me and Friday Night Drinks and Cigar

My Humidor

Factory Throwout or the Name Brand Cigar?

Pictures of Me and Friday Night Drinks and Cigars

2012-01-07T02:03:00.007-06:00

So Anthony and I, were out on the town for drinks and cigars, this evening. I look a bit toasty before we even left the house. And as you can see, some of my paintings are in the back ground. I have a fascination for clowns. But some of my clown paintings consist of a series called "Happy Days are here again" by a 1970's- 80's artist, named Moninet. It is my belief that I have some of his better paintings out of that series. The shirt I am wearing is pretty colorful. And that's my personality. I love lots of colors in my attire. People ask where I am from all the time. I will let you guess. But I love staying in the sun, being next to water, cigars, good drinks, food and amongst other things.

Oh and I am literally allergic to cold weather. That's weird right? But I am. And that's a rarity. But my skin has a reaction during the cold winter months. And I live in Chicago. Yeah, it's crazy. It's almost like I have naturally or subconsciously created a warm weather environment in the every day activities that I enjoy. But that's another story.

But, I try to enjoy my life and I love to have fun. Oh, I have been working my booty off in the gym. So by spring, expect a new me! Don't I look like a Maduro Woman?

Tonight I was smoking a factory- throw-out. I posted about factory- throw-outs in a previous post. And it was pretty good.

Hugs and Cheers!

Seguso Mid 20c Vaseline Glass Murano Bullicante Geode Sommerso Ashtray

2012-01-07T01:43:00.007-06:00

I know you want to know what all those terms mean. Vaseline? Bullicante? Geode? Sommerso? Seguso?

Archimede Seguso (1909- 99) is a popular glass artist during the 20 century. His most popular works such as the one shown here were designed in the 1940's and produced in the 1950's .

I posted another ashtray previously with the Bullicante and Geode features. But this one is much larger and is actually made of Vaseline Glass. Vaseline is exciting because it is so rare today. Vaseline Glass got its name from the similar features of petroleum at the time. But it is actually uranium glass,which has had uranium, usually in oxide diuranate form, added to a glass mix before melting. Uranium glass was once made into tableware and household items, but fell out of widespread use when the availability of uranium to most industries was sharply curtailed during the Cold War. (from wiki)

The normal color of uranium glass ranges from yellow to green. You know when you have an authentic Vaseline glass piece when it is held under black light. The glass glows. And this was fun holding this ashtray under black light today. My son got to see the effects of Vaseline glass for the first time! :)

This vintage ashtray is also commonly known as Geode for it resembles the rock that has a hollow cavity in the middle.

And Bullicante is a particular decorative effect used in thick glass and consisting in a myriad of large and small "bubbles" , distributed in layers within the thickness of the glass. It may be obtained in two manners: the first requires the glass that is being worked to be rolled on a metal surface covered with small sharp "points" so that, as they print a depression on the glass in its malleable state, it comes out with "holes" which will be successively covered with another layer of glass. The result is a real air bubble which remains "trapped" in correspondence to each "hole" . A second system is to use a conic mould patterned with "points" on the inside in which to blow the glass which will come out with "holes" . The subsequent overlay of transparent glass will make the "bubbles" themselves appear."--http://www.fossilfly.com/Forums/archive/index.php/t-3637.html

This is also has a Sommerso feature which was very much popular amongst Seguso glass. The Sommerso feature is one color glass cased with a different color glass layer.This has a clear layer but cased with a vaseline glass layer. The vaseline feature is so prevalent that you can't see the clear layer of glass in the photos.

I am very excited about this ashtray because it was a surprise from Anthony. I woke up this morning and it was sitting on our breakfast bar in the kitchen. Anthony and I used to collect together some few years back. And he knows that I am building my ashtray collection, now. But I did not expect this! When he came across this piece, he knew he had to get it for me. So I am extremely happy about it.

I want to say this. When I first started antique dealing. I came across a lot of rare pieces. Some things I still can not locate today. Sometimes I wish I had not sold certain pieces. But those pieces, that were sold, belong to someone else now. It's hard to believe that you can come across so many cool things within your lifetime. I am happy that I have been able to assist other collectors in their collections. And now I am working on my own. So maybe my blog will assist you some how with your collections or with that one thing you enjoy.

So here's to the good life!

Cheers.

post related to my studio site here

Cigars & Politics

2012-01-06T04:02:00.001-06:00

I maintain an existing political column already...actually, two columns. But I am annoyed at some of the unfair news, smokers have been facing. I mean, we can decide to ignore it or not, but this news affect cigar smokers too. We love our cigars. Many of us don't care, because cigar smoking is quite different than cigarette smoking, i.e. Cigarette smokers usually come with addictions. Some smoke a couple packs a day and they need to take smoke breaks through out the day. Cigar smokers, indulge occasionally. So these smoking bans and laws cross our paths on an occasion, but not much.

Okay, I understand. Cigars are different. But what if your right to smoke was taken away period? What if you had to smuggle cigars in the country as oppose to buying them legally at a local cigar shop? I know this sounds extreme. But these health advocates and these tobacco free protestors are very serious about their agenda. Each time I hear news about tobacco smokers being discriminated against, I cringe. Tonight, a Huffington Post Article reported that a Pennsylvania hospital is no longer hiring any type of smoker. And a potential hiree has to be screened. This is pretty serious folks. We have to fight back.

My Maduro Woman Blog is for my pleasure and enjoyment only. I like to indulge in all sorts of topics on cigar accessories and anything that surrounds the great culture of cigars. I have enough political stuff to write about. But I feel like we are staying low key when it comes to this type of news. Sure we have Cigar Rights of America. I commend them for their work. But the activism just doesn't start and end there.

Camacho was banned from the Orange Bowl the other day. They had to cancel their contract even though Camacho's events were taking place inside local cigar lounges. Health advocates felt that this would encourage young people to smoke! Number one, the average age for a cigar smoker is 30. Number two, smoking is allowed at 18. It makes me wonder if I should be writing about Cigar Politics. I know, Cigar Aficionado and Cigar Magazine keeps track of topics like this. But apparently, it's not enough. No disrespect to them. Sometimes news sources can only report news. And that's understandable. This is something I have to think about. But you need to know what's going on. Please continue to follow my blog. Because I feel I am developing into one of the the best cigar blogs out there that keeps you informed. I am posing all sorts of topics that are relevant for cigar smokers, from a woman's point of view. So stay with me. And follow me on Twitter so you can retrieve other important updates and info!

Cheers.

My Chocolate Cigar Rolls Recipe Flopped

2012-01-05T22:50:00.000-06:00

Tonight I attempted to make these fabulous chocolate cigar rolls. But it went horribly wrong. I am a fantastic cook by the way. But this was a new attempt at something and it turned out pretty messy.

The chocolate cake is sliced into long strips and rolled into melted chocolate. You have to roll the cake slices into the melted chocolate at least three times. But the cake pieces fell apart and the chocolate cooled too fast. Basically, you continue to roll the chocolate cake in melted chocolate until you have a smooth finish. And then you roll it into chocolate cocoa for a realistic cigar look. I wanted to add a unique touch by topping them with authentic cigar labels. See in the photos. This is one of my bags of cigar labels. I lost two thirds of my cake tonight. And an entire package of cooking chocolate was tossed away. It was fun. My son helped me. But it ended up in the trash.

I have another idea. So I am going to make another attempt at this in the near future. And I will eventually have those chocolate cigar rolls to show you! :)

Cheers

Factory Throwout or the Name Brand Cigar?

2012-01-05T00:03:00.000-06:00

I smoke factory throw outs pretty regularly. They are lot cheaper for one. And many are pretty decent actually. I have been told that the one I am smoking tonight is actually by a popular manufacturer, but I will keep their name out for now. There is a reason why factory throw-outs are with out labels. But on the other hand would I have continued to purchase them if I did not know they were from a leading manufacturer? But anyway...My question is...is there a such thing as a legit cigar smoker if you smoke factory throw-outs, house blends or a brand name? But I guess that's like asking which individual likes cake more, the one who eats the store brand or the one who eats the name brand. But I have to admit, there is nothing like buying that cigar you like with its beautiful case and impressive label. I guess it's like a name brand handbag from a leading retailer. You get quality, insurance, longevity and it looks great. It exemplifies status. And it's like a perfect treat, as a result of the fruits of your labor. And I could understand that. But what if you are like me. I have several name brand handbags. But I don't wear them everyday. I guess there is so many ways to look at this whole cigar legitimacy argument. But if you love cigars, you are entitled to smoke what you want. And you can enjoy them in any manner you want. If you decide to light it with a regular match as oppose to a wooden match, it's your choice. If you decide to light it with a Bic lighter as oppose to a butane lighter or torch lighter, it's its your choice. I think the cigar enthusiast would prefer that you know true cigar etiquette. But if you do something different, then it's a matter of choice. But that's another argument amongst cigar enthusiasts. Trust me, I would rather you choose proper etiquette too. :)

Some of my cigar favorites are Gurkha Beauty, Rocky Patel Vintage 1999 Connecticut, Kristoff Maduro, , Monte Cristo White Label, Don Rigo's Biaggio of course ( there was a Maduro Woman blend by Don Rigo), Carbonell (local blend), La Tradicion Series P, Gurkha Legend, Gurkha Beast, and La Gloria Cubana Series R and many more.

Cheers

Entertaining in the Womans Cave/ Cool Crystal Decanter

2012-01-03T23:46:00.001-06:00

OK Many of my friends don't smoke cigars or any tobacco, rather. But they love good wine. So usually, I serve my friends in this orbital crystal decanter. The decanter leans to one side. It's made of lead-free brilliant crystal. It's pretty heavy, manufactured by Ravenscroft who is actually the world’s leading manufacturer of pure, clean, lead-free crystal for fine wine and spirits. The crystal is hand cut and it gleams when filled with wine or any other spirit.

I don't actually like a lot of guests over, because I am a private person. But I get into decorating a lot especially with my paintings and some of my collections. And I enjoy craft projects for my home. You would think I entertain a lot. But I like no more than a handful of people over at a time. Having a lot of guests could be taxing and you never really have the opportunity, to really enjoy your guests' stay, when you are hosting. So I may have one or two friends over at a time. And each time is "an experience". What I mean by "experience" is...I am very much into creating a great ambiance and space for my guests. It doesn't have to be over the top. But that's what I enjoy. I have an antique fountain that I enjoy running. It greets you when you walk through the front door, I love great music, lots of plants, paintings and art that has meaning ( not a bunch of pictures of stuff that means absolutely nothing) and so on.

People ask me quite a bit when I am going to have "something" at my house. And I simply inform them that they are welcome anytime! LOL. Now there is one exception. If they smoked cigars, then I would probably host a private gathering, a few times a year. But considering they do not, I'll let them have the honor of hosting those big functions. :)

related post on my studio site here

Murano Glass Basket Ashtray

2012-01-01T22:51:00.003-06:00

This is a Murano Art Glass Ashtray with streams of orange. It's pretty heavy and a really lovely piece. I don't have this one in the woman's cave. She is a decor piece in my kitchen amongst other decor glass pieces. But it would make a perfect addition to my cave when I get some sort of shelving or display case.

Ron Barcelo Dominican Rum in the Woman Cave

2011-12-31T15:37:00.000-06:00

Anthony brought home this lovely bottle of Dominican Rum for my woman cave. It's like we have this contest going on as far as who can keep the most liquor in their caves. I have bottles I don't open and he opens all his bottles. There is nothing wrong with that, because liquor was made for drinking.

However, I have opened up the Ron Barcelo bottle of rum. I plan to have it with my cigar this afternoon while I box. Anthony has boxing bags downstairs in the man cave. And on days like this, when I can't go to the gym (the gym closed early) I like to box. And I love puffing on a cigar when I take breaks.

Okay, I can't sit here and tell you I am a woman that knows all you need to know about cigars and liquor. I enjoy cigars immensely. I know a great cigar when I taste one. At some point, I possibly had 60 to 70% of the blends that were considered more in demand or became highly reccomended by cigar smokers.

But over the past few years, I have to tell you, there have been so many new manufacturers, many I have never heard of. And many have good blends.

Within recent years, I have been faithful to only a few blends that I felt comfortable with, or that was within my budget because I enjoy cigars quite a bit.

I can not afford to smoke on two or three $15 sticks a day. That's crazy to me. I don't have it like that. So in order for me to enjoy cigars at length. I have to stay with my budget, or Jose of Don Rigo will send me some of his blends to sample.And maybe I will choose a different cigar if I go to a cigar lounge.

I believe it has been a little over a year since I have been drinking dark liquor straight, rum and whiskeys primarily. I couldn't suggest which cigar is the perfect pair with this spirit. I can tell you this cigar is wonderful and that spirit is excellent. And if you enjoy them both, why not pair them! I do understand however, that if you pair one spirit with the right or wrong cigar, you may lose certain notes or pick up flavors, or certain notes could be even enhanced. But truthfully I am not on that level yet.

I am however, highly experienced in picking out antique and vintage glass pieces. And I have sold hundreds to collectors all over the world.

Sometimes I like to keep it simple. Like today. I am having my Dominican Ron Barcelo Rum, a Don Rigo cigar that is Dominican and Cubano and I am going to box, to start my New Years Eve off.

Hugs to Everyone,

Happy New Year

Mesmery, The Cigar ( A Poetic Cigar Justice Project)

2011-12-30T19:24:00.002-06:00

Mesmery, The Cigar (POEM)

My cigar has captured all that's restrained in me

in each puff I take

as the smoke extracts every trait

I am holding onto an ancient mystery

And Mesmery is the key

it exudes what I can not

it diffuses what i should not

it is able to transcend all that I wish

as each puff parts from my lips

the clouds persuades and mesmerizes.

its essence floats off, as it tranquilizes

it soothes those I can not reach,

it strengthens the weak

it inspires the artist I can not see,

and mends a wound that bleeds

you are distant from me,

but Mesmery's reach is far

yet you share the magic of my Cigar

my essence becomes apart of you

this is the beginning of what it can do

you are in tuned with what's inside of me.

my cigar can take a hold of you

my love for cigars becomes shared,

even though the desire was never there

this passion of mine is yours to keep

you have no choice

Mesmery will turn your desire into embracing my needs

you become one with me

My cigar is yours for keeps...

About Poetic Cigar Justice

2011-12-30T19:21:00.006-06:00

About the Project

http://www.poeticcigarjustice.com

How do you find other women who smoke Cigars?

2011-12-30T00:47:00.002-06:00

When I go to cigar lounges, I may go by myself in the day time or I may frequent with my significant other when he has the time. I have no idea how to find other women smokers. This has been a daunting task. It's not like I have not met other women smokers, it's just that I don't know any one right now in my area.

dipity.com

There are two categories of women smokers. There are women who smoke cigars because they really enjoy them and there are women that smoke cigars because it looks good or because their significant other smokes them. There isn't anything wrong with that. But it's getting on my nerves!

Furthermore, I have been looking for women cigar smokers in my area because I do not like driving far. So that cuts the pool down even moreso.

Women cigar smokers are everywhere. They just aren't where I would like them to be!

Oh and I would like to add. I do not have time to sit on a cigar site so I can meet women smokers. It's annoying. I know, I am absolutely impossible.

New Cigar Project: Poetic Cigar Justice

2011-12-29T02:48:00.001-06:00

So I am starting this new project called Poetic Cigar Justice. I don't want to say too much about it except my creative cigar time is being divided for right now. I am still posting my fabulous cigar collection amongst other things here. But I am hoping you will like this project and support my creative works. Stay Tuned...

Health Groups want to Cancel Camacho

2011-12-28T00:21:00.000-06:00

camachocigars.com

I am disgusted at the length health advocates can actually get away with their agenda. There are many people that enjoy cigars including our political officials. But Camacho cigars are at risk of being banned and cancelled from the Orange Bowl activities. Apparently Camacho is sponsoring events and nearby cigar lounges at the event. Tobacco use is a freedom of choice just like the consumption of alcohol beverages. I can see if smokers were amongst the public inside the arena. But they are not.

I am an advocate of fitness and I smoke cigars. I am actually pretty healthy. I know health advocates would disagree with my rationale. But overall, there should be some sort of limitation to how much health advocates can infringe on the rights and freedoms of others.

Source Article LA Times

Cigar Music- Rain in Spain

2011-12-27T22:55:00.002-06:00

This is a cool sultry, jazzy, Latin sound. It hasn't topped my Love in Spain. But it's a lovely piece. I am enjoying my cigar with this number. Enjoy.

Vintage Blue Handblown Glass Ashtray with Pontil

2011-12-27T22:13:00.001-06:00

This is a vintage handblown glass ashtray. There is a pontil mark on the base. The roughness on the base is the pontil mark that comes from glass being handblown and broken off the stick at the end of the blowing process. I am unsure of the date on this one. But it is beautiful and in perfect condition. There is two place settings for a cigar to be seated. This is a lovely piece for a female cigar smoker. This was actually in my glass storage area. I am running out of places to display my ashtrays in my woman cave. So I have to pack this beauty away for another day and another time. :( It turns out that I was unaware of the size of my antique and vintage ashtray collection. But I am still collecting them! More to come.

Tonight Cigar and Apple Cider with a Kick!

2011-12-26T23:57:00.004-06:00

I love great drinks and cigars. And I enjoy crafting my own recipes. Over the holidays, we have been sipping on a new holiday specialty. If you like spirits as much as I do or if you like to try different drink recipes, then maybe you will like this one. This is a warmed apple cider with a whiskey kick. This stuff is really good. For my little one, I made a pot with out the whiskey. But here's what I did. I poured a large container of apple cider inside a pot, threw some Cinnamon sticks in the cider, some apple slices and a bit of ground cinnamon. For the kick, I added some George Dickel whiskey, which is one of Anthony's favorite whiskeys. And I boiled the ingredients. After boiling, I simmered the cider for a bit. After I am satisfied with the length of brewing my cider, I like to let it sit for at least an hour, so the apples can soak up more of the cider and cinnamon. This cider is absolutely yummy. In each glass I pour, I will throw in an apple slice from the cider. And if you want to dress up the glass, you can always cut a crisp apple, add it on the top of the glass for decor and toss in a cinnamon stick for an extra touch. This is great paired with almost any cigar. I think this is wonderful throughout the cold season months. If you try making your own brew, I would love to gather your thoughts! Cheers.

19th Century Crystal Decanters with Pewter holder-stand in Woman Cave

2011-12-24T01:16:00.005-06:00

This is a 19th Century Victorian Crystal Decanters with a Pewter holder-stand. The decanters are a beautiful cut crystal. The pewter stand has a filigree design on the base with a English shield circling the base. The shield consist of the fleur de lis design with a sword going through the middle of the design. Next time I will fill these with white wine so that you could see the cut on the crystal decanters. This is so rare that I don't think you can find a duplicate. I have tried. The third decanter is missing in the third spot, so a bottle of red wine was added for its compliments. Sometimes I fill these for wine just to treat myself on occasion. They are great for holidays or times like now when I am having a cigar and a glass of Merlot.

The holiday is approaching and there is nothing like retreating in the woman-cave, relaxing with a cigar and escaping from all the unnecessary bustle the holiday brings, you know? Plus I am listening to Love in Spain! :)

Someone bring me the extended version!

Happy Holidays

related post on my studio site here

Cigar Music - Love in Spain

2011-12-23T01:27:00.000-06:00

This track is so funky and so hot. I am having my cigar right now with this terrific number. Maybe you will too? Enjoy!

Mid Century Geode Bullicante Amber Cased Glass Ashtray

2011-12-23T00:23:00.001-06:00

This is a Mid Century Italian Geode Bullicante Amber Cased Glass Ashtray

These vintage ashtrays were commonly known as geode for it resembles the rock that has a hollow cavity in the middle.

Bullicante is a particular decorative effect used in thick glass and consisting in a myriad of large and small "bubbles" , distributed in layers within the thickness of the glass. It may be obtained in two manners: the first requires the glass that is being worked to be rolled on a metal surface covered with small sharp "points" so that, as they print a depression on the glass in its malleable state, it comes out with "holes" which will be successively covered with another layer of glass. The result is a real air bubble which remains "trapped" in correspondence to each "hole" . A second system is to use a conic mould patterned with "points" on the inside in which to blow the glass which will come out with "holes" . The subsequent overlay of transparent glass will make the "bubbles" themselves appear."--http://www.fossilfly.com/Forums/archive/index.php/t-3637.html

Actually I am a collector of a wide variety of Murano and Italian glass pieces including ashtrays. A couple pieces I have previously posted. I decided to take this out of my glass storage area and place it in my woman-cave. I want to get some shelving to display my ashtray collection.

I think it's important to have a nice set of cigar accessories for your cigar enjoyment, i.e. cutter, ashtray, lighter, humidor and so on. But anyway, more to come!

related post on my studio site here

You will love this Cigar Song!- DESIRE

2011-12-22T01:08:00.000-06:00

This is by DEEPAK CHOPRA FEATURING DEMI MOORE. It reminds of the ultimate love, a selfless love. I am a enthusiast for pure love. I am enjoying this track with my cigar. I hope you like! :)

Godiva Dark Chocolate and a Cigar

2011-12-20T23:04:00.001-06:00

I am having Godiva Dark Chocolate with my cigar tonight. I love chocolate and I love cigars of course. A very small break off the bar while I am having my smoke does enough to satisfy my appetite for chocolate otherwise it ruins the pair. Dark chocolate is supposed to be better for you than milk chocolate. I am a woman that enjoys Maduro Cigars, so dark chocolate would make sense in essence...dark chocolate is also richer in taste, like many Maduro Cigars (not all, btw).

"dark chocolate is produced by adding fat and sugar to cocoa. It is chocolate with zero or much less milk than milk chocolate."-wiki

Inside the Woman Cave-Beautiful Heavy Block Crystal Ashtray

2011-12-20T22:51:00.001-06:00

This another block crystal ashtray within the Dell'Amor Collection. The crystal literally beams, a beautiful piece isn't it? I posted another one previously. This one is a bit larger. This is actually apart of Anthony's collection. But he has moved on to new ashtray loves. I don't think he misses it. :)

Cigar Music - Libera Me

2011-12-20T02:19:00.000-06:00

This is another favorite of mine. I am enjoying the track now with my cigar so I am sharing it with you. Enjoy!

Debating on a 3rd Cigar Tonight

2011-12-20T01:15:00.000-06:00

You can always count on me having a smoke while I am working. I have had two so far. They were robustos. Usually i am puffing on a Churchill or these Grande cigars donrigo cigars sent me. So I guess a third wouldn't kill me, huh?

My Vintage Liberty 1776 Constitution Drinking Tumblers Set

2011-12-20T00:47:00.000-06:00

These are a set of for tumblers in honor of our of the Constitutional Convention of 1776. The tumblers celebrates 200 years in 1976. Each glass depicts a different scene of the convention. And it is laced with gold on the rims. This is not in either cave. They are actually neatly packed and put away. I need a larger shelf for some of my drinking glass and ashtray collections. I can only display so much at one time you know?

The Cigar Smoking Communist Dictator, Kim Jong II Died

2011-12-18T22:05:00.000-06:00

The cigar smoking communist dictator, Kim Jong II died. Kim Jong II was known for his love of luxury items like yachts, cigars, cognac and BMWs.

Approximately 20 percent of North Korea's budget went towards supporting his lifestyle, including the Omega watches he wore. At one point, Kim had given his top officials newly imported 160 Mercedes-Benz sedans.

But U.S. had banned the sale of luxury goods to North Korea in 2006, stiffening the likelihood of Kim Jong maintaining this lifestyle. Things like Rolex watches, cigarettes, artwork, expensive cars, plasma TVs, iPods, Cognac, Harley motorcycles and and Segway scooters were effected by the ban; this had to be one brutal punishment on a dictator who lived for a fabulous life of luxury.

Post World War II Era Postal Stamps Ashtray

2011-12-17T22:04:00.002-06:00

It's safe to call this collectible ashtray, "Been there and back". This is a vintage ashtray with Post World War II era stamps encased in the ashtray. But the stamps have already seen their destination because they have been postmarked by postal service. Stamps include 1953 Canadian Stamp of Elizabeth II was 5 cents, U.S. Postage Stamps Dante 100th Anniversary was 5 cents, George Washington on 1962 Stamp, was 5cent, and other stamps from Argentina, France, Spain, Czechoslovakia, Germany to name a few.

This is another neat wonder in the my collectible ashtray vault. More to come...

The Accumulating Vintage Match Collection

2011-12-16T23:22:00.001-06:00

This is my accumulating vintage match collection. A great deal of them consist of Midwest restaurants, hotels and businesses. Many are long gone and very few still are in existence. I stopped collecting them for a minute. But my intentions are to continue the hobby.

So this is what I thought I would do with my vintage match collection...

#1 Keep collecting them.

#2 Locate the appropriate dossier or a case.

#3 Research the different companies,

#4 Place the facts and info about the businesses alongside the matches, such as the inception date, the last day of operation, popularity of the business and so on....

The collection would make a great trophy item inside someone's cigar or tobacco cave.

My intention is to collect really unique matches. The rarer, the better. In this starter collection, I would say those that have significance is the two playboy matches, the Heinz ketchup match book (it looks like it is bent in the photo, but that's where the book opens), Salem, Continental Gold carpet Service ( It has gold tip matches in a tube), Marshall Fields, Stuyvesant (it looks like a cigarette box), and maybe the High-noon clock matchbook. And that's off the top of my head. Others require research. However, I have had these for a while, and it appears that a few have some sun exposure. Not good.

Note to self and anyone else...A collection has to be taken care of. It has more value and significance if it is in excellent condition...mint condition even better.

Collections are sought after not only for its rarity but the aesthetics as well. No one wants a rinky dink battered looking collection. So we can all agree this collection needs some work. Okay. Agreed. :)

***Before the tobacco laws changed we were able to smoke almost anywhere. And these places carried their own promotional matches. Some businesses were not even restaurants or hotels. They were simply promoting themselves or a product on promotional matches, just like we would hand out promotional pens today, to both potential and current customers. Matches were cheap items to promote any product on. But today with the vigorous smoking laws and both tobacco-free and smoke-free activists, smoking is becoming extremely unpopular to mainstream. And the promotional matches are being restricted to restaurants, bars, hotels and tobacco related industries.

Newest Addition to the Womans Cave- Crystal Humidor

2011-12-16T01:31:00.000-06:00

This is a crystal biscuit jar or humidor. It could probably comfortably fit approximately 10 cigars inside. It has a similarity to Waterford patterns, but it is not Waterford. It has a heavy weighted base. Remember Anthony's humidor in his cave? Well this is slightly smaller but a far more excellent cut crystal. I can't wait to fill this baby up with cigars. See Anthony's humidor below.

Realted to post on my studio site here.

Cigar Etiquette- Why Aren't People Nice?

2011-12-15T22:57:00.003-06:00

today's cigar lounge smoke, Por Larranaga 1834, Cabinet Seleccion

Okay I went to my favorite cigar lounge today. The owner was out of town. And there was this unusual funk in the air. I mean funk as in lack of etiquette, service and treatment. I get that people are human. But I came there to relax and have a cigar during lunchtime, take a few pictures and enjoy myself. But one of the managers there was a dick. I get that I look pretty young, and it may appear that on the surface I may not know much about cigars or whatever the usual perception that goes with a young, fit, ethnic woman. Yes I am serious. Sometimes I feel like I am being discriminated against. Number one, I am a woman. And number two I am a black woman. So "my experience" went out the window. I informed one of the managers that I am more familiar with, on my way out the door, about what I was feeling. He told me to ignore it. But it killed my desire to ever return there. I am just as deserving as any male patron of the same service and treatment. My thoughts are...Should I wait until the owner return and inform him that I am reluctant to return? Should I squash the situation, suck it up and go back? Or should I move on? I have other cigar lounges to go to, but I am a sucker for that one special place that I could call home, while I frequent others on an occasion. I took pictures but I would rather keep every one's name out of the situation. So for now, I am moving forward. If it suits me to go back, then I will make the time. But if not, there are plenty of cigar lounges in the sea.

There should be some cigar service. And what I mean by this is, treat your patrons right. People go to bars, lounges, cigar lounges to retreat from a lot of things. Or they go to relax and enjoy themselves. After all, we are spending our hard earned money. Can you say, "King Jackass"?

Cigar Music - Tan Cani

2011-12-15T02:39:00.000-06:00

This is just beautiful. It's part of my current collection of music. Tonight I am introducing my first ballad that pairs great with cigars. Enjoy!

Milady Sour Apple Liqueur- New addition to my Woman Cave

2011-12-14T23:11:00.000-06:00

Don't ask me what I am suppose to do with it. My sweetheart, Anthony brought it home for me. It is a Milady Sour Apple Liqueur. This will more than likely sit on my shelf, where it belongs. I don't plan on opening it anytime soon. But I can say one thing. It's safe because Anthony will not drink it. A couple years ago, Anthony brought back a bottle of chardonnay from Russia. And one evening, I decided to open it. I don't remember the brand but it was in this beautiful blown glass bottle. I poured a glass, took a sip and spat out the rest. I told him that it wasn't chardonnay, it tasted like vodka. It turns out it was a chardonnay, but it known as grappa. Grappa is distilled differently than other wines and usually contains a 35%–60% alcohol volume . But anyway. It wasn't like I did not want it. I guess Anthony thought he should save me the trouble of drinking it. That's why I say this is safe in the womans-cave. If you want to keep a woman out of mans-cave, have things that turn her off. And if you want to keep a man out of a womans-cave, definitely keep it prissy! :)

And it just goes well with the post below.

Vintage Green Aztec Motif Stone Ashtray

2011-12-14T22:38:00.000-06:00

This is a picture of a Vintage Aztec motif ashtray. I have no idea what it means. It could mean war with the dead or something. But it was cool, which is why I picked this one up. I have many ashtrays laying around the house that match various decor. This one usually sits right under this lovely painting below. This is rare painting by Jane Waterman, a mid century Renaissance-like painting of a sitting nude.

Related post of painting on my studio site here

Related post of ashtray on my studio site here

Cool Silver and Bronze Sculpture Water Goblets in the Womans Cave

2011-12-13T23:25:00.004-06:00

Just so I can convince you that Anthony doesn't have all the toys...I have these cool drinking water goblets in my Woman's Cave. They are silver plated on top. And each has a bronze sculpture on the bottom.The pair is of a woman and of a man. They kind of lean. They have a very artsy, Italian feel to them. You can't put juice, wine or anything with an acid base in them, because it will eat the silver plating. I keep a water cooler in the woman's cave. But I seldom drink out of these, anyway. I guess Anthony and I are suppose to use these on a romantic evening...but they are of better use, sitting on display. :) More to come...

My Vintage Pink Illinois Souvenir Ashtray

2011-12-13T23:01:00.003-06:00

Inside the Woman Cave...(drums roll) introducing my pink Illinois Souvenir Ashtray!!! Yeahhhhhh. I don't smoke out of it of course. It's there, just staring back at me, in need of a nice cigar on its pink and black porcelain skin. Anyway, my favorite color is pink. And if I find a lovely pink collectible ashtray, she will land in my arms and my arms only. :) Happy Smokes. And More to come...

Investigation of the Congressional Cigar Association

2011-12-13T02:14:00.002-06:00

Heavy Weighted Golf Drinking Glasses Set

2011-12-13T00:16:00.006-06:00

Anthony's Golf Drinking Glasses Set

My Humidor

2011-12-13T00:00:00.003-06:00

I have this cedar truck that was turned into a humidor some few years back. We put a sheet of heavy glass on top to keep it sealed tight. We found some thermometers from a garage sale. Usually we keep glasses of rum inside, coffee beans and orange peels. But this time my honey put a bucket of "something" along with orange peels inside as seen above. Orange peels keep the cigars moist and adds a nice aroma. But you can never taste orange in the cigars, which is weird.

Anyway, a couple years back, I converted the humidor into a bench. I bought some upholstery fabric and some silk fabric from the fabric store along with some seat cushions. And I covered the trunk. And voila, it became a piece of furniture. It blends well with an antique mirror I have in the house and a table which can not be seen in this picture.

Usually we take about 10 or so cigars out at a time and put them in the smaller humidor. It goes well with some of Anthony' s( my significant other) decanters. The smaller glass humidor has orange peels and some coffee beans on the bottom. The cigars have to sit in the biscuit jar humidor for at least 24 hours before it reaches perfection.

Anyway, here are a couple of Anthony's decanters inside his man-cave as seen in the pic. The empty one usually is filled with rum. There is a third full of tequila not shown in the photo and the largest one has his favorite whiskey. That isn't shown in the photo either. But it's coming! :)

Anthony doesn't have everything, btw...I collect all this stuff so he could have it. And whether you are a cigar smoker, wine enthusiast or simply enjoy a nice rum or whiskey, I recommend that you treat yourself to really great glasses, or a nice decanter or ashtray. Because you deserve it. It's really about having a great experience. Anyway, a whole lot more to come...

Antique Standing Ashtray

2011-12-11T18:54:00.006-06:00

This is an antique standing ashtray made of wood with brass placings to seat the cigar. It is usually sits down stairs in the man-cave.

***My significant other built a man cave for himself downstairs. And I have a woman cave upstairs. My woman cave is my office as well. I have a couple paintings, some rare decor and my favorite is the rare 1930's Constitution print, in gilded gold, by Atwood, in its original gold frame. Also I have Moroccan seating for relaxing when I want to step away from work along with Moroccan decor. It's my piece of heaven. I like to keep a couple bottles of wine on hand on top of my book case. It's truly a nice spread.

The man cave reminds you of a small cigar lounge and entertainment room. My honey has a couple leather chairs, a TV, an antique trunk with a glass top. On top is a few crystal liquor decanters, one huge 3 gallon liquor decanter for whiskey on a swivel, a gold vintage ice bucket with its original accessories. A couple other ashtrays and some other guys stuff. He has his poker table, a couple weight benches, boxing bag and our dog, Charlie! lol :) He has some decor( pillows, a rug, the usual home comforts) because I like decor throughout the house...but nothing prissy. He explained to me that man-caves do not need "fu-fu" stuff. It's for a man.

Really, we just try to enjoy our lives as much as possible. Because that's what it is all about.

And now you know, there are more pictures coming...

related to post on my studio site

King Edwards VII, The Avid Cigar Smoker

2011-12-10T19:53:00.003-06:00

The most famous cigar quote comes from King Edward VII of England. During the reign of Queen Victoria, smoking was frowned upon and not allowed at court. That changed when Edward VII came to the throne at the beginning of the 20th Century, and after dinner, he pronounced: "Gentlemen, you may smoke".--yumacigars.com

King Edward VII smoked hand made Cuban cigars. Usually, Edward VII smoked twenty cigarettes and twelve cigars a day. Towards the end of his life he increasingly suffered from bronchitis.--wiki

Block Crystal Ashtray

2011-12-09T16:17:00.004-06:00

Usually I smoke out of this crystal ashtray. But I have a few other crystal ones. I will keep them coming. This is fun!

Biaggio by Donrigo Cigar in Ashtray

related to my post on my studio website here

Vintage Murano Glass Clown Ashtray

2011-12-09T16:16:00.004-06:00

This clown ashtray actually stands on his feet as well. It pairs well with a Murano glass clown figure that I have around the house. I will take a pic of both in the near future. Vintage Murano glass from Italy is highly collectible. What's so fun about Murano glass is that each piece is uniquely made. Usually it is cased with various colors. Mid century Murano glass makers like Barbini, Seguso cased a great deal of their glass with colors and gold flecks like you see here. It is widely sought after and usually valued starting at a couple hundred contingent on its rarity and condition and so on. My significant other actually spotted this one. And what can I say, one year I got the Murano glass clown figure and this year, he got the lovely ashtray. But anyway, what's his is mine. :)

Biaggio by Donrigo Cigar in Ashtray

related to my post on my studio website here

Vintage Amber Glass Horse Shoe Ashtray

2011-12-09T16:15:00.004-06:00

You probably will not find another one like it, maybe similar. I came a cross a milk glass ashtray exactly like this one online a couple years back. I am not sure who this is by, maybe Blenko or some other fun glass maker. But I love it. My honey has claimed this one for himself. So I couldn't refuse.

Biaggio by Donrigo Cigar in Ashtray

related to my post on my studio website here

Barbini Seguso 1950's Astray

2011-12-08T22:04:00.003-06:00

This is a rare collectible Barbini/Seguso Collectible Cased Ashtray, made of Murano glass ( a very popular italian glass) Rasberry pink, white with gold flecks. Cigar in the ashtray is Biaggio by Donrigo.

Related post to my studio website here.

What's in Store

2011-12-07T17:12:00.000-06:00

From showcasing my large eclectic ashtray collection and my vintage collection of matches, to hot spots I like to hop. I am merging some of my creative worlds! I guarantee you, what's in store has never been done before. I can't let the entire cat out the bag. But I promise you, there is never a dull moment inside Maduro Woman's world. I hope you stay with me. Join me on a trip of luxury and cigars. Stay tuned!

My Cigar Reviews Section

2011-12-05T20:47:00.004-06:00

I am having trouble accessing my cigar review section. I received my shipment of cigars from my brother Jose of DonRigoCigars . One of the cigars I am smoking tonight is his Double Churchill Grande. It's 75% Dominican and 25% Cubano. It 7 x 60 with a Maduro wrapper...not too bad actually. But I need to add the full review to my cigar review section. For now, I am noting the smoke and adding a picture of this fantastic treat.

Hugs and Cigar Love,

Julene

Hard times for a cigar lover

2011-12-05T02:03:00.004-06:00

I smoke a premium cigar, daily. I enjoy smoking cigars when I am working and sometimes it's a perfect treat during the middle of the day. On average, I smoke one a day. But approximately three times a week, I smoke two a day. these days, I can't seem to keep a stocked humidor. It's close to impossible. My significant other may have his one cigar daily as well. So the well can run dry, very quickly. We decided to stock up on house cigars, good house cigars, or throw-aways by top cigar manufacturers from the local cigar chains. They usually run a lot cheaper than your normal premium cigar. On the low end, a nice premium cigars can average anywhere from $5 to $15 a stick. And that could become an expensive bill for a middle class person when smoking simply one or two cigars a day. So I have opted for throwaways or inexpensive house cigars in between the occasions I may decide to spend more. My usually house blend costs $1.30 a stick. Also, I added some of my favorite things inside my humidor so my cigars can get an extra kick. After sitting for 48hours, my throw-away cigars become one of the best smokes on the planet.

But my guy Jose, owner of Don Rigo Cigars has been helping us through the cigar hard-knock times. You know, he has a family owned tobacco farm in the DR. We are expecting a new shipment because times are hard for a cigar lover. I emailed Jose and asked him to quote me on a large shipment. My shipment should arrive possibly Monday.

I have to admit. The new Don Rigo line has become such an exquisite blend of cigars. But I have to get these cigars inside the local retail stores. My brother from another mother has created some master blends. Don't take my word for it. Try it. Stay tuned!

Who is Breana Blaque?

2011-11-26T17:56:00.002-06:00

Breana Blaque used to be my internet signature as it coincided with my creative works. But both personally and professionally, I am Julene Allen. It is very nice to meet you. Join me on this exciting journey of sheer indulgence and making it all worth while, cigars and everything that goes great with it! :)

Maduro Woman is Back!

2011-11-26T17:35:00.003-06:00

I have been working as a Political Columnist. I am founder of www.womenforaction.org and as an Antique and Art Collector. You can see a portion of some of my painting collection at www.dellamorstudios.com .

A single day doesn't go by with out a nice premium cigar. Usually, I am having a cigar in the evenings in the midst of some research or while I am writing. It is "my" treat for the day. Or if I have a full afternoon to myself, no work, no thirteen year old, no dog, and maybe no fiance, I may break the day up with a cigar. An on a occasion when I want to stay at home, bury myself in my woman-cave, a morning cigar becomes a sweet escape.

What I hope to do with this return to Maduro Woman, is to share what I love and how I enjoy my cigars with you. I love great spirits as well, such as a hearty red wine, whiskey, rum and brewing up a new concoction on any occasion, even making my own homemade bootleg wine. Sometimes a great pairing with my cigar could be simply an egg-nog, some cappuccino, or a particular coffee, to name a few.

I am the beautiful coastal woman who loves great cigars, a brilliant thinker when it comes to politics and a diva- collector of art and antiques .

(picture above: Julene Allen (me) sitting on top of antique mahogany desk with embedded leather on top and sitting nude painting by Jane Waterman)

Cigar Rights of America Gives Cigar Enthusiasts a United Voice Against Continuing Legislation, Tax Hikes and Bans

2008-08-11T21:56:00.002-05:00

Driven by increasing calls from cigar connoisseurs and enthusiasts, a consortium of cigar manufacturers and premium cigar retailers have formed Cigar Rights of America (CRA), a nonprofit organization formed to give cigar lovers across the United States a voice in the rising debate over cigar rights for those who enjoy cigars for pleasure.
CRA is a membership organization dedicated to maintaining the personal freedom of individuals to enjoy cigars. Its activities are focused on education about handmade premium cigars, opposing unfair legislation such as excessive state and federal cigar taxes, overly restrictive smoking bans, cigar sales restrictions, and FDA regulation of cigars.
Published estimates show that approximately three to four million Americans regularly smoke premium, hand-rolled cigars. For many, a good cigar is a form of relaxation, and many cigar enthusiasts consider themselves to be connoisseurs, similar to wine experts. CRA membership believes that the increasing number of anti-smoking measures - measures going as far as giving apartment property owners the right to tell renters they cannot smoke in their own homes - and proposed federal cigar tax increases of up to 6,000 percent are encroaching on a personal freedom and right to enjoy cigars.
On Tuesday, August 19, the CRA is launching a major membership drive "Freedom Tour 2008," which will include stops and rallies in five cites: New York City (19th); Minneapolis (20th); Milwaukee (20th); Chicago (21st, two events); and Orlando (22nd). Each stop will include legendary cigar makers and experts who will talk about the art of producing handmade cigars, encourage membership, and speak about the crucial role CRA members can play in balancing the debate between anti-cigar advocates and those who enjoy cigars for pleasure. For most of these cigars makers, their companies are family-owned, small businesses, and producing handmade cigars has been their passion and family tradition. Tickets can be purchased at local retailers listed on the CRA Web site's Freedom Tour information page at http://www.cigarrights.org/tour.htm.
Cigar enthusiasts and others who are interested in preserving freedom of choice can join Cigar Rights of America online at https://www.cigarrights.org/membership.htm.
For Cigar Rights of America Jan Fambro, 310-826-2962 jfambro@speedworksllc.com
http://www.centredaily.com

Welcome to Nannyfornia

2008-08-11T21:03:00.005-05:00

Could the frenzy of puritanical edicts from California's politicians - banning everything from trans fats to plastic bags - be a foretaste of what Barack Obama's America will be like?

It was one o'clock in the morning. John Lutz had just left the Grand Palace Stadium cinema complex in the wealthy LA suburb of Calabasas and was standing next to his Mini, smoking a cigarette. As he did so, a massive SUV - the kind that does 10mpg - pulled up alongside him. The driver opened his window, leant out, and said: “Hey, buddy, you can't smoke here.” John, a staff writer for a popular American TV show, was unaware that an hour earlier, at midnight, the Calabasas Comprehensive Secondhand Smoke Control Ordinance - the most restrictive anti-smoking policy anywhere in the world-had gone into effect.
“You don't read the news?” chided the SUV driver, wagging his finger. “You can't smoke outdoors anymore. Put it out.” John paused for a second, unable to believe that his decision to smoke a Camel Light in an empty car park in the wee hours of the morning was of so much interest to a complete stranger. He exhaled slowly. He balled his fists. And then he told the driver - using language not suitable for publication in this newspaper, that no, actually, he wouldn't put it out.
Welcome everyone, to Nannyfornia: Birthplace of the Ban, Capital of the Clampdown, Mecca of the Moratorium. Or you could just call it the new Mild, Mild West.
The outdoor smoking ban of which John Lutz ran foul is just one example of a frenzy of puritanical edicts from California's politicians that in the past few weeks has outlawed trans fat in all restaurant food, prevented LA supermarkets from handing out plastic bags, and put a halt to fast-food joints opening in the suburb formerly known as South Central. Other recent bans -and attempted bans - have challenged such monumental threats to human wellbeing as helium balloons, camp fires, circuses, swearing, texting while stopped at traffic lights, anything made from a dead kangaroo, dogs sitting on drivers' laps, homeschooling, rodeos, unordered tapwater in diners, spanking, nude beaches, and (this is true) the use of sexually-discriminating terms such as “Mom” and “Dad” in school classrooms.

Of course, some of these things deserve to be discouraged. But criminalised? “It's becoming almost like an arms race as to who can ban more things,” says Jim Ross, the veteran California political consultant who managed the campaign to elect Gavin Newsom as Mayor of San Francisco. “San Francisco bans plastic bags, then LA bans plastics, then everyone else has to. It's ironic, because the US was founded as a reaction to the colonists telling them what to do. I mean, hey, when are we gonna start banning alcohol again?” It is true, of course, that the Golden State has always had a reputation for well-intentioned meddling - hence the reason they call it “the Left Coast”. But until recently, with Arnold Schwarzenegger serving as the Republican governor, California seemed to have avoided many of the worst examples of nanny-stateism inflicted on, say, Britain. For example: California's ban on smoking in restaurants and bars was largely avoided when establishments built outdoor decks. Schwarzenegger himself built a “cigar tent” outside his office in Sacramento, the state capital.
California remains more laidback than Britain in other ways, too. People in LA still drive after a glass or two of wine. Tax on petrol isn't designed to punish you for not wanting to get on a bus. Speed cameras remain unheard of, and CCTV is so rare that when you land in London from Los Angeles you feel as though you have been transported from the 1970s to a dysfunctional 22nd-century dictatorship.
But things began to change a couple of years ago - around the time the Democratic Party seized control of the US Congress. The Left's confidence has grown exponentially since then with the astonishing rise of Barack Obama, and even Schwarzenegger - whose popularity has vanished along with Californians' home equity - appears to be giving in to the Democratic Party's belief that only enlightened politicians can save the idiot masses from themselves.
Take California's ban on trans fats, which essentially turned puff pastry into public enemy No 1. “We are taking a strong step toward creating a healthier future for California,” declared Schwarzenegger, a man whose very appetite for the unhealthy things in life - cigars, Hummers, marijuana, badly scripted movies involving the gratuitous use of automatic weapons and explosive devices - endeared him to the US public and ultimately won him the governorship that he is now using as a tool to prevent people from eating chicken pot pies. And this week, a new law will be introduced that intends to force restaurants in LA to display the number of calories of each item on their menus.
All this raises a disturbing question, of course: is Nannyfornia providing us with a glimpse of what Obama's America might look like? After all, Obama is a classic banner. He recently proposed banning all toys from China. He banned his own staff from wearing green clothing during his recent trip to the Middle East (green is the colour of the Hamas flag). He banned the New Yorker magazine from his press plane after it depicted him as a terrorist in a political cartoon. He wants to ban “excessive” profits by raising capital gains tax. Why? Because he thinks it's fair. No matter that the state's revenues from the tax have always gone up whenever the rate has been lowered.
Jot Condie, president of the California Restaurant Association, is one of many Americans who fears all this prohibition is going too far. “The Government here in California is banning a food product simply because it's not healthy,” he complains. “What do you ban next? Bacon fat? The possibilities are limitless.”
But is it all the fault of emboldened Democrats? Without a doubt, he says. He describes the Democratic-controlled legislature in California as “an activist government that thinks it knows what's best for us”.
“It's not just trans fat,” he says. “They're banning fast-food restaurants in parts of LA because they think we're too fat and therefore they're gonna help us.” Not that he thinks trans fat is a good thing. “Trans fat raises bad cholesterol and lowers good cholesterol so, yeah, it's a double whammy,” he says. “But in two years' time, it's gonna be a thing of the past, not because of the Government but because consumers are voting with their feet. You don't need to criminalise it. The Government has created a dangerous precedent.”
John Lutz, the cigarette smoker, says the real problem with bans is that they tend to be selective - and they usually focus, conveniently, on the vices of other people. “The people who think they have the right to tell you what to do are usually the exact same people who drive around in SUVs and drink bottled water every day,” Lutz says. “I'm pretty sure both of those things are very worst things you can do to the environment. Yet they'll go crazy if they see me stubbing out a cigarette butt in my own backyard.”
The double standards are sometimes even more dramatic than SUV-driving, health-Nazis. Take Calabasas: it might have successfully outlawed tobacco use practically anywhere within its city limits, but it was happy to be home of the headquarters of Countrywide Financial, now the subject of a federal investigation into its lending practices during the mid-2000s real estate bubble. Countrywide was at one point making so much money from home loans that there was a Ferrari dealership located almost directly across the street.
Aside from the accusations of hypocrisy, however, isn't there just something inherently un-California about trying to ban everything that's allegedly bad for you? After all, this is a state that has always faced the prospect of imminent annihilation from earthquakes, fires, floods, droughts and a multitude of other natural catastrophes. Indeed, it's often hard for Britons to understand the attitude in LA that you enjoy the good times while they last, and when things go catastrophically awry - as they always tend to do, every so often - you tough it out, you learn, and you wait for the good times to come around again. Hence the fact that in London people are convinced the credit crunch is the next Great Depression, while in LA people are just as likely to be worried about missing out on the next pre-bubble investment opportunity.
So why does California feel the urge to micro-manage people's lives - to the point were helium balloons were almost made illegal because every now and again they get caught up in power lines? Shouldn't Californians know better than anyone that a life without risk is no life at all?
“I think there's actually a little bit of one-upmanship going on,” explains Jim Ross, the political consultant, adding that West Coast politicians like to think that radical bans help them to pioneer national trends. For example: because California is the largest purchaser of school textbooks, when it passed a Senate Bill requiring “nondiscrimination” against sexual orientation in classrooms (conservatives say this essentially bans the use of the words “Mom” or “Dad”), publishers began to change the wording in all US textbooks. But Ross thinks the system has a knack of stopping things getting out of hand.
“The moderating effect of a democracy will always stop bad laws from happening,” he says. “A great example of that was when the speed limit was rolled back to 55mph. It got to the point where if you were sticking to it, you were the slowest person on the road, and you'd be creating a hazard. If a law is going to work, people have to live up to it. There's a great quote from Calvin Coolidge [the 30th President of the US] that good laws are not made, they're discovered.” In other words, says Ross, a good law is never the result of a politician feeling holier-than-thou - it's a result of the overwhelming will of the people being served.
Lutz prefers to quote that other hero of American politics: Jesse Ventura, the ex-Navy SEAL turned professional wrestler turned Governor of Minnesota. Whenever a particularly meddlesome piece of legislation turned up on his desk, he would dismiss it with a line that went on to become his personal catchphrase. “You can't legislate against stupidity,” he would say.
It's a lesson that Nannyfornia - not to mention Barack Obama - might do well to learn.

http://women.timesonline.co.uk

Mobile Cigar Lounge

2008-07-31T13:03:00.005-05:00

It's a solution to the public smoking ban. Renting a luxurious mobile lounge for a cigar party or event. The ambiance appears to be impeccable and it's a once in a life time experience.
It's comes with first class service, top of the line attributes, while enjoying the company of other cigar smokers. http://www.mobilecigarlounge.com

CHICAGO IS THE WORST

2008-07-31T12:19:00.003-05:00

Plus: Nick Perdomo in the political fight of his life!

Los Angeles, July 30 – “What’s the matter with Chicago” reads the headline in the August/September issue of the libertarian-oriented Reason magazine, in front of its story on the “worst nanny-state cities in America.”Reason’s editors ranked the 35 largest metropolitan areas in the United States from best to worst in terms of their attitudes on eight major areas, including alcohol, drugs, gambling, food, guns, sex, transportation and tobacco. As the introduction to the rankings notes, “Two decades of healthy economies and dropping crime rates have given many city councils the luxury of worrying about less urgent issues, from the last wisps of second-hand smoke to the discomfort of fatted geese. . . . It may be easier to smoke a joint today than it was 20 years ago (except in New York City), but it’s getting much more difficult to enjoy a legal cigarette.:In terms of overall ranking, Chicago was the worst city in the survey, finishing in the bottom half of all eight categories. The rest of the worst ten includes 2. Seattle; 3. New York; 4. Boston; 5. El Paso; 6. San Diego; 7. Nashville; 8. Houston; 9. Los Angeles and 10. Charlotte. The least nanny-state cities according to the survey were Las Vegas, Miami, Denver, Louisville and Kansas City.In the tobacco category, the tests included the amount of excise tax on cigarettes and smoking restrictions, often based on state rather than local restrictions; the bottom ten included:
1. Seattle
2. Chicago
3. (tie) Austin and El Paso
5. New York
6. San Francisco
7. Phoenix
8. Boston
9. (tie), Los Angeles, Oakland, San Diego, San JoseThe ten best cities on tobacco, according to the rankings:
1. Kansas City
2. (tie) Charlotte, Memphis and Nashville
5. Milwaukee
6. Louisville
7. (tie) Atlanta, Jacksonville and Miami
10. IndianapolisIt’s worth noting that even in the “best” cities for smoking, there are at least partial smoking bans in place in several of them. The report is funny, poignant and also sobering.Nick Perdomo fighting for seat on Miami Lakes Town Council
One of the most attractive things about the cigar business for many people who work in and around it is the enormous number of nice people one gets to meet. After all, among those who smoke, cigars tend to make people happy...[read more]

http://www.cigarcyclopedia.com

Breana Blaque's News

2008-07-14T21:41:00.009-05:00

Cigars have always been something that I have personally enjoyed and savored for those times when I want to reward myself. Well throughout the spring, I did not smoke cigars. Don't get me wrong, I have four personal fully stacked humidors of various cigars, so they are accessible.

After January, I had a hard time accepting the new public smoking ban. I used to enjoy my cigars at one of my favorite night spots and it was no longer an option. Secondly, Every cigar I smoke is a special yummy treat that rewards and celebrates. While enjoying my cigar, there has to be a sort of ambiance and environment. The whole thing is ineffable.

This summer I have been getting back into the swing of treating myself to a premium cigar. I have had a couple of my youthfully aged Don Rigo cigars and Biaggios by the Don Rigo label and they have been delicious. ( I call them youthfully aged because they have been in my personal possession for under a year so the objective is to allow them to age for a minimum of two years.) My most recent cigar smoking experience was while bike riding in one of Chicago's bike events that took place from midnight to 5am in the morning. Well, my significant other initiated it, and we shared a cigar while riding a tandem bike.

Another smoking experience I have done recently, is while attending a local bar. I like to sit out on the outdoor patio of the bar with a drink, reading a book, kicking my legs up with my shoes off and taking a puff in between sipping my drink and reading a few lines from my book.

Another recent cigar experience was at a popular restaurant that has an outdoor deck. I ordered an ice tea, read my book and enjoyed my cigar. I was allowed to smoke on the deck because there were no other patrons on the deck, aside from myself at the time.

Last month, I attended the Ladies Night Event at Smoke the Experience. I was given a complimentary cigar to smoke for my birthday in honor of Maduro Woman.com. I had a wonderful time. On the 3rd of July, my significant other and I had planned to smoke our cigars on the lake while watching the fireworks, along with a romantic picnic and our favorite bottle of wine. But it was too cold. So we enjoyed our cigars from the SUV, along with a nice Neo Soul CD I made ( I don't care of for Neo Soul BTW, was trying something different), sipped on wine and ate. It was a nice treat. I would have preferred outdoors, but I am not a trooper when it comes to cold weather.

My objective for my smoking experience, is to get out to more spots that have the outdoor smoking areas, be around more cigar friends at various cigar spots, and smoke on my patio with a sangria mix when I move into my new home later this summer.

Do you have a killer smoking experience ? Have you smoked somewhere that was awesome or smoked while doing something truly spectacular? Tell me about it. Shoot me an email at info@madurowoman.com

Schwarzenegger against banning smoking in films

2008-07-14T21:38:00.002-05:00

Actor-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger has spoken out against anti-smoking campaigners trying to rid Hollywood films of cigarettes and cigars.The California governor, a renowned cigar aficionado, insists children need to be warned of the dangers of tobacco but argues that filmmakers who wish to feature smoking should be able to exercise their artistic freedom, particularly in period settings, according to FoxNews.com.

"I personally don't believe that we should erase cigarettes in movies," he said. "I don't believe that we should erase when someone smokes a cigar in a movie. I think that we should remind people and kids all the time about the dangers of smoking."To all of a sudden tell actors not to smoke a cigarette in a movie when they portray a character ... is ludicrous. I think this is going too far."

Beautiful woman, photoshoot, and a cigar,

2008-03-28T16:55:00.002-05:00

by Padilla Cigars

Cuba's Cigar Sisterhood

2008-03-28T00:32:00.001-05:00

ON an island where folks normally don't buck the system, Zudlay Napoles is breaking an unwritten rule: she is a woman and she smokes cigars.
Not only does Napoles love to light up her favorite Romeo y Julieta No. 4: the diminutive 31-year-old has become the face of Cuba's cigar industry for countless international visitors.
In doing so, Zudlay Napoles has confidently charged into this man's world, pursuing a passion that requires her to endure the stares when she smokes.
She is a sommelier at La Floridita, a restaurant that supposedly served Ernest Hemingway's favorite daiquiri and is now a tourist spot.
In this capacity, Napoles helps customers match each cigar with the perfect after-dinner drink. And last month, she took first place in a worldwide competition at Cuba's 10th annual Festival Habano – as Cuban cigars are known here. The only woman and only Cuban in the contest, she proved her prowess in matching cigars with alcoholic drinks.

Although women are part of cigar-making in every step of the process, the final taboo has long been smoking them, Napoles said.
"Even girlfriends of my generation look at me strangely and say, 'You're going to smoke that? And the smell?' I tell them that it tastes good," Napoles said. "Once you enter into this world," she added, "you don't want to leave."
However, this world, if the cigar festival was any indication, has a hefty dose of testosterone.
A gala at the Karl Marx Theatre had the taste of a guy's trip to Vegas as jet-setters posed for photos with an army of tall, slender Cuban women who wore sport coats over bikini tops.
A few women participated but the festival has been so male-dominated that the awards handed out in the early days went to "Man of the Year". Only recently have they been given more gender-neutral designations.
"Being a woman in the cigar industry, you feel like a tiny grain of rice on the beach," said Hilda Baro, director of the Partagas cigar plant. But Zudlay Napoles feels at home here, gliding through the halls and getting hugs and pecks on the cheek from burly men in crisp white guayabera shirts.
Napoles says she never found cigars to be off-limits.
Her 82-year-old grandmother, Juana, smoked them at home and still is known to puff on one after dinner, she revealed.
But Napoles didn't smoke her first cigar until seven years ago when she realised it would help her advance at La Floridita, advice offered by her husband, then the matre d'.
"With my first one, the first seconds were a little hot," Napoles conceded. "But it wasn't disagreeable. By the second cigar, I was on top of the situation."
Baro and other female industry executives said women smoking should not be a rarity, given that so many work in cigar production. At most plants, nearly every cigar-roller is a woman.
As Napoles put it: "The Cuban cigars, since their formation, are in the hands of women. They are built with the muscles of women.
"In reality, they already have the female heat, the female touch.
"Now all that's left is overcoming this taboo of smoking."
At the Casa del Habano cigar shop, a pack of male employees and their friends pondered the gender gap as they smoked and awaited customers.
Alexis Abreu, who rolls cigars at the store, said he couldn't explain why women were left out of the cigar-smoking experience.
He said women often smoked cigarettes in public but that smoking cigars was kept behind closed doors.
The exceptions, Abreu said, were older women, those in rural areas, and priestesses in Santeria – a religion with African roots which incorporates cigars in its rituals.
Abreu praised women willing to smoke cigars because "in most situations, if society criticises you for something, you aren't going to do it".
It's clear that Napoles gives cigars respect, and even affection. After her shifts at the restaurant, she and her male co-workers serve splashes of cognac and other drinks, and then experiment with companion cigars.
Her winning entry at the cigar festival paired a 25-year-old Santiago brand rum with a Cohiba Maduro 5, a new line from the iconic manufacturer.
Napoles said this kind of knowledge ultimately earns her respect from men in the industry. She admits a certain pride at not toeing the line in a country where citizens generally do.
Still, she said, "This shouldn't be so unusual. It's something that we Cubans have in our blood. It's ours. It wasn't difficult falling in love with the cigar."

Maduro Woman Cigar Video 1

2008-03-21T18:45:00.004-05:00

My First Cigar Video Blog!

Copy and paste my the code below to add to your website, courtesy of Youtube!

Beautiful Girl With Cigar

2008-03-17T23:50:00.004-05:00

Every now and then, there is that one image that I really like! This is one! Enjoy.

Wait, Don't Burn the Cigars!!!!

2008-03-17T23:44:00.002-05:00

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard plans to have Michigan National Guard members and Reservists help him incinerate some evidence found in a recent drug bust.

About 1,500 cigars recovered from a marijuana dealer will be torched, one at a time, by Michigan military members serving overseas. "Rather than have them destroyed in an incinerator, it would make more sense to give them to our heroes deployed across the globe," Bouchard said Thursday. The move isn't designed to encourage smoking. But for military members who partake, the smokes could provide a respite from a stressful routine, Bouchard said. The stogies carry sought-after Cuban labels such as Cohiba, but Bouchard said the labels are counterfeit; the cigars actually are from the Dominican Republic. "If they were real Cubans, we wouldn't be able to give them away," Bouchard said. The cigars, valued at around $15,000, were in a car stopped as part of a January drug bust along M-59 in the east end of Oakland County.

by http://www.freep.com

Cigars used to aid officer's loved ones

2008-03-17T23:35:00.003-05:00

BY JOSE PAGLIERY
jpagliery@MiamiHerald.com
Miami-Dade County Police Detective Jorge Perez, who was killed in a motorcycle accident while riding on Florida's Turnpike last month, was an avid cigar smoker.
Now, his friends are turning to the cigars he loved as a way of celebrating his life and helping the longtime girlfriend and children he left behind.
A fund-raiser at Puros Fine Cigars, 10792 Coral Way, will be held 5 p.m. Sunday, said Alejandro Alcorta, owner of the shop.
''He was a cigar smoker and a regular at our store. And he was a good friend of ours,'' Alcorta said.
Proceeds from the event will be donated to Carolina Montoya, Perez's girlfriend, and their children, 3-year-old Jorge and 3-month-old Teresa Perez-Montoya. Because Perez and Montoya were not legally married, she and their children are not eligible for full benefits, according to Miami-Dade police spokesman Roy Rutland. Perez was riding his motorcycle in late January when he was thrown from it. He died two weeks later from injuries sustained in the accident. After hearing of his death, Alcorta notified many of Florida's biggest cigar manufacturers, including 601, Don Lino, Alec Bradley and more, which donated almost 5,000 cigars for the event. Guests who give a minimum donation of $20 will receive a variety cigar gift pack to accompany food and beverages. ''The response that we've been getting from this is unbelieveable,'' said Alcorta, who met Perez soon after he opened the store last June. Within a few months, the detective had become a regular, constantly trying out different cigars. Friends and fellow officers recall Perez as a hard-working motivator and relentless law enforcement officer, obsessed with his health, yet the casual social smoker. Perez was with the county police department for eight years, working with Road Patrol and the Robbery Intervention Detail before joining the Hammocks Gang Unit. Detective Chris Garcia met Perez when he was a rookie. Garcia remembers his friend's dedication to family and law enforcement, recalling a string of robberies that occurred near Blue Lagoon Drive in 2005. As many vigilant police officers neared the end of their 12- and 14-hour shifts, it was Perez who picked up the police radio and said, ``Hey guys, it's game time. It's time to dig deep and get the job done. We gotta catch these guys.''
Soon enough, Garcia remembered, both men were caught. ''He managed to find anything and everything in this county. It was unbelievable how good he was at his job,'' Garcia said.
"All you'd do is send Jorge out to get them.''

Cuban woman excels at matching drinks, cigars

2008-03-12T09:17:00.002-05:00

Cuban woman excels at matching drinks, cigars
HAVANA - On an island where folks normally don't buck the system, Zudlay Napoles is breaking an unwritten rule: She is a woman who smokes cigars.
Not only does Napoles love to light up her favorite Romeo y Julieta No. 4. The diminutive 31-year-old has become the face of Cuba's cigar industry for countless international visitors.
In doing so, Napoles has confidently charged into this man's world, pursuing a passion that requires her to endure the stares when she smokes.
She is a sommelier at La Floridita, a restaurant that supposedly served Ernest Hemingway's favorite daiquiri and is now a tourist spot. In this capacity, Napoles helps customers match each cigar with the right after-dinner drink.
And last weekend, Napoles took first place in a worldwide competition at Cuba's 10th annual Habano Festival, as Cuban cigars are known here. The only woman and only Cuban in the contest, she proved her prowess in matching cigars with alcoholic drinks.
Though women are part of cigar-making in every step of the process, the final taboo has long been smoking them, she said.
"Even girlfriends of my generation look at me strangely and say, 'You're going to smoke that? And the smell?' I tell them that it tastes good," Napoles said.
"Once you enter into this world, you don't want to leave."
But this world, if the cigar festival was any indication, has a hefty dose of testosterone.
A gala at the Karl Marx Theater had the taste of a guy's trip to Vegas as jet-setters posed for photos with an army of tall, slender Cuban women who wore sport coats over bikinis.
A few women participated but the festival has been so male-dominated that the awards handed out in the early days went to "Man of the Year." Only recently have they been given more gender-neutral designations.
"Being a woman in the cigar industry, you feel like a tiny grain of rice on the beach," said Hilda Baro, director of the Partagas cigar plant.
But Napoles feels at home here, gliding through the halls and getting hugs and pecks on the cheek from burly men in crisp white guayabera shirts.
Napoles says she never found cigars to be off-limits. She said her 82-year-old grandmother, Juana, smoked them at home and still is known to puff one after dinner.
But Napoles didn't smoke her first cigar until seven years ago when she realized it would help her advance at La Floridita, advice offered by her husband, then the maitre d'.
"With my first one, the first seconds were a little hot," Napoles conceded. "But it wasn't disagreeable. By the second cigar, I was on top of the situation."
Baro and other female industry executives said women smoking should not be a rarity, given that so many work in cigar production. At most plants, nearly every cigar roller is a woman.
As Napoles put it: "The Cuban cigars, since their formation, are in the hands of women. They are built with the muscles of women. In reality, they already have the female heat, the female touch. Now all that's left is overcoming this taboo of smoking."
At the Casa del Habano cigar shop, male employees and friends pondered the gender gap.
Alexis Abreu, who rolls cigars at the store, said he couldn't explain why women were left out of the cigar-smoking experience. He said women often smoked cigarettes in public but smoking cigars was kept behind closed doors.
The exceptions, Abreu said, were older women, those in rural areas and priestesses of Santeria, a religion with African roots that incorporates cigars in its rituals.
Abreu praised women willing to smoke cigars: "In most situations, if society criticizes you for something, you aren't going to do it."
It's clear that Napoles gives cigars respect, and even affection. After her shifts at the restaurant, she and her male co-workers serve splashes of cognac and other drinks, and then experiment with companion cigars.
Her winning entry at the cigar festival paired a 25-year-old Santiago brand rum with a Cohiba Maduro 5, a new line from the iconic manufacturer.
Baltimore Sun

St Patricks Day Cigars

2008-03-12T09:10:00.003-05:00

Try a cigar with a candela wrapper. here

"Green cigars are latter-day oddities, but they once were the preferred smokes of Americans, so popular in the United States that cigars with candela wrappers became known as American Market Selection. (Natural cigars, the ones that make up the vast majority of today's cigar market, were dubbed English Market Selection.) From about 1958 to the early 1970s, Americans smoked billions of cigars, and nearly all of them were as green as your front lawn after a May rain. The popular tint was not a function of the use of underage leaf, however. It resulted from a unique process by which the wrapper tobacco was being cured". Cigar Aficionado

This is crazy

2008-03-05T22:30:00.002-06:00

Ending ban on Cuban cigars would boost prices, maker says

2008-03-03T10:35:00.003-06:00

By Thomas Mulier GENEVA, Switzerland (Bloomberg): Premium Cuban cigars would jump in price if the US were to end an embargo on trade with the island nation and permit their sale in its cigar market, the world's largest, according to Swedish Match AB. Demand for Cuban cigars might double overnight if the ban were lifted, a step Swedish Match managers view as "inevitable," Chief Financial Officer Lars Dahlgren said on Wednesday. The Stockholm-based owner of the Macanudo brand has drawn up plans to prepare, he said in a telephone interview. Speculation about an end to the ban arose on Tuesday as Fidel Castro resigned as Cuba's president after 49 years, though the US State Department said no policy changes are imminent. American smokers buy two-thirds of the world's premium cigars, according to Swedish Match, the industry's second-largest member, which has contested ownership of the Cohiba brand with Cuba's government. "There's no way you can serve Europe and the US if Cuban cigars became big in the US," said Dahlgren, who declined to say when the ban might be lifted. "If consumers would demand the same quality of cigars, prices would skyrocket."The entire industry eventually would benefit from an end to the embargo, which would create more interest in smoking cigars, according to Dahlgren. The ban, which was imposed in 1962 by John F. Kennedy and tightened by later US presidents, has sparked a dispute between Swedish Match and Cuba's government over the rights to the Cohiba brand. It also was the cause of a legal battle between Bacardi Ltd. and Pernod Ricard SA for the Havana Club rum trademark. Cigars sold now under the Cohiba name in the US are made in the Dominican Republic. Cuban-made Cohibas are sold outside the US by Corporacion Habanos, a partnership between the Caribbean nation's government and Madrid-based Altadis SA. Handmade Cohiba Corona Especial cigars from the Dominican Republic cost about $7 each on the website of Burlington, North Carolina-based JRCigars.com, which bills itself as the world's biggest cigar store. A Cuban Cohiba costs 23.40 Swiss francs ($21) at the Davidoff cigar shop in Geneva. Altadis has been taken over by Imperial Tobacco Group Plc, the Bristol, England-based maker of John Player Special cigarettes. Imperial might get a boost of as much as 2 percent to earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization if the US were to end the embargo, said Jonathan Fell, an analyst at Deutsche Bank AG in London. "We are prepared for this to happen sometime," Dahlgren said of a lifting of the ban. "The US is our most important premium cigar market. If the US consumer wants Cuban cigars, we will seek to share that segment of the market."Swedish Match may lose market share initially if the ban were ended and Cuba kept its monopoly on production, he said. In addition to its own brands such as Garcia y Vega, the company owns Cuban heritage trademarks including Partagas and Hoyo de Monterrey that were bought from exiles. "The first few weeks we wouldn't sell a single cigar because everyone would be buying the forbidden fruit," the CFO said. Swedish Match, the world's second-biggest maker of smokeless tobacco products, reported a 31 percent gain in fourth-quarter profit today after tax increases in Sweden prompted it to boost snuff prices.

http://www.caribbeannetnews.com

When Is a Cigar Not a Cigar? When It Tries to Kill Castro

2008-03-03T10:13:00.004-06:00

Now that Fidel Castro has resigned as president of Cuba, it seems likely that illness and age will finally be allowed to accomplish what two generations of Cuban exiles have been unable to, despite obsessive zeal and the help of the American government. For a quick and entertaining roundup of their attempts, Sundance Channel is offering the well-timed American television premiere of “638 Ways to Kill Castro,” a 2006 British documentary being shown Monday night.
The title refers to the number of assassination plans that Fabián Escalante, the former director of Cuban intelligence, claims to have evidence for and, in many cases, to have thwarted. Mr. Escalante breaks it down by administration: Eisenhower, 38; Kennedy, 42; Johnson, 72; Nixon, 184; Carter, 64; Reagan, 197; Bush Sr., 16; Clinton, 21. (That adds up to 634, but we can forgive him for losing track of a few poisoned diving suits.)
The film doesn’t try to prove those eye-catching figures (and Mr. Escalante is also known for propounding a theory of the John F. Kennedy assassination involving Cuban counterrevolutionaries and the Chicago mob). But it covers more than enough on-the-record plotting and scheming to show just how preoccupied Castro’s enemies have been with removing him.
The more freakish ideas — the poisoned fountain pens and milkshakes, the exploding seashells and cigars — are mentioned in passing, but the focus is on traditional methods like guns and bombs, and much of the story is told in the words of the prospective assassins. The filmmakers track down a number of men known or suspected to have plotted against Castro and interview them on camera, generally in what appear to be comfortable Florida homes.
Some speak guardedly, some openly, but they all project the same aura of righteousness and pride, often echoed by their wives and children: they define themselves through their hatred of Castro and their willingness to do something about it. Luis Posada Carriles, who has been linked to bombings of hotels in Havana and a Cubana Airlines flight, is unusual among the men in this group because he is in jail, facing immigration charges, when the filmmakers find him. But in a telephone interview he sounds the same defiant, if slightly pathetic, note: “I don’t want to be the one to say it, but I think he feels safer when I’m in jail, don’t you?” (Mr. Posada has since been released, even though the Justice Department has labeled him an “admitted mastermind of terrorist plots and attacks.”)
“638 Ways to Kill Castro” is not an objective accounting: the ruggedly handsome Mr. Escalante, who kept Mr. Castro alive for so long, is its action hero, and its primary sources, including the former American diplomat Wayne Smith and the journalist Ann Louise Bardach, are clearly critical of America’s treatment of Cuba. At 75 minutes, the film doesn’t have the time to substantiate themes like the Bush family’s cozy relationship with anti-Castro Cubans in Florida. But it’s hard to doubt the depth of that group’s hatred, and the lengths to which it would go, when you see men in fatigues staging war games in the Everglades, complete with a mock execution of a stand-in Fidel. It’s enough to make you wonder whether he’s safe even now.
638 WAYS TO KILL CASTRO
Sundance, Monday night at 9:15, Eastern and Pacific times; 8:15 Central time.
Directed by Dollan Cannell; Peter Moore, executive producer; Kari Lia, producer; original music by Samuel Sim; cinematography by Petra Graf and Michael Timney.

http://www.nytimes.com

Obama has Lewinsky's vote!

2008-02-29T16:11:00.003-06:00

Must be 18+
The article was too adult for me to post so here is a direct link http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s3i31082

Bug's Cigar

2008-02-26T10:09:00.002-06:00

Where I live, this is the best a rabbit can get!

Smoke the Experience Cigar Lounge in Naperville, IL

2008-02-25T22:17:00.005-06:00

Last Thursday I took a trip to Smoke the Experience in Naperville. Smoke the Experience in Naperville has a new comfy cigar lounge. You have an actual lounge experience here. When you walk in there is a humidor to your left, In one room you have leather theater like seating with a flat screen, in a another room you have arcade games and a juke box. In the rear there is another lounging like area, perfect for parties or gatherings. Every Third Thursday of the month there is a ladies night for female cigar or new female cigar smokers.

Visit Smoke the Experience's Website

Fidel Castro Resigns

2008-02-21T23:08:00.002-06:00

Fidel Castro has resigned as the President of Cuba. This does NOT mean that Cuban cigars are now legal in the United States. To find out what Castro's resignation does mean for U.S. foreign policy, visit Keith Porter's US Foreign Policy Blog for more details, including a list of useful background resources.

BRITISH CONSIDER “LICENSE” TO SMOKE

2008-02-21T23:05:00.004-06:00

Los Angeles, February 20 – The state of Maine said it was worried about underage purchases of tobacco products – primarily cigarettes – so it enacted a law five years ago that required delivery firms such as Federal Express and United Parcel Service to only deliver tobacco products shipped by retailers licensed by the state. Moreover, the carrier was allowed to release them only to the addressee and that person had to show identification to prove they were of legal age.For that reason, some mail-order and Internet-based cigar merchants simply stopped shipping to Maine. That all changed on Wednesday.In a rare unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed a lower court holding that the federal statutes controlling interstate commerce nationwide trump Maine’s individual law on the shipment of tobacco products. [read more]

Poll Results

2008-02-17T19:15:00.004-06:00

Thank you for voting!

The places you prefer to buy your cigars:

Most of you stated you prefer to buy on the internet

Second you stated at a local cigar shop

Third you stated out of country or traveling to an island

Last you stated when you travel to another state

Tax on Candy Cigars and smokeless tobacco?

2008-02-17T18:39:00.005-06:00

Anti-smoking forces upset over little cigars and candy-flavored tobacco marketed to kids said Tuesday they will push for a 55-percent tax on all non-cigarette tobacco products.
The Investing in Tobacco-Free Youth Coalition said when legislators raised the state cigarette tax in 2003 and 2005, they did not include smokeless products.
'Tobacco products like little cigars, cigars and smokeless tobacco are cheap and come in candy flavors that appeal to kids. Their appeal to youth and the tobacco industry's aggressive marketing of them in Ohio have led to a growing problem in the state,' Shelly Kiser, director of advocacy for the American Lung Association of Ohio, said in a statement.

{READ MORE}

Up in smoke

2008-02-17T18:26:00.004-06:00

Up in smoke: California's stogie-loving Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has become persona non grata at Sacramento's Tower Pipes and Cigars store.
Schwarzenegger, who set up a smoking tent outside his office to get around the state's smoking ban, fell out of favor with store owner Mark Just for backing an ill-fated health care bill that would have raised tobacco taxes.
"When you raise the tax on cigarettes, it really raises the taxes on high-end cigars, which is what I specialize in," Just said.
As for banning Arnold, "he's never actually been here, but his people call every once in a while to make an order," Just said.
The last time they called, however, Just told them, "Thanks - but no thanks."

www.sfgate.com

Did You Know?

2008-02-17T18:19:00.001-06:00

Did You Know?

Electrical stimulation of certain areas of the brain has been proven to revive long-lost memories.

Crocodiles have brains no larger than a cigar and they cannot stick their tongue out.

There was no soap in the ancient Mediterranean world. Olive oil was used to wash the body in addition to cooking.* The largest body of fresh water in the world is Lake Superior.

The body’s largest internal organ is the small intestine at an average length of 20 feet.

http://www.dailytimes.com

Happy Valentines Day!

2008-02-14T11:05:00.003-06:00

I wish you
love and a nice cigar on this day!

Bachchan says no more puffs for Bollywood promotions

2008-02-14T00:12:00.006-06:00

Article by http://www.hindustantimes.com/

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has apologised to India's anti-tobacco lobby for appearing with a cigar on posters of his latest film due for release on Friday and promised not to be seen promoting smoking in films.
"I am deeply apologetic of the advertisement that has hurt the sentiment of people at large and organisations such as yours," he wrote in a letter to the non-governmental National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) that had threatened to sue him.
"I have informed my producers and told them to take immediate steps so that no such violations take place," Bachchan said.
Bachchan, convalescing at home after a major abdominal surgery last month, found himself in the midst of a raging controversy when posters of "Family" appeared showing him smoking a cigar.
Hit by a barrage of criticism from social organisations and the public, 63-year old Bachchan promised to ensure that he would not promote smoking in Bollywood promotions in future.
"I am happy with his response. I was expecting nothing less from a person like Mr Bachchan," said NOTE's Shekhar Salkar in a statement.
Two years ago, India banned smoking in public places and an anti-smoking law forbids any direct or indirect advertising of tobacco products and the sale of cigarettes to children.
The ban on showing Bollywood stars smoking in films was mooted on May 31, World Anti-Smoking Day, but it has missed two deadlines due to differences between India's health and information and broadcasting ministries.
According to the Health Ministry, India accounts for 800,000 to 900,000 smoking-related deaths annually.
Bachchan -- Bollywood's most popular actors -- has been seen smoking and drinking onscreen in scores of films over the decades.
But in private life, Bachchan quit smoking and drinking decades ago.
"I do not drink nor smoke. I have not indulged in these activities for 30 years and no intentions of doing so in the future," Bachchan said in his letter.
"Family" is his first release this year in which he plays an underworld don protecting his family from rival gangsters.
The star had a hugely successful 2005, with four major box-office hits grossing more than one billion rupees (22 million dollars) collectively.

Cigars are more productive!

2008-02-12T12:19:00.000-06:00

Thanks for your votes

2008-02-10T10:35:00.001-06:00

Thank you for voting! Most of you said that You enjoying being out on the balcony or patio enjoying your cigar. Second was you enjoy smoking your at a regular bar or lounge. Third was a cigar lounge and 4th was inside your home. Please take time to vote in the next poll on your left!

Marylands' Businesses may be able to smoke until 2011?

2008-02-09T21:37:00.001-06:00

As of February 1, 2008, Maryland has joined 20 other states in the national smoking ban. Several businesses have already complied with the Clean Air Act prior to the law taking effect claiming that it has improved their businesses. They have stated that second hand smoke has been a problem in their establishments, while other restaurant and bar owners worry about this immediate ban. Bars and Restaurants that feel that they have a 15% decline in food and beverage sales, over a two month period, can apply for a temporary "hardship" waiver. The waiver allows them to hold off on being smoke free until 2011.

Maduro Woman Cigar Blog 2

2008-02-09T20:50:00.003-06:00

Maduro Woman Cigar Blog 2

Copy the code and place on your page, courtesy of You tube!

Still drawing

2008-02-09T01:17:00.001-06:00

I know I have a long way, but I am still drawing

Smoking Jackets

2008-02-07T22:18:00.000-06:00

So what is the smoking jacket anyway? It's a classic jacket or robe that originated in the Victorian Period. Those that smoked would wear a smoking jacket and possibly a cap to protect their clothing and hair from the smell of smoke. The fabric was light, often made of silk. The silk was light enough to absorb very little smoke. So if you wore a wool or cotton jacket believing that it would provide the same sort of protection, it would probably be a little while before the garment or jacket would air out. I found some really neat places where they have some esquisite jackets.

Margarita Smoking jackets

Glorious Vintage Smoking Jackets

Jay Pratts

One Angry Cat!

2008-02-07T20:44:00.000-06:00

"Where the #@%%&** do I spoke my cigar now"!

How can we modify the smoking law...continued

2008-02-07T15:20:00.000-06:00

Continued from previous post [click here]

I think I may have confused people with this, maybe you can help me out "Smoking for even numbered addresses on even numbered calendar days is permitted". Even numbered addresses would then become non smoking on odd numbered days. "Smoking for odd numbered addresses on odd numbered calendar days is permitted". Odd numbered addresses would then become non-smoking on even numbered days. A non-smoker would be able to find a restaurant to eat at everyday, and if you are a smoker you would be able to find a restaurant to eat at every day. I know its confusing but once I find a way to explain it out better, it makes sense compared to our present law where smokers can't go anywhere and smoke. Kinda like sharing all public places. I'm a smoker today is February 6th, I would find a bar or restaurant with an even numbered address, tommorrow February 7, I would be looking for a bar or restaurant with an odd numbered address. Sorry for the confusion...

Thanks,

Kevin

How can we modify the smoking law?

2008-02-06T11:12:00.001-06:00

This Q&A was posted back in 2008. It's funny that I write about political topics now. --11/26/2011

I am in no way qualified for politics. I thought this was very interesting. I would love to get some feed back and maybe find out your view. Also, If you have a way to modify our law, send it over to me at info@madurowoman.com

Q. In fairness to Proprietors, Employees, Smokers and Non Smokers, the new Illinois smoking law should read like this...

For Bars, Restaurants, Bowling Alleys and Casinos.

Smoking for even numbered addresses on even numbered calendar days is permitted.

Smoking for odd numbered addresses on odd numbered calendar days is permitted.

Employees can apply for Non Smoking or Smoking days.

This is fair to all, the antis will not have a leg to stand on once "second hand smoke" and the "employee health” is eliminated from their argument, this idea would do just that.

Let me know what you think?

Thanks,

Kevin

A. While it is a very creative idea, I do not think it is a feasible one. It causes too much confusion. The law is pretty flat when it comes to rule making. Either it is or it isn't. An idea of that nature would cause businesses to lose. Customers will be forced to not go to a bar or restaurant because there is smoking on even days. If a particular business would like to enforce that sort of rule then to each its own but to enforce a law of that nature would be confusing. One's ritual to dine out every Saturday would be reduced to maybe every other Saturday or simply they may opt to do something else all together. Honestly, I do not feel that the law should have ruled out smoking in these places all together. They should have really left it up to the particular businesses to enforce their own rules. The law should regulate unfairness and prejudice and allow businesses to practice a smoking or non smoking rule.

Breana Blaque

Cigar Video Blog

2008-02-03T02:47:00.002-06:00

My First Cigar Video Blog!

Copy and paste my the code below to add to your website, courtesy of Youtube!
<object width="425" height="350"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cJxNYoniUGo"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cJxNYoniUGo" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed> </object>

Cigar Aficionado Knowledge

2008-02-03T02:43:00.001-06:00

This is another quiz on a cigar aficionado's knowledge! You have to click on the answers. Duh, I did not realize that. I actually copied this quiz to a text file before I realized I could click on the options. I got 3 or 4 right and mostly by guessing! If you take the quiz, come back here and post your score!

http://www.civilization.ca/tresors/cigares/cigarbox004e.html#top

The Einstein Quiz

2008-02-03T02:22:00.000-06:00

Einstein said that 98% of people in the world cannot solve the following puzzle. And Einstein was usually right (that's why he's Einstein.) Here is the Einstein Quiz:

Facts:
There are 5 houses in 5 different colors.
In each house lives a person with a different nationality.
These 5 owners drink a certain beverage, smoke a certain brand of cigar and keep a certain pet.
No owners have the same pet, smoke the same brand of cigar or drink the same drink.
Hints:
The Brit lives in a red house.
The Swede keeps dogs as pets.
The Dane drinks tea.
The green house is on the left of the white house.
The green house owner drinks coffee.
The person who smokes Pall Mall rears birds.
The owner of the yellow house smokes Dunhill.
The man living in the house right in the centre drinks milk.
The Norwegian lives in the first house.
The man who smokes Blend lives next to the one who keeps cats.
The man who keeps horses lives next to the man who smokes Dunhill.
The owner who smokes Blue Master drinks beer.
The German smokes Prince.
The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
The man who smokes Blend has a neighbor who drinks water.
Question:
Can you determine WHO KEEPS FISH?

Can You Solve the Einstein Quiz?
It looks hard, huh? If you can't figure it out, try searching on google for the "Einstein Quiz" and see how other people have solved it.

See how I am doing the puzzle! Click below.

http://www.madurowoman.com/logic_puzzle.html