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I don’t care what Hamlet says - when you’ve struggled through half a box of plugged RA Gigantes, you better believe I’m cutting the next one in half. I still have some of those left, maybe a good review for the future - the half a double corona.

Hope you guys have fun. Just wanted to say the name of this series is spot on, kudos to whoever came up with Parallel Burns.

Can't he just make a movie or series? I don't have time for books! I've got the first two but not had time to start them 😕 I find I'm spending time reading more work related stuff these days. Team topologies is my current blocker.

I prefer them to CoRo - I really like the blend. I reach for it on evenings where I really want a full flavored, rich cigar with a little nicotine hit that I can smoke in a hour. They really benefit from being in tubes, or if you only have boxes in a well sealed bin with lots of cedar. I have seen some consistency issues as well, though all of mine are from 2017-2023, so no recent production. FWIW I’ve found CoRo are no better in that regard. I was willing to overlook that they’re too short before the prices went up. At their current price I am not buying more - they’re a bad value even by Cohiba standards compared to a Siglo II/III or even CCE. A lovely cigar I’ll miss when I eventually run out.

Hi is an absolute superstar of the cigar world. The Cuban Cigar Gods love him .

The players that year decided to strike before their contract actually expired, which is why it happened mid-season. I think everyone recognizes the damage that approach did to the game was so significant that it’s very unlikely to happen again. If the owners draw a line in the sand on a cap, we’re gonna have at least a delayed start to the season, maybe even a cancellation. I feel the dodgers second consecutive WS win made it inevitable for owners to push for a cap this time - a lot of fans want it now whereas in 1995 fans were much more ambivalent about it. This time I’d put my money on the owners if they’re willing to make significant concessions on faster free agency, higher minimum salaries and arbitration deals, and a payroll minimum. If they offer enough the union leadership will have a hard time convincing younger players under team control to forgo a year of money and service time to save a system where (like the economy in general) the very top earner salaries are growing faster than everyone else’s. They have the advantage of seeing how it played out in other American sports - and every time the share of revenue for players has gone down over time. Something has to change though - MLB’s revenue is too reliant on cable network deals that are going bye bye sooner or later. So in addition to player salaries, they have to move towards some kind of centralized revenue system like the NFL has.

Absolutely John - it’s more challenging, and requires a strong commitment to good drafting and player development so you have a lot of salary controlled players. In that respect, there are some teams that have “it” and others who don’t. Ownership plays a big role there. My dad is a Pirates fan and doesn’t think a salary cap will help them much because the organization is clueless, starting with the owner. With revenue sharing you can sell an objectively terrible product few want (look at attendance in Pittsburgh) but still break even, or even make money. Big money teams like the Mets have more flexibility financially to bring in free agents, but successful teams usually have a core of home grown talent (even if they aren’t the biggest stars on the team). Why? I think it goes back to your point - players who come up through the same system are more likely to gel. They’re still kids when they start rookie ball - an organization’s farm system exerts huge influence and can make or break a career. The evil empire Yankees spent huge but legends like Jeter and Rivera were Yankees-raised. In that respect the Dodgers are a bit of an anamoly. It doesn’t hurt that their marquee signing is the best baseball player since Babe Ruth, and at his current rate will probably retire as the best ever. One issue with the big money approach of signing lots of free agents is you’re gonna strike out on some big money signings, and you’re also giving up draft capital due to MLB rules. The Phillies stopped investing in their farm in 2007 to fund their mini dynasty (started with a home grown core). Not only did their collective draftees 2006-2016 produce the lowest WAR, they were so far behind that you could’ve added Mike Trout to their list of draftees and they’d still have been in last place. Fortunately they’ve since righted the ship there, thanks largely to Middleton taking majority ownership.

As a Mets fan, I'm not devastated by what's transpired this offseason so far. Sure, I would have like Edwin Diaz to stay but if he doesn't want to, it's better that he left. I'm getting a little 'miffed' at unsubstantiated and speculative media reports that every single free agent on the market is coming to the Mets. They're not. If you want to make sense of what David Stearns, the General Manager, is doing, one needs to understand that there's been a core group of players that have been together for six years or so that have failed to 'gel' as a team, lacked success in reaching the playoffs, and as these players age, it was time they moved on. This is very difficult on fans but necessary. Fans have these big thing about winning an offseason, but in the last few years I could tell you that the Mets played better in 2024 than they did the proceeding years that they had big offseason moves. I would like to add the case of the Toronto Blue Jays offseason last year. 2025 turned out alright for them. Teams like the Brewers and Reds reached the postseason in 2025 and they are considered 'small market' teams. You don't need free agents aged in their 30s who are on the decline to be competitive. You just need a team that 'gels' and catches on with the spirit of winning. There are plenty of examples of teams like this over the years.

Great to catch up with you all and congrats for the BR Night. That was what I like a cigar gathering to be.

This is all absolutely spot on! 👍

Freedom of speech since 1989.

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Among CCs, A 2020 Monte 1 A 2022 Qdo 52 A 2023 Punch 48.

2000-ish RyJ Churchill, same. Almost gave up on cigars back then.

Rob, I'm no psychic but I can see you struggle to get a visa in the near future 😁

Not sure how much patina will develop, considering I wear my smart watch more than my other watches. And I decided to pick up the stainless steel version for my old man. Will be a nice addition to his collection.

Newcastle 3 cards Celtics 11-15 margin Steelers o42.5 5+ sacks

What’s everyone’s scoring rubric like? - Is it more of a feel? Like “that's 94 points” or “that's 90 points”? - Do you deduct a certain amount of points for flaws or other things and keep a mental tab? I feel like my methodology may be too strict - here’s what I came up with and have been using when I actually want to sit down and think about scoring. I end up with good smokes in the 80s and an exceptional rarity breaks 90. Most points are lost in flavor, finish, and enjoyment. 1. Appearance (5 pts) • 5 = Flawless, oily, uniform • 3–4 = Minor imperfections • 1–2 = Blemishes, cracks Score: /5 2. Burn & Draw (15 pts) • 13–15 = Perfect resistance, even burn • 9–12 = Mostly fine, minor corrections • ≤8 = Relights, tunneling, major flaws Score: /15 3. Flavor (Balance & Complexity) (25 pts) • 21–25 = Rich, complex, transitions • 16–20 = Balanced, mostly linear • 11–15 = Muted or simple • ≤10 = Harsh, bitter, muddled Score: /25 4. Body & Strength Integration (10 pts) • 9–10 = Perfectly balanced • 6–8 = Slight imbalance • ≤5 = Harsh or flat Score: /10 5. Finish / Aftertaste (10 pts) • 9–10 = Long, pleasant finish • 6–8 = Clean but unremarkable • ≤5 = Short, bitter, harsh Score: /10 6. Enjoyment / X-Factor (15 pts) • 13–15 = Memorable, box-worthy • 9–12 = Solid, but not standout • 6–8 = Average, forgettable • ≤5 = Disappointing Score: /15 7. Aroma (Pre-light & Retrohale) (5 pts) • 5 = Rich and engaging • 3–4 = Light but pleasant • ≤2 = Flat or acrid Score: /5 8. Consistency Across Thirds (15 pts) • 13–15 = Steady or improved • 9–12 = Minor dips • ≤8 = Major decline Score: /15 TOTAL: /100

Gonna list a few of each CC: Montecristo no. 5 from 2018: This one really blew my socks off and made me fall in love with the No.5. Sadly only 12 left from that 2018 box, hope to track down some more soon. Connie A from 2022: I’ve had a few really great ones from my current box, lots of Cuban twang mixed in with chocolate, cream, leather, cedar. Very thankful a friend made that box available to me. Bolivar Belicosos Finos from 2023: If I had more than one box these would be a staple in my rotation. I’ve had zero issues with this cigar and box 🤞🏻 NC: MOFOH Robusto Trinity: I believe it was the third one in from a 5 pack. Really opened my eyes and convinced me to buy a 25 bundle. Can’t wait to dig into those! Davidoff The Late Hour: I know Davidoff has been catching some heat from the NC cigar people but I really enjoy that cigar a lot and it’s my favorite one from the brand. Oliva Serie V Melanio: This is my number 1 go to NC cigar. Always gives me lots of sweet chocolate flavor with some leather in there. For me it’s a perfect cigar.

Salaries are getting stupid at a rapidly expanding rate. I couldn't even spend someone else's money on the top tier. I'd rather let the kids play and see what they can do. $30+ mil for a guy who's going to be under-performing for the last 4 or 5 years just to have a shot now blows my mind. I'm glad the contract runs into next Dec as I hate the thought of a stoppage during the season or a season ending one. The Expos had a great team in 94 despite the corruption and incredible cheapness of that market - two points which were essentially ignored in their Netflix documentary. They lost the magic permanently after that. Cheers!

I suspect the proportion of core MLB fans who’d support a labor stoppage to get a salary cap is close to 50% already, maybe higher. Any team trading for him is gonna give him a contract, and if it’s the Dodgers you’re going to start seeing fans demanding a salary cap not just supporting one. Maybe I’m wrong above and the Dodgers want to maximize their spending advantage while they can, or maybe this is reverse collusion - the owners encouraging one team to spend an ungodly amount of money to make sure they get a salary cap.

I think the “stick” is that if you’re caught you’ll probably never get a visa again. I feel like it’s easier to just delete your old posts. Unless you are a public figure of some kind they really serve little purpose but to create trouble for you.

#1 without a doubt was the first Bond Roberts Linea D #1 I smoked. That one was right up there with the best of the historical greats I've been lucky enough to sample. I've been chasing that experience and trying to figure out what made that first one so incredible while subsequent attempts haven't -quite- panned out to the same caliber yet. I would pay 10x the price for another of the same caliber as that first one and consider it a bargain. Well over 94+. #2 was a Montecristo #2 that had been aging for who knows how long. Quite a few years certainly, but I don't recall how many and I'm terrible at keeping track of my inventory. Superb indeed, but that first BR was better. I've had some others that were quite enjoyable. I had great fun smoking through all of the Fabrica005 cigars, many of which were solidly in the 89-92 range even with just a few months of aging. I pulled out some of my 100+ year old Spanish Joy cigars and old Dunhills to share with a very good friend and those were excellent. A bit too faded to reach into the 90's on a straight up taste scoring, but still a memorable experience to smoke.