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I found that the Cuban Cigar Website has a nice list of average weights per "Factory Name". It is really a nice resource. Checking the data, however, suggests that some of these values might not be correct. For instance, if I plot approximate volume against reported weight there are 4 obvious outliers. There is of course a large variation in weights across individual cigars, but these outliers are >60% off the mark. I am guessing that the reported weights for these are typos, however since I don't have access to some of the actual sticks, I cannot weigh for myself. If someone has some of these sticks and a scale I would be interested to know your observed weights. The expectation here is that the reported weights are all too low. Duke 54 × 140mm (5½″): Reported Weight: 7.14 grams Partagas Serie E No.2 Hermosos No.4 48 × 127mm (5″): Reported Weight: 5.30 grams Choix Suprême, Connie 1, Picadores, Exhibicion No.4 Petit Coronas 42 × 129mm (5⅛″): Reported Weight: 4.14 grams Regalias, Mille Fleur Palmitas 32 × 152mm (6″) Reported Weight: 3.30 grams La Gloria Cubana MdO No 4

I had a feeling that our dear friend, @ATGroom was working on the Collection Management Feature of Cuban Cigar Website last night because the website was down for a little time. Knowing Alex as I do, he would have wanted someone like myself to announce it to our members, by finding out the Register/Log In option was added to the top right of the page. There are some changes. When you register, you have an option to publicly share your collection and smoking diary with other members or not. There are still some changes to be made, for example, I spent tonight re-uploading my data to November 2016 and when I finished I tried to organise my collection according to marca, but the link took me to my wishlist. I'm sure you'll tweak it Alex! On behalf of our members, I wanted to thank you for this feature on the website. We are collectively thankful for the changes and improvements you've made since the website crashed and indeed for the changes to be made into the near future. As you can see from my screenshot, I have immense pride just to have my collection back! Ok, I have 219 cigars in my humidor until November 2016 and coincidentally I have another 219 changes (additions, giftings, smoking of stock) to make to update to my current count of 269 as of today. It will be a pleasure to have the opportunity to catalogue these changes this upcoming long weekend!

In the town where I was born Lived a man who sailed to sea And he told us of his life In the land of submarines So we sailed up to the sun Till we found the sea of green And we lived beneath the waves In our yellow submarine "Yellow Submarine", "Revolver", The Beatles, 1966 It's funny with song lyrics. You find you've been singing them for 20 or 30 years, but the meaning of the original lyrics can still be lost. Take the Beatles 'Yellow Submarine'. You know the words, and those acoustic guitar-inspired simple chords (I-V-IV and ii and vi). So you think you're singing a kids song, but the song reflects on how the Beatles, by 1966, had started in the music business by building on the greats they admired in the past (Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Elvis, Motown etc.), however, in doing so it entailed living normal life in a bubble, that is, a yellow submarine, for playing these simple songs can bring an unexpected cost, notoriety and fame and all that goes with it. Likewise, a cigar can be such a simple thing, but smoke one, rate one, and if you are brave enough, try spending years cataloguing one (or two, or three) and pretty soon a simple thing can become complex. And so, it was in the middle of this week that I had the pleasure to meet up again with @ATGroom, the proprietor of Cuban Cigar Website as he was up in Sydney for business and together, we ventured to meet up with the founder of Cuban Cigar Website @Trevor2118. We didn't stride there in a yellow submarine, but as it was 40°C (104°F) mid-week in Sydney, it might have been handy. As it was, it was a supreme pleasure and honour to drive out to the northern suburbs with Alex and complain about the Sydney traffic and compare Sydney's urban planning, in regards to roads, to Melbourne (which is way, way better). Still, we managed to get to Trevor's place easily enough. And so what better way to start proceedings then to light up a PFY Nov 05 Cohiba Coronas Especiales and 'wax lyrical' about the hot weather, professional life, family and the Christmas holidays, cigars and of course, Cuban Cigar Website? Alex mentioned how unfortunate it was that members with large inventories lost count and records of their stock, and the frustration of losing the site. Trevor and I encouraged him, how can one expect what occurred in December, 2016? Alex resolved that such a situation will not happen again. I brought up some fun ideas with the inventory which we discussed such as changing the 5-star rating system on cigars smoked to include 1/2 star allocations (thus making it a 10 point rating system instead of 5), and linking ratings of cigars smoked to individual boxes so a user can track progress in how cigars are smoking over time. We all agreed that such data would be very useful information. The old CCW was built on 2008 code (I think - Alex and Trevor, feel free to correct me), the new 2017 CCW will provide an opportunity to rebuild better. Alex was grateful to many fine supporters of the website here who have donated in the last month, and of course, to Rob Ayala and the team here at FoH for promoting CCW. We ending the first cigar-smoking session with us all mutually laughing at me trying to nub the '05 Cohiba Coronas Especiales. Yes folks...I got down to a quarter of an inch! (Or maybe I exaggerate, it was a third!) Lunch was inside on account of the heat and Trevor's wife, Therese's hospitality was as supremely pleasant as the 24°C (75°F) air-conditioned weather inside. Thank you for your wine, California, Thank you for your sweet and bitter fruits. "Sweet Virginia", "Exile on Main Street", The Rolling Stones, 1972 Give me little drink from you loving cup. Just one drink and I'll fall down drunk. I feel so humble with you tonight, Just sitting in front of the fire. "Loving Cup", "Exile on Main Street", The Rolling Stones, 1972 One thing I admire my Sydney cigar brethren for is their love and appreciation for fine wine and today was no exception as Trevor had provided us with an exemplary '99 Penfolds Shiraz, every bit as good as the '05 John Loxton Cabernet Sauvignon I enjoyed last Sunday, thanks to @Fuzz. We proceeded to come outside again to the 'fire', yes the Sydney 41-degree heat (105°F), and we enjoyed some TOS Nov 15 Diplomaticos Asia Pacifico Regional Edition Bushidos. Those Nro. 109's taper so beautifully at the head, and of course, they were such a quality smoke. Again, we all had a laugh at me trying to nub mine again, it was all in good fun, and the fine cigars, wine and laughter detracted from the weather. Trevor and Alex thanked me for the Bushidos but I felt so humble, I could do nothing but respond by thanking them for their time and knowledge over the years, as well as their encouragement of me in this noble hobby. Trevor mentioned that I should write up about our meeting for the benefit of our members to help with my post count, and we all had a very good laugh again! We came back inside to air-conditioning to enjoy some coffee and sweets and very, very cold water, when we set off again in the afternoon to 'sail up the sun', Alex and I drove to where he was staying in Sydney, and we resolved to be well until we all met up the next time. In the car Alex and I had good laughs in regards to his Dusky Beauties site (which Alex hopes to bring up again once he starts to re-build Cuban Cigar Website this year), thanks mate, getting that story first-hand about the dysfunctional workplace where no-one bothered to turn up Fridays while others sat watching cricket for hours on end in company worktime was such a good recollection. 'Exile on Main Street' was playing on my car audio and I was sharing with Alex how I was thinking of putting some form of Beatles show as an end-of-year production at school in 2017. He had fond memories of his high school musicals, I wonder if he'll mention them in a Dusky Beauty blog in the future? Angels beating all their wings in time With smiles on their faces And a gleam right in their eyes Whoa, thought I heard one sigh for you Come on up, come on up, now Come on up, now "Shine a Light", "Exile on Main Street", The Rolling Stones, 1972 I dropped off Alex and we discussed catching up again in Sydney when he is back for work/business. We are grateful for the current Canadian back-up of Cuban Cigar Website, but Cuban Cigar Website will be back, with search functioning, re-built database and updated inventory options. In the midst of peril springs forth new opportunities, fortitude and resolve.

Greetings dear friends, As some of you may be aware, last year a series of interviews with Trevor Leask, Rob Ayala and Alexander Groom were published detailing the history of Cuban Cigar Website. Last month I had the opportunity to catch-up with Alex at a get-together organised by Trevor, attended by a few dear Sydney FoH friends and members and a few days later in the Sydney CBD for a few cigars and a chat about Cuban Cigar Website. Cuban Cigar Website Founder Trevor Leask and Proprietor Alexander Groom