The great thing about us being alive here in the 2010’s is that we have a wonderful opportunity to watch
progress in motion.  If you’re old enough to want to read this, you’ve seen amazing progress in technology-

WiFi, cellular phones, push-button start cars and hip hop music.  Everything straining forward as fast as our
fleshy monkey-brains can push it.

Much of this is a good thing, but some of it really grinds my gears.

We have razors with 37-blades, but my only other option besides scraping all the hair off my face and head is to chemically melt it off, or have it ripped out
with wax.  Not exactly progress if you ask me.

Driving is the same- hundreds of multi-ton missiles fly past us at 88 feet-per-second, and we have nothing to protect us but our own spider-senses and reflexes.  Not exactly a fair fight.

Sometimes you find yourself stuck between times.  Maybe the A/C goes out, but you still have your internet access.
Or your cell phone doesn’t get reception, but the TV at the bar has ESPN.  An odd juxtaposition.

One thing that doesn’t seem to move that much is… you guessed it… cigars. Ancient peoples aged, cured and rolled Tobacco to smoke much the same
way we do today.  The difference- besides quality control- is mostly religious.  Many native peoples once viewed tobacco as a gift from the gods- a medium to be used to help their prayers reach heaven.

It was a sacrament- something to be cherished.  A tradition passed down through traditions from generation to generation.

We’ve lost a great deal of that- advances in medicine have taught us that tobacco smoke isn’t exactly as healthy
as tofu, and laws to “protect the innocent” have pushed us from the center of any social occasion to the fringes (well, except at our events!).

As for me, none of this “progress” makes me happy.  But it’s somewhat of a necessary evil if we want bridges that don’t collapse, a system
of rules that ensures our safety, and water to be clean and drinkable.  A small compromise if you weigh the pros and
cons, I suppose.  But it doesn’t make being ostracized right.  I think that if everyone had the opportunity to connect with one of the few lost arts that was
never really lost- that’s still available to people with no formal training or direction- our advanced culture might realize that we’ve advanced past the point of
usefulness in some areas.

** A PERSONAL NOTE FROM THE EDITOR**

It has come to my attention that there are some very petty,
negative people in the world.

Unfortunately, a few of those are in the cigar business.

This message is for that person in particular.  No matter who you call, what you write or what
you say… you cannot stop us from succeeding in everything we do.

Why? Because everything we do is to promote brick & mortar cigar lounges, help to build the cigar
industry, develop new smokers, assist cigar shops by driving customers to their business (check out The Cigar Guys Lounge Reviews at www.thecigarguys.net) and have fun doing it.
This may be self-serving, but hey… it ain’t  and never will be about you.

Happy Puffing!