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  2. El Presidente

    Mastercases

    El Presidente replied to Ritch's topic in Cigars Discussion Forum "the water hole"

    everything gets sold be it as seconds or to nightclubs, bars, liquor stores or to retailers/wholesalers offshore (at a discount).
  3. RijkdeGooier

    Another Mareva Recommendation: PLPC vs BPC vs Monte #4

    RijkdeGooier replied to LonesomeHabanoAficionado's topic in Cigars Discussion Forum "the water hole"

    Many people, myself included, seem to think the Monte 4 is worth a visit. As far as I know the Monte 4 is the best selling Cuban cigar world-wide from amongst the premium marcas. Given the volume produced it is important to get a good box, since quality can vary across vendors
  4. Ritch

    Mastercases

    Ritch replied to Ritch's topic in Cigars Discussion Forum "the water hole"

    What happens to the fails? Do you send them back?
  5. SirVantes

    FOH'ers Daily Smoke

    SirVantes replied to El Presidente's topic in Cigars Discussion Forum "the water hole"

    Rare opportunity for a weekday afternoon smoke, so I pulled out a 2002 LGC MdO1. Icing sugar and cookie dough, building into jasmine tea. Yum.
  6. Today
  7. Raskol

    FOH'ers Daily Smoke

    Raskol replied to El Presidente's topic in Cigars Discussion Forum "the water hole"

    C&C Time! H. Upmann Connie 1 (2017) Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk
  8. mt1

    Mastercases

    mt1 replied to Ritch's topic in Cigars Discussion Forum "the water hole"

    Wow 30% fails...that's pretty horrendous but not that surprising. Would be really interesting to do a side by side of the 30% vs the 60% vs the 10% of any cigar! Makes you wonder if the fails you see in some shops are due to the shop not caring or due to the shop receiving terrible stock (or perhaps there's a causation here more so than a correlation)...
  9. Justin

    LCDH Doha - Garbage!

    Justin replied to joshhooper7's topic in Cigars Discussion Forum "the water hole"

    I passed through this LCDH about a week ago and agree with the original post. 95% garbage..
  10. El Presidente

    Mastercases

    El Presidente replied to Ritch's topic in Cigars Discussion Forum "the water hole"

    In that case you will get along fine! About 30% will be fails and that is an improvement on early 2018. I love good colorado wrapper PE stock for these. they represent about 60% of an average case. the balance 10% will be PSP/HQ.
  11. mt1

    Mastercases

    mt1 replied to Ritch's topic in Cigars Discussion Forum "the water hole"

    I like the PSP cigars but in truth I have very low standards...😋
  12. El Presidente

    Mastercases

    El Presidente replied to Ritch's topic in Cigars Discussion Forum "the water hole"

    You have balls of steel
  13. Lotusguy
    I forgot something: sea cucumber - I dislike the texture. Guess what was featured in 3 of 8 courses at my wedding in Taiwan?
  14. ponfed
    Bob's Burgers is consistently great, I find. I didn't watch it for the first 3 or 4 seasons because I found it visually unappealing. Once I got used to the animation style though, I devoured the lot. If the aesthetics made any of you guys not tune in, you should give it a shot. It's great.
  15. mt1
    I really liked Final Space on Netflix, it's like Futurama but stupider and faster and it's a good brainless watch.
  16. mt1

    Mastercases

    mt1 replied to Ritch's topic in Cigars Discussion Forum "the water hole"

    I'll take a mastercase of Reyes...
  17. nino

    Mastercases

    nino replied to Ritch's topic in Cigars Discussion Forum "the water hole"

    Used to be Lufthansa Cargo, it is now Hellmann Logistics. All cargo and HSA warehouses insured by a Lufthansa subsidiary, DELVAG.
  18. Siberian Bear

    Your favourite animated sitcom?

    Siberian Bear replied to El Presidente's topic in Cigars Discussion Forum "the water hole"

    1. Rick and Morty , watched all seasons 2 times! Can't get enough of it! "Tiny Riiiiick!!!" 2. Family guy, used to be no.1 before R&M 3. American dad, pretty funny still. 4. Futurama - was a hit at some point, but others on the list notched ahead.
  19. Edward7
    I pride myself as an open minded eater especially when traveling, but some things are just nasty. Papaya is so gross. Like a wet dead foot that has festered in a swamp for a week. Smells like a fart and tastes like a shit. I don’t do chia seeds. Texture issue. It’s like eating the placenta out of a micro sized alien. And I have this weird urge to bite each seed just the same way I try to do when strawberry seeds get stuck around your mouth. Not a fan of yogurt. Baby food. I love virtually all cheeses, even the stinkiest like epoisses and blue and I like whole milk and half and half in my coffee but I don’t like certain dairy things. Like an orange creamsicle. Keep my sorbets fruit and water based please. Alfalfa sprouts. Great way to ruin a turkey sandwich. Let’s add the pubes of the plant world to this guys sandwich, they said. It’ll taste phenomenal they said. No, they were wrong. It’s like going down on a chick from 1976. Like every American, you only like the Thanksgiving dishes your own mom made. My first time eating that meal at a friend’s house ended up being my introduction to marshmallows baked on top of sweet potatoes. Not gross per se, but just weird and I don’t love it. I chalk it up to fat Americans being great at making themselves fatter. Unsubscribe. i like this thread.
  20. ponfed
    Ok then. Can`t wait to find out!
  21. MIKA27
    The Wild History of Poison Rings A favorite decoration of both assassins and generals, 'poison rings' could conceal perfume, tiny momentos—or something far more deadly. Life is tough; there are tremendous amounts of dastardly and deadly substances out there, with all sorts of malicious properties. The only logical protection against them, of course, is magical jewelry. While this might sound crazy to 21st-century minds, jewelry was used as the first line of defense against many forms of devilishness for centuries. For instance, a gold or silver rattle with a piece of coral on one end served two purposes: the coral was porous and a relatively soft material, perfect for teething infants, but coral has also long been used to ward off evil spirits and as a protective charm. If the coral helped a screaming child through the pain of sprouting a tooth, then perhaps the magic charm was real enough, after all. Medicine, magic, and religion all were once intermingled in the ancient psyche, and the most superstitious answer often won out. The mystical solution for any given problem, like a pregnant woman’s baby being swapped out for a changeling, could easily be attributed to the magical powers of a stone or a protective charm. As much as jewelry was a protective tool, it was also used as a weapon. There is a long history of poison rings, and some of the oldest examples may date back to ancient Asia and India. In Western European culture, they surface prominently in the Middle Ages, the quintessential era for tipping one’s hand over a goblet to sprinkle deadly powder into wine. In her book Rings: Jewelry of Power, Love and Loyalty, Diana Scarisbrick writes that, “for centuries, rings, conveniently ready for use on the finger, have been adapted for functions other than the sealing of documents with signets. They might be attached to perfume flaçons, spy-glasses and handkerchiefs; they might measure time, safeguard property and conceal poison.” Poison rings usually have a large stone bezel set into the band of the ring, but they can come with all sorts of different ornamentation. The larger the stone, the more concealed the compartment below is, and thus the dispersal of poison liquid or powder can go undetected. A small catch and hinge allow the stone to swing open and release the deadly agent into the victim’s food or beverage. If they didn’t hold poison, these rings commonly concealed pomanders—small capsules of fragrance to disguise the atrocious odors of streets and rank gutters. The cavities could also be used to hold relics, bits of bone, fragments of flesh, or even locks of hair, a kind of precursor to 19th-century mourning jewelry. Russian 14K gold, onyx, and old mine diamond poison ring, circa 1900 from @plattboutiquejewelry Italian Renaissance femme fatale Lucrezia Borgia is thought to have used poison rings to elegantly off her enemies, but it’s never been proven. In 183 B.C. the Carthaginian soldier Hannibal committed suicide by ingesting poison from a ring after he had sent home spoils of other rings taken from Roman soldiers’ corpses. Much later, noted mathematician, philosopher, and politician Marquis de Condorcet also died by his own bejeweled hand following his arrest in 1794, in order to beat the guillotine. This particular so-called “poison ring” (see below) is a 19th-century American version from the firm of Marcus & Co., so it was probably not intended as an actual poison ring. The faceted emerald flanked by chimeras flips up to reveal a cavity that could be used for a variety of purposes, including a perfumed scent. To every poison, there is an antidote. This is where the widespread superstition and mysticism surrounding the innate powers of gemstones comes in. Rock crystal was commonly thought to be a prophylactic and guard against poisons. We see many rock crystal elements in goblets and chalices over the centuries, due both to its luxury-item status, and in the hopes that it might dispel any poisons in the cup. The jeweled form of the clenched fist, with the thumb between the first and second finger, is known as a “figa” charm, and has a long and complicated history. In Italy, it had a reputation as a fertility charm, but in other parts of Europe, it is known to keep away the evil eye. This particular figa from Wartski in London is Iberian in origin, and was made in the 17th century. The gold cuff around the wrist and the loop on the end suggests this would have been worn as a pendant, and perhaps dipped into beverages to dispel toxins. Figa charm from @wartski1865 Other magical objects used to ward against evil draughts can be found in a newly opened exhibition on the occult in Oxford, England. Titled Spellbound: Magic, Ritual, & Witchcraft, the exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum boasts objects from all over the United Kingdom that have to do with sorcery and mysticism. One ring, loaned from the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, is described in the catalogue for the exhibition: “This Northern Italian silver ring from the early 15th century reuses an onyx intaglio of a scorpion, dating from the second or first century BC, that evokes the zodiac sign of Scorpio. Rings and talismans with images of scorpions were believed to protect against poisoning.” Large rock crystal ball in a silver gilt mount c.1650 The V&A also has in its collection a ring known as a toadstone ring, which is actually the fossilized tooth of a fish called Lepidotes, which was common in certain areas of England. It was a hard brownish orange substance, thought to come from the head of a toad, that cured kidney disease, protected against venomous bites, and kept pregnant women’s babies safe from changelings. The toadstone ring would also supposedly heat up in the presence of poison. From protector to poisoner, jewels can play a dangerous game, especially rings. Maybe make sure several charms are at hand in order to stand the best fighting chance? Ring with engraving of a scorpion, silver and onyx, early 15th century © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
  22. El Presidente
    You may be very surprised on the upside
  23. MIKA27
    The Whisky Vault Is a Bulletproof Safe for Your Prized Hooch It’s nearly impossible to get your hands on a bottle of one of the World’s Best Whiskies at retail. But if you manage the herculean feat of picking up a Ballantine’s 17, Pappy, Hibiki, or (insert your coveted bottle of choice here) you’re going to need a way to keep it safe. If you’re anything like us, you’re far less concerned about ne’er-do-wells and intruders than you are about your own drunk self and your friends. Consider protecting your prized collection of bottles with the Whisky Vault, a bulletproof, armored and almost impenetrable safe that will keep your bottles cozy while also allowing you to show them off. The “ultimate in whiskey protection” is exactly as advertised—a side-loading, solid steel plate construction safe with multiple vault door locking bolts, a tri-spoke handle and a bullet proof window that allows you to protect your impressive collection. The Whisky Vault is supposedly launching an Indiegogo campaign in December. If you don’t want to wait that long—and who does?—you can apparently order the bomb-proof booze safe starting at $6,000
  24. ponfed
    Yeah no big deal. You buy your ticket, you take the ride. I mean they're sub par, it's not like they're laced with poison, right? Right?
  25. MIKA27
    THE WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE RED WINE JUST SOLD FOR $785,000 Did you hear that sound? No? That’s the sound of a record being smashed. Up until recently the most expensive standard bottle of wine ever sold was a ‘measly’ $328,000. But over the weekend a bottle of 1945 Romanee-Conti Burgundy wine went under the hammer for an unprecedented sum—$785,000, to be exact—at a Sotheby’s auction in New York. The previous record was set when a 1869 Chateau Lafite Rothschild was sold in Hong Kong in 2010. However this weekend, Romanee-Conti rubbed salt (sulphates?) in the wound, as just minutes after the global record-breaking bottle was sold, another 1945 of the same brand was auctioned for $698,000 (which would have also broken the record). The sought-after bottles came from the personal collection of Robert Drouhin, former head of the prominent wine producing company, Maison Joseph Drouhin. As reported by the ABC, “Mr Drouhin’s father made an agreement in 1928 with the owners of Romanee-Conti to be their sole distributor for France and Belgium—and consequently amassed a unique wine collection.” The wine also has an interesting back-story. According to Mr Drouhin, during world war two, his father created a secret compartment in the cellar to make sure the wine was never discovered by the Nazis. “Regret even through there remain some for my children and friends, but mainly pleasure as those who will purchase the bottles—apart from the appreciation of quality and luxury they convey—they will receive a testimony of my family and Burgundy at its very best.”
  26. GP
    An unusually sunny day for Dublin in October. Out for a Sunday stroll. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  27. MIKA27
    Steven Moffat's New Dracula Miniseries Is Going To Be A Netflix Period Piece Sherlock creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss’ long-awaited Dracula miniseries is finally happening, and the BBC is partnering with Netflix to make it a reality. And here’s the best part: Oh yeah, it’s a period piece. In a press release, the BBC announced that its Dracula three-part miniseries, which was first teased back in 2017, is at long last moving forward. BBC Drama controller Piers Wenger called Moffat and Gatiss’ planned horror adaptation “as clever as it is chilling,” saying their version will re-introduce fans to the classic villain who’s been brought to “life” in countless adaptations. Some good, some bad. And hey, since we never got the Dark Universe version, this seems as good as time as any to bring him back from the dead. Even though there’s a wide breadth of content to choose from, the three 90-minute episodic series will focus on the Dracula from Bram Stoker’s original novel. Taking place in 1897 (therefore guaranteeing we won’t get a Blade III situation), it’ll center around Dracula, the infamous Transylvanian vampire, as he prepares to take on Victorian London. In a joint statement, Moffat and Gatiss remarked on why they wanted to adapt Stoker’s Dracula for the small screen. “There have always been stories about great evil. What’s special about Dracula, is that Bram Stoker gave evil its own hero,” they said. This is the latest post-Doctor Who project that Moffat has announced, the previous being a television adaptation of The Time Traveller’s Wife for HBO. Moffat and Gatiss are serving as showrunners, writers, and executive producers for Dracula, with Sue Vertue from Hartswood Films also coming on as an executive producer. The series will premiere on BBC One in the UK and Netflix internationally. No production or release dates have been revealed yet.
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