What happens when you cross..

[Rehman]

Your points are all well taken, Mr Canuck and friends. Blame Aizuddin - he posted my piece here! But he had good intentions, so I'm not blaming him but thanking him for catalysing my involvement here with this somewhat controversial debut. I shan't be doing any more of that "grandstanding" here, I assure you - that's for my little section of Aiz's MyCigarBlog site, where I hope to complement his detailed illustrated reviews with my occasional musings and homilies, and where I tend to assume most readers would be familiar with my, um, divisive style of commentary.

Here, however, I'd love to weigh in on discussions that pique my interest, and hopefully I'll soon gain enough of a sense of propriety not to go stomping around in hobnailed boots on the thin ice of sensitivity.

But don't blame me for where cigars exist in popular culture - Gordon Gekko is but one of the recent movie characters to have cigars added to his persona in underscoring the stereotype of fat-cat rich-guy moral ambiguity. That's being kind next to the irredeemable J. Jonah Jameson, who in "Spider-Man 2" revealed his preference for Partagas in the scene where he tosses his cigar butt out the window and Spidey throws it back on his desk.

Then there's the Hellboy and Wolverine stereotype - macho anti-heroic sociopaths who Do the Right Thing anyway because they're not evil, they're just misunderstood. (Prof Xavier: "Logan, my tolerance for your smoking in the mansion notwithstanding, continue smoking that in here, and you'll spend the rest of your days under the belief that you're a six-year-old girl.")

Why? My brother would know! Given my career-long propensity to polarise public opinion, I suppose I'm not going to erase any of these prejudices myself! (Now, if it can be proved that Mother Teresa used to sneak out behind the orphanage for an occasional petit corona, that would be worth adding to the zeitgeist.)

Salud, compadres.

[bombaybill]

Great article, thanks for posting.

[nonameno]

Hello Aizuddin,

It was a very enjoyable read indeed.

Thank you for sharing with us,

Curtiss

[El Presidente]

Welcome to the forum!

We are an egalitarian bunch here at FOH !LOL!

FOH exists as a unique forum because it is a broad church of enthusiasts. We have people from all nations and demographics /hobbies.

I hope you get plenty out of FOH and that you will feel at home here.

[MontrealRon]

Many thanks to you both, Aiz and Rehman, for initiating this provocative thread.

I thoroughly enjoyed both the original article, and the following replies.

Welcome to FOH, Rehman.

You will find us to be quarrelsome, opinionated, politically incorrect, difficult, bloody-minded,

one-track-minded, hard-headed, and totally impossible...

just like brothers usually are.

But we will defend to the death the rights of our brothers to their opinions,

however wrong they may be.

We are truly family!

[Colt45]

But we will defend to the death the rights of our brothers to their opinions,

however wrong they may be.

And sisters! - would they be rednecks too?

Only slightly more seriously - to be honest, I've not found the article or thread to be divisive, controversial, etc, and I don't think anyone has been

sensitive to it at all. We discuss things here - no different than if we were all sitting together having a cigar and drinks. Personally, I think I simply

expressed my thoughts on how point(s) of the article struck me. I don't believe it was ever suggested that it should not have been posted here.

But if I may - and this is just my personal viewpoint - I'd love to see members post their "musings" here, make it part of FOH, and happily so, as

opposed to using our forum as an extension of another entity. That's not directed at anybody, and should be considered nothing more than my

thoughts out loud.

[Habanos2000]

But if I may - and this is just my personal viewpoint - I'd love to see members post their "musings" here, make it part of FOH, and happily so, as

opposed to using our forum as an extension of another entity.

Agreed...and welcome Rehman!

[Puros Y Vino]

Aizuddin

Thanks for posting the article and your follow up commentary. Both were interesting enough to warrant some good discussions amongst fellow FOH's.

And welcome Rehman. The thing I like about this particular forum is that it is unpredictable but gentlemanly. Discussions like these are what I expect when gathered with fellow BOTL's. Many opinions will be shared respectfully but above all good cigars will be enjoyed by many and that is something we can all agree on.

Cheers!

[DrunkenMonkey]

Is Rehman the same guy who wrote "A Malaysian Journey"? If so, Rehman, it's really fantastic to see you've found your way to FOH. I enjoyed that book a great deal.

[adic88]

Is Rehman the same guy who wrote "A Malaysian Journey"? If so, Rehman, it's really fantastic to see you've found your way to FOH. I enjoyed that book a great deal.

Yes, that's the same Rehman. I read that book in university for a course in Malaysian literature, it was so good.

[Rehman]

Is Rehman the same guy who wrote "A Malaysian Journey"? If so, Rehman, it's really fantastic to see you've found your way to FOH. I enjoyed that book a great deal.

Thank you! Yes, that was me. (Was, mind you - I was 36 then.) Glad you liked my book. Aizuddin flung me into these FOH waters, and I've been enjoying splashing around here. This is an excellent forum, with some seriously knowledgeable and competent participants and entertaining, informative discussions. (Aiz, this does not include your musings on cigars and bowel movements. )

[ZAZ]

(Aiz, this does not include your musings on cigars and bowel movements. )

[adic88]

Thank you! Yes, that was me. (Was, mind you - I was 36 then.) Glad you liked my book. Aizuddin flung me into these FOH waters, and I've been enjoying splashing around here. This is an excellent forum, with some seriously knowledgeable and competent participants and entertaining, informative discussions. (Aiz, this does not include your musings on cigars and bowel movements. )

Haha, sometimes the most interesting things to talk about are the most obvious!