Lookout 2010, Here we come!
Posted By The Cigar Soldier on January 7, 2010
Welcome to 2010 my brothers! The first Cigar Night of the year is already in the books and from the turnout, it’s going to be another great year. We’re lucky to have such a wonderful place to congregate and enjoy cigars where the general population can’t bother us. Thanks to the guys from Titletown Tobacco for allowing us that privilege. Which brings up a topic I know is near and dear to all our hearts, the new smoking ban for the state of Wisconsin that kicks in this summer. Oh, not near and dear to your hearts. Then wake the hell up cause it needs to be.
Last year on May 18th, Governor Diamond Jim signed into law the new statewide smoking ban the prohibits smoking in any public workplace whether publicly or privately owned. Cited as a way to address the growing concern over the health hazards associated with smoking and the vile voluminous instant death inducing ETS (environmental tobacco smoke) or secondhand smoke as it was formally known, the ban easliy passed with little opposition. Now, aside from what I consider to be fluffy studies at best related to ETS, why is it only second hand tobacco smoke that everyone seems so worried about? Why is it that you and your four year old can sit in front of a campfire for the weekend surrounded by hundreds of other smoldering campfires where people are burning everything from garbage to plastic to rubber to spent nuclear rods but yet that is not considered dangerous? Apparently sucking in massive amounts of toxic fumes from a burning plastic bottle will do little to no damage to your body but by God if you happen to suffer through possibly inhaling one breath of tobacco induced smoke you’re gonna die. Your precious babies suck in way more toxins watching you char that piece of meat on the grill than is possible from any cigar you may smoke. And still this shit passes as plausible science. The smoke Nazi’s claim that there is NO safe level of tobacco smoke but if you sit for hours in rush hour traffic behind a city bus, I guess those fumes are good for you. Makes total sense.
Anyways, your Governor under the heat of the anti-smoking zealots signed the 2009 Wisconsin act 12 which generally prohibits smoking in all enclosed public places. Just wait, open public places will be next like parks and golf courses. Marxist my word, er, I mean mark my word. The state ban goes into effect on July 5th of 2010 and overrides any local ban already in existence. Is it just me or do you guys see the irony in our elected government officials enacting a public ban on use of a legal substance immediately the day after we as a nation celebrate our independence from Great Britain and the oppressive governance of Parliament. I guess back then we cared a tad more about not getting shit stomped by a ruling class that was so out of touch with it’s citizens that we actually went to war over it. Now we sit back and get chastised as outcasts or lepers simply because we enjoy a cigar and bit by bit we allow them to steal our freedoms. That is why rag-tag groups like us are so important to keep the cigar lifestyle alive and well. In an age where it’s becoming increasingly difficult to not only purchase tobacco (oh yeah, they raised the taxes again last year) your struggle is now to find a location where you can light the damn thing. Our membership continues to grow so thank you to all of you guys that see the benefit in belonging to a club where we still believe in individual freedoms even while under assault from big (yet arguably retarded) brother. We’re no Second Continental Congress, but we’re at least making our voices heard.
It’s not all bleak news out there, cigar imports report estimate 2009 totals to come in roughly at 299 million cigars (premium, machine made and small) once final numbers are calculated. This is about a 10.2% increase over 2008 and premium cigar sales are near levels not seen since the “Cigar Boom” of the late 90’s. Some studies may show the anti crowd with the help of big government programs that you’re paying for are getting more and more people to stop smoking. We all know that those figures are skewed by focusing on cigarette smokers because they are the most recognizable and easiest to pile on. Cigar smokers may be smoking less, but there has never been a time were as a collective bunch we are more educated and choosy than ever before and therefore seek out higher quality cigars and limit the volume we smoke but not the quality. The truth is still in the numbers and they show that there is still a high demand for premium cigars. So the next time someone chirps back, “Who smokes those things anyway?” You can honestly tell them a lot of people do. Then stab them in the forehead with your car key and run like mad.
Big Update!
We are all set for our first annual members only dinner. The date is February 24th from 6 to 9 and remember that only those members at the VIP or Platinum level can attend. Check your status here if you forgot. I told you guys it was worth it. We’ll be crashing The Vault for tenderloin with all the fixins cooked up by Chef Woo and staff just for us. Vault owner and Brotherhood Member Jimmy C. will not only be our gracious host but will be joing us for chow so a big thank you to him and crew for hosting our first annual members dinner. You will have to cover your own beverages but I will have an additional surprise for all members in attendance that night. Man I take care of you cats. You must reply in advance in order to attend so please email me your RSVP right away at thecigarsoldier@cigarnightonline.com to get your name on the list. No buy in’s or guests allowed on this night, it is only for those VIP and Platinum members so thank you for your understanding and hopefully we’ll convince everyone to be there next year. Also, check out the new poll we’ve added on the website. You guys are going to get the chance to vote on many of our upcoming events and activities so check back often for new polls and be sure to vote!
Lookout 2010, The Brotherhood is ready for you and it’s going to be another big year.
The Cigar Soldier
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