Sunday, November 8, 2015

Mailbag Monday for 11.09.15

For you, dear reader, it is a Mailbag Monday. For me, however, it's a rainy Sunday morning in the Pacific Northwest and I can't smell/taste a cotton-pickin' thing. I have a Nomad Classic and a very intriguing LH Colorado set to review, when I am far less mucus-filled. Head colds are great opportunities to catch up on other writings.

My newsletter falls under that "other writings" category. If you haven't signed up yet, please do. Look to yer right for the EZ form. Then look in your inbox about and around Wednesday.

Let's do the Mailbag thing.
"How do I care for my new Baraccini Crown Meerschaum Lined Pipe?"

It strikes me how much many pipe smokers name drop. I don't think it's an ego/prestige thing -- I think it belongs more under the heading of the analytical mind of a pipe fan. Allow me to type my answer to your kind question on my Samsung Chromebook. I do not know the model.

You treat each material, sir, in accordance with each material's needs. As soon as you smoke your bowl, wipe out the Meer to avoid any building of cake. When the pipe cools, clean it well by disassembling or at the very lease, run a cleaner through it. No biggie.

Every additional material requires additional steps. Some folks like that. Me, I like a stuff that in yer pipe n smoke it Corn Cob from Mr. R. Santia. Visit his site HERE and check out his KAPLOWITZ model. "Gather yer aplomb with a Kaplowitz." I also interviewed him HERE. A real talented gent, he.
"Why do you differentiate between nuance and complexity in your tobacco reviews?"

Nuance (from Dictionary.com) 
noun, plural nuances
1. a subtle difference or distinction in expression, meaning, response,etc.
2. a very slight difference or variation in color or tone.

Complexity (again from Dictionary.com) which is the act of being 

complex
adjective
1. composed of many interconnected parts; compound; composite: a complex highway system.
2. characterized by a very complicated or involved arrangement of parts, units, etc.: complex machinery.
3. so complicated or intricate as to be hard to understand or deal with: a complex problem.

What I then see is nuance as being on the way to establishing complexity. Some offerings drop off before showing any nuances. Some cap at nuances. Some go on to developing those nuances into complexities. A great cigar is a complex one.
"How do I read those horse racing forms you post?"

Pick sheets. And you read them carefully. Look HERE for an example. At the top is the post is the date. Under that atop the picks, is the track name. The aforementioned picks under the aforementioned track name are, left to right: race number and horse number.

A word on horse number. I'm not necessarily picking a winner, but a horse to watch. If I do choose a favorite, it's generally because there's not another horse in its class. That said, my picks should be used in conjunction with a racing form and the aforementioned care. 

And please remember it's GAMBLING. Don't give me no guff, gentlepersons.
"What are your favorite vitolas?"

Vitoli? As with the Flying Elvi? Lonsdale for lunch and Churchill for dinner. I generally like to keep under a 50RG in order to shift the focus toward wrapper and away from filler. A longer <40 panetela is sexy, sure, but also begs draw issues.

I feel these questions are becoming more personal. That's fine. My favorite color is pink and I prefer the number 12. I like dogs over cats and opera over classical, but only slightly so. Finally: canned salty fish and yes -- very superstitious.
There it is/will be. Another Monday -- pennies in the jar, gentlepersons. As always and ever, thanks for reading; I hope yer week ain't weak.

Tweet me Qs which to A @iamkap