Kansas State University anthropology professor Michael Wesch has an understanding of the Web 2.0 world in a way that few digital types could dream. He understands the nuances of how technology has changed global culture.
He gave this presentation, “An Anthropological Introduction to YouTube,” last month at the Library of Congress. (Thanks, Greg Verdino, for pointing this out to me.)
It’s a bit long, so save it for a lunch break!
I did an interview a couple of months ago with word-of-mouth marketing evangelist Andy Sernovitz about the social media work I’ve been doing over at the Chicago Tribune.
Well, he posted the video portion of our interview. Enjoy:
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Brand: Rocky Patel
Line: Edge Lite
Vitola: Torpedo (6 x 52)
Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Natural Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan/Honduran
Body: Mild
Strength: Medium
Box Price: $89.00 (Box of 20)
Blue Havana in Chicago has a free monthly smoke that I enjoy attending. But to truly get an idea of the type of shop it is, consider this: It’s part of The Alley group of stores on Belmont Avenue, a trendy little strip on the city’s North Side.
The May 2008 smoke, hosted by Rocky Patel, featured several of the company’s Edge sticks. And while I usually enjoy a medium-to-full bodied stick, I enjoyed the Rocky Patel Edge Lite so much that I picked up a couple to review.
The Rocky Patel Edge Lite has a smooth, slightly veiny wrapper and a good prelight draw. I noticed hints of almonds — almost marzipan — to start, so when I lit up, I wasn’t surprised that I got a toasty, nutty, slightly sweet flavor right off the bat. As the cigar progressed, it picked up hints of leather and cream.
As I smoked it down to the nub — it generally takes about 75 to 80 minutes — I noticed it stayed cool the whole time, which is a must-have for me. The Rocky Patel Edge Lite also had a good draw, along with an even burn and solid, dark-gray ash.
Verdict: One of the best $4-$5 cigars you’ll smoke, and at this price, I can think of some $8 smokes this outperforms. Not too overpowering for beginners, but a nice break for veteran smokers as well. (Mollie, my girlfriend, also liked this one!)
Similar cigars: I couldn’t think of an exact cigar to compare the Rocky Patel Edge Lite to, but the AVO Classic and the 5 Vegas Gold came to mind.
(Note: This review originally appeared on CigarJack.)
Got a word you need to make shorter? Try this handy thesaurus on Ironic Sans, which takes any word and finds out a shorter synonym.
Useful for Twitter and other microformatted sites. Play around with it a bit!
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Brand: Graycliff
Line: 1666
Vitola: PGX (Toro) 6 x 50
Origin: CAN’T FIND WHICH FACTORY IT’S MADE IN
Wrapper: Costa Rican
Binder: Ecuadorian
Filler: Peruvian, Columbian, Brazilian and Mexican
Body: Full
Strength: Full
Box Price: $219.95 (Box of 20)
Graycliff is an interesting cigar company: The factory, run by Master Torcedore Avelino Lara, is part of the historic Graycliff Hotel in the Bahamas. And, as a result, it’s by far the best-tasting house brand in the biz, and one of my favorite brands overall.
I’ve smoked several Graycliffs in the past, but when I heard about the Graycliff 1666, needless to say, I was excited. The company has five main lines, all super-premiums, along with a budget line. Now it seems Graycliff is starting to expand a bit more.
Graycliffs seem to have some defining characteristics:
1. A soft, almost spongy texture.
2. A toothy wrapper.
3. Extremely flaky, but strong light grey ash.
4. An even burn, along with a amazing draw.
The Graycliff 1666, a dark cigar, has all of these qualities. When you first light it, you’ll notice its Costa Rican wrapper adds a ton of sweetness. About halfway through, the taste shifts to a more complex, spicy, leathery flavor.
Verdict: It’s strong enough to settle any stomach, but somehow it doesn’t seem overpowering. Versatile enough to satisfy many palates. One of my new favorites.
Similar cigars: The Rocky Patel Edge Maduro.
(Note: This review originally appeared on CigarJack.)
A funny thing happened right outside my window Saturday night: A family of ducks, probably from nearby North Pond, walked over to the corner of Clark Street and Arlington Place and just…hung out.
About a dozen folks from nearby bars gathered around the ducks. I started snapping photos, but Momma Duck got a bit nervous and started to gather up her ducklings, so I backed off.
Someone called Animal Control, but they didn’t come, so the ducks were ushered into a cardboard box and released back at the pond.
Anyway, here are some photos:
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