Cuban cigars (totally off topic)

[tomgallagher]

I've never smoked anything before so I'm not really sure why I want to smoke cigars now, but it's something I'd like to pursue.

Google images, throat, tongue & cancers--that's what's out there.  If you don't--keep it that way.  I've had more people and friends die a horrible death because of avoidable cancer than I like to think about.  One guy, avid runner, but had to have his pipel  Two young daughters, just starting college after Katrina and he developed esophogial cancer.  Ate through a tube in his belly and died a painful horrible death in his 50's.  He had everything you could want, lovely kids, a cattle ranch near Natchez, MS., a fantastic house in Natchez, beautiful wife--but he used tobacco, gambled and lost big time.  This stuff is deadly--at best if you survive you're mangled.  Just leave it be.  You're young, you think you're bullet proof--believe this if nothing else, you're not bullet proof. 

Yes, absolutely...say after me..I am not 10 feet tall and bulletproof. 

[Chavster]

None of us are 10 feet tall and bulletproof. Unfortunately, none of us is immortal either.

I really REALLY dont mean this to cause upset or offence to anyone, but I have often wondered how many people in the Twin Towers / on board UA93 / in the Pentagon on 9/11 had dreams, aspirations, desires and wishes that were never fulfilled, because through no fault of their own, their lives were taken away from them. How many of them, if they could come back to the living, would say 'damn, I really shoulda done that before I died'.

In this day and age, I think we all owe it to ourselves to live the very best life we can live, and sometimes, living the very best life doesnt involve taking the 'safe' route. Sometimes, curiosities need to be satisfied, whether other people have the same curiosities or not.

Group hug for everyone  

[D.A.L.U.I.]

Some things are "might" but it's fact that tobacco use leads to cancer.  So I personally feel that people considering it need to be reminded not only of that fact but also see--and the web is great for that--up front what the consequences are.  I doubt any of us on this site don't have a personal experience with a smoker or tobacco user who has developed cancer.  I also know that when people see the effects, the mutilated survivors and the tumors, black and evil looking, they will think again and not even start using the stuff.  Nicotine is a powerful addictive substance and its delivery systems cause cancer.  That's a very dangerous combination. 
So I know lots of things are dangerous, but I will always take the opportunity to try to help a smoker stop and stop a person from starting--that's part of being an adult too.  I don't see this as taking anything away.  To the contrary, this is adding to something and an entirely positive act. 

[Chavster]

tobacco use leads to cancer is a 'might' too though. Its not guaranteed, or a definite, or a given. its a 'might', because it doesnt always.

Nicotine is a powerful addictive substance Aspartame is too, for many people. As are chocolate donuts and sex, and in one way or another, they can also lead to a person's death.

I am not dissing your side of the argument at all (because I agree with the vast majority of what you say), and I have no doubt that you're acting with the very best of intentions, and I'm certainly not trying to imply that people should purposely do things that are very obviously bad for them.

But you need to let people make their own choices, and there are very few people that want to be preached to. Preaching to the converted is one thing, but preaching to others can cause friction. Even with our own children, we can steer them and guide them and hope they'll see our way of thinking, but a) our way of thinking isnt necessarily the right one, and b) there comes a point where we need to let go, and let them make their own choices, and thats what my posts have been about. Choice, and moderation.

The subject of this thread could have been about Hershey bars or unprotected sex. At the end of the day, I dont feel its my place to either preach or condone. If you do, well, I still like you

[badguy1971]

I'm bullet proof... I've never been shot, therefore I must be!!
...and I WOULD be 10 feet tall, but smoking has stunted my growth.

[tomgallagher]

I'm bullet proof... I've never been shot, therefore I must be!!
...and I WOULD be 10 feet tall, but smoking has stunted my growth.

Where you smoking Cuban Cigars....

[Chavster]

I have a feeling cigars might be easier to send/take into the US than some food items...



Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd had to talk himself out of trouble after airport officials flagged up a suspicious liquid in his cabin baggage - a jar of Vegemite.

Mr Rudd was heading to New York from Mexico City when he attracted the authorities' attention.

He explained that the dark brown paste was his breakfast and, with help from local diplomats, was allowed through.

Vegemite, a savoury paste made from yeast extract, is popular in Australia.

It is similar to Marmite, which is widely eaten in the UK, but is hard to buy in many countries.

"Only problem travelling to NY is that they tried to confiscate our Vegemite at the airport. Needed Foreign Ministerial intervention," Mr Rudd tweeted.

"Airport staff were surprised when I said it is good for you and I ate it for breakfast. They then waved me through," he said.

Mr Rudd is not Vegemite's only high-profile defender - Prime Minister Julia Gillard also spoke out in its support when she visited the US in March.

The subject came up when she and US President Barack Obama visited a school in Virginia.

Describing Vegemite as "a quasi-vegetable by-product paste that you smear all over your toast", the US president pronounced it "horrible".

But Ms Gillard said it was "good", as long as you remembered to spread it thinly.

[tomgallagher]

At last I can finally agree with President Obama about something.

[Chavster]

I dont like Vegemite. He's right, its horrible. I do like Marmite though. I had a cheese and marmite panini for my breakfast a few hours ago

[D.A.L.U.I.]

I dont like Vegemite. He's right, its horrible. I do like Marmite though. I had a cheese and marmite panini for my breakfast a few hours ago

Now you've found something even I wouldn't eat unless starving and near death, but it might put me in my grave.  Yuck!

[Chavster]

Marmite is lovely if you dont use too much of it, otherwise it can blow your head off.

I like it in sandwiches, or on pasta And we can buy Marmite-flavoured crisps (potato chips) and nuts here too

Yummy. Not the nuts though, I dont do nuts. Apart from Yorkshire Pudding, Marmite is probably the only decent food the English have invented

Vegemite sucks though.

[D.A.L.U.I.]

You can have my share of Marmite--I've tried it and it's a bad memory.   Now Yorkshire Pudding--love it and it was made in Heaven for a standing rib roast and great gravy.  I also really look forward to the Christmas Pudding every year, although many think it's just hot fruit cake.  But then, I also like good fruit cake--well soaked with brandy during the year. 

[Chavster]

I dont like fruit cake too much but I could eat yorkshire pudding until it comes out of every orifice We can buy ready-prepared ones here but they're pretty nasty, and YP is so easy to make, I cant understand why anyone would buy them.

But I will have your share of Marmite too if you dont mind

[D.A.L.U.I.]

I've never seen YP preprepared--just the thought is enough to make me wonder how you'd market that .  The nice thing about YP, being basically just 4 ingredients, flour, milk, eggs and salt, is the wonderful texture right out of the oven, crisp crust, soft eggy inside, and it absorbs the flavors so well, and it "times" the resting for the roast so that it is just right for carving.  Since I like to cook on weekends, I'm thinking it may be on next weekend's menu if we're not going someplace.   

[Chavster]

Well they dont really need to market them here. If you go into any supermarket (including higher-end ones like Waitrose), you'll find aisles and aisles of pre-prepared food. America has had tv dinners on sale for decades, but here, its a whole different art form . Anything and everything you can think of, from Porridge to a full roast beef dinner. Its much easier here to buy 'ready meals' (as they call them) than to cook. Eww.

As for YP, they sell little individual ones, big individual ones, ones made with beef dripping (fat), ones made without beef dripping, ones flavoured with Bisto (a gravy powder which tastes a little like Marmite), ones flavoured with sage and onion (to be eaten with chicken)...etc



When it comes to YP, I'll eat them all, but I have only ever made YP, I've never bought it.

The only variation of home-made YP I know of is the type many Jewish people make, which substitutes the milk for water. Apart from that, the recipe is the same (although you missed one ingredient out of yours, which is pepper . Some people will use beef dripping too, but then YP becomes heart-attack-on-a-plate)

http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/type-of-dish/party-food/accompaniment/yorkshire-pudding.html