Best High-End Mild smokes

[Aithos]

Okay, let's get a few things straight, here. First of all, you were the one who went combative in the first place. There's no need for that, but all that is easily forgiven.

Secondly, all the brother was trying to do was not to back you into a corner of outing your ignorance, but rather to get some pretty common definitions straight, so we all have some common ground upon which to communicate. Sorry if that "common ground" isn't your chosen vernacular, but it just so happens to be that which we sign up for as hobbyists. Maybe we can change it, maybe we can't, but we sure ain't gonna change it all in one post.

Another unfortunate assumption made here is the idea that I, or any other member of staff comes swooshing in with some sort of presumed authority ("as a moderator"). I find the implication tremendously offensive and I can tell you right now, if any member of staff comes into a thread flexing muscles and fails to identify themselves as anything other than a member, THAT is a problem.

When I reply to a post here, I am a member. If you've been around these forums for long, you'd know this. I am a MEMBER FIRST. When I post, I post as a MEMBER.


I reserve the right to disagree with you, as a member. I reserve the right to take issue with you waxing a bit too touchy, when another, very experienced member calls your definitions to task. Okay, you were't actually talking about this and that? Fair enough. What I would have done, would have been to take responsibility for the miscommunication, rather than try to blame someone else. Perhaps, and I mean, JUST perhaps, you didn't communicate your meaning accurately? I mean, you're not exactly talking to a couple of guys who are prone to misinterpretation. No one's looking for a fight here. No one wants contention. The whole point of this place is to get along and have an "additive" affect upon one another's experience. When we DO disagree, we seek to do so respectfully and in a way that can help us learn from one another, not just fling handfuls of dung.

Just food for thought. Think about it. If you're STILL pissed, we can try and ferret it out a different way.

I went combative first? He posted a one line post specifically to tell me I'm wrong without even understanding what I was saying and without any reason for it. You both misinterpreted what I meant by my statement and proceeded to get personal and start insulting me. I didn't insult anyone, but you've been tremendously insulting, offensive, arrogant and condescending in each post you've made tonight. You think I'm waxing a bit too touchy because another "very experienced member calls your definitions to task"?

Here is my original post:
"I'm not sure why everyone thinks this, I had smoked some fairly expensive mild smokes (Ashton, Rocky Patel) and I never liked any of them. Honestly, it's a big reason why my New Years cigar was the only one I smoked all year. It wasn't until I had some more flavorful cigars that I really got interested. I mean I enjoyed the RyJ Vintage 1875 and Montecristo Classic and White, but the Flor de las Antillas, LADC and LP#9, Ave Maria and Oliva MB3 are the cigars that I enjoyed significantly more. I'd get some solid medium cigars and then ask them if they would like milder or fuller from there..."

So let's break this down:
- first, I make a statement that I have smoked some fairly expensive mild smokes and I never liked any of them
- second, I mention a follow-up statement that those cigars are a big reason why I never smoked more than my single New Years cigar.
- third, I switch gears and make a NEW statement that it wasn't until I had some more flavorful cigars that I got interested
- fourth, I mention some cigars, blah blah nothing important here
- finally, I say I'd get some medium cigars and then move to mild or full cigars depending what they think

None of those things are definitions, I'm not attempting to change the vernacular. Yes, I made a rather awkward transition in thoughts, I'm ADD, it's been a really long and stressful day and I'm not necessarily putting my thoughts together as well when I post something quickly like that. In either case, his response was worthless, it didn't bring anything to the conversation, it didn't touch on anything in my post that's debatable - just a statement of the kind of cigars that got me interested in the hobby. I considered it rude and tactless and I said as much in a slightly rude but non-insulting manner by saying maybe just keep those kinds of thoughts to yourself.

You say "When we DO disagree, we seek to do so respectfully and in a way that can help us learn from one another, not just flint handfuls of dung."

Oh, you mean like this:

Mild, medium or full strength has absolutely nothing to do with flavor.

Riiiiiggghhht. What a respectful and helpful way to respond to my post.

Yes, I'm still pissed and after this post I'm going to bed because I have another long day tomorrow and now I've spent the better part of an hour on this garbage. I don't care if you post as a member, you're welcome to your opinions and you can disagree with me all you want - but you're a moderator and you represent the authority on this website, the two things can't be divorced. Regardless of your opinion on that other people who come into this site will see how you've addressed me in this thread and take that behavior to be acceptable, and if you think it is then you need to seriously re-read your posts and the tone you're coming off with. It's negative, elitist, disrespectful and whether you like it or not you're a moderator and I hold you to a higher standard because of it. It's just the way it is and it's been like that in online communities since the early days of the Internet (<--that's irony and sarcasm btw).

In case you still don't understand here's what I find offensive about your posts:
"widely accepted among people WHAT ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT" - thanks for calling me stupid and ignorant
"or anyone else who's your superior in life. Thing is, that doesn't change the fact that it's the vernacular of your hobby, or profession. It just IS. Get over it." - accept it or get the fuck out, they're your superiors
"You can try to shout a more knowledgeable member down, but you can never put down SUPERIOR KNOWLEDGE." - where exactly did any knowledge or point of contention come from in my original post again?
"Take some good advice, BACK OFF." - don't post here if you don't agree
"It's best to learn it and work within it, than to fight it and be left out" - if you don't agree with us you're not part of the group

I could keep going but if you don't get it yet it isn't worth discussing further, your later post was even more insulting. If you act that way...guess the kind of response you're going to get? I don't back down from people who start shit like this and I don't really care that you're a moderator, you're a person being a jerk and I'm going to call you out on it.

I've said this about half a dozen times - I never made a statement about strength being related to flavor at all in my first post. It isn't there, you're making a stupid assumption and taking me to task for asking another member who posted rubbish that was WORTHLESS to keep his thoughts to himself. Oh, and by the way, if you want to get all technical about this then let's talk about context and semantics for a moment.

He said:

Mild, medium or full strength has absolutely nothing to do with flavor.

Oh really, tell me more about this "flavor" you speak of. Are you talking about different kinds of flavors? How strong the flavors are? How complex they are? Please tell me again how the strength of a cigar impacts NONE of those things in any way. Oh right....it does affect SOME of those, because the characteristic of what makes a cigar are inexorably intertwined. You can't change the strength of a cigar without affecting flavor in some way, sorry, but science is a thing and doesn't give a shit about your vernacular when it comes to the chemical compositions of an organic plant. Unless you're implying that the cigar companies artificially add strength to cigars by some means other than growing, aging or blending the Tobacco...

So yeah... Semantics - when you say they have nothing do with one another you're talking specifically about how they are rated or discussed, not how they actually interact or come to be, which is what I was talking about with my second post and if you think there isn't a correlation you're wrong. All it takes for a correlation is for the case to be true in a statistically significant (measurable) number of cases, I didn't say causation, two completely different things.

Just saying.