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Quick Review on the Apple TV
I was on the fence for quite awhile about the Apple TV but a recent deal on a refurbished 160Gb model was too good to pass up. The Apple TV's main selling point is to allow users to sync their iTunes library for viewing and listening on their TV. Setup was quite simple; all was needed from my end was an HDMI cord, which I had. After connecting the Apple TV to my wireless router, I updated it fully before syncing a good portion of my library. One drawback was that there is no easy way of doing a quick sync, especially if you have a large iTunes library.
Probably the biggest selling point for me was being able to add 3rd party software with ease. Using an ATV USB Creator and an extra USB flash drive, I was able to install drivers and software to add Boxee and XBMC. Boxee allows me to watch an impressive collection of streaming TV shows online (Great selection of South Park, He-Man and even found The Legend of Zelda animated series). While I haven't had a chance of doing anything with XBMC yet, it does allow you to detect a NAS drive or shared external network hard drive on your network and playing back properly formatted video files. So, if you happen to have a strong collection of video files from "other sources" or a growing library of ripped DVD's (in my case - all my own by the way), Apple TV + XBMC can read it.
The only issue I found with adding the 3rd party software was coming upon a black screen after install. After doing a bit of digging, I learned that the newest drivers were needed. After a minute of logging into the Apple TV via SSH, downloading and installing the software as well as a quick reboot, the Apple TV was back to normal, ready to go.
I know that not everyone will find a need for the Apple TV, and that's fine but for my house, I already know that this is a welcomed addition to our Apple family.
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Perdomo Habano Cigar Review
As always, cross-posted at The Cigar Spy.
*****
Target Name:
Perdomo Habano Corojo
Target Vitals:
Wrapper: Cuban-Seed Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan (from Esteli, Condega & Jalapa regions)Vitola: Torpedo 6x54Strength: Medium Bodied
Duration: 1:45:00Average Price: $6.00-7.00 from either online or at a local B&M
Background Info:
Perdomo Cigars released the Perdomo Habano in August 2007. The company has touted this cigar in its use of three different tobaccos from different regions in Nicaragua, making for a balanced and enjoyable smoking experience.
Mission Debrief:
Like the La Escepcion from my last review, I found the Perdomo Habano by accident, the box stuck in a corner of my B&M's walk-in humidor. As I have not had as much experience in smoking the wares of Perdomo as I do of other popular cigar brands, I thought this would be a great time to get more acquainted with this line from Perdomo.
While I didn't find any issues or problems with the veiny, cuban-seed corojo wrapper pre-burn, I did find that once I removed the band (designed from Cuban artwork from the 1900's) I had an crack in the wrapper about an inch in length. I am unsure that if this was present pre-burn or if it happened during the smoking time. Thankfully, the crack didn't inhibit the smoking in any way. The cigar did have a strong cedar aroma pre-burn. This is most likely from the Spanish Cedar box that the cigars shipped in.
The initial hint of flavor that came right in the first draw of the cigar was cocoa, but dissipated within five minutes of smoking and was replaced with a hint of sweetness. The draw on this cigar was balanced: open, effortless with a minimum amount of resistance. During the halfway point of the cigar, I detected leathery hints, while the sweet flavors from the beginning took a backseat. In the last third is where I got a strong flavor of burnt coffee, and it stayed prominent throughout the end of the smoke time.
While I would categorize this cigar medium bodied, the last third of this cigar is much stronger than first two thirds because of that burnt coffee flavor. While I am a big proponent of full bodied cigars, this flavor doesn't go away and borders on bitter, especially when you have kind of flavor for at least 30 minutes.
No issues were found with the burn, although I did have to relight the cigar a couple time throughout the smoking time. Expect a white, firm ash from this cigar. I never felt I would end up with a lap or shirt full of ash, which is always a bonus. Because of the flavors of the last third of the cigar, the finish on the cigar is a bit longer than what I would consider normal (couple of hours).
Final Analysis:
Another cigar that was good but didn't blow me away. The burnt coffee flavors from the last third of the cigar almost killed it for me. I would be curious to know if anyone has taken the time to let these sit for a few months to see if the final flavors toned down and got more in line with the rest of the cigar. I may end up doing just that to give this cigar proper closure.
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The Best Pictures of Earth So Far
Really some amazing photos of our world. I think if more people could go up into space and see that we are a miniscule part of something much larger than we can really comprehend, I think we could start pulling our heads out of our asses and realize we are nowhere close to as powerful as we think we are.
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Paint by Karli
Our good friend Karli has a talent for painting. My wife asked her to come down and paint the baby's room. After her and Karli threw around some ideas, they ended up developing what the final product came to be. We thank her for the great job she did and we'll be holding onto the paint for her. Something she asked us to do for when she starts her own family in the near future. =)
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La Escepcion Classic Excepcionales Cigar Review
As always, posted at The Cigar Spy.
Target Name:
La Escepcion Classic Excepcionales
Target Vitals:
Wrapper: Honduran Habano Talanga
Binder: Ometepe Nicaragan
Filler: NicaraganVitola: 5 1/2 x 50Strength: Medium Bodied
Duration: 2 1/2 hoursAverage Price: $6.00-7.00 from either online or at a local B&M
Background Info:
Originally a Cuban brand started back in the mid 1800's, the La Escepcion brand was revived under the General Cigar banner, makers of Hoyo de Monterrey, Partagas and Punch to name a few. Honduran-made, this is the first cigar to boast using binder from the Nicaraguan island of Ometepe.
Mission Debrief:
This cigar qualifies as one of those that you are looking through your local B&M and the band or name catches your eye, and you don't recognize it right away (or at all in my case). I caught this one in a middle display, partially paired between a couple of boxes of La Traviatas, which I also purchased at that time. Always up for trying something unfamiliar to me, I picked up a couple to see what I could discern.
I did come upon two minor issues with the physical appearance of the cigar: one small cuff in the wrapper and a soft spot about the width of my pinkie finger around the middle of the cigar. None of these issues affected the draw or burn of the cigar. Aromas of wood and a hint of chocolate were detected from the cigar pre-burn, which were confirmed in the flavors upon burning.
I used a cutter and butane lighter for starting the cigar and was met with an even, easy draw right from the onset. Wood hints and a bit of spice were the pre-dominant flavors at the beginning. While the spice faded away after an initial five to ten minutes, I did discover slight hints of chocolate closer to the halfway point in the cigar's two and a half hour burn time. While I enjoyed the flavors of the cigar and the draw, I felt a bit like the overall flavors stayed a bit monotone; it lacked the complexity of flavor that we can be accustomed to from other brands.
Expect a shorter draw with this cigar. While I would describe the flavors as medium bodied, the taste didn't stay with me for more than a couple of hours. The thick, grayish-white smoke was a nice touch as well. The only drawbacks I found with this cigar was that the burn did need a couple of minor corrections throughout the duration. The ash was also quite flaky and ended up with a lap or couch cushion full. While I am certainly a magnet to cigar ash, this particular cigar made it only that much worse.
Final Analysis:
I have to say that I enjoyed this cigar but it didn't necessarily blow me away. The complement of flavors were nice but it didn't have the complexity to really make this cigar a home-run hitter. The drawbacks were minor with this cigar and the price point I felt was fair. I'm curious to know if anyone out there has aged this for any length of time (three months plus) and if that would make this cigar shine a bit more. While I wouldn't turn this cigar down if offered, I can't say for certain if I would purchase this cigar again.
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Beware the Demonsheep!
(download)
The demonsheep has appeared and is making its way into political campaign videos! Beware!
