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Cigar MoBlog
This is a site someone has set up wherein the public takes photos of cigars and people smoking cigars with their phone and then E-mails the photos in and he posts them on his MoBlog, or Mobile Blog, or Mobile Web Log. Ahhhhh, technology.
Posted by Richard Alley at 01:16 PM | Comments (1)
In the News...
Amos Maki had a nice story in The Commercial Appeal today on shopping downtown for the holidays. Yours truly was quoted.
Posted by Richard Alley at 12:28 PM | Comments (0)
Holiday Hours
Closed Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24.
Open Friday, Nov. 25, 8-ish a.m. - 5 p.m.
Open Saturday, Nov. 26, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Posted by Richard Alley at 03:38 PM | Comments (0)
Shhhhhh, it's a new CAO!
I just received a shipment of a brand new, never before released CAO cigar. I'd like to say more about it (i.e., it's name, sizes, characteristics) but I've sworn an omerta to CAO that I will not mention these new cigars on the internet or in my E-mail newsletter. They don't want E-tailers or catalogs selling them, which I can appreciate, but it seems counterproductive not to be able to advertise or promote them online at all. I actually had to sign legal papers stating that I would not sell these online.
So, I will not discuss this new CAO cigar, but suffice it to say that regulars like T, Pauly, Christopher and Big Pussy are all fans of it.
Posted by Richard Alley at 02:53 PM | Comments (0)
Holidays Downtown
The Center City Commission has all kinds of events going on Downtown this holiday season. For more information on all of these happenings, look here, and for a list of Downtown retailers, look here.
Posted by Richard Alley at 02:33 PM | Comments (0)
Tastings Past
I've had four cigar tastings here in the past five weeks and I'd like to thank Tony Meadows (Gran Habano), Jeff Tinnell (CAO), Mike Walters (General Cigar) and Al Argenti (Perdomo) with making them all happen. And a big thanks to all of you who showed up for them and help make them all a real party. Congratulations to all the winners as well - we gave away hats, shirts, humidors and cigars.
These were the last tastings of the year but stay tuned and hopefully I'll be announcing more fun-filled events in the very near future. One thing I'm thinking about is a once-a-month cocktail party, Friday nights, whether we have a sponsor or not, just my way of saying thank you to all of you who keep this place in business.
I'll be putting up photos here from the last two events - Bolivar and Perdomo - as soon as I get them.
Posted by Richard Alley at 04:36 PM | Comments (1)
Lousy Robot
I just spent a considerable chunk of my Saturday night listening to my very first podcast ever. I never really understood what a podcast was until tonight – apparently it’s a blog you listen to, and there seems to be thousands out there. I also didn’t know how to download the podcast to my iPod, so I stared at the Quicktime movie player on an otherwise blank browser page the whole time, that little bubble inching its way across the buffering 
line. Anyway, the podcast was an interview with Lousy Robot, a band out of Albuquerque, though the interview took place in a coffee shop in Dallas. One of my oldest friends, JP, is the lead singer and guitarist for the band. He’s also the one who does the most talking, he’s the chattiest quiet man I’ve ever come across. I listened to this hours long interview because he told me he mentioned me during it, and what could be cooler than that? I finally found it about three-fourths of the way through Part II of the interview. It turns out he wrote a song about me, The Day We Lied And Didn't Mind, from their last CD, The Strange And True Story of Your Life. It’s the tale of one of his trips back to Memphis, a time when he was going through a rough patch in his life and he came in to the Tobacco Bowl to talk about it. It was an awkward conversation because, of all the conversations we’d had over the years we’d known each other, he’d never been one to just open up, yet here he was pouring his heart out to me. Or maybe it was awkward because we were both sober whereas in college we rarely were. Either way, I was uncomfortable and never felt right about it because I didn’t react properly, didn’t comfort and didn’t offer any advice. And now it’s all out there with music.
Most regular customers to the Tobacco Bowl know of my love of jazz, but what most may not know about is my penchant for pure power pop of the likes of Elvis Costello, U2, The Replacements, The Velvet Underground, etc. Lousy Robot is a really good band and you can listen to and buy their album here. When in Memphis, JP fronted a band called Judge Crater and I spent many drunken nights listening to them at The Antenna Club, The Pyramid Club and in my living room at their once-a-week practices. Those were good times. It sounds like he’s having a good time now, too, and that this band has the chance of breaking out and going someplace. I hope they do.
But anyway…
Posted by Richard Alley at 12:19 AM | Comments (0)
November Cigar Events
What a great weekend to be a cigar smoker in Memphis.
Join us Friday afternoon, Nov. 18, from 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. for the official release of the new Bolivar cigar
from General Cigar Company. We will be handing out free cigars, making deals on Bolivar purchases, raffling off shirts, hats, a humidor and shot glasses, and enjoying cocktails and hors d'ouvres. Put off the drive home in Memphis's crappy traffic and stop by the Tobacco Bowl to help get your weekend started. Or, if you're heading downtown for a night out, make us your first stop. We'll be open an hour later, until 6, for the occasion.
And then, a mere 17 hours later, be back at the Tobacco Bowl for the Perdomo cigar tasting. On Saturday, Nov. 19, from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., we will be sampling the La Tradicion Perdomo Reserve and making deals on all Perdomo cigars - buy 3 get 1 free, buy 5 get 2 free, buy a box get 10 free. We'll also be raffling off Perdomo ashtrays and, for the grand prize winner, a box of the Perdomo Champagne 'X' cigars.
We also have a very special treat for the Perdomo event. Master cigar roller Signor Raoul Aguilera will be joining us for a demonstration of how your favorite smokes are made. If you've never seen the hand-rolling of a cigar then this is a must, it is a fascinating process. Signor Aguilera was a roller in the original Partagas factory in Havana, where he attained the status of Master Roller and he will be with us courtesy of Al Argentii of Perdomo.
These will more than likely be the last tastings of the year, so please be sure to come by and see us.
Viva Bolivar!
Friday, November 18, 2005
3 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Free
Perdomo Cigar Event featuring master cigar roller Raoul Aguilera
Saturday, Nov. 19, 2005
11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Free
Posted by Richard Alley at 06:52 PM | Comments (0)
38103 Shopping Spree
I went to a meeting with the Center City Commission this morning at Isaac Hayes restaurant. The topic of discussion was retailing and how the CCC will be marketing retailers during this holiday season and beyond. The showing was small but enthusiastic and, for the most part, very positive and forward-thinking. Lee Warren and the lovely ladies of the CCC, Leslie, Tiffany, Nicole and Stephanie put on a 
good program and walked us through the Destination Downtown newsletter and how it will be expanded this season, as well as a new TV commercial to begin being aired very soon. The commercial was shot by local indie director Mike McCarthy, who once shot a few scenes for a film in the basement of the Tobacco Bowl and managed to bust a water pipe, almost flooding said basement. His commercial is catchy and colorful and features several items that can be found downtown, although, noticeably absent is the beautiful Mastro de Paja pipe I leant for the shoot. The Downtown Destination newsletter, in addition to going out online, will also be printed and distributed by the thousands.
The annual Downtown Holiday Parade will take place on Saturday, December 10, at 4 p.m. on Beale Street. The event's sponsor this year is Bank of America and they're looking for individual businesses to sponsor floats for $2500 a pop, which seems a bit pricey for a parade that lasts two blocks. But it will be a fun time for the kids and that's really all that matters.
The idea the CCC came up with that I'm most excited about is Downtown Shopping Saturdays. Six years ago when I decided the Tobacco Bowl needed to be open on Saturdays, instead of its Mon-Fri routine, to allow folks from East Memphis and the surrounding communities a chance to come in and shop, it was an uphill battle, but through time and patience it's made Saturdays one of the better business days of the week. Since then I've been hoping other businesses, in their Mon-Fri rut, would make an effort to stay open that sixth day so that there would be more to draw shoppers down. Every Saturday, beginning Nov. 26, the CCC will host events in Handy Park such as carolers, drawings and photos with Santa, as well as shuttles being offered by Ride the Ducks to different retail establishments downtown. This will be a great way to spend the day with family, see all of downtown and get some holiday shopping done!
A big thanks again to the Center City Commission for hosting this meeting and for working with the true retailers who are fighting the good fight downtown. There was talk, not just about the next month and a half, but also of the future and possibly getting more retailers together regularly to talk about issues that affect us. For more on what's going on downtown, visit the CCC website.
Posted by Richard Alley at 02:09 PM | Comments (0)
Give Me Some Money
Yesterday was Sunday, and my only day of the week I have off. So I went out in the morning to get my wife and kids some pastries for breakfast. When I left the store and got in my car a man came up to me explaining that the fan belt on his car had just broken and that he'd just moved here and how his wife was in the nursing program at some hospital. I cut him off before he got to the part about needing money because I'd heard it before - it's an old scam and Midtown isn't a big enough place for a glut of vagrants to be using it.
Later in the day my daughter and I went to the Midtown Home Depot and as I was waiting in line the guy behind me asked what I was building. I told him a window seat with a toy box in it. He then asked if I was paying cash and, for some stupid reason, I answered this question even though it was none of his business. I said 'yes' so he asked if he could pay for it on his card and then I'd give him the cash. I told him no and that I'd just pay for it. He pleaded, "Come on, man, you'll still get the stuff." So I told him I just wanted to pay for my own crap and then leave and then he turned away mumbling something to himself.
It wasn't a credit card he wanted to pay with, either, it was a Home Depot gift card. And I don't care what the scam was, I just didn't want to be bothered - I'm not going to just give someone my cash whether it's for lumber or a fan belt. Why can't I just go to the store anymore without having someone come up and try to hustle me out of something? Why can't people just say "Hello, how are you?" without it ending in, "Can I get a dollar?"
Posted by Richard Alley at 01:54 PM | Comments (0)
Cats in Hats
COGIC week is upon us.
Posted by Richard Alley at 04:46 PM | Comments (0)
Best Of?...or, You Get What You Pay For
"I do not wish to belong to any club that would have me as a member."
--Groucho Marx
Well this is becoming a predictable rant. The annual "Best Of" edition of The Memphis Flyer is out today and here is the ranking of the "best" smoke shops in Memphis:
1. Tobacco Corner
2. Wizard's
3. Tie, Whatetever & Madison Tobacco
Now, I'll give you Tobacco Corner, it's a venerable institution. I'll even give you Madison Tobacco, Mr. Gulla stocks hand-rolled cigars. But Wizard's? Whatever? The placement of these head shops on the list leads me to two conclusions, 1) the Flyer's readers are too stoned to tell the difference between a smoke shop and a head shop or, 2) the head shops advertise well in the Memphis Flyer. Take your pick because if you've ever been inside the Tobacco Bowl, or the Tobacco Corner for that matter, and you've confused the inventory and general environment with that of Wizard's or Whatever then a couple of your senses are failing you.
I'm not bitter because, well, because of what Mr. Marx said. I just find it more sad than anything. Sad, not just for me and my business, but for many other categories as well. To wit: Best Breakfast no. 2, Cracker Barrel; Best Burger no. 2, Back Yard Burgers; Best Italian no. 3, Olive Garden; Best Seafood no. 1, Red Lobster; Best Deli no. 2, McAlister's; Best Coffeehouse no. 1, Starbucks; Best Art Gallery no. 1, Memphis College of Art. And the list goes on and on and on. I don't begrudge the winners, I commend them all for having their names listed for free, and I don't hold it against the Flyer because the list is what it is, a marketing tool, they take a handful of ballots, count up the winners and then call those winners to advertise in this issue. But, come on Memphians, let's be a little more creative. Let's get out there and see what's available to our city. Get your coffee from some place other than Starbuck's, rent a video from Black Lodge, have a meal at Bari and buy your groceries from Square Foods, realize that Midtown Books has far and away more used books than anyplace in Memphis and that Shangri-La and Goner have actual records, and, for God's sake, buy your tobacco and cigars at the Tobacco Bowl and your patchouli and bong at Wizard's.
Here are some other categories I didn't make, by the way: Best Neon Sign, Best Local Blog or Best Coffeehouse (Memphis Coffee Exchange, located inside the Tobacco Bowl).
That's all for now. See you again next year...
Posted by Richard Alley at 03:16 PM | Comments (1)
Viva Bolivar!
In a heroic tradition all its own, Bolivar is the bold cigar that pays tribute to Simon Bolivar, the great liberator who led the wars of independence in the nations we know today as Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
The Rocha Company introduced the Bolivar brand in 1901 in Havana, Cuba. Beginning in the 1950s, Ramón Cifuentes, the cigar master of Partagas, began to manufacture the Bolivar brand. As a result of its
Cifuentes connection, General Cigar Dominicana crafts Bolivar cigars today in the Dominican Republic. With filler leaf from the Dominican Republic and two regions of Nicaragua, and its San Agustin Ligero wrapper, this is a full-body and bold smoke. General Cigar even touts it as being "noble," whatever that means.
Check out the current edition of Cigar Aficionado for a special deal on the Bolivar cigar and read more about Bolivar and all General Cigar products just by clicking right...here.
Posted by Richard Alley at 11:03 AM | Comments (0)
Vector Lighters
I've recently received the first shipment of lighters from Vector KGM. This is one of the orders from the RTDA Show back in August in New Orleans. These are nice torch lighters, much in the same vein as Colibri. The major differences between Vector and Colibri, however, are in the warranty - where Colibri 
lighters come with a one-year warranty, all Vector lighters have a five-year warranty - and the price, as all Vectors are priced at $19.95. I got in about nine different models of the Vector and quite a few finishes in each model.
As an introductory deal I'm offering a FREE can of butane with any purchase of a Vector torch lighter when you mention you read it here. That's a $5 value.
Vector KGM lighters - $19.95, five-year warranty, many styles to choose from. You can learn more about Vektor and see all of the different styles just by clicking here.
Posted by Richard Alley at 10:24 AM | Comments (0)
Rotten Apple
It's been a while since I've updated the blog on a regular basis. My slim and sleek, all white, fancy-pants Apple iBook G4 crapped out on me some time back...some LONG time back. I took it to the Apple Store in Germantown so the good folks at the "Genius" Bar could take a look at it. And they did. And then they shipped it off to be fixed by elves. Upon its return a week later, many of the glitches remained, along with some new glitches that I hadn't even asked for! So I returned to Germantown and the Geniuses who, in turn, returned my iBook to their elves, who kept it for three(!) weeks. They've only just returned it and (so far) it seems to be working well. I'm back.
Posted by Richard Alley at 10:18 AM | Comments (1)