DRAMATIC EVENTS

It must have been what he was smoking. Sometimes that's the only logical explanation. And, as a result, a woman several decades younger than him nimbly cleaned his right ear thoroughly with her tongue.
While possibly on the way to the bathroom.

The three of us had had such a good time at Kim Komenich's booksigning that we decided to continue our conversation at San Francisco's only establishment where smoking is encouraged.


[KIM KOMENICH: After the assasination of Benigno ('Ninoy') Acquino upon his return to the Philippines in 1983, besides attempting to cover-up governmental involvement in the murder, Ferdinand Marcos and his lovely wife Imelda staged one of the most blatantly rigged elections in their nation's history. Public agitation and disgust culminated in their overthrow in February of 1986.
As a news photographer, Kim documented conditions and events in the Philippines during that time, and his splendid book Revolution Revisited - A Look Back at the 1986 Philippine Revolution presents a kaleidoscopic overview.

Of particular interest are the brief biographies of people affected by the Marcos regime's venality and corruption, from Joel Abong (victim of malnutrition in Negros Occidental, 1985 - page 96) through Fidel Ramos (general, and later president, page 112).
Yes, Imelda is also there.

I was in the Philippines when Acquino was killed, and for the next four years events there obsessively held my attention. Along with countless others in the San Francisco Bay Area, I celebrated the fall of the regime and watched the video of Mr. and Mrs. Marcos hasty departure from Malacañang exultantly.]


I highly recommend the book, by the way.


STOUT AND WHISKY ON PINE STREET

Three civilized tobaccos made the rounds; a modest little Virginia and Perique mixture which I had compounded, a tin of Vintage from Fribourg & Treyer, and Peter Heinrichs Dark Strong Flake.

Nick made the mistake of trying the Dark Strong Flake first, and while he was savouring it, the younger person attacked him with lust in her eyes and joy in her heart. Quite probably attracted by the manly-man smell of the tobacco. Again, I stress the age difference!
Several decades.

No, I do not deny that he's "still got it", but all three of us actually "still got it", especially by enjoying our briars in a venue where cigar smokers diminish whatever pallid sex-appeal they might have by being more precisely themselves than their significant others normally allow.
We are always ourselves, and that's just ducky.

All of us, including himself, were surprised at how his robust animal magnetism drew the happy miss from all the way across the room and into his arms, and at such great speed.

Disconcerted too. He has probably disinfected his ear since then.

As a logical man, I can only deduce that the tobacco gave him an unnatural boost. Must be the effect of Kentucky mixed with aged Virginia leaf.


I tried it myself, after I had finished the bowl I had been working on, but by that time the female person had already been ejected, so the effects were not the same. She did make several attempts to re-enter.
Which were confounded by resolute staff action.
Her spontaneity was "commendable".
But she was not my type.



Peter Heinrich's tobacco is juicy, and has a nice figgyness. Thick strips of darkened flake, old-fashioned and ambachtelijk. It is nice. Very nice.
A surprisingly easy smoke for so rich and earthy a product.
I shan't buy it, despite its proven effaciousness.
But I would smoke it again.

Fribourg & Treyer's Vintage consists of nice thin perfectly rectangular Virginia flakes, modestly bright, that once touched with a match will smell old-timey. Like all such pressed Virginias it must be smoked slowly.
It won't knock your socks off but you will find it enjoyable.
Sadly, it does not attract mad women.

My own modest blend has slightly more than four percent Perique, and eighty percent un mezcla of flue-cured leaf; after a few weeks to meld the flavours, it is a pleasant all-day smoke for people like me.
Despite not triggering startling behaviour.


NICK IS A TOTAL CHICK MAGNET

At the very next meeting of the pipe club, I shall ask Nick to disquisition on lingual ear-cleaning, for the benefit of members (such as myself) for whom such things are not common. This should prove extremely entertaining.
I have not experienced anything even remotely like it for years, despite being significantly younger than Nick. Other than amazingly sexy pipe tobacco, what is his secret?

My joints don't audibly creak, I comb my beard and shave regularly, and I have altogether clean and commendable habits.

I shall not switch to Peter Heinrichs Dark Strong Flake, however.
It's a matter of principle, and I like what I have.

TOBACCO INDEX


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