FRIDAY CIGAR CLUB

This week's Featured Cigars are the Zino Shorty and the Zino Pudge.

INTERNET REVIEW: from Gary M., "AboutCigars.Com"

"Although I am reviewing both the Zino Shorty and Pudge, the 3 ½ star rating applies only to the Pudge, as the Shorty deserves only a couple of stars, if even that. Both of these cigars are small in size, but they are a world apart in the way they taste. The Shorty measures 4 ½ inches long with a ring gauge of 43 , and the Pudge measures 4 inches long with a ring gauge of 50. Both cigars are from Zino's Platinum Scepter series, and are made with Dominican and Peruvian filler tobaccos and Ecuadorian wrappers.

Flavor

Both cigars are medium in flavor and strength, but that's where the similarity ends. The Shorty started off harsh, with a very bitter or sour flavor. After about ten minutes, the cigar was not quite as bitter, but the taste was still far from great. I had the same experience after smoking two of these cigars, and you certainly do not want to wait ten minutes for a small cigar to improve when it takes only 20 to 25 minutes to smoke the entire cigar. On the other hand, the Pudge offered a more enjoyable taste that was not harsh nor bitter. This could be an example of a cigar with a larger ring gauge smoking better and cooler than a narrower cigar, or it could be the proportion of filler tobaccos in blend were not consistent among sizes (although they both use the same tobaccos). Also, in some factories, some cigar rollers only hand-roll certain sizes (the human factor). Whatever the case, both of these cigars did not taste the same (and both spent four months in my humidor).

Draw and Construction

Both cigars were well constructed, burned evenly, had great draws, and did not require any relights. Because of its larger ring gauge, it did take a while longer to light up the Pudge, but this is to be expected and did not pose a serious problem. Both cigars took about 20 to 25 minutes to smoke down to two inches, but I continued smoking the Pudge for an extra five-ten minutes down to about 1 ½ inches.

Value

The Zino Pudge costs about $7 per stick if purchased in a 3-pack, while the Shorty costs a couple of bucks more per 3-pack (about $7.66 per stick). Both cigars are overpriced in my opinion, but the Shorty is not worth even a couple of bucks per stick. If you are looking for a short smoke for when time is short, you may want to try a Zino Pudge, but I do not recommend buying more than a three pack unless you've had them before and enjoyed the experience." ~~~~~~AboutCigars.Com

Demonstration of holding Acupuncture Model and using magnetic hammer to hit acupuncture points. The Tong Ren healing process directs energy to acupuncture points, thus removing physical and energetic blockages.

For the past year or so I've been attending a "Tong Ren" class, taught by Mr. "G. K.". "Tong Ren" is a healing system created by Master Tom Tam which directs chi energy to unblock physical and energetic blockages in the body. By balancing and circulating the "chi" energy (life force) healing can occur in a diseased or ill body. (Master Tom Tam has many years of experience in acupuncture, chi gong, and tai chi, and was a student under Master Gin Soon Chu, and invented the "Tong Ren" healing system in 1994.)

The class meets Tuesday night at 6:30 pm-8:30 pm in Sacramento at the Sacramento New Technology High School. The first half hour of class we do easy Tai Chi exercises. This opens people up and starts the chi flowing. After Tai Chi time, we then sit down in neatly lined rows, facing our instructor, Mr. "K" and about 20 of his students. Mr. "K" speaks briefly to the class, asking for newcomers to raise their hand and explain what they need healed.

We are one of the "guinea pig" classes, originally created to perform healing work on stage 4 cancer patients (terminally ill). At last count there were 118 people present for class, which makes our class the largest in the world. I also understand that Harvard Medical School and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have researched and studied some of the other "guinea pig" classes for purposes of learning about the effectiveness of this healing system.

When my Aunt first told me about this class, I couldn't help but envision some old Asian guy, pounding away at a doll, chanting in Tongues, sacrificing a goat and maybe a chicken, then passing around a hat for payment. Even though I was still recovering from numerous ailments such as kidney failure, a swollen liver, enlarged heart, fluid around lungs and heart, an aortic dissection, lymphoma (with lesions in my brainstem and lungs) that was now in remission, seizures, and maintaining a rigorous dialysis schedule......I was still willing to give this a try. Luckily it wasn't anything like what I had envisioned.

Within the first couple of sessions I had gone to, I noticed that my severely swollen liver had returned to normal size, and the gallbladder pain I experienced when eating, went away. After a couple more months, I was finally able to move out of my parents home and live on my own again. (My parent had taken care of me for 2 years following my medical collapse in June 2004.) More importantly, the quality of my life had grown exponentially. I believe with the help of my family preparing me to live independently and the Tong Ren healing sessions, I was able to successfully live on my own again.

At first, the "Tong Ren" process looks bizarre. The instructor and his students hold an acupuncture model which is basically a plastic doll that represents the human body, with acupuncture points marked all over the doll. (see photos above) Each ailment is believed to be a physical or energetic blockage that coordinates to a point on the doll. They hold the doll with one hand, and pound a magnetic hammer at the point on the doll that is blocked. This process directs their collective energy to a specific point on the body, where they can unblock the physical and energetic blockages, thus healing the body. At the beginning, when they start pounding away, I always cringe a little, thinking that the uninformed newcomers will think we've all gone bonkers, and politely get up out of their seat and leave. But, no one ever does.

Why does no one leave? Because, for many, coming to this class was their last hope. Almost all other forms of medical care, treatments, surgery, medication, etc.....have failed them, and they are left with chronic, debilitating pain and suffering. They are fearful and afraid, hopeless and depressed. While pounding away, Mr. "K" will interact with the group. Asking for those with a success story to share a little about their experience for the new people. Dozens of people will raise their hand, describing what their life was like prior to coming to class.

One miracle after another is described in simple but heart felt testimony. In this class there is a nearly 99% recovery rate for diabetics. There have been terminal cancer patients with brain tumors, who are alive and well, who are in complete remission of their cancer. There are those with Parkinson's disease, strokes, coma, all kinds of cancer, depression, alcoholism, body pain, arthritis, auto immune disorders, retinopathy, etc....... who show marked improvement, and some are even completely healed. Even those who still end up dying, many do so with a new found peace, and a higher quality of living.

I am certain I could not have come this far without the "Tong Ren" healing class that Mr. "K" teaches. Even though I go to dialysis in the afternoon on Tuesdays, I still try to make it to class in the evenings. When the students start pounding on their dolls I can feel the energy in the room intensify. Some people will will feel heat or warmth, some feel tingling. About this time my aunt usually starts to glow from her chi being stimulated. If she sits next to me, she'll touch me, and send her chi into me to assist me in my healing. By the end of class, my body is relaxed and comfortable. For the next couple of days I'll usually feel a calm peacefulness.

For those who are suffering and need relief, you are welcome to attend. The worst that can happen is nothing, right? You will leave just as you came. But imagine if you come, and you begin to heal, imagine the chi tingling or warming your body as it moves through you and rejuvenates your sense of hope. Imagine that your life changes, and the quality of your life begins to know no bounds. In this class you will always find an abundance of compassion, friendship, kindness, and humor. We all know first hand the darkness that illness and disease can bring. If you visit our class, the worst that can happen, is you make friends, find caring people, and feel an authentic sense of hope.

Please go to WWW.TOMTAM.COM for more information on Tom Tam and the healing system he invented, called "Tong Ren". There is also a list of "Guinea Pig" classes.

Our class meets on Tuesday 6:30 PM at the Sacramento New Technology High School, 1400 Dickson Street, Sacramento, CA 95822, in the room in the back behind the basketball courts. You will be asked to sign a waiver the first day you attend this class and a $3 donation each time you attend a class. If you have questions about this class contact the instructor: Gene Kitade 916.457.0778

Travel down Freeport Blvd. going towards Florin Road, (Pass Fruitridge Road first)

Turn Right on 35th Ave., Turn Left on Belleau Wood......follow Belleau Wood until you run into the Sacramento New Technology High School, on Dickson Street.

You'll run directly into the Parking Lot. Please park in the parking lot, and not on the basketball courts. The class is to the right of the Parking Lot, back behind the basketball courts. You will see 2 small buildings, the larger of the 2 buildings is the one we meet in. You will most likely see a couple cars parked very closely to the building where our class is.

*** The Friday Cigar Club Newsletter, and the editor Denise O., is not affiliated with Tom Tam, or the "Tong Ren" therapy process, or any classes that utilize the "Tong Ren" system. Denise O. is merely writing an informal blog about her experience with healing and have highlighted important features of her recovery process. All photos belong to Denise O. and were taken with permission from "G.M."