I guess a lot of you have been following the flap about the J.R. Cigars lawsuit. It seems someone on the web made some allegations about J.R.'s cigars and sales methods and is now being sued for cyber-libel.

We have no intention of being in the same boat. Effective immediately, we hereby retract, deny and/or apologize for everything that we have said in the past, or may say in the future. It was never our intention to be taken seriously about anything. We don't know shit from shinola. Try the cigars we mention and form your own opinions. Try the cigars we don't mention as well.

With that said, let's fill the column with some odds and ends. March has been a slow month so far. February was so slow, we didn't even have a column. April and May have some interesting things brewing though, so let's see if we can get through this month.

Remember that movie that Francesco Quinn was going to shoot in Easton PA ? Well, it looks like it's going to happen. A new production company, Gorilla Filmworx, has opened pre-production offices in Easton and financial backing is reportedly in place.

It will still be a law enforcement thriller, but it is now called "Slag". It centers on an undercover agent's infiltration of a group of arms dealers. With a budget of $1.5 million and a shooting schedule of approximately one month, it's obviously not looking to compete with the Titanic, but it sounds like an entertaining flick. It will star Francesco Quinn ("Platoon") and negotiations are reportedly underway with Chris Penn ("Footloose") and Christopher Walken ("The Deer Hunter"). if the negotiations with Penn and Walken collapse, the Cigar Guys are ready.

Why might a couple of inexperienced, talentless fat guys be considered for roles in this movie? It's because our friend from the local cigar store is one of the producers and was largely responsible for bringing the movie to Easton. We are hoping he can use us as extras. If not, maybe we'll have the opportunity to share a cigar or two with a couple of the actors and learn a little bit about how a movie is made. We'll let you know how things progress.

We received E-mail and some free samples from an outfit known as Eb's Humidor. Eb buys handmades from a small shop in Florida and then will put your name on the band for a small charge. There is a one time $25 set up fee.The samples he sent us were robustos with a Cohiba-style label. We smoked them at our last Cigar Nite and many at the bar thought we actually had the real thing. Only a close look at the label revealed "Eb's Humidor" in lieu of "Cohiba".

The cigars had smooth, good-looking wrappers and an easy draw. They burned evenly. The medium flavor was aftertaste disappeared quickly. The aroma was pleasant but not overpowering. Overall, we would rate them as a pretty decent smoke and if you are a business, club or simply have a big ego, you can probably get some mileage out of the customized label. If you want more information, you can contact Eb at http://www.atn.net/ms/ebsweb.

We spent a weekend in Atlantic City recently for Bill's birthday. We always stay at Harrah's. They are somewhat isolated at the Marina and don't handle the daily bus trips that the casinos on the boardwalk do, so they tend to be a little less crowded. Their gift shop has a well-stocked humidor. They also feature one of the best buffets in Atlantic City. (We never met a buffet we didn't like). The buffet has a seafood theme with aquariums in the wall and plastic fish suspended from the ceiling. A pretty lady dressed as a mermaid often greets you. When we were leaving, the mermaid interrupted her conversation with one of the staff and raced over to us.

"Aren't you the Cigar Guys?" she asked excitedly. "I love your column. I read it all the time."

The wives couldn't believe it. "How much did you have to tip her?" they asked. They are still suspicious over that E-mail from a group of professional women requesting autographed pictures.

The truth is, we did put the mermaid up to it, but we won't admit it. Keeping the wives guessing is part of the fun. It just doesn't get any better. The Cigar Guys

P. S . Part of last month's delay was beyond our control. One of Bob's friends who normally formats and posts our column was in the midst of a move. We should be back on schedule now.

P.S.S Cigar Guys are going with DUKE to win the NCAA championship this year.

You can The Cigar Guys at: tbill@enter.net for any comments or questions.

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