May 20, 2025· 1h 16m

ACHP Episode 388 – Smoke, Stats & Scandals

Transcript

I don't have anything to.

I don't have any fancy words

like you do.

Welcome to episode 388 of a

Cigar Hustler podcast.

That's not on any piece of

paper, just so you know.

Oh, fancy.

You just know.

Well, I know it's 388 'cause

last week was 387.

You're an amazing person.

You can remember that, but you

can't remember the red light.

That's right.

All right, red light.

It's at home.

It's right by my desk.

Just got to get a new rhythm

going, you know?

Right.

The new house and all.

Yeah, it's still still a

process.

Yeah.

All right, Go ahead.

Come on, Come on, come on.

All right, special events we got

coming up here, Michael.

What do we got?

June 22nd we got Welcome to the

Dark Side, a dark beer tasting,

$20 a ticket in advance, $30 a

day of event here at the shop.

Upstairs starts at 6:30.

At Cigar Hustler.

OK at Cigar Hustler.

June 30th, it's a Dunbarton

event with the return of Edgar

from 6:00 to 11:00 PM.

Oh, stereo and then on.

And you guys been practicing all

afternoon.

And then on May 20th, I will be

on Simply Stogie's podcast at

8:00 PM.

Wow, OK.

Simply stogies.

Is that with stogies?

Yeah, that's what.

Who's the?

Host.

Who's that with simply stogies?

So many people.

All right, all right.

Mikey will be on the Beer guys

911.

Yes.

Is that like Bar 911 where

there's something wrong with the

beer and you have to fix it?

No, I, you know, maybe it's,

maybe they're just remembering

911, you know?

In June.

Never forget.

Anyway, he'll be on with T

money, yeah.

T Money's a good guy.

Oh, he.

Knows the host on five well.

I know the.

It's so weird.

I know the host.

Right.

He doesn't know anything about

the show.

My show goes.

My show is all about cigars.

Is your is the show you're going

to be on about beer?

Yeah, it's, well, it's just a

little more chill.

It's more like a kind of a HERF

type of a scenario.

Oh, OK, She's just hanging out

with somebody.

Yeah.

Well, anyway, he'll Mikey will

be on at 5:20 on at 7:00 PM.

Perfect.

Is that live?

Is your show live?

I think so.

Good for you.

Aren't you going to be on

another show coming up here

soon?

I am.

Swayze Show.

Yeah, you don't know when he's

going to be here.

The week of the 10th, I believe

he's going to come visit us

over.

Here I will tell you, I will

tell you, dear the 20th.

I will be on Sway's show but

it's not live.

No, no, his is.

Yeah, his is recorded.

Yeah.

So we're going to do the

recording on the 20th, so stay

tuned for that.

All right, don't forget to check

out our Leto Gomez special

interview on YouTube after you

get done watching this show.

It was an amazing interview.

I mean it.

Was some of your best work.

Oh, thank you.

That's very nice of you to say.

I I just think that it's really

cool to sit down with a guy and

really kind of get to understand

where they came from and, and

where they're trying to go in

the industry, you know, and no

one has really had that

opportunity with Leto Junior.

So true.

I'm grateful to do that.

And I really think the podcast

went fantastic.

You really need to listen and.

Check it.

Yeah, it went really well.

Absolutely.

He's nice.

He's somebody stealing a boots

truck.

Yep.

And it's gone and it's gone.

That'd be the best day of Boots

his life.

And like, don't find it.

Please don't find it.

Give me the money.

All right, like we said, it's

episode 388.

We've got a full slate of smoke

stories and scandals for today.

OK?

And trending news.

Former President Joe Biden has

been diagnosed with an

aggressive prostate cancer.

Oh, no.

The doctors are hopeful with

treatment.

A Mexican Navy ship crashed into

the Brooklyn Bridge during a

farewell ceremony. 2 sailors are

dead, several injured.

Oh no, that's not.

Good Phillies reliever.

Reliever.

I guess he's a pitcher.

Jose Alvardo.

He got hit with an 80 game

suspension for aped violation.

Blames a weight loss drug.

Nice.

And then in cigar news, Don

Dorateo's El Benensidor

Vensidor.

I love it.

Love it when you pronounce these

words.

You would think there would be

somebody that would help me

pronounce these words.

Yeah.

Nope.

You're doing it great.

I'm in the pile line room with

everybody else.

Here you're sitting here in the

pile line room. 1492 drops aged

21 years is that tobacco whiz

and full of bold flavor.

That's the most years, yeah,

right.

Yeah, the other one was 20,

wasn't.

It 15 or 20?

Yeah, something.

The first one was 20.

Yeah, no, that was 21.

El Legato.

Hey, we found some over here

behind the other pile.

There.

Oh, there.

Look, it's in the pylon room.

And in the pylon room, look over

here in the back.

Tariffs are driving up prices.

Let's see who's raising the

prices now with announced

increases.

Oh, Gurkha is tweaking the

packaging, making boxes smaller,

smaller boxes, smaller boxes.

The fit and the humidor are

better I guess.

Did you already read the story?

That's exactly why they shrink

in a box.

You're so smart.

Oh, look at all.

The industry.

He's a big Gurkha fan, yeah.

Not.

Only are you handsome, but

you're so super intelligent.

I appreciate that there.

You go best cigar prices is

merging with Alliance Cigars,

changing the game in cigar

distribution.

Alliance best prices Best

alliance price.

Alliance Best prices and then

Hopkins.

Hopkins, Hopkinton.

Hop.

Hoppington.

Not even the Spanish name.

Nope.

Some city of Massachusetts

joining the generational tobacco

ban.

If you're born after 2005, no

cigars for you.

None.

Never.

Ever.

After 2005.

If you're born after 2005.

That sucks.

And any big news?

The half wheel rated the

Postanas San Andreas, Bellicoso.

Oh no construction spot on.

Flavors unique.

And yes, they said it tastes

like potatoes.

Tastes like potatoes, baby.

All letting more light went up

and let's roll into the show.

What are we going for?

The Patreon.

For the Patreon, we are smoking

this lovely giant Thunder smoke.

See this.

All the smoke and power you've

ever wanted in a giant Toro

extra cigar. 20.4g by the way.

I don't think we have that.

Size .4.

Yeah, we don't have that size.

I don't know, I just know it's a

Toro extra.

It's a Toro extra.

I'm getting old man.

I can't 6 1/2 by 52.

That's a regular Toro. 6 1/2 No.

Oh, a half yeah, probably not,

but we can figure it out, yeah.

In Google Trending News Former

President Joe Biden is battling

an aggressive form of prostate

cancer, his office announced on

Sunday, adding his condition is

characterized by a Gleason score

of nine.

Are you familiar with the?

Gleason.

I'm not familiar with the

Gleason scores.

It only applies to prostate

cancer, apparently.

OK.

So it's a nine out of 10.

Oh wow.

So it's a one to 10 score, yes,

OK.

He's at A9.

This is something that you

should probably built be well

versed in.

Because you think I have

prostate cancer.

No, because you're old.

You get it checked.

Oh well.

I'm They're very depressing.

Uncomfortable.

So many phases.

Also said Biden's diagnosis

included it has metastasized to

the bone.

Oh yeah.

He's Biden's cancer diagnosis

comes after a small nodule was

found in the former president's

prostate after a routine

physical exam on Tuesday.

Discovery of the nodule

necessitated further evaluation,

his spokesman said at the time.

Mine's plugged.

I'm just going to tell.

Let's take off the jump.

The story goes on to say that

his that this type of cancer

responds well the hormone

treatment.

They expect his condition to be

manageable.

Even with the Gleason level of

nine.

Well, it's ain't manageable.

They're not saying healed.

The man's 83 years old.

They just have to keep him

comfortable at this point.

But it's to the bone.

Yes, I don't think anybody

expects him to survive.

Right.

No, really.

Yes.

You know what's really crazy

about this story that I I was

thinking when I was reading this

the other day?

Yes, he went through a physical

all the time as president.

Like a full checkup.

And why didn't they state that

before?

Right.

Is it maybe because they, they

didn't want to put, you know,

alarm to the president, you

know, to the country about the

president maybe possibly dying?

I would imagine there's some

validity in that, considering it

was near the end of his term.

Yeah.

And then when he didn't run

again, Sorry.

That might have been when they

found it.

At A at a level 9.

Yeah, it seems like it's been

stirring for a little bit.

Well, I don't, I don't, you

know, it's Gleason's score.

I don't know how they measure

it, but yeah, I mean, it's not

like he's got stage.

What?

It's 4 as high as cancer goes.

I don't even know.

It's the finger measurement.

Right.

I don't know either, but I would

assume that it's four or five.

Four or five, Yeah, I know 4 is

bad.

At 4:00, they tell you to get

your affairs in order, right?

So I don't know if, like

Gleason, 9 means to get your

affairs in order.

I don't know if it transitions

that way, if it means the same

thing.

I mean, he's 83, he should have

his affairs in order, period,

right?

Well, yes.

That's safe to say.

Well, I would imagine when

you're president, that's sort of

something they do on day one.

There's a guy for that,

probably.

This is the guy who's going to

make sure your affairs are in

order.

Right, Just in case.

I mean, you could be

assassinated at any time, right?

So, I mean, you know, you gotta

have, you know, this is what

they do.

Or maybe there's just a standard

package they give you.

Go look, here are your affairs.

Here is the affairs package.

Yeah, here's the affairs

package.

Not that type of affair, Sir.

There's a different type of

affair.

So this is what happens to you

when you die.

This isn't Oval Office Affairs,

right?

Right.

It's a totally different.

Kind of a different kind of

affair.

Right, so I mean, but boost has

a very valid point.

There are always medical check

UPS and you, as the public goes

through, you always hear about

these medical check UPS, a clean

bill of health from the

president, right?

But.

Can you look and see how often

they do a physical for the

president?

I'm just.

Curious, I'm going to try and

smoke this.

Maybe you know, maybe it's the

you know, when you get in, they

check you and then when you get

out, they check you.

I'm.

Very upset right now.

Unless you know something

happens to be wrong because it's

plugged.

Yeah, suck hard, Michael.

Let these people on the Patreon

get their money's worth watching

you just come.

On Well, this isn't the Patreon.

I know, but it will.

Be this is public.

I know this is public access TV.

This is public access, yes.

Oh, so this is a freebie?

OK.

It says presidents of the United

States typically have one annual

physical exam.

This is a standard medical

checkup, but there is no

requirement for them to have to

have them, or at least the

results to the public.

Additionally, presidents often

have verbal check insurance with

their doctors a few times a

week, sometimes while

exercising.

Well.

So annually, so maybe once a

year, but it's not, it's not

it's.

Required to happen before

required, but well, it's

probably required to happen when

you get into the presidency.

That's what I.

Said yeah, you definitely have a

physical right.

Then right then to make sure we

just elected him and look at

this, his arm's going to fall

off.

But I'm I'm sure the party, the

Democratic Party probably wanted

him to rerun.

And then if they did, they would

have probably had to do a

medical exam and maybe they

found it and maybe.

That's what I would put, Yeah,

maybe that's why they brought up

the the woman.

You think they wanted him to

rerun?

Well, he was running there

briefly.

Yeah, on his own accord.

And then once they realized that

he couldn't speak at all in

public.

Well, I mean, is it really?

I mean, does he just get to go?

I'm going again.

I think that that he does, yeah.

I think that that's how that

started I.

Think there's a group of

advisors that, you know, help

him.

He's not just sitting there.

Wakes up on Saturday, Go, you

know what?

I think I'll run again.

Look, Joe, you got your affairs

in order, OK?

It's a four finger death punch

here.

Well, Joe, your underwears on

your head, this might not be a

good.

He's the president.

I don't care either way.

As the president, you make the

same in, hey, I have the ability

to go for another term.

I'm doing it right.

No, at that point, the DNC or

the RNC, they've already

endorsed you.

They're not you.

Don't think anybody can tell

them no.

I think that no, I, you're the

you.

You're one of the most powerful

men in the world at that point.

Yeah, but not really.

There's people that advise you

and people that tell you what to

do.

Sure, people advise you, but the

reality is that I don't care.

I'm running.

I'm running the Democratic

Party, right?

So let's say the Democrats

didn't want you to.

You think you could run without

their support?

Yeah, I'm the president.

They better get in line at that

point.

Yeah, but they're getting we

want Camilla.

That's, I think that's what what

happened.

I think realistically they

looked at him and said Joe.

But he said he wanted.

To like yeah, but it.

Would have been.

Cheaper eventually, I think.

I think that somebody convinced

him and said, listen, yeah,

we've been rotating in and out.

Your depends more than normal at

this point, so.

Is it someone convinced or

someone told him he's not

allowed to?

Anymore, I don't think that it.

I think that they convinced him

to step down.

So really, we're saying the same

thing.

Or maybe he was having this

issue.

They said, hey, yeah.

And.

Hey, you're peeing an awful lot

at night, we've noticed.

Hey, you got cancer.

They.

Might have you can't rerun.

There's a nodule on your thing.

Yeah, maybe that that's a good

point too.

Maybe, they said hey.

That's what I say.

Maybe they found it then and

they're like, you know, there's

can't, we don't.

Not only are you completely

senile, right, you're.

At a nine on the Gleason scale.

But yeah, outlook a Magic 8 ball

say out Outlook not so good not.

Good.

I hate those magic 8 balls.

Well, I hope he has his.

I, I mean, I hope the guy has a

speedy recovery.

You know, I hope that he

survives.

He's manageable.

I don't think they no one

mentioned recovery or cure.

I hope that he, I hope that it

works out for him.

You know I never wish he'll well

in.

The bones, there's really not

much after.

Once it's in the bones, you're

done.

That's.

What they say, Yeah.

That's that's what they say.

Yeah.

Who are they again?

People they convince you not to

be president anymore, they'll.

Be a fair people.

The fair people, the a fair

people.

Those guys with the hats, you

know you saw them.

In the doors.

Oh yeah, they just come out of

the shadows.

They're batting out of the

shadows with the hats.

Listen, we've seen things and

you're not going to fare well

through this.

Just so you know.

We are they and we say.

What happened to JFK?

He died.

He was with the Mexican Navy

sailors, apparently, right?

Yeah.

Mexican Navy sailors prepared

high flying farewell display

before fatal Brooklyn Bridge

crash A group of Mexican sailors

harness themselves to the

towering mass of the ship docked

beneath the Manhattan skyline

Saturday night, preparing to

proudly stand in unison on their

vessels as their vessel beans as

they sailed out of New York

harbor.

It's a traditional performance

put on by the crew of the.

Not even going to get close to

that.

Please please.

I don't know.

Come on, try it.

What does CAUCUAU sound like?

Cacao.

Cacao, huh?

That's not 'cause there's no.

Extra K in there.

Kutatomic sound like an Indian

word.

It's a 43 year old Mexican Navy

ship, the prize of their Navy

whether they enter or leave a

port.

But those sailors likely would

have avoided scaling the ships

roughly 147 foot tall mast had

they known what would happen

next.

NYPD officials say they believe

that the ship lost power as it

departed and strong tides and

wind said it drifting up the

East River.

Around 8:20 PM, the ship struck

the Brooklyn Bridge, which has a

clearance about 127 feet above

the water.

The top parts of the ship's mast

snapped and video show the scene

how several sailors dangling

parishly from ropes while the

vessel careened toward the

Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Mexican Navy officials reported

two people died from the crash

and another 22 were injured, 11

of them critically.

The official said the ship

carried a crew of 277 sailors.

Did you see any of the the

video?

I saw the photos, I didn't watch

the video.

Yeah, I didn't see no videos.

Oh my God, it there's, it's all

over the place.

It's all over.

The place, Oh yeah, it's all

over.

You can see it anywhere.

I just chose not to watch it.

I don't understand a couple

things here.

OK.

What are the questions?

Number one, if you know how tall

the boat is and you see this

bridge, you would realize that

something is this is not no,

don't go under.

This is not going to work.

They had not planned on going

under the bridge.

Engine failure and the tides

drove the ship into the bridge.

All right.

Allegedly.

That's that's fair if we're

assuming that hey, malfunction.

And that's how the story.

Reached and it's heading.

How fast do you think that

boat's heading towards that?

Bridge.

I don't know how fast the tides

were and how fast that boat just

goes in the thing.

You would think, yes, they could

have hooked something to it

somewhere.

And I don't know how close they

were to the bridge when they

lost power.

Even if.

Maybe they were going to turn

around right there or.

Something.

OK.

So look, OK, let's say it was

moving at a relatively fast

speed or a boat, whatever that.

Is OK.

Yeah, let's say 50 mph. 50 knots

per hour.

Let's say it's a boat.

Let's say it's going.

I don't know, I have no idea

it's.

Going quickly.

It's going at a decent speed.

What is decent is like 50.

Let's do, let's do 50 all right.

Seems fast for a.

Boat, you're on the top of this

sail.

You're on the mast, yes, and

you're 47 feet from the deck of

the boat.

And you see this bridge coming,

right?

You're heading towards this

bridge, right?

At what point should you have

realized?

Get the fuck down.

I needed to get down.

Well the way it reads, they are

secured to the mast so that they

don't fall off, so it's not like

they can just start jumping.

Oh, so they're stuck?

Yes.

Oh my God, that had to be

horrible.

It's part of the display.

Yeah, they're all, I mean, like

if this is the mast, I don't

think see me in the camera.

The guys are all lined up here

and they're right.

They're secured to it with

safety lines and stuff.

They're not just standing there.

And they have no no way to get

out of it.

Well, I imagine there is some

way they got in, so there's a

way out.

It might not be quickly.

Hey Palmer, I need you to come

stand over here on this 147 foot

a piece of log.

This is.

Right now it gets better.

I'm going to tie you down and

you can't fucking move.

It's tradition, they do this all

the time, so.

That's fine.

That makes it.

That makes it okay.

Well, I mean, you know, nobody

says we need to get up there and

we're going to, you know, crash

into the bridge over here.

See that bridge down there?

We can't fit under it, so we're

just going to ram it.

This comes back to that of

saying if I jump off a Cliff,

will you jump off the?

Cliff, unless you're into some

weird S&M stuff that you know,

I'm not just being tied down to

something and alright, perfect.

We do it on some of our boats.

You do it.

No, not you.

Us as Americans.

Well, you do.

What do you?

We have ships like that where we

do it also.

Not anymore.

Well, I bet we do.

That's how a flight deck was

built, right?

And we locked the.

Door.

Well, that's on an aircraft

carrier.

We have a ship more than one

probably like this.

This is this isn't unless I'm

not familiar with the Mexican

Navy, which I apparently am not.

I don't think this is a fighting

ship.

Because of the cacaos.

Think this Yes, I think this is

a some type of ceremonial.

Ship Yeah, this is one of the

originals and this is a big deal

and yada yada, something like

that.

Some person that set all this up

is now fired.

Well, whoever's in charge of the

motor.

Yeah, well.

You know.

I just, I don't know, man.

I just think that OK, bridge

coming, we probably should get

down.

Hey, let's go.

Cut off Miguel real quick.

Maybe the 22 that were injured

jumped.

If you see it, if you see some

of the videos, you can see guys

dangling from wires.

Those are the safety lines.

After the thing had hit, you can

see them falling off of it

completely, like they had to

realize at some point that they

were doomed.

I imagine on the way down.

And these were Mexicans, or this

is a Mexican ship?

Well, they were Mexicans on a

Mexican ship.

Yeah.

You know, like Americans are on

American Navy boats.

Is that how that works?

I think that's, I think it's

like a rule.

That's the rule.

If you're in the American Navy,

I think you're an American.

So the rule.

If if you're in the Mexican

Navy.

You have to be tied.

To a mass.

You're well, only if you're on

the ceremonial ship.

I don't know man.

Well, OK.

One of the victims who died was

identified as Cadet Americana

Yamilet Sanchez by Veracruz

Governor Rochi Nahal Garcia, who

expressed condolences on social

media Sunday.

So these are cadets, maybe the

that's how you get on the so

they're not well trained.

That's how you get them to do

dumb stuff.

Hey, if you need to shimmy up

this pole here and find you a

place on the mast there and then

tie your.

Feet down.

Hey check this out.

Need you to rope off on this.

It's a.

Yeah, it's a big honor.

It's a big.

Big honor to be on the mass

there.

So oh.

My God man, I feel so bad.

Get up there.

Poncho via.

It's absolutely terrible, man.

It is terrible.

Yeah, this is it was almost like

a murder.

Feels like a murder to me.

Mean.

Yeah, he.

Tied these guys down.

So tell me more about the S&M

that you're into.

I don't think he likes to get

tied down.

You don't know, you don't like

about it, No.

No.

You're definitely not the Dom,

right?

Why are you looking to join

Michael?

If you need an extra cameraman,

sure, I mean.

You know, I think you'd be busy.

What's one more angle?

No, you don't need angles.

So you think you can jostle me?

You can't.

It's a.

It's a good attempt, but.

Oh, I could, but it's.

Hot in here?

Was it hot in here?

It's hot.

No, you're in a tank top.

Yeah, yeah, you're barely

dressed.

Yeah, you're practically naked.

Are you ready to move on?

I'm ready to move on.

Please stop talking about my

boating outings.

Do you have to do you have, do

you have to ask your Dom if we

can move on or?

No, no, I have free will.

You have free will.

Yeah.

OK.

All right.

Sure.

Let's move on.

Phillies reliever pitcher Jose

Alvardo suspended 80 games with

MLB Philadelphia Phillies

reliever Jose has been suspended

80 games without pay for

violating Major League

Baseball's drug policy.

The hard throwing left-hander

tested positive for testosterone

exogenous.

Doesn't sound like weight loss

medication to me.

Which is a performance enhancing

substance.

Oh, good figure loses weight and

helps you throw harder.

It's a PED, MLB said it's

statement on Sunday.

It's not something he did

knowingly, Dombrowski said.

I believe that the way he talked

to me, I.

Believe that the way he talked

to me, the way he spoke about

it.

This is what happened.

I was in the locker room, I was

backing up naked and someone

stuck me around the ass.

Fell into a syringe, allegedly.

Allegedly, barring rain outs

that push games into later of

the season, Alvarado.

Alvarado would be eligible to

return August 19th against

Seattle.

He will lose.

Oh, anybody want to guess how

much money he's losing?

A lot of this is without pay.

808080 game suspension.

Listen, OK, so I don't know a

ton about baseball.

He's a star player.

As a relief pitcher.

Yeah, he's one of their big

pitchers.

Yeah.

OK.

So I'm just going to BLOB one

out here and say $40 million

boots.

I'm gonna go 18,000,000.

Apparently you guys think

baseball players are paid a lot.

He's 4.5 million, half of his $9

million salary.

This.

Year.

So he's not that big of a deal,

yeah.

As part of a 22 million

three-year contract he signed in

2023.

Yeah, Philadelphia has a $9

million option on Alvarado for

2026 with a $500,000 buyout.

We've got to move on, manager

Rob Thompson said.

It's too bad, but we've got to

move on.

We have really good pieces here.

They can pick up the slack.

Alvarado leads the Phillies with

7 saves this season.

He has four and one with a 2.7

ERA and 20 appearances.

He has 25 strikeouts, four walks

in 20 innings pitched, is 99.6

mile per hour, 4 seam fastball

velocity rings fifth among those

who have thrown 250 or more

pitches.

Well, he's, you know, enhanced

so. 99.6 mph that's pretty fast.

Well, if you were taking those

drugs, maybe you could throw

fast too.

Oh, I'm sorry, maybe if you were

losing weight you could take

those.

Yeah, losing weight.

You could lose weight.

You'd pitch that too.

That's a lot of money to lose.

You lost half of his salary.

Yeah, right.

And he can't take the drugs

anymore.

Well, he could for the 80 for 44

more games.

That's halfway through.

When are they going to check him

again?

Yeah, well, was he like the like

the president weight?

Loss, I guess.

I mean, maybe he's fat.

I don't know.

Yeah.

Maybe he's fat.

I'm willing to bet that if you

get pelted, you're probably

monitored more.

Probably.

Can't he hire somebody to pee

for him?

He should really talk to his

doctor about that Ozempic.

That's a that's a better.

Ozempic.

Yeah, now it was in a drink or

something.

You don't even need the shots

anymore.

So what was the IT was what was

the testosterone something?

Some testosterone booster,

right?

But it's a muscle or it's a

enhancing thing too.

Yeah, if it raises your test

levels.

Well, but you lose weight.

Because it raised your test

levels.

He had no idea that it was.

I had no idea.

Stronger.

I was trying to lose.

Weight.

I just thought I was pitching

better.

I just thought all was well,

very interesting.

Romano has had five saves this

seating, including Sunday when

he struck out struck out the

side to preserve a one and one

one and 0 Phillies victory over

the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Alvarado is the second Major

League player suspended this

season or MLB drug testing

program Atlanta Braves

outfielder pro far was suspended

for 80 games March 1st.

right-hander Jose Ruiz, on the

injured list since May 3rd with

next spasms was activated to

fill Alvarado's roster spot.

Oh, next spasms get to play.

Next Spasm.

Yeah, he gets to play.

Podcast is riddled with

mispronunciations.

Love it.

Yeah, he's not taking the shot,

so he's good.

Do you think he should have

helped his next spasm?

Do you think we should allow PE

DS in sports?

We went over this one time

before.

Yes, that's the reason I pulled

the story, because you are in

favor.

You were.

You were in the past.

I OK, I still am.

Are you?

How do you feel about it?

If they make it available to

everybody across the board, it's

got to be even.

So I mean if if you can take it,

I have to be able to take it.

Well, if you just say hey, it's

OK to do.

Right.

I don't.

I mean, why not at this point?

Are we trying to pretend that

they're natural athletes?

Yeah, that's what we're trying

to pretend they're.

All on something, it's just

matter whether or not you know

they get caught.

It's not like this guy just

started taking it yesterday.

Or are you, I mean, you're

theoretically speaking that,

right?

Allegedly, yes.

But it's possible that I mean,

people are genetically stronger

than others.

Sure, Right, Right.

And it's possible that some

people are taking

supplementation that's totally

legit.

Right, right.

Or doesn't show up on the test.

Because it's legit.

Is this is this a random in in

professional sports?

Is it a random drug thing or

somebody went, I don't know,

he's pitching off a fast.

Maybe we should check?

Completely random.

Or is it just like every 90 days

you have to pee in a cup?

I mean, that's another thing.

Are random drug tests actually

random?

They're.

Never random.

You don't think?

So I don't think, yeah, not like

they're drawing names out of a

hat in the office.

All right, who's up today?

Well, Kyle?

Oh, we hit Kyle three times this

month.

That doesn't matter.

His name came up.

Hit him again, got.

To got to check on Kyle, poor

Kyle.

What do you think Boots?

Yeah, I think it should be

allowed.

I mean, they still got to hit

the ball.

Yeah, yeah, there still has to

be some skill involved.

More home runs that way.

More exciting, yeah.

Yeah, but again, you still have

to connect properly.

I mean, it's not like you could

just hit the ball on the bottom

of it or the top of it and Jack

it over the fence.

You know, it's you got to be

able to hit the ball square and

follow through and all that good

stuff.

So I mean, it's still skill

level.

When is the offseason for

baseball?

Are they in the middle of the

season?

Did the season just start?

I'm.

The season's like quarter the

way done.

So how long, let's say, has it

been going on?

Well, OK, the season's 164

games, I think it is.

So I think there's only been

probably like what, 40 to 50?

OK, 'cause they're saying so

45th, so that's like weeks too,

right, 'cause they play one game

a week.

Is that the way?

No, they play like they could

play out the three to four games

a week.

OK.

So we're still looking at like

10 to 12 weeks.

Yeah, the offseason for baseball

is only like, are you including

training or?

I don't know the way I'm asking.

Supposedly he was taking the

weight loss drug during the

offseason.

Yeah, the offseason's only like

3-4 months.

Here's a more interesting fact.

Do you think that the the past

20 years slightly more than the

past 20 years, has ratings for

the MLB been on an incline or a

decline?

Decline.

Decline, you think?

Why?

Why do you think it's been on a

decline?

I don't hear as much about it as

I used to, so yeah.

Yeah, it's not.

I mean at home runs, it's not

exciting.

In baseball, Baseball used to be

America's sport, and now I don't

think it is anymore.

Well, it's it's still America's

sport, but America's pastime.

Oh, America's favorite pastime.

There you go.

But but when Mark McGuire and

Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds and

all those guys were jacking home

runs over the fence every game

and there was a race, you know,

they made it a a, a game and

inside of a game, right?

It was more exciting.

Yeah.

Giambi Piazza.

So you would argue the fact that

PEDs PEDs would help with

viewership?

I think so, yeah.

I think, I think when that thing

not too long ago came out about

the tornado bat or whatever, you

know, I think people started.

Watching the tornado bat, Yeah.

You don't remember when the

Yankees were using the.

When the torpedo bat or.

The torpedo.

Bat, thank you.

Yes.

The.

Tornado.

Brought to you by weather.

Anyways.

But then we'll.

Start watching more.

So wait, is are they still using

the torpedo bat or no?

They're allowed to, yeah, sure.

It's illegal in regulation.

OK.

But if they were taken steroids

like this guy, right, they would

go.

Oh, it's not a lot of weight

loss drugs, please.

It's weight loss drugs.

Sir, weight loss drugs and

testosterone not.

So so since 2000, ratings have

rarely exceeded over 15,000,000,

with viewerships dropping from

the average of 18 million in

2000 to as low as 9 million in

2023 based on World Series

ratings alone.

So yeah, that's a huge decline.

The 70s and the 80s was actually

peak time for baseball.

Why don't they make them stand

still out in the field and the

batter has to try to hit one of

them with the ball?

If you hit them.

If you hit them, you get a home.

Run.

You know what we should do?

We should tie them to a mast out

in the.

In the 147 feet in the air.

Yeah, we'll and we'll start with

the rookies.

We'll be like, this is yeah,

right.

Makes sense?

That's how they get on the team,

right?

He's.

A little bit of hazy never hurt

anybody.

Right.

Yeah, Ricky's going about to

walk in, by the way, just so you

know.

OK.

So yeah, I think.

He accepted the suspension and

did not appeal.

Yeah, 'cause he's on drugs.

Well, yeah, he got caught.

What's he going to do?

That wasn't my pee in that cup.

It was an accident.

He's never going to admit, but

he's going to accept everything,

right?

Exactly.

Yeah, it's not my fault, but go

ahead.

I mean, I'd fight that to the

bitter end.

Cost me 4,000,000 bucks.

I'd like to announce my new

endorsement deal with this

weight loss drug.

If it cost me, if it cost me $4

million, I would deny the 9, the

9, the nine, and fight it and

fight it.

Even at the end of the day, even

if I got, even if I got settled

at 2 million, I'd still save

2,000,000 bucks.

Right.

Yeah, 4 million's a hard

haircut.

Yeah.

All right, boots, trending story

time.

Oh, come.

On in, come on, come on, come

on, come on, come on.

I like how he comes in as like

as there's like shooters or

something.

Oh God, duck.

Perfect.

All right.

Well, how well peoples?

Who are you on?

You on me or him?

I was on him.

Oh, thank you.

Always on pump.

Why on me?

That's fun.

Well, the good news is I could

barely read this.

Yeah, sorry, we need ink

upstairs apparently.

We have a printer pump.

Funds are low so please get on

the Patreon.

We need more people.

You have toner.

Come on.

All right, in a deeply

disheartening development, other

than 17,800 cartoons of ice

cream and frozen yogurt have

been recalled due to potential

contamination with plastic

fragments, a revelation that has

left both dessert lovers and

communities reeling.

The voluntary recall issued by

Iowa based Wells Enterprises on

April 25th, 2025 came as a gut

punch to those who find comfort

and joy in a simple scoop of ice

cream.

The recall includes an

astounding 22 flavors from

timeless vanilla and rich

chocolate to more adventurous

swirls, all packed in three

gallon tubes meant for

restaurants, schools, hospitals

and community centers across 103

locations in the United States.

Families in places like Lamar's

Iowa, the self-proclaimed ice

cream capital of the world, now

face a chilling irony.

What was once a source of

happiness and small time pride

has become A cause of cautious

sorrow in Houston and Fort Worth

and nursing homes and

cafeterias.

The cheerful chime of desert

time now carries a note of

uncertainty.

The recall is classified.

As uncertainty.

Class 2 by the FDA, signalling a

risk of temporary or medically

reversible health effects,

though no injuries have yet been

reported.

The thought that something as

innocent a chariot as ice cream

could bring harm cast a long

shadow over the smiles it once

inspired.

The best of views by date

stretched from March to October

of 2026, a reminder that this

dark cloud hangs over the

future.

Birthday parties, school

lunches, quiet nights at home,

all touch of unsettling

knowledge that something was

wrong.

It's not just about the tubs of

frozen ice cream.

It's about memories interrupted,

treats taken away, and trust in

something so pure and joyful

unexpectedly shaken.

For now, a full list of recall

products has been posted by the

FDA.

That'd agree it more.

That's it.

There's no joke about his

devastation about the ice cream.

Well, the whole thing was a joke

about his devastation with the

ice cream.

It was written on the slant of.

I'm very upset.

He's very upset about the ice

cream, yes.

It was just hard to be upset

when I'm upset about there being

no ink.

He's upset about the ink as well

as lack of ice cream.

There's plastic in some of the

ice creams.

What the problem?

I don't know if he ever said.

That he did.

Oh, did he OK, He did.

Yeah.

He's mad.

So are you?

Well, I don't.

Don't eat ice cream anymore, I

only eat Gelato.

You gave up ice cream.

Yeah, I was.

Kind of.

There was no press release or

anything.

Yeah, what kind of UN American?

Maybe that's really why they

were there was an overabundance

of ice cream because.

He's not buying it.

There's a surplus.

Yeah, surplus.

You you guys have had Gelato?

We have, yes.

I've had Gelato before.

Why would you eat regular ice

cream?

You think Gelato's better than

ice cream?

Yes.

You're out of your mind.

Yeah, you're out of your mind.

God no, he's delusional.

I buy it at Aldi's, it's

cheaper.

Oh OK.

It's like 2 bucks for a tub of

Gelato.

Right, a tub.

A tub.

It's a tub.

How many I've?

Never seen Gelato come with a

tub.

It's like this big.

How many tubs you eat a week?

Oh, it's like this big the man

who doesn't have a camera.

A week I don't have a you.

Don't have a gauge?

No.

Is there a certain flavor of

Gelato you prefer?

Yes, the Berry one.

You're a Berry, Gelari.

I like the Berry 10.

OK, all these brand only or is

are you all over the place?

You just you just like all these

because of its.

Price, You know, it's kind of

funny, like the only place you

can really find Gelato is at.

Aldi's all these.

Well, all these hidden success

is that you don't get choices.

Right, right.

Well, I mean, they have three

choices of Gelato.

Well, yeah, but that's probably

like strawberry, chocolate and

vanilla.

No, it's birthday cake.

Oh, Peach cobbler.

They've done research.

You know he knows.

I have all three he.

Has all three, yeah.

So he goes through three tubs a

week.

Minimum, minimum, you know, just

to unwind on his stressful days.

Yes.

Do you keep 1/4 in your car for

the cart?

I do, but I always fucking

forget when I go up there.

I'm like.

Oh, now he needs another

quarter.

This is such a stupid rule at

all these.

Well, that's what keeps the

prices down.

Nobody has to go out and get

carts.

Boost has rolled his eyes.

Just so you know.

Boost rolled his eyes.

How much money are we really

paying one guy?

You know the new guy, the rookie

if you will, the mask, the guy

that gets tied down on the mask.

What's what's minimum wage right

now, Michael?

I don't even.

Minimum wage is like 13 bucks.

Is that really?

Is that all it is?

Yeah, 13 or 14.

So $13 an hour, 8 hours a day,

seven days a week, that's how

much money they save you.

Times that by number of stores.

Well, that they actually make

money because yeah, we're OK.

Five people leave their bucks,

just leave their quarterback.

Well, then the next person gets

the quarter.

Is that how that works?

Yeah, yeah, you have to have 1/4

to unlock it.

Yeah, a lot of times what people

do is they'll come out and

they'll see people like me who

don't have their quarter and

frantically being pissed off,

right?

And they'll go, oh, here, just

take this cart.

Right, just 1/4, so they gave

you the quarter?

The hardest part is that you

have to return it, right?

That's what I'm saying.

That's the whole idea.

That's where you lose the $0.25.

Well, you try to catch somebody

in the lot who needs a cart and

they give you their quarter and

you give them your card. $1.00

I'll give you mine for a dollar.

Well, a dollar, I can go up

there and get one.

For I won't let you over.

There and I get my You could

have stopped them right there.

Yeah.

It's kind of like paying it

forward, yeah.

At all these is that?

Oh, really?

I have given my card to people

sometimes.

You know, I remember back in the

day I took a bus to work or

whatever.

Yeah, and you can get like a all

day pass for a bus, right.

So there were people that when

they were done with their all

day pass, they would leave it on

the seat.

So.

Oh, I've seen that.

So if you bought the Ant.

Read about that or something.

If you just bought the one to

get on for the day.

You just give it to the next

person.

You you would grab somebody's

All day pass that was just

sitting there.

There's a whole underbelly.

It's pretty fascinating.

A whole dark network of bus

cheaters.

Yeah, bus cheaters and and cart

Steelers.

Cart Steelers, right?

Yeah, All right, let's shift

gears from the chaos in the

world stage to what really

matters.

As soon as I leave here though,

I'm going to go to ALDI.

I'm going to spend about 3

bucks.

I'm going to have all the carts

and I'm going to charge a dollar

a dollar a pull.

Somebody will come out from.

All sales final.

Somebody will come out from.

This Who's going to come out in

their best?

Like you're not going.

To stop me, they do have no.

They can't come out.

Prices have to stay low.

No, there's a manager in there

because somebody put 1/4 when I

was there the other day,

somebody put 1/4 in and it

didn't work.

So they went in to get the

manager.

OK.

All right.

Like just go get another quarter

out of your?

So here's what we do.

And a 19 year old came out.

Here's.

What we do, we no, it was a guy

like your age.

Here's here we go.

We take about 3 bucks.

Yeah, we'd steal all the carts.

And I'm holding, I'm running a

cart monopoly in front of ALDI.

Yeah, when the manager comes out

frantically trying to figure.

Out where all the cards?

Are I'm going to press hard back

and hopefully I'll get some more

employees out.

It'll be like a whole thing.

Well, there's only two

employees.

So that I'll get both employees

out there.

OK.

And then at that point, I want

you to slide in and steal all

the Gelato.

Yes, no, we take over all these.

We take It's like Seattle.

Like Seattle, we'll just take

over back in the day.

All right, it's time for your

weekly dose of cigar news.

No social media stuff.

I don't have anything.

Do you have something?

Well, I we, I have the Joe Rogan

thing.

Did you watch Guy?

Oh, I've seen bits and pieces of

it, not the whole thing.

And I did see this lovely video

made by an Asian man who can't

pronounce the Espinosa cigars

correctly.

Right.

That was nice.

Oh, and I did have somebody was.

It Bob with the Asian guy?

Was his name Bob?

I don't know.

He never said his name, but go

ahead.

No, you did have somebody.

What?

Somebody did mention that they

thought Joe Rogan was demeaning

to Mr. Fiona.

Condescending.

Yeah, that word, too.

That's the thing.

Yeah.

W Sway.

Yeah.

Really, Joe?

Joe would never be condescended.

Do you want me to talk about it

Show Notes

🎙️ Episode 388 – Smoke, Stats & Scandals

Description:

We’re back for Episode 388 of the Cigar Hustlers Podcast with a jam-packed show! From high-stakes headlines like President Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis to a tragic Mexican Navy ship crash in NYC, we dive deep into trending news. In the cigar world, price hikes are sweeping the industry thanks to new tariffs, and Don Doroteo drops a 21-year-aged gem. Plus, the Powstanie San Andrés Belicoso gets a glowing review—yes, potato starch and all.

We also preview upcoming events including our Dark Side Beer Tasting (June 22), the return of Edca at our Dunbarton Event (June 30), and special guest appearances from Palmer and Mikey. Don’t forget to check out our exclusive Litto Gomez interview on YouTube. Light up and let’s roll!