Absolutely anyone who knows anything about American literature knows that there's a lot more to Mark Twain than Huck Finn There's his witty and iconoclastic essays ("Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses"; "Corn-Pone Opinions"), his uproarious and scathing book reviews ("What Paul Bourget Thinks of Us"), his fierce anti-imperialism and advocacy for the rights of women and minorities (Following the Equator); his anti-religious writings (Letters From the Earth)

Traditionally, cigar aficionados have only been able to buy cigars by the box This created conundrums for those who love to procure a great smoke without incurring a big risk

Premium cigar aficionados need a good laugh as much as anyone--especially in these troubled economic times So here are a few of the funniest recent news stories touching on the world of premium cigars

If cigar magazines such as Cigar Aficionado and Smoke can be believed--and demographic studies indicate that, on this issue, they can--premium cigar smokers tend to be the types of folks who also make savvy investments But even the most dedicated cigar aficionado and premium cigar smoker may not realize the unique and interesting role that premium cigars play in the stock market, especially during recessions like the one we are all currently lamenting

Cuban cigars: for a cigar aficionado, the ultimate forbidden fruit is to buy Cuban cigars At least, that's true if you live in the United States, which has long embargoed most trade and travel with the Communist island republic, which prevents the ability to buy Cuban cigars

Even the most solicitous and devoted cigar aficionado occasionally runs into a little trouble Taste spoliation; a cigar humidor dial gone wonky; an infestation of tobacco beetles; mold; even the occasionally badly-made cigar from a generally reliable premium cigar factory--any and all of these little mishaps can blight the cigar stashes of even very careful and attentive premium cigar smokers

Longtime cigar aficionados have followed the fluctuations in the US-Cuba relationship for years Of course, officially, there is no relationship--the United States severed all diplomatic ties with Cuba in the early 1960s and has maintained a trade embargo with the island Communist dictatorship ever since

It happens to the biggest premium cigar aficionados out there: things start to get a little stale Not "stale" in the sense of dried-out

If you love cigars--if you're a true cigar aficionado--you probably wonder, every now and again, what life is like for the hard-working folks who grow the tobacco for your favorite cigars Well, if it's premium cigars you like to smoke--perhaps by the box, perhaps one by one in a premium cigar sampler--then the first thing to know is that your cigar is made by people from all over the world

Who will ever fully understand the human urge to compete, to divide ourselves and each other into groups and attempt to conquer--even when interests are common and the prizes for victory are inadequate compensation for the loss of concord and amity Scientists, such as best-selling Guns, Germs and Steel author Jared Diamond, theorize that it has much to do with humanity's origin as a part of the ape family