I’m not going to throw anyone under the bus, but a brother reached out to me directly and said he was tired of certain posts and certain people. He asked me how I could keep engaging with a particular brother and even suggested I should boycott that person’s posts. I ignored the message, but I want to say this publicly: This is a Brotherhood of Scent, not a gang. I am not here for followers, I am here to exchange opinions and knowledge. If I want followers, I can start a YouTube Channel !!! I’m not participating in cliques, group pressure, or ganging up on individuals. I’m here for one reason only: the shared love of fragrance. Looking around, it’s obvious there is sometimes an “us against them” mentality here, and it’s a shame. You can see it in the posts, the comments, the likes, the alliances, and the way some people purposely ignore others. It happens to me, it happens to others, and it happens more than some people want to admit. It's even more ironic that the person who reached out to me is one of the biggest offenders. I can’t tell people how to think, but if this is your mentality, you may want to re-examine your values. I will engage with anyone here, whether I agree with them or not. If someone disagrees with me, I’ll either re-examine my own point of view or I’ll respond respectfully. That is how discussion is supposed to work. As the saying goes, you like what you like. In my world, I’m always searching for the very best, whether that means the best clone, the best niche, or the best designer. That’s how I enjoy this hobby. Differences of opinion are not a problem for me. They are welcomed, respected, and worth exploring. A lot of times, hearing a different perspective has taught me something valuable or even changed my direction. I would much rather someone challenge my fragrance selections or disagree with me in a real way that helps me grow my collection! rather than just being a yes man. If you give me input, or I give you input, and it goes against either one of our opinions—whether it is about quality, value, or fragrance selection—it is welcomed. My response is not going to be hurt feelings. My response is going to be: " Why do you feel that way? You are not going to hurt my feelings. Either the conversation helps me grow my fragrance knowledge, or I stay the course because it is simply something I want to do. Either way, it is not going to make me lose sleep, and it is definitely not going to make me lose interest in the group.

I'm giving this one another try. It's one of my rare blind buys and it'll cure me of blind buying in the future. First, it's very strong--overpowering--with the marine top notes, which I don't like very much. But as it gets past that first blast and starts to settle in, it's much more pleasant and familiar, with the leather and patchouli notes. This bottle will last forever because I don't see myself reaching for it often, and even when I do, two sprays is plenty. Live and learn.