long time smoker, first time grower!!

hey syn, welcome to GC!!

for some sound advice, check out the grow guide. it'll answer all your basic questions, and give ya the skinny on how its done, both for soil and hydro! very cool.

the paper towl method is good, and keeping them in a plastic container over a warm spot like on your monitor or tv will help keep the humidity up. my personal fav way is just to toss em in a glass of water; the good ones will sink and crack w/in a week! very simple!

once they pop, you can plant them tap root DOWN, about an inch down in a cup of potting soil, where they can flourish under just water for at least a week or two.

you'll need a decent light... CFLs are great for vegging and cheap, too! can be found at your local Home Depot, Lowes, or fav online shop. $15 can get you a 55w, two will do any number of sprouts over a few sq ft.

good luck man, you should fire up a tight grow journal if they take off!