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Fathers and Sons, Part 2
Many of the best cigars in the world—and much of the tobacco that goes into them—are the product of father-and-son teams. In our second installment of this story (see the August 2006 issue for the first article), we continue our look at the personalities behind some of the world's greatest cigar brands and the tobacco used in their creation.
Carlos Fuente Sr. + Carlos Fuente Jr.
The June heat is unrelenting, even under the thatched gazebo near the entrance to Chateau de la Fuente. Peacocks caw in the shadow of the royal palm trees that seem to be everywhere on this gorgeous tobacco farm where every rock lining the roads is painted bright white, where each detail is carefully attended to in this oasis where some of the world's most sought-after tobacco is grown.
No father-son team is as famous as that of the farm's owners, Carlos Fuente Sr. and Carlos Fuente Jr. The two men run a business that makes some 35 million cigars by hand each year, among them the Fuente Fuente OpusX Double Corona, Cigar Aficionado's 2006 Cigar of the Year.
They sit down at a small, simple table that stands on the tiled floor of the gazebo. On its top are a thermos of rich, black coffee, a few dozen cigars and a wooden ashtray. As Carlos Jr., known as Carlito, reaches for a dark OpusX, it's easy to see his resemblance to his father. Each man has a thin mustache, and neither looks his age. The elder Fuente, 71, has a head of thick hair for which men 20 years his junior would kill, even though it's mostly white. The son, 52, is showing flecks of gray in his black hair, but his eyes sparkle with the enthusiasm of youth. The bond between the two is evident.
It's a cigar-making bond that goes back to a previous generation. Arturo Fuente, Carlos Sr.'s father, created A. Fuente & Co. in 1912 with a group of partners in the Ybor City section of Tampa, Florida. The business burned down in 1924, and it wasn't until 1946 that Arturo reopened it behind the family's house. It was a small, bootstrap operation, far from the juggernaut that is Fuente today.
"Cigarmakers would leave their day jobs in other cigar factories—there were hundreds around Tampa—and then they would go visit my grandfather and make cigars with him at night," says Carlos Fuente Jr. "They didn't charge him," adds Fuente Sr. "They would do it out of friendship. That's the way my father started."
Carlos Sr. had little money growing up, and soon developed a strict work ethic to make ends meet. "I was maybe eight years old, and I always liked to earn my own money. I shined shoes in the street, I worked in grocery stores, a pharmacy, and when I became a teenager I used to get off school at 3:30 and I used to start working at four at the pharmacy, until 11 o'clock at night. I would get up at two, three o'clock in the morning: I had a newspaper route, and then at eight o'clock in the morning I used to go to school. I'm used to working seven days a week my whole life."
When he was 16, Carlos Sr. took a job as a baker because his father couldn't afford to employ him at the factory, although he had been making cigars off the payroll for his dad since he was 10. Baking paid well for the time—with overtime, $160 a week—but after marrying at age 18 and having a child a year later, he yearned to work full-time in the family business. In 1957, he realized that goal, quitting the bakery job even though his father still couldn't afford to pay him a salary. Fuente Sr. made do by getting his wife a job at another cigar factory and by selling cigars on the weekends.
After Carlos Sr. took over the business in 1958 (Arturo stayed on in a limited capacity until 1965), the Fuente factory was extended to include practically every room in Arturo Fuente's Ybor City home. "We took the whole house over," says Fuente Sr., who by now was able to draw a weekly paycheck of $40. "I just left my father and my mother one back room and an area to cook. That was all they had left. They had a living room, but when we had to blend the tobacco, we had to get all the furniture out of the living room and out on the street. The kitchen we used to cellophane cigars."
Young Carlito grew up surrounded by the cigarmakers. "I was born in the business, and as far back as I can remember I sat on cigarmakers' laps, and watched them roll in the back of my grandmother's house," he says. "It was a family business, and I thought everybody was family. I lived inside the factory until I started going to school."
Now that he was running the family cigar business, Carlos Sr. started to buckle down. He began traveling to Miami to extend the realm of the company, and sold on credit for the first time. The business was moved from the home to a proper factory, then to a larger plant. Carlos Sr. never seemed to stop working. "One time it was three weeks without coming home. Three weeks. So my wife came with Carlito on one side and a bag on the other side, and said, 'Well, if you're not coming home I'm moving in here with you.' " He had little time to pause, as he did many of the jobs himself, including maintaining the machinery. "Now, there's nothing in the factory I can't do."
When the boss knows everything about a business, he can be hard to please. "I wasn't easy to work with a lot of times. I used to have sort of a temper, and I liked things to be right." Carlito smiles, and offers a correction. "Perfect," he says, drawing a grin from his father.
One day in the early 1960s, when Carlos Sr. visited the factory, he grew incensed at the poor quality of the cigars. "I threw them against the wall," he says. "I got my keys. I told my father, 'You keep the damn business—I'm leaving here.' I said, 'Close the place.' I told everybody, 'Get the hell out of here.' Everybody."
Carlos Sr. eventually returned to the factory, and rehired the crew. Quality improved. With Carlos Sr. working such brutal hours, the amount of time Carlito spent with his father was limited during his childhood. "My father would be working 18 hours a day," he says. "My grandfather [acted as] my father. He would tell me stories about Cuba."
The A. Fuente brand had always been made by hand in Tampa, but with rising labor costs and a shrinking pool of cigarmakers in the United States, Carlos Sr. tried producing Flor de Orlando and other brands offshore in the mid-1970s, with poor results. In Nicaragua, their factory was burned to the ground, and fire also claimed a factory in Honduras. Carlos Sr. tried training young cigar rollers in the 1970s in Tampa, but he and his son couldn't retain the labor at the prices they could afford to pay. "I saw there was no future [in Tampa]," says Fuente Sr. The only future we got is handmade cigars, or go totally mechanized. And I don't like that, and that's not our trade. We had to move. My son told me, 'I want to stay in the business.' I said the only way we're going to go is as a family. We'll keep it in the family business."
In 1980, the two left the comfort of Tampa for the wilds of the Dominican Republic, which was a far rougher place then than it is now.
"There was nothing here," says Carlito, who left behind a Porsche and a Jaguar when he moved. His father left his house, which was paid for, and sold everything he had to fund the new business. "I cashed in my insurance, mortgaged my house, then I asked my son, 'How much you got?'"
Carlito had spent time in the Dominican tobacco fields during the mid-1970s at the behest of his dad. "When I started in the business, I learned what it's like to manufacture, but I wanted my son to go further than I did," says Fuente Sr. "I wanted him to work in the fields."
In the Dominican Republic, the two worked side by side. They ate lunches together every day, smoking cigars and drinking Beefeater Martinis, and strategizing.
"Our family has always been close," says Fuente Sr. "I never recall having an argument with my father, and I never recall having an argument with my son." Not that they always agree. "When we started this farm," he says, gesturing with his arm, "we didn't need it. [But] look what he's done—he's taken this business to the next level. What my son has done is tremendous."
Just as Carlos Sr. took Arturo Fuente beyond the small borders of Ybor City and into national accounts, Carlos Jr. transformed the cigarmaker with the creation of Chateau de la Fuente. There the Fuentes grew Cuban-seed tobacco under shade in the Dominican Republic and used it as the wrapper on a novel project, the Fuente Fuente OpusX cigar. Dominican wrapper of this type had never been a commercial success, and was certainly never ballyhooed as a crowning element in a cigar. While the Fuentes had a hit from day one with consumers, the unique project caused quite the controversy with others in the industry.
"They said we were crazy, they said we were going to have a flop," says Carlos Sr., recounting what he heard from his contemporaries. He furrows his brow. "I knew that it could be done. There's nothing in this world that can't be done. I knew we didn't need it, but if that's what he wanted to do, I went along with him."
Doubt brought the two even closer together. "The more people said it couldn't be done, the more we wanted to do it," says Fuente Jr. "The more they said it couldn't be done," adds the father, "the harder we worked."
Fuente now makes more handmade cigars than any other family-owned company, and its size rivals that of the industry's corporate giants, Altadis U.S.A. Inc. and General Cigar Co. Despite the growth, Fuente is still very much a family affair. The company enjoys the luxury of not explaining its decisions to shareholders. The cigar blends are secret and are not written down. "Only my father and I know," says Carlito. The family hoards tobacco, putting much of its profit into the leaves it uses to make cigars. "We have six, seven, eight years of tobacco in inventory," says Fuente Sr. "It doesn't make business sense," says Fuente Jr. "My father always told me, you can run the cigar business with your heart, not with pen and paper."
Carlos Sr.'s daughter, Cynthia Fuente-Suarez, is also closely involved in the business, as is her husband, Wayne Suarez, who has been a part of the Fuente organization since 1992. "This is not a business to the Fuentes," Suarez says simply. "It's a way of life."
As the sun begins to sink lower in the sky, the heat relenting slightly, Carlito reaches for another one of his strong cigars. "I've been by my father's side the entire time," he says, looking at his dad with pride. "I can't imagine doing anything else."
John Oliva Sr. + John Oliva Jr.
If following in the footsteps of a successful businessman can be difficult, living in the shadow of a legend is far harder. The late Angel Oliva Sr. is one of the most revered men in the history of cigars. The hard-driven Cuban etched his name in the cigar history books when he bought much of the last pre-embargo Cuban tobacco crop—some 2.5 million pounds worth—and sold it for fair prices despite a U.S. embargo that suddenly made the leaf priceless. Known for working extremely long hours and patiently sorting tobacco until he felt it was perfect, he was the antithesis of an easy boss.
|John Oliva Sr. (left) and John Jr.
Oliva came from a huge family ruled by a tough father. Survival meant work, and as a young boy Angel collected manure for two cents a pound. At age 12 he left home, and eventually founded Oliva Tobacco Co., in 1934. In the late 1950s, he bought his own farm in Cuba, fulfilling a dream.
"When I was 10, we went to his farm in Pinar del Río," says Angel's son John Oliva Sr., sitting in the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City. In this city built on cigars and tobacco, a street just steps away from the Columbia has been recently renamed Angel Oliva Sr. Street. "We used to stay at a little apartment on the farm. He'd say, 'Come here, I want to show you this. Aren't you interested?' I'd say, 'No, I don't want to look at tobacco.' But at 10 years old, he was working his ass off. He was picking up tobacco leaves, he was working—he had no choice. Let me tell you what, he was a hard worker. He was a hard worker all his life."
To describe his father's work ethic, and perfectionist streak, Oliva Sr. describes a marathon day spent repacking an entire shipment of 124 bales of candela wrapper—with only his family to help. "We repacked all that tobacco, carton by carton. Started at eight in the morning and stopped at three in the morning. I fell asleep on the way to bed," says Oliva Sr. "Let me tell you, he was 56, I was 21. I did the heavy work, but he worked right alongside me."
Angel Oliva had the look of a kindly grandpa in his later years, but he was a tough businessman. "He was on a rampage in Jalapa [Nicaragua]," says John Sr., describing an incendiary negotiation with another tobacco man named Pepe Cura that left the latter clearly out of sorts. John Sr. found Cura sitting on the hood of his Toyota, a pair of eyeglasses perched high above his eyes, a flustered look on his face. John asked him what was wrong. "He said, 'I can't find my car, and I don't know where the fuck my glasses are.' I said, 'Pepe, your glasses are on your forehead and your car is under your ass.' He said, 'Damn, your old man is really bugging me today!'"
As a younger man, Oliva Sr., now 64, wanted no part of Oliva Tobacco. In 1970, he was quite comfortable working in the computer industry. His older brother, Angel Jr., also didn't want in. So Angel Oliva Sr. pulled his trump card to persuade his son John to trade in PCs for petit coronas.
"The old man had to fake selling the business to get me in there," he says. A buyer came in, a deal was set, and in what Oliva Sr. calls "the greatest charade ever," Angel convinced his son he was prepared to sell to a man from Holland. John Sr. began working for his father. (Eventually, Angel Jr. would, too, starting in 1974.)
John Oliva Jr. didn't need as much convincing as his dad. He relished his early trips to Ecuador with his grandfather, and after trying the seafood business for a time, he eagerly entered the family tobacco trade, in 1992.
"He and I get along because I'm exactly like my mother," says John Jr. of working with his dad. "We're complete opposites. He doesn't want to look at tobacco and I don't want to look at the computer," he says with an easy laugh. John, a 42-year-old who looks much younger, sports a much more laid-back personality than his dad. He even speaks in a hushed voice, a few octaves lower than John Sr.'s, which booms with authority and enthusiasm.
The elder Oliva beams with fatherly pride when speaking about his son's talents in the tobacco business, which he claims outstrips his. John Sr. sees some of his father in his son. "John got more of my father's love of tobacco than anybody else," he says. "I love the business. [But if] I'm looking at tobacco, I look at it, I say, 'Here you go, it's worth this.' He actually likes it. He handles every sample himself. There's not a lot of people like that. He's much more like Dad than I am."
John Sr. is particularly complimentary of the way his son cases tobacco, a dreary process that, when done properly, involves careful handling of each tobacco leaf so it can be treated with water. "When he cases the tobacco, the acceptance rate goes up. Why? Because it's properly cased," says John Sr. "He takes every leaf at a time and separates them so it gets the water properly. That takes an enormous amount of patience."
He describes how one of their workers in Ecuador has been casing tobacco nearly his entire life. "This guy was born in tobacco, and his samples are OK. But they're not like his," he says, his arms crossed in front of his broad chest, nodding to his son. "And I'm not saying it because he's here. It's a fact. The acceptance rate ain't there when I cased."
It must be tempting to skip a few leaves when doing the process one leaf at a time. John Sr. fields the question quickly. "Can't do it," he says. "Those would be the first three or four leaves the customer would touch."
So how does one follow in the footsteps of a legend?'
"You want to know what the trick is? Don't try to do it. I never did," says Oliva Sr. "Don't ever try to follow your dad's footsteps—make your own. I don't care who your dad is. I can tell you right now, my father is an unusual man. He created a business from nothing. I can't tell you I ever did that. My goal was to try to make it as big as I could, make it bigger and more profitable. You do what you do best."
Gilberto Oliva Sr. + Jose Oliva
Oliva Cigar Co. has been growing tobacco in Nicaragua for decades. The Miami Lakes, Florida, company (which is not related to the Oliva Tobacco Co. in Tampa) branched out into cigar manufacturing 11 years ago. It now sells a variety of cigars bearing the family name, from the bargain-priced Oliva "O" Classic Olè (which was one of Cigar Aficionado's Top 25 Cigars of the Year) to the higher-end Oliva Master Blends, a new version of which comes out every year. Company vice president Jose Oliva joined the family cigar and tobacco business when it started making cigars. He was 22 years old, fresh from studying marketing at St. Thomas University in Miami, and he thought he could teach a few things to his father, family patriarch Gilberto Oliva Sr., who was then 64.
"Working with my father is a thing that has evolved," says Jose, who is now 33. "Eleven years ago, there was a good deal of frustration, me thinking things needed to be done a certain way. Now, it's pure admiration and appreciation for him."
When the Olivas first began making cigars, they tried to emulate the popular brands of the day, putting light-colored Connecticut-seed wrappers around a mix of Dominican and Central American tobaccos. They failed to find an appreciative audience.
Salvation came from the family's disdain for taking on debt: the company turned to Gilberto's large inventory of aged Nicaraguan tobaccos and began making puros. The change worked well, as Americans were growing more enamored with rich Nicaraguan tobacco leaf.
As a young man, Jose didn't understand the value of having bales of tobacco piling up in inventory, not making money. "I, being very young, wanted to see additional money put into marketing, additional money put into packaging. He wanted it all to go into tobacco," he says. "There was a tremendous amount of what I thought I knew."
Hendrik + Henry Kelner
It's early in the afternoon on a sunny Monday in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Lunchtime is over, and business is set to move into the spacious corner office of the boss, Hendrik Kelner. Cigars are lit, and he and his son sit down in front of an ashtray that can hold a dozen cigars. On the smoking agenda for the afternoon is a pair of Zino Platinum cigars, the Barrel and the Grand Master, plus a new size that may end up at the upcoming Retail Tobacco Dealers of America trade show, five weeks away.
Hendrik, 60, is a tobacco man by blood, and his 33-year-old son is no different. How long has he worked with his dad? "All my life," says Kelner Jr., who goes by the nickname Henry. "In the '80s, I worked during the summer, in the '90s, I worked part-time, and since 1993, I work full-time." Today, the father oversees the three cigar factories that comprise the entire operation that makes Davidoff, Avo and a host of other cigars, while the son is manager of Cigars Davidoff, the factory where Davidoffs are rolled.
The Kelners come from a long line of tobacco men. "It's a tradition of the family," says the elder Kelner. "My father [Klass] worked in tobacco. He started very young in Amsterdam, and came to the Dominican Republic in 1933. My father never had a cigar factory—the Kelners traditionally worked in raw materials, in Brazil, Paraguay, Indonesia and the Dominican Republic."
Hendrik Sr., known to the cigar world as Henke, has one of the most sophisticated palates in the industry. A veritable tobacco scientist, he can speak for entire afternoons about tobacco and rhapsodize at great length about the characteristics of whatever he is smoking.
"We always have lunch in the factory," says Henke. "After lunch, we try to have quiet, and it's a pleasure because we take our cigars and we say, 'What do you think about the taste? The aftertaste?' We have coffee and Cognac, and we compare. And when we agree, we are happy." Cigar smoking is work for Henke, who takes detailed notes on the cigars and how they stimulate the various flavor receptors on the tongue—salty, sweet, bitter and sour. "We have a chart," he says, describing the lengthy process he, his son and close associate Eladio Diaz go through when testing cigars. "The blend for us is not a formula.
"Normally when I smoke, it's my job," he says in his heavily accented English. "Sometimes, I smoke for pleasure. When I really like a cigar, after I smoke half, I say, 'This half of the cigar is for pleasure. No writing, no talking, just 'conjo, que buelo esta cigar,'" he says.
His son, a smaller, quieter version of Kelner, is humbled to follow in his father's footsteps. "I'm not as gifted as my father in terms of palate," he says. "I still have a long way to go." Kelner praises his son's progress in the trade. "He learns fast, but in the cigar business you learn every day."
Stanford, Eric + Bobby Newman
Sometimes being the son of the boss means an easier path to the top of the company, but Stanford Newman had a challenge working for his father. Stanford, 90, the chairman of J.C. Newman Cigar Co., spent most of his career working in the large shadow of his domineering father, Julius Newman, who second-guessed nearly every move his son made until his death.
|Bobby (left), Stanford and Eric Newman
J.C. stands for Julius Caesar, and the man more than lived up to his name. (An èmigrè from Hungary, he chose the middle name himself, when he registered to vote in the United States.) J.C. was a self-made man who created a tiny cigar company in 1895 with $50 he borrowed from his family and an order for 500 cigars from the local grocer. The company was a one-man cigar factory, operating out of a barn behind the family home near Cleveland. At the time it was one of 42,000 cigar factories in the United States, and one of 300 in Cleveland alone.
J.C. Newman Cigar Co. survived the post-1950s industry fallout that caused most of America's small cigar companies to close, consolidate or move offshore. While U.S. cigar factories are rare today, the firm, now headquartered in Tampa, still makes cigars by machine in the upper floors of its headquarters, as well as serving as the U.S. distribution arm for the cigars made by hand by Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia., which include the Cuesta-Rey and Diamond Crown brands owned by the Newmans. Stanford works alongside his sons: Eric, 58, is the company president and Bobby, 55, is executive vice president.
Back in 1914, J.C. Newman was making successful brands such as the five-cent Judge Wright, and the company owned the largest cigar factory in Cleveland. In 1934, Stanford began working for his father as the downtown Cleveland salesman, and three years later he joined the company full-time. He had reservations.
"If I could have found a job working for any other place, I wouldn't have worked for him. It was much too difficult," says Stanford, sitting in his conference room in Tampa. "My father was short, and he had a Napoleonic complex. He wanted it his way."
When Stanford was a child, his father had a habit of bringing a cane to dinner and pounding it to keep order and when he wanted attention. As an adult, Stanford discovered that J.C. could be just as demanding at the office.
"He used to go at six in the morning to the post office and read the mail. And then he would write on the bottom of the letters how I should write back," said Stanford. "He thought I never grew up."
The examples of J.C. meddling with Stanford's authority at the company are legion. In 1948, Stanford came out with a five-cent cigar called Cameo Bouquet. He and his father made a sales call, resulting in a deal to move 500,000 of the cigars a week to one account. Stanford left the room, and J.C. told the buyer that he was raising the price of Cameo cigars by one cent. When Stanford returned, the buyer cancelled the order. Other prospective buyers followed suit when J.C. tried the same tactic. The surprise price hike ended up costing the company half the Cameo business.
Soon after, at a time when cigar-making machines were in short supply, Stanford purchased 10 or them, only to have his father trade them for some Puerto Rican tobacco while he was out of town. When packed, the tobacco curled, which made lumps in the cigars. To deal with the new tobacco, Stanford bought a conveyor belt and had workers straighten the tobacco and put it in large cases, rather than into piles. When he returned from another trip, the cases were gone; his father had ordered the tobacco unpacked and put back into piles, undoing Stanford's work.
In 1958, Julius died, leaving the company to Stanford, his younger son, Millard, and the Newman family. As the decades went on, the cigar market shrunk and the family business suffered, which resulted in tension within the family.
"We had 14 other relatives [in the business]. It was very difficult. The cigar industry was going down, and our sales were going down," says Bobby. "In 1985, Eric and I went to Dad and said either we've got to buy our relatives out or they have to buy us out."
Stanford and his sons chose the former strategy, and the three were then in control. Stanford made it a point to manage differently than his dad had.
"I wanted to give responsibility to my sons," says Stanford. "I wanted them to do things themselves."
The next generation is already making an impact on the family business. "I've been in the business since I was nine," says Drew Newman, Eric's 25-year-old son. Displaying a knack for computers, Drew helped create the popular Fuente and Newman Web site, cigarfamily.com, when he was 14. "I told my father we should have a Web site," he says. "Dad said, 'What's a Web site?'" Drew is now in law school at American University, and eventually intends to join the company. He even designed the "M"-shaped Diamond Crown Maximus box, which has a radical design that doesn't quite sit right with Stanford.
"I didn't think much of the idea," he says simply, as his sons laugh.
Stanford is still active in the business. During a tour of the company's small cigar-making operations upstairs, he gives a freshly made cigar a squeeze, his personal way of draw-testing. "Dad goes by the feel," says Eric, a touch of wonder in his voice. "Bobby and I are the technicians of the business, managers of the business—Dad is still the visionary."
Nestor Plasencia + Nestor Plasencia Jr.
|Nestor Plasencia Sr. (left) and Nestor Jr.
Like a pair of good basketball players, the Plasencias are constantly in motion. "We're about to spread out," says Nestor Jr., 31, speaking during his regular Monday morning sit-down with his father in Nicaragua. The two run the Plasencia tobacco and cigar-making empire, which stretches across Nicaragua and Honduras. They meet each Monday for an hour or two to strategize for the week, then scatter across the region. One might go to the fields in Jalapa, where the wrapper leaf is smooth and rich, while the other might head to Danlí, Honduras, home to one of the company's five cigar factories, or to Ocotál, Nicaragua, where the Plasencias process one of the world's largest collections of tobacco. The two are rarely in the same spot.
"We don't see each other during the weekdays," says Nestor Jr., "but on the weekends, Friday, we get together and discuss what we did for the week."
It's not an easy schedule. The two are constantly on the road, beating up their vehicles over roads that often have more bumps than the local economy. "I change my car every four years," says Nestor Jr. His father changes every three.
The elder Plasencia, 56, is proud of his son. "I feel very good," he says. "I have the privilege to have continuity in the business, the same way my father felt when he was working."
Nestor Jr. is the only one of three adult siblings to work with his father. His older brother, Gustavo, is an interior designer and his older sister, Alina, is a dentist. (His younger brother, Josè Luis, is only 13. "Maybe my younger brother will join us. We need some help," Nestor Jr. says, showing the trademark Plasencia sense of humor.)
The elder Plasencia is a legend in the business. "Moving, moving, moving," is one of his favorite sayings, often uttered after clapping his hands for emphasis as he chugs from one spot to the next, showing off his remarkably broad business. He's admittedly antsy when standing still. "Frustrated," he says in one of his compact, brusque answers, when asked how he feels when he's not in motion. A workaholic, he does other business while his son answers questions during a joint interview. "It's part of my personality," Nestor Sr. says with a smile. "I don't stay in one place for too much time."
He churned out more than 30 million cigars a year during his busiest days of the cigar boom (most of them brands made under contract for other companies) and has always been a big grower of tobacco. In recent years, he switched from growing primarily filler tobacco to growing wrapper, which is much more profitable. He plants tobacco on the volcanic island of Ometepe, Nicaragua, in San Agustín, Honduras, as well as in the traditional areas of Central America.
The Plasencias are among the most successful tobacco men, but only 20 years ago business was quite poor. Nestor Sr.'s crops were regularly ravaged by blue mold, and without tobacco to sell he had a hard time making money. Plasencia likes to joke about a banker who financed his three businesses in the mid-1980s, a stressful job to say the least. "I went to look for the banker at the bank, and he wasn't there. He was in Houston, at the hospital, getting a triple bypass," says Plasencia. A month later, the tobacco grower paid a visit. "He said, 'Every bypass had a name,' and each name was one of my companies."
Business began to improve in 1990. "At that time, we started growing [tobacco] varieties that were more resistant to blue mold, and Swisher decided to [have us] make Bering and La Primadora in Honduras," says Nestor Sr. The cigar boom soon followed, and the Plasencias went from struggling to surging.
Nestor Jr. is a born-and-bred tobacco man, like his father. "I started working every holiday when I was a little kid, in the farms and factories," he says. Since he was seven years old, time off from school meant it was time to work with dad. In 1998, out of school, he joined his father full-time.
Nestor Jr. always knew this was the route he would take, even though his father never pushed him into the tobacco business. "One of the things my father always told us—you need to do what you like to be good. You have to put passion in it."
"It's a big example to follow," says the son of his father. "My dad is the guy I respect the most in the tobacco industry. Every day is a learning experience."
Fernando León + Guillermo León
More than a century ago, Eduardo León Jimenes began making cigars in the Dominican Republic. The firm he created in 1903 is the oldest cigarmaker in the Dominican Republic, and today its parent company, Empresas León Jimenes, has annual sales of more than $600 million. Empresas León Jimenes brews Presidente beer, owns a bank, makes cigarettes and rolls remarkable cigars. Eduardo's descendants carry on the cigar tradition.
|Fernando (right) and Guillermo León
"Now, I'm in charge of the heritage," says Eduardo's grandson Guillermo, in his slow-cadenced voice, which has a touch of gravel. "It's heavy on my shoulders." The 46-year-old León, a tall man with chiseled good looks, runs La Aurora S.A., the parent company's cigar business, which includes core brands Aurora and León Jimenes, plus popular new releases such as Aurora 100 Años and Aurora 1495. He's speaking on a quiet holiday in the Dominican Republic, sitting in his spacious office inside the gleaming complex that is La Aurora in Santiago. Most conversations take place here around a coffee table, which is surrounded by a large couch and chairs. To the left is a cabinet of cigars, some dating back to the 1970s.
"I feel very proud, because I have someone who I can trust 100 percent because of his knowledge, and who I know is going to guide me on the right track," says León. "That's an advantage." His guide is his father, Fernando León Asensio, who ran Aurora with his three brothers. Although the 84-year-old is officially retired from the cigar business, he still looms large over the company's operations. "He comes in two or three times a week, and he goes to the farms still to see the crops," says Guillermo, "and he still smokes five cigars a day." The smoking is not always recreational. "Anything that he finds, he tells me right away. He's part of the tasting panel."
The elder León is a stately, white-haired gentleman who speaks in a crisp, booming baritone. His father gave him an unusual introduction to the cigar business. "The first thing my father did to expose me to the business as a youngster was to buy me a white linen suit, then take me out to the fields just ready to be harvested. Then he asked me to walk across it several times so I could get acquainted with the raw materials for cigar manufacturing," says Fernando León. "You can imagine how my new linen suit looked at the end of the walk. I was never to forget the experience.
"No one can make a good tobacco man by imposing," says the elder León. "I really think it is a matter of genetic heritage. This is a trade that cannot be truly loved unless one is born into it. There are no institutions that I know of that you can attend and get a degree on this fascinating world of tobacco."
The Leóns are not the only family business connected to La Aurora cigars—the company that distributes its smokes, Miami Cigar & Co., has a father-son team, Nestor and Daniel Miranda, involved in the business as well.
Guillermo is humbled by his family's history, and hopes to take the company further, as his father and three uncles did before him.
"The four brothers," Guillermo says, "they worked as hard as my grandfather. It's like a ladder—my grandfather started [climbing] and walked two steps. Then they did three steps, or four or five. Now I have to keep going."
Father + Son Teams of the Past
Some of today's best-known cigar stars were trained by their fathers. Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, the maker of La Gloria Cubana, worked for his father (of the same name). The younger Carrillo originally wanted to be a drummer, but when his father nearly sold the business to the Gore family, makers of Royal Jamaica, the son had a change of heart and decided he, too, wanted to be a cigarmaker.
Frank Llaneza, the storied former owner of Villazon & Co. and one of the first producers of gusty, strong cigars, inherited the Villazon cigar business (later acquired by General Cigar) from his father, Josè Llaneza. "I had to do everything in the factory," says Llaneza, describing how his father wanted him to learn each step of the cigar-making business before he retired. Manuel Quesada, the maker of Fonseca, Cubita, Matasa 30th Anniversary and many other cigars produced at Manufactura de Tabacos S.A., was trained by his father, the late Manuel Quesada Sr. Nick Perdomo Jr. once worked in tandem with his father, Nick Sr., who oversaw Tabacalera Perdomo's Nicaraguan cigar factory, while Nick Jr. managed things from the company's Miami Lakes, Florida, headquarters. Perdomo Sr. died in 2004.
Theo Folz, the chief executive officer of Altadis U.S.A. Inc., was brought into the cigar business by his father, Monte, who covered 19 states for Bayuk Cigar Co., the maker of Phillies cigars. "My father," said Folz in a 2004 Cigar Aficionado story, "was the greatest salesman I've ever known." Alfons Mayer, who once bought all of the tobacco used by General Cigar, followed in the footsteps of his father, Alfons, a major buyer of Indonesian tobacco into Amsterdam. George Gershel, who travels the world buying the tobacco for Altadis U.S.A., is also the son of a tobacco man. Chris Topper learned how to run a cigar business working with his father, Frank, who died in 1997. Today, he's the fourth generation to run Topper Cigar Co., which is 110 years old. Benjamin Menendez, senior vice president of premium cigars for General Cigar, learned how to make cigars working for his father, Alonso, who owned Cuba's Montecristo and H. Upmann brands. Benjamin's brother, Felix, makes Dona Flor and other cigars in Brazil. Tobacco grower David Perez, president of ASP Enterprises Inc., assumed the helm after the death of his father, Alfredo, in 2000, and sells some of the world's most prized tobacco leaf.
With all of its complexities and secrets, the art of creating fine cigars and growing rich tobacco is ideally suited to be passed down from father to son. The revival of premium cigar sales in the 1990s brought many a son who had sought out other ventures back into the family business, and ensured that the secrets would be passed on, each son inheriting his forefathers' secrets and trying to build on the success that came before, hoping to learn just a little more to pass on to the next generation that might follow in those new footsteps.


text:
Trying to install windows version with Wine
Thanks, but no thanks!
This is really great that you give linux users an update.
But i hate that you took all of the tools we get used to use.
Give us 13 on wine or allow outgoing conections from 12 linux to 13 win !!!
Is there any way to run TV13 on wine? I wasn't successful.
I agree that 13 isn't complete in any way. But why can't people just install 12 on all their machines? Are people really stuck without functionality compared to 2 weeks ago because they are stuck in 13 and cant move back to 12 (by say installing 12 instead of 13)?
Givig support to the different clients doesn't give you always possibility to choose which version of TV the client is running. So I had to upgrade my licence only because some of our clients have upgraded to the newest version. I'm not in the possition to restrict our clients what they should have installed on own computers.
Sure maybe you'll do a downgrade for me - about 70 computers within 100km of each other.
...because we paid for licenses we have to spend time on downgrade - perfect. We love it.
Yes If Teamviewer is calling Linux non-Beta and non-Alpha they dropped the ball big time. But sounds like you guys need better sytems in place or better admins, because most decent organizations arn't allowing a 6-day release to break their infrastructure.
This is why we're stuck :)
I just tried to install TV13 for windows under Wine on FC27 and the GUI does not open. So much for that Idea! We need a real solution real quick! We are on an annual subscription, but I am about to have to start looking at something different... A choice TeamViewer making for us!
If you want to send Ctrl+Alt+Del, there's a workaround. Just being on welcome screen connect your Android device as well and send Ctrl+Alt+Del from Android app.
@DanielStm wrote:
Gentoo: speaking of inofficial ports, I was contacted by a Gentoo maintainer and expect they'll have TV13 package soon.
TeamViewer (amd64, x86):
TeamViewer Host (amd64, x86, arm):
Tested and hopefully being merged into the main Gentoo Portage tree soon.
I had same problems when I connect from linux to an Windows and from there over Putty to a Linux. You can't work in VIM-Editor without frustration.
When I connect from Linux to another Linux all seems to be OK.
The idea of a native client for Linux is great. When described problem is solved I will be happy ;-)
Thanks and bye
Perfect Work! But the toolbar was missing when I m tring to remote control my windows PC.
Thanks TeamViewer development team!!
Thanks for a native client for Linux! This is fantastic! I love it! I know that this is like a pre-alpha, because there are missing features, but I prefer a native client than using a Wine version. Now, I have only one question on this preliminar version, is there any way to connect to a second screen from the remote computer? Thanks.
Dear @sflkj21, @reb0rn, @Lamagra, @lyubomirv, @JustACommonUser, @marmo, @ndit, @Chrissss, @andrearvs, @exactt,
we have an update for you.
Toolbar, Ctrl+Alt+Del, switch screens, non-installed TAR, lower dependencies, etc.
Please have a look: [Update: 13.0.6634] Christmas Update
Dear @Dusan, @Skyr, @beast-usa, @krisives, @led, @SamH_SUQLD, @thewho, @fufnf, @wfsg00098, @jesusvpct
we have an update for you.
Toolbar, Ctrl+Alt+Del, switch screens, non-installed TAR, lower dependencies, etc.
Please have a look: [Update: 13.0.6634] Christmas Update
All the best,
Dear @Ballisto, I hope this qualifies for the Christmas present you asked for.
I know it's still not complete, but time was short. January update will have more.
[Update: 13.0.6634] Christmas Update
All the best,
Hey @DanielStm,
Yes it does! It has everything I was hoping for. I'm very happy.
Thank you for the update and for the good communication.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays!
Whether the single-window interface is planned?
I'm sorry but I'm not understanding the difference between outgoing remote control and ingoing remote control you mention in the article. Many thanks
Thank you :)
Getting better but I really need file upload :( So I'm still doing VM Winblows :(
Any time frame on when we may get these?
1. File upload
2. Computers not all looking like they are online.
(They are all lit up like they are all online)
Thank you very much for all the hard work you guys put into Linux! Since so many others just don't support it!
@nihi1ist: not a priority right now, I don't expect it for this year.
@horizonbrave: Outgoing means you initiate it. You see someone elses screen or you start a filetransfer to somebody else.
@beast-usa: There you have it: [Update: 13.0.9865] File Transfer & Chat
Best regards,
I think the native TV13 for Linux i great!
The features are enough for me. And I only have had small issues with stability.
I hope to be able to skip my windows desktop in the near future.
Thank You for Your good work!
Best regards,
Hi there,
whan can we expect a full version instead of the preview?
So far I mostly miss the full-screen. Yes you can maximise, but tv preview doesn't use the full screen as it used to, or as the Windows version.
THANK YOU "File Transfer" and offline showing as offline! LOL
Add the tabs in and we are perfect!
I couldn't get the file transfer to work :( It kept saying already connected, then I disconnected, couldn't reconnect, shut it down in LInux, started Winblows VM, started Teamviewer, tried to connect and I'm getting this. OMG I need to start work at 10PM and I can't connect!
I get three installs and all THREE are on this computer. One Linux, one Winblows VM in Linux, One on dual boot winblows 8! THERE is no way for me to be logged in twice! Unless I had it running in LInux & Winblows VM. So I restarted and booted to Winblows 8 (different drive), LINUX & Winblows VM ARE SHUT DOWN???
My people are going to be PO'ed I have been trying since 9:30 it's now 10:06. :(
Well never got the Winblows TV to work, shut down back to Linux. It let me open the computers, but when I right click select transfer file a box pops up "there is already a connection would you like to connect again" Well I kept closing that box!
So to get file transfer to work for me as I login to everyone's computer, open the folder I use on their system FIRST. I do that then right click transfer files and say yes to connect again.
I only got three calls at 10:15 asking what's UP? But now I'm starting almost an hour late and I lose an hour tonight. :(
AND PLEASE FIX THE STUPID AUTHORIZE THIS COMPUTER ON THE SIGN-IN. I clear my browser every time it closes! Then I need to re-authorize ever time I login here. SUCH A PAIN I guess if you never clear your browser it's not a problem. But if you don't you are a crazy person! LOL
we understand why the toolbar is missing, and also would be happy when it's available. Because the survey isn't available anymore, please take my vote into account... need the toolbar soon !
New update is available: [Update: 13.1.3026] Spring Update
Please add comments on the latest release in the respective article.
@schedevip: Thanks, you're welcome :robotvery-happy:
@rosch: I hope we can have fullscreen with the next update and drop the preview soon thereafter.
@beast-usa: I possibly could not follow your description exactly, but some colleagues hinted in the direction that your connection count was limited as a result of the wrong license being in use (activated on the device, aditionally to the account). I'm not an expert on licensing, so if you continue to have that problem, please contact support directly.
However, as filetransfer is now also available in the toolbar, it is not a separate connection if used from there.
@Pierre_L: I'm wondering if you possibly missed the last three updates:
[Update: 13.0.6634] Christmas Update
[Update: 13.0.9865] File Transfer & Chat
[Update: 13.1.3026] Spring Update
Please add comments on the latest release in the respective article.
Best regards,
well, I've setup "deb http://linux.teamviewer.com/deb stable main" as the PPA and currently running TV 13 version: 13.0.9865
I did have two licenses when you needed one for each computer. In my case one for Linux & one for Winblows. Now it is just one license I have been using it for awhile. But I haven't had that problem since then. ALL my logins are on one computer Primary Linux, VM Windblows in Linux, different drives, seperate boot Winblows 8. But now I make sure to wait about 10 minutes between switching.
Other then that major glitch all is good would like to have that tabbed browsing :) LOL but just having upload files saves my life!
Thank you!
I had same issue. I fixed. Thank you for your help.
You also try to understand us, because without this options version x13 is useless. So if any of our client will update host to version 13 we'll not be able to give them support from linux stations. Of course you did great job with new version without wine but until linux version will not be ready you shoutld't announced new windows version as final ok

subset: commoncrawl


text:
You've poured your heart and soul into your business—shouldn't you protect it? Evaluating your insurance needs is a critical part of business planning, one that will help you protect your investment by minimizing risks, liabilities and losses. Of course, it's also a difficult road to navigate alone. Whether you're just starting up, hiring your first employee, or planning for future growth, enlist the assistance of a reputable insurance advisor. He or she will help you review a number of factors to select the right insurance for your company structures, activities and locale.
Business Profile
The types of commercial business policies you need depend on your unique business profile. Your insurance advisor will consider factors like whether you rent or own your office space, your number of employees, whether you ever use temp workers or contractors, whether you produce goods or provide services, if your company leases or owns vehicles, if your business involves large quantities of cash, and how quickly you could resume business if your office were destroyed in a fire or flood.
Some types of insurance are required by law (such as employer insurance), while other policies are just a good idea.
Employer Insurance
If you have employees, state laws require you to pay for certain types of insurance. These include workers' compensation insurance, unemployment insurance and disability insurance (depending on your location).
Commercial Business Insurance
While structuring your business as a corporation or LLC will protect your personal assets in the event of business liabilities, it will not cover losses your business may incur in the event of a lawsuit, natural disaster or other unfortunate event. Commercial business insurance policies include general liability insurance, product liability insurance, professional liability insurance, commercial property insurance, errors and omissions insurance, key executive insurance, business continuation insurance and home-based business insurance.
Unexpected Events
You and your insurance advisor should discuss your business risks in regards to unexpected events including the death of a business partner, an injured employee, a customer lawsuit or a natural disaster. Any of these misfortunes can destroy an uninsured business. The amount of commercial insurance your company needs depends, at least in part, on how aggressively you want to manage those risks.
Reassessing Coverage
As your business evolves, your liabilities change. Meet with your insurance advisor annually to ensure disaster does not strike while you are underinsured. If you hire additional employees, invest in new equipment or expand your operations, contact your advisor as soon as possible to discuss the implications for your insurance coverage.
While you need to include insurance premiums in your budget when planning your business, many policies are actually quite affordable, especially when you consider the potential losses your business may incur if you choose to operate unprotected.


text:
Next: ax_cxx_gnucxx_hashmap, Previous: ax_cxx_function_try_blocks, Up: The Macros
If the compiler supports GCC C++ ABI name demangling (has header cxxabi.h and abi::__cxa_demangle() function), define HAVE_GCC_ABI_DEMANGLE
Adapted from AX_CXX_RTTI by Luc Maisonobe
Download the latest version of ax_cxx_gcc_abi_demangle.m4 or browse the macro's revision history.
Copyright © 2008 Neil Ferguson firstname.lastname@example.com
Copying and distribution of this file, with or without modification, are permitted in any medium without royalty provided the copyright notice and this notice are preserved. This file is offered as-is, without any warranty.


text:
When you purchase a quality used vehicle from Jarvis, you will enjoy the added benefits of 3 years of Fixed Price Servicing. This will provide you peace of mind and your vehicle is maintained in top condition and keeps your free 3 year unlimited kilometre Jarvis Warranty and RAA Road Service valid. Fixed Price servicing costs are $269 for passenger vehicles, SUV's and light commercial vehicles with 4WDs costing $369.
Our fixed price may vary due to additional work required under manufacturer's warranty and service recommendations, and platinum spark plugs are extra.
Please note that if a used vehicle is still covered under manufacturer's warranty the vehicle must be serviced in accordance with the manufacturer's requirements until expiry of that warranty, at which time the Jarvis fixed price service comes into effect every six months or 10,000kms, whichever occurs first.
Jarvis Fixed Price Service is not available for Jarvis Subaru used Subaru vehicles.
The Jarvis Fixed Price Service includes:
- Change engine oil
- Change oil filter
- Minor engine tune
- Replace spark plugs if required (platinum spark plugs extra)
- Check and top up fluid levels - automatic/manual transmission, brake/clutch, battery
electrolyte, differential and windscreen washer
- Check and report on cooling system condition
- Check and report on front and rear brakes
- Check and report on tyre pressure, wear and condition (including spare)
- Check seatbelt operation
- Check air conditioning operation (where fitted)
- Check headlights (high and low beams), brake lights, tail lights, indicators and number
plate lights
- Inspect air filter
- Check wiper/washer operation, top up water and add detergent
- Check and report on suspension and steering mechanism
- Check handbrake operation
- Check and report on radiator hoses and heater hoses
- Check and adjust alternator, power steering, air conditioning and drive belts
- Check exhaust for leaks and security
- Lubricate doors
- Road test vehicle and report
Service Locations
Jarvis have six convenient Service and Tyre Centre Locations around Adelaide and South Australia.
For all your general, scheduled and manufacturer servicing, repairs, tyres, warranty repairs and more, Jarvis have a Service and Tyre Centre location near you.
- Book Service
- Locations
- Why Service With Us
- Demonstrator Vehicles
- Courtesy Drop Off
- Service Specials
- Jarvis Tyre Shop
- Contact Us
Free Extras
Included with
every used car from Jarvis.
Used Car Free Extras
- Free 3 Year Unlimited Kilometre Jarvis Warranty
- Free 3 Year RAA Road Service


text:
Slava Celebrated at Saint George in Carmichaels, PA
The St. George Serbian Orthodox Church in Carmichaels, Pennsylvania was consecrated in October 1954. Slava's have been celebrated in the parish church continuously since that time.
This year the parish Slava was celebrated on Sunday, May 4, 2014. During the Divine Liturgy with the Litya, the procession proceeded around the church three times. God provided good weather for the procession to take place.
The Slava Kolac and Koljivo were blessed. Prayers were offered for the living and departed of the parish. The St. George Choir under the direction of Sonia Janson provided the responses. Felicia Williamson was the honored Kuma.
The Slava dinner and program followed the Divine Liturgy. Program participants in addition to the honored Kuma included Stan Brozik, Sonia Janson, John Williamson, Millicent Mitzie Hunchuck, Andrea Janson, Djelosh Jerry Milosevich, Maria Djonovich, Aaron Carson and Carlos Godbey.
The program consisted of remarks from the Very Rev.Stavrofor Lt.Col.Adam Yonitch, the officers of the St.George Executive Board, the Choir and Kolo and Parish Nurse Practitioner.
Readings by parishioners added to the content of the program. Attorney Linda Chambers gave a featured talk on the theme: "Elements of Safe Communities."
Attendees also included parishioners from Pennsylvania parishes in Youngwood, Monroeville, and Pittsburgh and Fairmont, W.Va. Friends of the parish from the immediate area also attended.
Thank God for continuing to bless the St. George Church. Thank God for the faithful parishioners and friends of the parish.
Source: Eastern American Diocese of the SOC


text:
Tilghman explores clash of science, politics and religion in talk at Oxford University
Clashes between scientists and politicians, especially those inspired by religious motives, are slowing progress on several fronts and threatening the very integrity of the scientific enterprise, Princeton President Shirley M. Tilghman warned scholars gathered at the University of Oxford on Thursday, Dec. 1.
Tilghman, delivering the prestigious Romanes Lecture, said priorities being shifted by religious conservatism are jeopardizing funding and other resources for scientific study.
"As [19th-century biologist] Thomas Huxley rightfully said, it is naive to think that science can be completely divorced from other aspects of human activity," Tilghman said, "but the credibility of science can be compromised -- sometimes fatally -- when it is allowed to be inappropriately co-opted for political and religious purposes."
The full text of Tilghman's lecture, "Strange Bedfellows: Science, Politics and Religion," is available online.
Tilghman, a world-renowned molecular biologist, said that the potential for conflict between scientific, political and religious factions seems greater now than at any time in her career. She used recent examples from U.S. space exploration and evolutionary biology to make her point.
At a time when significant progress in space research is being made through research with satellite telescopes and unmanned craft, the Bush administration announced new goals of sending humans back to the moon by 2015 and eventually to Mars, Tilghman said. She blamed the conflicting priorities on a failure by the federal government to listen to advice from leading scientists, including a key report produced by the National Academy of Sciences. She likened the setting of the new priorities to the decision-making process that led to the foundering Space Station.
"A lesson I would draw from this case study is that top-down, politically driven science projects, especially those that will be enormously expensive, need to be clear about their goals at the outset and are unlikely to be successful in scientific terms unless they have the support of scientists who understand the challenges and likely benefits of the undertaking," Tilghman said.
Turning to biology, she focused on the current discussion surrounding "intelligent design" as an alternative to Darwin's theory of evolution.
"Under the banner of 'intelligent design,' Christian fundamentalists in the United States have launched a well-publicized assault on the theory of evolution, suggesting that the complexity and diversity of nature is not the product of random mutation and natural selection but rather of supernatural intent," Tilghman said.
As a scientist, Tilghman said that many of her findings have been explained by evolutionary biology. "The power of the theory of natural selection to illuminate natural phenomena, as well as its remarkable resilience to experimental challenge over almost 150 years, has led to its overwhelming acceptance by the scientific community," she said.
Unlike Darwin's theory, intelligent design poses no testable hypotheses, she said, and therefore "has no place in the science curriculum of America's public schools."
Tilghman speculated that the reason evolutionary biology and cosmology may be subject to political and religious tension is the unique conflict between scientific study in these fields and humanity's "universal need for a narrative to explain our origin and place in the universe."
"To the degree that evolutionary biology and cosmology appear to undermine the truth of … old and revered narratives, their findings will be deeply troubling and threatening to some," she added.
Both examples, Tilghman said, demonstrate the dangers that crop up when science and politics fall out of synch and become "strange bedfellows."
"Sending Americans to Mars may be politically astute, and promoting intelligent design in American classrooms may be a source of comfort to those who are threatened by the implications of natural selection," Tilghman said, "but neither, in my judgment, represents sound science, and to suggest that they do threatens the integrity of the entire scientific enterprise. The ultimate risk is that we lose the trust and respect of the public, on whom we depend for the support of science."
She urged scientists to be proactive in safeguarding their role in society. She implored her colleagues to explain concepts clearly and to provide practical illustrations as well as to hear what others from different backgrounds are saying.
"We must listen as well as speak to those who look at the world through a fundamentally different prism and be prepared to acknowledge the legitimacy of their beliefs while drawing a clear distinction between the tenets of science on the one hand and political aspirations and religious beliefs on the other," she said.
Oxford's Vice-Chancellor John Hood said it was a privilege to have Tilghman deliver the 2005 Romanes Lecture. Since its creation in 1891, the annual event has called upon leading scholars and public officials to speak on issues of science, art and literature.
"The Romanes Lecture may fairly be described as one of the most famous of all English lectures," Hood said. "The first lecturer, in 1892, was Prime Minister William Gladstone, and it has since been delivered by many other distinguished figures, including Theodore Roosevelt and Winston Churchill."
Among others who have given the lecture are Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1999, former President of Ireland Mary Robinson in 1997, President of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and former Princeton President William G. Bowen in 2000, and noted evolutionary biologist Thomas Huxley in 1893.
"The University of Oxford is honored to add Shirley M. Tilghman, most distinguished molecular biologist and president of Princeton, to this list of eminent speakers," Hood said.


text:
A New Way to Experience Magic: Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom
Walt Disney World debuts their new "Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom" game February 22, 2012 at Magic Kingdom. I had the chance to play this game twice while it was still being tested. I love the Kim Possible game at Epcot, so I couldn't wait to try this new game.


text:
US stumbles as it pushes to join soccer elite
For all the talk about the strides soccer has made in the United States, results of late have been stark and disappointing.
The Americans were eliminated by Ghana in the last two World Cups. The under-20 team's streak of seven trips to the world championship ended last year. And now the under-23s have failed to make two of the last three Olympics after their elimination Monday night.
Yes, the U.S. plays the world's game better than it did 25 years ago. The national team even notched its first win ever over powerhouse Italy last month. But the sputtering nature of the American program has even its most loyal supporters scratching their heads.
"Is it a disappointment? Yes. Is it a failure? Yes," former national team defender Alexi Lalas said after Monday's under-23 loss. "Is the sky falling? Absolutely not."
It was a crushing loss, however. The under-23 team was eliminated from Olympic qualifying when it conceded a goal in the final seconds of stoppage time during a 3-3 tie against El Salvador in Nashville, Tenn.
Despite having homefield advantage, the Americans didn't even make it to the qualification round - the semifinals this weekend. It was only the second time since 1976 they failed to qualify. They also fell short in 2004.
"We need to have new leadership, a fresh way of doing things," former national team and Olympic coach Bruce Arena said. "Usually it's a new coach. But maybe it's time for new leadership and new concepts as well. Who knows? But I think we're making progress, regardless of this result."
Still, at a time this summer when the soccer focus in the U.S. could have been on the up-and-coming American players, it will now be on preseason tours of English teams Chelsea and Tottenham and the new managers likely to be in place at both clubs.
"Obviously last night is a huge disappointment on many levels and for everyone involved," U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati said. "We've been very successful over the last 36 years in being at most of the Olympic games on the men's side, so it's a big setback."
Gulati, a Columbia economics professor, has been a driving force in U.S. soccer growth for more than a quarter century. The Americans had not qualified for the World Cup for 40 years before making it to the 1990 tournament, and they've now been to the last six - an accomplishment matched only by Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain and South Korea.
Gulati became USSF president in 2006 and replaced Arena after the Americans crashed out of the World Cup in the group stage - embittering the coach who guided the U.S. to the quarterfinals in 2002 and now leads the Los Angeles Galaxy.
In men's soccer, the Olympics are limited to players under 23 - with three overage players eligible for inclusion at the Summer Games. But clubs that pay the players' wages are often reluctant to release their best players, especially those in European leagues at key points in their seasons.
Still, even with Jozy Altidore, Timmy Chandler and Danny Williams unavailable, the U.S. filled its roster with professionals from Major League Soccer and players from European and Mexico clubs it was able to secure. The Americans figured they would have a relatively easy time claiming one of the two Olympic berths from North and Central America and the Caribbean.
But after an opening 6-0 rout of Cuba last week, they were upset 2-0 by Canada and forced themselves into a must-win game against El Salvador, a country whose population of about 6 million is smaller than New York City's.
After falling behind 2-1, the U.S. forged a lead and were seconds from advancing to the semis when a 25-yard shot by Jaime Alas took a hop and bounced in off the hands of backup American goalkeeper Sean Johnson, who entered after starter Bill Hamid turned an ankle on the turf during the first half.
"Having the Olympic experience would certainly be beneficial to these players. In a different way to look at it, this tournament helped weed out some of the quote-unquote talent that maybe isn't what we thought," said Lalas, now an ESPN analyst. "And for those players who do graduate to the national team, those few select players, it gives them a harsh but maybe vital lesson in terms of not only recognizing moments and opportunities but not wasting them."
Caleb Porter, who coached Akron to the 2010 NCAA title, was hired last October to run the under-23 team as part of an overhaul that followed Gulati installing former German star Jurgen Klinsmann as U.S. national team coach. Former star midfielder Tab Ramos was picked to coach the u20s, and the u17 coach also was replaced.
"The game can be really brutal sometimes. And really I just feel bad for the guys and for Caleb, who really did a good job," Klinsmann said. "They didn't lose the qualification today. They let it slip out if their grasp in the Canada game when they weren't alert enough. And they paid the price today with a goal in the last second. And of course that hurts."
When the U.S. failed to make it to the 2004 Athens Games, it was knocked out with a 4-0 loss to rival Mexico in Guadalajara, when boos nearly drowned out "The Star-Spangled Banner" and a few dozen fans chanted "Osama! Osama!"
This time elimination occurred at home.
"It's at a point now where shooting ourselves in the face and foot every five years is no longer acceptable," said Fox Soccer broadcaster Eric Wynalda, second on the American national team career-scoring list.
Wynalda delivered a blistering critique of American soccer administrators in January at the National Soccer Coaches Association of America convention in Kansas City, Mo., and has been an outspoken critic of Gulati and MLS Commissioner Don Garber.
"The truth of the matter is that Sunil has to take the responsibility for this," Wynalda said. "You can blame the players, you can blame the muck, you can blame Caleb Porter if you like, but I would argue that he had no business being in that position in the first place. Ultimately, the blame falls on the people who do the hiring."
More troubling than the failure to qualify for the London Olympics may be the lack of players on the u23s who appear to be pushing for spots on the national team, a group whose regulars include Landon Donovan (30), Carlos Bocanegra (33 in May), Steve Cherundolo (33) and Oguchi Onyewu (30 in May).
The 16-game process of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil starts this June, and among the group in Nashville only Dallas midfielder Brek Shea has become a frequent national team contributor. The major influx of new players has been several German-Americans who play regularly in the Bundesliga.
And goalkeeper, long a strength of the Americans, is now a potential problem area. Given the struggles of Hamid and Johnson, 41-year-old Spurs goalkeeper Brad Friedel might be brought out of national team retirement in the event of an injury to U.S. starter Tim Howard.
"The future of American goalkeeping leaves something to be desired," Lalas said.
But while focusing on the present, Gulati and Klinsmann also are putting more emphasis on the future.
MLS has expanded to 19 teams, creating more jobs for American players, and it relaunched its reserve league to create more competition. The USSF Development Academy for elite players 15-18 expanded its schedule from six to 10 months in an effort to establish better and lengthened training.
More Americans are with European clubs than ever before, but for every Clint Dempsey starring in the Premier League, there is a Ricardo Clark who can't even make a game-day substitutes' bench.
"We'll do everything we can to make sure we're on track, but a lot of things that have been put in place over a period of time are long-term projects," Gulati said. "Those things take time, and it's very hard to judge those on short-term results."
AP Sports Writer Teresa Walker and Associated Press writer Erik Schelzig contributed to this report.


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(Pocket-lint) - The Panasonic Lumix GX1 is a new Micro Four Thirds compact system camera that offers photographers advanced features in a compact body design.
The Lumix GX1's closest predecessor is the GF2, but the new camera draws in features from across the Lumix line. The 16-megapixel sensor comes from the popular G3 and reintroduces the accessory port and hotshoe missing from the previous GF3 model.
The result is a camera that retains smaller dimensions, but offers more flexibility for creative photographers, bridging the gap between the GF3 and the G3 and GH2 models.
Comparisons aside, Panasonic is pushing quality to the fore with the GX1, as they did with the recent X lenses. The body is metal as are the buttons, moving away from the plastics used on previous models.
If you are worried about the lack of grip on some of the more compact mirrorless cameras, then the GX1 answers that call too, with a sculpted grip for the fingers of the right hands.
The new Lumix GX1 puts plenty of controls at your fingertips as well as offering touch control via the 3-inch display on the back. There are two hard and two soft (on-screen) Fn buttons that can be programmed from a set of 25 functions for instant access, in addition to the direct control buttons.
New headline features include level gauge for vertical and horizontal alignment, one push AE to bring you back to exposure settings that will capture your shot given the conditions, and some new creative modes which add toy camera and low key effects.
There is also added functionality for Panasonic's new Lumix X lenses, with the option to have the power zoom controlled on the screen, with settings to let you control the speed of zooming etc.
The accessory port and hotshoe will accommodate the new LVF2 viewfinder and there is a built-in flash.
The Lumix GX1 will cost you £499.99 (body only), or £599.99 with the standard 14-42 lens and will be available in December. In mid January, you'll be able to get the GX1 with the 14-42 powered X lens for £729.99.
The Panasonic Lumix GX1 will come in two colours, silver and black.
You can read our first impressions, see lots of pictures of the new camera and view our test shots and video over in our First Look review.


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Grammys 2013: fun., Frank Ocean, Mumford & Sons will likely win major awards
It was hardly a shocker when Adele dominated last year's Grammy Awards.
Albums like "21" don't come around all that often. For proof, consider that it was the top-selling album in the U.S. for both 2011 and 2012. The last time an album topped the year-end sales charts in consecutive years was Michael Jackson's "Thriller" in 1983 and 1984. The only other album to do that, at least since Billboard began publishing year-end sales totals in 1956, was the "West Side Story" soundtrack in 1962 and 1963.
But there's no "21" in the mix for this year's Grammys, and it's hard to imagine any artist running away with the ceremony on Sunday in Los Angeles.
There are, however, some really intriguing matchups in the four so-called big "general field" categories (where artists from different genres compete for the same award). And there doesn't appear to be any clear-cut favorite in the mix for album of the year, song of the year, record of the year or best new artist.
Nonetheless, we are once again peering into our crystal ball, despite the fact that it has provided only iffy results over the years, to try to predict who will win the big Grammy Awards. Here goes.
Album of the Year
Nominees: "El Camino" the Black Keys; "Some Nights," fun.; "Babel," Mumford & Sons; "Channel Orange," Frank Ocean; "Blunderbuss," Jack White.
The breakdown: The list is more notable for what's missing. Grammy voters ignored such longtime favorites as Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, who released fine records in 2012, as well as hip-hop in its entirety. The latter is truly tragic, but hardly surprising, given Grammy's track record of ignoring hip-hop in the top four categories. But it's inexcusable this year, given how many great records hip-hop produced in 2012.
The result is a rather weak field, except for Frank Ocean's terrific "Channel Orange." Yet, I'm afraid that Ocean's soulful epic is too adventurous for these voters, even in this new Grammy era. White is the most-established artist in the mix, but "Blunderbuss" is the worst offering in his overall catalog. If Grammy voters actually listened to "Blunderbuss" there's no way it should win.
The other three nominees seem like more likely options, although each is flawed. Recognizing the Black Keys now seems a tad late, since 2010's "Brothers" was superior to last year's "El Camino." The pop juggernaut known as fun. feels worthy -- at least in 2013 -- but there's a good chance that the band could end up being a flash in the pan. Then there's Mumford & Sons, which seems well on its way to becoming this generation's Dave Matthews Band. The combination of hipster appeal and massive commercial success might prove too great to pass up for voters, even though "Babel" isn't nearly as good as Mumford's first album.
Prediction: "Babel"
Record of the Year
Nominees: "Lonely Boy," the Black Keys; "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)," Kelly Clarkson; "We Are Young," fun., featuring Janelle Monáe; "Somebody That I Used to Know," Gotye, featuring Kimbra; "Thinkin Bout You," Frank Ocean; "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," Taylor Swift.
Breakdown: The Ocean and
Keys cuts are solid selections, but they'll be crushed by the other three blockbusters in the mix. Let's also eliminate "Somebody That I Used to Know," in the hopes that even Grammy voters have grown tired of hearing that song by now.
Swift is a threat at any awards show, yet perhaps voters are tipping their hand by nominating "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" for record of the year (which goes to the artist) but not song of the year (a songwriter's award). That could mean voters are never ever going to anoint Swift's ditty as the single of the year.
It's a real pick 'em between the remaining two cuts, both of which qualify as first-tier pop anthems. Clarkson is a Grammy favorite, but this just feels like fun.'s year -- at least in this category.
Prediction: "We Are Young"
Song of the Year
Nominees: "The A Team," Ed Sheeran songwriter and performer; "Adorn," Miguel Pimentel songwriter and performer; "Call Me Maybe," Tavish Crowe, Carly Rae Jepsen and Josh Ramsay songwriters, Jepsen performer; "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)," Jorgen Elofsson, David Gamson, Greg Kurstin and Ali Tamposi songwriters, Kelly Clarkson performer; "We are Young," Jack Antonoff, Jeff Bhasker, Andrew Dost and Nate Ruess songwriters, fun. with Janelle Monáe performers.
Breakdown: Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" is an all-time earworm -- one of the catchiest songs of the last 10 years. It is the most deserving of all the nominated tracks, if, indeed, the goal is to recognize well-crafted songwriting. The fact that it is nominated for best song, but not best record, is a slap in the face to Jepsen, who did everything that could've been asked with her performance on the tune. Yet, it's also a sign that voters might not be fully behind this piece of perfect pop. So, reluctantly, we'll zap "Call Me Maybe" from the running.
The Miguel and Sheeran cuts seem like pretenders to the throne, so it once again comes down to a battle between the Clarkson and fun. numbers. Both are fine choices, but one clearly feels more timeless than the other.
Prediction: "We Are Young."
Best New Artist
Nominees: Alabama Shakes, fun., Hunter Hayes, the Lumineers, Frank Ocean.
Breakdown: This is the strongest field of any of the four major categories. The Lumineers, Hayes and, especially, Alabama Shakes are all worthy nominees. Still, it's hard to imagine this being anything other than a two-headed race between Ocean and fun. Voters have basically said as much through nominating both acts in multiple general field categories.
The favorite has to be fun., given all that it accomplished in 2012. But is anyone truly convinced that fun. will still be relevant in five years? On the other side of the coin is Ocean, who made one of the year's most striking artistic statements with "Channel Orange." It's hard to believe that fun. will get better with age, while Ocean seems to have limitless potential.
Prediction: Frank Ocean
Best of the rest
Best pop vocal album: Look for fun. to win in a landslide for "Some Nights."
Unless: Grammy voters try to impress hipsters by picking Florence + the Machine's "Ceremonials."
Rap album: Voters will momentarily realize that Nas' "Life Is Good" isn't just the best hip-hop album of last year -- it's the best album of 2012, period.
Unless: The Academy decides to reward Drake's commercial blockbuster "Take Care."
Country album: Miranda Lambert's "Four the Record," with its four Top 40 country singles, is the obvious choice.
Unless: The street cred that would come with honoring Jamey Johnson's "Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran" proves irresistible.
Rock album: The Black Keys take home the trophy for "El Camino" -- consider it a consolation prize for not winning in the overall album of the year category.
Unless: Bruce Springsteen busts up the Black Keys' party with his "Wrecking Ball."
Alternative music album: Gotye's "Making Mirrors" trumps a weak field.
Unless: Voters have a sense of humor and want to hear the person at the podium try to recite the name of say Fiona Apple's album, "The Idler Wheel Is Wiser than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More than Ropes will Ever Do."


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Company Vision, Mission and Ethical Standards
Our Vision:
To become the most reputable name in Canada for providing personalized healthcare.
Our Mission:
The Retire-At-Home™ team is dedicated to providing comprehensive, personalized services while upholding the highest standard of excellence – improving clients' quality of life by respecting each person's dignity and independence.
In each city in Canada, we plan to achieve our vision and mission by working side-by-side with our clients and their families, employees and community partners and always ensuring our clients satisfaction and safety are at the forefront of everything we do.
Retire-At-Home Commitment to Fair and Ethical Practices:
- Retire-At-Home Services was built on a foundation of strong family values – Dedication, Excellence, Commitment, Quality of life, Respect, Dignity, and Independence.
- All individuals will be treated with dignity and respect.
- When assessing performance, Retire-At-Home will not place unnecessary emphasis on personal characteristics, including race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, age, sexual orientation, family relationships, religious belief, or physical or intellectual disability.
- Retire-At-Home will treat all clients and prospective clients with honesty, fairly, and with dignity and respect. Retire-At-Home will not deliver misleading information or offer services not needed by clients or prospective clients. Retire-At-Home will respect and support freedom of choice.
- Retire-At-Home promises to provide prompt, reliable, and effective home and health care appropriate for each individual's needs, health and safety.
- Retire-At-Home is committed to protecting the confidential nature of each individual's health care records and to not disclose information in the record except as permitted by law or regulation.
- Retire-At-Home will employ staff that has been screened through references and who continue to improve their knowledge and skills in the provision of home and health care services.
- Retire-At-Home will compete strongly but fairly. We will abide with all applicable competition laws and will not tolerate actions that unreasonably prevent competition.
- Retire-At-Home will respect and abide by all copyright laws when developing marketing and communication programs, such as advertisements.
- Retire-At-Home is committed to deliver our greatest efforts to resolve issues fairly.


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This $15,000 Barbie doll is fit for a spoiled brat
Sorry G.I. Joe, you can't afford to take this Barbie doll on a date.
By Fox Van Allen, Tecca
What do you get the incredibly spoiled Beverly Hills pre-teen who has everything? Another designer paper bag? A $60,000 gold-plated smartphone? No, this year, give her a gift that could result in a dangerous number of skin abrasions: A $15,000 Barbie doll covered in fake diamonds, being auctioned for charity.
This designer toy, called the Pink Diamond Barbie Doll, was created by fashion mavens Phillipe and David Blond. Her hand-crafted bodysuit is covered in "gems," as are the doll's ridiculously high pair of high heels. She also comes with a full-length fake fur coat and a certificate of authenticity.
Proceeds from the sale will go to benefit the MAC Aids Fund organization. The current high bid on the doll is only $4,250, a 70% discount off its estimated value. Just be sure you factor in that $9.95 shipping and handling charge — that's how they get you.
This jewel-encrusted Barbie makes the perfect gift, provided you have five-digits to blow on a child's toy. Because hey, when you're rich, you can afford to leave four or five of these things behind in the country club's sandbox. Which reminds me — I should stop off in Beverly Hills on the way home.
[via Born Rich]
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