 Plus: More of the “King of the World”
Los Angeles, July 30 – It’s safe to say that the U.S. Transportation Safety Administration isn’t the most popular agency in the government.
For smokers, the TSA’s war against lighters has been irritating if not tragic. And now it is almost over.
The TSA announced that “In an effort to concentrate resources on detecting explosive threats, TSA will no longer ban common lighters in carry-on luggage starting August 4, 2007.”
After two years and four months of being the only country in the world that bans standard lighters from carry-on luggage, the TSA has finally given up. Its announcement noted “Lifting the lighter ban is consistent with TSA’s risk-based approach to aviation security. First and foremost, lighters no longer pose a significant threat. Freeing security officers up from fishing for 22,000 lighters every day (the current number surrendered daily across the country) enables them to focus more on finding explosives, using behavior recognition, conducting random screening procedures and other measures that increase complexity in the system, deterring terrorists.”
Translation: the TSA never should have banned “common” lighters like the famous Zippo Pocket Lighter (pictured) or the inexpensive Djeep in the first place.
But there was plenty of damage done while it did. The TSA released a list of the top items it required passengers to give up in 2006:
• Lighters: 11,616,217.
• Knives and Blades: 1,607,014.
• Dangerous Items (unspecified): 74,665.
• Clubs and Bats: 12,295.
No, the TSA is not about to pay damages to the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of travelers who lost lighters during security checks.
The removal of the lighter ban on carry-on luggage does not apply, however, to torch lighters, which must still be carried – if at all – in checked baggage in a vapor-locked carrier such as the Colibri TranzPack.
But at least you no longer have to fear the loss of your Davidoff or Dupont lighter at an airport security check. That’s better.
A new version of the “King of the World”
Michael Argenti’s Cuban Imports does not, of course, import Cuban cigars. But it does offer special blends of cigars with a Cuban heritage that are made for the U.S. market.
Last year, Cuban Imports offered three lines for sale: H. Upmann Signature, Por Larranaga Cuban Grade and Exile, a new brand. For 2007, a fourth blend has been added: El Rey del Mundo – “The King of the World” – Olivados.
Made at the Villazon (now HATSA) factory in Cofradia, Honduras, just like the standard El Rey del Mundo line distributed by Cigars by Santa Clara, the Olivados (meaning the “forgotten’) is a full-bodied cigar that will begin shipping to U.S. retailers in October.
It will be offered in five sizes in elegant Rosewood boxes:
• Chateaux R: 5 inches by 54 ring;
• Chateaux E: 6 inches by 52 ring;
• Chateaux T: 6 1/8 inches by 54 ring torpedo;
• Chateaux X: 6 inches by 60 ring;
• Chateaux D: 7 1/4 inches by 54 ring.
The blend features a dark Ecuadorian-grown, Sumatra-seed wrapper, Connecticut Broadleaf binder and filler leaves from the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua. Suggested retail prices will range from $7.99 to $11.99.
Now that’s smoking!
Larry Laoretti was a little-known golf pro in Jupiter, Florida when he joined the Senior PGA Tour in 1990. Soon after, he agreed to an endorsement sponsorship with Altadis U.S.A. for its well-known Te-Amo brand.
Well, that turned out to be a good deal for Altadis, as Laoretti won the 1992 U.S. Senior Open and became a well-recognized face on the Senior Tour. And it was a good deal for Laoretti, who’s still being sponsored by Altadis to this day.
The deal is still for Te-Amo and Laoretti told Golf World that he still enjoys eight to ten Te-Amos a day, up to about 4,000 a year!
Although he retired from full-time play on the Senior Tour in 1999 and is now the general manager at the Great Outdoors Golf Club in Titusville, Florida (of which he’s a part-owner), he’s still a part of Team Te-Amo and joins in the annual Montecristo Cup fund-raising event for Altadis U.S.A. each year with Te-Amo teammates Dana Quigley, Jim Thorpe and others.
He may be retired, but he’s still smokin’!
~ Rich Perelman
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