El Presidente Posted March 16, 2007 Posted March 16, 2007 I would like to introduce our Newest FOH Moderator. Our Moderator group now numbers four (existing is Tampa (Chuck), Ken and myself). Lisa is also a Moderator but because she struggles to do all the work, wash my car and make my lunch....she can only pop in now and then :-) I think we are blessed to be able to bring to the forum someone who is analytical and informed (complete contrast to Ken), and who has a driving passion for cigars. Welcome Wilkey (Ginseng) ***FOH distances itself from any and all promises which may have been made by Rob Ayala to Wilkey. Rob Ayala in no way represents the financial interests of FOH and any subsequent legal action should be taken against Robert Escobar Ayala or preferably Ken Gargett.*** _________________________________________________________ Hello, Mates! My name is Wilkey and I'm honored and privileged to have been invited to join the moderating team at Friends of Habanos forum. Nowhere else have I found such a fun loving band of happy-go-lucky reprobates and Habanophiles. I'm glad to have the opportunity to give back a little to a place that has given me so much (including truly staggering charge card statements.) Let me tell you a little about myself, then. I was born in Hong Kong where I lived for a short period of time. My parents sought opportunity and a different life for the family and so we headed to the west. We moved around a bit finally settling in the New England region of the United States. I completed my schooling including B.S. and M.S. in Chemical Engineering and Materials/Polymer Science. I then worked for over a dozen years in various facets of the industry while climbing the corporate ladder. It was during this time, at the height of the cigar boom, that I discovered this fascination that has brought me to this point. In the mid-1990's I smoked my first cigar. And while I must admit that I probably did so because of the general wave of faddishness, it did not take long for a a truly deep seated fascination to take hold. Like most Americans, I wager, my first cigar was probably a Honduran or Dominican. It was not long before I ventured into the realm of the Cuban cigar, though. In the last few years, my interest has intensified and, I think, finally synchronized with sufficient experience to allow me to fully appreciate this complex hobby. Today, I smoke widely from nearly all the major cigar producing regions of the world and I enjoy both Cubans and the myriad of non-Cubans alike. Right now I am really enjoying products from Nicaragua. In Habanos, I have always loved the Partagás and Bolivar marcas. Upmann, Ramon Allones, and Montecristo also hold great appeal for me. As I'm merely a "regular taster" and not a "supertaster" I feel my reviews and comments resonate with the "average" cigar smoker. I've recently left the engineering field and gone back to graduate school for education. Having burnt out on the cynicism of corporate America, I've decided to pursue a second career in academia. It would please me just fine to settle into a quiet professorship in a sleepy New England college and teach, conduct research, and smoke my cigars until I'm old and grey. Presently, my great fascination has been with counterfeit Cuban cigars. Perhaps it's the engineering training, but I am truly curious about the ways in which these bandits and profiteers try to knock off the most prestigious cigars in the world. Comparative analyses of the fake and the real can often be as illuminating of the authentic items as the bogus. Never content to merely attribute artifacts as "that's Cuba," I find that I am driven by an instinctual need to understand the normal as the basis from which the abnormal departs. Which, I guess, is a pompous way of saying the more we know about the way things are done, the better we can understand what deviations we can reasonably expect. But, enough about me. Let me close by saying that I truly value this wonderful and unique community. Rob's vision for Czar and FOH is laudable and refreshingly accessible and I'm glad to be given the opportunity to work in support of that. Cheers and see you all around the forums! Wilkey ******************************
Colt45 Posted March 16, 2007 Posted March 16, 2007 » Cheers and see you all around the forums! » » Wilkey :clap:
Mike33 Posted March 16, 2007 Posted March 16, 2007 A fantastic addition to a very distinguished team of mods!! Mike
Mark Twain Posted March 16, 2007 Posted March 16, 2007 Well there goes the neighborhood! I always knew Wilkey was destined for a position in upper management. A wonderful edition to the moderating team of FOH, I hope to see a section on some of your fake Cuban cigars to help benefit the community.
JohnnyTex Posted March 16, 2007 Posted March 16, 2007 Congrats Wilkey! I too find it fascinating how good and bad some of these fakes are, hope you post some of your findings.
GTS21 Posted March 16, 2007 Posted March 16, 2007 Congrats Wilkey! Much deserved, and couldn't have happened to a nicer guy. This will most certainly make a fantastic board even better!
Roy R. Frush Posted March 16, 2007 Posted March 16, 2007 » I would like to introduce our Newest FOH Moderator. » Welcome Wilkey (Ginseng) There goes the neighborhood...:-D Congrats on adding just a few more responsibilities to your busy day!
JeepCop Posted March 16, 2007 Posted March 16, 2007 Congrats Wilkey! You have now reached the pinnacle.
log1k Posted March 16, 2007 Posted March 16, 2007 Congrats Wilkey, great to have someone as knowledgeable as you on this forum....
Tampa1257 Posted March 16, 2007 Posted March 16, 2007 Wilkey will make an excellent addition to the FOH crew. All the best! Tampa
marco polo Posted March 16, 2007 Posted March 16, 2007 Congrats Wilkey and thanks for putting up with my newbie questions!
greenpimp Posted March 16, 2007 Posted March 16, 2007 Good Lord, the legitimacy! Oy Vey! Congrats Wilkey and great to have you doin it.
genevapics Posted March 16, 2007 Posted March 16, 2007 Congratulations Wilkey! Way to make the Boys from Delaware proud! Now that you are a moderator, do we need to treat you differently at our Delaware gatherings? Also, will we get to share in on your financial/cigar windfall, or will we get shut out? Seriously, I, along with all of the Boys from Delaware, know that you will be a great addition to the moderating staff at FoH. Well done to you sir! Kudos to Rob and those involved in making this happen. One last thing Wilkey, the Boys from Delaware will need to take you out to Villa di Roma for dinner and then to Mahogany's for cigars. When your situation settles down (;-)) and the weather warms up, we are taking you out to celebrate! And we won't take "NO" for an answer. Once again, congratulations on becoming a moderator!
Trevor2118 Posted March 16, 2007 Posted March 16, 2007 A great choice........quality always succeeds.
Ken Gargett Posted March 16, 2007 Posted March 16, 2007 congrats but let me tell you, this is no picnic. we all have to work hard to carry rob but glad you are here to help lighten the laod.
kjellfrick Posted March 16, 2007 Posted March 16, 2007 Happy moderatorship, Wilkey. Keep up the high standards you show here and elsewhere. Kjell aka Ouch
Ginseng Posted March 16, 2007 Posted March 16, 2007 Thanks for the kind words, gents. I truly look forward to diving in and, well, smoking cigars again. What else is it that these blokes do anyway? ;-) But seriously, I mean it when I say no finer forum citizenry or Habano-forum exists anywhere on the net. I'm proud to have been called. Andre, that sounds great. I know things will settle down soon. Right now my entire family is in one stage or another of the flu. The flu shot was worthless this year. once we recover, the warm weather will be here and the mayhem can begin. Wilkey
Freefallguy Posted March 16, 2007 Posted March 16, 2007 » Welcome Wilkey (Ginseng) Cheers mate! Right side of the Bay are you?
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