Cigar Factory Reader a singular occupation that endures in Cuba
Cigar factory readers are practitioners of a unique age-old occupation that has been kept alive by Cuba’s modern-day cigar industry.
Readers are men and women who three times a day present a welcome break for the workers who hand roll Cuba’s famed cigars, by reading from a variety of sources, including the day’s paper and works of literature.
“The workers -- apart from the fact that it’s very monotonous work, manual work -- can use this time to listen, to learn about many diverse topics, culture, education, politics. In other words, they can raise their level of knowledge,” says Grisell Valdes, a cigar factory reader.
Her audience is composed of the men and women who expertly hand roll cigars.
“I feel that I’m useful, I can contribute to everyone’s education. It’s a job that doesn’t remain within the four walls of the factory. It’s a job that goes beyond the company gates. The neighbors and the workers’ children hear about it, because the workers discuss things with their families,” says Grisell.
By tapping on their desks with a tobacco knife, the cigar rollers signal whether they are enjoying the selected readings or not.
“The reader informs us above all about what’s going on in the world and brings us up to date, basically on international events, culture, and social problems such as the global crisis,” says cigar maker Francisco Franco.
Today in Cuba there are 300 cigar factory readers, all of them state workers who must first pass a 30-day trial period and win over a demanding public.
The unique occupation got its start in Cuba in December 1865, when a wealthy factory owner, Nicolas de Azcarate, proposed distracting workers during the tedious and endless task of hand rolling cigars, and in the process raising their awareness of progressive reforms and ideas.
In 2009, Cuba proposed that the occupation be declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Charleston ranks in top 10 cities to start a small business
Yelp has launched its first-ever Local Economic Outlook report which reveals the cities, neighborhoods, and industries that offer the most opportunity for small businesses to thrive.
Charleston landed within the top 10 cities in the country to start a small business.
Yelp’s Local Economic Outlook comprises a list of top 50 cities in the U.S. where businesses have the best chance of success, along with the top
50 neighborhoods and 10 business categories that have risen the most in rankings for new-business opportunity. Charleston came in at number 5!
Top 50 Cities in America for Economic Opportunity
1. Charlotte, NC (-)
2. Jacksonville, FL (-)
3. Omaha, NE (^)
4. Orlando, FL (v)
5. Charleston, SC (v)
6. Las Vegas, NV (^)
7. Tampa, FL (-)
8. Dallas, TX (-)
9. Salt Lake City, UT (^)
10. Houston, TX (v)
11. Louisville, KY (v)
12. Memphis, TN (^)
13. Tulsa, OK (v)
14. Miami, FL (-)
15. Phoenix, AZ (^)
16. Cincinnati, OH (-)
17. Atlanta, GA (v)
18. Nashville, TN (v)
19. Richmond, VA (v)
20. Saint Louis, MO (^)
21. Tucson, AZ (^)
22. San Diego, CA (^)
23. Albuquerque, NM (v)
24. Washington, DC (-)
25. Milwaukee, WI (^)
26. Denver, CO (-)
27. Columbus, OH (v)
28. Austin, TX (v)
29. Honolulu, HI (v)
30. Cleveland, OH (^)
31. Baltimore, MD (v)
32. Los Angeles, CA (^)
33. Minneapolis, MN (-)
34. Buffalo, NY (v)
35. Pittsburgh, PA (v)
36. New Orleans, LA (v)
37. Sacramento, CA (^)
38. Chicago, IL (^)
39. Philadelphia, PA (v)
40. Portland, OR (v)
41. Madison, WI (v)
42. Rochester, NY (v)
43. San Jose, CA (^)
44. New York, NY (v)
45. Hartford, CT (v)
46. Providence, RI (v)
47. San Francisco, CA (^)
48. Seattle, WA (v)
49. Portland, ME (v)
50. Boston, MA (-)
Top 50 Most Improved Neighborhoods in America for Economic Opportunity
1. Stonestown, San Francisco, CA
2. Wauwatosa, Milwaukee, WI
3. Ballston, Arlington, VA
4. Midtown, Detroit, MI
5. French Quarter, Charleston, SC
6. Admiral, Seattle, WA
7. Carmel Valley, San Diego, CA
8. Alum Rock/East Foothills, San Jose, CA
9. Silver Lake, Los Angeles, CA
10. North Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
11. Bucktown, Chicago, IL
12. Toluca Lake, Los Angeles, CA
13. Middle Village, New York, NY
14. Fox Point, Providence, RI
15. Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL
16. Elmwood, Berkeley, CA
17. Century City, Los Angeles, CA
18. Financial District, Boston, MA
19. North San Jose, Santa Clara, CA
20. Uptown, Minneapolis, MN
21. Downtown, Miami, FL
22. Russian Hill, San Francisco, CA
23. Mission Hills, San Diego, CA
24. Uptown, Oakland, CA
25. Downtown Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
26. Andersonville, Chicago, IL
27. Old Town, San Diego, CA
28. Near North Side, Chicago, IL
29. Willow Glen, San Jose, CA
30. U Street Corridor, Washington, DC
31. Marina/Cow Hollow, San Francisco, CA
32. Pico-Robertson, Los Angeles, CA
33. Banker's Hill, San Diego, CA
34. Mapleleaf, Seattle, WA
35. Rego Park, New York, NY
36. Back Bay, Boston, MA
37. Bay View, Milwaukee, WI
38. Hillcrest, San Diego, CA
39. Pacific Beach, San Diego, CA
40. Allapattah, Miami, FL
41. Tobin Hill, San Antonio, TX
42. Oltorf/East Riverside, Austin, TX
43. Echo Park, Los Angeles, CA
44. Highland, Saint Paul, MN
45. Elmwood Village, Buffalo, NY
46. Central West End, Saint Louis, MO
47. West Lawn, Chicago, IL
48. Tarzana, Los Angeles, CA
49. Far West/Northwest Hills, Austin, TX
50. Brentwood, Los Angeles, CA
Top 10 Most Improved Business Categories in America for Economic Opportunity
1. Restaurants
2. Nightlife
3. Beauty & Spas
4. Event Planning & Services
5. Health & Medical
6. Automotive
7. Food
8. Shopping
9. Home Services
10.Active Life
Highlights
Yelp is the largest source of in-depth local business data and reviews online, with 135 million reviews and data including location and hours for millions of local businesses in 32 countries. Yelp had 102 million unique visitors
per month on average to our mobile site and app as of Q2 2017, with those users performing millions of searches and actions each day.This Outlook launch comes on the heels of a Harvard study last month finding that Yelp can help measure local economic activity on a more granular level and in more real-time than publicly available government data, and recent reports that the Economic Census will be delayed.
This report is part of an ongoing effort to surface insights from Yelp’s deep data stores to help businesses succeed and arm policymakers with the information they need to make an effective change that will boost local economies.
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