“Total Recall,” the official memoir of action hero and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, hits stores this week, and reveals a few secrets about the mega-successful star, like how he’s willing to break the law for a good cigar.

When a reporter noticed that the then-governor was smoking a Cohiba cigar, he asked, “That’s a Cuban cigar. You’re the governor. How can you flout the law?” Schwarzenegger’s answer? “I smoke it because it’s a great cigar.” That’s the spirit!

The 646-page memoir is now available at booksellers for $35.


Iraq Vets Open Cigar Shop in Huntsville

Our forces that served in Iraq had a lot to think about as the tried to relax after a long day, and what two soldiers thought about was opening their own cigar shop when they got back home.

This weekend, that’s just what vets Jacob Ives and Kirk Chalmers will be doing, as their Patriot Cigars has its grand opening in Huntsville, AL. The shop will stock a large selection of cigars and accessories, and also has a smoking lounge where customers can enjoy smokes and camaraderie with fellow cigar lovers.

Patriot Cigars is located at U.S. 431 and Old Big Cove Road in Huntsville.


Tesoro Mio is Eco-Friendly Cigar

Let’s face it—cigar lovers choose their smokes for taste, not how they help the planet. Still, isn’t it nice to know there is an eco-friendly cigar out there?

The new Tesoro Mio from Costa Rica is made with organically grown tobacco that has not been exposed to pesticides. The tobacco is aged for four to five years, giving the cigar a medium-bodied taste.

Oliva has been introducing the Tesoro Mio with cigar events around the country, including one last weekend at Cigar Republic in Pinellas Beach, FL.


NC Cigar Shop Owner Weighs in on Regulation

One good thing about presidential election season is that we’re no likely to see any new regulations on tobacco coming from the FDA until it’s over. That doesn’t mean that the vendors of premium cigars aren’t nervous about the possibility of being forced to make major changes in the way they do business, like having to shut down their humidors and sell premium cigars from behind a counter.

One such seller is Craig Cass, who owns the Tinder Box in South Charlotte, NC. Cass expressed his concerns to Fox News, saying, “This product involves all five senses. You wanna touch it. You wanna feel it. You wanna look at the coloration of the wrapper, you wanna smell it and if the products had to be sold away from the counter it would be devastating to our industry.”

Two bills countering the FDA’s ability to regulate premium cigars are working their way slowly through the House, but no action can be expected until the politicos return from their current recess.