Recent content by bigvan

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  1. bigvan

    My Wife And I Were In Wal-Mart

    Sorry Frank. I thought I was being witty.
  2. bigvan

    My Wife And I Were In Wal-Mart

    It’s Wal-Mart, a place known for its informality. I’d expect nothing less. But I’m struck with the irony of your post, Frank. You’re criticizing a clerk’s informal greeting with incomplete and mispunctuated sentences, a misspelling, tense changes, and a wrong determiner. So let’s keep things...
  3. bigvan

    Need help identifying the maker

    S&R? Steve and Roswitha Anderson from Pipes and Pleasures?
  4. bigvan

    Best American Pipe Brands & Manufacturers?

    I'm not a big fan of either current era Dr. Grabow or of Missouri Meerschaum. I've given my reasons in the past, but suffice to say they seem shoddily made. As always, opinions vary. To me, the best example of American factory made pipes is Briar Works. For hand-made pipes, my current top 5...
  5. bigvan

    For All Dunhill Pipe Owners And Smokers

    I don't have any experience with Cayuga pipes, either, but anyone who thinks they remotely resemble any model of Dunhill is smoking something other than tobacco. They may be fine pipes, but they bear absolutely no resemblance, in my opinion.
  6. bigvan

    How to Make Pipe Smoking More Socially Acceptable

    I was asked to cite sources, so here's just one: http://dogtime.com/dog-health/general/1220-american-pit-bull-terrier-temperament-dog-bites Yes, all dogs can bite, and some bites are worse than others. But to claim that pit bulls are bred for aggression is just not true. First of all, there...
  7. bigvan

    How to Make Pipe Smoking More Socially Acceptable

    Looking at your blog, Pappymac, I see your entry about walking a dog, but not a pit bull or German shepherd. As one who works with dog rescue groups, I am compelled to state that pit bulls are no more likely to be aggressive than any other breed. It's irresponsible for you to label them...
  8. bigvan

    American Flag Poker

    Mayfair, what part of the US Constitution addresses the flag? I'm familiar with the US Flag Code, and that specifically states (among other things) how flag pins are to be worn. And the flag "not depicted as art" is a little hard to believe. I was one part of a military color guard and...
  9. bigvan

    My Wife And I Went To A Wake.

    So your wife asked you to spare her some (perhaps minor) embarrassment, and you said 'no'. That's not the choice I would have made.
  10. bigvan

    .10 Cent Coffee And The Greasy Spoon

    What's the name of the place, Frank? I'd love to do a search on it and find out more about it.
  11. bigvan

    Nosewarmers, hate?

    I'm glad we avoided the claim that a longer shank "cools" the smoke (or that a shorter shank doesn't).
  12. bigvan

    Finished Project (Gun)

    "My dad always told me to treat a gun like a fine lady." Really? That's a nice looking Kimber, Cabin. I think their carry pieces have some of the most inventive features I've seen; the "melted" edited and hammer, polymer coating, and a groove instead of front and rear sights. I also love the...
  13. bigvan

    listing of other high quality pipe manufacturers ?

    I'd say a more apt analogy would be that Peterson and Savinelli are like Miller and Anheuser Busch. Each has many different product lines from their premium products down to their bargain brands, all with varying degrees of price and quality. This is just my opinion, but beware of pipes that...
  14. bigvan

    I Mean No Disrespect To Shrinks!

    I'd say this is nothing but disrespectful to psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists (three very different disciplines, by the way) but when you say "I'm crazy and I have the papers to prove it", I figured that this didn't actually happen. It's a joke, right?
  15. bigvan

    Best decent mid range Church Warden opinion?

    I, too, don't believe that a churchwarden produces a "cooler smoke". It seems like many of those who make this claim are, in fact, merely looking for a prop to go with their hobbit (or in this case wizard) motif. And that's fine. Have fun with it. But if you're more interested in taking up the...