From: ??????????????????@cbema.att.com
Subject: Reviving Old Tobacco

Martin Lodahl writes:
>
>The Skilling bag contained just enough to recharge my pouch, and the
>Philosopher bag rather more.  So, I moistened a humidifier button with
>Cognac, and dropped it in the pouch with the Skilling.  I'd never
>previously tried anything but water as a humidifier, but I was amazed
>by the results -- that ancient tobacco is actually very good, now!
>
>Have I stumbled on something that pipe smokers have known for years?

Well, I've heard of people using chunks cut from apples as humidifier
buttons;  I was told that neither this nor potatos was a good idea, 
though; they tend to mold quickly, and take your tobacco with them,
I guess.

But cognac ?   I can understand flavoring tobacco with an aromatic
alcohol, but does it have to be *French* ?  8-)



Degrees, cohabs, and four pipe books.

Our beloved benefactor, Steve Masticola, writes:

Congrat's on the degree, Steve !  On now for the Phud, or are you
terminal ?

>More importantly here, I'm very relieved about one thing. I'm about to lose
>a roommate whose first reaction when I lit my pipe was to whine, "Are you
>*smoking*?" Thereafter, he sprayed the hall with ozone-depleting chemicals
>each time I lit up, regardless of how careful I was that my smoke did not
>impinge upon his twitching nostrils. I shan't mourn his passing, for this
>and other reasons. (Fellow hedonists, have you any advice on how to deal
>with similar ninnies in the future? I'm [ugh] sure I'll need it.)

I've had several bizarre roommates in this regard.  For example, when I was
living in the dorms, I requested a "smoking" room (the OSU Residence and
Dining halls tried to accommodate smoking/non-smoking preferences), but
ended up with one roommate who didn't smoke and, in fact, really disliked 
the smell of smoke  (and I only smoked nicely aromatic stuff, too).  I
gather that some people just can't stand tobacco aroma, regardless of
flavoring.  We compromised;  I kept smoking, and he put up with it. 8-)
I never felt guilty, either;  in exchange, I didn't complain about
*his* smoking (of a certain, er, "hard-to-find" tobacco substitute).  I
did once comment to him that his grass would probably smoke smoother if
he kept it in a humidor... 8-)


After that, I moved in with roommates who I'd checked before and liked the
smell of my pipe.  We actually had a quasi-smoking policy;  my pipe was
OK, but no cigarettes allowed.


Finally, I moved in with a friend I'd known for years.   A week after
moving in, he made the comment that he like me more than he disliked my
pipe, but would I please not smoke in the living room ?  Grrr...  I
did avoid it, to an extent, but if I had a lit pipe and needed to go there,
I didn't worry about it.

Some people are funny that way.  One friend told me after several years
that my smoking gave him headaches;  if he'd told me in the first place, 
I'd have gladly not smoked around him.  When it used to be possible to
walk through a store with a lit pipe, three times as many people used to
compliment me on the smell of my pipe as would complain about it;  of
course, that doesn't count the people who stand upwind from you at a 
bus stop and make those silly little coughing noises 8-)


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Bill Thacker			att!cbema!wbt	     ??????????????????


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Subject: Present for Oneself