From: ????????????????????????
Subject: MAIL

Steve, many thanks for the D/L. When you say "mail" I assume you mean
via internet not USSnail. Yes, I'd like the past issues assuming 
it is somewhat shorter than the Internet mail list :)

As to my bio: 63 years old, started on cigarettes at age 14, 
quit cold-turkey in 1969 at age 38, ended up in the hospital
with ulcerative colitis in 1970, placed on Prednisone, gained
from 190 normal weight to 260, got into amateur rodeo for
exercise, picked up tobac chew habit wife said love life
would end thereby, started chewing cigars, then lit them,
this about 1972, was able to get off drug - didn't relate
it to tobac use at the time - started running 2 12min miles
2x a week, lost desire to smoke, started to bleed again,
by this time wife talked me into a pipe - loved it - got
back to both pipe & cigar, bleeding quit. Curious, started
experimenting and inquiring with friendly doc. Found info
in NE Journal of Medicine, original study in Sweden:

"20% of longterm smokers who quit develop 
ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis,"

and named some other"psychosomatic" illnesses.
Amazing. I do not inhale either pipe or cigar, so
sufficient nicotine enters via saliva. Great. Because
I really enjoy both: smoke 3 to 4 cigars a day and
several pipes. My major smokes are bundle cigars from
local or J.R., spending from $13 for Macatans, a heavy
full bodied Mexican Rothchild size, or some of J.R.'s
seconds, or Whitehalls - not too bad a cigar - and
also keep on hand Punch Rothchilds, Cuba Aliados,
Don Diego Grande, H.Uppman Corsarios and Columbos,
Macanudo Hyde Park, Montecruz 201. My favorites are
Aliados & the H.Uppmans.

Pipe tobac is mainly 5100, also their light English,
Never recall the number, 2020 or 2025 - anyhow, I get
that locally at retail. I own 10 pre 1987 Dunhills,
Several Preben Holmes, a few Charatans, a Costello,
a Caminetto a Ferndown, a pretransition Barling, 
several Petersons post Free-State, a Stanwell, 
and quite a few seconds of major brands marked 
as shop pipes with the retailer's name.

My favorites are a matched pair of 1987 Dunhills,
marked with the silver band for the Dunhill 
Centennial, 2 Dunhill Bent Cumberlands. 
But the best smoke I have is an ancient 
Thornycroft I bought used in 1972 for $7.00. 
It is always outstanding. 

I'm NOT a serious collector, I just enjoy a good
pipe. Having spent 5 years in the USMC 1948/53,
I couldn't resist a Meerschaum by Bechler, a JAO
distributed pipe, with a carving of the USMC
emblem on the forward face. That one I have
never smoked. I have one other Meerschaum from
JAO I do smoke on occasion - don't think much
of it. I do trade pipes at times. Fortunately,
we have two very good retailers who deal in
good used pipes: The Arcade Smoke Shop in
downtown Nashville, TN; and the Three-Ten
Pipe Shop in Murfreesboro, TN. The latter
deals ONLY in Dunhills as used pipes, also
carries a full line of other brands, and
new Dunhills - they ain't the same as the
oldies, believe me, just the same high price.

My wife is an ex-cigarette smoker - thank God -
and very tolerant of my habit. I bought a huge
room air filter that takes care of the cigar
smoke in the front room, though I do most
of my cigars while upstairs in my office while
on the computer.

My hobbies are fly fishing and computer cryptography
programs - just got PGP and am fascinated with the
possibilities. I have been a free-lance court reporter
since 1962; previously a District Sales Manager for
Hunt Foods, and before that a Los Angeles cop, and
before that a BARman in the USMC, Korea, etc.
Born in San Francisco, married an Arkansas gal,
settled in the South and think Nashville is great
even though I do not like Country Music.

Best Regards,

Ray

[ Welcome, Ray! And keep that PGP handy -- if ciphers are outlawed,
only outlaws will have privacy. :-) -S. ]


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