The beautiful "beast" shown to the right is an image of one of my very favorite pipes. In my mind, the shape and color are of a caliber that make the pipe a true work of art. It is sad to think about how uncommon my hobby of the pipe has become.

While I understand how the health issues that can surround tobacco use are a a major reason for the rapid decline in smoking in the last 20 years, I think that the issue is a bit off the mark. Yes, tobacco use can be damaging to one's health, but so can many other things. A person must evaluate the cost/benefit of the behavior and make decisions based upon these ideas. It is rare when ANYTHING is wholly bad or wholly good in life. Nearly everything is a shade of grey.

For me personally, I think the villification of tobacco usage is a result of OVERINDULGENCE that is possible and encouraged by the use of cigarettes. I am personally not fond of cigarettes for a variety of reasons, and therefore do not indulge in them. Later I shall talk more about why I think that the rise in use of cigarettes is directly attributable to the current decline in use of what I like to refer to as the more "gentlemanly" forms of tobacco.... cigars and especially pipes.