That's me. At least the way I looked before eight years of living the dissolute life of the internationally famous marred my features. You won't get to see what I really look like until you meet me, when I can make my apologies in person. The woman next to me is a model I paid to make me look good. No, she's Vivian, my wife. Vivian was born in Heidelberg and completed her Ph.D. in History at UC Berkeley. She works as a Senior Tech Writer for the telecommunications industry. She's also a great creative writer, with a splendid romance novel in progress. I was born in Oakland and completed my Ph.D. in English at University of South Florida. I'm a retired U prof and a bit of a writer. I've had two children's adventure novels published (now out of print), and a new one just finished. (If you want, click here to read the first four chapters of the new novel.) My love affair with pipes began about five years ago when Vivian bought me a $70 Stanwell, a surprisingly good pipe. I then heard that you should have at least fourteen pipes so that you can let each one rest a couple of weeks, and I willy-nilly bought thirteen more pipes on eBay. About four turned out to be okay. I had been smoking an aromatic tobacco, but my tobacconist said I should really try an English blend. He gave me Dunhill My Mixture 965. I fell in love with it. One morning, I was looking at the new pipe arrivals on eBay and saw a Group 4, 1963 Dunhill Tanshell appear for $100 Buy It Now. I bought it. I couldn't believe the taste. I'd been missing out on 60% of the flavor! About that time, an old $3 stock I'd bought before my marriage shot up to $17. I sold, and Vivian insisted that I use the dough to upgrade my pipe collection. I have a modest collection compared to many of you, about forty pipes -- mainly Ferndown, Ruthenberg, Tinsky, Ardor, Dunhill, Peterson, and Stanwell. Along the way, I made many internet friends among collectors, smokers, and sellers, and the idea came to me that I would like email pipe pals that I could occasionally meet with for a smoke. The idea for this club was born, and Vivian was solidly behind it. So come on and join! I'd very much like to meet you. I cannot over emphasize that I am a beginner. My collection is small, and my knowledge of tobacco negligible compared to many of you who have tins stored in your cellar from the ice age. Among my favorite blends are D 965, SG FVF, and McC 2015. But even though I am a beginner, I am friendly and sociable, and like organizing things. I don't plan to be the expert of the club, only the facilitator. For some of you who have been smoking for over thirty years, I hope to attract enough pipe pals like you to make the club worthwhile for you. So whatever your level, please join!