tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post3247776065454753082..comments2024-03-19T07:48:54.021-06:00Comments on Gus Van Horn: Quick Roundup 272Gus Van Hornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05126749051688217781noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-86172495053232803232007-11-19T17:54:00.000-06:002007-11-19T17:54:00.000-06:00I agree w/ Madmax. Much edification to be had.CI agree w/ Madmax. Much edification to be had.<BR/><BR/>CClayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01355381643953755204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-85807093983476982472007-11-19T17:12:00.000-06:002007-11-19T17:12:00.000-06:00Thank you Dismuke and Gus. Your comments have aide...Thank you Dismuke and Gus. Your comments have aided me significantly with this subject.madmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14375140131881725965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-66468992101188442022007-11-19T07:39:00.000-06:002007-11-19T07:39:00.000-06:00Thank you, Dismuke for a very thought-provoking ex...Thank you, Dismuke for a very thought-provoking exploration of the subject of promiscuity.<BR/><BR/>After considering all that, the behavior of the various self-proclaimed sexual "connoisseurs" makes a lot more sense: It is they who find sex (meaning: the part of it they bother to explore) boring, and their snobbish, meddlesome put-downs of those with "prudish" tastes are just a manifestation of nihilism as well as the fact that misery loves company. <BR/><BR/>Either I'm becoming more thick-skinned or such behavior is far less common than it was when I was growing up.Gus Van Hornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05126749051688217781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-76296251240935724922007-11-19T00:17:00.000-06:002007-11-19T00:17:00.000-06:00Yes to both Gus and Max. Neither the hard core rel...Yes to both Gus and Max. <BR/><BR/>Neither the hard core religionists nor the Leftists/nihilists can deny the obvious fact that sex is pleasurable. But the Left is just as anti <I>happiness</I> with regard to sex as is any puritanical religionist. <BR/><BR/>The religionists say that sex is base, dirty and animalistic and beneath the dignity of the noble human spirit. The nihilists agree completely but consider the religionists to be superstitious bumpkins for being so backward as to believe something so preposterous as the notion that there could be anything noble or dignified about the human animal. <BR/><BR/>To nihilists, human sexuality is of no more significance than what you see in a farm yard or in the monkey cages in the zoo. Animals fornicate and stimulate their little what-nots whenever and wherever the urge happens to strike them. To the degree that you are reluctant to do likewise means that you are stuffy, prudish, old fashioned and have hang-ups left over from the silly superstitious notion that our sexuality is somehow of more significance than any that of any random animal fornicating in the pasture.<BR/><BR/>The nihilists attack any <I>meaningful</I> pleasure of human sexuality by divorcing it from values which they also consider to be a self-aggrandizing superstition. They assert that sex is nothing more than a biological urge - and since that is all it is, then why not go after whatever physical thrill one has a chance to get from it, especially since doing so will cause all those old-fashioned stuffy people to squawk and become offended which is a thrill in and of itself to a nihilist. <BR/><BR/>To the nihilist, sex is nothing more than a cheap thrill. <BR/><BR/>If you think about it, promiscuous people are really no different than any other type of hedonistic thrill seekers. Observe that such people never achieve any lasting value or meaning out of the thrills they manage to experience. Once they manage to experience whatever sort of thrill they pursue, they are immediately bored with it and crave something even more intense. <BR/><BR/>After one has already slept with more than a certain number of people - well, sleeping with one more becomes old hat and the the excitement that was once felt from a new bedroom encounter is suddenly boring. The thrill seeker desperately craves to feel the same thrill that he experienced the first time - and yet the more he searches for it, the more difficult it becomes and the more desperate he is to find it. <BR/><BR/>That is why promiscuous people tend to, over time, seek out ever more exotic and ever more risky sexual encounters. That is the only way they can prevent from being bored and to satisfy their desperate pursuit of the increasingly elusive thrill which is the only thing that partially fills the vacuum of an empty life - i.e., a life without values. <BR/><BR/>The puritanical religionists claim that the pleasure derived from sex is fleeting and that one should disregard it or else risk eternal misery. The nihilists actually implement into real-world reality exactly that which the religionists warn against: To a nihilist sex is but one of an endless series of fleeting and increasingly difficult to achieve cheap thrills which punctuate and provide momentary distraction from a life lived in a psychological state which is more or less identical to that which the religionists say awaits those who end up in hell. <BR/><BR/>The hard core religionists are so worried about avoiding going to hell that they dismiss happiness on Earth as irrelevant or worse - and to the degree they do, their lives on Earth end up being hell. And the hardcore Leftists regard the religionist's talk of heaven and hell as primitive nonsense from bumpkins because they are unable conceive of and resent the very notion of any alternative to the psychological hell which is the existence of any nihilist. The notion of heaven to them is simply bizarre - at best, all the nihilist can hope for is some sort of brutal utopia where everyone else's misery will magically make him feel at peace with his empty and meaningless life. <BR/><BR/>The religionists are actually closer to the truth in that there <I>is</I> both a heaven and a hell. There actually <I>is</I> something in reality that those terms refer to. Only the religionists are completely wrong about their allegedly mystical, otherworldly nature. Heaven and hell <I>do</I> exist - they are right here on earth in the here and now. The only question is which one we choose to live our lives in (assuming that criminals and governments and, to a lesser degree, unfortunate circumstances, have not already confined one to hell).<BR/><BR/>For nihilists, "pleasure" is but a brief diversion from the hell that is their lives. It is ok for the them to experience it - but they don't want <I>you</I> to experience it because they can't stand the contrast with and constant reminder of their misery.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-80463206116791408792007-11-18T20:46:00.000-06:002007-11-18T20:46:00.000-06:00And thanks for the question! It was useful to me t...And thanks for the question! It was useful to me to think that one over a bit. I didn't quite see it right off the bat.Gus Van Hornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05126749051688217781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-31525182431409511232007-11-18T20:26:00.000-06:002007-11-18T20:26:00.000-06:00"The left, by promoting promiscuity, gets to attac..."The left, by promoting promiscuity, gets to attack spiritual values through religion AND sever those values from the physical by adopting the opposite side of the false mind-body dichotomy as religion."<BR/><BR/>Oh I see. Its another classic false alternative. The religionists say that sex can only have value if it is blessed by God and if it is only for procreative purposes, etc, etc.. But the Left rejects this and says no their is no spiritual, meaningful element to sex. It is just blind animalistic instinct as determined by our body chemistry. So we have the Religious moral absolutists whose morality is based in another world (which doesn't exist) and we have the materialist Leftists who reject absolutes altogether and deny the act of sex and rationally spiritual meaning. What a choice. Thanks for helping me better understand that Gus.madmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14375140131881725965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-79855132070426975262007-11-18T19:27:00.000-06:002007-11-18T19:27:00.000-06:00The general thrust of leftism is nihilism, and it ...The general thrust of leftism is nihilism, and it might help to note that food and smoking are simpler, perceptual-level pleasures whereas sex, while it certainly has perceptual-level components, is much subtler. (Jackie Treehorn, the pornographer in <I>The Big Lebowski</I> sums this up well when he <A HREF="http://bednark.com/big.lebowski.script.html" REL="nofollow">says</A> "the brain is the biggest erogenous zone". (Heh! I've always wanted to use that movie to make a point!) But actually, Ayn Rand <A HREF="http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/sex.html" REL="nofollow">makes this point</A> far better.)<BR/><BR/>The left, by promoting promiscuity, gets to attack spiritual values through religion AND sever those values from the physical by adopting the opposite side of the false mind-body dichotomy as religion.<BR/><BR/>So before you wonder why the left is promoting pleasure when it promotes promiscuity, ask yourself whether promiscuity is really all it's cracked up to be.<BR/><BR/>In at least that sense, your question is actually straightforward. The left is attacking all pleasure.Gus Van Hornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05126749051688217781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-26772992457022242192007-11-18T15:58:00.000-06:002007-11-18T15:58:00.000-06:00"Apart from the fact that sugar and foods which ar..."Apart from the fact that sugar and foods which are pleasurable are bad for you, any form of pleasure itself is profoundly inappropriate."<BR/><BR/>Dismuke, in a rational world you would be one of the highest paid sitcom and comedy writers in the industry. You have the making to be an Objectivist Seinfeld. But I have a question about the Left. How is it that they are simultaneously against pleasure in the form of food and cigarettes and yet for sexual promiscuity? Is this some twisted yet consistent application of their nihilism? I never understood the seeming contradiction.madmaxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14375140131881725965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-63917859857787020412007-11-18T12:16:00.000-06:002007-11-18T12:16:00.000-06:00lol brilliant.Also taught me that apparently "burn...lol brilliant.<BR/><BR/>Also taught me that apparently "burnt" is a proper configuration of "burned" or the other way around.<BR/><BR/>I keep seeing "t" replacing "ed" lately in lots of words that end in "ed." <BR/><BR/>I don't know quite what to make of this, but it never scans right and usually(present case clearly exempted) suggests all sorts of awful things about the person who wrote it.Clayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01355381643953755204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-54421861310645810972007-11-18T08:39:00.000-06:002007-11-18T08:39:00.000-06:00Hilarious and not far from the truth!Hilarious and not far from the truth!Gus Van Hornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05126749051688217781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-45029037849000148462007-11-17T15:06:00.000-06:002007-11-17T15:06:00.000-06:00"I remember once hearing the owner chatting with a...<I>"I remember once hearing the owner chatting with a bulk coffee customer who was trying to organize a petition or suchlike against Starbucks (this being a college town flooded with a rich pink light even at noon and Starbucks a real thorn in the side of certain lefty-group group-think groupies),</I><BR/><BR/>And those lefty-group group-think groupies <I>should</I> be upset. This is a perfect example of why Starbucks had better get its act together and institute quality control over who it allows to enter its doors. All too many people who are otherwise indistinguishable from those who are willing to buy coffee from truck stops and gas stations are being allowed to patronize Starbucks.<BR/><BR/>As an example of how Starbucks is flirting with disaster - a new Starbucks recently opened just west of Fort Worth in the same shopping center where a <I>Wal-mart</I> is located! What if some of the Wal-mart shoppers get uppity and go into the Starbucks?<BR/><BR/>Of course, Starbucks is counting on the fact that no self-delusional member of the "beautiful people" crowd would <I>ever</I> be caught riding around in that part of town to begin with. But what happens when those Wal-mart shoppers, as a result, go into a Starbucks in a more desirable and progressive part of town?<BR/><BR/>The ONLY thing Wal-mart shoppers are good for is when some of them can somehow be painted as being victims of something. So it is ok to be around them at a political rally for a good Leftist cause. But other than that, who would <I>want</I> to have to be in close proximity to such bumpkins - <I>especially</I> when one is ingesting burnt coffee?<BR/><BR/>Starbucks is in danger of alienating the very people that made the successful and wealthy in the first place - because those people don't want <I>anyone</I> to become wealthy and successful, unless, of course, they are in the virtuous professions of media and entertainment or academia or if one's parents were members of the "beautiful people" crowd. It is ok for them to become successful and wealthy because they are motivated by the spirit of <I>nobless oblige</I> and most wouldn't know how to turn a profit if their lives depended on it. Since Starbucks is highly profitable and successful - well, that means that they are suspect. And going after the Wal-mart/truck stop/gas station/trailer park market is proof that they are greedy and want to make money.<BR/><BR/>Clearly Starbucks needs to make some significant changes in order to remain virtuous in the eyes of those who made them successful in the first place. Here are some positive and truly progressive steps they can take:<BR/><BR/>1 - Double all of their prices. Obviously the Wal-mart crowd and people in places like Waco have way too much disposable income if they are able to afford Starbuck's current prices. So, until we get a Democrat in the White House and enough Democrats in Congress to raise taxes high enough to solve that problem, Starbuck's raising its prices should help to accomplish the same objective in the short term.<BR/><BR/>2) Serve only <I>black</I> coffee. Milk and half-and-half are very bad things. They come from cows - which, as we all know, contribute to global warming via their flatulence. And, even if cows weren't evil, the milk comes from <I>female</I> cows and is an example of sexual exploitation. You don't see perverted farm hands out there massaging and fondling the breasts of the male cows, do you? And soy milk requires processing which requires the use of energy which contributes to global warming. <BR/><BR/>2 - Eliminate all sweets from their coffee and all of the cakes and pastries they sell. Apart from the fact that sugar and foods which are pleasurable are bad for you, any form of pleasure itself is profoundly inappropriate. What right do we have for pleasure when people are homeless and starving and don't have health care and when Arab Freedom Fighters in Iraq are being murdered by American troops and Haliburton? Is it appropriate to enjoy chocolate in coffee and in cakes and chocolate bars when the Chocolate City is still in ruins after George Bush refused to stop the Hurricane from flooding it the way he stopped Hurricane Rita from hitting Houston where his Daddy and his oil buddies live? I'll be there are more Starbucks in Houston than in New Orleans. Do you really think that this is a coincidence? And is it appropriate to enjoy chocolate when so many chocolate people have yet to return to the Chocolate City thereby potentially endangering the continued viability of that city's virtuous political establishment? <BR/><BR/>3 - Burn the coffee in one large batch at the beginning of the day and let it sit around unheated. This will save energy and wasted coffee. If customers want their coffee hot, they either have to get there early or plop down a carbon credit to have it heated back up. If they want it hot and fresh, they either need to get there early or plop down 10 carbon credits to have a fresh batch brewed and burned especially for them. <BR/><BR/>4 - Sell pathetic looking jewelry, knick knacks and other trinkets made out of rocks and bamboo by illiterate peasants in third world villages which cost about 5 cents to make factoring in both materials and labor - and sell them for $39.95 attached to a card made from recycled paper telling customers that, by displaying them, they are communicating to all of the other "beautiful people" they encounter that they <I>care</I> about the peoples of the third world and that they, too, are motivated by the spirit of <I>nobless oblige.</I> Send one penny on the dollar of the profits from the sale of such trinkets to some Leftist run third world charity.<BR/><BR/>5 - Lose money right and left and when forced to close stores, keep all of the employees impacted on the payroll even though they are no longer needed. That is the way for an organization to prove that it is virtuous and worthy of praise from the "beautiful people."<BR/><BR/>Starbucks had better get its act together and take my advice. This nonsense of trying to make money and expand its customer base to include people in places like Waco and people who shop at Wal-mart and who vote for the Evil Republicans - well, if this trend continues, it is only a matter of time before Starbucks starts installing gas pumps in the parking lots of its stand-alone locations and opens up new stores inside truck stops and travel centers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-81365556919851731472007-11-17T14:53:00.000-06:002007-11-17T14:53:00.000-06:00I'll stop by should I find myself in your neck of ...I'll stop by should I find myself in your neck of the woods, which would most likely be in the wake of a scientific conference in Europe.Gus Van Hornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05126749051688217781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-7187622566353733522007-11-17T07:09:00.000-06:002007-11-17T07:09:00.000-06:00Gus,You are welcome to test our coffee at Blue Chi...Gus,<BR/><BR/>You are welcome to test our coffee at Blue Chip Café & Business Center. Our Americano (double espresso with water) is pretty popular. Please read my post, <A HREF="http://www.bluechipcafe.se/blogg/?p=11" REL="nofollow">Specialty Coffee</A>, for more on this topic.<BR/><BR/>Cheerio!<BR/><BR/>All the Best,<BR/><BR/>Martin<BR/>Gothenburg, Sweden.Martin Lindeskoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01834503189937600260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-54352167458994828612007-11-16T15:56:00.000-06:002007-11-16T15:56:00.000-06:00I often special order cafe au lait.I often special order cafe au lait.Gus Van Hornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05126749051688217781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-73618000917859945002007-11-16T14:10:00.000-06:002007-11-16T14:10:00.000-06:00Adrian makes a good point, and it's important to n...Adrian makes a good point, and it's important to note that the gourmet owner was probably smart enough to realize that without Starbuck's he wouldn't be in business.<BR/><BR/>Starbuck's has definitely made a market for paying high prices for coffee everyday. This has made it possible for small businesses to be very successful doing the same thing.<BR/><BR/>As long as we're all having this conversation:<BR/><BR/>My favorite regular drink is a double shot of espresso.<BR/><BR/>My favorite "specialty" drink is 6 shots of espresso on ice.Clayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01355381643953755204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-20180805591698419632007-11-16T13:49:00.000-06:002007-11-16T13:49:00.000-06:00Heh. Even if the gourmet shop Adrian mentioned did...Heh. Even if the gourmet shop Adrian mentioned didn't serve better coffee, they could get customers simply by serving them faster. <BR/><BR/>Before I got a coffee maker for my office, I used a Starbucks in my building. Make that *tried to* use it on some days. The lines were sometimes so long that I figured the time I could save by being tired was worth being tired....Gus Van Hornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05126749051688217781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-27634500042884246642007-11-16T12:54:00.000-06:002007-11-16T12:54:00.000-06:00The very best coffee is sold in ice cream shops - ...The very best coffee is sold in ice cream shops - it is called "coffee ice cream" and in my book that is the standard of what good coffee should taste like.<BR/><BR/>The fact that Starbucks puts a "sundae" into its burnt coffee is, to me, a wonderful plus. And with all that cream and sweetness, it tastes pretty good to me. <BR/><BR/>As for just having a regular cup of coffee without the sundae - well, I have a hard time doing the Starbucks stuff because it is so burnt. I would rather have the cheap-o coffee sold in truck stops and gas stations and other such places that only unwashed bumpkins from flyover country patronize and where any self-respecting Leftist Elitist "beautiful person" would not be caught dead being seen in. <BR/><BR/>The only problem with gas stations and truck stops is that the lower end ones do not have half and half for me to use in my attempt to make the coffee taste like coffee ice cream. They have that horrible non-dairy powder stuff. Yuck. But if you go to one of the "high class" truck stops or gas stations, usually called "Travel Centers," you can usually find plenty of half and half - and sometimes the coffee dispensers even tell you what country the coffee came from. And such places truly ARE high class because the coffee is NOT that idiotic anti-capitalistic "fair trade" stuff and such places are still beneath the dignity of any self-delusional "beautiful person" to admit ever going into. <BR/><BR/>As for good coffee - I am not much of a judge as I am primarily a tea drinker and do coffee only when I need a quick infusion of extra caffeine. But I seem to recall Dunkin' Donuts as always having VERY good coffee - though that may or may not be the case anymore as there haven't been any Dunkin' Donuts in the Fort Worth area in a number of years. But at one time, they had really good coffee.<BR/><BR/>As for the Starbucks delays - I do enjoy the Starbucks along the Interstates when I am on a long drive - their "sundaes" make for an enjoyable way for me to get a quick caffeine fix. But I have learned to avoid them on a holiday weekend. The limitations that Clay mentioned in terms of how many customers they can serve at once are VERY real. I stopped at one along the Interstate in Waco, Texas (a city where the ONLY place in town a member of the "beautiful people" class would EVER admit to being seen in is the Starbucks - unless you are a virtuous and wise mainstream media journalist being forced to cover Evil Bush when he is nearby Crawford - a place he deliberately picked out in order to force journalists to spend time in Waco). The place was packed with about three dozen people and a huge line all the way to the door. I'll be the wait must have been a half hour. I left immediately and went to a gas station. I am sure any "beautiful people" that stopped in left as well. That crowd looked like it contained a bunch of pickup truck drivers and people who occasionally shop at Wal-mart and perhaps even vote Republican. Starbucks really needs to start putting in some quality control over who is allowed to enter - especially if they are going to locate in places such as Waco. The nerve of some people - treating a Starbucks like it was a Dairy Queen.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-5436798666482720212007-11-16T12:51:00.000-06:002007-11-16T12:51:00.000-06:00Clay - thank you so much for the Malcolm Gladwell ...Clay - thank you so much for the Malcolm Gladwell video on "What We Can Learn from Spaghetti Sauce." I just finished watching. The man is a very entertaining story teller and I appreciate the conclusion. We need charismatic thinkers and story tellers for Objectivism - Gladwell's riff on spaghetti sauce certainly dovetails with capitalism. I have seen a few of the TED lectures - I will have to watch more. <BR/><BR/>Interesting comments on coffee - I will have to sample Turkish coffee. Canadian coffee should not be dismissed - it goes by the name of Timmy or Tim Hortons. Starbucks is popular, but Tim Hortons is an obsession here. The service and ambiance are only adequate or less, but the coffee is generally excellent - at least to me. I am not sure how many American outlets there are, but Ann Arbour is one.johnnycwesthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10746767404567772212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-25675060094081892622007-11-16T11:56:00.000-06:002007-11-16T11:56:00.000-06:00Yo, Gus, you write: "As far as I'm concerned, Sta...Yo, Gus, you write: "As far as I'm concerned, Starbuck's is about as good as something you'd get from a Texaco late in the day." Ah yes, good ol' cowboy coffee. "Ah prefer mah coffee with all the <I>vahl</I>atuhls driven off...lahk <I>water.</I>"<BR/><BR/>Clay: "Starbuck's overroasts their beans for branding purposes. The bad thing about this is that it mis-educates people about what good coffee and good espresso should taste like." Just an anecdote this rmeinds me of. There was a coffee shop I used to go to study at that also offered a variety of gourmet coffees by the bag. I remember once hearing the owner chatting with a bulk coffee customer who was trying to organize a petition or suchlike against Starbucks (this being a college town flooded with a rich pink light even at noon and Starbucks a real thorn in the side of certain lefty-group group-think groupies), and the owner refused to help (by providing counter space for the petition or whatever). The fellow asked why he was so willing to be plowed under by a large foreign corporation and the owner replied that they filled different niches--Starbucks got people interested in coffee culture in the first place, and when their customers had gotten a taste of the real stuff they became <I>his</I> customers.Adrian Hesterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13394227341130065130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-56193875320106119312007-11-16T08:28:00.000-06:002007-11-16T08:28:00.000-06:00That's a good idea. I do know of at least two Turk...That's a good idea. I do know of at least two Turkish restaurants here, and the area has a decent-sized population from Asia, so the odds are good that if I looked for one, I'd find one.Gus Van Hornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05126749051688217781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-13411272095946396412007-11-16T08:12:00.000-06:002007-11-16T08:12:00.000-06:00If you are fortunate enough to have a good Turkish...If you are fortunate enough to have a good Turkish place in your area you might be able to find someone to initiate you there.<BR/><BR/>I actually was fortunate to meet a guy who just came back from military service and he bought several that he said were good as he had acquired the habit while overseas. I believe he was in Afghanistan. At any rate, he had the goods and knew how to use them.<BR/><BR/>Overall a very good initiation.Clayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01355381643953755204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-62211669354531805872007-11-16T08:05:00.000-06:002007-11-16T08:05:00.000-06:00I also smoke -- usually cigars -- only on rare occ...I also smoke -- usually cigars -- only on rare occasions, but I once read about smoking from hookahs (or "hubbly bubbly" as I believe ethnic Brits call it) and was intrigued enough to consider renting a hookah (or hiring one? chortle!).Gus Van Hornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05126749051688217781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-6068913751576524212007-11-16T07:58:00.000-06:002007-11-16T07:58:00.000-06:00well in that case... ...I love that stuff!There's ...well in that case... ...I love that stuff!<BR/><BR/>There's a Turkish coffeehouse around a half an hour from here and in addition to lots of good stuff to eat he has hookah's as well. While I do not ordinarily smoke, I admit that the hookah makes it pleasurable. :)<BR/><BR/>CClayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01355381643953755204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-47563877521040534282007-11-16T07:56:00.000-06:002007-11-16T07:56:00.000-06:00(Ducking) If I remember correctly, the Greek and T...(Ducking) If I remember correctly, the Greek and Turkish varieties are either identical or very similar.Gus Van Hornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05126749051688217781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8839412.post-86505918483942885062007-11-16T07:52:00.000-06:002007-11-16T07:52:00.000-06:00Thanks also for the pointer that they didn't take ...Thanks also for the pointer that they didn't take groups. That is an important issue and it's good to see that they thought of it.Clayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01355381643953755204noreply@blogger.com