On Mon, 24 Jul 2006 20:22:32 -0500, "Barry N. Turner"
wrote:

When I was in college, I started smoking a pipe. First, it was a cheap one
that came with two packs of Middleton's Cherry Blend. Then, I moved up a
notch or two. Soon, I was smoking a $90.00 Preben Holm Danish free-style
and a few Ben Wades and a custom blend of tobacco.

I too, ran the cigar gambit. First King Edwards, then Roi-tans, then White
Owls. Then, I wandered into a small tobacco shop at lunch time and wondered
who in Hell would pay $2.55 for a damned cigar? (A nice Macanudo, at that.)
I bought it and never looked back. Absolutely no comparison! No more King
Edwards, Roi-tans or White Owls for me. Maybe an occasional Dutch Masters
in a real pinch. I never smoked very many cigars, but a good Macanudo or
Partagas is mighty hard to beat. You get what you pay for, be it lathes,
sandpaper or cigars!

Or beer, for that matter. I didn't get a taste for it until I was
about 24, and I was hanging out with a real snooty crowd- so now I
have a hard time drinking anything that comes in a big
brightly-colored 30 pack. I get a lot of squintly looks from the guys
after work when they're drinking a case of Busch Lite each, and I've
got a six pack of Summit or Goose Island.

But it's like you say- you get what you pay for. When I have a beer,
I like it to be beer- and not some kind of lightly-flavored water.