Where is the front of the bowl?

[wdteipen]

You truly have a dizzying intellect.

Do try to keep up.

[Tyler]

And by this logic, the steering wheel is.... the front of the car, hmm?

Us big-time philosophy graduates call this "Reductio ad Absurdum". It's a sort of argument judo-trick where we accept the premises provided, and show that they lead to a contradiction, therefore at least one premise is untrue.

Do you really have a philosophy degree? Cuz iffn's you do, you'll know you proved nothing with your slight of brainery. To use an analogy that is apt, what is the front of your steering wheel? The part facing you, or the part facing toward the dash?

Paramedic: What happened to you sir?
Sasquat after a traffic accident: I hit my face on the back of the steering wheel.
Paramedic: How the...?!?

[wdteipen]

that is some fancy chart makin'....

anything that looks that good must be right....

Once we switch 11 and 2 the chart will be perfect

As in most things that you stand facing to address, the part that you face is considered the front. The same is true for pipes no matter what the majority in this thread say. Sorry.

Consider a formal example:

A drill sergeant stands in front of a formation of soldiers to give them orders. The soldiers face the drill sergeant awaiting commands. The part of the formation closest to the drill sergeant is the front as opposed to the back of the formation.

What about cars????

Since we don't sit in a pipe to use it the analogy doesn't work. Now if you consider working under the hood (you're standing in a manner addressing the vehicle) then you would consider the part of the car closest to you the front, right?

[Alden]

I always assumed the front of the pipe was the front of the pipe.
If there was a lady bending over in front of me, the fact that her Back side is facing me doesn't change the idea that her Front side is facing the opposite direction.
I suppose Wayne and Tyler are sort of arguing for a "Stage Left" and "Stage Right". Thats the Theatre term to point out the actors left versus the audiences left.
If it makes sense to Shakespeare and Tyler Lane, I suppose I could get used to it, but is it really necessary?

[Sasquatch]

Paul Daniels: Where is the ball?

Audience member: On top of the cup.

Paul Daniels: No. It's on top of the bottom of the cup.

1:45 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSMppfXp ... re=related



Tyler, I really do have a philosophy degree. That's the part of the university you wind up in if they kick you out of the others for being a twit.

The point, as we are all well aware, is that we are confused by the "front of the pipe" and the "front of the bowl" (compounded by the fact that the bowl is inarguably at the front of the pipe). The front of the pipe being the back of the bowl is a little too difficult for most of us.


I am unwilling on no particular grounds to name the button as the front of any given pipe.

I make my appeal via Occam's Razor, that simplicity is desireable in theory selection, and therefore the front of the pipe is the bowl, the front of the bowl the frontest part of the front, ie, the front. Or "FRUNT" as indicated on my original (and much simpler than Wayne's) diagram.


Edward: What if the lady is in your mouth?

[andrew]

I guess what I was trying to assert with the car analogy (I love car analogies) was this:

Certain objects have an objective orientation no matter their position to the user. Another example would be a house. I think it makes perfect sense to address the pipe from the point of one using the object, but if you were to line up 20 people and ask them which side was the front I suspect most of them would point to the side that faces away from the one smoking the pipe. I could be wrong, I'm certainly not a pipe guru, nor do I have curmudgeon status to just squash my opposition... someday maybe.

Funny that this turned into such an interesting discussion, perfect Sunday afternoon pastime.

[andrew]

Gentlemen, this would be a fantastic Google chat discussion....

[wdteipen]

I always assumed the front of the pipe was the front of the pipe.
If there was a lady bending over in front of me, the fact that her Back side is facing me doesn't change the idea that her Front side is facing the opposite direction.
I suppose Wayne and Tyler are sort of arguing for a "Stage Left" and "Stage Right". Thats the Theatre term to point out the actors left versus the audiences left.
If it makes sense to Shakespeare and Tyler Lane, I suppose I could get used to it, but is it really necessary?

Do you routinely address ladies from the backside?

[wdteipen]

......as indicated on my original (and much simpler than Wayne's) diagram.

Yur just mad because mine's cooler than yurz. Granted it took me all day to do.

[Alden]

Sas, I will test that theory a little later, and return when I have some concrete data (and pics).

[wdteipen]

How about we go with near and far instead of front and back?

[Sasquatch]

How bout you just get in line and shut up like a good boy??

[wdteipen]

How bout you just get in line and shut up like a good boy??

yer not my dad!

[RadDavis]

So, what's your rationale for the part that is farthest from you while the pipe is in your mouth being the "front"?

Pipes are usually displayed with the bowl to the left and the shank/stem on the right, just like Magritte's famous painting. We read from left to right. Therefore the front of the bowl is on the left end of the pipe. Not in the middle, as some would have us believe.

Rad

[Tyler]

I don't care what the "right" answer is, I just wanted to point out we might miscommunicate every now and again.

[Growley]

How about we just change it up completely and quit referring to both sides as either front and back. Maybe we could use other terms like stem and stern. Stem for the side nearest the stem, stern for the side furthest away from the stem?

I understand these terms still refer to front and back, but at least another set of terms might be easier to keep straight.

[e Markle]

I don't care what the "right" answer is, I just wanted to point out we might miscommunicate every now and again.

You're an author of dissension and strife.

I can certainly understand your reasoning, but I think nearly all of us consider the point farthest from us as the "front" of the pipe.

Now that we have that cleared up, let me tell you why only cheats and liars coat their bowls...

[wdteipen]

Should I make two charts? One for Tyler and Wayne and one for everyone else?

[wdteipen]

So, what's your rationale for the part that is farthest from you while the pipe is in your mouth being the "front"?

Pipes are usually displayed with the bowl to the left and the shank/stem on the right, just like Magritte's famous painting. We read from left to right. Therefore the front of the bowl is on the left end of the pipe. Not in the middle, as some would have us believe.

Rad

Magritte's an ass and everyone knows it. Besides, I don't trust anyone with four names.

[RadDavis]

Magritte's an ass and everyone knows it. Besides, I don't trust anyone with four names.

He did state that his painting was "not a pipe", so I can also see that there might be some confusion there.

Rad