I've had very bad luck with Colibri lighters - I've owned several and all stop working very quickly. Non have ever even made it to the refueling stage. They are very attractive lighters, but their ignition system seems to be a weak point. I wouldn't count on them in a crisis.

I have not used one myself, so I can't say ...
BUT .....

I seem to remember old treads on this forum about lighters, where more than one member exposed his problems/concerns with this kind of lighter. IIRC, it is not the panacea either.

Well, at least I didn't FLAME him <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

It was a typo; I meant "those Yanks", of course.

Seriously, I am well aware that there are about 300,000,000 US Citizens in the world, (and that a significant number of them would be surprised and/or apalled to hear themselves described as "Yankees" <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> ). There does seem to be, from time to time, a handful of people on this forum who not only like to bash the French, but are surprised when everyone doesn't wholeheartedly agree with them. (Apparently randjack was being somewhat tongue-in-cheek and I may have over-reacted slightly; but if I did, then it's probably the response he was looking for anyway.)

My post was not in any way aimed at the majority of Americans, and certainly not at the majority of US posters on this forum. It was merely a response to what I (mistakenly?) perceived as another example of "French-baiting". <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Just another point to keep in mind...the French people aren't the French government, just like the "Yanks" aren't the U.S. government. While I truly love my country (or at least what it used to be), I'm becoming more and more disillusioned with my government, and while I may be guilty of bashing the French government in past posts, I can confidently say, that I'd rather have some of our French brethren for neighbors than most of the ones I currently have (to put up with).

Troy

By the way... how's it goin' Frenchy

Thank you for clarifying, and I think you've touched on a point I've been made aware of by being where I am now. Before I left, there were a lot of folks that thought we should just nuke the entire middle east and get rid of all the rotten apples. At the time, it seemed like an expedient solution to an obvious problem that has since gotten worse, which is that there are a lot of idiots over here who, for one reason or another, believe that killing innocent people is a perfectly acceptable act. I say a lot of people, but I do not imply by any measure that they are the majority. In fact, they are proportionately a small minority using the most extreme methods available to try and oppress a nation of decent, honest, loving people. That there faith differs from ours does not matter so much, after all, that is the basis upon which our country was created. That they are being slaughtered wholesale without the means to combat these thugs (over 25,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed since the start of the war, most by terrorist activity) is gut wrenching. That these people are dying because they are cooperating with us and thus keeping the majority of the conflict from reaching Americans, especially back home, ought to be motivation enough for all of us "Yanks" to get behind them and support them through the thick and thin of it all. Right or wrong, we brought this confrontation to their doorsteps, and we've made some serious mistakes that have cost these people dearly. We can correct some of the mistakes, and help make their sacrifices worthwhile, but only if we understand these people, and accept them as a nation that deserves our support. We created a vacuum here that the terrorists filled, and now we have to deal with that, together, or this mess will eventually end up in our backyards. Anyone who doesn't think that possible needs to spend a day across the border from Nogales.

I'm telling you, regardless of what you think our government is here in Iraq for, we need to make this place a big success or our children will pay a heavy price for our reluctance.

So when someone generalizes about some other group, well, you can understand my sensitivity. You can't really judge someone unless you know them. I didn't used to think that way, but I do now.

I am going to have to post something more along these lines this morning. I am feeling just too darned patriotic.

"...a significant number of them would be surprised and/or apalled to hear themselves described as 'Yankees...'"

Oddly enough, I don't mind being referred to as a "Yank" or a "Yankee" by citizens of other countries, but I think it feels a bit odd to be called one by other Americans. I was born and raised in the Rocky mountain west though, so maybe it's a geographical thing. I imagine many of our southern brothers are of the same opinion. <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Regards, Vince

Oh, good grief . . .

The technical term for those living north of the Mason Dixon line is "Them Yankee bastards . . .." But I am quite accustomed to being referred to as a Yank by my Brit friends. Gofigurebutwhocaresinthelongrunanyway.

Everybody condem the Bics because it is difficult to see how much fuel is left, and the flame cannot be adjusted. I bought a pac of some lighters that are like the Bics but don't have the problems that Bics have. You can see the fuel, the flame is adjustable and they are cheap. I bought them at Wal-Mart some time ago. I think that they were about 6 for $3.00 or something like that.The brand name is ACE. I take a couple of them in my pocket when I go hunting and they work ok. Just in case I always carry a freshly fueled Zippo, and a ferroucious rod with a piece of a hack saw blade sharpened on the other side of the teeth. Also cotton balls with Vaseline in a small zip lock bag.