New to Pipes

[sweater914]

I've tried to sort through some of the sticky links to decide what route I should take, but will defer to vast knowledge base here.

If you had to start over, which style/brand pipe would be your first purchase?

Likewise, which tobaccos and blends would your start off with?

What tools are needed to maintain and smoke your pipe?

Can pipe tobacco and cigars live in the same coolidor/humidor without adversely effecting each other's flavors?

Lastly, which websites provide a general pipe tobacco information, for beginners through mature users, and general industry news/trends?

Thanks for the help folks.