Let me tell you a little story about a couple of people – one famous, one not. This true story is centered in Dresden, Germany. It’s OK if you don’t know of Dresden or its history. I only know of it coincidentally and accidentally. However, the way that I do know of it is pretty powerful. And it bears telling.
It has been said that life is the weaving of thread into a tapestry. This is my very small thread of that tapestry.
The Characters:
Dresden – Located on both banks of the Elbe River, it is situated in mid-eastern Germany, near the Czech border. It is a beautiful German city with historical importance as the Capital of Saxony. Dresden is known, amongst other things, for the quality of the fine china that it crafts.
Kurt Vonnegut – Renowned American author born into a family of German immigrants.
Marianne – Born in Germany, but now a long time American.
Frankly Francis – Curious social observer and commentator.
The Story:
Act One – World War II
Dresden is fortunate, as a German city, in that it has very limited, if any, military value. It is considered a “safe” city.
Kurt Vonnegut, like so many young men of his day, is a private in the U.S. Army. Because of his heritage, he could be shooting at his own family and they could be shooting back at him. War can be like that.
Marianne could have been any teenage girl anywhere at anytime, but she happened to be in Germany when the Germans were about to lose the war.
Vonnegut is taken prisoner by the Germans and is held in Dresden.
Marianne, being as young as she is, is relatively oblivious to understanding what is happening all around her. What is crystal clear is that she must travel and find her way to the advancing Americans. At all costs she has to avoid the advancing Russians.
Dresden is an easy target for Allied bombing. The British are really pissed that the Germans have bombed their old city of Coventry virtually out of existence. Plans are made and set in motion.
Marianne’s mother is apparently skilled at hiding her teenage daughter from the men. Nonetheless, Marianne, to this day, cannot forget the cries of the women being raped by the soldiers. Can you imagine living through that? You see, the Russians felt that they had been treated terribly by the Germans and now it is their turn to inflict a little treatment of their own.
Dresden is Fire Bombed shortly before the end of WWII. Historical reports estimated deaths in the range of 150,000 to 250,000, which would be more than those directly killed by the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. A recent report has substantially lowered the estimates to no more than 25,000 deaths. Whatever the actual total, it was a horrendous, apocalyptic event. 13 square miles of city were leveled.
Kurt Vonnegut survives the Fire Bombing of Dresden underground, in a meat storage locker. Can you imagine living through that? He later uses that address as the title to his book, “Slaughterhouse Five.”
Act Two – After the War
Marianne makes her way to America. She becomes close with my family. I think of her as family.
Frankly Francis, becoming sentient, rabidly reads everything Vonnegut writes. Frankly Francis concurs with John Stewart, who would later say, “Kurt Vonnegut made growing up bearable.”
Marianne and Frankly Francis are together at a birthday dinner for Maria, sister of Frankly Francis.
Frankly Francis, never one to waste an opportunity to mention that he had lunch with Kurt Vonnegut, talks of that meeting and Vonnegut’s past, including his having survived the Fire Bombing of Dresden.
Marianne, never one to waste a word, says simply and succinctly that she passed through Dresden on the day it was Fire Bombed and watched the destruction from just outside of town.
THUD!
Frankly Francis has made a loud sound by falling off of his chair.
Dots are connecting! What are the odds that this little thread would come into direct contact with two others who lived through an event of that magnitude?
Kurt Vonnegut and Marianne were within miles of each other on that day that so many died. Both were in very adverse, but dramatically different circumstances. Both hoped for something better to come. Both were able to move forward, but both were never the same.
Have more than thou showest, speak less than thou knowest – Shakespeare
Fortune favors the prepared mind – Louis Pasteur
There are those who would say that the liberation of humanity, the freedom of man and mind, is nothing but a dream. They are right. It is the American dream – Archibald McLeish
There are no shortcuts to any place worth going – Beverly Sills
The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do – Thomas Jefferson
You cannot do a kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear – Ambrose Redmoon
The real measure of our wealth is how much we’d be worth if we lost all our money – John Henry Jowett
We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run – Roy Amara
Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be – Abraham Lincoln
The good people sleep much better at night than the bad people. Of course, the bad people enjoy the waking hours much more – Woody Allen
Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it – P.J. O’Rourke
If you’re going through hell, keep going – Winston Churchill
In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable – Dwight D. Eisenhower
Laughing at our mistakes can lengthen our own life. Laughing at someone else’s can shorten it – Cullen Hightower
A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul – George Bernard Shaw
Communism doesn’t work because people like to own stuff – Frank Zappa
For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, “It might have been”-John Greenleaf Whittier
I used to think that the brain was the most wonderful organ in my body. Then I realized who was telling me this – Emo Phillips
A synonym is a word you use when you can’t spell the word you first thought of – Burt Bacharach
Try to learn something about everything and everything about something – Thomas H. Huxley
Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved – William Jennings Bryan
Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that’s the stuff life is made of – Benjamin Franklin
When your work speaks for itself, don’t interrupt – Henry J. Kaiser
If at first you don’t succeed, before you try again, stop to figure out what you did wrong – Leo Rosten
The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget – Thomas Szasz
Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend – Theophrastus
Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. Unless it’s a fatal mistake, which, at least, others can learn from – Al Franken
It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look further than you can see – Winston Churchill
I watched only a small portion of President Obama’s State of the Union Address.
It was as if I had a socially allergic reaction to all of the camaraderie amongst the “politicos” in the pre-address portion. Apparently, the Club of the Nobility had assembled. They looked rather pleased with themselves. A veritable wing-ding on the Hill.
You see, I just don’t get that kind of behavior, especially in these times.
I’m more interested in seeing a serious, somber understanding that they have real obligations to the people they represent kind of attitude amongst the gang at the political soiree.
Very early on in the Address, the President got a big hearty laugh from everyone when he mentioned the politics of the bail-out. Everyone had a smile on their face, happiness throughout the room. Now that’s bi-partisanship! That was it for me…all done.
Same Old, Same Old
There are 535 elected federal officials who legislate what happens in this country. What we are facing, in any regard, cannot happen without their blessing or at worst, their lack of action. And it seems to me that they need to do a much better job.
On the other hand, the apathy of the American people is a wonder in itself. So, if I think that through…So, maybe they don’t really need to do a better job…And, they are bright enough to understand that…And – Hey, wait a minute…
Obama is politically positioning himself to have two terms of office and use the Machiavellian technique of handing out good in bits over time.
Here’s my thought:
When government does something it will be half as good at twice the price.
Even better, here’s a thought from C.S. Lewis:
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. “
But don’t blame government. Something is what something is. Government is government. It’s just the way that it is. The Founding Fathers knew that and did their best to contain that beast. So if we do need blame – the comfortably numb, the people get my vote.
Look, I’m not getting any younger. I do not want my descendents to look back upon me and say that I was part of the generation that gave America away. I have to believe that you don’t want that to be said of you either.
I really enjoy reading Michener. And fortunately for me, he wrote a lot of books. I have historically travelled through time to Alaska, Spain, Poland, Texas, Hawaii, Africa, The Caribbean, Chesapeake Bay, Colorado, Mexico, and so forth.
Not too long ago I stumbled upon “Caravans” – a book centered in Afghanistan, written in the early 1960’s. Funny how the more things change, the more they stay the same. Michener could have published it today with minimal updating if he were still alive. And the foregoing is more than a subtle hint to remember the lessons of history. But I digress…
Anyways, that led me into the abyss of my library to look for other Michener gems yet to be read. Low and behold, “The Source” was still waiting for me. Published in 1965, the story alternates between the histories of the initial inhabitants of the land that is now Israel to the modern dynamics of building a state in a hostile place.
Jewish history is primarily delved into, but the Arabs, Romans, Greeks and Europeans get their share of attention. Along with Baal, the Greek and Roman Gods are profiled, but the main focus in this regard is upon the Creator that the Jews do not refer to by name.
Let me say that I am pleased that I was not placed in direct lineage of God’s Chosen People. I do not think I am worthy. And even if I am, I much prefer not to have that target placed upon me by the other dwellers of planet Earth. I’ve got enough problems.
For the record, I do feel a very deep affinity with and respect for the Jewish People.
As usual when reading Michener, I found it interesting and enjoyably educational. He does have a tendency to write at length, but when you have a big topic, what choice do you have? There are other authors on my “must read” list, but I am looking forward to perhaps finding other books by Michener that I have not had the pleasure of reading yet.
Oh, I should mention that it was Michener who sparked my determined interest in running the bulls – something that I look forward to doing before this is all over, whatever this is.
I’m thinking that if I were a racist, these would still be some pretty good days. And from the Emancipation Proclamation forward, here’s how I reach that conclusion:
Following the Civil War, I would terrorize newly freed slaves – they would know that nothing really changed and if indeed it had, that they were going to suffer for it. There would be no practical equality regardless of what the U.S. Constitution said.
I would do my best to prevent interference from the federal and state governments.
Making voting registration difficult, if not impossible, through every conceivable legal or illegal means, I would minimize representation and participation in government.
Of course Segregation would be one of my most effective tools. Through the philosophy of “Separate, but Equal” I could ensure that things would certainly be separate, but just as certainly not equal.
I would make a common practice of community lynchings. It would send a strong message. Milder forms of torture and humiliation would be even more routinely dished out.
Of course there would be losses along the way, as Adolph Hitler found out at the Munich Olympics when Jesse Owens made a statement. The sports world followed with openness that could not have been expected.
Racism is remarkably strong and can take many turns. When the “form” loses its direct appeal because of greater understanding and tolerance, the next thing is to hit the “substance” even harder. When the foregoing started producing diminishing returns, I’d turn it up a notch and start playing the really big cards…
I’d establish a “White Man’s Burden” program and give it a well meaning title, such as “The War on Poverty” – a political/socialist system to eliminate the poor in America. Of course it wouldn’t work because I never intended it to work. What I intended was to keep people in their place.
Welfare & social programs would be designed to encourage the break-up of the nuclear family and promote soaring birth rates, thus lowering traditional community values. And the programs would provide just enough to reduce the advantages of becoming employed.
Applying the death penalty disproportionally would be a useful tool.
To put the icing on the proverbial cake, I would next create a “War on Drugs.” This would drive the street value of drugs higher and create a more lucrative market in the inner-cities. That would produce a lot of violence – they’d be killing each other in their own neighborhoods.
In an effort to avoid equal opportunity at all costs, a program like “Affirmative Action” could be used to place less qualified people into jobs. That would further cause racial tensions to increase and be a superb cover for the continuing underlying lack of equality.
It goes without saying that the schools that “they” would go to would be grossly inferior.
Yeah, this would still be a good time to be a racist.
But, I am not a racist. I am big on equal opportunity. And I think that we will eventually get there…just wish that it would not take so long.
In closing, the words Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. -
Darkness cannot drive out darkness;
only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate;
only love can do that.
Hate multiplies hate,
violence multiplies violence,
and toughness multiplies toughness
in a descending spiral of destruction…
The chain reaction of evil -
hate begetting hate,
wars producing more wars -
must be broken,
or we shall be plunged
into the dark abyss
of annihilation.
How can the Holidays be complete without experiencing The Trans-Siberian Orchestra?
For reasons of obvious bias and lack of neutrality, I must state that I have known Trans-Siberian Orchestra Co-Founder and Musical Director, Bob Kinkel, since childhood. We have never been close to BFF and in many ways are very different, but we have enjoyed performing together back in the days . Yet, our mutual interests make knowing Bob that much more special to me. As I am, needless to say, rather proud of him, I look forward to profiling Bob in a future post.
TSO in concert is Spectacular Spectacular! The combination of so many musicians, the musical arrangements, lighting & pyrotechnic effects, and choreography make for an intense experience.
Each season, the performance (in two sets) is based on the traditional program consisting of the story and songs of “Christmas Eve and Other Stories” followed by a set of selected TSO songs, this year featuring songs from their new release “Night Castle.”
This was the second time that I have seen TSO perform. I enjoyed it more than the first.
They certainly have a great outlook. Here’s what Co-Founder Paul O’Neill recently said in an article in the Detroit Free Press – “”We spend more on pyro in two months than most of the rock world does in an entire year,” O’Neill said with a laugh. “Our first duty is to the fans, to give them the best show for their dollar. We realize that entertainment is not a necessity of life, but human beings need moments of joy, or at least moments that are stress free. When you’re not worrying about what’s outside the arena, the body gets to recharge its batteries. The underlying story is about hope.”
And they are obviously doing something right as Billboard recently ranked TSO as the highest grossing winter tour.
Frankly Francis, Bob Kinkel & Debbie Backstage 2008
Next Holiday Season, do yourself a favor and spend a night with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I am already looking forward to it.
First off, I humbly consider myself lucky and blessed because of the people and circumstances that I have been fortunate enough to have experienced.
Judged by conventional standards, my life has had a lot of high highs and low lows. For me it is just my adventure. However, the last few years have been the most difficult of all. I am intensely curious to see where this all leads me to.
So, as the year begins, I find myself looking forward, more so than usual, to my next revolution around the sun.
Didn’t we just celebrate the new millennium? A decade has passed?
And this Internet thing…any chance it will catch on? The impact of the World Wide Web is both amazing and fantastic.
It’s difficult for me to believe that marijuana has not yet been legalized, regulated and taxed.
Furthermore, we’re making more of this than needs to be made – Gays should be legally allowed to enter into civil relationship contracts that some call marriage. And the exclusion from the military thing needs to go too.
Been watching more TV than usual lately. Dexter, Sons of Anarchy, Stargate Universe. Also been catching up on House and Stargate Atlantis. I know that TV is a legal drug induced vacation from living my own life, but…
Been reading more than usual lately (although I have always been an avid reader) and this pleases me.
I think that we should pay a lot more attention to the Rights of States as opposed to the Federal Government. The United States of America is a Union of States first, not a federal government imposing national rules upon every individual. The foregoing within the Constitution, of course.
I prefer the features and interactivity associated with MySpace, but I continue to surrender to Facebook, being a willing victim of fashion…
Still cannot understand how in these most politically correct times, females, it seems to me, are more denigrated than ever in pop culture, especially music. Even more confused that there seems to be no one objecting. Ladies come on. Your sisters have fought hard before you in a battle that should not even had to be fought.
I am hoping that Stephen King’s “Under the Dome” comes even close to “The Stand.”
Most Americans are a lot more libertarian than they realize. See where you really stand (if you dare) by taking The World’s Smallest Political Quiz at: http://www.theadvocates.org/quizp/index.html
I’m a grandpa now, but in these ever life span expanding days, I consider myself a “junior grandpa” as opposed to my personal concept of a grandpa in my younger days. Gotta say that for me it is pretty cool to have grandkids.
No Chicken Little, the sky is not falling. We need much less emotional reaction and much more empirical evidence in the debate over global warming.
The advances in our technology are incredible. There is a lot to look forward to in the immediate future.
Did we not occupy Afghanistan for the purpose of hunting down Osama Bin Laden? And increasing the current mission there is for what? I don’t like how this is playing out. Oh, and could we please rebuild Iraq already and get our troops home?
As a citizen and even more so as a veteran, I support our military members, but I question our leaders’ use of our military.
I don’t vouch for the accuracy, but if you are feeling the need to Keep Up With The Joneses, check out how you are doing on a world wide basis at: www.globalrichlist.com
If I was silly enough to make New Year’s Resolutions, I would resolve to spend more time on music performance, foreign language study, creating creative travel opportunities, engaging the people I know, meeting new people, and treating writing more as work, as opposed to pleasure.
Through various quotes through the years, I’ve been aware of irreverent conservative writer P.J. O’Rourke.
One of my favorites is from an address at the Cato Institute in 1993 (well worth the read at: http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=6857 ), where Mr. O’Rourke endeared himself to me with this statement – “If you think healthcare is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it is free.” Tremendous foresight into the future, which is now of course.
So, when I got my hands on “Give War A Chance” I did not wait long to read it. The introduction is entitled, “Hunting the Virtuous – And How to Clean and Skin Them.” Did I mention irreverent? And that is just the introduction.
Published in 1992, a little while after the end of Gulf War I, it is a collection of various articles written regarding the fall of communism (The Birth, and Some of the Afterbirth, of Freedom), some random topics (Second Thoughts), comments about various public figures (A Call for a New McCarthyism), and his dispatches from the Gulf War (Give War a Chance).
Most I thoroughly enjoyed. I can’t say that his comments on Dr. Ruth, Lee Iacocca, and Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter were the best parts of the book. Still, I am looking forward to reading anything this guy cares to write or has written.
I picked the book up at the Salvation Army (one of many sources of books for me). It turned out that it was originally a gift to John from Kate & Chuck. Kate or Chuck or Kate & Chuck had inscribed the following to John: “This guy may be 180 degrees off of what any of us thinks on some issues, but he does think, and he puts his radical thoughts down so flamboyantly, you’re bound to get some fun out of what he says, whether you agree or not.” Well said Kate & Chuck!
I would like to think that P.J. O’Rourke has been significantly influenced by the writing style of Kurt Vonnegut, but I do not know if this is true, nor am I inclined to research it.
The title appears to come from something O’Rourke saw during the interminable waiting period from the amassing of troops in Saudi Arabia to the actual beginning of the ground war. Some Marines had written in the desert sand, “Give War A Chance.” Marines just want to have fun.
In closing, to give you a taste of P.J. O’Rourke, the following dedication appears before the introduction:
Like many men of my generation, I had an opportunity to give war a chance, and I promptly chickened out. I went to my draft physical in 1970 with a doctor’s letter about my history of drug abuse. The letter was four and a half pages long with three and a half pages devoted to listing the drugs I’d abused. I was shunted into the office of an Army psychiatrist who, at the end of a forty-five-minute interview with me, was pounding his desk and shouting, “You’re fucked up! You don’t belong in the Army!” He was certainly right on the first count and possibly right on the second. Anyway, I didn’t have to go. But that, of course, meant someone else had to go in my place. I would like to dedicate this book to him.
I hope you got back in one piece, fellow. I hope you were more use to your platoon mates than I would have been. I hope you’re rich and happy now. And in 1971, when somebody punched me in the face for being a long-haired peace creep, I hope that was you.
Having been a hippy orientated peace creep in my youth and then resorting (when I got past the drugs and free-love, not that there’s anything wrong with drugs and free-love) to a very conservative constitutional & fiscal perspective, coupled with a very liberal personal liberty point of view, I get where this guy is coming from. You might too.
Charles Adams, in the book, “For Good and Evil: The Impact of Taxes on the Course of Civilization” traces superior civilizations and comes to a universal conclusion: every civilization in recorded history taxes and regulates itself to death. While I think this should be intuitive, it really is a remarkable study.
Perhaps not the most tantalizing of subjects, but the message is far more encompassing than just business taxes. This is a positive message though – through easy simplification, we can live better.
We’re going to take a look at an issue that seems to get a lot of attention – “Evil corporations not paying their fair share of taxes!”
Unfortunately, it is misdirected, either unintentionally or as propaganda.
Here is the unequivocal truth: No matter how much a business may pay in taxes, those taxes are not paid for by the business – those taxes are paid for by the consumer, you and me.
Here’s a simple example that should provide a clear understanding of how this works. If you want to go into business, it requires money. Money has value. Investments require a return based on the risk associated with investment. The less risky the investment, the less the rate earned. Therefore, if you invest in an FDIC insured bank savings account you are willing to accept a lot less interest than if you invest in a start-up business.
So for the sake of example, let’s say that a business can get the debt/equity investment that it needs, but this requires a 10% net income level in order to do it. Assuming that the business has sales of $100 and expenses of $90, there is $10 of net income. Thus the 10% debt/investment requirement is satisfied. Everything is good or at least as good as it gets in the very scary world of being a business owner.
Now let’s assume that the federal & state governments tax the net income of this business at 20%. On the net income of $10, the business would have to pay $2 in taxes. This leaves $8, which is an 8% return and less than the 10% that the creditors/investors require.
The business has only one alternative – it must raise its prices to the consumer. But the consumer does not pay just the $2 in taxes that the business has to pay. Actually, the consumer now has to pay $2.86 more.
Here’s the math for those interested: Sales need to be $102.86. Cost of sales stays constant at $90.00. Sales less the cost of sales equals income before taxes of $12.86. Taxes on income before taxes at 20% equals $2.57. Net income is $10.29, which is 10% of sales of $102.86. Q.E.D.
Of course, the actual amount that the consumer pays is more than this because now the business has more costs. It must pay accountants for preparing tax returns and lawyers to provide tax guidance. Then there are the inevitable audits at the federal and/or state level for which the business incurs more costs. Each cost raises the price that you pay for the product. Getting the idea?
For those who truly care about the poor, note this: Taxes on business are much more devastating upon the poor than upon the middle or upper economic classes, but there’s so much blatant hypocrisy in this area anyways…
So, if we were to eliminate the taxes on businesses, the price that we pay, as consumers, would be less. We would reduce the cost of government regulation as well, so taxes would be reduced. We wouldn’t need so many lawyers, accountants, software and all the other related special (Selfish) interest money that goes into this area – those resources would be able to be better utilized for our overall economic good.
Would individual taxes need to go up as a result? I doubt it, but, even if they did, I do know this without question – taxes would not need to go up as much as the savings we would benefit from. We pay one way or another, but this way, we pay less.
Will such a logical thing happen? No. Government is going to get more expensive and more intrusive into our personal lives. I just had to provide an alternative while I still have the chance.
Preamble: Let me start by saying that I am no fan of organized religion. Just can’t dig the idea of Crusades, Inquisitions and Jihads in God’s name. Count me out of that business – I want nothing to do with it.
But I do love Cathedrals.
In the beginning… It was back in the spring of the Year of Our Lord 1999. Traveled to New York City to attend an annual meeting of the Board of Directors for a company I was working with. There always should be some pleasure with business, so a private tour of the city was arranged.
We stopped at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. When I walked inside, I was overpowered and (seriously) nearly passed-out from the incredible gothic design and a ceiling so high that the Statue of Liberty would fit inside. On top of that, it just so happened that the New York Philharmonic Orchestra was rehearsing a Beethoven chorale. It changed me.
St. John the Divine
After That: Since then, I find myself visiting cathedrals wherever I may be. And for the record, I don’t travel to see cathedrals, but if I am traveling and there happens to be a cathedral in town…
Westminster Cathedral
Why Am I So Fascinated? I’m not sure. I suspect that it is a combination of architecture, history, geographic location, and human aspiration – each cathedral brings its own unique ethereal feeling.
St Pauls
Memory Lane: I fondly remember visiting Notre Dame in Paris while Mass was being observed. At St. Paul’s in London, I climbed the historic circular stairway to the dome level and was rewarded for my efforts by an acoustically stunning choir rehearsal. Visiting Westminster, in London, was incredible to walk though – the history and architecture made it an unforgettable experience. Perhaps my favorite cathedral of all is St. Thomas in mid-town Manhattan…can’t really explain why, it just holds a most special place with me.
St. Thomas
Winchester Cathedral in rural England was truly a sight to behold. It was memorable to attend Mass with my family at St. Patrick’s in NYC. The National Cathedral in Washington D.C. was certainly impressive. Being a big fan of New Orleans, the St. Louis Cathedral was a pleasure to visit.
I’ve yet to see the magnificent Italian cathedrals, but I haven’t been to Italy yet…
Notre Dame
And by the Way: Oh yeah, and while I’m confessing, I am silly for the incense that the Catholics burn during Mass. Had to have some for personal use. Though not Catholic, I did not want to upset the Pope by obtaining it surreptitiously. It took me a couple of years to legitimately get my hands on some, but that’s another story, another time.
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