NAVIGATION

TONY IN DAYLESFORD

Tony and I visited the "Mill" antique market in Daylesford in Easter.

Tony came up to a stand that contained a bell, and of course wishing to see that it worked, started ringing it. Unfortunately the ring was quite loud which attracted attention. In particular one woman who was in Donald's near vicinity and was called to remark to him "They just can't help themselves, can they?"

Donald thought this was hilarious but Tony was extremely embarrassed.

DIALOGUES OF THE DEAF
In a garbled expedition of loosely framed messages, I find in a round about way that I was apparently kindly invited to a reception at Howard and Raegan's
"Rancho Notorious" at Blairgowrie on the weekend of March the 9th.

Garry had mentioned in a disconcertingly distracted manner something of this event prior to dozing at the dining table on his recent "Schaanwald" sojourn.

The next chapter in this now fast becoming a long-winded saga came from Ian who was wondering why he had received a re-directed email message from
Garry giving details of a function without the stamp of approval from the original perpetrators.

Chapter 3's instalment alludes to an official communiqué but I am unable to work out why I am being invited to sleep on a divan? This message was odd in that it did not seem to have relations with anything that could explain my proposed sleeping arrangements at a domicile other than "Schaanwald".

Chapter 4 sheds some further light on mysterious circumstances, in that I am informed that an invitation was dispatched via Empress Pamela the
first, and that she was meant to have given it to me sometime during her recent visit to Schaanwald. (No doubt other state papers got mixed up and
due to numerous oral recitations, were forgotten).

Of course, during the constant to-ing and fro-ing of messages - no details were forthcoming as to times, addresses or information which might have given one a slight clue as to where one was supposed to be and at what time one was supposed to be there and for what reason.

In the end it was with reluctance that due to dogs and bed and breakfast establishments, I was unable to accept the invitation to leave the sanctity of Schaanwald and take on a voyage that would lead me to a haven of
bewilderment and fuddlement.

80TH ANNIVERSARY OF 'THE VITAPHONE'

What on earth's the 'Vitaphone'? I hear you bellow. Well as you read on this will be explained to you.

You see this month, October 2007 marks the 80th anniversary since Al Jolson opened his mouth to utter, (at the same time demonstrating an appalling grasp of English), the words "You ain't heard nothin' yet!" The fact that these words issued forth from a moving picture advertised as the Warner Bros. "Supreme Triumph" is taken as the time talking pictures came into prominence.

The idea of adding sound to moving pictures was not a new idea in 1927. Edison had experimented with synchronising his phonograph to images as far back as 1896. Others tried right through the Edwardian era and into the teens, but the idea just didn't catch on. Failure was due to synchronisation being lost or the sound sounding grotesquely odd - but in the main it was the inability to amplify the sound sufficiently to be heard adequately in larger auditoriums.

Lee de Forrest had invented the audion tube in the early 1920's and he and a fellow by the name of Case started experimenting with a new process whereby a soundtrack could be added to film and this was demonstrated in 1922. David Griffith, the pioneering film director became interested and started filming his new production "Dream Street" with sound sequences - however he abandoned the idea subsequently deciding that a soundtrack spoken in English would limit sales of the film world wide. (A fragment of this film exists where Griffith makes a prologue speech).

At the same time Bell Telephone Laboratories had been experimenting with a sound on disc process where the disc rotating mechanism was geared to the the projector. The process was taken up by the Warner Bros. who were looking for a gimmick to help sales of their films and they labelled it "The Vitaphone".

In early 1926 the Warner Bros. started making sound pictures in their New York studios. These were all shorts of only one reel (9-10 minutes) and featured players from the Operatic as well as the Vaudeville stage. Warner Bros. also added the Vitaphone process to a feature film "Don Juan" starring John Barrymore however the sound here was limited to orchestral accompaniment and sound effects.

Later in 1926, Warner Bros. premiered "Don Juan" with the first half of the program given over to the Vitaphone short subjects headed by a filmed announcement from Will Hays the former U.S. Postmaster-General who was now head of the Motion Picture Industry Association.

The show was a success and Warner Bros. decided to make another Vitaphone feature. The film chosen was "The Jazz Singer" which was virtually a silent picture with the Vitaphone providing the musical accompaniment - the difference from "Don Juan" was that some of the reels would have Al Jolson presenting songs in synchronisation.

"Jolie" being "Jolie" couldn't help himself and ad-libbed in a number of places so that instead of just songs - the audience got snatches of dialogue as well - and having now heard voices from the screen they wanted more.

1928 saw the gradual rolling out by studios of part sound pictures until by 1929 they were advertising "All Singing, All Dancing, All Talking Pictures". Of course not everyone could see talking pictures - theatres had to be wired and this was a process that was not completed until 1931 in some areas (China did not see talking pictures until 1935!)

"The Vitaphone" process - sound on disc persevered until 1931 until it succumbed to the vastly superior and far more reliable sound on film system.

Whilst drama on the screen was enhanced by the addition of dialogue, comedy was not and it wasn't until the Marx Bros and W.C. Fields came along that sound comedy found its new mark. Some comedians preferred the medium of silent film and Charlie Chaplin stayed with it until 1936 and Jacques Tati's pictures were virtually silent.

For nearly 50 years the silent era was forgotten, everyone had written it off thinking that the films of that era must have been useless without dialogue. Thankfully overthe last couple of decades that train of thought has been put to rest and we can now once again see the mastery of achievement from that era.

So next time you go to the pictures/movies take a second to pause and reflect - that if Al Jolson had not one day opened his mouth and said "You ain't heard nothin' yet" - you might still be hearing 'nothin'!

THIS NEW SPEAK

The other day a friend rang me up and told me someone had "passed".

"What, passed their driving test?"

"No, he's passed away...? was the reply after a hestitation.

Why could he have not just have used the perfectly good word "died"? It's bad enough that people use the expression "passed away" let alone that is now shortened to just "passed".

What is it with this new craze of making up new phrases just on the off chance we don't offend anyone. I have always been of the opinion that is how you use a word and in what context that causes offence.

I still use the word "bald" instead of "unhirsute pate", I still say "short" rather than "vertically challenged", "deaf" instead of "hearing impaired". And, I could go on and on.

And another thing, whilst we are on it - why is it that Australians like to shorten words?

A passenger on a Qantas aeroplane bound for Australia was asked by the air hostess whether she would like "Vegies" and a "Bikky". The passenger then asked the air hostess whether Australia is populated wholly by kindergarten children? It's absurd that adults should be using this type of vocabulary.

ADS AT THE PICTURES

Why is it no-one ever complains? Particularly when the advertising slides at interval at the pictures suddenly gave way to a couple of talking ads.

This then crept along with a few more ads, until now when we go to the pictures you have to sit through more than half an hour of them.

Isn't it bad enough that we have to sit through advertising blasted at us continually on commercial television? Why do we have to have more of it at the pictures - especially when we have paid to see a picture - not ads.

Oh for the days when you used to get some interesting short subjects on the first half of the program - travelogues, interesting documentaries, comedies, cartoons...

THIS CELEBRITY THING

I was asked the other day my opinion of Paris Hilton. I replied that I had never stayed in it, the only Hilton I had stayed in was the one in Auckland although I had dined at the San Francisco Hilton. My enquirer looked at me rather oddly. No, Paris Hilton! Eventually my enquirer told me that this was someone's name and that she was a celebrity because she was an heiress and travelled around the world attending parties. But why is she named after a hotel?

Obviously I don't travel in the same circles as I hadn't heard of her but then again I am not really interested in the vapid and vacuous which seems to sum up this current celebrity cult. It just seems odd to me that someone can become famous by doing virtually nothing or just by appearing on television or in a motion picture.

What annoys me is that now serious news is interrupted to announce the various goings on of these people. I was nearly going to ring up Channel 7 one night to ask them if they had no greater news to report than the fact that some warbler by the name of Kylie McNogue had broken up with her boyfriend. Am I next going to see a report on Bert Dingbat to the effect that his car broke down on Saturday and he had to go to town on the train? I mean it's hard enough to get much world news at all with half the bulletin devoted to the mind-numbing antics of sport.

Once upon a time, within my living memory at least, celebratory status was accorded to luminaries who had at least achieved something, a person one could look up to. More than half the people who consider themselves celebrities in my opinion are just trumped up nobodies I wouldn't walk across the road to look at.

ANOTHER BON MOT "Don't bother keeping up with the Joneses; drag them down to your level, it's cheaper" - Quenton Crisp

FRIENDS

A friend is defined in the Oxford Concise Dictionary thus: 'one joined to another in intimacy and mutual benevolence independently of sexual or family love'. It is an interesting definition especially that part that reflects 'mutual benevolence'. It is that particular point that I would have thought essential to the bonding of any person to another in a 'spirit of friendship'.

A friend to me is also someone who shows loyalty, truth and honesty. It is rare to find all these qualities in an individual and thus a person who displays them as a friend is a true friend indeed.

We often call people 'friends' who are in actual fact only acquaintances. This has recently proved true to me of late. Persons whom I had over a number of years thought of as friends have turned out nothing more than acquaintances I might have encountered on a regular basis.

What friend would insult you or even assault you? Of course the answer is none. Yet these so-called friends have insulted me and assaulted me.

I find the inability of people to join together in this spirit of 'mutual benevolence' rather selfish and dishonest to themselves if they regard any association they may have with other persons to be on the level of a friendship.

It is perhaps a sign of the times that we live in a rather introspective and selfish world. People fall down dead in the street and are merely stepped over.

I regret that I have had to come to the conclusion of late that my list of friends has fewer names upon it, but it is comforting to know that those fewer names are really my friends.

GREEDY LAWYERS

I have read all those insults that have been levelled at those practising the legal profession and thought them much the same as those mother-in-law jokes. Now having had experience of late with legal matters, I can see why those insults are being hurled.

I have had problems concerning my mother's estate, the details of which I will not go into here, suffice to say that I needed to engage a solicitor to achieve a settlement between protagonists.

This first solicitor I engaged, whilst showing some eagerness in the first instance, soon retreated into a hole and became impossible to contact, moreover he wasn't doing anything. In the end I had to engage a second solicitor.

The first solicitor has since forwarded me an account for his 'services', in the amount $15.000 odd. In terms of a settlement agreement that the second solicitor arranged, I have to pay another party's costs which have amounted to the ungodly sum of $25,000 - for doing what I have no idea. Then I suppose I will get a bill from the second solicitor I engaged for a further $10.000. So for a settlement I have to pay amounting to $60.000, I have to pay $50.000 to lawyers! Have you heard of anything so ridiculous!

I referred the matter of the first solicitors malconduct to the appropriate authorities. In a little under a year these authorities have done absolutely nothing. My second solicitor advises that the matter will eventually come before a tribunal who will decide if I am due any compensation - but this compensation does not include any claim for damages. I may perhaps get a reduction in the amount of fees. Thanks very much. In the amount of time since my first solicitor buried his head in the sand to the time of eventual settlement I have encountered high interest bills and suffered a loss of income - do I get any restitution for legal ineptitude and incompetence? Probably not.

Something really needs to be done to the legal profession. It needs to be accessible to everyone, it needs to get rid of delays and it needs to apply the one thing it is supposed to do and that is justice!

(Further comments on lawyers, the legal profession and trying to achieve rightful outcomes are in the FORUM).

TELSTRA

I have recently transferred my communications from Telstra to AAPT. Here is a copy of a letter I have recently written to Telstra after receiving a credit balance account. After reading it you may have encountered something of a similar nature when dealing with this company. If so, please tell us about it on the FORUM page.

"I attach a copy of an account I received in the mail today.

I rang Big Pond today in attempt to have the credit balance sent to me in the form of a cheque as my account has been closed. After having to go through that insufferable nonsense of pushing buttons in an attempt to speak to somebody, I eventually got through to somebody who left me on hold for ten minutes. The ‘phone was then answered by a second party who had to put me through to Big Pond. This third party at Big Pond then kept me on hold for a further 5 minutes only to inform me that the computers were down and could I ring back. When I asked whether she could just take a note of my request I was told this was not possible.

Someone rang me a week or so ago to ask why I had transferred my communications from Telstra, however I couldn’t tell her in simple terms – I would have to undertake a 20 minute survey!

If you want to know why I have left, it is because of absurd conditions such as the above. Also why should I pay $99 a month for Broadband Internet when AAPT only charges me $59? I put this to Telstra but the only reason behind the higher fee was that I could download motion pictures and sound recordings from Telstra – none of which interested me.

Please send me a cheque for $23.32 and be grateful I am not charging you $00.50c for the stamp and $50.00 my fee for the time wasted."

Well of course you can guess what happened after Telstra received my letter asking for a cheque can't you? Yes, two weeks later they sent me out another credit note!

In absolute frustration, I got on the computer and typed up a page which has in huge letters "What part of 'please send me a cheque' don't you understand?". On another page I wrote "Please send me a cheque" translated into 15 languages and sent both these pages plus copies of previous correspondence back to them.

Another two weeks have since gone by and I am still awaiting a reply - oh yes, I'll probably get yet another credit note in the mail any day now...

Epilogue:

After three months of receiving credit notes, I deducted the value of the credit note from another bill I had received from Telstra - which related to another matter entirely. (Of course the next month I got a bill from this section of Telstra telling me I owed them the amount of the credit note).

The next month I finally got a cheque from Telstra and an account from the other section showing they had taken up the credit note.

Now I owe them the value of the credit note - but I think I will take the length of time that Telstra has in working it all out...



PACKAGING - PODCAST
Click on the link below to hear Donald's first podcast where he goes on about packaging


SOMETIMES THE LAW IS AN ASS
With an election coming up it is high time to once again be reminded that politicians pass legislation to enact the law. Here are some wonderful examples of their intellect:

British laws:
- It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament
- It is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the sovereign upside-down
- In Liverpool, it is illegal for a woman to be topless except as a clerk in a tropical fish store.
- Mince pies cannot be eaten on Christmas Day.
- In Scotland, if someone knocks on your door and requires the use of your toilet, you must let them enter.
- A pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants, including in a policeman's helmet.
- The head of any dead whale found on the coast automatically becomes the property of the sovereign, and the tail of the consort.
- It is illegal to enter the Houses of Parliament in a suit of armour.
- In the City of York it is legal to murder a Scotsman within the ancient city walls, but only if he is carrying a bow and arrow.
Foreign laws:
- In Ohio (U.S.A.) it is illegal to get a fish drunk
- In Switzerland, a man many not relieve himself standing up after 10pm.
- In Alabama (U.S.A.), it is illegal to be blindfolded while driving a vehicle.
- In Florida (U.S.A.), unmarried women who parachute on a Sunday can be imprisoned.
- In Vermont (U.S.A.) women must obtain written permission from their husbands to wear false teeth.
- In France it is illegal to name a pig "Napoleon".

GIGGLING FITS
Years ago when both Ian and I were living in the closer suburbia of the sprawling Melbourne metropolis we occasionally used to dine out - being part of the Garry rent-a-crowd set.

On one particular occasion we had strayed from the familiar precincts of Richmond to Acland Street, St.Kilda and to one of that strip's more popular cheap eateries.

I don't know whether it was Ian or I who spotted him first, but there was a gentleman leaving having finished his meal. It was his attire that did it. Being rather corpulent, he had taken an ill-advised route in choosing what to wear. Firstly there were the grey track-suit trousers which appeared to be two or three sizes too small and which did not come up to a sufficient height to completely cover the buttocks region. (It was a case of having a penny ready to insert in the slot). The next item on the clothing agenda caused at first a slight quivering, slowing building up into a tumultuous guffaw - for believe it or not he had on a T-shirt with large capital letters proclaiming "St. Kilda Athletic Club" or something else similar and equally as bizarre.

When you have two people sitting in close proximity who are prone to giggling fits, it only takes one of the two to set the other off.

Before long the entire café's attention was diverted to our table. Both Ian and I were convulsed in uncontrollable laughter much to Garry's chagrin who was feeling quite embarrassed by all the stares in our direction. Tears were streaming down our cheeks and our entire performance lasted all of ten minutes only to be reprised every five minutes or so.

What is it about laughter that is so infectious? For I don't think any other diners had seen the apparition that was the butt of our paroxysms, yet smiles soon took over the faces of most to be replaced in the majority by general gentle chuckling.

Ian and I again had a memorable episode. This time at the Capitol Theatre. I had dragged Ian along to see a Buster Keaton picture which was to be accompanied live by a small orchestra. Ian was not all that fussed about going to the pictures but the idea of live music gave him the old heave-ho.

About two reels into the picture, Buster Keaton did something on the screen which must have hit Ian's funny-bone rather sharply. His reaction set me off, and the two of us howling with laughter, almost rolling into the aisle had set off the entire audience. It was probably the funniest time I have ever had at the pictures.

Still on the subject of the uncontrollable guffaw, I have been known to do solo efforts. One of the most memorable of these was at a turn where there were a few opera buffs. I was being introduced to a singer by the name of Affro Poli after which a friend of mine Harry remarked "Have you met his wife Roly?" I was a bluthering mess for the rest of the evening.

Then there was the night when I was in the front row of an audience at a play put on by a local group of amateurs - who were trying hard to please. I was sitting next to a friend of a friend whom I had not heard laugh. Unfortunately this group of amateurs on the stage must have done something comical and not dramatic (in keeping with the script) for this guy I was sitting next to started to laugh. It was a relatively quiet laugh but of a nature so unusual that I found it the funniest I had ever heard. Needless to say, I was instantly off, uncontrollably, and much to my discomfort as I was causing a major disruption to the play and the audience's appreciation of it. Talk about embarrassing!

ANOTHER BON MOT "The Americans can be relied upon to do the right thing; after they have tried everything else" - Sir Winston Churchill

A SUNDAY CONCERT
Last Sunday I attended a theatre organ concert at Her Majesty's Theatre in Ballarat. My hair now having devoided itself of most of its former colouring lends me to be easily mistaken for a senior citizen, thus the usherette trying to be helpful, asked if I was alright with steps as there were a few to negotiate on my way to my seat. Safely ensconced I was afforded a bird's eye view of the seething masses in the orchestra seats below. A veritable forest of silver, grey and white interspersed with the occasional glowing dome. A gaggle of Myrtles, Madges, Muriels, Mavises, Mays, Marys, Mollies & Millies together with their respective Toms, Alfs, Berts, Bills and Bobs. If there were any young un's under the age of 50, they could be spotted from the glow of the hand held electronic device that can never be left at home. Usually such concerts can be quite boring in that one can have enough of the sound of the organ and too much tends to overpower the senses. It is better to err on the side of having too little, it leaves you wanting more. I was therefore surprised and delighted to find the concert quite diversified in the entertainments provided. The first number was of a pianist and saxophonist/clarinettist /flautist providing jazz melody duets and then combining with a young soubrette in a couple of old standards. The organ eventually appeared and then there was a short film featuring the labours of the John Compton Organ factory producing cinema organs. After an interval, the aforesaid duet reappeared and this time accompanied another young vocalist Then the organ again After this we were entreated to a 16 piece swing band introducing "MacArthur's Park' before a young Frank Sinatra style singer in a bracket of that crooner's much remembered repertoire. All in all a nice afternoon's entertainment. It's a pity that young audiences seldom see the theatre or cinema organ and they would have hardly ever heard of it. Regular appearances of this form of entertainment at the pictures disappeared when the picture palaces were demolished to make way for the mega-complex. Showmanship went completely out the window; it was far more important to make money from popcorn and tie-ins Luckily there have been brave souls out there who have treasured this very remarkable and most modern of instruments. (It was originally built as a one man operational unit orchestra to accompany silent pictures). Lovingly restored, these instruments started to re-appear slowly in the 1960's, then as the momentum turned in the 1990's with a reappraisal of those old picture palaces remaining and the re-discovery of the lost art of the silent film - they are now once again trumpeting away in ever increasing profusion and hopefully reaching the ears of a new generation who maybe as fascinated as I was to first see a spotlight hit this wondrous instrument slowing climbing up out of the orchestra pit ... (The first (and best) filmed version of "The Phantom of the Opera" featuring Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin and Norman Kerry will be screened at the Regent Theatre, Collins Street, Melbourne with an organ accompaniment provided by David Johnston on Sunday, August 4, 2007)
I AM GOING TO CALL MYSELF 'VICTOR MELDREW'
Those of you who are familiar with the British Comedy series "One Foot in the Grave" will have an idea of what I am on about. The series features a reasonable sane man called Victor Meldrew who is constantly plagued by situations occurring beyond his control. His catchcry is "I don't believe it!" Yesterday I had a "I don't believe it!" moment. You see I paid off all my credit cards last month - or at least I thought I had, because yesterday I had four letters and in each of them was a bill from a credit card company. The first said I owed them three cents, the second said I owed them eight cents, the third said I owed them two cents and the fourth said I owed them zero! Now, when you consider it costs 50 cents to post a letter - and then there is the cost of the paper on which the bill is printed, the envelope and the time it takes someone to shove the bill in the envelope - you begin to wonder what lunacy runs some of the larger companies? Last week I went to the pictures. It was a very sunny day and I was wearing my sunglasses in the street. On arriving at the cinema I tried to get in. The first three doors I tried to open were locked, so moving up the line I found one that was open. Upon entering I knew that the ticket box was to the right so I instinctively turned to the right and in doing so tripped over a rope that was attached to stanchions. It was at this point I took off my sunglasses to try and figure out why on earth this rope would be there. It then became clear that it was there to block off entry from the doors that you couldn't open - which of course makes perfect sense doesn't it! I then proceeded to the ticket box. The performance was due to begin in about 2 minutes so I was surprised to see that there was not a soul in attendance at the ticket box. Then I noticed a button and a little sign which read 'Press bell if no-one in attendance'. So I did and still nobody showed up. Turning around I noticed two girls gossiping to each other at the sweets counter. I yelled out 'Is there anyone here to sell tickets?' Of course they were piqued that a customer could be so rude as to interrupt their conversation eventually one of them casually informed me that you buy tickets at the sweets counter. Now why would these girls have watched me at the ticket counter for something like five or six minutes? On eventually getting a ticket to see the picture I asked the girl why there was no sign indicating the ticket box was now at the sweets counter - she said there was. It was a small sign attached to one of the staunchions holding the ropes that I tripped over on entry.
BANK NONSENSE
The other day, it was about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. I wanted to go to the bank, but I couldn't remember what time they shut - was it 4.00pm or 5.00pm? Simply rectified I thought - I'd give the local branch a ring. I go to the 'phone book and look up the bank's entry. Hmmm, no number for the local branch, seems everything is directed to the one number. I dial the number and a pleasant enough woman answers. I exchange pleasantries only to discover that I am talking to a robot, and before I can go any further I am asked to key in my personal number. What on earth for - I am not after the safe combination! This robotic woman is upset that I haven't keyed in my number, so she goes through a whole list of things and departments I may be interested in. I'm not, so she asks whether I'd like all that information repeated. By this stage I am slowly working myself up towards having a seizure. My face is bright red, my eyes are glowering and my nostrils are flared. It suddenly dawns on the robot that all her options have not been taken up - she is left with only one thing to say - 'would I like to speak to an operator?' - Of course I so and so would! That's what I wanted in the first place without having to listen to a whole lot of nonsense wasting my time for ten minutes. Well the next thing is that I am informed I am in a queue. There must be thousands of other people out there in telephone land who are in the same plight as me, all waiting to speak to what the bank should have employed in the first place - a real, live telephoniste to answer the 'phone. In the course of the next further ten minutes I am placated by nauseating music and the insult to injury - another recoded voice informing me just how important my 'phone call is to them. I pitied in some small way the poor live person who actually answered the 'phone - but not for long. He told me his name, then asked what my name was, what was my address, date of birth, telephone number and what my grandmother ate for breakfast on the 15th August 1922. He is greeted in return by a simpering whimper - 'but all I want to know is what time the branch shuts this afternoon..." I give up. I know having technology is wonderful and a lot of it does make our lives easier, but I don't think you can successfully automate everything, especially when it is customer contact. Wake up banks!
AUCTION HOUSES
Some people on wandering into Schaanwald for the first time are apt to remark, "My Gawd, you've got a lot of ju.. er hem, stuff, where do you get it all from?" Well the answer is simply, Auction Houses, old thing. I strolled in to one, one day about 3 years ago and have been a habitué of them ever since. I now wonder why I paid high prices for new furniture in the past when I could have got a rather lovely pre-loved item. A case in point would be my Chesterfield leather suite in the drawing room. A three seater alone, new, goes for anything from $2-$4000 - whereas at auction I got a 3 seater and two armchairs for just $800. Of course you can go overboard at Auctions, getting carried away with the thrill of it all and constantly putting your hand up. You have to be disciplined, have some idea (from past experience) as to what items may probably fetch and set your limits accordingly. Some idea of what you are actually looking for is a help as well.