Le Monde de Fromage de Kate

What will I be doing on LIVESTRONG® Day 2007 (May 16, 2007)? Judging from the video below, I will be standing with a group of about two hundred people wearing yellow t-shirts (I TOLD you free T-shirts) behind Lance Armstrong who will be at a podium speaking with great intent, the Capitol rotunda visible in the background. Amen.

Now I must apologize to Mic, because I was to include the following video in the post that announced our www.WeMustAct.org site launch. Whoops. But here is is NOW:

Music Video for Maybe Tonight, Maybe Tomorrow

The link for this song is also in my sidebar. ALL proceeds from the its sale (through iTunes) go to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation. I know it’s not expensive, but those dollars add up. And in case you didn’t know, you can “gift” songs on iTunes. There’s a little button below the “Buy Album” button that says “Gift This Music”; you pay, and someone else gets the credit to download it (I believe that’s how it works).

Okay – back to LIVESTRONG® Day 2007. Provided on the Lance Armstrong Foundation website are some great ideas for events that you could promote locally in order to honour LIVESTRONG® Day 2007.

LIVESTRONG Day Local Event Ideas

Below are several ideas for LIVESTRONG Day events and activities to implement in your local community on Wednesday, May 16, to help make cancer a national priority.

1. Wear yellow on LIVESTRONG Day and encourage your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers to do the same. Official LIVESTRONG clothing and merchandise can be purchased online at www.store-laf.org. Proceeds from the LIVESTRONG Store benefit the LAF.
3. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper about the issues cancer survivors face and the need to make cancer a national priority.
5. Ask people to stand with Lance and sign a petition to help make cancer a national priority. (Additional materials will be provided to incorporate this activity into your event.)
7. Gather a group and deliver LIVESTRONG wristbands to elected officials in your local community and educate them about cancer survivorship issues.
9. Hold a candlelight vigil in honor of cancer survivors in your local community.
11. Have a local priest, minister or rabbi hold a survivorship spiritual ceremony at a local place of worship.
13. Organize a group to volunteer at your local cancer hospital/clinic or other cancer-related organization.
15. Hold a cancer survivorship rally at a local park, your state capitol or other municipal building.
17. Coordinate a parade in your community honoring local cancer survivors.
19. Dedicate a local park or garden to cancer survivors.

If you have additional LIVESTRONG Day event ideas to share, send an email to livestrongday@laf.org.

There are also wonderful ideas for activities that specifically target the participation of young people:

Ideas for LIVESTRONG Day Events and Activities Involving Youth

Educators across the country inquired about LIVESTRONG Day events and activities in schools. Here are a few ideas to encourage youth participation on LIVESTRONG Day.

1. Encourage all students to wear yellow on Wednesday, May 16, as a show of support for people affected by cancer. Also encourage them to wear a LIVESTRONG wristband. Students also can create a linked wristband chain (made of yellow construction paper) to show support for local cancer survivors.
3. Have students prepare a presentation on Lance Armstrong, the mission of the LAF, and the needs of cancer survivors and their loved ones.
5. Hold a penny drive on LIVESTRONG Day and donate all proceeds to the LAF.
7. If you have a child or teacher with cancer at your school, invite a local oncology nurse or social worker to explain the cancer experience and answer questions.
9. Create a wall to pin descriptions of what LIVESTRONG means to each student. It can also be turned into a photo memory board/wall in honor of or in memory of someone with cancer.
11. Ask students to create artwork or cards that can be given to a local pediatric oncology unit or a child/teacher with cancer at the school.
13. Do a report on a book written by a cancer survivor or a book that addresses an experience with cancer. Here are some recommendations:

• LIVESTRONG: Inspirational Stories from Cancer Survivors from Diagnosis to Treatment and Beyond by the Lance Armstrong Foundation now available in the LIVESTRONG Store.
• It’s Not About the Bike by Lance Armstrong and Sally Jenkins
• Every Second Counts by Lance Armstrong and Sally Jenkins
• Here and Now: inspiring Stories of Cancer Survivors by Elena Dorfman and Heidi Schultz Adams
• No Boundaries: A Cancer Surgeon’s Odyssey by LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr. M.D.
• Voices from the Edge by Michael Hays Samuelson
• The Link to Beating Cancer: The Real Life story of a teenage cancer survivor by John Link

These things are not difficult. Last LIVESTRONG® Day, in addition to “Blogging Against Cancer,” I handed out LIVESTRONG® wristbands to completely random strangers as I ran errands. Some of them put them right on and seemed genuinely touched. Others seemed a little confused, but I did my best to explain. It was worth it.

IMPORTANT: If you want a LIVESTRONG® wristband BUY IT FROM AN AUTHORIZED SOURCE. Right now, I believe that is ONLY through the LIVESTRONG Store. Nike held an approved campaign during which they donated one million dollars to the Lance Armstrong Foundation and raised an additional five million through sales of wristbands a
t their stores. However, their website now directs people to buy them directly from the LAF. Please DO NOT buy LIVESTRONG® wristbands through any of the myriad Internet sites that sell them (usually at inflated prices). They are profiting – illegally and contemptibly – from the sale of an item that should directly benefit cancer research, cancer support, cancer treatment and cancer advocacy through the Lance Armstrong Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Believe me, I wrote many an angry letter to vendors who were selling the wristbands at a inflated price. Their response was that the money that it cost them to SUPPLY their endeavors went into the charity coffers. I countered that if they were so generous, they should donate ALL the money to the cause. I also pointed out that they were violating copyright infringement laws, etc. I scared a few. Unfortunately, there were too many wretched, greedy vendors for me to make much of a difference. So, at this point, I will merely say PLEASE purchase them through the correct channels. If you really, really want one and don’t think you can afford to order some (as you buy them in batches of ten) I will GIVE you one. This is a first come, first serve offer. I will even mail them, as they are small and light.
LIVESTRONG®!!!

About a month ago I applied to be a delegate for my state to attend LIVESTRONG® Day in Washington, D.C. Well HUZZAH and GREAT CELEBRATION is in order! My application was accepted and I’ve been invited to participate in LIVESTRONG® Day as a representative of Utah. I doubt that I’m the ONLY delegate from Utah, as my application, I decided in retrospect, made me sound slightly CRAZY, though qualified in many respects. They would probably want someone else around from the state to mitigate any insanity.

As delegates we’ll attend a day of advocacy training on May 15, 2007. Then, on LIVESTRONG® Day 2007 – Wednesday, May 16, 2007 – we will meet with our respective Senators and Representatives to share our stories and to share to “urge Congress to support legislation that benefits the cancer community.”

I would like to solicit ideas from anyone with a vested interest in cancer-related issues. Please let me know what issues you’d like be discussed in Washington and will do my best to accommodate you (unless you propose that I go and petition for “National Wear an Armadillo as a Hat Day” – it may already exist, anyway – as a turophile I was relieved to find that “Cheese Sacrifice Purchase Day” and “Moldy Cheese” day BOTH exist – July 29th and October 9th, respectively – and that’s despite the fact that we have an official dairy MONTH and a cheesecake day…). ‘Kay. I should probably get back to the issue and hand.

So, what can you do from home that will help this worthy cause? I would FIRST suggest a lovely donation to the LIVESTRONG® European Cycling Team (not JUST for Europeans, remember – and it turns out that you needn’t be a cyclist either – you can run or walk – or stay home and feel ever-so contented about supporting such a good cause):

The Lance Armstrong Foundation provides the airfare and hotel accomodations for all LIVESTRONG® Day delegates, and the registration fee is fairly nominal (and I am applying for a scholarship for that fee). AND I do believe there is FREE T-SHIRT involved! Because my expenses will be minimal (and you COULD assist me with those costs by buying cheese and books, etc. from my affiliate sites on my right-hand sidebar…), I have committed myself to the larger fundraising effort for the LIVESTRONG® European Cycling Team. I love the fact that it is an International collaborative effort, and if we can reach the lofty goals set by the team, IMAGINE what that money could do for cancer research, treatment and advocacy!

Anyhoo, as my voice will be heard on Capitol Hill, I really would like to express the collective concerns of our community, this state, the US and yes, even the world – while I have this unique opportunity. Otherwise, I might just try and filibuster something for the hell of it.

Oh – David and Julianne? I’m coming to visit you right after LIVESTRONG® Day. SURPRISE!

Now ASHLEY, if you could just get some major grassroots advocacy event going in Kansas so I could get free airfare, I’d REALLY appreciate it. It would make visiting a lot easier…

Evidently, the above is the CORRECT Irish spelling of the often-anglicized phrase:

And now EVERYBODY join in on the chorus:

One, two, three, four five,
Hunt the hare and turn her
Down the rocky road
And all the ways to Dublin,
Whack-fol-lol-de-ra.

Sorry. I cannot help but break out into festive song on this day. But that reminds me: As I’ve suggested before, a lovely St. Paddy’s day activity would be to go see the Salty Frogs, “an electric, powerful, original, groovy, funky, energetic, Celtic fusion experience.” You do NOT want to miss Bronwen Beecher, The Fiddle Preacher, et al. Here are the details of their St. Paddy’s Extravaganza:

The Huka Bar (a private club for members and their guests*)
151 East 6100 South
Murray, UT
(801) 281-4852

Oh. And are the links to a FINE bunch of literature I composed upon Saint Patrick’s Days past. Soooo informative:

• Saint Patrick’s Day, 2006
• Saint Patrick’s Day, 2005
• Saint Patrick’s Day, 2004

Sláinte!

*Translation for those not “in the know” about Utah legal club issues and liquor laws, this just means you grab a stranger with a membership and they will sponsor you. Or you buy a temporary membership -usually cheap.

Thank you Ashley, for providing the PERFECT segue into a shameless self-promotion. Ashely asked:

Hey KAte-

Can you find me some place to buy blueberry bluecheese? I have had no luck. We had it that one time at the Juhl house, but haven’t ever seen it since.

The untimely demise of the Juhl Haus was a tragedy, indeed. Nonetheless, Smash, I CAN help you find that very product. Moreover, if you purchase it THROUGH me, I will get a cut of the profits!

WHAAAAT??? One may ask? Well, as any self-respecting TUROPHILE blogger would do, I have become a CHEESE affiliate. Oh yes. No Amazon affiliation for ME (it’s so DONE – sorry, My Friends). OKAY – so I am a Barnes and Noble Affiliate (not that I’m not an Amazon and everywhere else shopper), but I think the interface at Barnes and Noble is much prettier.

Back to the CHEESE, of course. I am a CheeseSupply.com affiliate (and YES, please use my affiliate links from my right-hand sidebar if you’d like to buy some CHEESE or Cheese supplies or even books and Barnes and Noble).

CheeseSupply.com has a HUGE and varied selection (the largest I’ve seen), which impressed me, and they always have something on sale. The thing that REALLY impressed me, though, was that when I had difficulty obtaining their “raw datafeed” – I’m actually considering my own Cheese Shoppe storefront – I sent an email to them. And what do you know, THEY CALLED ME! I didn’t catch the call, so they LEFT A MESSAGE. How’s that for service? That was a while ago. Hmmm. I should RETURN that call.

Anyhoo, YES, Smash, I can help you find a lovely blueberry blue-cheese. I think what we had at Juhl Haus was a Blueberry Stilton. Ah ha! What do you know? If you click on of the links in my right-hand sidebar (either the moving banner for CheeseSupply.com OR one of the three cheeses on special right now) you will get to the webpage. There, if you search by “blueberry” you will find that they carry “White Stilton with Blueberry Truckle” – essentially the same thing we had. And it looks just DELICIOUS. It is an English cheese, which surely, is the ONLY kind of Stilton one should trust, as it’s named after an English village – where, ironically, it has never been made. It is produced nearby in three local counties and is only licensed to be produced IN THOSE COUNTIES by one of six strictly-audited dairies.

So, if you NEED cheese (and one does not “want” cheese, one NEEDS cheese), PLEASE purchase your cheese through me!

I have ALWAYS loved Grettir’s Tidbits (Hey – don’t look at me – HE named them – he could have just as well have chosen “Chunks” and still stayed within the whole “tiny pineapple” theme…). But March, in my opinion, has been a banner Tidbits month so far.

Stephen Hawking, Ira Glass – CODE MONKEY – the song, “Code Monkey,” is delightful, but please check out the other selections – two of my particular favourites are “I Crush Everything” and “Beds Hurt My Booty.” I really related to those songs; they hit me right in the gut.

Sometimes Grettir’s Tidbits are reflective, sometimes they are touching, sometimes thought-provoking, often HILARIOUS; each one is worth further examination.

I am going to share, however, the Tidbit that made me guffaw, chortle, snorkel and weep until tears poured down my face (I really needed a good laugh – I shan’t guarantee that you’ll find it QUITE as hilarious). Forgive me, Grettir, but I am going to include the text in its entirety. One really needs to get the whole picture (and I wish they’d INCLUDED pictures). So here, from the March 2, 2007 edition of the New York Times:

Swiss Accidentally Invade Liechtenstein

ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) — What began as a routine training exercise almost ended in an embarrassing diplomatic incident after a company of Swiss soldiers got lost at night and marched into neighboring Liechtenstein.

According to Swiss daily Blick, the 170 infantry soldiers wandered just over a mile across an unmarked border into the tiny principality early Thursday before realizing their mistake and turning back.

A spokesman for the Swiss army confirmed the story but said that there were unlikely to be any serious repercussions for the mistaken invasion.

”We’ve spoken to the authorities in Liechtenstein and it’s not a problem,” Daniel Reist told The Associated Press.

Officials in Liechtenstein also played down the incident.

Interior ministry spokesman Markus Amman said nobody in Liechtenstein had even noticed the soldiers, who were carrying assault rifles but no ammunition. ”It’s not like they stormed over here with attack helicopters or something,” he said.

Liechtenstein, which has about 34,000 inhabitants and is slightly smaller than Washington DC, doesn’t have an army.

There are SO many levels upon which this is droll and comical and damned entertaining; I couldn’t BEGIN to touch upon them all. Consider the staid tone of the article, the assurances from spokespeople from BOTH countries that we should rest easy and know that they had handled everything through dimplomatic channels and there would be no sudden war of the absurdly small country (with NO ARMY) and its infamously neutral neighbor. Afterall, “It’s not like they stormed over here with attack helicopters or something…”

And I must say this right off the bat; I personally maintain that ANYTHING that mentions Liechtenstein or, for that matter, Luxembourg is inherently funny (come on fans of The Smiths – which instantly makes me sound five hundred years old – “…a buck-toothed girl in Luxembourg” – that’s got to be the most amusing lyric Morrissey ever sang).

I’m sorry, Liechtensteinians and Luxembourgaroos (?) you MUST know that this is the case. For crying out loud, the National Motto of Luxembourg – in LUXEMBOURGISH, naturally – is “Mir wëlle bleiwe wat mir sinn” – which translates roughly to “We wish to remain what we are.” Indeed, they wish to remain a ridiculously small country (don’t worry – I’ll get back to the even more preposterously diminutive Liechtenstein momentarily) that is fundamentally amusing.

Liechtenstein is too itty-bitty to even HAVE a National Motto. And I still cannot get over the final sentence/paragraph of the above article, “Liechtenstein, which has about 34,000 inhabitants and is slightly smaller than Washington DC, doesn’t have an army.”

NO ARMY??? They have to borrow all their culture from other German-speaking countries (I’m not kidding) and they have NO ARMY? The way I figure it, if you have a population of approximately 34,000 you should have a specialized corps of at LEAST fifty or so combantants of some ilk armed with marshmallow guns (I already have my own – “Truly Ammo-licious!” – so if they ever hire mercenaries, I am THERE).

That reminds me of something: Am I the ONLY one who forgets most of the time that SWITZERLAND has an army? And they have ASSAULT RIFLES (unloaded, yes, but ASSAULT RIFLES)? Let’s see – renowned for a long and proud history of neutrality ≠ ASSAULT RIFLES.

Hold on, hold on – if die Schweiz did NOT have an army, then we would not have Swiss army knives. I have a PERONALIZED one that Janet brought me back from Switzerland, in fact (made in China???). I imagine, however, that the assault-rife-carrying (UNLOADED) army has very little to do with the success of superb timepieces, delicious chocolate or very discrete bank accounts. I’d also rule out yodeling, Alpenhorns, and those really big rescue dogs (someone help me out here – AH – Saint Bernards) with the little kegs of brandy worn about their necks – OH and of course, the CHEESE. I don’t think these are army things.

Anyhoo, thank you Grettir for always providing a much-needed laugh.

Oh – and BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH yadah yadah yahah the Soothsayer blah blah blah. If everyone would just read Julius Caesar I wouldn’t have to go over this every year. Sheesh.

I forgot an important detail about the LIVESTRONG® European Cycling Team, which endeavors to raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation: Not only can you donate money to support the team (pretty, pretty PLEASE – seriously – $10, $5 – $1.75 – ANYTHING makes a difference – and thank you so much for what has come in so far):

BUT, you can also JOIN the team. Here’s some info from the Team Page:

This is the team for you if you’re European, you have European roots or you just want to have fun riding in a team rather than being on your own. You don’t have to be a brilliant athlete to ride with us- the only requirement we have is enjoying yourself while making a difference in the fight against cancer and celebrating the Livestrong idea during the Challenge weekend.

Please support our team as we make a difference in the battle against cancer with my participation in the LIVESTRONG Challenge, which benefits the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation inspires and empowers people affected by cancer. The LAF believes that unity is strength, knowledge is power, and attitude is everything.

I am a “Euro-mutt” by ancestry, as is almost everyone I know, and since neither being European nor having European ancestry are a requirement anyway, everyone qualifies for the team!

I, myself, have pledged to assist Mic in reaching his goal of raising $25,000 (USD) for the team (and that isn’t just because I’ve not ridden a bicycle since I was fourteen – wait – I road a tandem bicycle a decade or so ago…). But fundraising and building a team are both part of of Mic and Henrike’s venture.

And now that I’ve brought up the athletic option, wouldn’t the tired and arthritic demographic (of which I’m a part) find it easier to support this invaluable cause by following a few simple computer links? Okay, I’m not trying to discourage you if you are a motivated cyclist, I’m just saying that we can ALL take part in the Ride for the Roses!

I have been horribly, TERRIBLY remiss. I have mentioned cancer many times and discussed those about whom I care who have been affected by this disease. I have talked about those we have lost, I have mentioned those for whom we have abiding hope and through it all I have completely neglected one of the most amazing cancer survivors I know.

She is my Aunt Linda. And she not only an inspirational survivor, she is one of the finest people I have ever met:

My Aunt Linda & Uncle Ralph
December 21, 2001

I may not have all the details of her cancer survival story correct, but I’ll do my best. I believe it started about twenty years ago, soon after Linda married my Uncle Ralph. They are such a wonderful couple and we were delighted that they found each other. Not long after the wedding, Linda was diagnosed with uterine cancer. She had a hysterectomy and radiation treatments. I cannot imagine what that was like; such a young, nurturing person having the possibility of bearing children taken away so suddenly.

But I have NEVER heard her gripe or bemoan her situation. In fact, my negligence in mentioning her incredible spirit and her embodiment of a survivor is due, in part, to the fact that she DOES NOT complain (not that this excuses me). I have only heard her mention her cancer treatment empathetically in order to comfort others. If she is troubled by something it takes a backseat to helping everyone else around her.

Instead of despairing and giving up, Linda and Ralph have enriched the lives of so many children. They served as loving foster parents for a number of troubled children. And, after the typically long journey and difficulty with the “system,” they adopted a son. For years they have given him such love, support and so many wonderful opportunities (a fact that is somewhat lost on him at the moment, but I believe very strongly that he will acknowledge someday).

Moreover, Linda is a nurse. She has overseen, with gentleness and compassion, the care of family members. She also serves as, I have no doubt, an “angel of mercy” at the State Mental Hospital. I have always maintained that it takes a very special individual to be a nurse. PERIOD. I think to be a nurse to the mentally ill must take twice or thrice the amazing patience and beneficence. I admire her more than I can say.

Linda is a person worth emulating in so many ways. She is like sunshine; when she visits she always walks into the door immediately radiating a kind and warm spirit. She is always ready to give a comforting and reassuring hug, a loving prayer (she and Uncle Ralph have a deep and abiding spirituality that they share in a generous yet thoughtful way with everyone they meet), a nonjudgmental listening ear and completely selfless expressions of love for everyone and everything.

I want her to know how highly I regard her and how much I love her. She is an incredible example of a humble and noble individual. Thank you, Aunt Linda, for all your sweet-tempered, bighearted encouragement. It is a gift to have you in my life!

“Chain, Chain, CHAIN…. Chain, Chain, CHAIAIAIAIAIAIAIAN – Chain of …”

Oh – Sorry. I was just remembering what a fun song that is to sing at Karaoke bars. Mind you, THAT song is all about a “chain of fools,” whereas I’ve been contemplating Mic’s concept of a chain.

His chain would be comprised of…well, NOT fools. Rather, each link would be comprised of a discerning individual who comprehended a more global “vision” and who cared deeply about the sort of issues that affect us all, especially the treatment of, research for and support of those affected by cancer.

It reminds me of that old shampoo commercial in which one woman, so intensely satisfied with her mind-blowing shampooing experience that she fervently suggests, “You tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and so on and so on….” until the screen is chock-full of the head-shots of women who are suspiciously ecstatic about that particular hair care product (I don’t even remember which one it was – I just know it wasn’t the beer shampoo, because that said something about, “You HEAD can’t get drunk” – right?). Sorry. This is a horrible metaphor in that it’s so cheesy that it will clog our brains with “thought cholesterol.”

On the other hand, the concept of even ONE person telling another person and THAT person sharing the information with one person or perhaps SEVERAL people is something that can make an amazing impact. You know that game, “gossip?” Never mind. That doesn’t really apply here, because I would hope that THIS message wouldn’t get distorted into unintelligible gobbledygook.

It IS, however, a little like the concept of “six degrees of separation.” OR “Six degrees of Kevin Bacon.” FYI, I’m either four or five degrees from Kevin Bacon (with the given that we’re counting “industrial” films and making it only four if we count TV appearances – TV SERIES, not awards shows).

But let me ACTUALLY and TRULY get to the point: Jennette, my Dear Cousin, YOU ARE LINK NUMERO UNO in this “chain of hope,” as imagined by Michele Capaccioli and Henrike Hirsch and embodied in the LIVESTRONG® European Cycling Team, which endeavors to raise A LOT of money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation (and I intend to talk on another occasion why I think one should donate to the Lance Armstrong Foundation). You even got your VERY OWN International mention.

I thank you so much, and my Dad is very honoured. Mic had this to say in one of his LIVESTRONG® European Cycling Team articles:

As far as my fundraising campaign is concerned, it seems to me we have the power to assist the progress of research under the premise that “every little bit helps.” If 1,000 people simple donated $25 (USD) or one hundred people managed to donate $250 (USA) we would reach our goal

And I actually think we can break it down even further. How about 10,000 people donating $2.50? Someone recently mentioned to me that she only had, “Three dollars and twelve pennies to my [her] name.” So $2.50 falls well within that budget. I’m NOT being facetious (not about the actual ISSUE, anyway).

I do believe that EVERY little bit counts; every ten dollars or a dollar or even a penny gets us just a little closer to the goal. Mic says it best:

Some might argue that it is, at the very least, a difficult effort, and, at the worst, an insurmountable objective. Nevertheless, as stated many years ago by Tommy Lasorda, “The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in man’s determination.”

Please help this admirable cause

So, YOU tell two friends, they tell two friends, and so on and so on and so on…

Happy Birthday, Dad – you old fuzzer*!!!

I hope you enjoy those lovely Cd’s that arrived oh-so-fortuitously the day before your birthday which I bedecked with the festive bow . The fact that you chose them, ordered them and purchased them for yourself is not particularly germane, right? At least it’s not like those Christmases when I wrapped up all the Cd’s that I’d borrowed from you over that particular year and then gave them to you as a present (ha – that was FUNNY).

Here I offer you carrots with which to make your most favourite kind of cake:

TrÚs chic carrots, yes? AND they are much better than these:

And there’s THIS one:

I do not believe that vegetables should have the power to gawk at one NOR should they be able to ogle AND saunter about under their own power. Well, I guess potatoes can have “eyes,” but they should not be able to stare at anyone.

Oh. And you shall not have THIS cake, notwithstanding the lovely pineapple, because it has SATAN’S EVEYBALLS all over it. Ewww.
Anyhoo, Happiest of Happy Days, Dad. I love you!
AND MANY, MANY MORE!!!

*That is HIS expression, not mine.

I had been giving my Father a hard time about his “creative” financial practices, and said of a particular way of distributing funds, “It’s just all made up anyway.”

This was his response:

It’s not “made up,” it’s a matter of OPTIONS.

I shall remember this sage advice the next time something “legal” comes up in my life. Thanks Dad.