Thank you, P.M., both for the thoughtful comments and for reminding me there were additional comments to which I had neglected to respond.

I did not want to disrupt the October OWC with comments here -- but then I forgot to come back to them -- and apologize to those commenting at the time -- an oversight I will correct with my next post.

Quoted from PrussianMosby I clicked on the link to see a real moderator's script.

Ha...contrary to popular belief, that is certainly no guarantee of quality.

Quoted from PrussianMosby When Jean wakes up at the crossroad...it's not enough developed, that he could take his fate so, don't know how to say, casually. His inner fight isn't big enough.

You could be right about that. But he knows exactly what he is doing, and I think such a "bargain" only works if you do not reflect on it too much.  The more you struggle with the decision, the less likely you are to follow through.  What he wanted was right there for the taking, and he took it.

Quoted from PrussianMosby I recognized from the start that you add some literal underlinings to strenghen the impression of your description…I think that voice and sensibilty you want to strenghen here, is already in the dialogue and as well in the description without these "bonus advice". I think you should ask yourself why you decide to go that way.

Yes, I do get called out for that, and take it as a criticism that is entirely fair.

My only response is that I write for fun, and if I disallow such things, the act of writing becomes less fun for me.  And if I am not having fun, what is the point?

I totally agree that it is too self-indulgent for some readers, but I guess my target audience is those who are more likely to forgive such transgressions.

Quoted from PrussianMosby …it's about "Guitar-Voodoo" and that Jean owned his short fame on the picture of the last victim in the footsteps of the legend Mighty fire song.

Haha...that is as good a summation as I've read.  Thank you for your comments and for taking the time to let me know what you thought.

Quoted from wonkavite Like a lot of others, I dig the artwork (even if it's not yours.)

Yeah, I went in and added a link to the guy’s work.  An important oversight I neglected at the time.  He is a talented dude, for sure, though I do not know him.  I hope he would be flattered, should he stumble upon the site.

Quoted from wonkavite Discovering that the main characters are based on actual people and legends really did augment my enjoyment of the script.  Wish I'd known that before the read.

I have no idea why I just assumed everybody would know this stuff haha.  Every new script teaches us a little something as authors, and one takeaway here certainly relates to that issue.

Quoted from wonkavite It's funny; one of the SS readers (I don't remember which one) objected to some of your more lyrical descriptions…it's bits like that which made this short stand out for me, and be something special.

I’ll bet you do so remember who it was haha.  But I don’t write for that guy.  You cannot please everyone, so it is lunacy to try, you know?

Quoted from wonkavite If I were to suggest anything, it'd be to see all other descriptions streamlined further.

So noted.  You are not the first "tolerant" reader to suggest that this script might be a little too self-indulgant, and that is helpful to hear.

Quoted from wonkavite Re:  interpretations...I'm not sure where Gaston would fit in with that...

Your take on this is close to my own, and I have the same problem that you do.  Even I am not totally certain how Gaston fits in to all of this.  Giving him the roll of money from Jean was a last minute addition, and now I second-guess that.

Removing that money would further remove Gaston from the central story, and now I kind of want these events to happen (mostly) independent of his involvement.  He would not be complicit, but totally ignorant.  But thinking on it too much gives me a headache and I have kind of written myself into a corner with this one.
  
Thanks again for your thoughts, Janet.  Always enjoyable to read your take on things.

Quoted from Guest Cool avatar, Bert.  Phantasm is a classic.

I know, right?

Quoted from Mr.Ripley However, I guess I never got the vibe that Jean wanted to be a great musician.

Hm.  That is an interesting comment.  Now I wonder if I neglected that aspect and simply assumed it went without saying.  I need to go back and look.

Thanks, Gabe

Quoted from harrietb Not sure if this is the title of a real song but works well with the script, given Jean is so ambitious and has that fire in his belly to the extent he would sell his soul to the devil.

I am surprised that you are the first to ask about the song itself.

I cribbed the title from a little-known song by John Lee Hooker.  His version has nothing to do with this story, however.  Mr. Hooker sings in his typical blues fashion about a fire at a large barn dance where many lost their lives.  Not the happiest of songs, of course, but I have always thought the title held power on its own.

Thanks again, Harriet, and the rest of you guys, for sharing your thoughts.  Fun to read them, and most appreciated.

Apologies once more for the delay in responding.

I owe a couple of feature reads but thought I'd take the time to read this. After your western I knew what to expect and you didn't disappoint. The classic 'deal with the devil' story, and you did it in an original way which has to be applauded.

Really well done. Well told, the story makes perfect sense. No plot holes. Characters well defined.

Just my type of short.

Hey, thank you, Dustin.  An unexpected surprise -- and a nice way to begin my Monday morning -- as you do not seem too shy about expressing negative opinions.

As an added bonus, you can now raise your middle finger to those who accuse you of hating absolutely everything

I couldn't find anything negative in the story. You write asides, but they aren't overly done. I like these 'twilight zone' type stories. The twilight zone was inspiration for all of my shorts.

To take an age old story, that's been told a million times, and make it fresh and entertaining isn't an easy thing to do. You avoided all cliche, and if you didn't, it wasn't obvious enough for me to notice.

I have liked and praised quite a few scripts here. I'm most likely to enjoy reading thrillers. Westerns are my second favourite and I also like twisted tales similar to this one.

Good luck in getting it produced. Have you ever tried listing shorts on inktip? I believe it's free. Never done it myself, but I do have one feature listed there.

What's up with these shorts, Bert?  Write another badass feature!

Although I think I might spend tomorrow morning checking out your oldies...


--Steve

Burt,

Had to read this as I'm a huge blues fan. I really enjoyed this little tale. It was very effectively written. And enjoyed the writing quite a bit.

Thought you did a great job with the description, setting tone, mood the world. Great job with dialogue and the creole accents.

Wasn't sure if the angle, mini slugs were completely necessary before being introduced to the scene headings. Particularly the one where we are already in the music shop. We see the shot of the record in the brown wrapper then go back to INT. Record shop. But we are already there. Think this is obvious style choice. Not really a big deal. Just confused me for a split second.

But overall I really loved this. Cool to read a spooky little blues tale. Especially with all the myth and mystery that surrounds Robert Johnson.

Nice job. Very fun read.

Quoted from JimiLamp Had to read this as I'm a huge blues fan.

Thanks, Jimi.  I am always pleased when this one finds its way into the hands of a blues fan.  That is who it was really written for, in a way.

Quoted from JimiLamp Wasn't sure if the angle, mini slugs were completely necessary before being introduced to the scene headings. Particularly the one where we are already in the music shop.  Just confused me for a split second.

You are not the first person to say this.  The bit with the whiskey glass is another instance where I do that, and I am probably doing it wrong.  I should re-examine that technique a bit and try to smooth it out somehow.  Thanks for noting a problem.  That is the most helpful stuff, actually.

Quoted from JimiLamp ...the myth and mystery that surrounds Robert Johnson.

I know, right?  I have been intrigued by his story for years.  Took a while to write one, but glad to have it done.  Thanks for reading!

Bert,

Mighty Fire proved to be an enjoyable read. A lot of that has to do with your writing skills. There are numerous elements that stand out, as other writers have pointed out. Yet, something is missing?  Do you feel the same? Have you given any thought to what's misfiring?

Just putting that out there as I gather my thoughts.

I'll give you a complete review in a day or two.

Abe

Quoted from Abe from LA Yet, something is missing?  Do you feel the same? Have you given any thought to what's misfiring?

Well, that is a pretty loaded question, Abe.

I mean, any author worth their salt should be riddled with self-doubt, right?

I have my own thoughts on that, but do not want to prejudice your own.

Curious as to your take on things, as always -- but a proven filmmaker has been sniffing around this one -- so please do not blow it out of the water haha!

Bert,

I read Mighty Fire a while back and chose to stew in my thoughts before commenting. You should know up front that I’m not a Blues fan, so I would not be your intended audience.

About 80 percent of MF is pretty darn good; good enough to make this story work for most readers. The remaining 20 percent is about potential, and if you care to go there.
  
It’s easy to get caught up in the best parts of Mighty Fire — the colorful dialect, Robert Johnson’s history, the mystery of the “last song,” the allure of Louisiana folklore, including the engaging Papa Legba, the richness of the Blues music, and the selling of one’s soul for immortality.

That’s great stuff right out of the chute. And snap if we aren’t all mesmerized by your masterful writing skills. Nice job, but you’re only part way to Mecca, my friend.

… I think you’ve written yourself into a corner. You’re making the plot/journey more important than your main character.
That’s an easy thing to do when trying to stay “true” to a mythological story with a prescribed ending. But you can create a unique main character without comprising this story’s conclusion.

My recommendation is to focus more energy in 2 areas.

1.  Your Protagonist.
2.  The song Mighty Fire.

Let’s say you have 2 guys who need to make fast  $$bank.
Guy No. 1 buys 100 lottery tickets hoping for a payoff.  Guy No. 2 is a real gambler, and he rides his last $100 on the roll of the dice. Both characters have the same goal, but take different approaches because they have diff. personalities, with different stakes. Jean seems like Guy No. 1, who is low risk, cautious; the second guy has an addictive personality, driven by inner demons, so he’s high risk—and interesting.

The outcome for both is the same, but the journey is different. Bert, I’m telling you nothing you don’t already know. This cat Jean Juneau seems to have no back story. He’s predictable.

I’m challenging you to make Jean unique. Get creative with his character. Start with empathy, then weave in his motives, his fears, create a solid past for him and that will give you subtext.
Juneau’s initial objective is to find the record and listen to the song. His greater goal is to be immortalized as one of the great bluesmen.

But why? What need does immortality fulfill?
How does Juneau think Mighty Fire will change his life? And what action does he expect to take after hearing the song? What is he risking?

Inconsequential questions? Probably to a lesser screenwriter. But to you, Bert, tapping into your creative soul for the answers will make this story sing.

Look at every scene and think about adding freshness. Drive the story forward with surprises. Create an epiphany for Jean. I want to say, “Whoa, Bert, I didn’t see that one coming.”

From the beginning.

Jean arrives in the Seventh Ward: A chance to establish empathy.
You introduce Jean as he is “strolling—striding,” with his “battered acoustic guitar.”
Consider introducing him as he arrives in town.
Jean could be a traveler from out of town, a fish out of water. Maybe he’s from another state, or from a rural area of Louisiana. Does he arrive in a taxi? Step off a bus? Hop from the back of a pickup truck?

How is Jean dressed? Farm clothes? In his moth-eaten Sunday suit? Does he have a physical condition, like a bum leg, that gets our sympathy? Is his weakness visible or hidden?
If he is a traveler, he could have a suitcase or a duffel bag. Did his mom or wife pack him some sandwiches? Does one shoe flap when he walks because the sole is loose? Does his guitar have pock marks, written inscriptions, missing strings. Is he dirt poor?

You don’t have to go overboard on descriptions. But choose wisely.
Empathy will get us to root for Juneau.
_________

When he meets Papa Legba in the record store, Jean’s dialogue seems long-winded, expository. Look at pages 3, 4, 5 and half of 6. Legba does a lot of talking, which is colorful and maybe challenging. But Jean talks too much. He even recites what he knows of the mythological journey.

Consider minimizing Juneau’s dialogue (especially the top of page 3), but make his words count.
I’ve heard that good dialogue is often an exchange of power. Here is an opportunity for some verbal sparring to advance the story. Legba says: “And the men who were brave enough… fool enough… to capture such a song — “
Juneau might counter, “But I’m no fool,” meaning he isn’t like the others.
Legba can cross-counter that “bravery” isn’t enough.

Maybe no musician has ever returned from the journey because not one has discovered (or mastered) the power of “Mighty Fire.” Perhaps it’s a ‘lost’ song because its meaning hasn’t been understood; its mystery has yet to be unraveled.

Jean can respond by implying that he knows something, maybe he has a secret of his own to beat the odds.

Rehash:   1) The title song contains something that all musicians want. Let Papa Legba build on this secret power to create drama.

2) Empower Jean Juneau. We figure he’s a good/great blues man. But what makes him worthy, better than others who have come before him? Many have taken the journey, but not one has been immortalized. Is Jean to be the first?

3)  Allow the dialogue to push the story forward. Look for spots to add subtext to reveal fears and weaknesses. And hint at strengths, something to pin our hopes on.
Bert, you figure out how this can work and what can be said. My point is find a way to create mystery and propel the story forward.

Time out to reference my favorite version of  Jason and the Argonauts (1963). The Harryhausen classic.

At 11 minutes, Jason says that he has returned to claim his rightful place as king of Thessaly. This is his primary objective.   At 12 minutes Jason reveals a plan to restore faith in the people of Thessaly—before he can be their ruler. He must find the mythical golden fleece. This quest is his immediate goal.

And its revealed that he does not believe in the Gods.
But he has a specific need only the Gods can fulfill. So before the journey, he arrives at Mt. Olympus to meet Zeus and other Gods.

ZEUS:   What is it you want, a ship, a crew?

JASON: No. Those things I can find myself.

ZEUS:   And what will you use in place of gold?

JASON: The hearts of men.

HERA:   I am Hera, queen of the Gods, and your protector on this voyage. But my Lord Zeus has decreed a limit to the number of times I may help you… do not speak now, I know what you must ask: Does the golden fleece exist and if so, where is it?

ZEUS:   That’s two questions.

HERA:   And I shall help him with one answer. Search in the land of Colchis.

JASON: Then it does exist. But Colchis, that’s the end of the world. No Greek has ever sailed there.

ZEUS:   Now that you’ve heard that are you so sure you will not need my help? Think carefully…

ZEUS (to all the Gods in Mt. Olympus): I offered him a ship, a ship and a crew. And he refused me.

A GOD:  Refused the help of the Gods?!

ZEUS (to Jason): What ship is strong enough to reach the end of the world? What crew brave enough to sail in it?

JASON:  I shall tell the ship builders of Greece that the richest cargo in the world awaits in Colchis. The golden fleece is worth a kingdom. And I shall say only the strongest ship ever built will survive the voyage. The athletes of Greece are proud. I’ll tell them only the best can expect to place in the most perilous voyage in history. I shall announce a games, invite the strongest and bravest of the Greeks. No greater games shall ever be held… unless the Gods decree otherwise.

ZEUS:   I did well to choose you, Jason. The gods are best served by those who want their help least.
___

There is a lot of exposition here and the dialogue at times runs long, but it is an example of the exchange of power between characters, and how it drives the story forward by adding tension, conflict and danger.

This scene also reveals how Jason has confidence in himself, and that he only seeks out the Gods for information — not for physical attributes.

Now think about the record Mighty Fire. It’s sort of a McGuffin — its content not important to us. But to Jean, it’s his golden fleece.
Remember, he isn’t asking to be magically transformed into a great blues musician. His goal is to hear the song. Knowledge is power. So, the knowledge Jean gains from the experience is your turning point in the story. And will drive him forward at the crossroads.
___________
I like the scene where Juneau must surrender his guitar (soul) for the record. But can you add more to it? Let’s say Jean opens his wallet, offering all the cash. This is an op to add to his story. Might we see a photo. A picture of his family, maybe?
Or maybe an old photo of Robert Johnson posing with a mysterious young stranger. Possibly a fellow musician, Jean’s grandfather?? Lots of ways to go, but create mystery and a possible solution on how Jean can beat the odds of the journey.
When Jean finally pulls out the roll of money (a last resort), he can let us know that it’s his life savings. So, now he’s gambling everything to learn the secret of Mighty Fire. More risk, more tension.

And why is this guitar so important? Maybe it was passed down from his father and grandfather (back story). So the guitar could have some identifiable physical features, which could come into play later.
_________________
P 6-7
I’m not in favor of Jean drinking, but can live with it.
You have Juneau back at his apartment? No way. It just doesn’t work if this guy lives within walking distance of the record store. Again, a traveler feels right for this story. It’s part of his long journey.
How about Jean staying at a seedy hotel?

I get why Jean has to use headphones. But let it be for organic reasons. Such as the hotel walls are so thin, we can hear the whores and the johns moaning. No way can Jean listen to Mighty Fire over somebody’s orgasm.
He’ll have to borrow a record player, headphones. Maybe from the front desk. Obviously this is off-camera stuff.

OK, I’m with you on the visuals as we see Jean listening to MF.
PP  7-8
Jean’s reaction, his frustration. We don’t know why he’s reacting this way here. He should pull the headphone jack from the record player. A natural reaction in case the headphone is malfunctioning.
Frustration – Jean shatters the record. An impulse. OK, I get it.
So, now what? The record grooves have disappeared. Some strange hoodoo going on? So, frustration pushes  Jean to continue the journey?

Consider: Can’t Jean’s frustration give way to ENLIGHTENMENT? Let’s give him a moment of epiphany.  This will be a plot point in the story.
The song should inspire Jean. Mighty Fire burns in his eyes, for it has awakened something internal. What does he do?
He takes a pen and writes words on a napkin or toilet paper. Or the palm of his hand.
Is he trying to recall the lyrics of Mighty Fire, as he heard it? It’s a mystery for now, but it has our attention.
Is Jean a songwriter? A great songwriter? Somebody who could be inspired by Mighty Fire to pen a great blues tune. Maybe.
________
Now you’ve empowered Jean to return for his guitar. Now it’s about the music that is the pull, and his willingness to gamble and take the journey. He believes he has solved the riddle.

After the journey, I wouldn’t mind seeing a brief scene of Jean Juneau playing in a nightclub (MOS). Just to know that he is a real musician, and has reaped the benefits of the journey.
A nightclub scene will also duplicate the RJ scene earlier in the script.
____________
Another way to go?

Consider:  What if Jean only heard part of Mighty Fire? Maybe the lost song is only ½ a song. What if Robert Johnson died before finishing it?
And now Jean thinks he can complete the song. Thus, his music and Robert Johnson’s music become one.
________________
Me thinks there is only one way to end this story and that is Robert Johnson returning over and over. He returns to complete his song through the soul of other bluesmen. Your instincts here were spot on.

If that immortal photo of Jean Juneau on the wall is really Robert Johnson incarnated, we could see RJ with JJ’s guitar. Every young blues hopeful adds something to the legend — if they’re worthy. Most aren’t.

Bert, the beauty is you don’t have to overhaul your story. You can keep the story line intact, because in the end, Jean’s goals have been met. His arc has been completed.

Think about making interesting and surprising choices for Jean so the journey feels fresh. This should be up your creative alley.   I hope you’re inspired to take the journey.

— Abe

Thanks again, Abe, for another batch of notes that are every bit as daunting as they are thought-provoking.  Like you, I mulled things over a bit prior to responding.

Quite a bit to take in, and while I am not sure I am going in the exact direction you propose, a new spin I am pondering does spring directly from your thoughts.  

Quoted from Abe from LA I think you have written yourself into a corner...the plot/journey more important than your main character...an easy thing to do when trying to stay "true" to a mythological story with a prescribed ending.

While I had hoped Jean was not bland, I cannot deny that this story is less about him and more about the events that surround him.

Quoted from Abe from LA What is he risking?

Yep.  So fundamental, and I appreciate your shaking that out.  You make many fair points and good suggestions in regards to this, and I take exception with only a few.

Quoted from Abe from LA Jean could be a traveler from out of town, a fish out of water.

But Jean is a product of this environment, and he is meant to be at home on the seedy streets of NOLA.  I do agree with suggesting that a long and arduous journey be implied, apart from simple dialogue.  This needs thought.

The veritable tutorial on dialogue that you provided needs no comment, really.  It is acknowledged and gratefully accepted.  This also needs thought.  Lots of good things in there, actually.

Quoted from Abe from LA Empower Jean Juneau...what makes him worthy...maybe he has a secret of his own to beat the odds?

Landing now on one of the minor items from your spectrum of thoughts, what you have me toying with is the idea that the guitar is more than just a guitar; this is why Legba wants it, and why it is an asset to Jean during his journey.  Perhaps there is some source of power there.  Or something.

Another poster commented that the guitar should be a "character."  This struck me as a bit silly at the time, but less so upon reflection.

Not sure what I am doing with that thought, exactly, but it is there now.

Quoted from Abe from LA I get why Jean has to use headphones. But let it be for organic reasons.  Such as the hotel walls are so thin, we can hear the whores and the johns moaning.

This I love haha.  Perhaps your specific example, perhaps something else, but on the whole, near-perfect in the old feedback department.  It is a detail that troubled me a bit, why he would even use them.

Quoted from Abe from LA The song should inspire Jean. Mighty Fire burns in his eyes, for it has awakened something internal.

Well, yeah.  I went with madness.  Too subtle, perhaps, and I do not think anybody is really getting that.  But then, it was not supposed to be overt, either; only suggested.

Quoted from Abe from LA He takes a pen and writes words on a napkin or toilet paper.

Love this, too, and I say this in part because I totally played with exactly this idea early on. And the paper would be blank when Jean examined it later.  But it became an awkward detail to shoehorn into the story, disrupting the flow.  Perhaps that avenue is not a complete dead-end, though.  More thought.

Quoted from Abe from LA In the end, Jean's goals have been met. His arc has been completed.

But this is supposed to be tragic!  A parable of abject failure.  We are traveling in the realm of the Blues here.  But again, that is plot trumping character, isn't it, and I get what you are saying.

And I get all of it, even the pieces and parts absent in these comments.  It is interesting (and frustrating) to see where you go poking ol' Jean in the ribs and find him lacking.

Thanks again for all of this, Abe.  You are always a pleasure to read when you go deep.  While I realize that you seem to pop into SS with all the frequency of a deadbeat dad, please let me know when you have something new floating around so that the favor might be returned.  Cheers.

Bert,

The curious thing is that this story of the musician’s journey and the crossroads is so familiar, yet I never saw the movie, “Crossroads,” nor had any idea who Robert Johnson was prior to your story, and my only recollection of Papa Legba was possibly through an episode of “Miami Vice.”
So, go figure.

I hear you about the story being king in this instance. I read it initially for the story, and then made a couple of follow-up reads for character, with the “what if…” angle.

Also strange (on my part) is that the more I read, the less ominous Legba seemed. I guess I never saw him as evil, more of a predator in wait. Maybe like a spider on a web. Victims come to him opposed to him being part of the “lure.”

Gradually he became less predatory and more about temptation and the good/evil in all of us. Legba also has such colorful dialogue, how could I hate the guy?

There is one enjoyable thing I didn’t mention earlier.
The little girl Sabine is one of my favorite characters here. There’s a freshness and unfamiliarity about her. I tuned into her character immediately. Could you introduce her earlier? What if she’s in the shop when Jean first arrives? That would make her part of the both worlds. But since she is Gaston’s daughter, I guess that would be awkward.

One suggestion is to have Sabine holding the Papa Legba doll near the story’s end. That seems natural. She can toss the doll to Jean. Opps, I guess it’s a figurine, rather than a doll. My bad.

Just an observation, but when you introduce the rogue’s gallery of Bluesmen, I wondered if they too had sold their souls.  That popped into my head on first read.

Another niggle. Why is Jean age 27? I guess it’s to fit into the story and make the connection to RJ. But when I first saw age 27, and that Jean lives close to the shop, I asked, “What the hell took this guy so long to search for MF?” When did this guy get into the blues?
Just throwing that out there.

At the crossroads, Legba tells Jean “if you take one more step forward, ain’t no turning back.” I’d like to see Jean take that step forward — to retrieve his guitar.

In the end, not sure why Gaston approaches the portrait of Robert Johnson? It’s as if he sees Juneau’s face instead of RJ’s. If Gaston is in on the mythological element, then so be it. Can Sabine be also in on the myth?

It’s true, if Gaston deposits the roll of Jean’s money into the register, he’s guilty. He knows. An alternative would be if Sabine opens the register and deposits the $$. She can be the link. Gaston might not even notice.

And from Sabine, then we can see that grinning Legba statuette. You can see that I’m looking for every opp to get Sabine more involved, ha ha.  

Again, it’s your writing skills that made this a worthy journey for me. The characters’ accent had me from the getgo.  Nice job overall and as always, anything I say hopefully provokes thought.
Good luck with this script.

— Abe

Quoted from Abe from LA The little girl Sabine is one of my favorite characters here…Could you introduce her earlier?

Now there's a thought.

Quite honestly, Sabine was simply a construct placed there so Gaston could deliver his final lines regarding the blues.  Fact is, that dialogue was one of the first things I had written for this piece, and I could never work it in.

It was driving me crazy.  So I just created Sabine to solve the problem.

Interesting that you think she is Gaston's daughter.  She is just a hang-around kid, but I see where you are coming from.

The idea of using her as a bookend -- up front, then again at the conclusion -- is yet another intriguing idea.  Perhaps she could clear up a bit of the ambiguity here in a non-expository fashion?

Just because she was a tossed-off bit of character does not mean she cannot serve a greater function here, and I like many of the nuggets you propose for her.  I am just not sure yet which ones I like the most haha.

I will certainly stir that into the pot and see what happens.  Again, thank you, Abe, for your time and insight.  Good stuff, as always.