TANSTAAFL. But Sometimes the L Goes on Sale

I told myself for a while that I didn't need, didn't care, wouldn't get.

The Complete Works of RAH: The Virginia Edition

But they're having a sale.  So...

It'll be a while before it they get here (The 'rona + book rate) but when they do, I think it'll actually be hard to move my current RAH collection to the basement.  Even Number of the Beast.  Each of those books - the Ballantine box-set juvies with the Darrel K. Sweet covers, the 1-point font Signets, the ugly-cover Berkeley's, and the big-ass hardcovers, has a big memory (or two) for me.  I grew up with them - they entertained, informed, and instructed me.  (Well, maybe not Number so much.*)

But it's a lot of books.  And if I'm upgrading them...?

Gotta keep 'em though, because as we know, one is none, and two is one.

* I read this recently that claims Number is actually an instruction book for writers. I'd have to re-read it again to see if it holds water.

TANSTAAFL

There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch.

Meaty my boy, I can't believe we run a blog called "Men Are Not Potatoes" and neither of us have whipped out that particular Heinleinism yet, being that Mussolini In Short Pants is spending millions a day just to built a worse government mousetrap.

Men Are Not Potatoes

Where does the title for this blog come from? An excellent book that you should have all read by now.

Here's an excerpt:

Are a thousand unreleased prisoners sufficient reason to start or resume a war? Bear in mind that millions of innocent people may die, almost certainly will die, if war is started or resumed."

I didn’t hesitate. "Yes, sir! More than enough reason.""

"More than enough."

"Very well, is one prisoner, unreleased by the enemy, enough reason to start or resume a war?"

I hesitated. I knew the M. I. answer — but I didn’t think that was the one he wanted.

He said sharply, "Come, come, Mister! We have an upper limit of one thousand; I invited you to consider a lower limit of one. But you can’t pay a promissory note which reads ‘somewhere between one and one thousand pounds’ — and starting a war is much more serious than paying a trifle of money. Wouldn’t it be criminal to endanger a country — two countries in fact — to save one man? Especially as he may not deserve it? Or may die in the meantime? Thousands of people get killed every day in accidents . . . so why hesitate over one man? Answer! Answer yes, or answer no — you’re holding up the class.

"He got my goat. I gave him the cap trooper’s answer. "Yes, sir!"" ‘Yes’ what?""It doesn’t matter whether it’s a thousand — or just one, sir. You fight."

"Aha! The number of prisoners is irrelevant. Good. Now prove your answer."I was stuck. I knew it was the right answer. But I didn’t know why. He kept hounding me.

"Speak up, Mr. Rico. This is an exact science. You have made a mathematical statement; you must give proof. Someone may claim that you have asserted, by analogy, that one potato is worth the same price, no more, no less, as one thousand potatoes. No?"

"No, sir!"

"Why not? Prove it."

"Men are not potatoes."