What is the Meaning of Meaningless?

Rails from the Rails 23 – What’s the Meaning of Meaningless?(as seen here)

All Aboard: “The spirit, the will to win, and the will to excel are the things that endure. These qualities are so much more important than the events that occur.” – Vince Lombardi

Tickets Please: Games have meaning on many layers and in many ways. When people suggest that some football games are meaningless I wish they would be more specific. We have found ourselves with two games at the end of the season that have no meaning in a certain sense: we cannot make the playoffs. And make no mistake; this is extremely frustrating and disappointing. But even in the standings, these games are still significant. Where we finish will determine where and when we get to pick in the coming year’s draft. And the outcomes of the games have a big impact on the other teams who are fighting for playoff positioning. Thus, the games are significant in the standings despite our untimely exit from the playoffs. I would like to discuss 3 other ways in which these apparently meaningless games have great meaning for the players: competition, character, and “corazon”.
Competitive Significance – All games have great meaning for competitors. CFL athletes rose to the elite level they are at because, for the most part, they are very competitive. Competition is the fuel that fires their engines. Under no circumstance am I, or any other CFLer, indifferent about winning or losing. To win is the thing! Furthermore, most football positions, especially those on the line of scrimmage, compete in a fashion that is akin to hand-to-hand combat. We contact, collide, and carom of one another with significant force. If you lose on the gridiron it is probably because the other team physically beat you down. And that infuses every play of every game with meaning. It means a great deal to me from a competitive standpoint if I get beat up, beat down, or just plain beat.
Character Consequence – These games have meaning because they are both creators of character and indicators of character. Games like these show what kind of integrity a person has. Does one prepare and practice for this game as you would for any other? Does one exert the same amount of effort in games that seemingly lack playoff implications? Is one as passionate for this competition as others? If a player answers no to any of the preceding queries I think that their integrity is called into question. But, if one pursues excellence in these games as he would in many others than his character is strengthened and he has shown himself to be who he purports to be. If “character is king”, then I don’t want to be the emperor with no clothes.
Corazon - Corazon is the Spanish word for heart. In ancient times and now, the heart can mean both the physical organ responsible for circulating blood and the seat of one’s intellect, will, and emotions. In this piece I mean to use the word in the latter sense; the heart is the core of your being. And let me share a sentiment that I have about losing. When I am part of a losing effort in a football game, I feel as if a small part of me dies. A loss causes an infarction of the soul as it were. As players we take losing to heart. And though we can learn from losses and persevere through them, they are painful. Where winning can seem like really living, losing can seem like a death of sorts. And for this reason, all games are infused with meaning and significance beyond their effect of the standings or the win-loss record they create.
Thus, for of the sake character, competition, and corazon these games must be considered meaningful.


Last Stop: Vince Lombardi is well known in coaching circles as a coach who magnified and extolled the importance of winning. His quotes on winning are some of the best known quotes from the world of sport. I was recently informed the offensive coordinator Steve Buratto spent some time under Coach Lombardi as a player when he tried out for the Green Bay Packers.

Rails from the Rails 22 – Political Musings

Rails from the Rails 22 – Political Musings

All Aboard: “In politics, madame, you need two things: friends, but above all an enemy.” Brian Mulroney.

Tickets Please: If you care to read an earlier Rail from the Rails on politics you can see it here. Allow me to share with you some further musings on politics.

• The leader who is the best politician at the moment is Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Now before you Harper-haters go off on a rant allow me to explain myself. This is not necessarily a compliment. Considering the negative impression most Canadians have about politicians, labeling one of them “the best” isn’t necessarily praise. I think Harper is the best because he plays the political game with more savvy than the other leaders do. His last minority government lasted longer than most thought it would and his new government has more support now than the last one. Were it not for the economic crash I think Harper may have had a majority government. We’ll see how the Conservatives fare this time around.

• I hate the negative advertising. But I hate the fact that it works even more. I hear many people complaining about the negative advertising that political parties use during elections. It seemed Dion got more than his fair share of the negativity but the Prime Minister got a dose as well. Many websites I visited had a banner ad at the top of the page that had a picture of Stephen Harper alongside George Bush as if they were running mates. The other parties fly under the radar for much of this type of propaganda. I’m guessing the Liberals and Conservatives do not feel the need to fight the NDP, Green Party, and Bloc in this fashion. I liken the complaints about negative advertising to the complaints that sports fans spew when talking about professional athlete’s salaries. Here’s an idea: if you think athletes are paid too much stop paying exorbitant ticket prices and stop buying jerseys and stop watching the games on TV. As matter of fact come to a CFL game because it is a lot cheaper and you probably make more than some of the guys on the field. Sport figure’s salaries and the effects of negative advertising are both something the average person is responsible for.

• What happened to the NDP and the Green Party? This was supposed to be their year. I guess not. I think in some respects they have the advantage when delivering promises: they’re not going to have to back them up. Elizabeth May was an intriguing personality during the debates. One thing she supports which I really like is the idea of income splitting. This would save my family thousands of dollars in taxes every year. But, I also realize she can put forward this idea on her platform with little chance of having to actually see it through. I think voters realize that the smaller parties aren’t held to the same level of scrutiny as the larger ones and take that into consideration when voting.

• Our election does seem boring compared to the US election frenzy. It has been quite a ride with starting with the battles that Obama and McCain fought to represent their parties. This was followed by the meteoric rise of Mrs. Palin and the ensuing media circus. And they are all appearing on Letterman and Saturday Night Live and Leno. And think of the money being spent. It’s high drama for sure. But would you want that here in Canada? Not I. I’ll take our process for us and watch their horse and pony show from afar.

• I heard on a radio talk show a caller complaining about the cost of the election to tax payers. The host informed the caller that it worked out to be about $25 per Canadian to cover the cost. That seems to me to be a small price to pay in order to participate in democracy.

Last Stop:

Where does the term Tory come from? The name originally applied in the 17th century to Irish Roman Catholic outlaws and bandits who harassed the English in Ireland. In the reign of Charles II the name came to be applied as an abusive term to supporters of the Crown. It came from the Irish word toraighe which means pursuer.

And what about Grit? “Clear Grits” were reformers in the Province of Upper Canada. Their support was concentrated among southwestern Ontario farmers, who were frustrated and disillusioned by a lack of democratic enthusiasm. "Clear Grit" was a complimentary term meaning tenacious or dedicated. The name derives from a quote by party member David Christie who describes the movement as "all sand and no dirt; clear grit all the way through", a reference to the type of sand preferred in the preparation of masonry. The word "Grit" is used as a neutral reference to members of the Liberal Party in English Canada.

Rails from the Rails 21 – Coffee Chronicles – Part 2

Rails from the Rails 21 – Coffee Chronicles – Part 2 (as seen here)

All Aboard: You can view Part 1 of the Coffee Chronicles on the Argos website

Tickets Please: I have made another monumental leap in my coffee consumption journey. In the aforementioned Rails from the Rails I shared with the reader about my penchant for great coffee and my pursuit of this quaff by grinding and brewing my coffee. Well I have taken yet another step in the process into my own hands; I now roast my own coffee. I bought a home roasting appliance called the I-Roast 2. Well, I actually did not buy it for myself rather my wife bought it for me as a Father’s Day gift. Since receiving the roaster I have put it through its paces and have roasted over 20 pounds of coffee. I also learned how to roast coffee with an air popcorn popper. Perhaps some of you youngsters did not realize that popcorn has not always been made in the microwave. The process of roasting coffee beans is quite interesting.

Roasting coffee beans is exactly what it sounds like. It is applying heat to the beans in order to roast them. Many roasters apply the heat to a drum which holds the beans. My home roaster applies the heat on a “bed” of hot air. It really is a glorified hot air popcorn popper. A coffee bean, which is actually a seed, is usually a greenish colour in its un-roasted state. When the roast begins it does not take long for the greenish colour to change to yellow and emit a grassy aroma. The heat begins to dry out the beans which naturally contain water. The roasting process does all of the following: release water from the bean, caramelize the natural sugars of the bean, release oils, and break down the beans structure. These processes continue until you remove the beans from the heat or until the beans combust. Removing the beans before combustion is crucial to deriving palatable coffee. The longer the heat is applied to the bean the darker the roast will be. Generally, the darkest coffee most of us drink is French roast. Different levels of roast produce a huge range of tastes and textures in the coffee and determining roast levels is very much a matter of personal preference. That is where home roasting comes in.

I now have the ability to roast my coffee to my own specifications. I can get my machine “dialed in” so that I can have coffee the exact way I like it. Now this isn’t all that easy as I have to garner this information through my own tests and trials. But the many cups that are produced in searching for the perfect brew are enjoyable in themselves. My wife has declared that I already have made the perfect cup of coffee. Early on in my experimentation I blended a dark Kenyan bean with a lighter-roasted Cost Rican bean and, in my wife’s opinion, this was the best to date. I keep notes on all the different beans and roasts so that if I do mange to make something worth trying again the information can be retrieved. It really is a lot of fun. And it has been going on for quite some time.

Traditional methods of roasting are believed to date back to the fourteenth century. Originally coffee was roasted in iron pans and it can still be roasted in similar fashion today. I have talked to some people whose parents or grandparents roasted their own coffee on the stove top or on baking sheets in the oven. Modern roasters can be very technological appliances as companies who sell coffee now need to be precise and consistent in making their particular brand. But there are still some who like to do it the traditional way.

Roasting coffee at home has been an interesting endeavour for me. It is yet another way for me to enjoy my beverage of choice. A little over the top? Perhaps. But wait until you taste a cup of my coffee.

Last Stop: Perhaps one day I’ll serve you a cop of coffee at the St.John Coffee house but until then you can consider this backhanded compliment served up by Duane Forde: While veterans Mike O'Shea, Chad Folk, and Jude St. John are clearly on the downside of their impressive careers, they remain valuable assets to the organization as mentors to the young Canadians who will one day succeed them. Ouch! Duane does a great job with his new job at TSN but don’t you think he could have given a fellow UWO alumnus a little more love than that? The truth hurts I guess.

Rails from the Rails 20 – Many Partings

Rails from the Rails 20 – Many Partings (this post did not make the Argonauts website)

All Aboard: The title of this piece is the same as a chapter title from The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien. This quote can be found in that same book: But Sam was now sorrowful at heart, and it seemed to him that if the parting would be bitter, more grievous still would be the long road home alone. I recently wrote on partings and I am doing the same far too soon!

Tickets Please: We have had several Argonauts leave our ranks in the last few weeks and I’d like to mention a few things about each.

Orlondo Steinauer – Though a common saying in locker-rooms around the league is that “nothing surprises me anymore”, I think we were all surprised when “O” was released this past week. I have played on the same team with Orlondo for the majority of my career. He is an incredibly gifted football player who has been an all-star at every position in the secondary. I am not sure if anyone has ever done that before. Orlondo has been a leader of our team since he arrived. He is one of those guys who make going to work everyday worthwhile. There are not many players who I have played with that I look to for approval, but “Steiny” was one of them. If he looked you in the eye after a game and told you “Good job!” you knew that you had been successful. You cannot replace a player like Orlando. The best you can do is hope to be successful without him. I wish him all the best.

Michael Bishop – Michael Bishop belongs on the field as a starting quarterback. And so I have mixed feelings about his departure. Although he was a good friend, and was coming off his best year in the CFL despite a serious injury, I am glad that he will be a starter in Saskatchewan. It was difficult to watch him in a back-up role yet again. Michael is a fierce competitor and is arguably the best athlete at the QB position that I have ever played with. I have not seen a stronger arm in all my years around football…Matt Dunnigan was close but I would still go with “Bish”. Mike was a lot of fun in the dressing room and on the field. It is disappointing to see him leave but I believe he still has productive years ahead of him and I hope that he finds success when ever he plays… except against us.

Ross Weaver – Life can be ironic. The same week that Ross Weaver willingly answered the US Air Force’s recall to active duty, Canada was deporting Iraq war deserter Robin Long. There are many people who support Long’s desertion which he made on grounds that the war in Iraq was against his morals. I believe that it is fully in Long’s right to object to the war as illegal and unjust. But it seems to me that a man so concerned with principles would have remained in the US, gone to trial, and accepted the judgment of the military court. As it turns out, this is what has happened with Long who has been dishonourably discharged and sentenced to 15 months in prison. Contrast that story with Ross Weaver who has dutifully returned to his position within the Air Force. The core values of the Us Air Force are “Integrity first, Service before self, and Excellence in all we do.” Ross Weaver is an apt example of someone with these core values. Good on you, Ross.

Last Stop: How is this for a backhanded compliment served up by Duane Forde: While veterans Mike O'Shea, Chad Folk, and Jude St. John are clearly on the downside of their impressive careers, they remain valuable assets to the organization as mentors to the young Canadians who will one day succeed them. Ouch! Duane does a great job with his new job at TSN but don’t you think he could have given a fellow UWO alumnus a little more love than that? The truth hurts I guess.

Rails from the Rails 19 – Let the Music Play

Rails from the Rails 19 – Let the Music Play (as seen here)

All Aboard: "Music hath charms to soothe a savage beast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak." William Congreve

Tickets Please: In yet another glimpse into the world of the CFL footballer, I’d like to share with you some thoughts about the music that is listened to in the locker-room before a game. If you watch The Office regularly, you will have seen the episode in which Dwight and Jim go on a sales call together. Dwight insists on being left alone for a few minutes in Jim’s car. Dwight plays a rock anthem on the car’s stereo to get psyched-up for the sales call. This is a good image of a football team listening to music before a game. They are using the music as a tool to prepare for the game. I am no expert on music, but as far as I can see there are 3 criteria that football players look for when choosing pre-game music: type of music, lyrics, and the nostalgia factor.

As mentioned, I am no expert on music. I cannot define or even describe in any detail the different notes, scales, melodies, sounds, beats, rhythms, or harmonies that constitute a powerfully motivating song. But I do know that you rarely hear any folk, gospel, classical, jazz or soft rock songs before a game. From Air Supply to Zamfir, the easy-listening music does not get much air time. But harder and heavier music, from AC/DC to Zeppelin, gets the nod. Rap and rock get the lion’s share when it comes to what gets played in the dressing room. I think most of us would agree that the bolder, brasher music is more likely to get one amped up for competition. Now I remember back a few years when Clifford Ivory used to listen to gospel music before a contest. I also remember how he used to drive Sandy Annunziata crazy by belting out the lyrics for the whole team to hear. But for the most part, whether it is golden boy Michael Phelps listening to rap music before another record-breaking performance or the Toronto Argonauts listening to heavy metal before taking to the gridiron, music with loud beats or lots of base gets preferred.

Lyrics can also make a song acceptable to get the troops motivated. It seems that lyrics which encourage urgency and success are often used to help motivate. Consider the lyrics to Van Halen’s song Right Now:

Right now, hey
it’s your tomorrow
Right now,
C'mon, it's everything
Right now,
Catch a magic moment, do it
Right here and now
It means everything.

The emphasis it places on the moment can be used by athletes to think about the urgency of playing well. Or take a look at Eminem’s words in his rap Lose Yourself:

Look, if you had one shot, one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted – One moment
Would you capture it or just let it slip?
You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime

And if you can’t feel, see, and hear the lyrical superiority of Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger over Kim Carnes’ Bette Davis Eyes then there is no amount of explaining that I can do that will help you. Lyrics that motivate will get a song some time on a locker-room iPod.

The final criterion for acceptable game day music is probably the most powerful of the three: nostalgia. Songs that remind us of the past are particularly popular, especially songs that we listened to while preparing for competitions when we were younger. Play a classic rock song by Guns N’ Roses or Aerosmith and Chris “Hard Rock” Hardy will find you and tell you how he used to listen to this song while preparing for high school hockey games. Memories of teams and games from the past often have a very stimulating psychological effect. It makes you want to “get after it”! For me, classic rock has this influence. I can remember sitting in the hockey dressing room before big games with Tom Cochrane and Red Ryder’s Lunatic Fringe playing. And when I hear that song it makes me forget the aches and pains of 18 years of football and for a brief moment I feel like I’m 15 again. Powerful stuff!

The triumvirate of music-type, lyrics, and nostalgic-effect are the keys to discerning what music will be played in a locker-room before the players take the field. If you can find a song that meets all 3 criteria, you’ll definitely have a song that guys want to hear. It seems to me that the most popular pre-game song is Phil Collins’ In the Air Tonight. It combines a haunting musical score with lyrics that point towards the urgency and electricity that is in a locker-room:

I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh Lord 
I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord
I've been waiting for this moment all my life, oh Lord, oh Lord
I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord
And I've been waiting for this moment all my life, oh Lord, oh Lord
I can feel it coming in the air, I can feel it coming in the air I've been waiting for this moment all my life, my life.

Last Stop: Three songs with which Offensive Lineman can relate to:

1) Much Too Young by Garth Brooks

And the white line's getting longer and the saddle's getting cold
I'm much too young to feel this damn old
All my cards are on the table with no ace left in the hole
I'm much too young to feel this damn old

2) Baba O’Reilly by The Who

Out here in the fields
I fight for my meals
I get my back into my living

3) Sundown by Gordon Lightfoot

Sometimes I think it's a shame
When I get feelin' better when I'm feelin' no pain

Rails from the Rails 18 – Are you hurt or are you injured?

Rails from the Rails 18 – Are you hurt or are you injured? (as seen here)

All Aboard: “Are you hurt or are you injured? Because if you are hurt, you can still play. But if you are injured, you can’t.” – Larry Haylor, retired UWO football coach

Tickets Please: With the rash of injuries to marquee players that the CFL has been confronted with I decided I would share some thoughts I had about this unfortunate aspect of the game.

Along with many not-so-serious injuries, I have had several serious ones. My most serious injury occurred in my third year of professional football. I was playing for the Ticats at the time. In the 8^th game of the season I suffered multiple fractures in my lower leg. The tibia and fibula both “broke” with the tibia being a compound fracture: this means the bone broke through the skin. Another serious injury I experienced was a herniated disc resulting in back surgery. This was way back in 1992. And lastly, I re-injured my left lower leg in 1999 while with the Argos. I broke my fibula, again, and it was displaced and required surgery. Those are the big ones and now that they are out on the table let me address my first thought on injuries: they are part of the game!

I once had a friend ask me if I had ever wondered why a serious injury had happened to me. I think he was looking for a metaphysical explanation such as bad luck, karma, or the like. I had his full attention when I told him I knew why it happened. I told him it was because I was employed in a high risk job and that playing a violent sport such as football exposed me to such injuries. They are part of the game. If I worked at a desk all day I probably would not have a metal plate in my leg. He was less than satisfied with my answer but I think it reflects the approach most football players take when it comes getting hurt. I have heard very few players lament “Why me?”

The second thought I had about injuries and football was the relatively common disregard players have for the issue. Most guys I have played are not preoccupied with actual injuries or the chance an injury might befall them. I think if a player was overly concerned with the harm that might come his way he would not be able to focus on the game. Players certainly take precautions such as taping their ankles or bracing their knees. But when the game starts it is not something that footballers dwell on.

My final notion about injuries pertains to recovery and rehabilitation. One of a footballer’s finest moments comes when he battles back from an injury to play again. I have seen many inspirational comebacks by players who have shown their mettle by persevering through rehab to play again. I would not wish an injury on anyone, but they are character builders as well as life lessons. At least they have been for me.

Let’s all hope for the safety of CFLers this season while at the same time understanding that injuries are part of the game. At least that is my position.

Last Stop: One injury in particular causes alarm for us players: a serious neck injury. I, along with the rest of the people who love this game, was very relieved to see Jason Tucker of the Edmonton Eskimos smiling at Edmonton’s game this week. I wish him all the best as he continues to recover.

Rails from the Rails 17 – Fans Say the Darndest Things

Rails from the Rails 17 – Fans Say the Darndest Things (as seen here)

All Aboard: “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Seneca

Tickets Please: Part of being a professional athlete is the inevitable interaction we have with our fans. We meet them at events, on the street, and at our games and practices. Most of these exchanges are good, some are bad, and some are neither here or there. In the category of neither here nor there a few misconceptions regularly surface. I would like to address these ideas for a few reasons: one, I think they are inaccurate; two, according to my teammates they occur frequently; and three, they are a pet peeve of mine.

The first myth I would like to dispel is the one that causes those not part of the Canadian Football Player’s fraternity to envy those of us who play because we have 6 months off every year. It is as if people think that once the season is over players go on an extended vacation until the next year’s training camp. This is certainly not the case. When I first entered the CFL over 14 years ago, off-season preparation was in full swing. The days showing up to training camp to get in shape were long gone. Off-seasons are rife with training and preparing for the next year. I usually take 1 month off from training and then it is back to the workouts. And once I start it is a 5 or 6 day a week commitment. The training sessions usually end up being at least 2 hours in duration. So, even though it is the “off” season most CFLers are hard at work. Add to that the fact that many players find a job for the off-season to prepare for their life after football. For the first 11 years of my football career I was a substitute teacher in London. Now most of my off-season work centers around speaking and appearances. Many other players fill their out of season time with other work. I doubt there would be many people envious of Brian Ramsay at 6:00pm on a weeknight. Brian would be on the GO train after a day in the office where he works as an accountant. But he wasn’t on his way home to kick off his shoes and put his feet up. He was heading to the training facility to get his workout in. And those workouts are grueling affairs where one pushes oneself to get to a new level of physical readiness. Only after this would Brian head home for a short night’s sleep before doing it all over again the next day. That is one example to show that CFL athletes have an off-season that isn’t very “off”.

The second idea I’d like to scrutinize is one that also comes up frequently in conversations with people who know we play sports professionally. This is not limited to footballers as I have heard similar things from other professional athletes I have met. It usually comes out when in the course of a conversation we hear: “Man, you are lucky to be getting paid to play a game!” Now I realize that this phrase could mean a few different things. The person speaking could really be meaning to say that they think it is cool that your occupation is a playing a sport. Or they could simply be trying to communicate the idea that they would love to be in your shoes (or cleats as we call them). I have no problem with those sentiments. But I think some people are saying that they attribute our position as professional athletes to chance or good fortune. Now, I don’t even believe in luck. I’m more likely to attribute things to providence than chance. That being said, if by luck the person is thinking of the aforementioned quote by Seneca than I would accept that. Most professional athletes, of any discipline, have been successful because they have PREPARED themselves. They have worked hard to put themselves in a favourable position for the opportunities that come their way. Luck and chance are not keys to success for athletes. More likely they have been disciplined, passionate, and indefatigable in the pursuit of their dream. There are some athletes that are so naturally gifted that they do not have to work very hard but for the majority that is not the case. Before you tell a professional athlete how lucky he or she is, be sure to let them know you understand that they have toiled for their chance to do what they are doing.

Let me tell you a quick story that illustrates the final notion that really gets my goat. My second training camp in the CFL saw me at Brock University getting ready to try out for the Hamilton Tigers-Cats. The day before the training camp started I was walking across a parking lot heading to the dorms we would be staying in. A black Camaro with heavy metal blaring on the stereo slowly pulled up beside me. Inside the car was a flabby, long-haired stereotypical “rocker” puffing on a cigarette. The individual questioned me: “Do you know if they allow walk-ons at this training camp?” As it turns out, this fellow had played highschool football a few years back and was interested in trying his hand at professional football. WOW! I actually come across this quite often. Whether it is the one–time athlete who played football years before or the big man who has never played but towers over the average guy, many people insinuate that they could be playing professional football. “I played football my senior year in highschool and I was pretty good. Do you think I should try out?” Sure, if you’d like to spend some time in a hospital or rehab facility. Sometimes I feel like responding with this: “When I was young I used to pretty good at the Milton Bradley game Operation. Do you think I should become a surgeon?” Now, I do not mean to be arrogant. And certainly there are many great athletes who were overlooked when they were young. And if professional football is a dream of yours than regardless of your gridiron pedigree I would not dissuade you from your journey. There are guys who have never played football who make it professionally. But understand that these are the exception and the fact that they succeed is usually because of their incredible athleticism. Professional athletes are a very select group of individuals who have honed their skills so that they can participate in their sport at a very high level.

Please do not take these grumblings of this curmudgeon too seriously. I may just have a burr under my shoulder pads. And do not think that athletes critique all the things that get said in conversations with fans. We enjoy the interaction. I encourage you to interact with us as you always have.

I’m sure that I, and other athletes, say perfectly inane things regularly. Maybe you’d like to tell me about it. Feel free: football@judestjohn.ca.

Last Stop: Another good quote about luck: Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit. ~R.E. Shay