CHAPTER XII LIVINGStone glanced at the little figure beside him, hoping she would indicate where Browns was. But she did not. Everyone must know Browns. The only Brown Livingstone knew was the great banker, and a grim smile flickered on his cheek at the thought of the toys in which that Brown dealt. He shifted the responsibility to the driver. "'Driver, go to Browns. You know where it is.' "'Well, no, sir. I don't believe I do. Which Brown do you mean, sir?' "'Well, uh, the Toyman's, of course.' The driver stopped his horses and reflected. He shook his head slowly. Livingstone, however, was now equal to the emergency. Besides, there was nothing else to do. He turned to his companion. "'Where is it?' he began boldly.  She spoke with astonishment that anyone should not know so important a personage. And Livingstone, too, was suddenly conscious of the importance of this information. Clearly, he had neglected certain valuable branches of knowledge. Happily, the driver came to his rescue. "'Where is that, miss?' he asked. "'You go to the right and keep going to the right all the way,' she said definitely. Livingstone was in despair. But the driver appeared to understand now.  "'He must have children at home,' thought Livingstone to himself, as the sleigh after a number of turns drew up in front of one of the very windows Livingstone had passed that evening on the back street. He felt as though he would like to reward the driver. It was the first time Livingstone had thought of a driver in many years. Just as they drove up, the door of the shop was being closed, and the little girl gave an exclamation of disappointment. "'Oh, we're too late,' she cried. Livingstone felt his heart jump into his throat. He sprang to the door and rapped. There was no answer. The light was evidently being turned off inside. Livingstone rapped again more impatiently. Another light was turned down. Livingstone was desperate. His loud knocking produced no impression, and he could have bought out the whole square. Suddenly, a little figure pushed against him as Kitty slipped before him, and putting her mouth to the crack of the door called, "'Oh, Mr. Brown, please let me in. It's me, Kitty Clark. Mr. Clark's little girl.'" Instantly the light within was turned up. A step came towards the door. The bolts were drawn back and half the door was opened. Livingstone was prepared to see the shopkeeper confounded when he should discover who his caller was. On the contrary, the man was in no wise embarrassed by his appearance. Indeed, he paid no attention whatever to Livingstone. It was to Kitty that he addressed himself, ignoring Livingstone's presence utterly. Why, Kitty, what are you doing out at this time of night? Aren't you afraid Santa Claus will come while you're away and not bring you anything? You know what they say he does if he don't find everybody asleep in bed. Kitty nodded, and leaning forward on her toes dropped her voice to a mysterious whisper. I know who Santa Claus is. The whisper ended with a little chuckle of delight at her astuteness. I found it out last Christmas. Kitty, you didn't. You must have been mistaken, said the shopkeeper with a grin on his kindly countenance. Who is he? Mr. Brown and Mr. and Mrs. Clark, said Kitty slowly and impressively, as though she were adding up figures and the result would speak for itself.   The next look around was one of business. This is Mr. Livingstone, Papa's employer, she indicated that gentleman. Mr. Brown held out his plump and not wholly immaculate hand. How do you do, sir? I think I've heard of you. He turned back to Kitty. Who for? he asked. For him, Kitty nodded, he's got a whole lot of little children, not his own children, other people's children, that he's going to give Christmas presents to, and I've come to help him. What have you got left, Mr. Santa Claus? She stood on tiptoe and peered over the shelves. Well, not a great deal, Miss Wide-awake, said the shopkeeper, dropping into her manner in mood. You see, there's lots of children around this year as don't keep Wide-awake all night, and Santa Claus has had to look after him quite considerable. I can't tell you how many slaves full of things he's taken away from this here very shop. He didn't leave nothing but them things you see, and the very expensive things in the cases. He said they were too high-priced for him. He actually gave Livingstone a wink, and Livingstone actually fell flattered by it. The reply recalled Kitty to her business. She turned to Mr. Livingstone. How much money have you got to spend? She asked. Um, I don't know, said Livingstone. As much as a dollar? Yes. More? Yes. How much more? As much as you want.  Some things cost a heap. She was looking at a doll on whose skirt was pinned a little scrap of cardboard marked twenty-five cents. Yes, they do, assented Livingstone, but they are worth it, he thought. I'll tell you what. Suppose you look around and see just what you like, and all go off here and talk with Mr. Brown so as not to disturb you. He was learning, and the lesson was already bringing him pleasure. He took the shopkeeper aside and had a little talk with him, learning from him all he could of Clark's family and circumstances. It was an amazement to him. He had never known what a burden Clark had carried. The shopkeeper spoke of him with great affection and with great respect. He is the best man in the world, he said. He treated Livingstone with familiarity, but he spoke of Clark with respect. He ought to be on the avenue, he asserted, and if everybody had their rights, some would be where Mr. Clark is, and Mr. Clark would be in their place. Livingstone was not prepared just then to gainsay this. He explained to Mr. Brown his wishes. He wanted to get many things, but did not know how to keep the child from suspecting his plan. The shopkeeper gave him a suggestion. Close association and sympathy with children had given Brown knowledge. End of CHAPTER XII. CHAPTER XIII. CHAPTER XIII. CHAPTER XIII. They returned to Kitty.   She was evidently in some trouble. Livingstone drew near. How are you coming on? he asked.  Oh, I've spent nearly the whole dollar, and I haven't but nine presents yet. We must get something cheaper. But they were so pretty. She lamented, her eyes glancing longingly towards the articles she had selected. Let's see. Maybe you have made a mistake, said Livingstone. He took the bit of paper, and she handed him the pencil. I'm not very good at making figures, she observed. I'm not, either, said Livingstone, glancing at the paper. I'll tell you what let's do, he said. Let's get Mr. Brown to open all his cases and boxes, and let's look at everything and just see what we would select if we could have our choice. The little girl's eyes opened wide. You mean, let's make pretence that we are real, sure enough, Santa Claus, and just pick out everything we want to give everybody, and pretend that we could get it, and give it to them? Livingstone nodded. Yes. That was just what he ought to have meant, he knew. The inquiry in Kitty's big eyes became light. She sprang to her feet, and with a little squeak of delight, marched to the middle of the shop, and taking her stand, began to sweep the shelves with her dancing eyes. Livingstone gave a nod to the shopkeeper, and he drew back the curtains that protected the cases, where the finer and more expensive goods were kept, and began to open the boxes. Kitty approached on tiptoe, and watched him with breathless silence as though she were in a dream which a word might break. Then, when she had seen everything, she turned back to Livingstone. Well, she said slowly. Well, what do you say? He too was beginning to fill a spell. Well, if I were a real sure enough Santa Claus, I'd just get everything in those cases. The spread of her little arms took it all in. And what would you do with it? Asked Livingstone in the same low tone, fearful of breaking the reverie in which she stood wrapped. He had never before in all his life been taken into partnership by a little girl, and deep down beneath his breast pocket was a kindling glow which was warming him through and through. I'd carry that doll to Jean, and that to Sue, and that to Molly, and that to Dee. And those skates to Johnny, and that sled to Tom, and that woolly lamb to little Billy, because he loves squashy things. And then I'd take all the rest in my sleigh, and I'd go to the hospital where the poor little children haven't got any good papas and mamas like me to give them anything, and where Santa Claus can't ever go. And I'd put something by the side of every bed, of everyone, and maybe they'd think at first it was only a dream. But when they waked up wide, they'd find Santa Claus had been there, sure enough. In her energy she was gesticulating with earnest hands that seemed to take each present and bear it to its destination. And she concluded with a little nod to Living Stone that seemed to recognize him as in sympathy with her, and to say, wouldn't we, if we only could? It seemed to Living Stone as though a casing of ice in which he had been enclosed had suddenly broken and he were bathed in warmth. The millstone round his neck had suddenly dropped, and he shot upward into the light. The child was leading him into a new and vernal world. He wanted to take her in his arms and press her to his heart. The difference between the glance she now gave him and that she had shot at him at the door of his office that evening came to him and decided him. It was worth it all. Yes, is there anything else you wish? He asked, hoping that there might be, for she had not mentioned herself. Yes, but it's not anything Santa Claus can give, she said calmly. I have asked God for it. What? asked Living Stone. Something to make Mama well, to help Papa pay for the house. He says it's that that keeps her ill, and she says if she were well he could pay for it. And I just prayed to God for it every day. Living Stone caught his breath quickly, as if from a sudden pain. The long years of Clark's faithful service flashed before him. He shivered at the thought of his own meanness. He was afraid those great eyes might see into his heart. He almost shriveled at the thought. Well, let's take a sleigh ride and see if any other shops are open. Then we can return. He spoke a few words aside to Mr. Brown. The shopkeeper's eyes opened wide. But you say you haven't money enough with you, and I don't know you? Living Stone smiled. Why, man, I am worth— He stopped short as a faint trace of seven figures appeared vaguely before his eyes. I am worth enough to buy all this square and not feel it, he said, quickly correcting himself. That may be also, but I don't know you, persisted the shopkeeper. Do you know anybody in this part of the town? Well, I know Mr. Clark. He would vouch for me, but the shopkeeper turned to the child. Kitty, you know this gentleman you say? Yes. Oh, he's all right, said Kitty decisively.  This munificent gift did not appear to impress Mr. Brown very much, any more than it did Living Stone, who felt himself flush. Business is business, you know, said the shopkeeper, an aphorism on which Living Stone had often acted, but had never had sighted against him. The shopkeeper was evidently considering. Living Stone was half angry and half embarrassed. He felt as he had not done in twenty years. The shopkeeper was weighing him in his scales as he might have done a pound of merchandise, and Living Stone could not tell what he would decide. There was Kitty, however, her eye still filled with light. He could not disappoint her. She, too, felt that he was being weighed, and suddenly came to his rescue. He's an awful kind man, she said earnestly.  He always does that, I guess, she added. Well, no, I don't, said Living Stone, looking at the shopkeeper frankly. But I wish I had, and I'll pay you. All right, she knows you and that will do, said Mr. Brown. Kitty, with the light of an explorer in her eyes, was making new discoveries on the shelves, and the two men walked to the back of the shop where the shopkeeper wrote a list of names. Then Living Stone and Kitty got into the sleigh and drove for a half hour or so. On their return, Mr. Brown was ready. His shop, looked as though it had been struck by a whirlwind. The floor and counters were covered with boxes and bundles, and he and Living Stone packed the big sled as full as it would hold, leaving only one seat deep in the furs amid the heaped-up parcels. Then suddenly, from somewhere, Mr. Brown produced a great shaggy cape with a hood, and Living Stone threw it around Kitty and, getting in, lifted her into the little nest between the furs. Kitty's eyes were dancing and her breath was coming quickly with excitement. It was a supreme moment. Where are we going, Mr. Living Stone? She whispered. She was afraid to speak aloud as she might break the spell and awake. Just where you like. To the children's hospital, she panted. To the children's hospital driver, repeated Living Stone, Kitty gave another gasp. We'll play your Santa Claus, she said in a voice of low delight. No. Play you are Santa Claus's partner, said Living Stone. And you? You are not to say anything about me. End of Chapter 13 Chapter 14 of Santa Claus's Partner This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Carolyn Francis. Santa Claus's Partner by Thomas Nelson Page Chapter 14 Living Stone had not had such a drive in years. The little form snuggled against him closer and closer and the warm half sentences of childish prattle as the little girl's imagination wove its fancies came to him from amid the furs and made him feel as though he had left the earth and were driving in a new world. It was like a dream. Had youth come back? Was it possible? The sleigh stopped in front of a great long building. You have to ring at the side door at night, said the driver. You are here to know a good deal about the hospital. Living Stone sprang out and rang the bell and then stepped back. When they opened the door, you are to do all the talking, he said to Kitty as he lifted her down. Who shall I say rang? She asked. Santa Claus's Partner But you? No. You are not to mention my name. Remember? Before the child could reply the door opened a little way and a porter looked out. Who's there? he called to the sleigh rather overlooking the little figure in the snow. Santa Claus's Partner said Kitty. What do you want? He peered out at the sleigh. He was evidently sleepy and a little puzzled. We don't take in anything at this hour except patience. He looked as if he were about to shut the door when a woman's voice was heard within, speaking to him. And the next moment the door was opened wide and he gave way as a matronly figure came forward and stood in the archway. Who is it? She asked in a very pleasant voice, looking down at the little figure in the snow before her. Santa Claus's Partner said Kitty, gazing up at her. What do you want, dear? The voice was even pleasanter. To leave some presents for the children? What children? All the good children. All the sick children I mean. All the children said Kitty. The matron turned and spoke to the porter, showing to Livingstone, as she did so, a glimpse of a finely cut profile and a comely figure silhouetted against the light within. The bolts were drawn from the gate of the driveway and the doors rolled back. Come in, said the matron, and the little figure enveloped in the shaggy cape and hood walked in under the big arch followed by the sleigh, whilst Livingstone withdrew a short distance into the shadow. It was some time before the doors opened again and Kitty reappeared, but Livingstone did not mind it. It was cold, too, but neither did he mind that. He was warm. As he walked up and down in the empty street before the long building, his heart was warmed with a glow which had not been there for many and many a long year. He was not alone. Once more, the memory of other Christmases passed through his mind in long processional, but now not stamped with irretrievable opportunity to mock him with vain regret for lost happiness, only tinged with a sadness for lost friends who came trooping about him, yet lightened by his resolve to begin from now on and strive as best he might to retrieve his wasted life, and whilst he bore his punishment, do what he could to make atonement for his past. Just then, across the town, the clocks began to sound the midnight hour, and as they ceased from somewhere far away, church bells mellowed by the distance began to chime the old Christmas hymn. While shepherds watched their flocks by night, all seated on the ground, the angel of the Lord came down and glory shone around. Livingstone stood still to listen in a half-dream. Suddenly, before him in the snow, stood a little figure muffled in a shaggy cape with hood half-thrown back. The childish face was uplifted in the moonlight. With lips half-parted, she too was listening, and for a moment, Livingstone could hardly take in that she was real. She seemed, could she be? The angel of the Lord came down, chimed the mellow bells. The chiming died out. Christ is born, said the child. You heard the bells? Yes, said Livingstone humbly. It's all done, she said, and I prayed so hard that not one of them stirred, and now, when they wake, they'll think it was real Santa Claus. They say he always comes at twelve, and I counted the clocks. I wonder if he went home? She was speaking now to herself, but Livingstone answered. I'm sure of it, he said. The angel of the Lord came down, still chimed in his ears. Suddenly a little warm hand was slipped into his confidingly. I think we'd better go home now. The voice was full of deep content. Livingstone's hand closed on hers, and as he said, yes, he was conscious of a ping at the thought of giving her up. He lifted her to put her in the sleigh. As he did so, the little arms were put about his neck, and warm little lips kissed him. Livingstone pressed her to his breast convulsively, and climbed into the sleigh without putting her down.  Even when he transferred her to her father's arms, she did not wake. She only sighed with sweet content, and as Livingstone bent over and kissed her softly, muttered a few words about Santa Claus' partner. A half hour later, Livingstone, after another interview with Mr. Brown, who was awaiting him patiently, drove back again to Mr. Clark's door with another sleigh full of packages which were all duly transferred to the small room where stood the little Christmas tree. The handshake Livingstone gave John Clark as he came down the steps of the little house was the warmest he had given any man in twenty years. It was so warm that it seemed to send the blood tingling through Livingstone's heart and warm it anew. CHAPTER XV Livingstone drove home through silent streets, but they were not silent for him. In his ears a chime was still ringing and it bore him far across the snow-filled streets and the snow-filled years to a land of warmth and light. The glow was still about his heart in the tingle which the pressure of Kitty Clark's arms about his neck and John Clark's clasp of his hand had started, still kept it warm. At his door Livingstone dismissed his driver and as he cheerily wished him a merry Christmas, the man's cheery reply showed that Livingstone had already found the secret of good cheer.  We've had a good time tonight, sir, haven't we? And I wish you many more like it, sir, and when Christmas comes along next time I hope you'll remember me, for I'll remember you. I've had a little child in that air, same hospital. God took her to himself twelve years ago. They're good to him there, rich and poor, all alike, and tisnt every night that I can drive Santa Claus's partner. Livingstone stood and watched the sleigh till it drove out of sight. Even after it had disappeared around a corner he still listened to the bells. It seemed to him he had a friend in it. Livingstone let himself in noiselessly at the door, but the softness with which he turned the key this time was to keep from disturbing his servants, not to keep them from seeing him. He stood stuck still on the threshold. The whole house seemed transformed. The hall was a bower of holly and mistletoe and the library as Livingstone entered it, with its bright fire roaring in the hearth and its festoons and wreaths seemed once more a charming home, a bower where cheer might yet make its abode. As quietly, however, as Livingstone had entered, his butler had heard him. As Livingstone turned to take in all the beauty of the room, James was standing before him. His face showed some concern and his voice, as he spoke, had a little tremor in it.  Livingstone glanced about to find a phrase with which to thank him for the trouble they had taken, but the butler spared him the pains. We thought we would try to make the house look a little cheery, sir. Hope you don't mind, sir. Mind, said Livingstone, I am delighted, and I thank you very much. Mind, I should think not. The tone of his voice and the light in his eyes showed that there was a change in him and it acted like a tonic on the butler. The light came into his eyes, too. He drew a breath of deep relief as though a mountain of care had rolled off him and he came a step nearer his master who had flung himself into a chair and picked up a cigar. The next minute Livingstone plunged into the subject on his mind. It was a plant which made the butler's eyes first open wide, then sparkle with pleasure. The difficulty with Livingstone, however, was that the next day was a holiday and he did not know whether what he wanted could be got. The butler came to his rescue. It was no difficulty to James. Such an emergency only quickened his powers. He knew places where whatever was wanted could be got, holiday or no holiday. If Mr. Livingstone would only allow him... Allow, you said Livingstone, I give you cart blanche. Only have everything ready by five o'clock. Ask the cook to send up whatever she has. I'm hungry and we'll talk it over whilst I'm taking supper. Yes, sir, yes, sir, yes, sir. And James withdrew with a step as light as air. Extraordinary servant thought Livingstone. Wonder I never took it in before. Ten minutes later Livingstone was seated at the table with an appetite like a schoolboy's. It was the happiest meal Livingstone had eaten in many a long day for all alone as he was. He was not alone. Thought of others sat at the board and a cheery companion it is. Tell the laundress to be sure and bring her children around tomorrow and be sure you make them have a good time, he said to James as he rose from the table. James bowed. Yes, sir. And ascertain where policemen number 268 is to be found tomorrow.  James bowed again, his eyes somewhat wider than before. As Livingstone mounted the stair, though, he was sensible of fatigue. It was the fatigue of the body so delicious to those who have known that of the mind and he felt pity as well as loathing for the poor, warm creature who had climbed the same stair a few hours before. As he entered his room, the warmth and home feeling had come back there also. The portraits of his father and mother first caught his eye. Someone had put a wreath around each and they seemed to beam on him with a pleased and tender smile. They opened the fresh, the floodgates of memory for him, but the memories were sweet and tender. He glanced at a mirror almost with trembling. The last time he had looked at himself, he had seen only that old haggard face with the ghostly figures branded across the brow. Thank God they were gone now and he could even see in his face some faint resemblance to the portraits on the wall. He went to bed and slept as he had not slept for months, perhaps for years, not dreamlessly, but the dreams were pleasant. Now and then lines of vague figures appeared to him, but a little girl with a smiling face came and played bow-peep with him over them and presently sprang up and threw her arms about his neck and made him take her in a sleigh to a wonderful shop where they could get marvelous presents, among them youth and friendship and happiness. The door was just being shut as they arrived, but when he called his father's name it was opened wide and his father and mother greeted him and let him smiling into places where he had played as a child. And Catherine Trelane in a shaggy coat and hood pulled the presents from a forest of Christmas trees and gave them to Santa Claus's partner to give to others. And suddenly his father with his old tender smile picked the little girl up in his arms and she changed into a wonderful child that shone so that it dazzled Livingston and he walked to find the bright sun shining in through the window and falling on his face. He sprang from bed with a cry almost of joy so bright was the day and as he looked out of the window on the sparkling snow outside it seemed the new world. Santa Claus is Partner by Thomas Nelson Page Chapter 16 All the morning Livingston rushed as he had never rushed in the wildest excitement of the street. He had to find a banker and a lawyer and a policeman, but he found them all. He had to get presents to Sickens and Hartley and the other clerks, but he managed to do it. His servants too had caught the contagion and more than once big wagons driven by smiling cheery faced men drove up to the door and unloaded their contents. And when the evening fell and a great sleigh with six seats and four horses and every seat packed full drove up and emptied its shouting occupants out at Livingston's door. Everything was ready. It was Livingston himself who met the guests at the door and the driver in his shaggy coat must have been an old friend from the smiling way in which he nodded and waved his fur-gloved hands to him as he helped Mrs. Clark out tenderly and took Kitty into his arms. When Kitty was informed that this was Santa Claus's partner's party and that she was to be the hostess she was at first a little shy. Partly perhaps on account of the strangeness of being in such a big fine house and partly on account of the solemn presence of James until the latter had relieved her in ways of which that austere person seemed to have the secret where children were concerned. Finally she was induced to take the children over the house and the laughter which soon came floating back from distant rooms showed that the ice was broken. Only two rooms, the library and the dining room were closed and they were not closed very long. Just as it grew dark Kitty was told to marshal her ear-forces and James with sparkling eyes rolled back the folding doors. The children had never seen anything before in all their lives like that which greeted their eyes. The library was a bower of evergreen and radiance and the center was a great tree of crystal and stars which reflected the light of a myriad twinkling candles. It had undoubtedly come from fairyland if the place was not fairyland itself on the border of which they stood amazed. Kitty was asked by Mr. Livingston to lead the other children in and as she approached the tree she found facing her a large envelope addressed to Santa Claus' partner, Miss Kitty Clark. This she was told to open and it was a letter from Santa Claus himself. It stated that the night before as the writer was engaged in looking after presents for some poor children he saw a little girl in his shop engaged in the same work and when he reached a certain hospital he found that she had been there too before him and now as he had to go to another part of the world to keep ahead of the sun he hoped that she would still act for him and look after his business here. The letter was signed. Your partner, Santa Claus. The postscript suggested that a few of the articles he had left on the tree for her were marked with names but that others were unmarked so that her friends might choose what they preferred and he had left his pack at the foot of the tree as a grab bag. This letter broke the spell and next moment everyone was shouting and rollicking as though they lived there. In all the throng there was no one so delighted as Mr. Clark. Livingston had had no idea how clever he was. He was the soul of the entertainment. It was he who discovered first the packages for each little one. He, who without appearing to do so, guided them in their march around the tree so that all might find just the presents that suited them. He seemed to Livingston's quickened eye to define just what each child liked and wished. He appeared to know all that Livingston desired to know. At length he alone of all the guests had received no present. The others had their little arms packed so full that Livingston had to step forward to the tree to help a small tot bear away his toppling load. The next moment Kitty discovered a large envelope lying at the foot of the tree. It was addressed John Clark Esquire, father of Santa Claus's partner. It was strange that Kitty should have overlooked it before. With a spring she seized it and handed it to her father with a little shout of joy, for she had not been able to keep from showing disappointment that he had received nothing. Clark smiled at her pleasure for he knew that the kisses which she had given him from time to time had been to make amends to him and not, as others thought, from joy over her own presence. Clark knew well the handwriting and even as he opened the envelope he glanced around to catch Livingston's eye and thank him. Livingston, however, had suddenly disappeared so Clark read the letter. It was very brief. It's said that Livingston had never known until the night before how much he owed him that he was not sure even now that he knew the full extent of his indebtedness but at least he had come to recognize that he owed much of his business success to Mr. Clark's wisdom and fidelity and he asked, as a personal favor to him, that Clark would accept the enclosed as a token of his gratitude and would consider favorably his proposal. Opening an enclosed envelope, Clark found two papers. One was a full release of the mortgage on Clark's house. Livingston had spent the morning in securing it. The other was a memorandum of articles of partnership between Berryman Livingston and John Clark beginning from that very day. Indeed, from the day before already signed by Livingston and wanting only Mr. Clark's signature to make it complete. Mr. Clark, with his face quite white and looking almost odd, turned and walked into the next room where he found Livingston standing alone. The old clerk was still holding the papers clutched in his hands and was walking as if in a dream. Mr. Livingston, he began, I can never. I am overwhelmed. Your letter, your gifts. But Livingston interrupted him. His face was not white but red. Nonsense, he said as he turned and put his hand on the other's shoulder. Clark, I am not giving you anything. I am paying.  Last night you lent me He stopped, caught himself and began again.  All I ask is that you will forget the past and help me in the future and sometimes lend me Kitty. I never knew until now how good it was to have a partner. Just then he became conscious that someone else was near him. Kitty, with wide open happy eyes, was standing beside them looking up inquiringly in their faces. The child seemed to know that something important had happened for she put up her arms and pulling her father down to her, kissed him. And then, turning quickly, she caught Livingston and, drawing him down, kissed him too. I love you, she said in a whisper. Livingston caught her in his arms. Let's go and have a game of blind man's bluff. I am beginning to feel young again, he said, and linking his arm and Clark's, he dragged him back to the others where, in a few minutes, they were all of one age and a very riot of fun seemed to have broken loose. Matters had just reached this delightful point and Livingston was down on his hands and knees trying with futile dexterity to avoid the clutch of a pair of little arms that apparently were pursuing him with infallible instinct into an inextricable trap when he became conscious of a present he had not observed before. Someone not there before was standing in the doorway. Livingston sprang to his feet and faced Mrs. Wright. He felt very red and foolish as he caught her eyes and found them smiling at him. But being discovered in so ridiculous a situation and posture by the most fashionable and elegant woman of his acquaintance.  Well, this is my final triumph over will, exclaimed Mrs. Wright, advancing into the room as Livingston drawing the little girl along with him approached her and she began to tell Livingston how they had particularly wanted him to dine with them that day as an old friend of his had promised to come to them. But they had supposed, of course, that he had been overrun with invitations for the day and as they had not seen him of light thought that he had probably gone out of town until her husband saw him at the club the night before where he had gone to find some poor lone bachelor who might have no other invitation. You know Will has always been very fond of you, she said and he said you have been working too hard of late and have not been looking well. When I didn't get my usual contributions from you this Christmas I didn't know what to make of it but I think that on my round this morning I have found out the reason.  Will was sure he saw you in the club last night she persisted and he tried to catch you but you ran off and now I have come for you and will take no refusal. Livingston expressed his regret that he could not come a wave of his hand towards the curly heads and beaming faces clustered before them and towards the long table gleaming in the dining room beyond explained his reason I am having a Christmas dinner myself he said then you will come in after they go insisted Mrs. Wright and as Livingston knew they were going early he assented who are your friends she asked what a pleasant looking man and what lovely children that little girl I thought it was Cupid when she had the bandage on her eyes and now I am sure of it he present them to you said Livingston and he presented Mr. Clark as his partner and Kitty as Santa Claus' partner I did not know you had a partner she asked it is my Christmas gift from Santa Claus he said one of them I have many End of Chapter 16 Recording by Sean McGahey ducktapeguy.net Sean walked into Mrs. Wright's drawing room that evening he had never had such a greeting and he had never been in such spirits his own Christmas dinner had been the success of his life he could still see those happy faces about his board and hear those joyous voices echoing through his house the day seemed to have been one long dream of delight from the moment when he turned to go after the little child to show him the way to help others he had walked into a new land lived in a new world breathed a new air been warmed by a new sun Wright himself met him with a cordiality so new to Livingston and yet so natural and unforced that Livingston wondered whether he could have been living in a dream all these years or whether he was in a dream tonight among the guests a dream on one who made him think tonight must be the dream Mrs. Wright with glowing eyes presented him to a lady dressed in black as an old friend she believed a fair sweet looking woman with soft eyes and a calm mouth the name Mrs. Wright mentioned was Mrs. Shepherd but as Livingston looked the face was that of Catherine Trelane the evening was a fitting end every day the first Livingston had had in many a year even Mrs. Shepherd's failure to give him the opportunity he sought to talk with her could not wholly mar it later Livingston heard Mrs. Wright begin to tell someone of his act of the night before in buying up a toy shop for the children at the hospital I always believed in him she asserted warmly Livingston caught his name Mrs. Wright with some embarrassment and much warmth declared that she was mistaken that he had not done it Mrs. Wright laughed incredulously I suspected it this morning when I first heard of it but now I have the indisputable proof she held up a note I think I've heard of you before she laughed with a capital imitation of Mr. Brown's manner I still deny it insisted Livingston as Mrs. Wright still affirmed her belief he told her the story of Santa Claus' partner insensibly as he told it the other voices hushed down he told it well for his heart was full of the little girl who had led him from the frozen land to the land of light as he ended from another room somewhere upstairs came a child's clear voice singing God bless you married gentlemen let no sing you dismay for Jesus Christ our Savior was born this very day Livingston looked at Mrs. Shepherd she was standing under the long evergreen fastoons just where they met and formed a sort of verdant archway two of the children of the house attracted by Livingston's story had come and pressed against her as they listened with interested faces and she had put her arms about them and drawn their curly heads close to her side a spray of holly with scarlet berries was at her throat and one of the children had mischievously stuck a sprig of mistletoe in her hair her face was turned aside her eyes were downcast the long dark lashes drooping against her cheek and on her face rested a divine compassion and as Livingston gazed on her he saw the same gracious figure and fine profile that he had seen the night before outlined against the light in the archway of the gate of the children's hospital it was the reflective face of one who has felt but when she raised her eyes they were the eyes of Catherine Trilane and suddenly as Livingston looked into them they had softened and she seemed to be standing as she had stood so long ago in the Christmas evening light in a long avenue under swaying boughs in the heart of the land of his youth well still somewhere above the child's voice curled let no sing you dismay for Jesus Christ our Savior was born this very day End of Chapter 17 End of Santa Claus' partner by Thomas Nelson Page


Joining us from NIAC New York, he's not from NIAC, NIAC New York, he's in NIAC New York, which is one of the most beautiful spots in the world. He is headlining Levity Live in NIAC New York this Friday and tomorrow Saturday. Alonzo Bowden, hello there Alonzo. What's up David? And you know, you're right about NIAC, it's funny, I grew up in Queens, I'd never been up here and it was like, oh, so this is what happens, you cross the George Washington Bridge and there's a sign that says Palisades and it's beautiful over here. Two lane highways and the whole, yeah. So they say, yeah, it's nice, it's going to be a great weekend. It's going to be a great weekend, it's beautiful this time of year. I would assume the leaves are just poppy. Yeah, just starting to bud, just so it's not green yet, but green is coming. I'll tell you what's unusual right now David, LA is green, California is green. The last few years we've been pretty brown, but we had record setting rain over winter. It's really funny, it's like all the hills are green.  So yeah, so we're greener than the east coast for now. I don't want to violate your privacy, but as I remember, is it fair to say you live near Calabasas? Not too far, I'm in Studio City, so I'm 10 miles from Calabasas. Was there a time that you lived out there? Because I remember you used to take the motorcycle and from there. Yeah, I ride up there, I ride up through Calabasas and Malibu Canyon and all of that. Yeah, I love riding my motorcycle up there, beautiful. You grew up in Queens, I grew up in Anglewood, New Jersey, and I left early on, moved to California, and I knew that there was a life in New York that was exceptional, even better than in LA, but there was nothing I had to offer the New York metropolitan area to allow me to stay here. And now that I'm back... That's an interesting way to put it. Yeah, I just couldn't make a living, I couldn't make a living in New York. Do you feel like, hmm, maybe I should move back to New York because this would be a better lifestyle than California? It never crosses my mind. Every time I visit New York, you know, my family's still here. I'm like, I love visiting New York, but now I'm a West Coast guy, I love the West. I love the space, I love the weather. Like you said, I'm a motorcycle guy, motorcycle and car culture is big out there. But it's just something about the lifestyle. I like the LA lifestyle versus New York lifestyle. Nothing wrong with New York, it's just not me. I'm glad I grew up here. I think the education of growing up in New York is like nowhere else, but I love living in LA. Where did you start doing stand-up? LA. LA is where I started. You started in 1993.  That's what I read, so... You know, that's like a Wikipedia version of my story where you look... You ever look on Wikipedia and find out things about yourself, you didn't know, like, hey, I didn't know that. Okay, so I built model airplanes and I sniffed airplane glue. Yeah, why not? I found out I host a podcast. You made airplanes, right? I did. I worked on real airplanes, and it's funny because I learned to do that in New York. I went to Aviation High School in Long Island City, and I was hired by Lockheed Aircraft in Burbank. So I moved to LA and, I mean, I literally got there and just never looked back. And, yeah, for the first, let's see, for 13 years, I spent 10 years building and fixing airplanes and then three years training people and having fun making them laugh before I crossed over. And, you know, back when we built them, we never thought to make the aisle wider so that when you beat a passenger and drag him off the plane, there would be more room like you could comfortably drag him versus having to twist the body to the side to drag it. See, the engineers just don't think of these things. How horrible was that? What do you mean you built airplanes? I know we've talked about this before. I literally built, you know, the main airplane I worked on was the original stealth fighter for your listeners if they want to Google it, just Google F-117. You built a stealth bomber? No, not the bomber, the fighter. The fighter was used in the first Gulf War. No, it was an attack plane, but it wasn't considered a bomber because it only could carry two missiles at a time, or I think they could put four smaller ones, two big ones or four smaller ones. But the big thing about it, it was the first airplane that radar couldn't see. It could fly through a radar area and well, you're old enough to remember. Remember a movie called Firefox with Clint Eastwood? I'm going to pretend that I'm not old enough. Who's Clint Eastwood? Okay, let me refresh. There was a movie. It came out in the early 80s and the plotline was that Russia had invented this top secret airplane that you couldn't see it on radar and it was silent and it would project false images of itself and it had no heat trace or it was basically an invisible airplane and the idea was for Clint Eastwood to steal this airplane from the Russians so that the Americans could make the technology blah, blah, blah, right? Well when that movie came out, we were actually building a plane that could do all of that and it was top secret and we're like, can we tell anyone? Can we tell anyone that we actually know that? Like we make one of those. Wow. And the cool thing, the full circle experience was around 98, 99, I was doing a show in Kuwait and I was at the base where they kept these planes because they used them like I said in the first Iraq-Kuwait war and when we got there and they're showing us the plane and I start talking about it and they're like, hey, wait a minute, how do you know all of this? And I was like, well, I kind of knew it before you did, young man. So you came to work to make a stealth bomber or a stealth fighter, could you find it every day? I mean, was it easy to spot? I'm sorry, that's a quote. No, it's an easy joke. It's an easy joke. It's right there. Yes, we did find it. I will tell you, this is how secret that job was. Again, you're too young to remember this but your older listeners will remember. Big scandal about the $600 toilet seats and the $1,000 hammers and all of that. I remember that. What that was, that's how they, and I learned this later, that's how they financed secret projects, right? So you have this, we were in like an assembly line in a building that is full. That's amazing. That's amazing. It's all sealed up. Like once we went to work, like you went into work and they closed the door and you couldn't leave until the end of the day. It wasn't like you could go in or out or anything like that. So what they did was they had an assembly line of a plane that the government knows about, that people know about and you do a bunch of overcharges on that one to pay for the secret one that people don't know about. And that's how they financed these projects. Well, that's how they used to finance these projects. Who knows what's going on now? So when they talked about a $600 toilet seat, it was like, well, actually it's an $8 toilet seat and $592 is going to finance the secret military project.  I apologize for bringing this up, but Reagan was president, and I remember there was like a $700 coffee maker. And this was like, I just started doing comedy and I said, you know, for $700, I want that coffee maker to brew it and blow me. And it worked at the time because I was starting, but you know, they can't audit the Pentagon and I guess that's why. Right, and that's how they do it. And you know, when that plane, when it was declassified, the person who gave up the secret was a congressman. Some congressman wanted to prove like this is what we, you know, this is what we do, this is what we authorize and he was like, look at this badass plane we've been building. And everybody was like, you weren't supposed to mention it, you know. So you had top secret clearance. What's that like? Do they investigate it? Well, for me, it was actually very easy because they check back to when you're 18 and I started at Lock Teed when I was like 18 and three weeks. So the funniest thing about that was I moved to California and then two weeks later I got friends in New York calling me like, hey man, what'd you do out there? The FBI was asking about you. Yeah, so they do the background check and the FBI, you know, I mean, again, I'm a kid just out of high school so there wasn't much to investigate. There wasn't much trouble I could have gotten into at that point but yeah, they did the background check and the whole thing and I had the secret and then the top secret clearance. By the time you were 18, you were making airplanes. Yeah, yeah, it's an amazing, when I look back on it, I mean it was, it's what I did and I had a bunch of friends from high school and we all did it. We just had sort of a reunion out in LA of the guys who stayed in California or make it. But yeah, when you look back on it, it was ridiculous like we had just learned to build planes in high school and now we're building the most advanced top secret plane, you know, in the world at the time. And to us it was like, okay, just another airplane, you know. What year again was this? This was 80 to 84, I worked there. 80 to 84. Okay, and then I see, how does your mind work? In that sense, in the mechanical sense, I have a great appreciation of mechanical things and I can just kind of see how things go together and how things are supposed to work. That would probably explain why I never got married because I'd look at a woman and be like, this thing just doesn't, it doesn't work right.  It's like marriage, marriage is like the bumblebee. If you show a bumblebee to people like you who know how things fly, they cannot explain how a bumblebee flies. Well, there are actually, there are two theories of flight. Okay, there's what's known as the Bernoulli principle. And the Bernoulli principle is that as air moves faster, pressure drops, which creates lift. And that's the theory that the air rushing over the wing creates a low pressure area above the wing, which lifts the plane. But the other theory is, if you put power behind it, it'll fly. That's the theory that says if you throw a brick, it will fly. So those are the two theories that come together. But yeah, the bumblebee thing was a poster in the hangar where we were building because that plane was also the first one that it couldn't fly without the computers. The computers had to account for the aerodynamics of the airplane. So it literally was like a bumblebee and like that without the computers, this thing can't fly. But getting back to women, not air beyond bumblebees. Yeah, well, marriage is like the bumblebee. You just have to believe in the honey. Did they ever figure out why a bumblebee flies? I think it has to do with the speed of the wings, if I remember correctly. But mathematically, it shouldn't work, but it does. But I think it had to do with the speed that they can vibrate their wings. Is that how a helicopter flies? No. You know what a helicopter is? What you think is the propeller on top of a helicopter is actually a wing. It's a wing that rotates. So it's built like the airplane wings. If you could imagine airplane wings spinning fast enough to create lift. That's how a helicopter flies. You flew today, correct? Yeah. What airline? United. Seriously. I talked about this on my podcast. I'm one of these people that's very torn because I'm a platinum level flyer with a million miles on United. But when you say that, you know, I'm going to walk away and I'll never fly this airline again. I'm kind of vested in flying on this airline.  You know, it's like, it's United's turn in the barrel. United didn't do anything that Delta or American wouldn't have done in the same position. They just happen to do it.   You know? So, yeah, obviously I'm not happy with them. The CEO did say that they promised they will no longer physically drag passengers off the plane. So we got that going for us, you know? So far, Delta and American haven't made that promise. They still have one free drag to get away with. Well, there'd be no flight. Bernali's principle is all about drag, isn't it? Why does it like to have a million miles? You know, it's cool. This is the benefit they give you for having a million miles. I'll be a gold level flyer for life. So in other words, if I stop flying so much, I maintain gold level. Now, the problem with that is that was great when there were numerous airlines. As they merge, what they don't tell you is like, when United merges with Continental, now you've got, you know, the 10,000 gold members of Continental and the 10,000 gold members. So your chance of getting an upgrade or any benefit was just cut in half, because twice as many people are in it. But it's good. I'll tell you what, I don't know, because let me tell you something. They don't treat me that special, and I'm platinum with a million miles. So I don't know how they're treating you in group four. I think in group four they might just beat you with a stick and tie you in a chair. I don't know. You know, it's like, look, I'm platinum and they ain't too happy with me. What are you doing with you? How tall are you? 6'3". How do you sit and coach? And why isn't there a class action suit? One of the benefits is I get the, I forget what they call it, but the coach seats with the extra leg room. So I sit in that section of the plane where you get a coach seat, but you have business class leg room. But if you can't afford, let's say you're just a normal person without a million miles. Don't you have a lawsuit again? No, no, you just, you know, you just suffer. And as a matter of fact, that's being tall if you're overweight, right? If you're over a certain weight, you have to buy two seats. Seriously, I'm not making that up. I don't know what the weight is, but there's like over a certain size, you know, you got to buy two seats. Wow. So you talk about having some money, you know, then it becomes, well, for the price of two seats, you could just buy one seat in business, you know? Right. So, yeah, it's uncomfortable at times and for, if you are, it's not even a matter of being six foot three. I think if you're six feet tall and you're in the regular airplane seat, you're going to be cramped, right? Because they've shortened the pitch, like they've shortened the leg room to fit that extra row of seats in and sell those extra seats.  And they've definitely been cases of, you know, people getting into fights or coming close to fighting over that two inch recline of the seat. And that's where the flight attendants, they catch hell, right? Because some guy in an office, you know, makes this policy and then some engineer designs it, oh, well, we can make the seat this much smaller, blah, blah, blah. But then when two people are on a red eye, tired and pissed off, it's the flight attendant who has to try to get between them when they're about to kill each other. What's the best flight you ever had? Virgin Atlantic business class. There's two flights I did that were incredible. I did the Virgin business class from London to LA. And they literally, like, you have to tell the flight attendant leave me alone. Like they're just, would you like a blanket? What would you like to eat? They'll cook you in the lounge before you get on the plane. They, like, have a chef in the lounge. Anything you'd like will make for you, blah, blah, blah, blah. That one was incredible. And back rubs, right? Don't think of back rubs. They have massages and they also have a barber. They have the whole thing. I'm not kidding. I'm not, I'm not exaggerating or making this up. No, they have massages, a barber, you know, you can get a pedicure while you're waiting for the lounge and all of that. That's all there. A spa. Basically, they have a spa in the lounge. And then the other one I flew that was incredible was Singapore Air. I was doing this gig in Indonesia and they flew me business class on Singapore. And that's the one where your seat folds down into a bed and they put a curtain around you so you have your own little private room to fly in. And they have, I think they have, like, one flight attendant for every four people or something like that. Some crazy, you know, ratio of, yeah, we're here to take care of, you know. Those are the flights that are amazing. You don't want them to end. No, then you're comfortable. You're like, yeah, if I flew like this, but then you see the cost of the ticket and, like, when we did the Virgin America thing, that was part of a military gig, part of a USO thing. So they donate the seats, you know, as a donation to the USO. But we saw the price of the tickets and the tickets cost more than we were getting paid to do the gig. Wow. Yeah.  I often think, you know, if I didn't live in America, I'd be a lot happier. If I, you know, when I go to Canada or Italy, I'm happy. When I come back to America, I'm tense. I'm afraid I'm going to get shot. When I'm on a train, it is impossible for me to be anxious or depressed. I think I could, I mean, I think heaven to me would be first class accommodations on a train, just a permanent train ride. I also think the few times that I've flown first class, I think I could just sit on a plane forever and just keep flying around the world. There was a time when you could buy, the rich people were doing this in the 70s and the 80s. I think it was like $250,000. You could buy a lifetime first class seat on American Airlines, which means you could pretty much just live in the air. Yeah, I don't, I don't know if they still do that. I know they do have some of these, like around the world tickets. Like you can get on and off planes and go around the world over a period of time. Maybe it's a year or something like that. I will tell you this, that if I'm going across the country, business class is worth it. You know, like if you're flying a two-hour flight or whatever, it's not that big a difference. It's nice and depending on the price, I may or may not do it. But if I'm going, like this trip, coming from LA here, I would rather, I did a flight where I had to stop and change planes, but I'd rather do that and get business class than go direct and coach. Yeah, I'm all about the suffering.  That's how I figure, I'm making $50 bucks an hour by not paying extra for, you know. You know, it's funny, my business manager was the opposite because I used to do that and she was like, look, your travel is business. Just spend the money.  Just spend the money. So then I started doing it. And you accumulate perks faster. You accumulate miles and all of that stuff faster. So there are advantages to doing it, but flying, it's, it's the work. You know, when people ask what I do, I'm like, look, they pay me to travel.  That's the gig. You know, everybody who travels on business on a more or less weekly basis, you know, I'm probably in an airport 40 weeks out of the year. And yeah, it's a job. Are you on the road that much? You know, by the way, John Fugels saying, and I thought I was going to see you on Fugels saying's series XM show today, but you were on it too and I was on it for and people were calling in to ask to speak and he's been gone for two hours. I love John's show. As you know, John's show is intelligent and he lets you be you and it's just phenomenal. But you told him that you're on the road most of the time. Is that true? 40 weeks out of the year? I'm a comic, you know, and I was telling him in the past few years, I've really like I've always been a comic but it's been more like embracing it like yeah, this is what I do. I love when I get a TV spot you get the occasional acting job or voice over job. But this is what I do, man. I'm a comic. So I'm not in clubs all the time. I do some clubs. It's a combination. I do clubs. I do corporate. My favorite thing that I get to work with are a lot of jazz artists. I open for some jazz artists. I host some jazz festivals and I love that because I love the music and I love that synergy between music and comedy, you know, on a creative level. But yeah, this is what I do. So, you know, I got to travel. It's part of the job. So when I say I'm in the airport 40 weeks a year, sometimes it's just for one night. Like I don't even, I was telling a friend I don't even consider that travel. If I fly out Thursday, work Thursday night and come home Friday as far as I'm concerned, I didn't even count. You know, but club weeks are three or four days. There are two American art forms that I believe are purely American and that would be jazz and stand-up comedy. Is that a fair statement? Yeah, I'd say that's pretty accurate. I'd say that is a pretty pretty accurate statement. When I was starting out, they used to play rock and roll in the clubs and I remembered Mort Saul, who started in San Francisco opening for jazz musicians, Dave Brubeck and I would say shouldn't you be playing jazz?  That's what stand-up is and they would say to me no, no, no, we got to rev up the crowd. Comedy is the new rock and roll. And I maintained that had they kept the jazz roots I never would have had to do a joke about a coffee machine blowing me. Well, that is the beauty of it.  Yeah, on the creative level they are the same thing and what you said is exactly true. Like it would be great if you have an audience if you have an audience that gets jazz they're going to love comedy you know, creative comedy. I mean, one of the best compliments I got was when I'm just doing crowd work, right? And to comics it's just fun doing crowd work and sometimes I test myself like how can I tie these things in or doing whatever and there were a bunch of musicians at the show and they were like, man, that's jazz that's just straight improvisation we love that, you know and coming from guys whose whole musical world is improvisation that's a high compliment but you're right if you know I get the rock and roll aspect of it I've always understood that aspect of comedy I've always understood the money making aspect of comedy you know, put asses in seats sell drinks, blah, blah, blah but when you get those rooms and you know what I'm talking about where it's just creativity and the audience appreciates the creativity of comedy there used to be a room on Vancouver Island and it was a jazz club during the week and comedy on Friday and Saturday John Fox book then I did it with Pat Wilson Pat Wilson was booking it when I did it but you could feel it like in the room, like it had that smoky velvet room feel like you'd never have to raise your voice you know, that kind of room and I loved it, it was just so creative and that's a beautiful thing, yeah it's great when those two come together and a jazz audience is a great comedy audience because you have people who want to go past loud noises people who appreciate nuance and so on and again, I definitely get the rock and roll aspect of comedy and you know any of us would want to be a rock star right, it's nice to make a few million dollars a year let's not kid ourselves you know, I know a few millionaires and it looks like a nice life but from a creative standpoint if I can find a good living and I can do the creative stuff and do the stuff that I love then that's cool too who are some of the best jazz musicians around these days? a friend of mine I'm biased but I think he's brilliant a guy named Marcus Miller what does he play? he plays the bass but that's putting it mildly just to give you an idea this guy at 19 Miles Davis put him in his band okay now think about what you were doing at 19, I think about what I was doing at 19 there was no danger of Miles Davis hiring me unless he needed a stealth fighter but yeah, Marcus played with Miles and then he was Lovavandrov's music director for all of those hits through the 80s so he did the R&B thing but he has his own jazz vibe, I'm a big fan and friend of his there's a guy named Robert Glasper a brilliant pianist who he has two different bands he has a jazz trio and then he has a R&B band called the Robert Glasper experiment and he's won Grammys on both sides you know so that's kind of brilliant and then the masters like Herbie Hancock and you know Miles people like that, shit Korea I've always loved them and yeah there are some young guys there's a guy named Christian Scott who's an incredible trumpet player that I listened to there are some younger guys guys in their 30s and 40s who are making some incredible jazz and it's very cool because they're using all influences now like there's the hip hop has become an influence in jazz and vice versa and that's really cool what some people are doing with that so do you listen to jazz at home and when do you listen to it yeah I listen to it probably more than anything else probably more than anything else I listen to jazz at home I listen to it in the car and yeah that's that's my music that's my sound track L.A.K. jazz yeah you know the problem with radio radio doesn't give jazz enough to play or play meaning that like when you listen to a K jazz they do a lot of the old traditional jazz what's what they call straight ahead jazz but you won't hear a lot of the fusion or the the newer the more contemporary stuff being done I've been told to you know I don't know anything about this stuff but purists look down on that stuff right yeah they do and then they don't you know and this is what I mean like a guy like Robert Glasper right who has this electronic R&B band and does covers of like smells like teen spirit you know people like oh well what is he blah blah blah and then he does a duet with Herbie Hancock where him and Herbie are both on you know traditional acoustic pianos and you're like oh yeah so tell Herbie this kid doesn't know anything about jazz because what the hell does Herbie know you know what I mean so so yeah that's what that's what proves the snobs wrong when these guys who you know like I say like like Marcus Marcus plays an electric bass right so you do oh well you know if you're not playing that a big acoustic bass or this or that and it's like yeah he wrote the song Tutu for Miles Davis so you know so he's got that going for him you know what I mean so yeah so the jazz snobs sorry but you know and the thing about that is jazz was always about improvisation and change right I mean back in the 50s when they were first starting rock and roll those musicians learned how to play from jazz musicians you know and that's what they talk about like that's what they used to listen to right jazz and blues musicians and they transitioned and made it into rock and roll so there's always going to be a fight for that traditional thing and the traditional thing is cool but the music is about creativity and about pushing it to the next whatever the next level is going to be I mean in hip hop you look at you know it's funny you got a guy like a Bob James who's a jazz pianist ask Bob if he loves hip hop he loves hip hop because because rappers have been sampling his jazz and his funk and he's made you know probably a couple million dollars on the side from me you know from rappers sampling his music he's like oh yeah big fan of hip hop love the hip hop love the hip hop are you a fan of comedy yes can you watch can you enjoy stand up yeah I like watching people who do things different than I do and then I just like watching just great stand ups I don't have you seen Chappelle's new stuff on Netflix not yet I'm backed up yeah it's great I mean to watch Dave Chappelle do an hour is like oh that's how this is supposed to be done how do you watch stand up I was talking to this professor Corey Brett Schneider who's a regular on the show he's a constitutional law professor and he was teaching me how to read a supreme court decision and we've talked about how do you watch Shakespeare and I always say well you got to know the story first so you can appreciate the language and the acting if you're trying to ferret out the plot you're going to be lost how do you approach stand up when you watch it I think it depends on who's doing it if I'm watching Chappelle it's almost like I'm a student you know I'm wide like wow look what he can do look how he did this look where he went with that you know and then he's got I don't want to ruin it for you because you haven't seen it but if you see the special he does a couple of things where and you know the highest compliment we comics can give is like man I wish I thought of that you know and he came up with this thread that he ran through one of the specials that was like oh my god that is so funny to where by the third time he did it like all he said was the premise and the crowd just lost it because it's such a it was an unusual yet brilliant thread to run through a comedy special you know then then sometimes I watch people like Ali Long she just makes me laugh you know I like somebody young comic some of them are I don't know I don't know how to describe it there's some of it that I think is fake and I think it's like the emperor has no clothes you know what I mean like like people are acting like this is hip and different but just for the sake of saying it's hip and different and then some of them I think are really onto something that is really funny and unique Jared Carmichael is another one I can watch Jared I I watch him for his premises because he comes up with ideas and the way he states the premise is funny and it makes you think before he starts doing the jokes you know so I admire that and then like I say the masters you know to watch Louis Black do an hour like I can't watch Lou too much because I'll start doing Lou you know because it's just I love it so much and it's like I don't know how to explain it so sometimes I watch as a fan and sometimes I watch as a student let me get back to Chappelle and freedom on stage if you're free on stage and that comes with celebrity or a really kind audience you can go into areas that you never thought possible the audience will almost take you there it's almost like a plane taking off right if you have a great audience is it Bernalies principle I mean they'll go they'll go anywhere with Dave because you know he's gonna make it funny you know Dave is one of the few people that I would pay to watch think out loud he thinks out loud and he would do like six hour sets at the laugh factory can you get there are you ever in a city are you ever obviously you are but I mean can you just throw out your act and do an hour and just fly I do that in a jazz world I do that in a jazz world because I do these jazz cruises and you know there's 40 jazz musicians and I'm the only comic so the first show I do I do material but the second show okay you guys have seen my material it's the same audience I'm not doing the same hour and that's where I'll just start playing around and I'm surprised at how much they'll come along with me for the ride and I'm just looking for things and then yeah sometimes you know it's the other times I love doing that is an empty night at the laugh factory some of my best sets because that stage is so home to me and when it's you know 30 people it's like alright look I'm not going to jump around and shout and we're not doing the set let's talk for a while let's see where this goes and I love doing it there and Dave does the same thing with you know 400 people in a club or 2,000 people in a theater because they know him and they know what he does and and you know part of that is just something you could do it anyway you know what I mean like I don't think he's ever been one limited by the desire to make the crowd laugh you know I'm fascinated by this because you're really doing it and you're you're out on the road 40 weeks and you're the jazz audience is would you say that the audience is kind of like another instrument so that you're working with them it's almost when you're working on new material you're kind of playing your tune and then you listen to them and it's back and forth it's this great combination yes and no I think it's more you're there I'm sorry I just had to look at something something I got to take care of but anyway no I think I don't know if I'd say they're an instrument as much as it is they will just they appreciate it I think that's more I think it's more their appreciation so they appreciate you experimenting with stuff and they're like oh yeah that works oh yeah that's you know or maybe there's something funny there but I haven't found it yet but so I don't think I'm not trying to play them I'm not trying to to make them laugh I'm just you know what I mean I'm just are you dancing with them or boxing with them I like boxing better than dancing yeah I like throwing jabs I like throwing jabs and I like throwing the hook that they don't see coming right and knocking them on their ass you know and they appreciate that they appreciate the hook that they didn't see coming the marquee to Queensbury there are rules to boxing aren't isn't that the marquee to Queensbury yeah this is what I remember about you we did the gala in Montreal it was a political show and you were incredibly clean and I wasn't this was like three or four maybe five years ago and your act was immaculate and I watched it thinking wow you have high standards do you get pissed off if the person in front of you is doing jokes about their coffee maker blowing them not really I think you know what bothers me more when someone takes a premise and does nothing with it then then they destroy the premise you know like like take a Ben Carson because lately I just have fun with this idiot he annoys me so it's fun making but then you have somebody oh that Ben Carson stupid Ben Carson slaves or immigrants and then they don't and now it's like okay so now that premise has been trashed with no punchline or no joke or Trump's an idiot well why like give me a reason say something go beyond stating the obvious even though the obvious can get a laugh take it to it you know what I mean take it to or don't touch it it's like if your whole act is you know jokes about sex jokes or jokes about whatever you know and then you go into politics but you don't do politics so now you're just stating a bunch of premises or words that you've heard before and trashing them I would rather you do coffee make or blow job jokes you know not to say that no one should ever do politics or whatever you know do whatever you want but yeah that bothers me more I don't if you work dirty then work dirty but don't ruin a good premise joke that annoys me well I know you've had a long day and you've been longer once more I just want to ask you about the Texas military bases and your podcast who's paying attention and I also just want to know if you had any thoughts on Don Rickles oh three great topics I'll start with Don Rickles and you know you mentioned the Gallas in Montreal a few years ago I did a Gallas hosted by Don Rickles and truly one of the great moments in my comedic life if not in my life period was getting roasted backstage by Don Rickles you know it's on my Facebook page if you go to Facebook slash Alonzo Bowden it's on there and Rickles just rips into me starting with uh names Alonzo that's good you took a white man's name so the cops won't think you did it and you know David I mean is there a more legendary moment in comedy than Don Rickles just ripping on you you know with Rickles humor I loved it that was great um you know he's one of those old masters I mean we're losing those guys these guys had one liners and they were quick you know I was reading like they were just all kind of things about Rickles online and everywhere else they were talking about I don't know where he was but Barack Obama was there it was some presidential oh yeah Obama he was at my house last week yeah you forgot the mop you know and Don said that to Barack Obama you know Obama just falls out laughing because it was Don Rickles like nobody else can say to him you forgot the mop but Rickles bam yeah well actually I remember I remember people saying he crossed the line on that joke I don't think he did and I don't think Barack Obama thought he did okay because the thing about Don Rickles yeah Don Rickles listen Don Rickles said things that especially today you know that that might have been funny in 72 that were horrible today but it was Don Rickles saying and if there's one thing about Don Rickles that you knew there was never any hatred behind his jokes right you just you knew there was never now there are some other insult comedians that and you could tell when they mean it you know what I mean and that's when it's not funny that's when it's awkward and blah blah blah Rickles if he hated anyone he hated everyone equally including himself I saw him do this thing he was like making fun of these Hawaiians doing some weird Polynesian noises now who does he mean of course it was cheap and racist but it was hilarious and the thing about Rickles you always saw the person he was making fun of laughing about it I never saw the person that he was making fun of not laugh about it I mean he made fun of Sinatra and didn't get killed you know and he was free I mean I've been watching I've been watching him on YouTube for years now and he was free I mean he would go on Carson and I think how does he fly this way without and he would crash and get right back up and keep a lot like Jonathan Winters the growing up were your parents offended by him no no my mother has a great sense of humor she might be the funniest person I know my mom always made me laugh so she would laugh at good humor if something was funny she'd laugh at it and again with Don Rickles there was something about him you can tell the opposite would be Michael Richards right Kramer when Kramer went off at the laugh factory the crowd so you were talking about the crowd earlier as a musical instrument I've always seen the crowd as like the crowd senses things like you know how they say a dog can sense something a dog can sense fear or aggression or whatever I've always felt the crowd is the same way the crowd knows the truth and if you crack a racist remark or some kind of remark like that if you mean it the crowd knows you mean it right and that was what happened with Kramer so you're saying when a man stands in front of an audience and screams the N word a hundred times he means it well I have a serious no but I mean then you see like a Don Rickles right and when Don Rickles makes a joke about me going to San Quentin like you know it's come on that shit is funny you know that he's not Jeff Sessions who really means he wants to send me to San Quentin you know you can always tell and the crowd can tell same thing with jokes about about women you know women know when it's a joke about women and they know when it's a misogynist hating women and so on or vice versa when a woman makes a joke about a man you know and things like that I've always felt the audience kind of the audience knows the truth and with Don Rickles and you know I could be dead wrong right maybe they you know they know the secret but I just never felt any animosity toward anyone Don Rickles ever made fun of I just never felt it never saw it never saw anything never saw him make fun of one group any more than any other group I think 20 years from now 50 years from now he'll be remembered I do I think he will be like a time capsule that holds up and is fascinating he is and truly dangerous truly I I know you got to go and I apologize no I'm fine I'm fine I remember growing up my mother watched him on a Dean Martin roast and he said oh Nipsey Russell is here let me make you feel at home all aboard and my mother said turn him off turn him off 10 years later I hear this maniacal laughing coming from her bedroom and she's watching Don Rickles and just I think and that's kind of like the politically correct movement my mother was being overly protective but didn't consult the people who she thought she was protecting as to whether or not it was offensive right well another great example of that was Archie Bunker mm-hmm right because they always say that all in the family like they wouldn't it couldn't be on TV today like Archie couldn't say the things that he said but the thing was when Archie said it it was so genuinely ignorant that you didn't hate him for it that's what made it funny but now when when what's his name the fat radio guy Limbaugh the fat radio guy suffices yeah when Limbaugh says the same thing that Archie Bunker said you know that Rush Limbaugh means it and that's what that's why it's a hateful thing and you know so and again this is where the audience you got to give the audience some credit for intelligence and for the ability to discern what's being said so the audience that watches the same audience that sees Archie Bunker and sees Rush Limbaugh they're like oh this guy's an actor being funny this guy is absolutely dangerous or this guy is saying exactly what I think and you know let me go put my hood on and let's have a party very quickly who's paying attention I love doing it it started with my look at the the media I think the most guilty party in what's crumbling now in our society which is intelligence and truth it's a media's fault because it's always been their job to hold the politicians to a standard when Donald Trump says you know a few years ago Syria is a mistake we should never bomb Syria the president can't drop a bomb without congress blah blah blah and then he does it there's no one in the media who holds the beat to the fire who stands up in the press conference and says now wait a minute so who's paying attention stems from my frustration with the media and the fact that comedians we're the only ones left telling the truth you know as Lewis Black once said look we didn't want this job but no one else will fucking do it we'd much rather tell dick jokes but since no one else can tell the truth and you know fortunately you have people like Lewis and John Oliver and the Daily Show and stuff like that and you know so yeah that's where that came from and you're going off to Texas to entertain our troops I love I love entertaining the troops the military I've been fortunate enough to entertain them overseas and here in the US and it is a mutual admiration they love the fact that when they're overseas we bring them a taste of home you know and we get to see what they do and actually appreciate what they do you know the interesting thing with like Iraq the people who are saying you know support the troops support the troops well we're going to raise your taxes a dollar to help no we can't raise taxes to help the veterans you know so to actually get out there and give them a break from their reality for an hour and every comic who's done it or who does it we all love doing it and then the other thing is we get to make fun of people they can't make fun of like their officers or their sergeants or stuff like that and it's been my experience those guys have a great sense of humor about it those guys and women you know I mean not disrespecting them but just making fun of the hierarchy of the military you know and yeah I love entertaining the troops and it's always been a good experience and every now and then they let you you know play with one of their toys drive a home beer so they haven't let me blow up anything I've asked I've asked like can't we just say it was an accident and blow this fishing boat out of the water but so far they haven't let me do that Mike too before you go and thank you and we're talking we've been talking with Alonzo Bowden he's live in nyak new york friday tonight and saturday two shows each night correct right and what time do they start seven thirty and nine forty five please go see him and go download his podcast on itunes who's paying attention I have two core values when it comes to politics medicare for all that is if there's you cannot argue with me on medicare for all if you don't believe in medicare for all there's nothing to talk about it's you're another animal as far as I'm concerned medicare for all and the other issue that I'm kind of becoming almost axiomatic about is a draft I think that we need to have a draft and I get that I get that because it levels the playing field that that's something they said that when everybody served in the military we all cared a lot more about it so I understand that that makes sense and I think it makes us better citizens we pay more attention we learn to work together we also learn to respect and loathe authority simultaneously yeah yeah well and what's even you know loaded or at the very least question it at the very least question though that's a good thing I think values wise how great would it be if we you know since we're always claiming to be a quote Christian nation like what if we actually did stuff Jesus would do you know like help poor people help sick people you know not hate someone because they're different like like if Jesus came back now he'd last what 15 minutes especially where you're heading Texas the right the right wing would be like wait listen Jesus and we know you snuck in here with your peace and love and all of that but we're gonna have to shut you down you know I mean it would so wouldn't it be great if we if we actually adopted since we claim to and all that like like if we actually adopted those principles like like honestly I would hate to be a Christian leader if Jesus shows up you know if Jesus shows up tomorrow I'll be like hey Jesus I wasn't with them I tried to tell them I would I know I'm with you they I don't know what they're doing I don't think Jesus was building a wall or checking Jesus never asked a leper if he had coverage wait wait before I lay hands let me see you you got coverage alright put your legs in the basket and get the hell out of here not once not once did Jesus not once did Jesus Jesus didn't check how much money you had before he turned the water into wine you want wine what kind of money you got I Alonzo Bowden will be at Leavity live in NIAC tonight and tomorrow two shows go to AlonzoBowden.com for more information thank you Alonzo David this was really fun I appreciate it I love the long form interview and you allowing me to talk and to catch up with my friend and be funny


Hey guys, welcome to Rotorette. I'm Bovee FPV and if you're new to FPV, you'll know that there are many different sizes of drones. You can see we have one that fits in the palm of my hand. We have some that are almost as big as me and today we're gonna talk about each one and what their pros and cons are and which one is right for you. All right, so the first drone class that I'm going to be talking about is the 35 millimeter class. So you'll see a couple of variants of drones with this size propeller. You'll see something like this where they have no propeller guards and all the propellants are exposed and you'll also see some that have propeller guards, which basically means there's little circles around the propellers to protect anything that the drone crashes into. Personally, I like the ones without propeller guards because I think they have a little bit more performance. So this size drone is really good for doing freestyle indoors. So if it's really cold outside or if you just don't feel like going to a fly spot, pick up one of these and you can do all of the freestyle tricks you want around your house. You can do you can power loop your table. You can splinest your chairs. You can trippy spin whatever vertical structure you have in your house. This drone is really awesome for just all indoor freestyle. If we're looking at flight time, you're going to be getting anywhere from two to three minutes depending on how aggressively you're flying.  But if you're ripping doing all the freestyle maneuvers or if you're racing, you're going to be getting closer to two minutes. So not the longest flat time in the world, but honestly, in my opinion, I find for freestyle that's a decent amount of flight time because usually I crash. Before the two to three minutes are over. So if you're looking for something to fly strictly indoors and just, you know, rip up your house or like an indoor warehouse, you guys might have access to the 35 millimeter size class is my favorite. This one, I'm a little biased as the Babito. I designed it. It's all carbon fiber. So this one in particular is very durable. I've dropped this thing from like 100 feet from the sky at rampage onto basically concrete and it survived it. So 35 millimeter class, super small. We're going to put this right here. And if we move up to the next class, we have the 40 millimeter propeller class, which you might be thinking that's not really that much bigger. But in terms of flight characteristics, I think it really is this drone right here that we have is the vision 40 40 standing for 40 millimeter diameter propeller. And this drone is really good for doing a lot of the indoor freestyle stuff that the 35 millimeter could as well. But this is really special because you can also go outside. So this is really versatile, in my opinion.  I think this is this drone is really good for that. You'll also notice that this drone in particular has propeller guards, which are these circles around the propeller, propeller guards, guarding the propeller. So if you're a crash this thing into your head, or if you have pets or children in the house, it's not going to do as much damage as like an open prop drone would. So this drone is great for flying, you know, front yard or inside. And I think this drone is really versatile. Now, if we're looking at flight time, this drone takes a 450 milliamp hour one cell battery. So you're going to be getting anywhere from three to five minutes. Once again, depending on how aggressively you're flying it, honestly, if you're flying indoors, you're going to be using a lot less throttle. So you'll probably get closer to five minutes.  So this vision for that we sell is actually a really great platform because this has HD on it. So the 35 millimeter drone, this uses an analog video system. So the video is going to be very, like, very low quality, like 480p. But with this one, you can get all the way up to 1080p and it's really crisp and clear. And the reason that you can get that nice HD quality is because the propeller size is a little bit bigger. So it can handle a little bit extra weight of the HD VTX. So what we have on here is the Waxnail avatar system. I use this on even some bigger drones. So just to be able to have that really nice, crisp, clear video on this size drone is really nice. If you are new to FPV and you're looking for a first drone, honestly, I think that the 40 millimeter propeller class is one of the best classes to get. Because let's say you're starting on the simulator, you just continue flying from right sitting on your couch. And what I really like about this drone is that it's very stable. I don't know exactly why, but this drone in particular, this platform is just very stable in the air and it's a very good drone to learn on. Also, it's very durable. So in the beginning, you are going to be crashing a lot. So, I mean, I'm not going to throw it. I'd feel bad if I actually threw it, but this drone is very durable to learn on. So honestly, out of all the drones I'm going to be talking about, I think 40 millimeter propeller size is the best size to start on. The next size drone that we have is the three inch, or this is called the Cinewhoop. And let's see if you can guess why it's called Cinewhoop. So this drone is great if you're trying to get cinematic shots around people. Because with this drone, as you can see, it has prop guards. So you're not going to be cutting any people. I mean, obviously, it's not going to be fun to get hit by any drone. But this one will reduce any chances of someone getting cut. So it is called Whoop, which usually we fly whoops indoors. But what's really nice about this drone is that it has a three inch diameter propeller. So it does have a lot more like thrust. So you can fly this drone outside pretty easily.  And this is a drone that he mostly uses for all of his shoots. If you're looking to start getting into FPV work, this is honestly the first drone that I would pick up. I have done, I'd say about 90 percent of my FPV work using a Cinewhoop style drone. So this drone in particular is the Skylight by the DRIV. And it's just a really great flying Cinewhoop tuned by Tyler Crane, who is our master tuner here at Rotorite. So one thing that's really different about this drone versus the other smaller drones that you've seen is it can carry a GoPro or an action camera. So basically what you do is you fly the Cinewhoop looking through the FPV camera on the bottom and you put a GoPro on top. And the GoPro is what captures the really nice, cinematic quality footage that you want for, you know, yourself or if you have a client. So the flat time that you're going to be getting with this drone is anywhere from three to five minutes. And honestly, I'd say the biggest factor that changes how long the battery lasts is fighting the wind would be the biggest thing for this, because you have the big propeller gobs in here that catch a lot of the wind. So I'd say anywhere from three to five minutes is what you can expect with one of these Cinewhoops. I mean, this thing can definitely freestyle, but that's not really what it's meant for. Yeah, so the three inch Cinewhoop class is great for any cinematic job that you need, proximity to people or outdoors. Now, we're going to move up to half an inch class. So this is the 3.5 inch class. This is actually still the skylight. But what's really awesome about this drone is you can remove the propeller guards and fit a little bit bigger propeller. If you want to fly outdoors, you know, at a park or something, this drone has a lot of power. This drone can go like 60, 70 miles an hour, even though it's still so small and it's just a really fun drone to fly around. What's really nice about this drone is that it's a lot quieter than some of the bigger drones. So like I said, if you're flying at a park and those people around, it's much less intimidating to, you know, see in the air. If you're going to be doing freestyle with this thing, you're not typically going to be carrying a GoPro. It can carry a GoPro. But what we do is we just fly the HD system in the back and you can just use the DVR from your goggles to share with the world your footage. Now, if we're talking about flat time with this drone, this one's a little bit longer. I think you can get anywhere from like four to six minutes of flat time. Once again, always depending on how aggressively you're flying.  And that's just because of how light the drone is and how big the propeller size is. So I mean, 3.5 inches is pretty significant. And it's just really efficient when you have a big propeller surface and a lightweight drone. So yeah, this 3.5 inch class is great for flying around parks or anywhere that you just want to kind of kind of fly incognito a little bit. All right, so now we're moving up into some bigger drones. This is the five inch freestyle class. And this is a drone that you'll see most people flying. This is a drone that I do most of my freestyle flying with just because it's a really good power to weight ratio. And something else that's really nice about this size classes, you can carry a full size GoPro with no problem. You can still be hitting speeds of 99.9 miles an hour with a full size GoPro. And this drone is great for basically any type of flying that you want. That's like not, you know, too close to people. So if you want to go to an abandoned building and just zoom down the hallways, or if you want to go power loop some 100 foot trees, this drone is really great for it. If you want to get into some more cinematic chasing, this this platform is really my favorite because it's so agile and so maneuverable. So let's say you're chasing some awesome drift cars. You want to be on one side of it and pop over. This drone is really great for that just because of the speeds you can hit. And also how maneuverable it is. So this one that I have here in particular is the tank by Let's Fly RC. So, I mean, the name tank means it's super durable. So, I mean, I don't know if you've watched our episode, how much a GeForce can this drone pull? We went up like 70 feet and just full throttle this thing into concrete. And it only broke very small. It was still completely perfectly fine. So in terms of flat times for these freestyle five inch drones, you can expect anywhere from three to six minutes. Once again, just depending on how you're flying here, how much wind is there and also how heavy your setup is, you know, if you were to have an action camera, the GoPro, which weighs about 200 grams, you know, you're going to be closer to three minutes of flat time.  The five inch class drone is really great for freestyle and any action cinematic shots that you want. All right. So now we are moving to the biggest size drone we sell, which is the seven inch seven inch diameter propellers.  And this drone is really special because this drone, you can put a big battery on there and you can get like 15 to 20 minutes of battery life on this drone. That's once again, because of the bigger propeller size, just making the whole drone very efficient. So you can carry a full size GoPro.  And this drone is really good if you're trying to do long range, which long range is basically where you fly as far as you can within visual line of sight. And I've seen people get upwards of like three to five miles out from themselves. So you got to fly that far out and that far back. And that's just because this drone is super efficient, really long battery life. So while the really long battery life is really nice, this thing is really big. As you can see, it's like way bigger than my face. So you're not going to want to fly this like anywhere near people just because this thing is pretty loud once you're getting up high in throttle. And it's a little bit scary to be flying around people. And also it's the most dangerous class out of all of these because these blades are just huge spinning knives. If you live somewhere like Colorado and you just want to go do some mountain cruising, this drone is honestly perfect for stuff like that because you're not going to be flying around people. And also you have the really long battery life to get all the way to the top of the mountain and all the way back. All right, so that's a wrap on basically all of the major drone classes. All the way from the smallest to the largest. Let me know in the comments below which one you think is right for you. I mean, if you're new to FVV and you're just walking this for the first time, like which one do you think would suit you best? You know, you're going to be one of flying the Vision 40 inside or you're going to want to do mountain cruising with the CL2XR. If you guys want to buy any of these drones, we sell all of them in either DIY kits or if you want us to build them for you and set them up. We also sell built and tuned drones. So we build all of the drones here on our warehouse in Orlando and we test fly every single one to make sure that the drone flies great once it gets to your door. All you have to do is bind it to your radio and pair it to your goggles. Or if you don't have radio or goggles, we sell completely ready to fly kits with everything you need so you can get drone, batteries, charger, radio and goggles all in one kit, all in one purchase. If you guys are looking for anything like that, we still at our store. Rotorite link in description. We'll have links to all of these different drones that we talked about today. If there's any other questions you guys have about, you know, each different class drone. Once again, drop it down in the comments below. I think that's it for today, guys. Thanks for watching this episode of Rotorite. I'm Bobby FDV. We'll see you next time.