There is the old story of the tycoon who was called by an old friend, who said, "George, I am seriously down on my luck and I have to sell my vintage set of Shakespeare. I was wondering if you would give me a good price for it, since you always admired it on my bookshelf."

The tycoon offered him $500 and the guy began to wail, "George, these books are my oldest friends. I vist them every night and they comfort me in my penury."

So George upped the offer to $1000 and when he got the books home he discovered that they were "unopened." He sent his friend a note: "This was the uncuttest kind of all."


TEd