ife without moments of intoxication is not worth a pitcher of spit, as the felicitous saying goes. Good examples of harmless toots are some of the things children do. They get smashed for hours on some strictly limited aspect of the Great Big Everything, the Universe, such as water or snow or mud or colors or rocks or echoes or funny sounds from the voice boxes or beating on a drum and so on. Only two people are involved: the child and the Universe. The child does a little something to the Universe, and the great Big Everything does something funny or beautiful or sometimes disappointing or scary or even painful in return. The child teaches the Universe how to be a good playmate, to be nice instead of mean.” — Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (from Fates Worse than Death)