What follows is my conversation with an operator in the plant several years ago — K S Venkataraman.

“Venkat, Where are you from?”

“How far back you want me to go?

“I mean, where are you originally from?

“India, Mike.”

“How far is it from here?”

“Oh, over 10,000 miles.”

“How long does it take to fly over there?”

New Gingrich in His Own Words:

Newt Gingrich, the Republican ex-House Speaker, wanting to become the US President, on CBS’s Face the Nation, May 22, 2011

GINGRICH: You know, we don’t do elaborate things.

BOB SCHIEFFER, the CBS moderator of Face the Nation: Did you owe half-million dollars to a jewelry company at one point?

Newt: We had a revolving fund.

Bob: Well, what does that mean?

Newt: It means that we had a revolving fund. It was a… …

Bob: I mean, who buys a half-million dollars worth of jewelry on credit?

Newt: No. It’s a… … go talk to Tiffany’s. It’s a standard, no-interest account.

Bob:: How long did you owe it?

Newt: I have no idea, but it was paid off automatically. We paid no interest on it. There was no problem with it. It’s a normal way of doing business.

Bob: Well, I mean, it’s very odd to me that someone would run up a half-million-dollar bill at a jewelry store.

Newt: Well, go talk to Tiffany’s. All I’m telling you is we are very frugal. We, in fact, live within our budget. We owe nothing.