🚀 go-pugleaf

Hi,
     Here's an idea which likely has already been thought of and executed.
I just want to find out how to execute it.
     I am making class  notes. I would like on the same file to add my own comments that will NOT APPEAR on the notes. I do not want two separate files,
for editing purposes.   Here's what I want: I want to prefix the additional
comments for my expanded version of the notes by a symbol --- call it ** ---
so that lines preceeded by ** are only printed out when a particular control sequence in the preamble is present.  That is,

privatenotes.tex

Control sequence present
** personal extra remarks
** personal extra remarks
** personal extra remarks
** personal extra remarks
** personal extra remarks
** personal extra remarks
Class notes
Class notes
Class notes
Class notes
Class notes


classhandout.tex

Control sequence NOT present
** personal extra remarks
** personal extra remarks
** personal extra remarks
** personal extra remarks
** personal extra remarks
** personal extra remarks
Class notes
Class notes
Class notes
Class notes
Class notes


Then when I LaTeX the first file, the ** should be ignored entirely, whereas when I LaTeX the second file ** should be read as %.  Brute force methods
have failed me.  Any ideas, (La)TeXperts??????

Thanks in advance, 
Lones Smith 
Economics
MIT

lasmith@athena.mit.edu