Alan: No abuse and invective in this reply. I would, however, like to take a moment to remind everyone of today's date. For those who haven't seen the NYTimes story on the death of Mark Twain, you can access it today through their web site, NYTimes.com. A reproduction of the actual front page from April 22, 1910 is available for purchase. The story itself is printable, in its entirety, if the $54.95 charge for the repro doesn't interest you. (Members of this Forum may also find interesting the numerous typos scattered throughout the piece. It's easy to see how history can become "garbled" when the paper of record -- now, not then I suppose -- goes to press with errors.) Certainly, it has been a lively two weeks. Whatever one's politics, the give-and-take of the arguments expressed here makes for interesting reading. The source escapes me, but someone once said, "A man must be a part of the actions and passions of his time, or be in danger of being judged not to have lived." (Goethe, perhaps? I'd love to know the exact quote and source.) Appropriate for this Forum, I think, and for the celebrated life of the man that draws us all here. Roger Durrett