Answers to two questions: 1) I don't believe SLC had any deep affinity with comets or any celestial phenomenon; the presence of a comet in the sky at his birth was fortuitous, in his view, but hardly ordained. As he would himself ask: ordained by who? His knowledge of astronomy was pretty good for an amatuer, but that was because scientific knowledge was valued highly in his social and cultural set and not because he had any special interest in space. 2) His consumption of liquor and tobacco varied between high and higher. During periods of stress he probably went above his normal 2 or 3 drinks a day, and he certainly got drunk with regularity during some points in his life, like during his years out west and after Livy died. Excepts when he tried to cut down or stop smoking entirely, he consumed between thirty and forty cigars a day. Hope this helps. Just to alert members of the Forum: _Inventing Mark Twain_ got shipped earlier than expected and in probably at your bookstore now. If you are in or near Portland or Eugene OR, the SF Bay Area, LA, Denver or Boulder, Houston, Austin, St. Louis, Hannibal, Bloomington or Indianapolis, Chicago, Madison WI, Baltimore, Washington DC, Philly or NYC, I will be visiting a bookstore near you in April or May. Please let me know if you would like more information about dates and times. Andy Hoffman