I've taken the liberty of forwarding a longish post to the list because it's fun to read and I believe highly relevant to TRP's concerns, and esp. to the new thread of history as influence. Hope folks enjoy it! -- Paul Di Filippo/2 Poplar St./Providence, RI 02906/401-751-0139 Motto of the Pronoids: TISATAAFL: "There is such a thing as a free lunch!"