John BrownMr. Ambassador -- Entre nous, have given up all efforts to "think" in the current USA political atmosphere -- instead, in an attempt to understand (perhaps "sense" is a better word) what our beloved country is going through, am rereading Gogol (JB: no, no, not searching on Google). Gogol, as you know, was not a "thinker"; but nevertheless an ironic, sensitive observer of the absurd ... :) Best, john