Hear! Hear! U/D!!! I also enjoy the reenactments of his speeches by Hal Holbrook. I suppose Hal Holbrook has to go up just for keeping Twain alive in the minds and hearts of so many people.
Douglas Adams, for opening my perceptions up to a new way of looking at things.
Tolkien for filling my new perceptions with wonder.
My grandfather for leaving the best example of an imperfect man a guy could hope for, and my grandmother for putting up with it.
My parents for giving me a way to feed my thirst for knowledge despite our financial hardships.
The PUBLIC LIBRARY (personified?), for being an ever-present sanctuary and repository of collective human knowledge and thinking.
Simon and Angharad, for seeing that the benefits are worth tolerating what this forum does to their life.
AuldSoul