I recently watched a Ken Burns documentary on Samuel Clemens aka "Mark Twain". FYI: "Mark Twain" is a nautical term meaning "two fathoms deep".

I found the story of his life fascinating. At one point, Mark Twain was reported to be the wealthiest author in all of America. He was known world-wide for his books such as Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Following the Equator and others.

Interestingly, despite all his success, he went bankrupt at the age of 59. Determined to pay back his creditors even though he was not required to under the rules of bankruptcy, he set out on a world speaking tour at the age of 60 with the hopes that he could pay everyone back and start over again at 65.

Mark Twain once said, "I am not an American, I am the American." Watching this documentary, I got the feeling that Mark Twain was America; American ethics and values distilled into one human being. Of course, the analogy should not be pressed too far.

If you enjoy witty, homespun, American common sense, you might want to check out this Ken Burns examination of the life of Mark Twain. I believe the entire thing can be watched on YouTube. Here is part 1:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zr2rWya5Z5I