since I know nothing about banjos except what I glean fron banjo playing friends, I did not open this thread...but in the 'Cat I KNOW that any 70 message thread has GOT to have interesting stuff, I bit...and, though I enjoyed the byplay, I find I can make only one contribution....waaaaayyyy back up there ^ was a mention of Heinlein and the "Stranger in a Strange Land" book...and the correct name of the 'hero' was

Valentine Michael Smith (first paragraph, I think)

Bill D...(nearly too old to be a child of the '60s, but still heavily under their influence)