* I listen to Tom Lehrer's music and declare it average. * I am told that he is a Harvard mathematician, which makes me judge his music even more poorly. * I am scolded for listening only to the rhythm, and not to the words. * I listen to the songs once again and am mighty amused by the songs like "I Hold Your Hand in Mine", "The Irish Ballad", "We Will All Go Together When We Go" and "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park". * I become a big fan of Tom Lehrer but keep my mouth shut about it, because of the macabre lyrics. * I consider the possibility that Tom is psychologically disturbed; I weigh the possibility that he is a bad mathematician, bad songwriter and a bad person in general. * I decide never to talk about Tom Lehrer because I don't want to risk humiliating myself by admiring a bad mathematician and musician. ... UNTIL I DISCOVER THAT NOT ONLY IS TOM A VERY VERY SANE PERSON, BUT A WONDERFUL COMEDIAN AND A BRILLIANT POLITICAL SATIRIST. Here is a quotation that I had known for long, but never dreamt was by Lehrer: "Political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize." New York Times Magazine, November 2 1997, page 50. Here are a few interviews to read: 1. "Stop Clapping, This Is Serious" , Sydeny Morning Herald 2. "Tom Lehrer" , Stephen Thompson 3. "A Conversation with Tom Lehrer" , Paul Lehrman 4. "That Was The Wit That Was" , San Francisco Weekly | 