Of course, names were changed to protect the innocent. Granted, not much of a pseudonym, but Mark had very little cash left after dragging Ben Mears, a close friend since childhood, all over the world while on a promotional tour for the glassware. Entourages can be so pricey, especially when one is a so-called writer who insists upon eating the macadamia nuts and drinking all the teensy bottles of Glenfiddich at every hotel room he encounters. Fortunately, young Mark learned early on to disable the Spice Channel in both rooms upon check-in. Petri dish admirers can only shake their heads and hope that their beloved young genius will learn to scrape off the old barnacle and get on with his own career.