An obituary whittles down one’s social contribution down to its barest form. The last ninety years of a life (BESSIE COHEN, SURVIVOR OF 1911 SHIRTWAIST FIRE, 3 minutes) can be eclipsed by an escape from a burning building. A porn star with a virtual fan base (LOLO FERRARI, 1.5 minutes) might have no obituary at all, garnering only an AP wire report. And a songwriter’s identity (NOEL, 5 minutes) remains as obscure as his motives for penning a popular & didactic American holiday standard.