Lex, I was wondering if you could get a message to Stephen Kotkin regarding Stalin.  Some years back I commissioned a screenplay to be written based on the life story of Alexander Contract," a man who worked personally for Josef Stalin as one of his food tasters.   The screenplay is at  <a href=""http://www.mecfilms.com/dna/indev/features/splash.pdf"">http://www.mecfilms.com/dna/indev/features/splash.pdf</a>    Could you please forward this message to Mr. Kotkin in the hope that he will read or peruse the screenplay.  I have been taking this screenplay and project around to the major movie studios and have had some success however I have not been able to get a studio to set this project up.  I am thus wondering if there is a problem with the script or the credibility of Mr. Contract or some other problem.  Mr. Kotkin's opinion on these things would mean a lot to me as I have watched your full interview entitled", "Stephen Kotkin: Stalin, Putin, and the Nature of Power," and found his knowledge on Russia and Stalin quite impressive and clear-minded.  Thank you for anything you can do Lex.  I am a big fan of your show and frankly feel you have risen to the most informative and important podcast on the Net today.  I am also a serious student of AI so this makes your insights and interviews -- as they apply to AI's emergence in the political and economic world -- even more meaningful.  Sincerely, James Jaeger," Producer/Director  jjaeger@<a href=""http://mecfilms.com/"">mecfilms.com</a>    610-688-9212"