Though talks that have taken place since 2004 have produced no real progress, recent developments suggest some grounds for cautious optimism.
There has, though, been talk that Brown still has a big job left in him.
To other players, though, talk remains just that.
On Thursday, though, there was already talk that the bill could be resurrected after the committee's chairwoman, Representative Gail Chasey, a Democrat, said, "It is not necessarily dead".
She has yet to sing the touchstone role of Tatyana in Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin," though there is talk that the gap may be filled next season.
Mike Fratello and Mike Dunleavy are the names most mentioned, and though there was talk that Philadelphia's Larry Brown or Orlando's Doc Rivers might be interested in coaching the Knicks, these rumors have not been substantiated.
His son Franck, the current boss, says he is similarly committed to an independent Danone though there is talk that a bid of €25 billion might do the trick.
leaders voted to shorten Davis Cup matches from best-of-five sets, like those at the four Grand Slam tournaments, to best-of-three though there is talk that the best-of-three thoughe preserved for the final Cup tie.
It does, though, mean that talk of "social cleansing" can be cheap.
But though talk shows during that era trafficked in trashiness, they also gave a voice to the lower classes who were rarely seen on TV.
