Veteran Sri Lankan rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran is one of the fortunate few who have had the privilege of reading their own obituaries.
Mr Prabhakaran's reclusive leadership style of the Tamil Tigers has seen Sri Lankan officials announce his demise several times - most recently after the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004.
But each time, he has emerged from his network of jungle hideouts across Sri Lanka's north and east in rude health.
This week the 51-year-old was the centre of attention again as a Norwegian envoy attempted to pick up the pieces of the shattered peace between the Tigers and government forces.
More than 900 people have died amid suicide bombings and government reprisals since April despite the formal ceasefire brokered by Norway and signed by both sides four years ago. Scenes this week matched the worst of the two-decades of civil war. Government forces launched air strikes and a ground assault on Tiger-held areas around Trincomalee.
They were trying to force open a canal blocked by rebels to dry up water supplies to about 60,000 villagers. Dozens of civilians have been killed and hundreds injured. Intervention by Norway's peace envoy, Jon Hanssen-Bauer, appeared to work. Within hours of his meeting with senior Tiger officials, the water was flowing again. He was not able to see Mr Prabhakaran yet it was the Tiger leader who was apparently still calling the shots.