gnus fails sending mail

[ken]

relevant .emacs:

(setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it)
(setq smtpmail-smtp-server "mail.boofy.net")
(require 'starttls)
(setq smtpmail-starttls-credentials
      '(("mail.boofy.net" 25 "activate" "xxxxx")))
(setq smtpmail-debug-info t)
(setq smtpmail-debug-verb t)

run: M-x gnus, C-x m, type test message, C-c m => error:

mh-temp buffer says:
post: aliasing error in .alias - error in line 'alias'
send: message not delivered to anyone

(What's my ~/.alias got to do with sending this email?  Why should it
cause it to fail?)


*Messages* buffer says:

Loading gnus-sum...done
Checking new news...done
Loading mh-e...done
inc +inbox...done
No new mail
Composing a message...done
Auto-saving...
Composing a message...
mh-read-draft: Draft preserved
Wrote /home/ken/Mail/draft
Sending...backgrounded

But message isn't delivered.