I come Des Moines. Somebody had to.

Look at a globe and what you are seeing really is a snapshot of the continents as they have been for just one-tenth of 1 per cent of the earths history.

The English invented cricket to make other human endeavors look interesting.

Perhaps it's my natural pessimism, but it seems that an awfully large part of travel these days is to see things while you still can.

Think of a single problem confronting the world today. Disease, poverty, global warming... If the problem is going to be solved, it is science that is going to solve it. Scientists tend to be unappreciated in the world at large, but you can hardly overstate the importance of the work they do. If anyone ever cures cancer, it will be a guy with a science degree. Or a woman with a science degree.

I was heading to Nebraska. Now there's a sentence you don't want to say too often if you can possibly help it.

Have you ever seen Glenn Beck in operation? It is the most terrifying thing. It's so bad that you think he's going to announce in a minute that it's all a great con. He makes Sarah Palin look reasonable and steady.