Self-righteous people can talk themselves into forgetting they are part of a civilization. They can then feed on that culture, bringing it down. It's happened many times in the past. It could happen to us.

Only people with full stomachs become environmentalists.

In the book, America had already been weakened by bio terror plagues before waves of selfish violence took down the rest. But the real enemy was the kind of male human being who nurses fantasies of violent glory at the expense of his fellow citizens.

I like to be surprised. Fresh implications and plot twists erupt as a story unfolds. Characters develop backgrounds, adding depth and feeling. Writing feels like exploring

In the end, the work of diplomats continues even while others fight. So, it's not necessarily true that everyone needs to march.

When it comes to privacy and accountability, people always demand the former for themselves and the latter for everyone else.

Where subtlety fails us we must simply make do with cream pies.