I'm not trying to say I'm a big tough guy... I'm a typical American-waist deep in this violent culture.

You must never lower yourself to being a person you don't like.

One person's disaster is another person's talking point.

The times I have tried to get close to someone resulted in me feeling threatened and weak.

Nelson Mandela will always be the face of South Africa. The traveler passing through the country will see Mandela's face almost everywhere he looks. Truly, the man is omnipresent.

Not that the writers weren't good. I believe in those books and those writers very much. It's just that in the climate it's really hard to keep the lights on and the doors open when you're selling poetry and literature that appeals to a fringe audience.

Ramones music has a Pavlovian effect on me - the song starts, and the world blurs around the sound.