August in sub-Saharan Los Angeles is one of the great and awful tests of one's endurance, sanity and stamina.

To justify being listened to, I try to be as well informed as I can. Hence, the travel. Reading is good too. Reading gets you part way there, and I do read pretty voraciously for a guy who's trying to write so much.

America was cool with Saddam Hussein when he was killing Iranians.

I am basically working 7 days a week. When I am not eating, sleeping, or working out, I am working on one of projects which I am just damned determined to finish.

I think in rural settings, people have a different appreciation for animals than might the city dweller. In parts of India where poisonous snake bite is common, people have a much different value system. I live in a city. I'm not thinking about wolves, lions, etc.

If I could go to Kabul and not die, I would go back to Afghanistan as soon as I could. And, that was the most interesting place that I've been to.

A country that has been through as much as Vietnam has to have some crazy music somewhere.