As an American I wanted to explore... why are we the only first world country that still has capital punishment? Is it because we're too afraid to really examine the system, or is it because we really truly believe that this is the best way to deter future crime?

I know Mark,' I reply. 'And I don't like him.' 'But I do. And part of being social means being civil to someone you don't like.' 'That's stupid. It's a huge world. why not just get up and walk away?' 'Because that's rude,' Jess explains. 'I think it's rude to stick a smile on your face and pretend you like talking to someone when in reality you'd rather be sticking bamboo slivers under your fingernails.

The desperate usually succeed because they have nothing to lose.

But sometimes, in order to win, you have to make sacrifices.

He gently touched his mother's cheek, felt her sorrow slip over his fingertips.

There is no one truth. There’s only what happened, based on how you perceive it.

Parenting is really just a matter of tracking, of hoping your kids do not get so far ahead you can no longer see their next moves.