One of the enduring problems with certain societies in the world - and this is certainly true of a lot of places in the Middle East - is that the capacity for self-governance and self-organizing just isn't there. It has to do with history.

I realised the bohemian life was not for me. I would look around at my friends, living like starving artists, and wonder, 'Where's the art?' They weren't doing anything. And there was so much interesting stuff to do, so much fun to be had... maybe I could even quit renting.

These were people who believed everything about the Soviet Union was perfect, but they were bringing their own toilet paper.

Armenians and Azerbaijanis in Stepanakert, capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region, rioted over much needed spelling reform in the Soviet Union.

There is one thing women can never take away from men. We die sooner.

In the past a man was expected to give his seat on a bus to a woman. Today it would be much more courteous for that man to give her his job.

The America's Cup is like driving your Lamborgini to the Gran Prix track to watch the charter buses race.