Knowing how things work is the basis for appreciation, and is thus a source of civilized delight.

Cast aside any column about two subjects. It means the pundit chickened out on the hard decision about what to write about that day.

The Latin motto over Poindexter's new Pentagon office reads Scientia Est Potentia - "knowledge is power." Exactly: the government's infinite knowledge about you is its power over you.

A book should have an intellectual shape and a heft that comes with dealing with a primary subject.

We are all environmentalists now, but we are not all planetists. An environmentalist realizes that nature has its pleasures and deserves respect. A planetist puts the earth ahead of the earthlings.

Never put the story in the lead. Let 'em have a hot shot of ambiguity right between the eyes.

Knowing how things work is the basis for appreciation, and is thus a source of civilized delight.