In relative youth, we assume we'll remember everything. Someone should urge the young to think otherwise.

It's lamented that the youth get their news from Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. It's lamentable that they get more from them than from the news.

Obviously those who burn to be professional jesters mean that they want to be successful comedians. And those are always an elite, microscopic portion of the population. But oh, how they try.

Do freshman philosophy classes nowadays debate updated versions of the age-old questions? Like, how could a merciful God allow AIDS, childhood cancers, tsunamis and Dick Cheney?

My mother inspired me to treat others as I would want to be treated regardless of age, race or financial status.

My father was a soldier, which meant that he was a warrior, which meant that he was important. My mother rode a horse and sang in the Governor-General's band, so that made her important as well.

Qaddafi is hated because he is the leader of a small country that is rich, but he uses his money to finance liberation struggles.

It's nice to see different dimensions of a character. A love interest and family life are always, I think, important in creating layers and textures.