When we settled our country, the dark forest was considered in some ways evil and something that you needed to plow or, later, bulldoze. We now have a new understanding of the interconnectedness of ecosystems and the need for bird flyways and why all species matter.

If Reagan had intelligence information that showed that the upheaval in Egypt is actually Democratic in spirit, then he would have, I believe, turned his back on Mubarak, even though there's a long friendship between the United States and Egypt.

I feel like I'm always learning from people.

The world of high-stakes international diplomacy can be rough and tumble, but it's more often than not a procession of suits and summits, protocol sessions and photo ops.

When I go home, I go to my house in the countryside. I don't hang out in Dublin. I go home to be with my family and have a rest and so on. I don't know anything about the Irish music scene, and I've never felt part of it.

I always wanted to go into the military or something like that - my whole family, all my friends are either Air Force, Navy, or Marines.

My family had a business where they worked with gravestones, and I remember growing up and playing in cemeteries like it was a normal playground.

A child's geographic location, race or parent's income level should not predetermine their life's course and it's up to us to see that they don't.