Freedom from effort in the present merely means that there has been effort stored up in the past.

The path we have chosen for the present is full of hazards as all paths are. The cost of freedom is always high but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose and that is the path of surrender or submission.

'Caught' is a novel of forgiveness and the past and the present - who should be and who shouldn't be forgiven. None of my books are ever just about thrills or it won't work.

When there's that forgiveness present and compassion it just helps you live so much easier.

'Shkoff' is to eat. 'Shkiaff' is to slap. Like 'Gettouttahere I'm gonna give you a couple of shkiaffs ' or 'Forget presentation just shkiaff the food onto the plate.'

I have an impressionable palate. A well-worded menu or beautifully presented dish excites me. I get a great deal of pleasure just thinking about food.

Fairness forces you - even when you're writing a piece highly critical of say genetically modified food as I have done - to make sure you represent the other side as extensively and as accurately as you possibly can.

Especially for me growing up in such a small town in the middle of nowhere the desire to be away was incredible. I wanted to see new lands meet new people from the city and meet people that were in much less fortunate situations than I was so that I could be more appreciative of my present. At least I had food on the table.

It's my first presenting role so I'll be nervous but it's going to be great fun. I can't wait to sample the food and meet the celebrities. Hopefully I can inject some of my own glamour.

I love 'Top Chef.' I think it rewrote the book on how food shows are presented on TV.

I think people are more savvy about cooking food and dining. I notice they are looking for more value for their money - not in larger portions but more in terms of healthier fresh farm-to-table dishes with a nice presentation.

I'm into very colorful food. Obviously lots of flavor but I think we eat with our eyes first so it has to look great. The presentation has to be great.

Christmas is more stressful with present buying and making sure everyone gets included but Thanksgiving is really not that. I don't ever really get stressed out about the food.

I also meet with city officials representatives from governors' offices really anyone in that sort of position who has shown an interest in youth fitness to let them know why this sort of program is so important. I give the same message when I speak at conferences.

Canadians know that the promise of a recession didn't happen because of anything we did here. If you look at all the causes of the recession problems in mortgage markets the problems in the banking sector the problems in government finance in countries like Greece none of those problems were in present Canada.

I think however that so long as our present economic and national systems continue scientific research has little to fear.

Over the past few years the road to confrontation has shown its consequences: loss of innocent lives destruction and fear. Most costly however was the loss of hope. The most precious gift that you can present to your peoples over the coming weeks is renewed hope born out of tangible progress on the ground.