I was a very interested arts student I was always into that part of school and when I got into high school I went into architectural drafting. It gave me an understanding of how to build things and it's really helped me put things in perspective. With my music and my movies to me it's all art.

You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do.

I've just finished my 20th book this past year and I'm working on my 21st book about the Middle East right now that I'll finish this year. And I get up early in the morning and when I get tired of the computer and tired of doing research I walk 20 steps out to my woodshop and I either build furniture or paint paintings. I'm an artist too.

'The Panorama' is also the last place anywhere in New York where the World Trade Center still stands whole as it stood in the early morning of September 11. I can also see the corner where I saw the first tower fall and howled out loud. Seeing the buildings again here is uplifting healing.

What most people don't seem to realize is that there is just as much money to be made out of the wreckage of a civilization as from the upbuilding of one.

London changes because of money. It's real estate. If they can build some offices or expensive apartments they will it's money that changes everything in a city.

You know if you look back in the 1930s the money went to infrastructure. The bridges the municipal buildings the roads those were all built with stimulus money spent on infrastructure. This stimulus bill has fundamentally gone started out with a $500 rebate check remember. That went to buy flat-screen TVs made in China.

Hussein has chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies.

If you really believe that you're making a difference and that you can leave a legacy of better schools and jobs and safer streets why would you not spend the money? The objective is to improve the schools bring down crime build affordable housing clean the streets - not to have a fair fight.

We can't go to people who have lost their job at GM and say 'Oh by the way we are going to pay money to build a road here or inoculate children there ' unless we can demonstrate that it is in America's interest. I happen to think it is.