The sight of women talking together has always made men uneasy nowadays it means rank subversion.

What's different now is that while political leaders used to give talking points to talk radio now talk-radio hosts are giving talking points to political leaders. It's all part of the suffocating spin cycle we're in. In media politics and publishing the conventional wisdom is to play to this base.

So instead of talking about theoretical ways of ending the war and violence I say that we have to get rid of the individual asholes in each office and situation.

I'm interested in trying to explore what I think is the truth at a given time in my life and part of the process of being honest is - in my mind - talking about the idea that you're watching a movie. You're sitting here watching a movie. And I like that. It appeals to me intellectually and also in a way I can't even explain.

The truth is the secular world isn't too enamored with Jesus. And they're not too enamored with someone who is leading people to Jesus. So if you're out there talking about people's sins and you're talking about righteousness you will get pushback. Jesus Himself did. The apostles did. I mean there's persecution all up and down the line.

We were talking about the space between us all and the people who hide themselves behind a wall of illusion. Never glimpse the truth - then it's far too late when they pass away.

I think it's important to travel around in order to get a notion of what's going on to find out what people are think about. I enjoy talking on campuses most because people are more informed and discussion is generally livelier.

The first year or so on The Daily Show is pretty intense in terms of travel. You're going to the worst places in the country talking to the craziest people in the world.

But my sense in talking to people when I travel is that the film business is not that dissimilar from a lot of other businesses.

Each day as I travel through downtown Tucson I am amazed at how quickly the most ancient of human behaviors have changed. For as long as there have been Homo sapiens - roughly 200 000 years - people have filled their lives principally with two activities: talking directly with other people and doing physical things.