Checking the results of a decision against its expectations shows executives what their strengths are where they need to improve and where they lack knowledge or information.

Since we launched the original 'Pop Idol' in England I've remained close with Simon Fuller. Working as executive producer on 'American idol' for its first seven years not only was an inspirational journey into the heart of American pop culture it opened my eyes to the untapped potential of the incredibly dynamic young people in this world.

Chemistry is not anything an executive producer or writer can orchestrate or plan you just hope for it.

We all learn in school that the judicial legislative and executive branches of government must check and balance each other. But other non state institutions must participate in this important system of checks and balances as well. These checking institutions include the academy the media religious institutions and NGOs.

Making recess appointments when the Senate isn't in recess is neither rational nor moderate. It's a raw misuse of executive power by a president whose love of government is his most vulnerable spot with the electorate.

It was settled by the Constitution the laws and the whole practice of the government that the entire executive power is vested in the President of the United States.

Under the doctrine of separation of powers the manner in which the president personally exercises his assigned executive powers is not subject to questioning by another branch of government.

While everyone else is thinking about economics and politics executive salaries and the future of the euro do the opposite even if it's hard. Invest in the spirit.

It's funny because '1600 Penn' was the first time I really started to read the reviews because I am an executive producer and I wanted to see what people were enjoying and not enjoying as a means to an end right?

And obviously with hindsight now now knowing what went on in the company it would have been absolutely appropriate back then for us to have the chief executive of the company most senior person in the United Kingdom come and answer for the policy they were pursuing. And we ducked that and frankly that's a failure of Parliament.