I certainly wanted to maintain some sense of mystery about Picard and that's why we never allowed certain situations to fully evolve like the relationship between Picard and Beverly Crusher.

A lot of married people certainly have wonderful relationships with their dogs but when you're single and your dog is the only other living thing in your house it's a really special relationship which I wanted CATHY to have.

I certainly know that this relationship could not have continued the way it did when I was at the Pentagon and the president was obviously at the White House without Betty.

We work hard on the show. We really believe in the show. It's an enormous privilege to work on a show that has the power to touch people's lives in such a positive way. The fan mail and the e-mail certainly reflect that.

We've certainly learned a lot of lessons from Katrina from Rita. Rita was better than Katrina. We're doing a better job planning. We're closer - more closely aligned with the Department of Defense. These things would be positive things if we were to have another attack.

American influence in the world is certainly considerable but the United States does not control directly or indirectly the politics and economics of other societies as empires have always done save for a few special cases that turn out to be the exceptions that prove the rule.

I am not at all a politician. I don't think I'm cut out for politics. I am certainly not going to stand for election.

I detest politics to be honest with you. It's a cesspool. And I don't think I would fare well in that cesspool because I don't believe in political correctness and I certainly don't believe in dishonesty.

You don't go after poetry you take what comes. Maybe the gods do it through me but I certainly do a hell of a lot of the work.

Well - I started writing - probably in the early 60s and by say '65-'66 I had read most of the poetry that had been published - certainly in the 20 years prior to that.