Today hundreds of millions dwell in freedom from the Baltic to the Adriatic from the Western Approaches to the Aegean. And while we must never take this for granted the first purpose of the European Union - to secure peace - has been achieved and we should pay tribute to all those in the EU alongside Nato who made that happen.

What Churchill described as the twin marauders of war and tyranny have been almost entirely banished from our continent. Today hundreds of millions dwell in freedom from the Baltic to the Adriatic from the Western Approaches to the Aegean.

Sometimes I even now feel like a stranger in my country. But I knew there would be problems because I had seen the world as a skater. And now? A lot of people in eastern Germany have lost jobs rents went up food costs went up unemployment went to 20 percent. Freedom is good but it is not easy.

Working at the Food Bank with my kids is an eye-opener. The face of hunger isn't the bum on the street drinking Sterno it's the working poor. They don't look any different they don't behave any differently they're not really any less educated. They are incredibly less privileged and that's it.

More than any other in Western Europe Britain remains a country where a traveler has to think twice before indulging in the ordinary food of ordinary people.

Studios because they are investing a great deal of money in movies they want a guarantee that when they hire somebody that person can deliver for them. Everything is fear based so they pigeonhole people. But I've written everything from Westerns to sci-fi to dramedy I've done it all.

I had to confront my fears and master my every demonic thought about inferiority insecurity or the fear of being black young and gifted in this Western culture.

We played in Texas about a year ago at Emo's the famous country and western club in Austin. And I figured well if I'm finally gonna die onstage that's where it's going to be!

At issue in the Hiss Case was the question whether this sick society which we call Western civilization could in its extremity still cast up a man whose faith in it was so great that he would voluntarily abandon those things which men hold good including life to defend it.

When the truth is that there would be no great Western music and certainly no decent choral repertoire without the Catholic faith.