There are a great many people on the Unionist side who feel such a gesture would be little more than a surrender to nationalist pressure at the moment, and one more affront to the Unionist community.

The two governments are pretty unapologetic about that, because it is an attempt to keep them in the process and make them realize that anybody who would be seen to be responsible for the breakdown of talks this time, however fairly or unfairly, would not be forgiven by the public.

This process can be set back ... but I do not think it can be undone. Because it is very much a one-way process ... not towards a united Ireland, but more to responsible government.

There are a lot of people on death row, and I'm trying to convey that sense of a man knowing his due date,

There isn't a whole lot of government self-regulation over privacy. There are some really, really good people -- the Department of Homeland Security and Commerce are the best -- but other than that there's not much.

As life is a breath, savoring is a held exhale, a placeholder for joy.