American high school students trail teenagers from 14 European and Asian countries in reading, math and science. We're even trailing France.

We virtually never feel our age, but thinking that we should can lead to disaster.

There are signs that the age of petroleum has passed its zenith. Adjusted for inflation, a barrel of crude oil now sells for three times its long-run average. The large western oil companies, which cartellised the industry for much of the 20th century, are now selling more oil than they find, and are thus in the throes of liquidation.

I believe the true function of age is memory. I'm recording as fast as I can.

So Harry Potter came in and it is nice that I have kids of the right age. I took them to London and they walked around the set and met Harry Potter and that is thrilling.