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1. What three people would you like to have dinner and conversations with, and why (can be anyone from the past or present)?

Jesus. His teachings have been interpreted to mean many many things. Often they are misconstrued, sometimes for self serving purposes and sometimes through ignorance. It would be nice to hear the words straight from him.

Muhamed. Ditto.

Jane Goodall. She's a woman full of conviction trying to save the world from itself one person at a time. I think she could inspire me.

2. Who is your hero? Explanation optional.

Did I mention Jane Goodall? I've got lots of people I admire. Mostly those who help out there fellow humans without the use of violence. Ghandi, MLK, the Dalai Lama. I find that very admirable. Another person I stand in awe of is Joss Whedon. I just wish I could do what he does.

3. There is a venture capitalist willing to put up a lot of money (more than we'll see in our life time) for your idea - any idea. What would it be?

I'm not loaded with big solutions, but I'd still like to see universal healthcare coverage in this country in some shape or form.

4. What are three things you must do that you haven't already done before you die?

I feel like I've been pretty fortunate to experience many of the things that this world has to offer. 1. Go to Easter Island. It's as remote as you can get and those statutes are fascinating. 2. Sing at somebody's wedding. 3. Publish a novel.

5. In your opinion, will the political polarization get better or worse?

If by worse, you mean further apart. Yes, that's happening. Part of it is the culture in Washington itself. If you are a democrat or repulican who decides to use your brain instead of follow the party line there are political retributions waiting for you. And everything is a contentious these days. You can't even trust that the guy with the most votes ends up in office. The conspiracies and the conspiracy theories are endless.

Political polarization is just one result of the growing segmentation of our society and isolation of its individuals. Those with money live behind gated communities and buy themselves out of ever having to see or deal with other people. And these days, you can plug into the web to chat with people across the world, but you can live one wall away from someone who has never been exposed to any of the same tv shows, movies, music, books, or life experiences. And chances are you don't even know what your neighbor looks like.

The scary thing is how the political ideas never even cross anymore. There's an Ann Coulter fan on one side and a Michael Moore fan on the other who read the books of their side and believe what they read to be the truth. And as long as they read books only from their side, it never really matters what the real actual truth is. The moment it happens it gets spun. (Though if you think Ann Coulter has any truth, you're just a moron.)