So I turned on the TV this morning, to see if my daughter Audrey’s school was open, and was pleasantly surprised, when I was greeted by Matt Lauer interviewing one of my favorite novelists, Stephen King.

King was promoting his latest novel, Duma Key, which is about an angry fellow, with a traumatic brain injury.

My Favorite Quotes

“You can scare the American people, but sometimes it’s very tough to gross them out.”

“Creativity is a road out of pain, misery, and happiness.”

Stephen King’s Favorite Story

Matt Lauer’s last question, which was submitted by a viewer, was:

“If after your death, you knew that only one of your stories would be remembered, which one would you want it to be?”

King told Lauer that his favorite story was The Reach.

I was not familiar with The Reach but I immediately craved a copy, and thought that you might want one too.

Reaching The Reach

The Reach was published as part of Skeleton Crew which is available in paperback, here. Thank you, Matt Lauer, for an excellent interview.

For Adults Only

You can watch the interview, and also read an excerpt of Duma’s Key, which contains plenty of profanity, and is not suitable for minors at: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/22769944/

For example, I never knew that $3,048,686,000 of the $4,658,686,000 which the Iraq Freedom Fund received this year, was used for “classified” programs, and Americans are not allowed to know how it was spent.

I never dreamed that brain–dead politicians would attempt to cut funding for programs that treat soldiers with traumatic brain injuries.

I never had the faintest idea that the President of the NFL Players Association, played football while he was semi–conscious.

I did not plan to write about news events yesterday. I learned about Senator Joseph Lieberman’s request to invade Iran, while I was writing, and it added it extemporaneously. It really frosted my apricots, but nothing prepared me for what I learned today.

Let’s Not Start a War

There were no Bear Grylls reruns on television this morning, so I settled for Today, and I was flabbergasted when the special segment turned out to “Today in Iran.” The same place Lieberman wanted to invade yesterday.

Matt Lauer was broadcasting live from Tehran. Lauer was unarmed, out on the street, surrounded by Iranians. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves too.

Why did Senator Lieberman want to invade this place?

I’ll Take Exile

They don’t hate Americans, and it looked like a nice place to visit, until I did some research. Iran is governed by Sharia laws, and punishment is brutal.
Three examples:

1. Convicted thieves have one hand chopped off.
2. A man and woman were sentenced to ten years in prison, five years in exile, 80 lashes, and execution. for running the prostitution ring, and being found in possession of alcohol, drugs, and illicit CDs.
3. Two teenagers, who were arrested for homosexuality, claimed they did not realize that homosexuality was against the law. They (hard to believe) said that homosexuality was common among young men. These young men each received 228 lashings, and 14 months in prison, before they were executed.

Amnesty International is appalled about this, but nobody was bothering Matt Lauer, and that was good enough for me. Iran’s laws are barbaric, but I don’t live there, and it is none of my business. Just remember that laws were made to be broken, and somewhere in Iran, are thieves who have lost both of their hands.

I just want to know if we are lucky that Bush won, and kept Lieberman out of The White House.