- Trish: So Mark, what do you do?
- Mark Wiener: Systems analysis.
- Trish: That sounds interesting.
- Mark Wiener: It is to me, moderately. Like intermediate level Sudoku; but I have no illusions that what I do is of interest to anyone else. Even among specialists I'm something of functionary, but without ambition, or even hope of ambition. I plateaued in grad school then lost interest except in maintaining a base salary adequate to financing a low overhead subsistence.
- Trish: Are you seeing anyone?
- Mark Wiener: No, I'm more focused on China. Everything else is history. It's just a question of time.
- Mark Wiener: Sure. Forgive and forget. But it's like freedom and democracy. In the end, China will take over, and none of this will matter.