One of the tragedies of modern times is that people have come to believe that

something said by someone in the past, perhaps for illustrative or provocation purposes, actually represents that person's beliefs at the time.
Idries Shah

He shines in the second rank, who is eclipsed in the first.
Voltaire

The surest cure for vanity is loneliness.
Tom Wolfe

Never in the way, and never out of the way.
Charles II

I was the fattest baby in Clark County, Arkansas. They put me in the newspaper. It was like a prize turnip.
Billy Bob Thornton

It might be, it could be... it is! A home run!
Harry Caray

Everyone told me to pass on 'Speed' because it was a 'bus movie.'
Sandra Bullock

Gemeoss

I would say that it's mainly about the director. It's a hard quality to find,

but I always know whether I want to do something or not. The character is important to me, as is getting to work with people that I feel like I can learn from and make a great movie with. Alden Ehrenreich Viewers make online requests to their favorite video-making whisperers to do the things that trigger their head tingles. Everyone's needs are different. It's like an interactive choose-your-own-adventure. Andrea Seigel As you know, I was a solo singer, something I just got very much used to. Turns out I'm quite enjoying being in a band! Gareth Gates When you're six years old, you do not appreciate that you're living in the Alps. My sisters and I, all we wanted was to go to Disneyland. Ahna O'Reilly I don't think Beethoven expresses religious truth. He expresses a human truth. John Tavener In the suffragist and abolitionist era, there were a lot of white women and some black men and women who argued for the old hierarchy and against universal ...

There is constant talk about the intermarriage crisis: who is a Jew and how

we define a Jew. That doesn't go over well with young Jews trying to figure out whether they want to be a part of this thing or not. Tahl Raz I've been studying voice for quite a while, especially opera, for at least seven or eight years. Shelly Burch Like anything, I remember who I work for. You work for the people who sent you to office. Darryl Glenn For the bourgeoisie, the main danger against which it had to be protected, that which had to be avoided at all costs, was armed uprising, was the armed people, was the workers taking to the streets in an assault against the government. Michel Foucault My grandmother is a huge part of my life. She's just a great woman: a woman of the church. Chance The Rapper I don't think we can fix poverty without fixing housing, and I don't think we can address housing without understanding landlords. Matthew Desmond One of my best friends since I was eleven years old is a gay man, and I knew his struggle. It was a tough life, you ...

I remember looking out into the sea of phone lights as Chris Martin belted 'Yellow' on the

piano and deciding that that was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Daya Shopping for an annuity with hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake can be daunting, even for an economist. Richard Thaler I wanted to do journalism, as I was an idealist. Then, in my second year of journalism, I realized that in real life, things don't work the way you expect them to. I realized that I could express my ideas better through films. Nithya Menen If your aim is to attack the United States, it is hard to imagine a more difficult way of getting here than by posing as a refugee. Samantha Power A lot of the O'Hare Modernization Plan may have been a mistake. Mike Quigley When someone shouts 'Skins' at you, its funny the first time. But after a hundred times, you think, 'I do have a name.' Kaya Scodelario There is no upside for the U.K. in Brexit. Only costs that can be avoided and advantages to be seized by remaining in Europe. No one should have to pay the Brexit ta...

I remember I was unsure about doing 'Shameless.' I'd never acted in anything so commercial.

I read the script in the garden with my mum, Mary. She said it's filthy dirty, but she said these people have love and sex and nothing else. That made me take the role. Anne-Marie Duff When you're mid-season, in very intense situations, it's hard not to take that home with you. Especially when you're sleeping, you can't control what you dream about. And it sneaks into the unconscious. Aaron Paul Millennials regularly draw ire for their cell phone usage. They're mobile natives, having come of age when landlines were well on their way out and payphones had gone the way of dinosaurs. Because of their native fluency, Millennials recognize mobile phones can do a whole lot more than make calls, enable texting between friends or tweeting. Chelsea Clinton 'Saw VI' has a really interesting theme about the ripple effect. Everything you do affects the guy next to you, which affects the guy next to him, which affects her over here. And you might think that ...

Persuasiveness is really just about getting your ideas across without being forceful.

It's a skill that can be learned and is useful for anyone who works in a team environment. Amanda de Cadenet I was an extra in a Tia Carrere music video. Adam Scott When people start to think they're figuring out 'The Vampire Diaries,' it switches on you. Kat Graham It's a huge blessing to know you've done something that has affected people the way 'The Matrix' has. It's like, there's 'Star Wars,' and then there's 'The Matrix.' It's cool to be a part of that. Laurence Fishburne Voters aren't asking to be pandered to and aren't asking to be tricked. Jason Kander I'm a pretty controlled and disciplined person, but my real vice is buying plants and food shopping. Zac Posen Barack Obama was a president who understood not only how technology could transform the way government services worked but also technology itself. He got it. Steven Levy Positivity, confidence, and persistence are key in life, so never give up...

There was definitely a sense that 'The Next Generation' was the 'Star Trek' stepchild that

nobody liked. Ronald D. Moore Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, and yet so many Americans are left to fight this battle without the coverage, support, and resources they need. Ted Deutch I do not put red lines on the Arab Palestinian nation. Ayman Odeh Besides stray instances of acting in school and college, I hadn't prepared myself to be an actor. Mawra Hocane It's pretty rare to just talk to people who are having a tough time in the economy, to hear their individual stories. Janet Yellen Usually when I make a record, I know what the potential is going to be, but I didn't know that 'Just A Friend' was going to be that big. 'Just A Friend' opened a world up where I never knew the difference between being a pop star and a regular rap star. It was crazy. Biz Markie I would never criticize a federal judge, particularly if I had a court case in front of him, but you would certainly never, ever criticize the...

The idea of being a young 50 sounds like you're trying to kid yourself, like

a Harley-Davidson or something. I've bought a dressage horse instead. Martin Clunes There is not a lot of money in competition dancing. There never has been; it's all about winning the trophies, really. It's not like golf. Anton du Beke The best way to honor someone who has passed is to live. Marvin Sapp Mixing in some rusty oranges is a warm way to update your place for fall. Nate Berkus I wanted to write about racism and xenophobia in 21st Century England and Ireland, but I wanted to do it in an exciting way so that I could reach more readers. Zombies seemed like a good way to do that. Darren Shan I am the type of girl with zero fashion sense, but I am getting into it now. It's becoming important for me. I saw a lot of girls were beginning to notice what I wear, and I feel a kind of responsibility because there aren't any women in Hollywood my size and age. Rebel Wilson I can't deal with someone wanting to take a relationship backward or need...

The public schools tend to teach little kids from when they are very young about

the whole universe without God and that God cannot be in science. They are indoctrinating children in an atheistic religious view of things. Ken Ham I'm hoping one day to open my own shelter. I would be the person with the three-legged dog. I just love animals more than people; I really do. Kaley Cuoco Night tennis began at the United States Open in 1975 with certain stars trying to beg out and certain patrons trying to dump unwanted tickets on scalpers. George Vecsey One day, I just got up to read a poem and started singing. I looked around - the reaction was great. And I said, 'Oh, boy. I like this.' Jill Scott I told Celine Dion not to record that 'Titanic' song. That's about as big as you can get. 'Flashdance?' I thought, 'Welder by day, disco dancer by night - who wants to see that?' David Foster The vision, determination, stamina, hope, relentlessness, and sheer work that are involved in staying afloat, much less succeeding, ...

The more people we can attract to science and technology - men, women, everybody -

the more economic opportunity we have as a nation. Megan Smith We believe that government in Britain should improve the quality of people's lives and improve the quality of our public services in every local community. Charles Kennedy Jesus of Nazareth was the most famous human being who ever lived on this planet, and he had no infrastructure, and it's never been done. He had no government, no PR guy, no money, no structure. He had nothing, yet he became the most famous human being ever. Bill O'Reilly There were no museums or galleries in Shanghai, but I was very keen on art - I was always sketching and copying, and sometimes I think that my whole career as a writer has been the substitute work of an unfulfilled painter. J. G. Ballard I mostly did musicals and concerts when I was younger, and then I realized I don't quite have the voice for it, so I went into acting, which I enjoy more. Lucy Griffiths Honestly, if a girl's wearing, like, a Gucci shirt...

Publishing, legacy or indie, is a vehicle, and you can't opine about whether someone has

chosen the right vehicle if you don't know where she intends to drive it. Barry Eisler Being a conglomerate, each of our businesses has a different challenge; business landscape is different for each business. It makes it challenging as well as exciting. Kumar Mangalam Birla When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions become necessary, when they aren't camp, that, to me, is magic. I've done musical comedies and enjoyed them, but subject matter that's deeper and more realistic is always what's appealed to me most. Kelli O'Hara I've written poetry since I was a kid. As the years went on, I got into writing stories and screenplays, but I always, always kept up with poetry as well. Blake Jenner Life smacks Tracy Morgan in the face, and I don't mean to talk in third party, but no, it doesn't stop raining when I come outside, no, absolutely not. I'm very in touch. Tracy ...