I'm talking to you and it's basically a direct communication whereas if I'm writing a letter to you and you read the letter there are like 12 extra deconstruction and reconstruction steps in the communication.

I have a big fear of change or negative change anyway. I'm basically the same person I was when I won 'Idol ' or when I was 10.

In terms of having a business I wanted to let it go beyond what my personal taste is. Basically I'm in a kilt and a white shirt every day. So you know I don't have a lot of scope and I'm really picky about what I wear.

As a restaurateur my job is to basically control the chaos and the drama. There's always going to be chaos in the restaurant business.

Microsoft has had two goals in the last 10 years. One was to copy the Mac and the other was to copy Lotus' success in the spreadsheet - basically the applications business. And over the course of the last 10 years Microsoft accomplished both of those goals. And now they are completely lost.

In the US there is basically one party - the business party. It has two factions called Democrats and Republicans which are somewhat different but carry out variations on the same policies. By and large I am opposed to those policies. As is most of the population.

My theory of characterization is basically this: Put some dirt on a hero and put some sunshine on the villain one brush stroke of beauty on the villain.

I failed the LSAT. Basically if I had not failed I'd have been a lawyer and there would be no Spanx. I think failure is nothing more than life's way of nudging you that you are off course. My attitude to failure is not attached to outcome but in not trying. It is liberating.

Obama does not represent America. Nor does he represent anything what our forefathers stood for. This country is basically built on an attitude. It's a way of life. It's not because you're born here. It's not that you're supposed to take from those who have and give to those who haven't. That kills a country. It killed Russia.

Back then I didn't have a big organization around me. I was just a kid with a guitar traveling around. My responsibility basically was to the art and I had extra time on my hands. There is no extra time now. There isn't enough time.