My parents came from a poor background and worked their way up because of education. They saw it as a way to succeed. So they cared about me getting straight A grades when I was growing up.

Education was the most important value in our home when I was growing up. People don't always realize that my parents shared a sense of intellectual curiosity and a love of reading and of history.

Growing up I was encouraged to get a good education get a real job doing something I enjoyed and should the opportunity present itself consider public service as just that: a chance to serve not an end in itself.

My father is a real idealist and he's all about learning. If I asked for a pair of Nikes growing up it was just a resounding 'No.' But if I asked for a saxophone one would appear and next day and I'd be signed up for lessons. So anything to do with education or learning my father would spare no expense.

I believe history will come to view 9/11 as an event on par with November 22 1963 the date on which John F. Kennedy was murdered cutting short a presidency that was growing ever more promising. Dreams died that day in Dallas it is easy to imagine the 1960s turning out rather differently had President Kennedy lived.

To this day some of my closest friends say 'Gaga you know everything's great. You're a singer your dreams have come true.' But still when certain things are said to you over and over again as you're growing up it stays with you and you wonder if they're true.

I've just been growing right along. It's painful but it's a great pain and I like suffering for great results. It's like going to the gym. It hurts really bad at first but after a couple of months and after that diet you're looking so hot.

Looking back video game design seems a natural fit although there was no such thing when I was growing up. I built a Tic-Tac-Toe playing machine in my teens which went up in smoke on the night it was scheduled to go to a science fair.

Some of us can be examples about going ahead and growing and some of us unfortunately don't make it there and end up being examples because they had to die. I hit rock bottom but thank God my bottom wasn't death.

We had two rules growing up in my house: If you're going to take a shower do it with whomever you're dating so you don't waste water and if you buy one for yourself buy six because everybody's going to want one.