I find fault with my children because I like them and I want them to go places - uprightness and strength and courage and civil respect and anything that affects the probabilities of failure on the part of those that are closest to me that concerns me - I find fault.

Today we affirm a new commitment to live out our nation's promise through civility courage compassion and character.

Diaspora starts about a thousand years from now. Most of human civilisation has moved inside computers essentially a major branch of our descendants consists of conscious software.

Civilization grew in the beginning from the minute that we had communication - particularly communication by sea that enabled people to get inspiration and ideas from each other and to exchange basic raw materials.

What creates freedom? A revolution in the streets? Mass protest? Civil war? A change of government? The ousting of the old guard and its replacement by the new? History more often than not shows that hopes raised by such events are often dashed sooner rather than later.

As I have said for many years throughout this land we're borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the future of human civilization. Every bit of that has to change.

I believe that Gandhi was correct. Non-violent civil disobedience is the only way to bring about change that allows people to enjoy the change and not get killed in the process.

Civilization exists by geological consent subject to change without notice.

I propose that the government should get out of the business of marrying people and instead only give legal status to civil unions.

A visitor from Mars could easily pick out the civilized nations. They have the best implements of war.