In a democracy citizens pass judgment on their government and if they are kept in the dark about what their government is doing they cannot be in a position to make well-grounded decisions.

I wasn't in school often enough to really belong to a 'clique ' but my friends all studied hard and got pretty good grades. They were good people with self-respect. I still like to be friends with people I admire something about I really believe that we become like the people we're surrounded by so I choose my friends carefully!

How paramount the future is to the present when one is surrounded by children.

I like to say jazz music is kind of like my musical equivalent of comfort food. You know it's always where I go back to when I just want to feel sort of grounded.

Wine like food is so emotional. If you think about it so much of the courting ritual is surrounded by wine and food. There's a built-in romance to wine.

I like eating out. I like buying beautiful paintings and being surrounded by beautiful things. I have to finance that life. I can barely afford a pension scheme because I don't make enough money.

In a World where people are surrounded by darkness ignorance and fear it is a sign of hope to be celebrating Islam's message of peace and light and the last great Messenger born and chosen to deliver them to all mankind.

I don't feel I was ever a 'famous' child actor. I was just a working actor who happened to be a kid. I was never really in a hit show until I was a teenager with West Wing playing First Daughter Zoey Bartlet. In a way that was my saving grace - not being a star on a hit show. It kept me working and kept me grounded.

I'm not in the business of becoming famous. And that's the advice I give to younger aspiring actors. Work onstage and do the little roles. In the end it's not important to be seen. It's important to do. There's a lot of disappointment in this business but my family keeps me grounded.

My family truly believes they are better cooks than I am. They see me as Giada not as a celebrity chef. To them I'm just me - their granddaughter niece etc. and they're older and wiser. I like that because it keeps you grounded.