Being Irish he had an abiding sense of tragedy which sustained him through temporary periods of joy.

Let our New Year's resolution be this: we will be there for one another as fellow members of humanity in the finest sense of the word.

At 35 I'm definitely starting to feel more like a grown-up than I ever have. There's nothing in my life that is childish or whimsical. Having fun is fantastic and I never want to lose a sense of that - and also I think you have to have that to put into your work or else it's going to feel stiff.

To finish a work? To finish a picture? What nonsense! To finish it means to be through with it to kill it to rid it of its soul to give it its final blow the coup de grace for the painter as well as for the picture.

A sense of duty is useful in work but offensive in personal relations. People wish to be liked not to be endured with patient resignation.

In a very real sense it will not be one man going to the moon it will be an entire nation. For all of us must work to put him there.

What people don't understand about Sarah Palin is that she is a rancher's wife. From Alberta down to Texas I've known women like that: good common sense bright and vilified by city people.

I tend to go for women with common sense. Being down to earth stands out more than looks.

Men's need to dominate women may be based in their own sense of marginality or emptiness we do not know its root and men are making no effort to discover it.

Yet consider now whether women are not quite past sense and reason when they want to rule over men.