The House of Lords is like a glass of champagne that has stood for five days.

The last of our enemies is laid low.

Democracy means government by discussion, but it is only effective if you can stop people talking.

One layer was certainly 17th century. The 18th century in him is obvious. There was the 19th century, and a large slice, of course, of the 20th century; and another, curious layer which may possibly have been the 21st.

Russian Communism is the illegitimate child of Karl Marx and Catherine the Great.

I think the British have the distinction above all other nations of being able to put new wine into old bottles without bursting them.

The House of Lords is like a glass of champagne that has stood for five days.

You will be judged by what you succeed at gentlemen not by what you attempt

Charity is a cold grey loveless thing. If a rich man wants to help the poor, he should pay his taxes gladly, not dole out money at a whim.

For me as a person, friendships are incredibly important to me, but in writing, they can distract me.

Unlike Europe, China can't be intimidated. Europe backs down if the United States looks at it the wrong way. But China, they've been there for 3,000 years and are paying no attention to the barbarians and don't see any need to.

No way did I ever think I was going to win the 100m.

I didn't want to get married, and I didn't want kids - I knew I wanted to act.

When we are crushed like grapes we cannot think of the wine we will become.

The most important thing for me as an artist is having an identity.

Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.

I've got a job to do.

What for centuries raised man above the beast is not the cudgel but the irresistible power of unarmed truth.

I'm very moody, so I dress for whatever mood I'm in. Sometimes I want to be a little more boyish and flowy and comfortable. Sometimes I want to feel a little sexier and more composed.

She made the decision that her existence had lost its meaning. And you cannot judge that.

Love, as wonderful and horrible as it is, has at its center a kind of pitiful humor.

I am the woman I grew to be partly in spite of my mother, and partly because of the extraordinary love of her best friends, and my own best friends' mothers, and from surrogates, many of whom were not women at all but gay men. I have loved them my entire life, even after their passing.

Let your hook be always cast. In the pool where you least expect it, will be fish.

When I was younger, I felt it was my duty to wake people up. I thought poetry was asleep. I thought rock 'n' roll was asleep.

I'm not looking to be famous, but I want a body of work and a moral character that is deserving of fame.

People might not get all that they work for in this world, but they must certainly work for all that they get.

Wrestling and boxing is like Ping-Pong and rugby. There's no connection.

One of the best ways to influence people is to make them feel important.

Among those people not graduating, there might be a Steve Jobs or Barack Obama. We'll never know.

When I first arrived in America, the very first place I came was California, and I rented a house in Trance, which is about half an hour from Malibu.

I've always had a passion to help people.

Religious leaders need to be held accountable for their ideas.

It was the success of 'Bend it Like Beckham' which got my name out there. 'A Mighty Heart' also helped.