There is a great deal of pain in life and perhaps the only pain that can be avoided is the pain that comes from trying to avoid pain.

Rock 'n' roll is ridiculous. It's absurd. In the past U2 was trying to duck that. Now we're wrapping our arms around it and giving it a great big kiss.

Mitt - what I speak to Mitt Romney about is jobs. What I speak to Mitt Romney about is China because he's got a great view on China and how they're trying to destroy our country by taking our jobs and making our product and manipulating their currency so that it makes it almost impossible for our companies to compete.

Why do you think the old stories tell of men who set out on great journeys to impress the gods? Because trying to impress people just isn't worth the time and effort.

I don't feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them. There were great numbers of people who needed new land and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves.

If a star or studio chief or any other great movie personages find themselves sitting among a lot of nobodies they get frightened - as if somebody was trying to demote them.

Now that the House of Commons is trying to become useful it does a great deal of harm.

I teach one semester a year and this year I'm just teaching one course during that semester a writing workshop for older students in their late 20s and early 30s people in our graduate program who are already working on a manuscript and trying to bring it to completion.

I think young writers should get other degrees first social sciences arts degrees or even business degrees. What you learn is research skills a necessity because a lot of writing is about trying to find information.

The mistakes made by Congress wouldn't be so bad if the next Congress didn't keep trying to correct them.

Your problem is how you are going to spend this one odd and precious life you have been issued. Whether you're going to spend it trying to look good and creating the illusion that you have power over people and circumstances or whether you are going to taste it enjoy it and find out the truth about who you are.

You know when you really connect with the instrument and everything just comes out on an emotional level very naturally through your playing. That's you know a great night. And I think the reason I love touring so much is you're chasing that high around all the time trying to have another good night.

And finally I twist my heart round again so that the bad is on the outside and the good is on the inside and keep on trying to find a way of becoming what I would so like to be and could be if there weren't any other people living in the world.

If only we'd stop trying to be happy we'd have a pretty good time.

Dusting is a good example of the futility of trying to put things right. As soon as you dust the fact of your next dusting has already been established.

I am good but not an angel. I do sin but I am not the devil. I am just a small girl in a big world trying to find someone to love.

All I'm trying to do is survive and make good out of the dirty nasty unbelievable lifestyle that they gave me.

On the field I'm trying to play for the glory of God but then also I'm trying to give everything I have and win and compete. And so I think more than just winning or losing I think He cares about where our hearts are when we're playing.

When you believe in God you've got to believe in the all-powerful God. He's not just God He's the all-powerful God and He has total control over everyone's life. The Devil on the other hand is a real character that's trying his hardest to tear your life apart.

I have so many things to work on and so many ways that I fail. But that's what grace is all about. and I constantly wake up every morning trying to get better trying to improve trying to walk closer to God.

I'm trying to make God more relevant in our society.

God is really only another artist. He invented the giraffe the elephant and the cat. He has no real style He just goes on trying other things.

You will attract the younger generation and they might well prove tougher than the older generation. What we are trying to do is to look at the future and see what we can do to bring some stability back to people's lives.

By doing something positive in this world you're helping people and the future. We're all trying to help the world... make it a better place to live. We're actually still changing the world aren't we?