And the purpose of small talk is not to be controversial, clever or even interesting. It's simply to fill the silent void with a small gesture of common humanity. It's a spoken smile, a verbal handshake.

Parenting is a sensitive, controversial subject, so I say to all the mommas and the daddies of the world God bless and good luck!

If journalism is good, it is controversial, by its nature.

There will always be excuses, arguments, and questions of timing when moving on difficult and controversial issues.

Ergonomists are not physicians - they are engineers - and their medical theories are controversial. Some of the world's leading medical researchers deny that repetitive motion causes injury.

I know that some consider it controversial for me to claim that God saved my life when I had received an experimental drug and some of the greatest medical care available in the world. I can see how these two realities appear to contradict each other.

In my view, targeted lethal force is at its least controversial when it is on its strongest, most traditional legal foundation. The essential mission of the U.S. military is to capture or kill an enemy. Armies have been doing this for thousands of years. As part of a congressionally authorized armed conflict, the foundation is even stronger.

The Republican leadership thinks the best way to avoid losing elections is to let the Democrats win every controversial issue.

If something is very, very funny but possibly controversial, if it's truly funny, then it's worth doing. Things aren't worth doing for the sake of being controversial.

It's really easy to avoid the tabloids. You just live your life and don't hang out with famous people who are in the tabloids. Don't do anything controversial and be a normal person. Have friends. And get a job and keep working.

Dollywood is a family park, and all families are welcome. We do have a policy about profanity or controversial messages on clothing or signs. It is to protect the individual wearing or carrying them, as well as to keep down fights or problems by those opposed to it at the park.

From this experience we have learned that in a big party it is important to have the necessary and often controversial discussions on policy issues such as the health system while in opposition.

You can't have a university without having free speech, even though at times it makes us terribly uncomfortable. If students are not going to hear controversial ideas on college campuses, they're not going to hear them in America. I believe it's part of their education.

It takes some courage to write fiction about politically controversial topics. The dread is you'll be labeled a political writer.

First rule of change is controversy. You can't get away from it for the simple reason all issues are controversial. Change means movement, and movement means friction, and friction means heat, and heat means controversy.

I'm generally slow to anger, quick to forgive, and I take in information before making decisions. So no matter how controversial the decision, my general demeanour is to put on white lab coat and gloves and look at the evidence, weigh the arguments and see what makes sense.

I am of mixed minds about the issue of privacy. On one hand I understand that information is power and power is well power so keeping your private information to yourself is essential - especially if you are a controversial figure a celebrity or a dissident.

If journalism is good it is controversial by its nature.

I've never intended to be controversial but it's very easy to be controversial in pop music because nobody ever is.

I'm always told that what I say is controversial. Why is it controversial? Because I speak from a tradition that has now fallen out of favor with the dominant media in this country. And so when I say things like marriage should be between one man and one woman I'm called a bigot.

To the citizens of Israel I say: we have passed difficult years faced the most painful experiences and overcame them. The future lies before us. We are required to take difficult and controversial steps but we must not miss the opportunity to try to achieve what we have wished for for so many years: security tranquillity and peace.

It's really easy to avoid the tabloids. You just live your life and don't hang out with famous people who are in the tabloids. Don't do anything controversial and be a normal person. Have friends. And get a job and keep working.

From this experience we have learned that in a big party it is important to have the necessary and often controversial discussions on policy issues such as the health system while in opposition.

You can't have a university without having free speech even though at times it makes us terribly uncomfortable. If students are not going to hear controversial ideas on college campuses they're not going to hear them in America. I believe it's part of their education.