Sometimes people get mad at The Simpsons' subversive story telling but there's another message in there which is a celebration of making wild funny stories.

It's funny how making odd noises can get you into strange situations sometimes.

It's funny when bands or younger musicians ask me: 'So what does it take to make it?' Well first explain to me what you mean by 'making it': Do you want to be a rock star or do you want music to be your livelihood?

Very often I don't make it through moments of recording because it is genuinely funny and absolutely ridiculous that a 60-year-old grown man is making these noises.

That's what I hate about a lot of comedies when you're hitting a line or making it funny.

Trust is hard to come by. That's why my circle is small and tight. I'm kind of funny about making new friends.

I am proud to represent these men and women who empower people in developing nations and promote the Peace Corps mission of peace and friendship. These volunteers are making major strides to improve the lives of people and communities around the world.

No matter what message you are about to deliver somewhere whether it is holding out a hand of friendship or making clear that you disapprove of something is the fact that the person sitting across the table is a human being so the goal is to always establish common ground.

I am somebody who... - I'm not saying I'm perfect but I need that freedom that ability to make mistakes out there. Because there's a fine line between making a mistake or being brilliant.

Working with David Cronenberg or Darren Aronofsky or even Steven Soderbergh isn't really like a typical Hollywood movie. These are true artists and have a certain amount of freedom when they work and they're more like independent filmmakers making their way through big studios.

Government has the role of suiting people for freedom. People aren't made for freedom spontaneously. There's sort of a 19-year race between when people are born and when they become adults. And government has a role in making them at the end of 19 years suited to be upright trustworthy repositories of popular sovereignty.

I definitely wanted to earn my freedom. But the primary motivation wasn't making money but making an impact.

I've never let producers tell me what to do. Even when I was making television I always did what I wanted to do and if I couldn't I didn't do it. It was a freedom that these days young directors starting out don't have.

They know the importance of their mission and of America's commitment to combating and defeating terrorism abroad and they know that they are making a real difference in bringing freedom to a part of the world that has known only tyranny.

I believe firmly that in making ethical decisions man has the prerogative of true freedom of choice.

No people in history have ever survived who thought they could protect their freedom by making themselves inoffensive to their enemies.

I am making amends and seeking forgiveness. My only hope is that some good can come out of my situation.

I believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and savior. I believe that Jesus died for my sins and rose again and that's my belief. I still don't know what 'Christian' means. I'm a follower of Christ but I keep making a whole bunch of mistakes. And I thank God for forgiveness.

We all thought of chicken as lean protein-rich food that's good for weight watching but the truth is chicken might actually be making us fatter!

We got Martha Stewart legitimizing homemaking for her generation and then there's this return to being interested in all things home lifestyle and food again. I think this generation is less about the frills and more about the flavor of things.

Women oftentimes are the ones making those economic decisions sitting around the kitchen table and trying to figure out how to pay for rising gas prices or food prices or the health insurance costs. And I think that they see where they expect their leaders in Congress to also make those tough decisions.

Now the restaurants have begun to catch up with the wine-making there are numerous great restaurants in Napa Valley and it's wonderful because the people are there for just that: great food and great wine.

You start making movies and people start seeing when you go to places and all of a sudden you are getting clothes for free and all of a sudden you are getting food for free.

Whatever I'm doing I'm in that moment and I'm doing it. The rest of the world's lost. If I'm cooking some food or making soup I want it to be lovely. If not what's the point of doing it?