The sad thing is that I feel so boring because 'Twilight' is literally how every conversation I have these days begins - whether it's someone I'm meeting for the first time or someone I just haven't seen in a while. The first thing I want to say to them is 'It's insane! And as a person I can't do anything!'

Of these years nought remains in memory but the sad feeling that we have advanced and only grown older.

For all sad words of tongue and pen The saddest are these 'It might have been'.

It's harder and harder to make a well-done romantic comedy these days because the conventions have been so played out.

After these three novels I gave up writing novels for a time I was dissatisfied with romantic doom yet didn't see much way around it.

I try to speak of a love that not necessarily romantic. I think there is so much love between people and so much love people want to give but it's harder and harder these days to show that to celebrate that you know?

Well there's just some universal truths in a way that I've just observed to be true. You read Voltaire. You read modern literature. Anywhere you go there's these observations about romantic love and what it does people and these rotten feelings that rarely are people meaning to do that to each other.

I always wanted a guitar. I always wanted to be a cowboy singer because I also listened to Hank Williams and he would always sing these neat romantic songs.

So many women today have become so focused on their children they've developed these romantic entanglements with their children's lives and the husbands are secondary. They're left out. And the romantic focus is on the children.

I've always been attracted to romantic secondhand clothes. But my style developed as I started going to these strange raves where everybody had these very definitive costumes.

Even actresses that you really admire like Reese Witherspoon you think 'Another romantic comedy?' You see her in something like 'Walk the Line' and think 'God you're so great!' And then you think 'Why is she doing these stupid romantic comedies?' But of course it's for money and status.

I had these kind of unrealistic expectations that were fueled by romantic comedies and it has both helped me and hurt me in many ways. It helped me because in general they've made me hopeful. I just figure things will eventually work out for me. But nobody is like any Tom Hanks character. Nobody is Hugh Grant. No one is Meg Ryan!

There's immense fun to be had as long as you can sort of sneak it past DC. I have been told on occasion that I need to have more respect for these characters.

Who could look on these monuments without reflecting on the vanity of mortals in thus offering up testimonials of their respect for persons of whose very names posterity is ignorant?

You respect all of these people that you know in the business as actors. And they sort of turn around and say we really like your work. It's a nice acknowledgment.

I really only respect the Arab culture. I ain't really trying to pay no attention to ya know these little people in political positions and executive positions that ain't Arab culture oriented people because a lot of the times what are you really showing all of this concern for?

The U.S. military has done a phenomenal job of creating these facilities almost over-night and dealing with these sworn enemies of America with more respect and dignity than they ever would have considered according our officers had they captured any.

The E.U. is more than just a trade organization or a common market it is a guarantee of democracy freedom justice and human rights. Nations cannot stay in the E.U. if they do not respect these guarantees.

I know what the attitudes of the readers are: These are guys who love women and respect women.

But the Western countries that link their partnership with the poorest countries with respect for democracy also have to consider that they have obligations towards these countries.

I find it hard to take rock groups very seriously or treat them with respect. There is something absurd about these gloomy young men getting together and banging away.

I've been a critic of the antiglobalization movement and they've been a critic of me but the one thing I respect about the movement is their authentic energy. These are not people who don't care about the world.

Why do you think I write these feminist songs to try and teach myself to respect myself. You know it's not because I'm a hero.

Today's consumers are eager to become loyal fans of companies that respect purposeful capitalism. They are not opposed to companies making a profit indeed they may even be investors in these companies - but at the core they want more empathic enlightened corporations that seek a balance between profit and purpose.