I always say, 'People first, then money, then things.'
I don't treasure things much - just people. And pets.
In the 1880s, people all over the world looked to America for inspiration. Its very existence was proof that it was possible to have a relatively free and peaceful country. No income tax, no foreign wars, no welfare state, no intrusions on civil liberties.
Every morning when I get up, I ask God what he wants me to do, ask him to lead me to the right people to help them.
I think people have to be more aware of what the repercussions are of their actions.
Other people can write grown-up, political plays about the troubles in the world. My plays deal with magic and hope.
I worked for the troops my entire time in the United States Armed Forces because we know in the United States Armed Forces that it's not the generals and the colonels that win battles, it's the soldiers: it's the people at the front, the mechanics with their wrenches, the drivers moving the logistics back in the rear.
I want the Congress that really is going to listen to the people. I really don't care what party it is anymore.
Luckily for me, people don't scream at me that much in my everyday life.
I never took sheet music seriously. I could do better myself just by listening to other people and using my own intuition.
You get fed up watching shows with not much care and love, reality programmes where they put people in a house for a fortnight and film them doing everything, or where participants arrive after lunch and do the programme at six.
If you don't want to investigate what you're passing judgment on, then it's your fault. And I believe that if people investigate Goldberg as a human being, I'm not such a bad guy.
Everybody is so talented nowadays that the only people I care to honor as deserving real distinction are those who remain in obscurity.
I don't really believe in closure. That's something that writers talk about or people wished that they had.
Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music - the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself.
There's so many people that dislike you all the time, so when somebody loves anything that you do, you go 'Yes! Finally!' Even if it means the dyn-o-mite thing.
I judge people very quickly.
I'm confident in who I am. I've come to a place in my life where I've accepted things that are me, as opposed to feeling pressure to explain myself to people around me. That's just the way I've always tried to be. It didn't change when I became a star.
I am quite amazed how, when people earn lots of money, they think they have to spend it on things that give them access to the club constituted by the people who are in their tax bracket.
What I know is the characters in a Southern town. I know the cadence of the language and the voice of Atlanta because I've lived here for so long. And I know the neighborhoods, and I hopefully know the people, and I feel a connection to them. And I also feel like I'm honoring them when I talk about them.
I think one of the most important things we can do for people is to expand opportunity - whether it's the opportunity to live a life free of discrimination or the opportunity to get a good job that provides a gateway to the middle class. I've dedicated my career to expanding opportunity, and it's proven incredibly rewarding.
My inspiration is endless; I can't define it. It is a constant flow and evolution. In general, I'm taking it from everywhere. People get nervous when they walk with me, as I'll see something and suddenly have to text it to myself.
I want to know why the government of this country can't take care of the people who are keeping us safe?
In America, the first thing people say is, 'What do you do?'
In building a management team, I look for integrity, loyalty, vision, and a willingness to think outside of the box, and challenge the status quo. I also look for people who have a good sense of humor and who value and empower their team.
There are many, many nouns for the act of looking - a glance, a glimpse, a peep - but there's no noun for the act of listening. In general, we don't think primarily about sound. So I have a different perspective on the world; I can construct soundscapes that have an effect on people, but they don't know why. It's a sort of subterfuge.
Illinois has every reason to succeed. We have the hardest-working people in America, the best infrastructure in America, and the best location of any state.
Obama was elected by the people, and I was glad that barrier was broken down. I did, along with my wife, campaign for him in Ohio because that was a key state. If I had to say does he rate an 'A' or does he rate a 'D,' it would be very difficult. I give him a 'C.'
My big inspiration for hope is the courage that I read about from people from all over the world, or that I see on a daily basis from the kids I get to work with.
Music is very spiritual, it has the power to bring people together.
Between the record companies being the way they are and the fact that people can just download one song instead of buying a whole album, it's hard to make a good living nowadays.
I grew up with J. Edgar Hoover. He was the G-man, a hero to everybody, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation was the big, feared organization. He was ahead of his time as far as building up forensic evidence and fingerprinting. But he took down a lot of innocent people, too.
I don't believe in cutting out people from the past. It doesn't give strength; it just gives loneliness.
A lot of times, I walk down the street and listen to people argue, and then I write a song about it.
I understand human needs. I grew up where far too many people lived day to day without elemental needs like food and shelter.
What role did the Internet play in the Egyptian Revolution? People will be arguing about the answer to that question for decades if not centuries.
