For all of higher civilization's recorded history becoming a man was defined overwhelmingly as taking responsibility for a family.

In a big family the first child is kind of like the first pancake. If it's not perfect that's okay there are a lot more coming along.

When you look around right now Nashville is kind of going through another changing of guard you're watching the Martina McBrides and the Faith Hills and all of them that have been the big stars for the last however many years and the next generation is coming in: Miranda Lambert Carrie Underwood those girls.

No relief was forthcoming from my then-Catholic faith which said the practice of homosexuality was a 'mortal sin' subject to damnation.

The most that one of Jewish faith can do - and some have gladly done it - is to say that Jesus was the greatest in the long succession of Jewish prophets. None can acknowledge that Jesus was the Messiah without becoming a Christian.

My coming to faith did not start with a leap but rather a series of staggers from what seemed like one safe place to another. Like lily pads round and green these places summoned and then held me up while I grew. Each prepared me for the next leaf on which I would land and in this way I moved across the swamp of doubt and fear.

What I think is fair to say is that coming out of the Republican camp there have been efforts to suggest that perhaps I'm not who I say I am when it comes to my faith - something which I find deeply offensive and that has been going on for a pretty long time.

The assertion of failure coming from such persons does not mean that Mr. Mill failed to promote the practical success of those objects the advocacy of which forms the chief feature of his political writings.

Coming to terms with the fact that my marriage was a failure was devastating and very difficult.

My only failure was the restaurant in Myrtle Beach. I kept it open for four years. It was in a tourist town it was only busy four and half five months of the year. But the bills kept coming all year.

Most success springs from an obstacle or failure. I became a cartoonist largely because I failed in my goal of becoming a successful executive.

Today the Iraqi citizen sees that America is coming and wants to occupy his country and kill him and he is willing to experience for himself what happened in Palestine.

My father respected and admired my mother and was a person who was always standing by my side encouraging me to do more and believed in my capacity. So in that sense my own experience was very good in becoming an empowered woman. From early on I carried that strong message: 'You can do it.' So I never had any doubt that women can do a lot.

I had great faith in Irish actors that they'd be hip to the whole theatre thing and they are. I had no illusions of coming over here as some kind of big shot. It's been a learning experience for me too.

The crucial question one comes back to is the examination without that experience is meaningless. And I think it's true that society is becoming more and more passive less and less fired up with enthusiasm in many spheres.

You know it shouldn't just be about women as heroic figures overcoming things it just needs to be about women in general getting the opportunity to play a multitude of roles telling a multitude of stories - just to express human experience from a woman's perspective. I hope someday we can get to that point. I'm all about representation.

Propelled by freedom of faith gender equality and economic justice for all India will become a modern nation. Minor blemishes cannot cloak the fact that India is becoming such a modern nation: no faith is in danger in our country and the continuing commitment to gender equality is one of the great narratives of our times.