My dad and mom divorced when I was around ten and I didn't live with him after that though he was close by and we saw each other weekly. I wasn't really aware that he was a writer I didn't start reading his writing until I was about fifteen. It occurred to me then that my dad was kind of special he's still one of my favorite writers.

I was born in Corpus Christi Texas the youngest of four girls including my oldest sister Lisa who has special needs. My mom was a special education teacher and my dad worked on the Army base. We weren't wealthy but we were determined to succeed.

My dad was a militant atheist or is a militant atheist. My mum was sort of bought up in a religious family because she was a Protestant from Ireland but wasn't especially religious.

One afternoon when I was 9 my dad told me I'd be skipping school the next day. Then we drove 12 hours from Melbourne to Sydney for the Centenary Test a once-in-a-lifetime commemorative cricket match. It was great fun - especially for a kid who was a massive sports fan.

Anyone can be a father but it takes someone special to be a dad and that's why I call you dad because you are so special to me. You taught me the game and you taught me how to play it right.

I wasn't anything special as a father. But I loved them and they knew it.

There has to be this pioneer the individual who has the courage the ambition to overcome the obstacles that always develop when one tries to do something worthwhile especially when it is new and different.

I've decided to run for the U.S. Senate because I believe Wisconsin families need a senator who will work hard to deliver results for the middle class - a leader with the courage to do what's right no matter how tough the odds or how powerful the special interests we have to fight.

Courage is a special kind of knowledge: the knowledge of how to fear what ought to be feared and how not to fear what ought not to be feared.

My message especially to young people is to have courage to think differently courage to invent to travel the unexplored path courage to discover the impossible and to conquer the problems and succeed. These are great qualities that they must work towards. This is my message to the young people.

As a father you immediately become uncool especially the older they get. The older you get it's inevitable that as cool as you think you are you're probably just as lame in your kids' eyes.

I was asked to do a test commercial shoot for an Apple product which didn't mean much to me at the time. Some music player that holds all your songs. Sounded cool to me and I never gave up an opportunity to work especially with the possibility of it turning into a national commercial. Coolest job I did in that time.

I have no control over people's perceptions of me at all and that's one of the things I decided very early on is that I can't control the way other people think of me. All I can do especially when it comes to my career is go out there and do cool unique kinds of things.

I think it's really cool but Jimmy Eat World and Gin Blossoms did it better than anyone. People don't realize just how awesome the Arizona history is especially for alternative music. Growing up that's all I ever wanted to be was those two bands.

It's cool to go to a place that has posters up and it's one night only. It feels more special.

Everything that's cool that happens I look at my wife and I say 'We need to enjoy this moment right here! This is really special!'

I was never considered cool throughout my teens: a very important time to be accepted by someone especially your peers. Yes I had all the screaming women but the guys hated my guts.