This celebration here tells me that this work is not hopeless. I thank you for this teaching with all my heart and lift my glass to human solidarity to the ultimate victory of knowledge peace good-will and understanding.

I had a non-existent knowledge of Queen Victoria's early years. Like everyone else I thought of her as an old lady dressed in black. My mom had told me about her though that she had a very loving relationship with Albert that they had lots of kids and that he died young.

So long as these kinds of inequalities persist all of us who are given expensive educations have to live with the knowledge that our victories are contaminated because the game has been rigged to our advantage.

In formal logic a contradiction is the signal of defeat but in the evolution of real knowledge it marks the first step in progress toward a victory.

And as I have said it's made me think twice about the imagination. If the spirits aren't external how astonishing the mediums become! Victor Hugo said of his voices that they were like his own mental powers multiplied by five.

If one seeks to analyze experiences and reactions to the first postwar years I hope one may say without being accused of bias that it is easier for the victor than for the vanquished to advocate peace.

For all their current prestige Osama bin Laden and the suicide bombers are still regarded in all but the most desperate districts of Gaza or Peshawar as romantics with little chance of more than symbolic victories however bloody and brutal. That gives both the Middle East and the West a small and distant hope of security.

If it is nothingness that awaits us let us make an injustice of it let us fight against destiny even though without hope of victory.

At home in Victoria we have three dogs Tosh and Lucy they're half Blue Heelers and then there's Torrin a little Maltese terrier. She gets more attention in the house than anyone else! Yes I miss them a lot.

Americans particularly after World War II tended to romanticize war because in World War II our cause was the cause of humanity and our soldiers brought home glory and victory and thank God that they did. But it led us to romanticize it to some extent.

In man - in the history of mankind this has happened many times and occupation leaders hang on to the land that they're occupying. People fight to liberate their land. But in the end the people's will is what achieves victory.

If history is a guide a victory for Obama means he faces the prospect of a second term dogged by scandal or inertia.

I am fascinated by history and particularly the Victorian era.

Legend remains victorious in spite of history.

History shows that where ethics and economics come in conflict victory is always with economics. Vested interests have never been known to have willingly divested themselves unless there was sufficient force to compel them.

History is written by the victors.

Whether in chains or in laurels liberty knows nothing but victories.