The cool thing about being a songwriter or a writer I guess in general you can take on a lot of different things experience a lot of different things just by writing about them.

They're a different generation those kids kids that are under the age of twelve. They're not that impressed by rock music you know what I mean? They're like it's cool and everything but whatever. They're just as impressed by YouTube.

I have been a huge nerd to my kids. I haven't done the cool movies that they like. With '24 ' I gained a lot of respect. '24' is now it's hip it's their generation.

I don't think generally speaking people become writers because they were the really good really cool attractive kid in class. I'll be honest. This is our revenge for people who were much better looking and more popular than us. I was a bit like that I suppose.

Big Star invented a vision of bohemian rock & roll cool that had nothing to do with New York Los Angeles or London which made them completely out of style in the 1970s but also made them an inspiration to generations of weird Southern kids.

As tempting as it seems to wear tennis shoes with your tux don't do it. I think it looks ridiculous. If you're 14 years old maybe give it a shot. In general don't portray anything that says 'I'm too cool and I don't care.'

Survival in the cool economics of biology means simply the persistence of one's own genes in the generations to follow.

All I know about thermal pollution is that if we continue our present rate of growth in electrical energy consumption it will simply take by the year 2000 all our freshwater streams to cool the generators and reactors.

It's interesting to feel the pressure of having to be outgoing because I think in general as a human being I'm pessimistic and introverted. But it's cool because it's a whole different side of me and I impress myself. Even at times when I think that there's no possible way that I can be engaging I'll suddenly pull it out and impress myself.

So the thing I realized rather gradually - I must say starting about 20 years ago now that we know about computers and things - there's a possibility of a more general basis for rules to describe nature.

We all grew up our grandmothers and mothers had about three channels to watch so we watched those soaps and now a generation has grown up with the Internet and computers and video games.

I like computers. I like the Internet. It's a tool that can be used. But don't be misled into thinking that these technologies are anything other than aspects of a degenerate economic system.

I am of the very last generation who didn't have computers at school. As we grow old we'll become something of an aberration.

Today most young women are exposed to technology at a very young age with mobile phones tablets the Web or social media. They are much more proficient with technology than prior generations since they use it for all their school work communication and entertainment.

Yet in spite of this world-wide system of linkages there is at this very moment a general feeling that communication is breaking down everywhere on an unparalleled scale.

You're talking about a younger generation Generation Y whose interpersonal communication skills are different from Generation X. The younger generation is more comfortable saying something through a digital mechanism than even face to face.

Really each era has its own false nostalgia. We all put a picket fence up around something. For my generation it was the '50s and for other generations it will be something else. Change is scary for everyone as is complexity contradiction and an uncertain future.

We have to raise the consciousness the only way poets can change the world is to raise the consciousness of the general populace.

Polite and velvety leaders who take care to avoid bruising others are generally not as effective at forcing change.

I want to be able to look back and say 'I've done everything I can and I was successful.' I don't want to look back and say I should have done this or that. I'd like to change things for the younger generation of swimmers coming along.

Washington is still very much a male-oriented culture. Being from Los Angeles I think it is less so there - there is less attachment to tradition perhaps there is more flexibility more acceptance of change generally. That is partly because of Hollywood.

Unless it's a specific accent or something about physicality you have to change I am generally not such a conscious actor.

The greatest revolution in our generation is that of human beings who by changing the inner attitudes of their minds can change the outer aspects of their lives.

Our generation has an incredible amount of realism yet at the same time it loves to complain and not really change. Because if it does change then it won't have anything to complain about.