August 16 Birthdays

Be strong, believe in freedom and in God, love yourself, understand your sexuality, have a sense of humor, masturbate, dont judge people by their religion, color or sexual habits, love life and your family.

I appreciate a sense of humor in people, because sometimes it is our only weapon against all the bad things and injustices of life

Curiosity is the most powerful thing you own.

What I learned at that moment on the subway 30 years ago, staring at my blank passport, was this: If you have an impulse to do something, and its not totally irresponsible, why not do it? It might just be the journey youve always needed.

The most important thing in life is to dare. The most complicated thing in life is to be afraid. The smartest thing in the world is to try to be a moral person.

Sending a handwritten letter is becoming such an anomaly. Its disappearing. My mom is the only one who still writes me letters. And theres something visceral about opening a letter - I see her on the page. I see her in her handwriting.

I mean, the whole idea of movies was it was special to go to see - you went to a movie theater to see something that was magical and amazing, in a very special location.

I love making smoothies post-workout. My favorite - depending on the day - is either a chocolate whey protein shake with banana and peanut butter, or one with vanilla and berries.

Its ungrateful to be wishing you were doing something else at the moment you are living. You havent lived in the moment that you are really living, you are wishing you were somewhere else.

Fishing provides that connection with the whole living world. It gives you the opportunity of being totally immersed, turning back into yourself in a good way. A form of meditation, some form of communion with levels of yourself that are deeper than the ordinary self.