In my office in Florida I have, I think, 30 manuscript piles around the room. Some are screenplays or comic books or graphic novels. Some are almost done. Some I'm rewriting. If I'm working with a co-writer, they'll usually write the first draft. And...
And once again, work is providing us with a comforting sense of normalcy-living and working inside of coding's predictably segmented time/space. Simply grinding away at something makes life feel stable, even though the external particulars of life (l...
Ramesh Ponnuru and others say Obama is a conventional liberal. But conventional liberals don't come out for the release of the Lockerbie bomber. Conventional liberals don't return the bust of Winston Churchill from the Oval Office. Conventional liber...
It's possible to spend every waking hour here on the ninth floor and not get out of the office. And this isn't the real world in here. And contrary to public opinion, I'm not incredibly poll-driven. They are an ongoing indicator of how we are going, ...
Man is more naturally violent than woman. Four times as many men are involved in homicides as women. You might not pick this up in K Street law offices or in the halls of Congress, but once you enter the areas of this country where more typical Ameri...
Jack Ruby: My life is in danger! If you request that I go back to Washington with you- that is if you want to hear further testimony from me... Can you do that? Can you take me with you? Earl Warren: No, that cannot be done. There will be no safe pla...
Oskar Schindler: [addressing two unco-operative Nazi officers at the train station] Gentlemen, thank you very much. I think I can guarantee you- you'll both be in Southern Russia before the end of the month. Good day.
I talk to my readers on social networking sites, but I never tell them what the book is about. Writing is lonely, so from time to time I talk to them on the Internet. It's like chatting at a bar without leaving your office. I talk with them about a l...
C. Everett 'Chic' Koop became U.S. Surgeon General under President Reagan. He was a world renowned pediatric surgeon who had a tumultuous Senate confirmation process due to partisanship. Chic took office in January 1982, a time of 'tobacco wars' and ...
Captain Renault: My dear Ricky, you overestimate the influence of the Gestapo. I don't interfere with them and they don't interfere with me. In Casablanca I am master of my fate! I am... Police Officer: Major Strasser is here, sir! Rick: You were say...
[the officers of U-96 enter the Weser's main cabin. The 1WO is the only one with his full dress uniform on] Captain of the 'Weser': [to 1WO] Welcome aboard the Weser, Herr Kapitänleutnant. [2WO stifles a laugh] 1st Lieutenant: No, not me. This is th...
[answering the phone in Firefly's office] Chicolini: Hello? No, not yet. All right, I tell him. Good-a-bye. [He hangs up] Chicolini: That was for you again. Rufus T. Firefly: I wonder whatever became of me? I should have been back here a long time ag...
[Calling her mother's office] Jeannie: Well, where is she? This is her daughter. [pause] Jeannie: Do know where she is? [pause] Jeannie: Well, do you know when she'll be back? [pause] Jeannie: Do you know anything? [slams down receiver]
[Harry, Ron and Hermione infiltrate the Ministry of Magic disguised as Ministry employees] Yaxley: Cattermole! It's still raining inside my office! Ron Weasley: [trying to disguise his voice] Uh... have you tried an umbrella?
Captain Ramius: Ryan, sit here. Jack Ryan: I'm not a Naval officer! I'm with the CIA! Captain Ramius: CIA? Jack Ryan: I'm not an agent, I just write books for the CIA! Captain Ramius: Whatever. Sit here and do exactly what I tell you.
Major General Colt: [to a room full of officers in reference to Kelly's outfit being behind enemy lines] You're the guys who are supposed to be fighting this battle, and you don't even know where in the hell it is! Well I'll *tell* you where it is! I...
Tom Smykowski: It was a "Jump to Conclusions" mat. You see, it would be this mat that you would put on the floor... and would have different CONCLUSIONS written on it that you could JUMP TO. Michael Bolton: That's the worst idea I've ever heard in my...
Tom Smykowski: Well-well look. I already told you: I deal with the god damn customers so the engineers don't have to. I have people skills; I am good at dealing with people. Can't you understand that? What the hell is wrong with you people?
Samir: No, not again. I... why does it say paper jam when there is no paper jam? I swear to God, one of these days, I just kick this piece of shit out the window. Michael Bolton: You and me both, man. That thing is lucky I'm not armed. Samir: Piece o...
Rob Newhouse: Conjugal visits? Mmmm. Not that I know of. Y'know, minimum-security prison is no picnic. I have a client in there right now. He says the trick is: kick someone's ass the first day, or become someone's bitch. Then everything will be all ...
Milton Waddams: Mr. Lumbergh told me to talk to payroll and then payroll told me to talk to Mr. Lumbergh and I still haven't received my paycheck and he took my stapler and he never brought it back and then they moved my desk to storage room B and th...
