The experts who managed the original Marshall Plan say Afghanistan needs a commitment of at least $5 to $10 billion over 5 to 10 years coupled with occupation forces of 250 000 Allied soldiers to keep the peace throughout the country.

It's not so much about killing an animal it's being at peace and you don't have to worry about all the other things that go on. That's a couple of hours a week that you get to escape but it's nice to do that.

The fans know what's happened to me over the past couple of years. I lost my family. I pretty much got devastated financially and the fans know that I've had some hard times - and that's the nature of loyal fans. They want to see the people that they love and believe in get back on their feet.

To make a love story you need a couple of young people but to reflect on the nature of love you're better off with old ones. That is a fact of life and literature - and of the novel ever since it fell in love with love in the 18th century.

What I was going for in the first two albums I didn't necessarily achieve. Because I was young and because it was my first time out. And the second album was such a 'quickie' sort of 'Let's just get it over with!' But the kind of music I make there's a lot of subtlety in it. And I think it takes a couple of listens to actually really get it.

I had a couple of movies that I was passionately involved with that I could never get made. 'Richard Pryor ' I wrote for - gosh - over a year. That was close to getting made for two-and-a-half years after that. We're still pushing it you know. It is weird. Suddenly you wake up and it's like 'God five years have gone by.'

I took acting classes in college and once I graduated I decided to give acting a shot when I couldn't really think of anything else to do. It took me a couple of years to get an agent and my first big break was The Fanelli Boys which was a sitcom on NBC. Then I did a few television movies.

I remember looking through magazines or watching movies even just a couple of years ago and being like 'I really want to be part of that ' but not realizing what that was.

Most movies once the action starts there's no more characters. You say a couple of dumb lines and then there's just explosions until the end.

Give me a couple of years and I'll make that actress an overnight success.

I don't have an iPod. I mean I have a couple. Doesn't everyone? But I don't use it. I need to because I go to the gym now and I'm tired of listening to morning radio. I want some music! I do have a video iPod but I don't use it either.

Some days I would be there at ten in the morning and wouldn't leave till ten at night and the others would waltz in for a couple of hours and then leave because I was doing that painting thing. And they were happy to see that being done.

Sometimes it's so weird just to do an interview. This morning I was back in my parents' house with my brother and we went for a jog together then had breakfast as a family. And a couple of hours later I'm wearing high heels and a dress and makeup and talking about my job.

Well I needed the work - that's the honest answer. I haven't worked for a while a couple of years. So I thought it would be nice to get back to work and earn some money.

A friend of my mom's was a casting director so really as kind of a lark I had a couple of acting jobs that had just enough exposure to give me the option to continue if I wanted to. I followed through with it.

Mom and Pop were just a couple of kids when they got married. He was eighteen she was sixteen and I was three.

There's something about marriage that is not as intensely romantic or interesting as a couple's first meeting.

I'm certain that most couples expect to find intimacy in marriage but it somehow eludes them.

There's not a lot of room anymore for what I call 'made-up' drama. The drama comes from real places now - marriage takes work and focus the kid stuff takes patience and commitment. And if you don't grow as people and as a couple within all of that then you've got some real drama.

More than 1.1 million taxpayers in Pennsylvania will enjoy a lower tax rate more than 1.4 million married couples will benefit from the reduction in the marriage penalty and more than 1.1 million parents will have the advantage of an increased child tax credit.

It couldn't be a simpler answer. Marriage doesn't really mean anything to me. I feel like in many ways marriage is more for the families of the couple than for the people involved so I don't gravitate to it.

I have married thriteen couples. I'm about to do a marriage next month.

It's only fair that stable gay relationships of long standing should have the same rights and responsibilities as married couples. I know the image of gay marriage is to some people horrific and ludicrous.

I support allowing gay couples to marry because of - not in spite of - my values. And many of those values are the same ones deeply held by those who do not believe in gay marriage.