Doing linear scans over an associative array is like trying to club someone to death with a loaded Uzi.

Younger hackers are hard to classify. They're probably just as diverse as the old hackers are. We're all over the map.

At many levels, Perl is a 'diagonal' language.

Most of you are familiar with the virtues of a programmer. There are three, of course: laziness, impatience, and hubris.

For me, writing is a love-hate relationship.

Portability should be the default.

I think software patents are a bad idea. Many patents are given for trivial inventions.

Symmetry is overrated. Overrated is symmetry.

The Harvard Law states: Under controlled conditions of light, temperature, humidity, and nutrition, the organism will do as it damn well pleases.

Over the long term, symbiosis is more useful than parasitism. More fun, too. Ask any mitochondria.

Hubris itself will not let you be an artist.

Writers strive for the impossible: perfection. Even the universe is flawed.

Younger colleagues tended to draw untested self-confidence from their bonuses and prestigious degrees.

I didn't want people to accuse me of being really depressive. I really tried to fight against that and not have a complete downer about the subject.

An opera may be allowed to be extravagantly lavish in its decorations, as its only design is to gratify the senses and keep up an indolent attention in the audience.

I resemble the poplar,--that tree which, even when old, still looks young.

Hollywood is so fake and people need to realize that people are just people, and you, too, don't need to be born into something or have money or have whatever product someone is hawking on you.

I'm never sure why I do anything, to tell you the truth.

I'm a little bit of a gypsy myself. I've always had jobs where I'm moving around and I'm not sure what's going to happen tomorrow or the next day.

Restriction generates yearning. You want what you cannot have.

I've always thought of the audience. I just want to entertain the audience. That's what it's about: what's good for the movie, what's best for the movie, what's best for the audience.