Verbatim

'Barack Obama is the worst President in history.'

BEN QUAYLE, son of the former Vice President and a candidate for Congress in Arizona, in a campaign ad asking, "What's happened to America?" and saying that "somebody has to go to Washington and knock the hell out of the place"

'He is a little bit old.'

FABIO CAPELLO, coach of England's national football team, saying that he doesn't plan to pick 35-year-old midfielder David Beckham for any more competitive matches but is open to the star's competing in one last exhibition match

'They said, "We love each other no matter what happens."'

NADIR KHAN, an Afghan farmer and Taliban sympathizer, on the public confession of a couple prior to their death by stoning in Kunduz province; the pair were killed by the Taliban as punishment for having an affair and eloping

'I want to be able to say what's on my mind and in my heart and what I think is helpful and useful.'

LAURA SCHLESSINGER, radio host, announcing her decision to quit her show at the end of the year following complaints over her use of the N word 11 times during a recent call

'The President didn't send me over here to seek a graceful exit.'

DAVID PETRAEUS, commander of American and NATO forces in Afghanistan, saying that the American-led coalition could fulfill its mission given appropriate time and resources; he argued against any withdrawal of forces in July 2011, a date previously set by President Obama

'We cannot permanently live in the past.'

BINGU WA MUTHARIKA, Malawian President, on the country's new flag, after the government warned that anyone displaying the old flag would face arrest and prosecution; the new one features a full sun as opposed to a rising sun

'He said he prefers blueberry.'

TIFFANY KELLEY, an employee of Pepper's Café and Deli in Big Rapids, Mich., where a young woman squashed an apple pie into Senator Carl Levin's face during a Q&A; session; she apparently disagreed with him on foreign policy

TALKING HEADS

Sandip Roy

Describing "the new colonialism" that underlies the book (and recent film) Eat, Pray, Love, on Salon.com

"I couldn't help wondering, where do those people in Indonesia and India go away to when they lose their passion, spark and faith? I don't think they come to Manhattan. I wonder if there could be an exchange program for the passion-deprived, a sort of global spark-swap."

--8/13/10

Parag Khanna

Writing about the emergence of megacities, in Foreign Policy:

"The 21st century will not be dominated by America or China, Brazil or India, but by the city. In an age that appears increasingly unmanageable, cities rather than states are becoming the islands of governance on which the future world order will be built. This new world is not--and will not be--one global village, so much as a network of different ones."

--September-October 2010

Laura Vanderkam