Verbatim

"We are not interested in dignifying something so outlandish and inconceivable with a response."
SCOTT MCCLELLAN, White House spokesman, on British reports of a leaked document alleging that U.S. President George W. Bush had expressed an interest in bombing the headquarters of the Arabic television network Al-Jazeera

"Right now Mercury ... is in a corner perfectly aligned with my star. Mercury is no good, so if it's not good, I am going to request not to speak." THAKSIN SHINAWATRA, Thai Prime Minister, explaining that he will refuse to take questions from reporters until next year for astrological reasons

"It is clear that I couldn't make the Chinese Olympic cycling team."
GEORGE W. BUSH, U.S. President, after taking a bike trip with six members of the team during his China visit last week

"Most of the hard work is done by the women, most of the decision-making is done by men."
SANJAASUREN OYUN, one of only five women members of Mongolia's parliament, talking with U.S. First Lady Laura Bush during the Bushes' visit to Mongolia last week

"In the past, we could only condemn it as being against moral standards and punish it using food sanitation laws."
MO WENXIU, vice-chairwoman of the All-China Women's Federation, praising new legislation which bans the practice of serving food on the bodies of scantily clad women

"They will pressure me enough, and then I will blow somebody's head off."
OVOD GOLAYEV, Muslim citizen of Karachayevsk, Russia, warning against his government's increasing surveillance of those who practice Islam outside of state-sanctioned mosques

"I doubt the boss will be in a mood to attend."
GENERAL GUILLERMO GARIN, spokesman for General Augusto Pinochet, on the former Chilean dictator's cancellation of a luncheon celebrating his 90th birthday, after he was indicted on human-rights charges and placed under house arrest