As I've grown older, I appreciate more than ever before the strength of this figure, Jesus, who emerges in the four canonical Gospels, and the Gnostic gospels, as a witty, intelligent, complex, inspiring, and often contradictory person.

CNN: Seeking the truth about Jesus

In the aftermath of the attacks Giuliani rose to become a transcendent figure of compassion and strength whose courage was acknowledged by Queen Elizabeth II, who gave him an honorary knighthood, and Time magazine, which made him its "Person of the Year" in 2001.

FORBES: As a businessman, he's been mixing with a sketchier crowd.

The U.S. will remain the strongest driver but will need to find markets for selling more as well as buying. (Investment flows, and the strength of the dollar, will figure in this.) Another key factor will be China--how fast it integrates into the world trading system as a nation, and as 30-odd provinces and zones.

FORBES: Commerce calls

Most of the credit for old-timer strength goes to Ruth, an almost mythological figure who represents the dominance of baseball in America's sports history.

FORBES: Magazine Article

"To me she was a figure of awe for her personal strength and grit, " Streep said Monday.

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Woody goes one way, but Shaun gravitates towards the impassioned rhetoric and strength he sees in Combo, a father figure who flatters his sense of injustice and betrayal.

CNN: Review: Summer movies you may have missed

The Bank of Scotland Labour Market Barometer gives the job market a single figure to indicate its strength each month.

BBC: Fall in Scottish permanent job placements