to all my critics

So now that people are actually aware of and reading my blog, I get all kinds of complaints.

First, I do not always agree with the political figures that I admire. Although Bryan was a religious fanatic, it is the second word that I like the most - he was a fanatic. He didn't passively promote his views, he spewed them out with incredible fervor as part of some of the most entertaining speeches in American history. Another example is Teddy Roosevelt, one of my favorite figures in American history. Yes, he was an imperialist. Yes, he "helped" Panama revolt against Colombia so he could build the canal. Yes, he played a huge role in getting the U.S. involved in the Spanish-American War. But on the same note, he believed strongly in what he was doing and rarely hid his beliefs. He proudly claimed responsibility for his role in the Panamanian Revolution. Also, he was often criticized for welcoming African-American political figures to the White House, which was seen as a taboo at the time. TR was also known for forcing his guests (Senators, Governors, royalty) to participate in what he called "point-to-point" walks in which he would start at one point and walk straight to another designated point without deviating from his straight path. This meant climbing trees, wading through ponds and fountains, trudging up hills, and dealing with any other obstacle that he came across. In any case, that has more to do with why I like historical figures than their actual beliefs...although there are many that I admire for their beliefs like Gandhi, Oscar Romero, MLK Jr., etc.

Secondly, I didn't say that I felt like I have to be with Amanda to hang out with you guys, but that I feel lame that I have lived in this city for a year without meeting anybody new. I will likely come watch a few of your softball games and would gladly hang out with y'all without Amanda. However, I would also like to meet some people that are likely to want to wake up at 6am on a Saturday to go to Lucky's to watch Liverpool while eating a traditional English breakfast and maybe having a cold pint (although cold and beer are not two words that you'll hear together at Lucky Baldwin's anytime soon).

Finally, I will only allow my blog to affiliate with your blog in an attempt to take over the world if we can agree on a few stipulations:
1. Somehow monkeys need to be involved. Monkey slaves? monkey butlers? monkey editors?
2. If we choose pirate names I get to be Jeff the Ale-swigger
3. There will be no mentioning that I paid full-price to see Spiderman 2 in the theater, the worst movie since King Ralph.