Kudos to Ridor

Greetings, folks. Before I post my announcement, I'd like to say something. When I made a jest about Ridor "humbly putting asides" his ego, it rubbed off him the wrong way. In response he left a nasty comment, calling me "narcissistic" (which I thought was kind of ironical) and saying I did "nothing else." He found my remark as "offensive", which I though was incredulous, coming from him. Dismayed, I thought of firing back a response but decided to hold it and email him first. He responded, and we exchanged a few emails then. Turned out he was tired of being picked on, that's all. See what you can accomplish if you email first the person before you publish your comment online?

After we cleared up misunderstandings, I offered to retract my remark but he said I don't have to. So I thought I'd just give credit where it is due. I was preoccupied with work during the year when he set up the first 2005 Blog Awards. Whether you like him or not, whether you agree or disagree with whatever he says on his controversial blogsite, he certainly did set a precedent. Without him, there wouldn't be 2006 Blog Awards, now in different categories, including Cartoon Blog. He deserves recognition for what he did. He did something that no one before him ever did. So....let's give him big handwaves!

Is this better, Ricky?

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Now, I'd like to take a minute to respond to Ridor's charge that I did "nothing else." I don't want this to seem like I'm defending myself, but I just want to point out that I did Gallaudet University a few favors. We all each have a part in this big drama, the Gallaudet Protests. Part of my role as cartoonist and blogger is to provide morale support.

1. Bus Incident. When I did that blog ("MSSD PR A Failure As Well", October '06) to question the statement by Ms. Elizabeth Maynerdie (in charge of Community Building at MSSD) regarding the protestors supposedly blocking the MSSD/KDES gates, the IKJ Administration's PR efforts were hurt.

2. MSSD Blog. When IKJ ordered a bulldozer to crash the MSSD gate, MSSD students were enraged. As a MSSD alumnus, I quickly stepped in and set up a MSSD blog to keep up the students' morale. Today my MSSD blog is still up and students, faculty or alumni are welcome to post announcements or comments or blogs there whenever they like. (http://eagle-soars.blogspot.com)

3. Pardon. I was probably the first blogger to propose a pardon of all Gallaudet protestors. But as Gallaudet alumnus Tina Jo Breindel suggested, amnesty seems more a viable alternative.

See how valuable an ally can be, even if he or she's not a Gallaudet alumnus? When I occassionally criticized or questioned the protestors, it was meant as constructive, to help them see their errors and improve their ways. If I oppose the Gallaudet protests completely, I'd have said nothing. Why did I care? Because Kendall Green was a home to me when I was a MSSD student, that's why. It is YOUR home, too!