On Sept 13, 2003, I started the Unabashed Cholula Spam Thread.

At the time, Cholula was an unknown hot sauce peddler, living hand-to-mouth, and wondering where his next meal would come from (not to mention the fare for his next flight).

That thread remained open for two years and 5544 posts. By the time that it was closed, Cholula (the man), was a household name, a moderator, a TalkBoard member, a multi-millionaire in dollars and a multi-billionaire in SkyMiles. Cholula (the hot sauce) was available in every store in the United States (except The Gap).

Yet, sad to say, Cholula (the man) responded only by repeatedly insulting me in the thread and never once used his hoard of SkyMiles to pay for a Biz Elite r/t for me from Israel to the States.

Hoyateach (the man, not the sauce) has already followed Cholula's lead by insulting me in this thread:

"I don't care what everyone else says about you. *I* think you're a nice guy."

I sincerely hope that by the time this thread is two years old, has 5500+ posts, and hoyateach is a best-selling author who has put J.K. Rowling to shame, he will have at least used his SkyMiles to pay for my travel. (Assuming, of course, that SkyMiles will even pay for hot dogs in two years, much less air fares.)

Insult you? Moi? To the contrary: I defended you, my lecherous friend. And I shall continue to defend you despite the enormous social costs of doing so.

Moreover, I shall, here and now, commit to pay for your travel from my own hoard of SkyMiles once I have accumulated a satisfactory quantity. Ever been to Fort Wayne, Indiana? No? Then boy, howdy, are you in for a treat!

So, no, I would never insult you. You're my friend. And I shall stand by your side despite the scorn and derision I will doubtless face for it.