Speakers Corner in Hyde Park, London

Now there's a man on his soapbox. The real thing. Since the late 1800s, the right to free speech has been exercised by countless people who have mounted the soapbox in Hyde Park to speak their minds. Even if they are out of their minds.

What a tradition. Had I known about it in 1995 when I was in London, maybe I would have made my debut then. Now I have to settle for a virtual soapbox.

And considering the proliferation of blogs, I'm guessing that an awful lot of us feel an urgent need to speak our minds. Maybe it's because the world is too noisy and has too many pundits, so-called celebrities, politicians and talking heads trying to tell us what to think. And we know damn well what we think. We just want the platform for our own ideas rather than to be a sponge for the thoughts and ruminations of others.

And, besides, most people are just stupid. Or ignorant. Or both. That's why I think that everyone is entitled to my opinion.

Stay tuned.