No, really, they do. In the course of a month, they have annoyed Harlan Ellison, then they made Jack Johnson so mad he tried to have them arrested.

Not that that's a bad thing! You know what the thing about aversaries is? You need to have worthy ones. Penny Arcade versus the EB clerk? Silly. Penny Arcade versus one of the most acclaimed sf writers ever? Better. Driving a misguided, video-game-hating, attention-seeking lawyer absolutely crazy? Using huge checks? Very nice.

A worthy adversary is also what makes my erm, ongoing relationship with Gord so much fun. He's worthy! He's got those lungs, and stuff! So chasing him down is worth the trouble. The idea is not original to me: I first read it in Guy Kawasaki's How to Drive your Competition Crazy, an amusing book with some interesting ideas about marketing. From an interview with Guy:

[The enemy] you pick is like a mirror: It defines your image. If you pick a wimpy competitor, you'll never know how great you can be--and God help you if you fail, because everyone expected you to win.

I encourage my readership (all 20 of you) to go out and get yourself a worthy opponent. You won't regret it. This space will now solicit submissions on the subject "my best enemy." The usual prize will be offered for submissions which our panel of judges deems praiseworthy.