Here are some pictures of me when I walked from Austin, TX to the @WhiteHouse in 2020 to raise awareness about the atrocities the white minority is facing in South Africa!
God is Good!
The Real Long Walk to Freedom!
Europeans traveling to the U.S. for the World Cup are spiritually American, sharing our optimism and thirst for adventure.
In the 1700s theyโd have been the ones exploring the New World while the others sat in Europe taxing our tea.
Alec Guinness almost said no to the role that would make him immortal to an entirely new generation.
When asked how he came to be involved in a science fiction film, Guinness revealed his first reaction was far from enthusiastic:
"A script arrived on my dressing table. And I heard that it had been delivered by George Lucas and I thought, well, that's rather impressive because he's an up-and-coming and very respected young director. So, and then when I opened it and found it was science fiction, I thought, 'Oh crumbs,' you know, 'this is simply not for me.'"
But something kept him reading:
"I started reading. And it seemed to me the dialogue was pretty ropey. Uh, but I had to go on turning the page and I mean that's an essential in any script. You've got to know what happens next or what's going to be said next."
He eventually met Lucas, they got on well, and he signed on.
Then came the contract negotiation that would become legendary.
Guinness had never taken a percentage on a film before because, in his words, films "lose money like mad" when he takes a percentage. His agent suggested 2%. He agreed, expecting nothing.
The day before Star Wars opened in San Francisco, Lucas called him personally:
"He said, 'I think the movie is kind of going to be all right.' I said, 'I'm glad, George.' He said, 'Yeah, the press quite like it.' I said, 'Good.' He said, 'We're pleased with, you know, very grateful for little alterations you suggested, and so we'd like to offer you another half percent.'"
Guinness thought he had 2.5%. But when he later asked the producer to put the offer in writing, he discovered the half-percent had quietly become a quarter-percent. He ended up with 2.25%.
On why he thinks the film connected so deeply with audiences, Guinness offered a simple diagnosis:
"A marvelous healthy innocence. Great pace, wonderful to look at, full of guts, nothing unpleasant. I mean, people go bang bang and people fall over and are dead. But, you know, no horrors, no sleazy sexโฆ a sort of wonderful freshness about it, a kind of like a wonderful fresh air."
He added that when he walked out of the cinema onto Tottenham Court Road, the real world suddenly felt "awfully sort of gritty and dirty and full of rubbish." It was, he said, "one of the few movies I've come out of recently where I really felt happy and uplifted."
His warning to anyone looking for deeper meaning in it:
"People are going to read too much into it. It's a simple, simple stuff for all ages."
Though the letters he was already receiving suggested the reading-too-much-into-it had begun.
One couple wrote asking if he'd come live with them for a few months to help fix their marriage.
#BREAKING ๐จ B2 Bombers have officially returned home. It does not matter what you think about the strikes on IRAN. These Pilots are American Patriots
Pray for our Troops ๐
I bid farewell to Washington, DC
It was beautiful and astonishingly clean and tidy! Thank you for having me!
God is Good and God Bless America! ๐บ๐ธ
Hey world! ๐บ๐ธโฝ
To all my fellow soccer (itโs soccer over here, deal with it) fans flying in from every corner of the planet for the World Cup!
Welcome to America, lads!
Come for the matches, stay for the madness.
From the sun-soaked beaches and moss-draped oaks of the Gulf Coast to the towering Rockies, endless Midwest plains, and those jaw-dropping Pacific cliffsโฆ our natural beauty hits hard.
Our land is massive, wild, and built to impress. Please explore it. Youโll have a ton of people happy to show you around.
Weโve got a proud history that echoes from Independence Hall to the Alamo. Freedom, grit, and that never-say-die spirit that turns underdogs into legends (sound familiar, footy fans?).
And trust me, the real adventure starts on the road. Hit up a Waffle House at 2 a.m. for hashbrowns scattered, smothered, and covered while the jukebox plays. Then pull into a Buc-eeโs , the cleanest, biggest, most ridiculous frikking gas station on Earth with 100+ pumps, fresh brisket, and bathrooms you could eat off.
Hit up a baseball game. At any level. Eat the Mexican food in CA, the brisket in TX, pizza in New York, or a hot dog in Chicago.
American hospitality? Strangers will high-five you, share their tailgate food, and call you โbrotherโ by the second beer. We love visitors! Especially ones who understand the beautiful game and try to understand our spirit.
Safe travels, score some goals (or at least some epic selfies), and letโs make this World Cup unforgettable.
Letโs see some videos!
Whoโs ready? Drop your city below โ Iโll see you out there! ๐
#WorldCup2026 #WelcomeToAmerica #WaffleHouseOrBust #BuceesNation
German soccer fan Freddy discovering everything he loves about the United States is one of the most unexpected and enjoyable ways to celebrate our 250th birthday.
We found another surreal place on our way. I know some people will say Iโm too positive about everything I see, but this place was crazy. They had a shooting range in the store.