In an effort to rid myself of the label "Disagreement Dan", I'd like to take my first few steps today toward improving my ability to be, as Fred Durst would say, in agreeance with other people. Meaning, from here on out, I'd like to have a more pleasant disposition, a sycophantic attitude, a greater willingness to please rather than correct, when I discuss various topics with other people.

No more clear opinions. No more solid beliefs. No more, "Actually, I think...."

Just agreeance.

I've realized, you see, that it's better to be at peace than to be right. I've found that disagreement is a destructive tool, a catalyst for conflict, the prelude to arguments that are more often than not unnecessary.

So I proclaim today that I am no longer Disagreement Dan. I am Diplomatic Dan. I seek happiness, not truth. I think everyone asks intriguing questions. I appreciate eagerness more than I do correctness. The sacrifice bunt is just as much a key to winning baseball as the home run is.

This transformation got its first test yesterday afternoon, when a couple of disbelieving friends decided to put me on the spot with some tough questions I'd ordinarily jump on:

Elvin: So who do you think is better, Kobe or T-Mac?

Wow, that's a tough question, but I'll give it a shot.

It's difficult to make a judgment on the value of individual players in a team sport. Success in team sports is ultimately determined by how the team fares, not by how the individual fares.

Therefore, although you raise a very interesting query, one that can be debated for days, there is no legitimate resolution to it. The truth is, they're both tremendous on the court. We should just leave it at that and sit back and enjoy watching their basketball talents and feats while we can.

Years from now, we'll be able to tell our grandkids that we got to watch Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady play -- in the same season! In the end, that's what really matters, isn't it?

Ben: What makes for better eatin', a juicy steak or a grilled cheese sandwich with sauteed veggies and spinach-artichoke dip?

That's an interesting question, Ben, and I thank you for asking it.

I'm not sure I'm in a position, however, to say what makes for better eating for anyone other than myself. We were all created with specific and unique tastes. One person might prefer the steak, while another person -- such as our friend Nirmal, who is vegetarian -- would much rather have the grilled cheese sandwich. There is no right or wrong here, because the quality of food is not a matter of accuracy. It is a matter of individual preference.

That's the beauty of food. There's always something out there that fits our needs, that suits us as individuals. I am so thankful that I live in a country that allows me to partake in such liberties.

Elvin: Who do you think is hotter, Jennifer Love Hewitt or Diane Lane?

Can I choose both? =)

You really can't lose here. It's a win-win proposition. Both are natural beauties for whom the men in this world should thank every morning. The world is filled with so many wondrous things: a sunset, a peaceful river, a deer in the forest, Diane Lane and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Thank you, God, for making this such a wonderful world.

Like the sense of taste, beauty is not a matter of right or wrong, it is a matter of preference. Our friend Nirmal happens to prefer Jennifer Love Hewitt; I happen to prefer Diane Lane. This is not, however, a disagreement. It is merely a reflection of man's varying inclinations. And I'm grateful that I have that freedom to choose, and to prefer.

(If you were wondering, the old Dan would've said the following, in a nutshell: McGrady is ten times better; if you'd rather eat a grilled cheese sandwich than a steak, you and I cannot be friends on general principle; and Diane Lane makes Jennifer Love Hewitt look like the other members of Destiny's Child.

But that's old Dan. New Dan just wants everyone to be happy. Ring in a new era.)