Oh boy, elections are so close I'm on pins & needles. Driving across the USA we got the full political spectrum of opinions- pretty much the expected cliche- middle of the country was very pro-Bush, California very pro-Kerry. Here we are on "the pier" in santa cruz. We are watching "The VP Debate" between Chaney and Edwards on a TV that's at a fishbar outside- that's also licensed. The guy on the right, bless him, was very personable and amusing, and he cheered every time Dick Chaney mumbled something silly, or looked silly, which in this debate he did quite a lot of. When he realised we were just as amused as he was, he bought us each a beer and we enjoyed the debate together- what a nice guy!! I had a great chat with him after the debate while charlotte spoke with a crazy homeless man who thought that Joe Strummer from the Clash was not dead but controlling the world through brain waves. When we ran into mr Brainwave later that week he was sure Charlotte was a british secret agent. But i digress. It was this encounter that reinforced something Micheal Moore once said- Americans are great. You meet an American, by him or herself, and you'll have a great time. It's when you get a whole bunch of them together into a country that they really start doing silly things. Anyhow, here's to you, anonymous beer buying man!!