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Making your head hurt Bimmer? Don't worry, it'll all be over soon.

Unless of course there's need for a recount and the whole process drags on for days and days...

Incidentally, I was chatting to a couple of pro-Kerry people at the weekend. They seem convinced that Bush will win easily. What's your prediction?

Is this the answer? How cool would that be? lol

Jay

I've only lived here for six months so couldn't really comment about America 'going to the dogs', but I can't help thinking that if some American's stopped waving the flag for a second and stopped all the 'we're the greatest country in the world, USA! USA! USA!' stuff, and then actually opened their eyes they might get a more accurate picture of what America is today.

Areas of Chicago (mostly the notorious South Side, but also parts of the West Side) are like a third world country; burnt out cars on the pavements, boarded up housing, people actually living in that condemned housing and the only retail outlets that survive are store-front churches and liquor stores.

The poverty and deprivation is truly shocking, yet nobody in authority of the richest country in the world does a thing about it. The Rough Guide to Chicago has a line about the South Side warning tourists not to go there after dark - but people SHOULD go there and see the reality of modern America.

I thought Homer's intellectually challenged brother was already president.

Bartlett would be great. Made the mistake of watching a WW episode where he and his presidential opponent have a televised debate. Three thousand times better than the real thing a couple of days later.

And if I didn't dislike Kerry already (and I did), his cheap references to Dick Cheney's daughter and her sexuality would have done the trick.

Whoever wins on November 2, we lose.

I realise that poverty is not exclusively an American problem, it's just the contrast - the deprived ares I mentioned are literally just a few blocks away from multi-million dollar skyscrapers and luxury apartments - that brings it home so starkly.

Sure, London and all other major cities have their 'projects' and social housing areas but from the limited amount of travelling I've done in Europe and America, the deprivation in parts of Chicago is some of the worst.

Perhaps it's because America is a country of extremes; you get the very best of things and also the very worst.

I've never been to Texas (and nor was I aware of the racial mix you have there) but would like to visit sometime - if only to go to Dallas and stand on the grassy knoll!

The friends I have made here are mostly through the wife's work connections and they've all been informed, intelligent and genuinely interested about world affairs.

I wonder if either will make the 2004 list of

Dumb,Dumber & Dumberest(equates to Greed,Underhandness & Inepitude)

2003s list has the usual suspects



cheers
B....OZ

PS My advice on election night...dust of the Dumb & Dumber or better still the Flying High Movies..where have they gone?