So here I am in Athens, Georgia, which is apparently the hometown of the band R.E.M. (you could use that little bit of trivia if you're ever on Jeopardy...) There seems to be a bit of cultural dissonance between myself and the local denizens: I got into an argument the other day in which I said, among other things, that you must be either racist or retarded if you support the Iraq war. Now, I honestly don't remember the last time I insulted anyone over anything; that's not my M.O. But this guy was asking for it. He said that slavery in the South had nothing to do with racism and neither did war. I probably over-reacted, but this last month I've come to the conclusion that it's better to speak up and be disliked than to ingratiate yourself by being silent.