Will you let politics get in the way of friendships?

[angus]

oh, heavens no.  I go kayaking almost every weekend with a dear man, a microbiologist from ontario, who is a raging authoritarian leftist.  He's anti-bush, but not anti-angus.  we agree to disagree.  we're smart-aleky with each other, of course, and pick at each other a bit, as you'd imagine, but I respect him and I like to think he respects me.

[angus]

Side Note: Route 1 sucks.

I hate driving that thing.

carry on

I'll vouch for it sucking for several miles naa'th and south of Boston.

that run through your neck of the woods as well?

[angus]

you need to drive that little stretch of the Pan-American highway between El Florido, Honduras, and Chimiqula, Guatemala during Rush Hour.  Make you appreciate route 1.

I once made 30 miles in 3 hours on the aforementioned piece of "highway" (a one-lane dirt and gravel road which I had to share with Buses, Trucks, and the ocassional beast of burden) in a 1982 Toyota Tercel.  I had two women, a man, 3 children, a goat, and an upholstered chair in that little car with me at the time. 

"hey baby, ¿quieres ir al cine conmigo?"
"ah, que bueno!  eh, ¿puedes dar un paseo mi hermana?"
"claro que sí."
"¿y su familia?"
"pues, el auto es pequeño, pero no hay problema, baby"
"okay gracias, un momento...  Guadelupe, Jorge, Martina, Pepe, Roberto, Ven aquí!"

We do all sorts of silly things to get laid, don't we?

[angus]

I've had many arguments with friends over politics, and it's never done irreparable harm to the friendship.

which was my thought exactly.  not the same as "keeping my mouth shut" but I chose that option since the answer is NO.

[angus]

a wise and considered philosophy that might have saved many a friendship, I think.