Heehee...have just read this article [>] courtesy of the dreaded purple master [>]

Unfortunately the Guardian, the paper I grew up with as the standard breakfast table fodder, is rife with such random extrapolation of a whole country from one drunken barside conversation in Alabama. The only thing that excuses it is that they do it with everyone: I've read Londoners writing about the salt of the earth Scots fishermen they got drunk with, Scots writing about the (really not that stuck up) english git they shared a pint with while at an away game of their footie team...

It's a wonder I didn't take to summing up my experiences in whatever place by reporting a 5 minute exchange with a local.