Here in Canada we get a fair amount of snow, from time to time, and we do have those LED street lights in quite a few places. Yet, in 8 years of driving, I have _never_ seen this snow covering problem. Either I've just been really lucky, or there must be a difference in design?

Our traffic lights all have round pieces of metal over the top of each light (like the brim of a baseball cap). I always assumed these were there to prevent the sun from glaring off the light and making them impossible to see... but maybe it is in fact to keep the snow off?

I also always assumed these little 'hats' were universal across North America. Do they have these in the Midwest?

-hps

Didn't anyone see the last episode? They found earth and it had primitive tribal humans already. They were planning to educate them, give them language, teach them, etc... so obviously some would have sex (whether in love or not).

BSG is clearly an accurate account of our own history, so I was not surprised to see this headline. Nor will I be surprised next year when the headline says they've discovered Humans mated with Cylons around the same time.

-hps

Now everyone with a grow op in their basement has to go out and buy new fancy lights which give off Galactic Cosmic Rays.

-hps

The mouthpiece idea has been around for a while in the form of the Avalung http://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en-us/shop/ski/avalung/avalung-ii.

The idea is sound, but I think putting it into action would be a bit dicey.
a) Getting it into your mouth before being swept away/while being swept away.
b) Keeping it in your mouth while being swept away.

Avalanches tend to thrash you around a bit, and they also tend to be a bit stronger than you. Probably if you got a good bite on it before things really got carried away you'd be fine? Perhaps in the case of the AvaJacket the air cousin would help shield your mouthpiece from blows?

As for the airbag system. It looks neat, but also cumbersome. I'd use it if it didn't interfere more than a regular jacket collar does, and also provided it didn't go off at random times.

Helmets protect your head also, and I already wear one of those, so that just leaves the neck thing I guess.

I certainly agree that, aside from the translation, it's not really that funny or entertaining in an idle sort of way.

As an after thought, I'm not sure how I feel about the compressed air canister. It would probably have to be metal or hard plastic. I often carry a metal flask of rum with me when I'm snowboarding. Last year I fell on it while it was in my breast pocket and I can assure you, it was NOT a comfortable thing to land on! If the above video, the canister is shown to be in a very similar rib-smashing position.

-hps

I've not read TFA yet as I'm just on my way out the door but...

We are already approaching a world wide water shortage are we not? What possible good could come of firing water into space? Even the dirty stuff needs to stay on the planet, as it will never be replaced once it's gone.

-hps

The only way I can imagine that there will be peace is if there is a suddenoutbreakofcommonsense among the masses.

I.e.
"Hey wait a second... those people are, just people, going about their own lives."

So ya.... not gonna happen.

-hps

I would like to vouch for MarkRose's comment 100%

Being from mid Ontario, I will admit that I haven't experienced -40 very often. But having worked outdoors (with a construction crew) for a winter and a half in -20 weather (before wind), I will surely agree, that if you dress for it, it's not that bad.

Sure, maybe the sandwich you brought for lunch is a little hard by lunch time. And maybe the water you brought to drink is a little slushy. And maybe the sensation of whipping it out to take a leak behind that tree is a little strange. But the most important thing to remember is, don't hold spare nails in your mouth! Sure, you can get away with it in the summer (and hammer more efficiently), but in the winter they stick!

Seriously though. I recently moved to Vancouver, where they have had an unusually large amount of snow fall, perhaps a foot? And if you ask them, they'd tell you the Apocalypse is coming. If you ask me, they're bloody whiners!

BUT, if I went to Texas, and ran into a rattle snake, I'd probably soil myself, while the locals laughed at me. If I went to Afghanistan and was stranded by a sandstorm, I wouldn't have the first clue what to do! If I went to California and there was an earthquake... I'd be like a fish out of water.

We all know what we're used to, and we're all happy to laugh at those who don't know it. But I think it's important to realize that there are a LOT of things we don't know and we're not used to, which other folks do know, and yes, they will laugh at us.

So if someone is "snowbound" and you think they aren't, show them the path to the nearest snowman, snowball, snow angel, toque, beer, or hoser. In return, ask only that they show you safety when confronted with what they know best, who knows, it might be sailing, survival during famine, or sandboarding. Shit, maybe you will learn how to play chess!

"Nobody is good at everything, but everybody is good at something"

-hps

Object Oriented Turing, yep.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object-Oriented_Turing

It's what I made my first "Hello world!" program in.

-hps

"Meanwhile, Blizzard dealt with 350,000 of their own problem users on Battle.net, saying simply that they wouldn't tolerate cheating."

The b.net that I play on sure seems to tolerate cheating. Or at least it has for a LONG time.

Diablo 1 had Auto PK, Auto Revive (and then PK again of course), Town kill, dupes, and I believe there was even a god mode.

Diablo 2 had Way Point PK traps. Now it has Map Hack, dupes, auto aim, far cast, pick-it, chicken (auto exit), dupes, Town-Portal PK triggers, town kill, and more dupes! It's nearly impossible to play in a public environment on their public server. Most solo in passworded games, or perhaps with a friend or two... almost never with strangers.

I was one of a hand full of Diablo 2 players who were NOT included in this recent ban, and I must say that it was great to see it come. It was vindicating to see so many cheaters get what they deserved. It would be wonderful if they continued to enforce it (though they never have in the past after mass bannings, so I see no reason why this time will be different).

But for them to say that "they simply [do not] tolerate cheating." Well that's a bit of a stretch people! In fact, I thought it was convenient how the bannings came so near to the release of WotLK. Suddenly there was 350,000 gamers who needed a new staple to play.

-hps