Followup: why DID Constantinople get the works?

I suspect everything in Japan will be off by 8 feet or so, until new maps can be distributed.

I do the same. I just use a different postal code - H0H 0H0. They don't like it, they can take it up with Santa!

That's a hospital, but that's not important right now.

I'm calling bullshit on some of your claims.

I live in Winnipeg, one of the places in the world with the highest temperature variability. Temperatures range from +35C (about 100F) in summer to -40 (C or F) at times in winter. If anyone had problems with glass shattering due to weather, it would be me. Glass doesn't spontaneously shatter at -40. Cement may not last long due to moisture freezing and thawing, sure, but glass is fine. Eventually, it may crack, but it won't shatter unless struck. I've had the same glass windows in my home for 20+ years. You are quite simply wrong.

Being in -40 weather, even at high winds, doesn't kill instantaneously. You would have seen thousands of deaths several years ago in the winter of 2003/2004 when it was below -40 with a windchill of -55C (-68 F). Yet, you didn't. No spontaneous window shattering, either. 'Struck dead' is hardly appropriate. I believe you have been misled, or are intentionally misleading.

This phenomenon you describe could not be invisible, as you claim. If there is a large gust or vortex of wind, it would pick up material. Most notably, snow.

I challenge you to back up your claims.

Didn't look very hard, did you?
Manitoba. It's colder, we get just as much snow, it's bigger, and bonus: it's only a few hours away!

I have never owned a truck or SUV and don't plan to. As long as you use all-season or snow tires, you should do fine, unless you're in a wide-open rural area with heavy snowfall and high winds. Keep a shovel in the trunk for emergencies, a little sand or ice-melting salt, and you're golden.

The only accident I've ever been in was when a freak gust of wind blew me sideways on the highway during a snowstorm in May several years ago. A truck or SUV wouldn't have helped then - it would have had much larger profile and the wind would have affected it more. Amusingly, I've seen more 4x4s in ditches than cars.

I hate to break it to you, but the lunar landscape is far from pristine. There are craters all over the place!

It is at this juncture that I feel I should point out that I am Canadian. :)

To be honest, most of my driving is within city limits, so I wouldn't personally be at as big a risk, but there's always that chance. But I'm a geek when it comes to technology - if I can afford it and there aren't any major issues, there's a more-than-decent chance I'll be an early adopter. I'll definitely find out before I purchase, though.

I think that's a gross exaggeration. From what I've heard, even the most dramatic change expected is still in the single digits of degrees Celsius per century; I'm pretty sure that I won't notice any difference at all. Some say that locally, extreme temperatures will get more extreme, that could mean even colder winters. Don't forget, $40/gallon isn't as dramatic as you think; inflation will push salaries up as well. Perhaps not at the same pace, but the prices won't jump 10x overnight.

Disclaimer: There are several assumptions I've made in the following that could be wrong. Please let me know if that is the case. I'm also ignoring the political aspects of your post; I'm not an American.

I'm looking forward to owning an electric vehicle. I'm in a location where electricity is relatively inexpensive and cleanly generated; the vast majority of power generation in my area is hydroelectric, and we produce more than we use. However, I have some valid concerns before diving in.

Mainly, I need to know how they'll perform in low-temperature conditions. Where I live, temperatures routinely hit -30 and -40 in the depths of winter. Many electronic devices cannot operate properly at this temperature, and batteries' output are greatly reduced. I'll need to know that I can reach my destination, because being stranded in those temperatures can be life-threatening. One option is an internal heating system that could be activated while charging upon reaching a low temperature threshold. It could function similar to a block heater for an ICE, but would probably have to heat both the motor itself and the batteries. Electric heat can be costly. Another concern is heat generation. Combustion-based engines have a useful side effect - they generate heat, which is used to heat the interior of the vehicle. An electric motor won't produce nearly as much heat. That means there'll be an even bigger drain on the batteries. As it currently stands, even with low electricity costs, it appears gas would be a cheaper and more efficient way to go.

Also, cost is a major issue - not just the initial purchase price, but maintenance and energy usage over its life. This can't be known until the vehicles have been in use for a number of years. Mechanics are currently familiar with ICEs, and there won't be an immediate uptake; supply will eventually follow demand, so many won't be familiar with electric vehicles until enough people have them. Until then, those that maintain electric vehicles will be in higher demand, thus a higher cost. I'm sure that initial costs will be higher - the manufacturers have to recover that initial R&D investment somehow.

Its a basic human right to do whatever lawful activities you want to do inside your home. Her jackass neighbor is trying to legally force her to not use Wifi. If someone was doing that to me, I'd feel like my rights were being violated / attacked too. To the point where I would fire back a counter suit and sue him into the ground.

You pulled that from the link in the update, which is older than than the actual story link, which is the official Playstation Blog.

They're going back on their word. Of course, they do mention that you don't HAVE to upgrade, but...

Which pretty much cripples it as a game console, and dead-ending it's Bluray playback support.

I envy your optimism. It will most likely go the recording industry -- the ones who have to be appeased over the digital equivalent of mixtapes.

First of all, Google doing anything is not a news :) Second, GTV is a platform by Philips. So, even if Google launches this 'TV', it may not be called GTV