"But it's been colder than normal in my small neck of the woods this winter, so how is this possible?"

I lived there for six years and I can still remember the absolutely dreadful grey winters and the absolutely amazing, perfect summers. A great city.

Vancouver, BC has more strict restrictions in place through the summer months, and we're in the middle of a temperate rainforest.

You know that state lines and national boundaries are fake lines drawn on a map, right? We're all using the same water.

The levels felt small and very platform-like. They felt random - there was no coherent theme or story to the worlds. More importantly, there was little sense of exploration or discovery, partly due to level design and partly due to the time limit. The camera angle had an effect on the "feel" of the game too, but it's…

Yeah this is something I immediately noticed upon moving to the US. I'm used to responding to such questions with a very ambivalent noise (especially among friends and close colleagues) — everyone back home used to do the same. It's almost a form of commiseration. "How are you doing?" "Mrrrgah." "Yeah.."

France is one of the most heavily catholic countries in the world.

This is another (new) homophobic trope leveled constantly against gay men.

First time after 2 years.

I prefer the out of sight out of mind philosophy of ignoring things, is all.

*You're

*You're

They could have dropped the bombs on a non-civilian target. Actually, they could have dropped an atomic bomb anywhere observers could see them; it would have sufficiently made their point. They didn't need to target innocent civilians. It was a war crime, plain and simple.

Have you read the profiles of some of the young people who fled to join ISIS though? Many seem to have had access to plenty of money and a good education (and sex).

They are avowedly Islamic, just as the Crusaders were avowedly Christian. Can we please stop pretending that unsavory groups are never motivated by authentically held religious beliefs? These people are religious zealots; that is what defines them. Pretending they're "not Islamic" is just turning a blind eye to…

I find that "10%" number suspicious. But yeah, Samsung Play sounds pretty great if it works as advertised. It will probably be useless in most of the world, where chip and PIN cards are the norm, but it will be useful here in the US until chips become the norm here.

It was a balmy 29 degrees today in Ann Arbor, MI. T-shirt weather. (I might be going slightly insane from cabin fever.)

Bubonic plague first spread through Europe in the sixth century, beginning around 542 CE. Is this guy claiming that it arrived from outer space in the fourteenth century?? Because that would be silly.

Thanks for the info. I might look into getting a Fitbit.

I have nickel allegies and can't even wear a watch. I'm sure I could find a brand specifically made for people like me, but it doesn't seem worth the trouble. I guess I'll have to miss out on the smartwach/fitness band craze that seems to be developing.