This was the best aurora I've ever seen in my fairly major city, and it wasn't close. It filled the whole sky, from east to west, and more impressively, from north to south. Arcs of bright magenta across a green and violet sky, with Saturn watching on from the other side.

It was really awe inspiring, and seeing gleeful people enjoying across the country, across political divides and fandoms, seeing this immense display of out own beautiful insignificance ... it's been a long time since I've seen that kind of togetherness in this country.

Sorry, my southern compatriots. This is what us northerners get to make up for January.

I rented a Volvo recently. I HAAAAATED their system. I'd much rather have Apple Play.

Healthy meals aren't low in fat. They have a reasonable amount of fat, because fat is a necessary nutrient. One of the problems you run into is that people will make up for that missing fat, usually with either more salt (which is bad for your heart) or with more carbohydrates, which leads to more weight gain and metabolic disease. While it's true that a high fat diet isn't good for you, unless you have specific dietary needs due to a medical condition, a low fat diet isn't terribly good for you, either. Balance and moderation are key.

I don't know about you, but I eat a lot healthier when I'm the one doing the food prep, which is far more likely if I am not wasting 15 hours a week commuting.

Come the fuck on.

Yup. Occasionally they get it right, strange as that may seem.

You've got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know... morons.

I'm sure they'd build hotels and restaurants, and offices and so on, ironically turning their rural paradise into the kind of urban location they abhor.

You forgot about modifications needed on the roads along the way. Power lines need to be re-routed, signals taken down, perhaps even bridges needing to be removed. None of that is cheap.

Or it could just reflect the fact that something like 40% of the population of Iran is neither Persian nor native Persian speakers.

Confidently incorrect.

It was always bullshit. The only free speech these chuds ever cared about was their own.

There are significant differences in gun laws between the US and Switzerland, actually.

lol "informed public"

You sound like someone whose only exposure to public schools is what you see in right wing media. It doesn't come close to matching my experience as a father of a 16 year old in public school in a liberal city.