So, who wants to win 1 million Euro?

[nomuse]

Tell me about it.  In the Bay Area, the first rains seem to call for, "Drive faster!  My car might get wet!"

Especially during the first few hours, when all that oil rises out of the pavement in a rainbow sheen, and cars slide through intersections like bumper cars at the Boardwalk.

[Daniel Dravot]

Tell me about it.  In the Bay Area, the first rains seem to call for, "Drive faster!  My car might get wet!"

Especially during the first few hours, when all that oil rises out of the pavement in a rainbow sheen, and cars slide through intersections like bumper cars at the Boardwalk.

They wouldn't do too well around these parts, it rains all the time.

[gillianren]

Rains all the time here, too; that was my point.

[Daniel Dravot]

Is your profile location out of date?  The first site that comes up in Google says your average annual rainfall is only 129 cm.

[gillianren]

Consider a couple of facts.

I grew up in a town with an average annual rainfall of twenty-two inches; my current hometown has over twice that--and is in a rain shadow.  Second, we don't get it all at once.  It probably drizzles three days out of five from September to March, and we get a few heavy falls every year to boot.  I don't know where you're living, but I live in a region known for rain.  That's all most people do seem to know about my region--rain, coffee, and Microsoft.

[Sus_pilot]

Consider a couple of facts.

I grew up in a town with an average annual rainfall of twenty-two inches; my current hometown has over twice that--and is in a rain shadow.  Second, we don't get it all at once.  It probably drizzles three days out of five from September to March, and we get a few heavy falls every year to boot.  I don't know where you're living, but I live in a region known for rain.  That's all most people do seem to know about my region--rain, coffee, and Microsoft.

Build really nice airplanes up that way, too.  :-)

[geo7863]

Damn those crafty bastards who name things for their function!

Thanks for that I just 'spat' coffee out through my nose!

[dwight]

Well it continues to throw me. I still have absolutely no idea what the Launch Escape System was actually used for.

[Echnaton]

Consider a couple of facts.

I grew up in a town with an average annual rainfall of twenty-two inches; my current hometown has over twice that--and is in a rain shadow.  Second, we don't get it all at once.  It probably drizzles three days out of five from September to March, and we get a few heavy falls every year to boot.  I don't know where you're living, but I live in a region known for rain.  That's all most people do seem to know about my region--rain, coffee, and Microsoft.

Don't forget the giant slugs.

[cjameshuff]

Don't forget the giant slugs.

And tree octopus!

[Noldi400]

Consider a couple of facts.

I grew up in a town with an average annual rainfall of twenty-two inches; my current hometown has over twice that--and is in a rain shadow.  Second, we don't get it all at once.  It probably drizzles three days out of five from September to March, and we get a few heavy falls every year to boot.  I don't know where you're living, but I live in a region known for rain.  That's all most people do seem to know about my region--rain, coffee, and Microsoft.

Also, some really nice portable cardiac monitor/defibrillators.

[gillianren]

Don't forget the giant slugs.

This weekend, I will probably see someone dressed up as one.  Yay, Procession of the Species!

[Jason Thompson]

Well it continues to throw me. I still have absolutely no idea what the Launch Escape System was actually used for.

It was to make the rocket extra pointy to help get all that bulk through the air....

Of course, on all Apollo flights except the Little Joe II test flights designed specifically to test the LES, it wasn't actually used for anything, since situations that would require its use didn't arise.

[Echnaton]

Well it continues to throw me. I still have absolutely no idea what the Launch Escape System was actually used for.

On the Up Goer Five it is the thing to help people escape really fast if there's a problem and everything is on fire so they decide not to go to space.  It works because there is stuff to burn to make the box with the people in is escape really fast. When the stuff burns there is a place on the bottom where the fire comes out to hep them escape and a thing to control which direction the escaping people go. 

[Echnaton]

Don't forget the giant slugs.

And tree octopus!

The poor things are being hunted to extinction by the Sasquatch.  Something must be done.