I had a nasty infection on my foot when I was younger, like full on pus-volcano type thing, it looked and smelled terrible. The city I lived in back then was one of the biggest teaching hospitals in the country, when they asked if students could come watch I said sure, of course! Next thing I know there was like a dozen of them in my room, taking turn prodding the pus-volcano with a stick, cleaning it out (extreme pain), and just overall commenting on it and leaning over it super close. I’m glad I helped their education but damn was it awkward especially since I was about the same age as them at the time if not a bit younger if I recall.

That’s a nice obscure reference there, lots of interesting trivia around that film and as a french living in NL, sounds like I should watch this. Looks pretty janky though haha.

Yeah these days the standard on the toilets have gone way up (and stayed free, looking at you Belgium/NL), TBH for me even the unmanned ones are okay in case of emergency, it’s more that these stops lack a simple row of vending machines imo so I only use them if I really just need a quick bio break, they could be so much better as a more nature/calm alternative to the ones with shops.

The big stations along “autoroute du soleil” have been huge for a while though, at least since my childhood over 30 years ago. Beaune, Montélimar, etc.

In France there’s some really nice gas stations on some of the popular highways. In the summer there’s so many tourists going on vacation through these that some of them even set up temporary art exhibitions or special activities like bouldering, bow&arrows, etc. I remember doing my first “dive” in a special water cube on the parking lot of Montélimar’s station when I was a kid, good times. Of course none of that is even remotely similar to putting a beaver themed slop-shop and calling it a day, the shops mostly just sell local products and the usual essentials.

I’m probably wrong but it looks pretty similar to some machines I’ve seen that are used to work vineyards in France, the 50 max speed sticker also fits with Europe.

I lost 35kg within 8 months by going hardcore on controlling my diet. I did have to eat more once I started exercising, which I needed to because all the muscle was melting away right along the fat. It definitely works, but I did “fall off the wagon” once I stopped counting the calories. Now I’m trying to find that long term balance of sport and diet I can maintain in the long run.

Just give it access to the nuclear codes and get it over with.

Meanwhile in Europe I take off for road trips with my EV that has very mid range, fully trusting there’s gonna be a station when I need one, at first I used to plan the trips around charges but quickly figured out it’s not necessary. If you have a newer model with big range then it’s really a total non-issue. Sucks to hear Brazil isn’t there yet but I’m sure the infrastructure will catch up soon.

Album cover material right there.

Operation epic fury? Did Musk name that one?

I totally get that, but we are married with a child and living very far away from any traditional support system (in a different country than either of our families). It’s certainly tough, especially missing out on the free child care that everyone around us seems to be enjoying, but honestly it’s not that bad, and even has some of its own benefits.

I see that sentiment on every battery news, but it sure seems to me like battery tech is advancing quite drastically. Are there over-hyped headlines and articles pumping up tech that isn’t anywhere near completion? Sure, but meanwhile EVs have become a thing, house batteries, etc.

Literally everything.

One thing missing from the list is disguising your gait/walk. I don’t know how far along they are with reconciling databases about it, but the technology to identify you by the way you walk already exists. I hear adding a pebble in your shoe helps.

Not creepy at all!

I just meant, they are exactly as mean online as they are in real life, it’s not that they’re particularly mean just direct and no filter so less of a difference.

Only the Dutch.

I like to imagine that Americans from the random states in the middle with perfectly rectangular shapes do the same thing, but since it’s just rectangles, no one realises it.

In France the literal translation would be “extreme right” and “extreme left”.

Common sense, really…