October 8: Northern Lights, Northern Darks, "Carol" Dip Monday

This morning, driving into work at 4:30 a.m., the Northern Lights were brilliant in the sky.  Clouds of green and yellow light streamed across the heavens.  I have seen the aurora borealis before, but it has been quite some time.  As I drove along, I started feeling quite small and insignificant in the face of something of such beauty.  And then I thought, God really is amazing.  And then I thought, you better keep your eyes on the road, dumbshit, or you're going to kill yourself.

Then I remembered my iPad.  I pulled over to the side of the road and took several pictures of the light show.  This is just one sample of what I got:

That's right.  I got twelve pictures of utter blackness.  My Northern Lights are Nothern Darks.  So, if you will, imagine a jagged, dark treeline against a dark sky.  Then, imagine bright fingers of light reaching across the stars and moon, so bright it almost looks like dawn is happening in fast forward.  That's what I saw this morning, and that's what this picture is supposed to capture.  Pretty stunning, I know.

Now that I have sufficiently inspired you with my National Geographic photography skills, I will move on to the business at hand.  It is Monday, and that means it's time for a Carol dip.  My question this morning is inspired by the presidential debates of last Wednesday:

Will Mitt Romney win the presidential election because of his debate performance last week?

And the answer from Chuck Dickens is:

It was not an agreeable idea.  Scrooge shivered, and wiped the perspiration from his brow.

See.  Even a dead Victorian novelist doesn't like Mitt Romney.  I mean, Romney dissed Big Bird.  You can't get much lower than that.

This message has been brought to you by the Saint Marty Committee to reelect Barack Obama.