Think of all the permits that would be required before the building could be used for this. Think of all the inspectors that would need to be paid off.

Have you actually read the Geneva Convention (which one)? You should at least read the first page or two of one of them before you comment. In order to be afforded the protections of the Geneva convention, several things need to happen.

The combatant needs to be a member of the armed forces of a sovereign state that signed the treaty. They need to be in uniform or clearly marked as being in the military. They need to be carrying their arms openly. They need to be under clear military command and control. A state of war needs to exist between the two sovereign states. The terrorists in Gitmo meet none of these conditions.

If you want to be afforded the protections of a Treaty, you have to follow the rules and meet the conditions of the treaty. Here is a news flash for you: Terrorists don't follow the rules.

Wrong. It took the shock of the second A-bomb at Nagasaki and the Russian declaration of War (they occurred on the same day) to convince the Emperor to "endure the unendurable" and surrender. Up to that time, the Japanese leadership was willing to see "One Hundred Million Die Together."

This again..... the difference in the price of fossil fuels between the US and Europe is TAXES. The price of a barrel of oil is the same in both places. The price difference between what Europeans pay for a gallon (or litre) of gasoline is the amount of taxes that Europeans allow their governments to gouge them. How is a lack of tax "artificial?" I am waiting for the first US politician (besides the current Secretary of Energy, who quickly recanted) to propose European levels of tax on fuel. That would be a career ending move.

Can you imagine if that money had remained in the wallets of the taxpayers that earned it?

I can see Greece from my house. That's where we're headed. First, people will become more addicted to getting their "Obama money." Then, the masses will revolt when their government handout gets trimmed. As Margaret Thatcher observed, " The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money to spend." We will get there much sooner with Obama in charge.

No, we don't have an ocean. But, we do have the Great Lakes, which contain 20% of the world's fresh water. I've actually done offshore sailing on Lakes Huron, Michigan and Erie. The upper peninsula of Michigan contains great wilderness areas for hiking and hunting. We don't have a desert, though.

The delicious irony is, of course, that GM bought EDS back in the 80s and then transferred all of their IT staff to EDS. What goes around, comes around.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

-- John McCrae

The only time I have been on Jury Duty, I asked them how they could get away with paying us less than minimum wage to be there. After all, "no one is above the law." The only response I got was a shrug.

I don't care what your average commute is. I told you what my daily commute is. Why is that rubbish?

Europeans could pay what Americans pay for gasoline if they stopped letting their politicians and governments gouge them with fuel taxes. The price of a barrel of oil is the same in Europe and in the US. The price difference in gasoline is fuel taxes. Just because you have decided to allow your government to gouge you at the pump, that does not mean that the rest of us should do so.

Automakers have tried importing the small eurocars and Americans would not buy them. I remember Ford trying to sell the Ka here, and nobody bought them. We spend more time in our cars and drive more distance than Europeans do. Not only are Americans bigger than Europeans, but America is bigger than Europe. I drive 40+ miles to work each day. I am about to drive 250+ miles to meet with a customer. America is not as densely populated as Europe. Cars are how we travel. This is why we won't buy the small cars that are popular in Europe.

... and the folks in mission control will be required to drink a Coca Cola during when they are interviewed. They will also be required to say things like "The Penzoil, Gatoraid, Whizzo-Butter Rover had a good day today."

Just because Europeans let their governments gouge them on fuel taxes, you think that everyone else should, too? The price of oil is the same in Europe and the U.S. The price difference between what an American and a European pay at the pump is primarily due to the taxes that European citizens let their governments add.

I thought that Obama's cunning plan was that he would start pronouncing it "tahl-ee-bahn" and they would stop hating us.