There should be a "GPS license fee" for Non-US-entities who think that they have some kind of a right to GPS service which is funded by US taxpayers. I also think that most Europeans would happily pay it too just like they do for their so-called "TV licenses".

I often wonder if "environmentalists" have any real appreciation of the laws of thermodynamics or idea of the energy needs of of modern society when they take on endeavors like this. If all of society decided to run their cars off of coffee and/or wood-chips there would soon be no wood or coffee left. What kind of environmental catastrophe would that lead so?

They actually know the point of what they are saying. My birds know our names, say thinks like "thank you" when they want something, "night night" when they want their cage covered, "hello" when the phone rings, "water" when they want to be sprayed, and say "don't bark" when my dog barks.

I have noticed this with my quaker (monk) parrots. I have had sets of two over the past 25 years and what the two birds I have today was actually originally tough to previous birds I once had. It seems that they teach each other much like children teach children's games to one and other.

So it will take NASA over 10 years to launch only two more missions? So what do they plan on doing after the second launch? I'm sure by that time that Russia and China will have launched more than just two missions a piece. I really don't like the sound of this.

Living in Germany I often get the impression that most Germans (not all) know very little or nothing about what it takes to generate the amount of electricity that their heavily industrialized country relies on. The loudest protests seem to come from those on the far left who know less about the topic and are completely unwilling to listen to the voice of reason at any cost. Perhaps Germany has hidden infinite supply of unicorn dung with which they can use to power their eco-friendly organic antimatter reactors for generations to come?

Actually you used to call it "fall" as well.

From Wikipedia
The alternative word fall for the season traces its origins to old Germanic languages. The exact derivation is unclear, the Old English fiæll or feallan and the Old Norse fall all being possible candidates. However, these words all have the meaning "to fall from a height" and are clearly derived either from a common root or from each other. The term came to denote the season in 16th century England, a contraction of Middle English expressions like "fall of the leaf" and "fall of the year".
During the 17th century, English emigration to the British colonies in North America was at its peak, and the new settlers took the English language with them. While the term fall gradually became obsolete in Britain, it became the more common term in North America.

As a Yank having spent the last 10 years (and possible y the rest) of my life in Germany I really don't care. I have never thought that that game was banned here but never really cared to try it. I order *alll* boxed video games I play out of the UK and pay with my American credit card to download them from US Server when possible.

Who needs German censorship? (meh)

This should help make our guests from London feel right at home.

Perhaps it depends on the size of the rock and how deep the life is embedded into it? Also in the course of the history of the Earth there was sure a lot more than just one rock ejected from thee planet's surface.

If they can do it, why can't we? Maybe the government knows something that we don't. (Queue spooky music)

It's nice to see that there is still at least some ambition left in our society.

I don't really understand much of anything you wrote, but if it was important to you to allow it to be subjected to Slashdot abuse then it must be worthy of at least some degree of attention.

I seem recall a "Land of the Lost" episode where the family met a pilot from Texas who became lost while flying his "hypersonic glider". (At least I think it was what he called it?). Does anyone else remember this?

"KGB stood for "Ministry for State Security"

A more accurate translation would be "Committee of State Security" which in my ears at least isn't all that different from a "department". Both names are so similar that they are nearly synonymous .