Jasmin

I'm with Bob Baer on this; how did the vetting teams miss this one? xj "I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with the earth...but then I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with a car either, and that's having tried both."

Where's the "I'm ineligible to vote" button???? xj "I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with the earth...but then I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with a car either, and that's having tried both."

Mini nuke plants are by no means a new idea eg the SL series in the 50's. They're also not just the domain of US researchers eg PBMR's So why the surprise? xj "I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with the earth...but then I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with a car either, and that's having tried both."

The 1995 incident & the one in feb this year were never the be all and end all, its just they galvanised opposition and became a rallying point for a multitude of concerns/opposition Eg the degree of immunity afforded US forces, disproportional deployment (Okinawa65% of US forces in Japan), the location of bases in built up areas, aircraft noise, nuclear weapons on the isles, decimation of civilian population in WWII leading to anti-(any)military sentiments etc etc etc And linking in to the OP's comments about agreements being signed, this wasn't strictly the case. It was a caveat of the 1971 agreement for Okinawa's reversion to Japan that the US retain 'use of facilities and areas'. The territory being ceded (Okinawa/ryukyu [& daito]) had no real say in it. And again, Governor Oto's reluctance to proxy sign the leases. I agree there are significant positives to having US bases in foreign territories eg security/defence, economic influx, literacy programs, aid entitlements etc This post and my other were aimed at those who don't understand that, while I'm rather ambivalent in my feelings towards US bases abroad, many others are not "generally ok with it". The communities most affected often have little say in decisions made at the strategic/national level and furthermore that the effects of US bases (both positive and negative) are not negligible to the communities they're cited in. Edited to add: Oh and thanks MG for the apology, while not strictly due, it speaks volumes of your character

Don't flame me for the comparison, I was just pointing out that in addition to e-mail, universities and shops we also have dz's! xj "I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with the earth...but then I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with a car either, and that's having tried both."

What, you think that we just go in and start building a base (combat areas excluded)? Fuggin ridiculous. The country signs a contract with the US for that base to be built and supported, so I'm guessing they're pretty ok with it in general. Okinawa is a good rebuttal for that concept. Referendum in '96 identified that over 80% wanted the number of US bases reduced or removed/relocated. Each Governor has petitioned both the US and Japanese Govt's and Gov Ota actually refused the sign the leases for over a year until a ruling by the Japanese high court (brought about by the Japanese Govt) forced him to. The State dept CRS this year outlines things are still tetchy: "Implementation of the plan to relocate 8,000 Marines to Guam and to replace the controversial Futenma Marine Air Station in Okinawa remains slow. Many of the agreement’s most controversial elements are likely to face continued obstacles, particularly from local Japanese politicians in the areas identified to host new facilities and troops...The reduction of marines on Okinawa seeks to quell the political controversy that has surrounded the presence of U.S. forces on the island for years.The recent charge that a U.S. Marine raped a young Japanese girl renewed public outcry against the bases that had existed since the 1995 rape of a Japanese schoolgirl by American servicemen." SACO recommended Futenma's return "Between 2001 and 2003". xj "I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with the earth...but then I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with a car either, and that's having tried both."

Heck you can even skydive here...stunning, I know! xj "I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with the earth...but then I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with a car either, and that's having tried both."

Voting is compulsory here, but with great literacy and education rates and with free (and unbelievably less politically biased) media, is it really such a bad thing to ensure that every eligible voter does so? Is there not something good to be said for attempting to consider the votes and wishes of all our citizens, not just those for politicians who can motivate their followers to get out of bed and stand in the rain/snow/wind and wait to vote? ie Is it really such a bad thing to consider the votes of the majority, rather than just the majority who bothered to turn up? xj "I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with the earth...but then I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with a car either, and that's having tried both."

When you say pay' do you mean 'by ensuring oil supply'? (LOL I know its bad etiquette to feed the trolls, but its just too much fun!) xj "I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with the earth...but then I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with a car either, and that's having tried both."

Don't bother Kallend, they're too busy debating the impartiality (and alleged lack thereof) of moderators to slip back into the usual partisan flaming matches! xj "I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with the earth...but then I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with a car either, and that's having tried both."

Homer Simpson: "Its pronounced nuc-u-ler" LOL xj "I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with the earth...but then I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with a car either, and that's having tried both."

LOL And here's the inevitable retraction by McCain: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/28/mccain-retracts-palins-pakistan-comments/ xj "I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with the earth...but then I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with a car either, and that's having tried both."

I think there's some merit to the argument that one of the primary threats to the NNPT is relevance; but as South Africa has shown, its by no means a write-off and the NNPT does have one of the highest adherence and ratification rates of any treaty in existence. As for the Security Council, aren't there some temporary seats opening up in 2011 or 2012?? LOL xj "I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with the earth...but then I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with a car either, and that's having tried both."

LOL No but I'm afraid I'll have to admit to being geeky enough to own a "Schrödinger's Cat is Dead." "Schrödinger's Cat is Not Dead." t-shirt xj "I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with the earth...but then I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with a car either, and that's having tried both."

I didn't hear about the quads, that's bad news. We share the same cryo guys, its just that mine works at a comparatively warm 13K. Like I said, you'll get there, its just going to take time and funding and swathes of (likely unpaid!) overtime... We made it through the battles of construction and commissioning (finding a fault line, discovering major components manufactured against spec, sept 11, cryo issues etc) and were two and a bit months into normal operation, before finding a fault that required a component redesign that shut us down for a year. We got through it, but it was a heartbreaking moment for our team, to have that happen after 10yrs of hard work! So I feel you.... xj "I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with the earth...but then I wouldn't recommend picking a fight with a car either, and that's having tried both."