Aussie and Kiwi scientists to show "lethal research" is not required to study whales.

I still think they should take some shoulder fired missiles with them and stick a few into the sides of the Japanese whaling fleet.

clipped from www.stuff.co.nz The decision by the New Zealand and Australian governments to send scientists to Antarctic waters next month is a positive new step in the fight to end Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean. The scientists will depart next month on the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research vessel Tangaroa. They will collect data on whales by photographing their tail markings, listening to their calls and firing small darts to obtain genetic material. They will also use satellite tags to enable the whales to be tracked. the work should prove that "lethal research" is not required to study whales. This is the device which, despite the 1986 moratorium on commercial whaling, will allow Japan to kill its quota of about 1000 whales this summer. Unlike the Japanese research, the Australasian scientists' work will be published in peer-reviewed journals, which would make the case against the "scientific" whaling charade even stronger.

Palmy compost dump named after John Cleese

Palmerston North, the town where I grew up in New Zealand has named a compost dump after John Cleese in retaliation for Cleese calling Palmerston North the "suicide capital of New Zealand". I can tell you right now, that is not true. The suicide capital of New Zealand, at least when I was there, is Hamilton, because of its heat an humidity which drives people nuts. Anyway.. according to this news artcile in The Age: Kiwis dump on Cleese:

"Mt Cleese, Alt.45.2m a.s.l."(above sea level) reads the sign posted on the rubbish tip at suburban Awapuni, which is being turned into a compost dump, the city's "Evening Standard" reported.The sign notes that it was named by New Zealand comic Fred Dagg, the alter ego of John Clarke (yes he is a Kiwi, not an Aussie), who was born in Palmerston North, after Cleese dubbed it one of the world's most boring cities when he toured New Zealand in November 2005.

At the time, Clarke suggested the local dump be renamed the "John Cleese Memorial Tip - All manner of crap happily recycled".

Contractor Roy Harding, who erected the sign, told the paper: "It's just to get back at him. Most people seem to be quite happy about it".

NZ leads the way with topless bikers

A tittilating story about a topless motorcycle parade in Christchurch, New Zealand, that may well make its way to Australia.

Photo: David Hallett, The Press



The so-called Boobs on Bikes parade was held to promote an erotica expo and a group of about 20 motorcyclists - a mixture of men and women - took off their tops while they rode through the South Island city.

Organiser Steve Crow said Boobs on Bikes was an exercise in equal rights and was allowed after a test case he brought in 2005 that determined women could appear topless in public.

Source: Boobs on bikes bid for Oz - World - smh.com.au

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