The news reported today that some divers and fishermen--as well as some other idiots--were randomly killing stingrays off the Australian coast in the wake of Steve Irwin's death from a Bullray. I fail to understand the mentality of people who can be so afraid of relatively harmless sea creatures that they can bludgeon them to death. Fair enough if you catch a ray on a hook and want skate wings for supper. Very cruel and needlessly savage if you kill for killing's sake. Next thing we know ...

If you can imagine those nasty sharpened bamboo shoots that the Vietcong used in their traps during the war, then that is basically what the barb on a Bullray is like. This can be seen when studying the skeleton. The barb is about 9 inches long, more or less, on an adult ray and apart from imparting the nasty sting it is known for, is sharp enough to pierce skin given freak circumstances. And that is apparently what happened to Steve Irwin. It was a freak occurence that the barb pierced St...

I regard myself as a logical realist i.e. let me see the facts and if they don't add up I question them. If they are fact, witnessed by hundreds or thousands, and substantiated by honourable people, I believe them. That is why I do not believe in the supernatural , Uri Geller or plain bull****. Politicians skew the facts for their own political purposes. Others turn fact into fiction. The great (sic), President of Iran, I hear, has written to the Chancellor of Germany, Ms Merkel and told h...

Today I got the feeling that small news was returning. That means that the networks are not beaming 24 hours of London Heathrow, or terror plots or planes being escorted by F-15s as they land. And Lebanon, of course, has been in the news for the past month--today it got a small look-in. By "small news" I mean the murder of Jon Benet Ramsay. It is, I know, quite important, but I wonder if you also feel that it does bring us back to earth after a bad month. I only have one thought on Karr, t...

Here is a mock private conversation between George Bush and Tony Blair. The meeting is comedic--the reality around it tragic. Can you find the Eagle and the Poodle? -'Yo, Blair.' -'Mr President. What's happening in Lebanon?' -' Hey, Tone, I told ya before that the Syrians were in on this. And that Abinejad.' -' I believe it's Ahmadinejad,' Mr President. -'Whatever, try some of these peanuts. Jimmy sent me some.' -'No thank you, Mr President, I'm on a diet.' -'Like Condi huh. That wom...

As a non-American I would be interested to hear about your views on Guantanamo Bay after the suicide of 3 prisoners. The comments from Admiral Harris about "assymetrical" warfare worry me. Is he using politic-speak to explain away these deaths or is he not too concerned because this may be a protest to draw attention to their plight and motivate action from terrorist sympathisers? On the other hand is he ducking an issue that needs serious contemplation due to the World's reaction. When I...

Dear Thabo, I am sorry I was unable to meet you at the Commonwealth Conference. Blair and that swine Clark would not let me attend. I assure you they will pay in blood for that snub. It is people like Blair who give Africa a bad name. That Jingo is so full of himself after becoming friendly with Bush. In fact, I have banned all British and American products from Zimbabwe (including Marmite and Mc Donalds), and I have issued a decree that no Mars bars will be sold anywhere. Our farming has...

The news from Africa is bleaker than usual but I shall add a ray or two of sunshine! * SOMALIA is in the news again. This impoverished country has not rested in the past 15 years. It was in 1990 that the infamous warlord Mohamed Aideed sought to take control of the country. You know what happened after that! Now, the US backed Warlords running Mogadishu, the capital, have been expelled by the Islamist Militia and the city is, as usual, enveloped in a war of greater intensity. There are rum...

In drawing up my wish list I decided to concentrate on those people who are not living up to expectations for the good of the World and those who may be able to help make things better. S0, I wish that: * Donald Rumsfeld would get off his arse and work out, with his Generals, a way to prevent suicide bombers getting through to aspirant new police/army recruits in Iraq and, more importantly, how to protect innocent civilians from being blown up (I am deadly serious--I know it is difficult, ...

My stomach turns at the amazing things that the World and its so-called leaders get up to. Please help me (if it is at all possible), to a mature, balanced judgement of the World when, in cynical vein,I try to understand man and his failings. Here are the Palooka's running our World: * Evo Morales, leader of Bolivia, nationalises his oil and gas fields, seemingly not aware that Brazilian gas interests are vested in his country. Is this man sane? * The USA, Britain, Australia et al, invad...

Lieut. Col. Stephen Jordan is being held responsible for the Abu Ghraib embarrassment. Don't tell me the buck stops at a lowly Lieutenant Colonel! Was he the wild card--the top man? If so, did he have no senior officers above him monitoring Abu Ghraib? I don't think so. The rot doesn't stop at Jordan's door and the authorities better do a more complete job.

I am a fairly gentle person and I believe that human life is precious but, unlike many other conservative Christians , I believe in the death penalty. Why? Because there are people on our planet who have no regard for the lives of others. They are cruel, abusive members of our animal clan and because they are the worst animals, having no morals or feelings, being corrupt and unfeeling, I support the termination of their lives. Prison is not the place for a maniac who loses sight of ri...

Paris today was a disaster. The demonstrations against new employment laws today by peaceful activists were, as usual, taken over by thugs. It seems that every demonstration in Europe or the UK is an excuse for thugs to take control (witness the scenes photographed in Saturday's Daily Mail). Hooligans are graphically caught on camera mugging and robbing innocent passers-by and peaceful demonstrators. No demonstration is complete without the hard, and out-numbering, mobs who see these event...

Norman Kember came home to the UK today after being held hostage in Iraq for four months. I presume his two Canadian co-hostages are safe and sound as well. Their names elude me at present as the news coverage in England is so besotted with Kember's return that no mention of Canadian names has emerged. I'll check on CNN and BBC World. One of their group, Tom Fox, an American, was killed, and this brings home to me the fact that any Do-gooders who go into Iraq to "help the people" should ca...