I've just been for a swim in the Thames....

[Sweder]

[ooh err I feel a tongue-in-cheek rant coming on]

Another paradox of this planet and the ridiculous race that thinks it runs it. I like a whale as much as the next bloke (unless there's a shortage of soy sauce), but it's hard to justify the mass hysteria and media hype.

I understand that a whale in the Thames is a rare occurrence - the last one was in the late 1800's. But the plight of this poor creature, which evidently swam 'inland' to die in peace and with dignity, has attracted the most absurd publicity, attention and public sympathy. It's a micro version of the Diana weep-fest that Nigel was talking about. You bump into someone you haven't seen for several millennia in the supermarket.
'Hey, how are you - I see you got that electrolysis we talked about!'
'Yeah, it's great, I get asked to parties all the time now. Wow, how 'bout that poor whale, huh? D'ya think they'll ever blah blah blah . . . '

Put into context, children die every day, in fact every minute of every day, because they don't have enough to eat. Does this mean we can't hear about the whale on TV? No. But I have the sneaking suspicion that just now there would be equal support to prevent another such 'tragedy' by erecting 'whale-safe nets' at the mouths of all major rivers in the UK as there would to any effort to relieve global famine.

As the good people of Putney were singing last night:
'Whale meat again . . .'

[/ooh err I feel a tongue-in-cheek rant coming on]

______________________________________________________________________________________
Sweder, Former member of Greenpeace & proud of it but a bit tired of whale stories just at the moment

ps: I'm not sure I'm really a morning person . . .
By the way, I notice that online just now are me and 27 'guests'. It's really quite a good party.
As it's before 8 am on a Sunday I guess they're 'spiders' or some-such internet-type auto-checking device (losing touch with technology here).
What are these critters, and what purpose do they serve?