[world] japan kills rare tuna market

Tuna are fast swimmers (they have been measured at 77 km/h (48 mph) but they’re not fast enough for the Japanese.

Richard McLoughlin, managing director, Australian Fisheries Management Authority, has found that Japanese fishers and suppliers from other countries caught up to three times the Japanese quota each year for the past 20 years, and hid it.

"Essentially the Japanese have stolen $2 billion ... read more here and comment.

[middle-east] canaan, israel, palestine, apocalypse

You know, I was thinking: if I were one of two brothers and the other had received the birthright and all the plaudits and I found myself the one out of favour, I wouldn’t be such a happy chappy about this.

I might just be tempted to re-invent myself as the last divinely inspired prophet sometime around the 7th century, go up on a mountain, find a burning bush [to throw other scripture into the pot], scratch a few things in some stones and then come down and look for 72 virgins to help soothe the fevered brow.

Then, somewhere in my literature, I’d insert something along these lines ... read more here and comment .

[living] vancouver on my mind

This is a nostalgic trip back to Vancouver, BC, scene of happy memories and a godawful cold I picked up in the late spring weather.

I’d met Brent in Perth, Western Australia, for the America’s Cup and found out he was a keen bike rider. Later I also found out that many of the people in his frontier town go in for some sort of strenuous activity. About this time … read more here and comment.

[middle-east] israel – whither goest thou

At the diplomatic level, it’s a washout, of course:

The convening Friday of a UN Human Right Council emergency session to condemn "gross human rights violations by Israel in Lebanon" caps a month-long mad rush by the world body's human rights institutions to single out Israel for special censure. The Muslim states that initiated the meeting dominate the large African and Asian blocs, guaranteeing the adoption of an anti-Israel motion … read more here and comment.

[living] 10 best and worst places to live in the usa

Earlier today I did the best and worst places to live in Britain and now it’s the turn of the US. Personally, I’m for S. Ola Vista, San Clemente but tastes differ.

Here’s one list:

# The Best Places to Live

1 Salt Lake City-Ogden, Utah
2 Washington D.C.
3 Seattle-Bellevue-Everette, Washington
4 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida

... read more here and comment.

[world] mass pardon rattles italy

There are some things only the Italians can do [apart from winning world cups]:

12,000 detainees in Italy have just been released or are about to walk free thanks to a mass pardon pushed through by Romano Prodi's centre-left government to reduce prison overcrowding.

Justice Minister Clemente Mastella says the July 29 pardon, which cuts three years off sentences including for convicted murderers and thieves, was an overdue act of clemency … read more here and comment.