ViceZilla’s Views

In what amounts to a politically influenced decision, the US Government has arbitrarily tried to change the rules for foreign fisherman on “dolphin-safe” tuna.

Under current US law, companies could not market tuna as “dolphin-safe” if they caught the fish by purposely surrounding the dolphins with “purse seine” nets. Schools of tuna often swim beneath dolphins, thus making them easier to catch because fishermen can easily spot the dolphins as they come to the surface for air. The “dolphin safe” label means the tuna is fished using practices that protect dolphins.

Since the 1950s, purse seine nets have been used to increase the fishermen’s catch rate of tuna; however the nets have also reduced the numbers of certain species of dolphins as a result of “by-catch.” In 1990, the US Congress passed a law prohibiting companies from marketing “dolphin-safe” tuna if they used seine nets.

Since the enactment of the law, Latin American countries have lobbied the US Government for a less stringent rule to obtain the “dolphin-safe” label. The Latin American Officials are suggesting that if “observers on the foreign boats do not see or observe dolphins being killed or seriously injured,” then they will qualify for the “dolphin-safe” label on their products.

In other words, they are willing to turn a blind eye towards their own fishing practices using seine nets, in order to qualify for the “dolphin-safe” label. This statement is almost as laughable as the US Government buying into this scam, which the US secretary of commerce has.

Luckily, there are some smarter people in the US Federal appeals court. Chief Judge Mary Schroeder of the 9th Circuit said the U.S. effort was not based on proper scientific analysis on the impact to dolphins and was politically influenced. In the ruling, the court deemed the secretary’s findings “arbitrary and capricious.”

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Tags: Musings by vicezilla
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In another pathetic attempt to save his job, World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz will appear before a special panel on Monday to discuss a promotion and raise he arranged for Shaha Riza, his girlfriend.

This guy is dragging himself through the mud! I’m actually starting to feel embarrassed for him!

One more time Mr. Wolfowitz: You brought this mess upon yourself. Free Shaha and yourself from ‘the persecution’ and resign. Quit whining and be a man for God’s sake!

Maybe he’s developed some sort of psychological problem from licking his comb too much? I mean really; who licks their comb before running it through their hair? If you’ve got a hair control problem Paul, tell Shaha to use conditioner after she shampoos your locks!

Preparing to tame the locks

Tags: Bush Administration, Political Rhetoric by vicezilla
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First it was tainted pet food. Now it’s contaminated Catfish.

What do these two things have in common? China. First it was discovered that certain ingredients used to make pet food, which was imported from China was contaminated with melamine. Now, the department of Agriculture in Alabama has discovered catfish imported from China to be tainted with a banned antibiotic.

Out of 20 samples collected, 14 tested positive for fluoroquinolones, an antibiotic banned by the FDA since 1997.

The story doesn’t report how much of the antibiotic was found in each sample, but I’m thinking that the recent reports of China’s Yangtze River being polluted beyond the point of ever recovering, no fish from China can be good for you.

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Wanna go fishing?

Tags: The China Effect by vicezilla
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For all you fishermen, and fisherladies out there, what comes to mind when your buddy says, “Let’s go fishing!” You probably think about being on the water, it’s quiet and peaceful, but most importantly your “away from it all”.

Now imagine you are standing on the shore of your favorite lake. The water is still, it’s like glass. You are fishing (not catching, just fishing), your in your Zen mode, then whoosh! You”re sucked down into the lake, along with 40,000 cubic meters of water!

That’s exactly what happened to a Hungarian fisherman who was fishing on an artificial lake in Veszpram County in Hungary. A mineshaft underneath the lake collapsed, causing 40,000 cubic meters of water, and 80% of the stocked fish to get rapidly sucked underground, as well as one unlucky fisherman who hasn’t been seen since the event happened last Sunday.

The collapse caused a 60 meter hole to be formed and the lake’s water level dropped two meters!

Talk about a good day of fishing ruined!

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Tags: Musings by vicezilla
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There’s bored, and then there’s BORED!

We’ve all been there, bored silly. For whatever reason, our brains turn off and we get bored.
I’ve watched paint dry, flies f*cking, the home shopping network, and I’ve once watched the Spelling Bee championships on TV once because I didn’t know what else I wanted to do! But I must admit, the Spelling Bee Championship was more of a sporting event for me. I even put money on a contestant once while I was in Vegas, just because I could. But that’s a totally different topic for another post.

So how bored would you have to be to watch something that is slower than paint drying? How about cheese ripening? Yup, the cheddervision web site just got it’s millionth hit this morning! One million hits to a website that has a webcam pointed at a ripening block of cheese!

Come on, click it, I know you want to!

Tags: Musings by vicezilla
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