Friday, December 14, 2007


NEW ZEALANDER ROBBIE DEANS, AND FIRST FOREIGNER, APPOINTED AS HEAD COACH FOR AUSTRALIAN WALLABIES RUGBY TEAM...

A New Zealander, Robbie Deans, from my home town of Christchurch in Canterbury, is now the head coach of the Australian Wallabies Rugby team, after being turned down by the NZRU for the All Blacks position as head coach. Robbie is the first foreigner to coach the Australian rugby team; although a number of Kiwis have previously played for Australia.

A special deal has been struck to allow Robbie Deans to continue coaching the Christchurch based "Crusaders" professional franchise until the end of the coming Super 14 season.

Most American readers probably don't realise that a New Zealander coached the American Eagles Rugby team at the recent Rugby World Cup.

Rugby Union may not be that well known by North American readers, but it is more of a a world sport than American football which is primarily a North American sport like baseball. Only basketball can be considered a world sport.

I was the first here to predict that Robbie Deans will be Wallabies coach by the end of the week; and with the World Cup losing New Zealand All Blacks coach, Graham Henry, inexplicably reappointed for another two years, will I have to change my allegiance to Australia to ensure I support a winning team? I hope not, with tongue in cheek?

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Tuesday, December 11, 2007


SUPPORT THE INTERNATIONAL CALL TO PROTEST AGAINST ENDANGERED WHALES AND DOLPHINS...

A blogging friend from another site posted a story about the problems being experienced by endangered species around the globe. Certain species of whales and dolphins are, indeed, endangered. Where possible I think we should be rallying to the call to support the various organisations involved in taking action to prevent these mammals from becoming extinct.

Greenpeace, for example is taking direct action to protest against the killing of whales by Japanese interests, allegedly in the name of science

Please read the following article about one of the most endangered whale species, the Southern Right Whale:

SOUTHERN RIGHT WHALE
Eubalaena australis
(Desmoilins 1822)

DERIVATION: from the Latin australis for southern.

At a recent marine mammal conference, it was demonstrated how the use of technology is enhancing whale research. During a 6-week-period, a right whale mother and her calf were documented 2 times in the Bay of Fundy. In years past, it would have been assumed that they had remained in the bay for that time period. Since the mother was tagged and the pair tracked by satellite, researchers discovered that the twosome had not remained in the Bay of Fundy, but instead had traveled 2,500 miles.

It is speculated that the reason for this enormous journey is that the mother is making a parental investment and showing her calf feeding grounds. The breeding mothers, for unknown reasons, have different feeding ground imprints. If these mothers were killed, there would be a cultural extinction of that right whale feeding ground. While the Southern population of whales is growing, the Northern population remains at 350. However, not all of these 350 animals are breeding.

At the same conference, Dr. Charles "Stormy" Mayo said that the scientific community cannot wait until every item of a study has been analyzed. Scientists must take an active role with regard to the species they are studying. He was referring to Boston's plan to send sewage to Stellwagen Banks, a critical whale feeding ground.

Inconclusive studies have been done to determine how much food a right whale needs and how sewage will affect copepods (mainstay of their diet). Dr. Mayo warned that the need for answers is immediate and desperate. Scientists speculate sewage will have a significant impact on whale feeding grounds. Feeding right whales depend on grouping of copepods. Sewage could block sunlight diminishing copepods' food source (plankton) and cause copepods to scatter. If they scatter, the whales will starve.

In the case of right whales, any errors or accidents could mean extinction.

By: Maris Sidenstecker

Link here