Doomsday Book

Boycott Iceland, Japan and Norway! And, oh yeah, Cookeville! Still pouting that more enlightened countries in the IWC won't let them kill Whales, Iceland has decided to thumb its frostbitten nose at the civilized world and kill as many whales as it sees fit. Japan and Norway at least are making the gesture of referring to their whale hunting as "research." So cancel your family's plans to visit the World Chess Championship in Iceland... er, boycott their fish... ummm... Okay, being vegetarians there really isn't a lot we can do individually to pressure Iceland. But you can help Sea Shepherd force the U.S. State Department and DOC to follow US law and evoke economic sanctions. See our Sea Shepherd update for details. And send Captain Watson and his hearty crew a donation to help them, once again, scuttle the Icelandic whaling fleet.
Meanwhile, have a word with the Japaese embassy at 202-238-6700. Drop a line to their UN office and tell their Prime Minister of your impressions of Japan. Is this really the country of Zen and Shinto and nature haikus? Or is it the land of street corner oxygen dispensers and anime porn?
Addendum: Whales are cockroaches, Japanese fisheries official says. (So why not eat roaches instead?). If it's any comfort, some Nipponese who just can't live without whale meat are really eating horse. That should help balance our trade deficit with Japan. Help even more; don't buy Japanese stuff.
Ignoring IWC Rules, Japan Shows Contempt for Law; Shocked that their Youth Does Same. Once Japan was considered one of the safest places on earth. Houses were not locked, purses were left unattended, and commuters slept on the train without concern for their briefcases. Now Japanese crime is skyrocketing. Of course, the nation of Japan routinely skirts international whaling laws. It's important to set a good example for your kids.

And About Cookeville... Let us not forget: the boycott of Cookeville, Tennessee, to protest their failure to discipline the cop who shotgunned an innocent family's pet as it approached him, wagging its tail, has not been lifted. The incident achieved national notoriety early last year after The Highway Patrol car's video tape - the one in the Cookeville prowl car was "accidentally" erased - was publicized. Officer Eric Hall's cowardly reaction to a non-threatening dog would have shamed the average paperboy (or papergirl). It is not clear from the audio whether or not Hall actually said, "Eeek!" before pulling the trigger. To express his gratitude to Cookeville for endorsing his pathetic lack of fortitude, Officer Hall is suing the city for giving out too much information about him. Serves them right. If you wish to email Officer Hall, be sure not to say anything that might be interpreted as a threat. It's illegal, and, besides, it seems he's gotten plenty of them already. And we know how easily frightened he is. A sample of what Mr. Hall has done for Tennessee's image can be seen at Cookeville Cops Comics.