26 | July | 2006 | Dear Kitty. Some blog

Bush, Blair, and Iraq war, cartoon by Steve Bell

British organization Military Familes Against the War have won their action against the government:

Press Release: Military Families Against the War

Today Military Families won their appeal against the government’s decision to refuse a full public inquiry into the Iraq war.

Rose Gentle and Peter Brierley and others had argued that the war was illegal and based on lies.

Their sons had died as a result of these lies.

There will now be a judicial review of Prime Minister Tony Blair’s decision to not allow a public inquiry.

This is a Prime Minister who has not visited soldiers wounded in his wars and who has refused to meet with families of servicemen killed in Iraq.

Rose Gentle said today, ‘Prime Minister you have refused to meet me in Downing Street now you will meet me in court.’

This video is called New Zealand Wood Pigeon – Amazing Kereru.

This music video from New Zealand says about itself:

Kiri Te Kanawa – Pokarekare Ana

1 January 2014

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa singing the Maori love song on the beach in New Zealand at sunrise of New Years Day 2000. Her performance started the worldwide Millennium celebrations and was watched by millions.

From the New Zealand Herald:

Songbird hits right note in bid to save native pigeon

Wednesday July 26, 2006

By Anne Beston

The country’s best-known songstress is coming to the aid of a bird that doesn’t sing, isn’t very bright and has a reputation for drunkenness.

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa has agreed to be patron of the $150,000 Kereru Discovery Project headed by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa in partnership with Wellington Zoo and Victoria University and due to be launched next month.

The aim is to halt the population decline of the endangered native wood pigeon, thought to be up to 20 per cent every decade.

The project includes advice on what home gardeners can do to attract the birds and a website on which city dwellers can register their properties so they can supply information about kereru in their backyards.

Apart from their size and striking iridescent-green colouring, kereru are known for their comical antics in spring and summer when they become drunk from gorging on berries which ferment in their stomachs.

Because of that, every year birds end up at the Department of Conservation or bird rescue centres.