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BUT ARE THEY DOLPHIN-FRIENDLY?
Japan’s latest taste sensation:
“We have decided to add a whale burger to our menu due to strong demand from our customers, and feel very thankful to the whales for allowing us to make the burgers.”
Man, now they’re just out to piss off people.
As a gamer, anime fan and all round geek, my knowledge of Japan’s bizarre culture is probably far too in-depth.
Really, Whale Burgers are the least of our worries, far, far more creepy/insane things come from Japan.
Posted by Aging Gamer on 2005 06 23 at 04:05 AM • permalinkMy personal favorite are the Japanese toilets: Air conditioned, massage, motion detectors, reading lights, heated, self-cleaning, whatever you want, they have more options than some models of Western automobiles.
We…feel very thankful to the whales for allowing us to make the burgers.”
“Well, you’re welcome!” What were they going to do, say no?
Posted by Aaron - Freewill on 2005 06 23 at 04:10 AM • permalinko/t
This morning abc’s local radio (you remember, the sector news / c-aff calls Dickheads) interviewed a guy who had a very relevant sad tale to tell.
He had been refused permission to come back into Australia from U.S. I think.
What was very hypocritical was the presenter harping on about his TWO TOURS IN VIETNAM (not even as an unlucky,misguided conscript but a fascist chimpy etc Australian army VOLUNTEER.)
Even more proof of his loyalty to Australia said the presenter,were his years working for ASIO as an AGENT.
The abc must have been DESPERATE to land one on department of Immigration(the oppressor of this victim-all tilt, s’il vous plait-) to allow this OWN GOAL!(Iron Chef Supremo Chairman Kaga) ‘If my memory serves me correctly, whale meat can be eaten in any fashion, but it is best served with mayo, cheese and buns. Remember,mayo, cheese and buns’.
Posted by Lucky Nutsacks on 2005 06 23 at 04:34 AM • permalinkC’mon! At least they thanked the whales!
Posted by Lucky Nutsacks on 2005 06 23 at 04:39 AM • permalinkIt’s funny, I look at cows and can easily think Chateau Briand and Leather Apohlstery for the Merc. No probs, pass me the .303, tell the poor bugger this is going to hurt you more than it hurts me but this is what you were bred for and POW - game over. Whales and dolphins, on the other hand, I just don’t want to see them getting killed.
Hey I blogged on Japan’s kindness to dead whales here. Yep, they really respect the whales over there…
By the way, I don’t think the international community would mind so much if they just took the unlucky ones that passed through Japan’s territorial waters, but going half way around the world to nab them while munching in Antartica, that just doesn’t seem sporting!As long as there are plenty of whales what is wrong with eating them? It seems too many people have seen “Free Willy” once too often. They are ANIMALS, we eat animals and as long as we do not endanger them there is nothing wrong with it. Get off the whale eating nations backs and let them enjoy it. I would try it if it was available in OZ.
Posted by Bill Cooper on 2005 06 23 at 05:18 AM • permalinkHere’s the case for eating the sheep of the sea.
Posted by Lucky Nutsacks on 2005 06 23 at 05:41 AM • permalinkHere’s the intelligence scale from smart to not so smart.. Humans - primates - dolphins/whales - PIGS! What kind of sick individual would eat pork after knowing how smart pigs were? Save the bacon I say! (dogs come in at 13th on the list). here
Posted by Lucky Nutsacks on 2005 06 23 at 05:58 AM • permalinkAllah Fubar!
The infidel Deo Vindice has now created a problem for himself.
Does he now accept the edicts of the Holy Qu’ran? Does he now accept the teachings of the Prophet Mo (pbuh)?
Does he now want to stop partaking of alcoholic beverages? Does he want to kill…KILL…..KILL!!
I think I’ll stick to the bacon and booze, tyvm.
err.. all I said is that I like pigs!! The little buggers are multi-functional - they’re cute when they’re alive and they’re tasty when they’re in the pan or as BBQ…mmmmmm… chipped pork…with sauce..and slaw…!!! :)
Posted by Lucky Nutsacks on 2005 06 23 at 06:54 AM • permalinkMother nature has ways and means of regulating species population levels.
Species which have not natural predators, such as humans, meant that whales, like elephants, mega fauna if you wish, also had no predators.
Seems not.
Humans.
Given we in a sustainable biosphere there are checks and balances to regulate population levels.
Wildebeest are culled by crocodiles, lions and other predators.
Humans, apart from asteroids and other impactive events, nothing. So what is nature to do?
Produce unproductive males.
There is empirical evidence to support this.
figure it out.
I have to say that sounds wonderfully appealing. Hey its read meat and I love red meat.
Posted by Andrew Ian Dodge on 2005 06 23 at 07:38 AM • permalinkWould everyone be happy if they restricted their harvest to beached whales?
Posted by Rob Crawford on 2005 06 23 at 07:50 AM • permalinkHere’s an idea- we all know how scared the Japs are of radiation, what with all the giant mutant lizards and moths tear-arsing around the countryside, so why not nuke the whales? Once irradiated, the Nips would run a mile rather than scarf on one. (Or they’d be ready cooked, and so unless you had an enormous freezer there’d be no way of saving the krill-crunching commies anyway-sod off, swampy!). I’ve been saying for some time that the logical answer is to set up abbatoirs/packing plants adjacent to the beaches the stupid sods beach on, and every time a pack of the retards wash up they could be filleted, packed in dry ice and on a flight to Narita licketty-split; saves the cost of burial while earning a nice quid and shuts up the Nanking rapists- win/win.
SBS Kostakidis wants to go further than choke the Japanese.
‘Some say there needs to be TOUGHER action against Japan.” Gunboat diplomacy, WW111?
Look the other way in a dark street in Iraq perhaps? Such violence she is offering.
Meanwhile also on their news
“The U.S. has DENIED that their offer to North Korea of food aid is a bribe.
Guest input “FOOD should not be used as a DIPLOMATIC WEAPON.” Well what about that exploding plastic turkey America’s probably got lined up!Bah, who cares. There are craploads of minke whales in the sea. I can’t see how hunting them is morally any different to fishing of any other kind. And, if I was an animal that sooner or later is to be killed for consumption, I’d rather be a whale that lives its life in freedom up until death, instead of a hog, a bull, a sheep or - god forbid - a chicken. If the Japanese started hunting an endangered whale species, well there’s something wrong with that, but they’re not. Yet.
Posted by James Waterton on 2005 06 23 at 08:25 AM • permalinkMost older Japanese that I speak to have unpleasant memories of enduring countless horrible school lunches consisting of whale. They didn’t like it and only ate it because it was cheap. Now it’s a delicacy and I wouldn’t be surprised if the main reason for that is because everyone is telling them to stop. Japanese love to play the victim card.
Anyway, the most compelling reasons against whaling are that whale meat tastes awful and is expensive. I have a detailed analysis here. And a recipe too.
Posted by Drunk Fade on 2005 06 23 at 08:31 AM • permalinkPersonally, I’m dead set against whaling. There is no need for whales to be a part of the food chain.
They are slow breeders, and the minke are considered endangered (although not enough to warrant ‘protected’ status by the IWC and CITES). Oh, and it looks like humpbacks will be back on the menu next year.
Apart from all that, the thing that really pisses me off with Japan and their whaling expeditions, is that they are doing it in the Australian Antarctic Territory. Okay, maybe the Japanese refuse to recognise our claim on that portion of the oceans, but when have Japan voluntarily recognised the sovereignty of other nations?
(Note to the thought police… I am not in Victoria, I am not in Victoria, I am not in Victoria.This is legitimate discourse, not an excuse to pull out the Racial and Religious (in)Tolerance Act).
Oh, and I have come across some scientific research that has come from studies of whale meat in supermarkets and restaurants. Unsurprisingly, whales and other cetaceans have
a bit too much mercury.I wonder what the statistics for heavy metal poisoning due to whale meat would be? Maybe the ‘scientists’ could check that out.
Posted by Nilknarf Arbed on 2005 06 23 at 08:53 AM • permalinkI think that is a pertinent issue, Drunk Fade. The Japanese whaling industry will die off within a couple of decades, because the Japanese youth don’t eat the stuff. Norway’s a different story, but the market’s so small there as to be negligible.
“There is no need for whales to be a part of the food chain.”
It’s nice how you wish to enforce your own consumption preferences on to everyone else. Thanks very much. I wonder if you’ll turn against beef next? And why not? I see no difference between a common-or-garden bull and a common-or-garden whale.
And no, Minke whales are not endangered - not in the slightest. The figures I checked state that the population grows at 2-3% a year, which easily, easily makes up for the yearly catch of Norway, Iceland and Japan.
Posted by James Waterton on 2005 06 23 at 09:14 AM • permalinkAnyway, the most compelling reasons against whaling are that whale meat tastes awful and is expensive.
Drunk Fade - I’ve eaten whale meat in Tokyo and it is finger-licken good. Maybe it was a better cut than usual, but anyway it was very tasty. So tasty that I’m now trying to find some in Korea hunted by heartless Korean Ahabs - which, thanks to this blog I am now aware of.
Homer: “Ummm… blubber.” [eyes closed, slobber]
Posted by Tommy Shanks on 2005 06 23 at 09:36 AM • permalinkFair call, dariuskan. I am not a vegetarian!
According to the redlist the Antarctic minke is lower risk/conservation dependant. I’ve been looking for your stats but haven’t found them yet. I’ll follow up in the morning.
Regards the cow vs whale debate, it’s a hell of a lot more efficient to farm cows than whales, for one thing.
It’s cheaper and faster to breed cows. It’s also easier to kill them.
Posted by Nilknarf Arbed on 2005 06 23 at 09:42 AM • permalink“We have decided to add a whale burger to our menu due to strong demand from our customers, and feel very thankful to the whales for allowing us to make the burgers.”
Prominent spokeswhale Blubby McPlankton replied, “AAAAOOOOOOOOUUUUUU!!*”
*Fuck you, ninjas.
“I see no difference between a common-or-garden bull and a common-or-garden whale.”
I think that’s best left between you and your optometrist.
Posted by Jim Treacher on 2005 06 23 at 10:10 AM • permalink#27
whales do have one predator - the killer whale, which is actually a dolphin. maybe a baby whale could be killed by a shark, i’m not sure.
as for elephants, i don’t think any carnivore could kill a healthy adult, but the sick/old/young are vunerable (as with any species). i say carnivore, because a rhino might be able to kill an elephant, though i’ve only heard of the reverse, elephants killing rhinos.
and humans, everything is our predator. usually we’re smart enough to avoid predation, but not always. but then you probably mean regular predation. bacteria might qualify. virii too, if you ignore that they aren’t really alive.
—-
i suppose it’s just tenderheartedness, but i simply can’t imagine eating a whale or dolphin. then again, can’t imagine eating a horse, cat, or dog, but all those seem to be asian dishes too. they seem to enjoy eating the animals we love. bastards. :P
That site you mentioned, Nilknarf, states that there are “several hundred thousand” Minke whales in existence. According to this article in the Economist, Iceland counts over 100 000 in its territorial waters alone. How many whales are harvested? “Iceland takes 38 whales, Norway 711 and Japan up to 540.”
http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=2313082
Hardly an unsustainable catch.
Read the whole article. It makes a pretty strong case for whaling.
Posted by James Waterton on 2005 06 23 at 12:01 PM • permalinkAs long as there are plenty of whales what is wrong with eating them? It seems too many people have seen “Free Willy” once too often. They are ANIMALS, we eat animals and as long as we do not endanger them there is nothing wrong with it.
Not only that, but let’s face it; We know the whales would eat us if given the opportunity.
Posted by Aaron - Freewill on 2005 06 23 at 12:47 PM • permalinkmale whale and a female whale were swimming off the coast of Japan, when they noticed a whaling ship. The male whale recognized it as the same ship that had harpooned his father many years earlier.
He said to the female whale, “Let’s both swim under the ship and blow out of our air holes at the same time and it should cause the ship to turn over and sink.”
They tried it and sure enough, the ship turned over and quickly sank. Soon however, the whales realized the sailors had jumped overboard and were swimming to the safety of the shore.
The male was enraged that they were going to get away and told the female, “Let’s swim after them and gobble them up before they reach the shore.” At this point, he realized the female was becoming reluctant to follow him.
“Look,” she said, “I went along with the blowjob, but I absolutely refuse to swallow the seamen!”
Posted by joe bagadonuts on 2005 06 23 at 04:43 PM • permalinkI’m reminded of the Derek and Clive screed when ever I hear the word whale…..
from among which (from hazy memory)\\“fucking whales! lie around in the ocean all day scooping up plankton”
“where were they at D Day?”
“Have you ever sen a whale on Top of the Pops”
to be fair, I should probably also add that there are not too many whales driving car bombs along the avenues of Fuckedupistan
This bloke would like to rid the world of feelthy minkes.
I always buy products labeled “dolphin safe.” That way I’m sure that no dolphins were harmed in the printing of the labels.
This “scientific” hogwash the Japanese are putting out is a huge scam. They have one “marine biologist” board every one of their factory ships, which are “collecting samples.” That way they ignore national restrictions designed to protect local fisheries. “Oh, we’re not fishing, we’re sampling!” You know, fifty, sixty, seventy tons of samples…
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2005 06 23 at 08:38 PM • permalinkRe. the above post. It’s true that Japanese kids don’t eat whale, but that’s not a matter of palate, but opportunity. I’ve heard some rumblings about re-introducing it into the school lunch program. Most Japanese people who have tried it LOVE it, I’m told.
Most of my girlfriends over here would be early thirtyish or so, and they’re all old enough to remember the whale for lunch days. It was BY FAR the most popular menu item.
I personally don’t particularly care whether they eat whales or not, but I recommend to you guys to prepare yourself to see more, not less of it.
There’s a certain cultural arrogance in the West telling the Japanese they can’t eat whales, which are a traditional food staple for them (not to mention our own jingoism in saying they can’t hunt “our” whales - ie those in our waters). How would we like it if Hindu Indians for whom cows are sacred, started getting aggressive and telling us we can’t eat beef? After all there are close to a billion Indians, mostly Hindus, so we could be in trouble. Not to mention all those greenie do-gooders in other countries who scream when we kill (and some of us eat) our own kangaroos, even though the country is overpopulated with them.
Whaling is a typical environmental issue that allows the Western middle classs to feel good about themselves, while real issues such as the starving Africans in Darfur and Zimbabwe as mentioned by Tim, are ignored. Its called the land rights for gay whales syndrome.
Whaling is exploiting a resource. And, like any exploitable resource, the whale population must be managed.
Minkes are in no danger of becoming extinct at the current cull rate. To oppose the current exploitation rates of this resource is nothing more than emotional claptrap. Only a vegetarian (and I mean a proper vegetarian, not an “I also eat fish” phoney) has some grounds to oppose whaling, but then they should equally condemn all kinds of animal culling. There’s no reason why a whale species that isn’t endangered should be a special exception.
Posted by James Waterton on 2005 06 24 at 04:31 AM • permalinkand the best thing about whale, it tastes just like dog.
Mmmmmmmmm…..
Posted by joe bagadonuts on 2005 06 24 at 08:11 AM • permalinkI’m happy for the Japs to eat whales. Trust me, you don’t want them to start looking for alternatives.
Posted by Jim Geones on 2005 06 24 at 09:19 AM • permalink
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Hope they choke on it.