"As a scientist, Throckmorton knew that if he were ever to break wind in the echo chamber he would never hear the end of it."

The "flatulence levy" was proposed by the Cabinet's climate change convenor, Pete Hodgson, to fund $8.4 million of research into livestock emissions. It would have required farmers to pay nine cents for each sheep, 54c for a beef animal and 74c for a dairy cow.

We may even be able to insist--on grounds of separation of church and state--that the government stop shoving environmentalism down our throats, through smothering regulations, public school indoctrination, and insufferable sermons from politicians such as Al Gore.

I am pleased someone made the connection with that wet Potter boy. Oh and there's a t-shirt and all.

But was it Geoffrey Willans or Ronald Searle who left the biggest mark on us all?

If you're still completely in the dark go look at the Amazon readers' reviews.

[In 1991] Even after Hussein's army quashed the revolt by slaughtering thousands of Shiites and attacking their villages, the president was bent on retribution. He ordered the marshes drained.

"Saddam did everything he could to kill us," he said. "You cannot recover from that right away."

And... we're on fire with questionable statistics here at Tram town today: Breast Implants Linked to Suicide!

STOP PRESS: Semi scores in the competition for first Tram Town use of a word with all 5 (6) vowels in alphabetical order.

HUMOUR: A man was charged with slaughtering and cooking an Australian native bear a koala and by some means managed to get off. The judge however was interested enough to pull him aside and, whispering, ask what it tasted like. He confidently replied: "Oh much like platypus or fairy penguin". [thanks Paddy] [I really should have told that joke to some of those self-satisfied rangers at the penguin parade]