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Lawyers And Judges Set To Argue About Arguing {Associated Press, Dec. 6, 2004} <BR>TRENTON, N.J. -- Lawyers and federal judges in New Jersey are preparing to argue over new rules that would largely outlaw ... arguing...
Goat is a popular gift with Britons <BR> 
LONDON (December 23, 2004)It's hairy and smells and will butt you, given half a chance. But the humble goat is one of Britain's most popular Christmas presents, with several charities offering the chance to do something for others by buying one of the animals for an impoverished family in the developing world. The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, or Cafod, said Thursday that in the past five weeks donors paid for 13,000 of the creatures at 25 pounds (US$47, euro37) each; the beasts will go to poor families in Eritrea, Kenya and southern Sudan in Africa. 
Tsunami rescuers work to save dolphins 
KHAO LAK, Thailand (AP) -- Rescue workers recovering bodies of tsunami victims in southern Thailand were working hard Monday to keep two special survivors alive: a female dolphin and her calf swept into a small lagoon by powerful waves.
The animals, believed to be a female Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin and her roughly 3-year-old offspring, were spotted Monday by a local man searching for his missing wife more than a mile from the coast.
The mother, about seven feet long, appeared to have been injured on her back.
"I reckon ... they came in with the initial wave, and when the water retreated, they couldn't get back again, probably because it's pretty deep in here," said Edwin Wiek, a Dutchman who is director of the Wildlife Friends of Thailand Rescue Center.
Wiek said the two might survive only a few days without live fish to feed on.
"We need to get them out," he said.
With the search for survivors on Thailand's devastated southwestern coast basically turning into recovery of bodies, the discovery of the two dolphins energized workers.
"That's why we hope we get them out. That would be the only survivor story," Wiek said. "We need one."
Amid constant shouts, teams of about two dozen Greek divers tried to corner the dolphins Monday afternoon in what used to be a small valley before the tsunami waters swept in and left a lagoon about 16 feet deep. The goal was to get the mammals into large black and green nets so they could be put into carriers and hauled to the sea.
But after one attempt failed, a marine biologist told them that the nets were too small. A radio broadcast went out asking fishermen to bring in larger nets to the isolated area, not far from the posh Sofitel resort that was virtually flattened by the tsunami.
While the rescue attempt went on, about two dozen onlookers watched and volunteers spotted several human bodies in the brown vegetation, including one in the lake.
The divers finally had to give up because of darkness, but planned to try again early Tuesday using a larger net that would be weighted down to create walls to keep the dolphins from slipping away again. They also were seeking the help of a dolphin expert.
Thai Maj. Wipol Inthong said it was possible that an army aircraft might be asked to haul the dolphins to sea if they couldn't be transported by truck.
Wiek said there are about 500-600 Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins in the seas around Thailand, and that they migrate between the Indian and Pacific oceans.
The discovery of the dolphins occurred as Wiek and other members of his group have been tending to animals affected by the tsunami. While few appeared to have died, some are roaming free. He said volunteers have distributed about 800 kilograms (1,800 pounds) of dog food."
Saving Sea Turtles
:http://www.smh.com.au/news/Asia-Tsunami/Sell-the-temple-monks-tsunami-sacrifice/2005/01/06/1104832215289.html
 
A Buddhist monk in Canada stunned his congregation by putting histemple up for sale, in a bid toraise half a million dollars for victims of the Asian tsunami tragedy.<BR>
"Life is very precious and the loss of life and property during thistragedy of unparalleled proportions is so enormous," said abbot Thich Nguyen Thao.<BR>
"This is the least I could do to provide some comfort to the victims who are suffering unbearably. Their need is urgent and greater than our own," said the abbot as he touted the temple in a Vancouver suburb.<BR>
Buddhists who meet at the building, many of whom fled Vietnam in boats as refugees in the late 1970s, were at first stunned by the monk's announcement -- but are now on side.<BR>
They were moved by his argument that the pledge is an expression of gratitude to the people of Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia who provided refuge to the abbot and congregation when they fled Vietnam.<BR>
"They housed and fed us. This is a small gesture to thank them," he said.<BR>
The sale of the temple is one small example of a wave of generosity prompted in Canada by the tsunami disaster: Prime Minister Paul Martin said today that $C70 million ($73.85 million) had already been pledged in private donations.<BR>
Asian communities have been at the forefront, while the Vancouver monk mulled selling his temple, Sri Lankan community leaders across the country in Toronto raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in emergency relief.
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