Penguin Patrol

Darwin sighs:

Snipers will stand guard over Sydney's endangered penguins until vicious attacks on them stop, wildlife experts say.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service has employed marksmen to protect the colony of about 120 little penguins at Manly and North Head for "as long as necessary".

Nine of the penguins have been mauled to death on the area's beaches in the past fortnight, the most recent at Quarantine Beach on Saturday.

It is believed foxes or dogs are responsible.

It's all about natural selection and ensuring Mother Nature is allowed to take her course without the taint of human tampering -- unless we're talking about a cute, cuddly widdle animal, then it's out the window with all that evolution guff.

Since I was able to read and comprehend anything more complex than "See Spot Run," I have believed in the future of the human race and its innate ability to overcome even seemingly insurmountable problems. Science and logic, I came to believe, were capable of overcoming any difficulty if properly applied. Despite the obstacles created by such inanities as religion and social collectivism, I've never doubted that, in the long view, the race would persevere and conquer all challenges.

Recently, however, I've found myself forced to modify that opinion slightly: Humanity is a seething mass of stupid. I want off this planet.