VIENNA (Reuters) - A group of Austrian police officers who posed armed and naked for a calendar have been barred from the force's elite unit as punishment, a police spokesman said on Thursday.

Some 350,000 of the calendars have been printed, showing Austria's long arm of the law in the raw, with guns, handcuffs or nightsticks, and superimposed over photos of scantily clad women.

Some female listeners to a radio chat show in the southern city of Graz, where the men are based, rang in to praise their prowess, but the interior ministry was not amused.

The 10 officers were either members of, or looking to join Cobra, an elite unit whose tasks include providing security for important persons visiting Austria.

"This would mean people like the Pope," said ministry spokesman Major Rudold Gollia, who said they would not now be considered for Cobra and would be assigned to routine patrol duty.

"To call them naive would be flattering them. It was simply stupid," a policeman told Reuters. "They've made the job difficult for their colleagues, who've lost credibility on the street."

Just shows to go ya -- if you want to guard the Pope, you don't do centerfolds, right???

LOL!! Give it your best shot, and make the Gaelic Goddess proud; after all, she invented the Knicker Liberation Movement!!

A

LTS

A Policeman's Lot

When a copper's not engaged in his employment
(his employment)
Or a-chasing robbers anywhere he can
(where he can)
His capacity for open-air enjoyment
(air enjoyment)
Is just the same as any other man
(other man)
For a Peeler simply likes to peel his kit off
(peel his kit off)
And to pose for photos fit to grace the Sun*
(grace the Sun)
But the powers that be think this is all a bit off
(all a bit off)
A nude policeman's lot is not a happy one
(happy one)

When constabulary duty's to be done, (to be done)
A nude policeman's lot is not a happy one (happy one)

When a calendar's the thing your copper's making
(copper's making)
And he's going to appear most nearly in the nude
(in the nude)
He should be aware of what a risk he's taking
(risk he's taking)
If his bosses think the photographs are crude
(graphs are crude)
You can pose with truncheons, handcuffs, guns or nightstick
(guns or nightsticks)
You can look as though you're really having fun
(having fun)
But you'll be accused of acting just a bit thick
(just a bit thick)
A nude policeman's lot is not a happy one
(happy one)

When constabulary duty's to be done, (to be done)
A nude policeman's lot is not a happy one (happy one)

When you're wearing less than when you're going swimmin'
(going swimmin')
Like the policemen from the Austrian town of Graz
(town of Graz)
You impose the photos on some Austrian women
(trian women)
Wearing only skimpy knickers and black bras
(and black bras)
Though the calendar may sell as fast as hotcakes
(fast as hotcakes)
But there hasn't been a lot of thinking done
(thinking done)
It seems that there have been so many mis-takes
(many mis-takes)
A nude policeman's lot is not a happy one
(happy one)

When constabulary duty's to be done, (to be done)
A nude policeman's lot is not a happy one (happy one)

Once our aim in life was to become a Cobra
(come a Cobra)
That' a member of the Austrian police elite
(police elite)
But we've now been told we never will get that far
(will get that far)
Now we're back to simply pounding on the beat
(on the beat)
No more guarding pontiffs, princesses and pop stars
(ses and pop stars)
No more jogging with the president on the run
(on the run)
That's what happens posing nearly nude for calendars
(nude for calendars)
A nude policeman's lot is not a happy one
(happy one)

When constabulary duty's to be done, (to be done)
A nude policeman's lot is not a happy one (happy one)

Come all ye young coppers and listen to me,
You soldiers of Cobra, and you wanna's-be,
The truth I will tell you without any shame
Of the ructions we had in the Centerfold Game!

Hanging down, down, down, derry down.

There was Klaus of Vienna and Pieter from Lech,
And Josef from Innsbruck, a giant, by heck!
From Loeben and Graz came a half dozen more
And we all dreamed of working for the Cobra Guard Corps!

Hanging down, down, down, derry down.

Milhaly, that rascal, from Helligenmblut
Was the first to decide he had an elegant butt
And to raise up some dough for the barracks canteen,
Decided to let it in pinup be seen.

Hanging down, down, down, derry down.

Then up stepped yyoung Stefan from far Zell am See,
He protested "Milhaley, pal, what about me?"
"My thighs are as strong as that old commons oak!"
So Milhaley said Stefan coudl be in on the joke.

Hanging down, down, down, derry down.

Before very much long, the ranks swelled to ten,
All strong, photogenic, exhibitionist men!
And the calendar poses were reatly enhanced
By neighborhood lasses in lace underpants!

Hanging down, down, down, derry down.

But now, you brave coppers, the end it has come,
For the calendar pictures of all of our bums.
With a third of a million on the streets of the land
Was bound to fall into old Gollia's hands!

Hanging down, down, down, derry down.

Forget about Cobra, and epaulets neat
You're back where you wuz on a back-corner beat
And for your reward, here's a moral in gold:
You don't guard the Pope if you do centerfolds!

Hanging down, down, down, derry down.

I wish, I wish, I wish ... lord I would trade in my success, to spend one more time with you in happiness.

Don

When's the Goddess gonna be back up to being the giver of the cow chips, etc., BTW? Any new news?

Genie