Stupid expenditures

I thought for a long time that pretty much nothing could surprise me with the way money is spent and funds are distributed. We have been in a world economic disaster for a few years now. People are losing their homes, health care keeps going up, fuel prices are being driven in many cases by speculators (manipulators), the average salary when adjusted for inflation has been falling for the last 10 years or so and with all of this going on someone not only funded this project but they had the guts to then publicize it right now.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11718029
I don't know about anyone else but bringing back the pillory sounds pretty good right now as a lesson for whatever idiot approved this.