Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Sea Kittens?


Meow? Yesterday Nancy sent me an article about PETA attempting to make fish more adorable by calling them Sea Kittens. Hello. You can read the article here. The idea is for people to think twice about fishing. You'd never dream of hurting a little kitten, would you? Apparently, the PETA website (which I refuse to go on) has a section aimed at kids where they can design their own Sea Kittens and learn how intelligent fish are. Uh huh. Now don't get me wrong. I don't have anything against vegetarians. A lot of my friends are vegetarians. PETA is another story. I think they're too extreme. This Sea Kittens thing is almost as ridiculous as them trying to talk Ben & Jerry's into using human breast milk in their ice cream. They're over the top, out there, cuckoo, loony tuney! I've seen cute fish -- Nemo! I've also seen some really ugly fish, like the one pictured here. I took this photo at Sea World in 2006. Such a cute little thing, isn't he? Kind of makes you want to hug and squeeze him and give him a little scratch behind his ears, doesn't it? Honestly, it's hard to tell if a fish was cute or ugly in its previous life when it's covered in deep fried batter, laying next to French fries. I like fish. It's good for your heart. Jesus liked fish. If it was good enough for Him, it's good enough for me. However, the next time I bite into a piece of halibut, I might have to control myself from meowing. Thanks PETA! Maybe next time they think of cute little Sea Kittens, they should take a look at this!

On a completely different note -- I've been revising an old picture book I wrote several months ago. It's true that it's helpful to put something away for awhile and then look at with fresh eyes later. I've found that makes a big difference. I've been revising my story and I think it's just about ready to start submitting. When I read it to my boys, they both started giggling and Neil ran up to look for pictures to go with the story. I think that's a good sign, especially if it's something he can imagine visually. I don't know what's the better feeling -- having my boys giggle at the funny parts, or listening to my youngest read the story aloud with me. I taught him how to read, so the fact he's reading something I wrote is pretty darn cool. And no, it's not about Sea Kittens. However, that would be one funny book!

14 comments:

  1. Rena
    I know what you mean about waiting and then getting back to a ms.

    I had no idea about the idea to rename fish "sea kittens" that is just so beyond double speak it is inverted speak or something.

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Amazing isn't it? That last fish was hysterical!! I knew there were some ugly fish out there, but I didn't know there were some THAT ugly. LOL

    Nancy

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ugh! One of my daughter's classmates keeps spreading PETA propaganda all over school.

    Good luck with the new manuscript! I have a couple in the drawer I need to go back to soon...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Yeah, I saw that article yesterday and actually laughed out loud.

    What's next? Pidgeons are Air Puppies?

    There are some things that PETA advocates and I agree with (no fur), but most of it is just ridiculous.

    Cool beans about the picture book. Sounds like a winner!

    Gale

    ReplyDelete
  5. Angela -- Yes, I wish I had that advice when I first started writing and sent out my first manuscript to everyone. It really helps to put it away and look at it later.

    Nancy -- Was the last one the Blob fish? That was hideous.

    Adrienne -- Thanks. I hope you can find some time to get yours out of the drawer too. Sadly, I have a lot in my drawer. LOL!

    Gale -- LMHO @ Air Puppies! It wouldn't surprise me in the least. I think the organization started out with good intentions. I just don't like the "shock value" they promote, as well as the personal and physical attacks on people. Remember all the names we came up with on the WMB for the new breast milk flavors of Ben & Jerry's? That was a hoot!

    ReplyDelete
  6. That blobfish really made me laugh -- I once had a teacher who was a dead ringer for him, big dollop of a nose and all.

    My family is full of vegetarians and I eat very little meat, but I could not give up fish. I'm not happy about it, but there it is. Pretty or ugly, the all taste pretty good to me.

    ReplyDelete
  7. PETA! Don't even get me started. Do they also think of sharks as sea kitties? "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty..." CHOMP! I've heard they don't even want people to have pets! And that carnivores like dogs, shouldn't eat dog food with meat in it!

    I have absolutely nothing against vegetarians, and I'm not a huge meat eater, but...humans are omnivores.

    I wonder if PETA would like to rewrite history...like the Native Americans never ate meat...Please I choking with laughter!

    ReplyDelete
  8. We have sea kittens for dinner at least once a week! :0)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Am I the only one who thinks sea kittens sound slightly pornographic? Just wondering. I happen to share your opinion on PETA Rena. The thing is that I am not an extremist in nature and when an organization is extreme, I am totally turned off by it.

    Now get to work on your next book plot Rena. Maybe a good title: Dilly and the Sea Kittens! (Sounds like an adult book... never mind!)

    ReplyDelete
  10. OMG -- I about choked when I read Kelly's reply, and then, Tracy's showed up. I'm LMHO here!

    Mmmm, sea kittens! Tastes like chicken! And yeah Tracy, it does sound like an adult book. So funny!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Ha. With the Ms I'm writing, when I see a three letter word before kitten that starts with se, well, my mind just went elsewhere. Forgive me for my tangent!

    Anyway, you can't cuddle a fish. It would die...and with some of them you might.

    Of course, I'd consider dolphins kittens of the sea...but they're mammals. (and although slippery, pretty good @ cuddling- thanks to a Bahama's Dolphin Excursion, this is a fact I know).

    Have fun with your new book!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Sea Kitten . . . what will they think of next? Maybe a Dirt Dog instead of a buttercup?...

    ReplyDelete
  13. sea kittens, sea monkeys, they all taste the same...

    ReplyDelete