Anerable!
Melanie S. stumbled upon this Sir Puffitude with mini winglets and 5 o'clock spine shadow. OK, this whole pic is too much, but the mini winglets are the best part—totally bite-offable!
He's kinda golf-ball sized, huh Mel? Love the blowfish leeps too.
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Makes a golf ball look huge.
Is it a bird? Is it a fish? etc... :)
OH GOOD LORD. That made my day. Precious!!!!!
Awww.. it's looks so funny :)
It's like a ping-pong ball.
Awww! We have a stuffed one in the bathroom :)
He's probably not too happy being out of the water like that.
That is so rediculously cute, I think I'm going to explode. I mean, who could resist a bite-sized little puffer guy like that?
Wow. How does he propel himself through the water with those teeny-tiny fins? He must have some serious tail action.
Ok, he is very cute, but please tell me that no fishies were harmed in the making of this photo? Please?
What lezlee said!
Hopefully he made it back in to the water unharmed.
Spiky fish fluffball!!
Who would have thought fish could be cute?
haha.. i hope he was put back in the water! >.<
Hee! Hims has a very solemn face: "Put me down NOW or carnage will ensue."
I hope he did not explode from his own cuteness. It looks like a serious possibility.
:oip:
Blowfalo wings.
Poor little guy! They puff up because they're stressed - he needs to go right back in the water.
He's too much, but let's put him back so he can live!
Part of me objects to the fish-out-of-water business...
...and the other part is screaming OMIGOD LOOK AT THE FISHIE.
I'm torn. ;-; Let's assume fishie got back in the water immediately after the picture was snapped.
"Put me down NOW or carnage will ensue."
Classic, thinker!!
Yes, he's stressed. But he's a young'un and needs the puff practice so he can grow up to be a serious badass. :D
awwwww leetle feeshy!! well, blow me down!
Oooooo.. he so fierce! :P
Is roundness a rule of cuteness. If it isn't it should be.
I too hope fishy puffkins got back in the water safely.
Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! The puffy lips! The buggy eyes! The sublime roundness! TOO MUCH!!!!
OISHIIIII!!!
"If you don't put me down, I'll...I'll...I'll PUFF UP and LOOK CUTER!!"
ahahahahahahahaha!!! Kin I haf it?
SQEEEEEEE- not ususally fond of fish, but that lil' puffer is anerable. I too am strongly hoping he was immediately returned to his normal element, and swam off saying "Geez, those big pink things are scary".
Ummm... this is NOT CUTE on account of the fact that the fish may look hilarious and adorable, but holding it out of water like this is extremely stressful and potentially damaging to the fish. I have a lot of experience with saltwater fish and I work in a pet store, so I tell you all this with complete certainty. This is the equivalent of pinching a baby to make it cry because one is amused by the screwed up face it makes.
Just watched "Nemo" with the kids this weekend (again); this little guy is much cuter than "Bloat", the blowfish from the dentist's tank. Much cuter.
He is teeny and cute- but, I agree with what people have said- blowfish only blow up out of stress. It releases toxins into their system and if they blow up too much, it can cause serious damage. And folks, that is *so* not cute. =)
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! Teeny little pufferfish bebeh! And it's ROUND! (Animators love circular shapes.) I can practically hear him saying "I'm NOT your fugu!"
*gives the little guy a feesh kees*
eewww.. that doesn't look cute to me.
Squeeee!!!!!
[bulging eyes] ...WOW, times two.
What a day this has been for CO pix, and it's still MONDAY MORNING, even!
"If you don't put me back in the water, I'll...I'll...hold my breath!!"
My first reaction was that I really vocalised that damned word "squee"... then I thought that I probably just squeed (not squid!) over a dead fish - but whatever. :oD
If you say that he could have been let back to water I'm relieved.
I hate fish, they are boring at the best and I don't eat them either. But THIS is one cute little fellow. :oD
From Wikipedia: "The puffer fish itself has immunity to the poison due to a mutation in the protein sequence of the sodium channel pump on the cell membranes."
I'm sure the leetle fish is okay. Geez.
I squealed.
Kyoot!
First I'd like to say the picture is well done, not a blur or what, this is lovely and we get to see this cute fish. Whom is really tiny!! For what I've read in the comments, it could be a baby?
Also, I guess Melanie S. saw it, thought it was cute and wanted to make a picture of it, maybe for us.
Now, please Melanie, could you reassure us and confirm that the fish was indeed put back in the water fast? :-) Thank you.
And to Nonsequitur: Reading "This is not cute" by someone who works in a Pet store that's a bit much. Because a Pet Store, now THAT is not cute, even really ugly.
That would be great if you could "blow" it off (figure of speech) from the inside, cause that kind of thing is uncute and mostly unconscious. Thank you, and good luck. Peace.
I now have the Simpson's episode in my head where Homer ordered the blowfish at the japanese restaurant.
[Japanese accent]Poison. Poison. Poison. Tasty Fish!{/Japanese accent]
Oh, and for those worrying, I'm going to assume that the fishey went back into the water right after the pic was taken. Ya know, assuming the worst about any number of pics on CO gives you vicious wrinkles and causes totally unnecessary stress dudes. Mellow. Stop assuming the worst of your fellow humans for crying out loud.
fishy fishy from the sea,
the way you puff up makes me Squeeeee.
I love your feeshy leeps and fin,
it makes me want to squeee agin!!!
maybe it would make a fart sound when it explode...oh ne that would not be cute....oh.
I weel kees you. And then I weel fly away.
Or maybe I'll fly and then bounce.
Suuupah Qte.
He will HUFF and he will PUFF and he will BLOW YOUR HOUSE DOWN!!!!
Hate to say it but mebeh he is dead! My boss was in Mexico a couple weeks back and they saw a dead blowed up puffer fish. It was EW
BTW... "blowfeesh leeps" are actually beaks.
(FEESH BEEKS!)
I looked and there is in fact not rule of cuteness for roundness...
It seems to me that the rounder any object or animal is the cuter people seem the think it is.
Ergo, I once again make my bid for a new rule of cuteness....
"Roundness"
(Trying to divert from the dead fishy convo......)
I could smooch heem! Carefully tho.
i have no words to say a about bebeh puffer fish. blows him a little kees.
it's cute but not amused. of course this doesn't mean the picked him up just to puff him, probably he was already puffed so they snapped a quick picture. the worrisome part is i have read a puffer can die if it puffs when too young. let's hope he's not. i had a pet brackish one- great guy- would let me hold him gently in the water, nibbled fingers and tried to sleep on leaves- alas too fat and would roll off. i cried when sebastian died.
Have you ever seen one of these cuties eat? Not so cute! Drop leetle feeder fish in tank and ffffffttttt! It's all gone!
the winglets are just teeny cuz they're "collapsed." When in water they open like little fans. Supa cute. We need to see more feeshes here on CO!
hmmm so my for my diversionary tactic...
So, that is where all the missing golf balls go when you are out playing golf and can't find them anywhere!
That explains it!
I swear, it looks like he swallowed a golf ball! LOL
I hope this is the kind of pufferfish that can deflate itself after danger has passed. I understand that not all of them can.
So I come into work as usual, and one of my jobs is taking care of the fish tank, feeding the fish, etc. I notice that our puffer 'Beaky' is sitting on a rock, three shades darker than usual with his tail perpendicular to his body.
On my voice message is a note from the boss. "Hey, this is the boss. I went to go clean the rocks in the tank and the puffer bit me and I yanked my hand out and he flopped behind the tank. When I went to reach for him, he puffed up. So I got him back in the tank now, but if he's dead when you get to work, I wanted you to know why."
You have to burp puffers if they get air in them or it can kill them - which makes me think this little guy may be of the pre-dried souvenier variety.
Beaky was the greatest, greediest, nastiest fish ever. He used to poach food from the other fish, you had to feed him on his own and lure him to one side of the tank to feed anyone else. Needless to say his little airborne adventure did NOT kill him -- I still say if he had stayed out of the water any longer, he would have grown legs and lungs and went off for world domination.
Sorry for the long post, I never post here.
Huh oh, isn't Sir Puffitude venomous if you touch him?
The fresh eyes and the presence of dirt makes me say that this is not a dried souvenir fish. But great story, twig!
cute---but I have seen MUCH smaller ones....MUUUUUCCHHHH smaller...on Cape Cod.
I have also caught many adults, they always puff up. You let them go and they deflate in a hurry and swim away. Never saw one debilitated by the experience.
But these were Cape Cod fish. maybe others arent so pissah?
what she means is he may end up BEING a dried up souvenir. poor baby. >.< I would only call that photo cute in two scenarios: 1: the person with the hand was an aquatic expert and knew what they were doing and had a reason for it. Two: if he was underwater and all blown up, instead of out his element, in a potentially harmful scene.
Helene -- no... only if you eat him.
I totally don't get why some folks
a: Assume the worst of the situation in any given photo/clip. Especially considering such only capture a teeny moment in time.
b: put conditions on cute. Cute is like love, it's unconditional. It just is.
c: feel the need to lecture/educate/pontificate as if they assume that fellow readers/commentors on CuteOverLoad are morons who haven't the first clue how to take care of an animal they likely will only ever look at pictures of.
Interesting phenomena this. Perhaps it should be studied by socialogoists?
You're right Terri. You can't put conditions on cute, it just is. Even if that picture was taken seconds before the "slaughter" of the whole puffer family, it doesn't make this fish any less cute.
Amen, Teri!
Teri,
Don't forget:
d) Unreasonably and impractically demand backstory and updates, when half of these pictures are ripped from the ether and provenance is indeterminable.
Helene,
Thanks! I never knew fish had a personality before I saw Beaky sitting vertically between a rock and the side of the tank - I didn't even know fish enjoyed sitting on rocks.
Beaky was awesome and surly and generally annoyed to be surrounded by the rest of us. He used to do the color-change tail-kink whenever the professional would come in to clean the tank as well - hated someone muscling in on his territory. Once, we found a small mirror and held it up to the tank. Beaky didn't attack, but he turned dark green and got verrrry still. The angriest fish I've ever seen.
Also we had a mostly blind green wolf eel in the tank who had to look at his floating krill for a few seconds before he lunged for them, and Beaky's favorite food was krill, so even when I tried to feed them separately he always darted back over to the tank to try to snag the wolf eel's food before he could get it.
Most of the time, he was fast enough. Sometimes the wolf eel lunged and got a piece of Beaky instead of krill, and Beaky spent the rest of the day sulking with teeth marks in him.
I miss that fish. (Left the job. I'm sure Beaky is still hale and hearty and trying to grow opposable thumbs)
twig: I barely grasp the care of and social life of fish, but I'm totally lurving your stories of Beaky! Sounds like a fishie with real personality!
warrior rabbit: Yea, although some pics we can get backstory or updates (like the little street kitteh pic a couple of days ago for immediate example). But I do see your point. A random pic someone found that's cute the chances of these demands being met are slim.
I now want a t-shirt that proclaims to all and sundry "Cute is Unconditional"
Phew! I felt bloated like that this weekend when I had a chimichanga and beer!
Chillax, people. Why would someone send in a photo of an animal that died shortly afterwards? I don't know of anyone who'd be cool with that.
Cool yer jets and worry about something like looking after your family.
FUGU!!!
My Guess?
Poor thing got caught in a fishy net (y'know. one of the small ones. like a kid plays with?) or somethign and they snapped a pic before letting him go.
or, the poor thing got caught in a tide pool, and Mr. Helper dude snapped a picture before lettign him go in the big blue.
anyway, fish can live out of water for a fair bit. My aquarium fish were mad jumpers, and even when the squiggled about on my floor (while I despieratly try to scoop them up without squeeeshing them) for a moment, they were unharmed, generally.
Which isn't to say they should be kept out of water at all if possible.. but.. they can recover from a bit of stress.
ANd if they can't... well.. how did darwin's statement go again? :)
Hummm, just wanted to say sorry to nonsequiture if the pet store is not the kind to sell animals. That just hit me, but I got scared it might be one of those store not that serious. Hope you don't mind.
Terri, I understand it's annoying reading people "that is not cute, that poor thing is suffering" etc etc. I know, it's annoying.
Sometimes we just are scared for those creatures given the fact a human being was around and that some of them manipulate animals as if they were a toy. Some of them are not bad, but unconscious of what they do.
You were right on what you said, but don't put everyone in the same bag, :-). We have the right on having second thoughts telling us "but... wait a minute, it is a fish... outside the water...!" so... yeah, we might ask questions.
Ha, c*** I'll just enjoy the cute. Sorry Meg, hi anyway ^^.
Long life to the cute! That is all that matters (and the welfare of our beloved providers of course, wouldn't it be normal for us to protect them for what they grant us is priceless?)
Peace.
Lex-be...see, the thing is, this blog was set up to showcase pictures of critters that is cute. Not to analyze them or make guesses, educated or otherwise, as to the state of mind of the human(s) in the general vicinity. Or perhaps I simply have a better outlook on humanity.
"Ha, c*** I'll just enjoy the cute."
Ummm....."c***" That's not what I think it is, right? And it's not directed at me, right?
I think LexBe's just making an effort to be diplomatic, Teri. 'Sall.
PS -- it's OK to say "crap" here, LexBe, though I'd prefer it not to be directed AT somebody, ad hominem... i.e. "Theo, you are so full of crap" (because, y'know, duh).
"how did darwin's statement go again? "
"Grow Feet or Go Home"?
"I drank WHAT???"
(wait, no... that was Socrates)
aren't they poisonous?
Amazing how these comment threads come full circle, eh?
So ugly, it's cute. My fave kind of cute.
As for the commentroversy... I think CO performs a service, in that uncounted millions of people can look at ONE pic of a possibly-uncomfortable or embarrassed animal, therefore (hopefully) resisting the temptation to copy it. I mean, I don't think we should all run home and put costumes on our bunnies or take pics of the pufferfish or bathe our cats... we can leave it to the pros!
Although this sounds a lot like trying to justify porn or something...
Dudes how stressed can he be with that little fishy smile on his face? :-D
I mean c'mon for serious that look on his face totally says LOOK WHAT I CAN DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! He's showin off! :-D
Stress free!
Lol.
Anybody remember the time on Sesame Street when Bert and Ernie went fishing, and Bert couldn't catch any but Ernie would get lots? He would yell, "Heeeeere fishyfishyfishy!!!" And the fish would jump into the boat. Maybe that happened here. Maybe Melanie S. called and Puffy came. As a child I screamed heeeeere fishyfishyfishy and nothing would happen.
"This is the equivalent of pinching a baby to make it cry because one is amused by the screwed up face it makes." Posted by: nonsequitur | Jan 29, 2007 at 07:56 AM
And the problem is... ?
;)
Twig, I enjoy your Beaky stories! Hilarious! More! More! You should start your own blog with those stories!
Teri, I so want that t-shirt too! It could be this picture with "Cute is Unconditionnal". Meg? Theo?
"Although this sounds a lot like trying to justify porn or something..."
And the problem is...?
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...wake me when people stop whining.....
(very cute puffin!)
(aren't they poisonous? KIDDING Theo!)
He's *sniff* itty-bitty!
Fugutastic!
ha ha theo
'i drank WHAT?'
real genuis movie quotes are always good.
ok. i'm weighing in on the whole poor fish/ok fish debate. i'm a scuba diver. juvinile (sic) fish like this one, hang out in a shallow reef system, gathering strength and growing. he was likely harrassed into puffing up,as all puffer fish in the wild are usually very shy and hide.
holding them briefly out of the water to take a quick pic will not harm them, unless you drop them etc. HOWEVER, this would imply that you've taken them away from where you found them, and will release them no where near their 'home'.
take nothing but photos, leave nothing but bubbles.
I'm going to also argue that his fins are tewtally in a TADA pose.
Hangs head in shame. Maybe I should stop while I'm ahead.
i disagree- cute is somewhat conditional. i find a scared fish far less cute than if i knew puffers just puffed as a hobby.
Maybe he is a recreational puffer? or maybe he is a social puffer...he only puffs when he is out with a crowd...
Maybe he is a puff addict, and can't help himself. Who are we to judge??
Well, recreational or social, there's no way he can get away with saying "I didn't inhale."
Cute! It looks the fish should be fine, the guy probably put it back in the water.
warrior rabbit:
"half of these pictures are ripped from the ether and provenance is indeterminable."
Have to say I'm surprised no one's accused CO of copyright infringement yet.
Teri:
Assume your average person on the internet is a 16-year-old boy and you're probably not too far off the mark.
Not everyone agrees that "cute" is unconditional. If I saw a picture of the most adorable baby in the world with a gun in its mouth, I would be horrified. If I saw a live baby playing with a gun I would run to snatch it from the child, not stare and go "awwww....." My reaction to photos like this one is simply the internet equivalent of snatching the gun from the baby.
Fish cannot breath air. Do you realize that this is the same as holding an air-breathing animal down under water?
ZandPerl -- re: copyright infringement -- don't let your imagination run away with you. We do our best to credit the original owner/artist & get permission. (Look for changes in the way submissions work in the near future, too.)
There have been occasions where he/she has asked that a photo be taken down, and CO has complied. Situations like these are regrettable, but difficult to avoid entirely. Fortunately, they're rare.
The photos we post are in good faith, and the copy is all original (unless, for example, Meg explicitly quotes someone).
"Me", it's not quite the same. Fish gills can absorb a certain amount of oxygen from the air as long as they are moist, so fishy has a few moments to pose for his pic. He doesn't have lungs full of the wrong substance, either, like a mammal would quickly have if it were held under water. His gills will quickly soak up water again as soon as he hits the sea. Also, fish have lower metabolic requirements than mammals and just don't use up the ol' oxygen as fast. Just ask a "catch and release" fisherman... if fish are handled very gently and barbless hooks are used, the fishy can do quite nicely.
And some fish do indeed breathe air as a secondary source of oxygen; they can gulp it down and pass it across their gills. Helps out when the water is stagnant.
And then there's the African clariid catfish thingies who can wriggle across the ground in search of better water, "grunting faintly as they go", according to one of my vintage Time-Life Nature books.
Sorry... end of biology dump.
We're just Caring, Concerned & Compassionate Critters, & we don't wanna condone any Baby Animal Snuff Films. 'Snuff said.
That fish is most likely dead. Blowfish, when taken out of the water, suck in air instead, which damagages their tissue and almost always causes death. AND I QUOTE:
"A puffer puffing with air can become a deadly proposition, if the air can’t be removed"
My verdict? NOT CUTE.
EDIT: There's more:
"Avoid taking your puffer out of the water if at all possible. When frightened they can inhale air that they cannot discharge later. This could cause their death. "
For our education, I found a video n YouTube of a Puffer Fish in a guy's salt water aquarium. He gently demonstrates the Puffer Fishies built in defense mechanism. No fishies were harmed in the making of this video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvcx5k4hVNQ
*bloomp*
Thanks, Musicchick. ^-^ Hehe not to drive the point home, but note how he NEVER took the fishie out of the water!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here ya' go, peeps! Everything you ever wanted to know about Puffer Fish but were afraid to ask: http://www.pufferfish.net/
Complete info INCLUDING PUFFERFISH DENTISTRY!! (??)
Most definitely not cute, as a puffed up puffer out of the water is almost definitely going to be a dead puffer very soon.
Don't let go of the tail or...oh, no, there he goes!......."PHPHPHPHTTTTFFFFphphpfftfttttthp" like a balloon!
It's Uglorable (www.uglorable.com)!
I'm glad I'm not the only one who desperately needed to come in and declare "Fugu!" That really makes me feel better.
Hey Mrs. Puff, whatever happened to Mr. Puff?
Whatever. If he's dead I'll eat him.
Alright, I simply can't help it. I have to chime in.
1) Fish is cute. Yeppers.
2) Most people on this site recognize the dangers inherent to a "fish out of water."
3) The problem? People who aren't the brightest bulbs in the tulip bed see pics like this and think, "Hey, maybe I can make a fish puff up more than that!" This site sets a precedent. People like to show off. Somebody is gonna go for "cute" and end up with "Ooopsy... guess it needs water AFTER all! Too late, at least I'll make it on C-O!"
There's got to be *some* accountability.
Just sayin'.
Hey,look over here!..a kitten!!**waves arms in a futile effort to distract everyone from the insanity**
Accountability to what...the fish or the hand that is holding it outside the water...in a very uncomfortable position.
"Whatever. If he's dead I'll eat him."
Marry me.
Hey Sammy where is Sena kitty?
I can see the scene now:
Woman sees fish. Pulls fish from water. Fish puffs up. Woman snaps photo. Woman grows concerned for poor fish. Woman places fish back in water. Woman turns away with a contented sigh and smile, thinking of sending in the photo to CO.
Larger fish swims up and eats little puffer fish in one gulp.
Sorry..I'm not Sammy. She's 5 and lives in MN. I'm....older and live in southern Ontario. I don't know Sena kitty.
OMG does it come in purple.
seeing this picture made me gasp in delight
"Whatever. If he's dead I'll eat him."
Best person ever to post on CO.
Is zee little dewd ok?? He looks like he is about to pop. "5 o'clock spine shadow".....lol, Meg!!!! I would like to keees heeem. :^)
"Violet! You're turning violet Violet!"
I am convincing myself that this little fishy's CO debut left him completely unharmed. Poofy face!
Convincing wont be worth anything one it does not have nay air anymore
"Larger fish swims up and eats little puffer fish in one gulp."
Love the twist ending.
no effin way...no..that is just TO CUTE!!!1!!!!11
I vote 'best post' here goes to BunFF and violetgreen.
"That fish is most likely dead. Blowfish, when taken out of the water, suck in air instead, which damagages their tissue and almost always causes death."
Yes, but we don't know that he inhaled outside air, do we? He could've puffed up in the water, and she just picked him up. I would think that was most likely, anyway.
"If I saw a picture of the most adorable baby in the world with a gun in its mouth, I would be horrified. If I saw a live baby playing with a gun I would run to snatch it from the child, not stare and go "awwww....."
Be careful of polarizing; that never makes a good argument. Does this fish have a gun to his head? Or, the equivalent, like a hook in his mouth or a foot hovering above him? If it was painfully obvious that this fish was about to die, or was dead, then yes, I think we'd all agree it wasn't cute. But this fish is pretty darn cute, because it's reasonably likely that it's in no harm whatsoever. And especially from first glance, there's no glaring, obvious tragedy about to befall him or anything. There's no way you can logically compare this picture to a baby with a gun in its mouth.
P.S. What's "Fugu"?
Holy shit Zandperl, lighten up.
Rachel, Fugu is this fish in sashimi version... If not correctly prepared, it can be deadly. See the scene in Charlies Angels 2000 when Bill Murray eats some at Tim Curry's party.
Is it so bloody wrong to consider the human race somewhat nicer than some of ya are? Is it so bloody wrong to consider the possibility that 16 year olds are smarter than some folks seem to be allowing them to be?
And is it so bloody wrong for me to view a photo of a puffed up blowfish and NOT assume the worst? Simply to enjoy the moment captured on film?
Is it so impossible for people to DO THAT?
Word back to Lex-be... One must not judge all pet stores by the standards of what they may have observed in their tiny corner of the world. This store I work for is one that I am PROUD to be employed with because of how humane they are to the animals... The puppies come out of their cages for interaction for at least 3-4 hours a day... are played with and given toys & blankets... Most of the birds are kept in open displays, no cages, and also given frequent treats & loving interaction. You wanna see cruelty, check out some of the pet-owners we've had to deal with and try to educate. Not all pet stores are evil and some really do have the best interest of the pets in mind.
warrior rabbit
Loved the Beaky stories. Laughed my ass off.
Rachel, fugu is pufferfish. More commonly pufferfish meat.
And it's delicious.
Is being round a rule? If it's not, I soooo think it should be! If you're perfectly round or scrunched into a position of roundness, you are cute!
Ohh, Sir Puffitude... so serious! Go on wit'yer bad self!!
Return this poor thing to the water, silly ! He do that only when he's full of fear (it's a defense tactic) !
Just coming to say thanks for the answers.
Theo, you got it. That was it. I indeed thought crap, I'm not an english person, then "sorry" for my errors if so.
I don't know what you thought Terri, but it was not directed at you... humm never thought of that actually. What you said on seeing the world in a better way? mhh.
Thanks to Cate also, who understands we might get worried some person might do something un-cute.
Humans are humans, I wanna see the world in the best way possible, only some do not attend to make it better.
We care for the cute, don't we?
Nonsequiture, have you seen my second post?
Anyway, back to the cute, crap again, I will just enjoy the cute and shut my mouth instead of trying to justify myself to some people...
Keeping myself zen, going away from the comments, just enjoying the cute.
ps= some people don't have a biology degree, therefore can be worried for the welfare of an animal, but doesn't mean they're stupid. :-) thanks.
OMG, non-sequitur, I think you live in the general area of the Lebanon Pet Center, Lebanon, NH. A GORGEOUS pet store. I've stopped in with friends just to see the great parrot/bird room & the huge aquarium secton.
Once saw an employee there playing with a hyacinth macaw swinging him hand-in-claw. WHEEEE! She put him down and he held up his claws and gave her goo-goo eyes. "AGAIN! DO IT AGAIN! PLEEEEASE!!"
but the mini winglets are the best part—totally bite-offable!
-Only if you want to either die/become a zombie! All Puffers contain lethal amounts of Tetradotoxin in their flesh, which means if you chow down on one, you'd better really enjoy it, because it's the last meal you're ever going to have...
Now wait a sec Meg. That's not a spine shadow, it's a winglet shadow...
Puffers are SO cute! They don't even have to be puffed up to be. You should see them eat...it's totally disgusting but adorable at the same time.
To Teri et al in those vein: let the people who are concerned about the fish be concerned about the fish. I for one am a person who visits cute overload b/c I love animals, to the the point where I am a vegan and I practice animal law (yes, lawyering to protect animals.) So for many of us on CO, it naturally immediately strikes us that an animal may be hurting during the photo taking. Almost all of the posts are absent of this characteristic; even pictures of dogs who obviously hate their booties don't count, although deliberately humiliating an animal would.
There seems to be a push towards the "you guys are so uptight" and "don't you know about enjoyment!" and "I'll eat that darn fish if its dead" end of the spectrum.
This really shocks me--I assumed people on CO care about animals in a deeper way than that.
The other push: that pointing something out is pontificating or lecturing.
Last I checked this was a forum for expressing opinions. Are the ones you want to hear still opinions, and the ones you don't a lecture?
I say: adorable fish, shouldn't have been taken out of the water.
I don't need to speculate about the goodness or knowledge of the human race, or even the particular biology of a puffer, to say w/o embarrassment and w/o expecting a shocked response from this crowd that we shouldn't take fish out of the water if there is no more pressing reason than our own amusement.
Enjoying their cuteness and treating them like our puppets are miles apart.
One more thing: the point of noticing an animal's suffering isn't just so less informed people won't copy the act.
Noticing it is the point in and of itself!!
And whether or not you find it annoying, good people shouldn't be able to enjoy an animal's suffering.
Megan,
Yay! someone else agrees.
Vote "roundness" for #32. :D
jdawg: Now I'm actually quite insulted
Sorry Teri et al, I don't mean to insult you. But please let people who are concerned express their concern. Its not pedantic, its not condescending, it doesn't mean you dont' have a sense of humor; its just concern. It bothers me a ton when people take care and say that its too serious, it ruins the fun, or that its a lecture.
Considering that this is an entertainment blog, yea, it's entirely feasable for some of us to see such comments in such a light.
I am insulted. Plain and simple. Why? Because somehow I have been made to feel like a second class citizen for simply enjoying a picture.
Alright be insulted. Just please stop trying to silence discussion. Let people have their opinions. Not everything is purely entertainment and nothing else; not everything is purely good. Its not raining on your parade for posters to point that out. And if multiple posters are doing so, they must be on to something.
In any case, I love CO, I love 99% of the posts, and I hope its long lived and that the community feels free to both enjoy and express themselves.
Fine, whatever. I'm wrong. I'm horrible and mean for wanting to enjoy the freaking cute and you are ever so much more superior to me since you want to have an intelligent discussion over animal rights and treatment that's clearly over my pretty air filled little head.
Woah...
Teri you have issues. Please re-read your comment about how you have a better understanding of human goodness than the people who merely said things like "hope the fish is OK." And then you can come and talk to me about asserting superiority.
I don't know how many times I have to say it: let people have their opinions. Stop trying to silence the other posters, me included. You don't get to control the scope of this forum; if comments about the fishies feelings bother you, move on, but don't tell those people to stop so that you can view it your way w/o interruption.
Hmmm... who was it recently that made the case that "issues" does not equal "problems"? It was one of the CO Voxenbloggen...
Yes, I have issues. You are ever so wise. I didn't even realize it until you kindly pointed it out to me. I'm horrible, mean, two faced, loud mouthed, whatever else you seem to be implying about me.
Go away and leave me alone now. My day is currently stressful enough without a vegan animal rights lawyer lambasting me because I made an attempt to help people look at a picture for just a freaking picture.
Pick on someone else now. Seriously. I'm stressed out enough right now that your constant badgering about what frankly amounts to MY OPINION has me near to tears. Leave me alone. Just find someone else to pontificate and lecture.
Oh stop it, you two. There's plenty of pictures here to suit everybody's viewpoints.
quick put it back in the water!!
I'm with you Terri. I just want to enjoy the picture too, and I don't think that makes us bad persons.
Voxenbloggen?
Hmmm... I guess I see both sides of this argument. I'm a greedy bacon-eating carnivore, myself, but get pretty upset over documented animal cruelty. Although I'm not above occasionally putting a pink feather boa collar on my cats and then laughing at them. They don't understand how funny it is.
But... CO is primarily lighthearted entertainment, not a consciousness-raising society. Impassioned stands on animal issues usually fall a little flat here, maybe because 90% of the visitors are too busy laughing their behinds off after viewing the pics. That's not to say that it's wrong to worry about the animals, only that the concerns that have been raised are really questions without answers. We rarely know what happens after these pics are taken, or the situation and motivation that led up to them. So... since we can't answer the "what happened to the (fill in the blank)?" question, all that's left is that we have one side upset over the depicted treatment and one side upset that they are somehow being equated (at least in their own minds) as animal torturers, because they sprayed breakfast cereal on their monitor when they first saw the pic.
I admit that I feel guilty sometimes enjoying some of the pics on CO... I just don't let it stop me. It's really another kind of black humor at times. I figure, I didn't take the pics, they're not my animals, and whatever happened to them is now a done deal. I'd rather worry about the critters in my own neighborhood that are living and barking and meowing and throwing nutshells at me.
Peace, pax, truce, y'all. These are both valid positions, and you are unlikely to make each other see eye-to-eye by arguing.
yeah you guys, for reals.
but, if you feel like fighting in another thread, i will send in photos of the dogs and cats used for fur in china, and teri can say how cute they are, and then jdawg can say they are not cute because soon they will be dead.
-also not happy the fish isnt in the water, hopes it is okay, and is veg*n
-likes the word 'pontificate' though
Kim H -- http://www.vox.com/home (it's another Six Apart service, like TypePad)
If you are getting tears in your eyes for this simple conversation...think about what the fish might feel...
...a little bloated, perhaps
I totally give up.
Teri -- like this?
http://mfrost.typepad.com/cute_overload/2005/09/im_innocent.html
I cannot believe some of you. For goddsake... Randomgirl you are beyound words. Nobody would find OBVIOUSLY CRUEL CARNAGE PICTURES cute!!!!! What's with you? So stop minimizing Terri's (and many others such as me!) opinions by making such disgusting comments. And get your head checked.
I think this is perhaps the most insane argument we have had on CO to date.
Ah, the internet... last bastion of free speech.
Enjoy it while it lasts.
(Bring on the puddin' !)
Oh, and if I may add a lil' something here. Meg posted the pic because she thought it was cute. So people like Randomgirl and others are actually insulting Meg as well. Because Meg thought it was cute too! OMGHOWWRONGSHAMEONUS!!!
Helene -- shrill, much?
EricaE -- I think Aubrey has it.
(The pudding, not the freedom of speech.)
(Well, not ALL of it, anyway.)
Theo -- SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
touché
hehehe
Mmmm... pudding. Vanilla for me, with a tot of bourbon stirred in for good measure.
Teri... don't take it all too seriously. You won't be allowed to, for one thing, 'cause Theo (and others) can make a joke out of anything. Don't cry, laugh. And have some puddin'.
Has what? The puddin'?
Oh I've got yer puddin right here.
*Creek, creek...
Wheels out the puddin'pult and loads a large industrial sized can of chocolate pudding.*
...Remove it from the can you say?
*sighs*
Oh alright!
*glup*
3...2...1 Puddins' away!
*Puddin' lands with a resounding and squelchy splat on Helene and Teri*
*Loads butterscotch for the next round*
3...2...1.... Puddins' away!
For Beaky! and Freeeeeeeeedom!
*puddin lands with an equaly squelchy splatter on Kim H. and random girl*
Theo...make that kitteh black, 17lbs and on her back on the floor as opposed to the corner and it'd be my Cujo.
Oh... I prefer pistachio and chocolate btw. *grins*
[huddles under Big Bad Kevlar 'Brella]
Teri, did you ever consider that naming your cat Cujo might be tempting fate? (Shudders)
Peeps, my 10-year-old fat calico (I don't think I know any THIN calicoes) Lucy is looking ill. Vomiting, refusing food; some recent weight loss and other odd things. Off to the vet here in a couple o'hours. Let's hope it's nothing serious, like ktty cancer or diabetes. I'm fond of her, even though she causes me more trouble than the other three put together.
KimH...my girl was named after the goalie, so at best I'm hoping she can stop any toy mouse flung her way. ;)
Kim H, good luck. We love our troublesome kitties.
lol, Helene.
it is funny though, because it is true.
lets say this... there is a cage in china with 3 identical cats in it. one is going to be slaughtered for fur. one is going to be sold to a hideous research lab. and one is going to be picked up by a tourist, taken to a vet, taken home and loved and squeed at and hugged for the rest of its life.
now, given that, which of the three identical cats is cute?
you wouldnt know, to look at it. they are just cats in cages. thats my point.
some people might just see cats in a cage and think --- awwww, little cats in a cage! other people might say, you know, i dont think those cats are going to make it, and feel saddened.
it doesnt really matter from the photo what happens to the cats. they are just cats in a cage. if you can enjoy them for that, well, you can. some of think they are almost certainly going to suffer, and feel bad about it.
if 3 cats in a cage is cute to some, it is, but not to everyone.
Kim H. - have you really tried bourbon in vanilla pudding? is it good?
it's always nice to find new places to put bourbon. i like it in applesauce.
Anner -- a little dark rum goes with a caramel sauce, for ice cream. Dresses it right up.
Random Girl -- your comment goes with your screen name... which is to say, not much else.
Anner... beats me. I honestly can't remember everything I've cooked. But I definitely remember making a steamed English-style pudding one time that I served with a vanilla sauce (basically a hot vanilla pudding that was sort o' liquid) that I spiked with bourbon. It was muy bueno.
Sort of a threadjack... but pudding's always more-or-less on-topic for CO.
Mmm...rum and caramel, that's pretty good too. Basically, most foods are enhanced by including a little booze here and there.
if ever there was a thread that neede a jack...
Anner -- okey dokes then.
http://www.extremebootcamp.com/fullimages/7/Jumping%20Jacks.jpg
http://southernfood.about.com/od/bbqsaucemarinade/r/blbb227.htm
http://www.hipart.com/walsh/Capt-Jack-Sparrow.jpg
Ha, Theo! Loved the "Real Genius" quote. It's been a while since I saw that... Time to add to my Netflix queue (jeebus, that looks like it's spelled incorrectly).
I'm staying out of the cometroversy. Just commenting on the comments...
Hey, Teho found yet another use for bourbon!!
Doh! That should be "commentroversy", natch.
[gold stars for Kim H.]
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28597
*gasp* It's so teeeeny!
Thanks Theo for your answer to the randomized chick.
And Erica, thanks for the pudding, J'adore le CHOCOLAT!!
And speaking of spiked desserts, I like a bit of vanilla ice cream topped with Baileys. OMGBBQPONIES!!1!
just got caught up on the comments, and HAD to post this:
http://826valencia.org/store/karl.html
he's the [late] mascot of a local literary nonprofit/pirate store in SF.
LOL, Karl sounds like Beaky! Are all puffers this bossy?
Mmmm... Bailey's. Which, I might add, tastes even better in Dublin. Visited there in 2002; lived off of really good Irish tea, Guinness, and Bailey's. And a bit of food now and again.
Alexis, I kind of liked "cometroversy". Seemed to sum it all up, somehow.
Lucy the Fat Calico, BTW, is spending the night at the vet's office. Mebbe some thyroid issues, mebbe the kidneys, who knows. We'll see. Tried to bite the vet, the little minx.
Ooooh... Bearlet, we *like* 826 Valencia because they're associated with McSweeney's Internet Tendency (and a bunch of other 826s in other cities). http://www.mcsweeneys.net/
Kim H -- http://www.squidgrid.com/cute/Glossary.htm#Comment
Theo -- Wow, that lady's comment about bathing a cat is beyond belief! I think I'm going to go "fan the flames" ;-)
sometimes reading the comments left on pictures amuses me more than the pictures do.
Yes, this fish is cute enough to rott your teeth.
Yes, this fish may be in danger for blowing up and not being able to deflate and die.
But should the discussions be held somewhere private? like through e-mail? not someplace where thousands of people can read them and make fun of you?
reading all of those comments about animal cruelity made me kind of depressed. made me think I was being bad for enjoying something this cute that might actually endanger the poor animal.
sorry, that's just my 2 cents right there. ignore me if you will. :P
Theo, what is McSweeney? Is it a magazine?
Theo - i am so slow on the uptake that i didn't get the whole "jack" thing until hours later when i was in the half-sleep-half-awake i get into when my husband gets up to go to work at 3:30 am.
thank you for commanding all my wishes so punnilly.
Helene -- I included the link, it's right there... it's kind of a funny pages for writers.
Anner -- I'm thinking less Jack for you, and more Java. ;)
Yeeeaaahhh, this thread is too fun. I think I'll go play with some razor blades and lemon juice now.
Heavy, heavy fuel.
Do not pour gas then light a match.
That is a safety rule.
Do not fan the flames while thousands watch.
That is never cool.
Oh hiya Theo - Nice Jack there btw. I'm gonna swoon again!
This morning, Teh Schmoop wryly mentioned (of the Cute Overload comment crowd) that there's always the contingent that believes a 200 lb. anvil is suspended precariously over the head of every creature in these photos, unless documented otherwise. I didn't take the viewpoint that documents could be *COUGH*photoshopped*COUGH* because I'm classy that way... instead, what I said (between laughs) was that it was high time we had a word for this. And then -- EUREKA!
"Snuffinghams"
...of course. Because the sky is ALWAYS falling! And that slepping puppy really IS dead.
LOL Theo, I love that! And a Sqee for you!
SQEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
Yay for anerable fishies! And thank you for featuring some animals that are super-cute even if they don't have fur or fuzz.
P.S. I vote for the "Round is Cute" rule! :)
*Snorts coffee out her nose at Snuffinghams*
Theo.... Yay! just yay!
Great, now I'm going to have "Fugu me! Fugu me!" in my head all day.