Finger lickin' good

It really does seem like it was only a matter of time before it finally happened. And by "it", we of course mean Kentucky deciding to embrace KFC as the official state picnic food. The bill is specifically mentioning the original recipe introduced by Col. Sanders in 1940, but it will obviously be a boon to KFC and to those who like to feel that they are supporting their state by eating an official state designated meal.

Naming an official state picnic food seems fairly innocuous. It really doesn't seem possible for anyone to get upset about the idea. And yet, well, this is America, where people are willing to sue over a wide variety of things, and willing to protest or complain about an even wider variety. So could there possibly be a group out there who would take offense to fried chicken rising to such a prominent position in the Bluegrass State?

This should come as no surprise to anyone, but PETA has some issues with the concept. The animal rights group, who has established itself as being a few steps beyond "rational" when dealing with anything on an animal front, is fairly upset, with one of their representatives saying, "If the state legislature moves forward with this one, then they should change Kentucky's state bird from the cardinal to the debeaked, crippled, scalded, diseased, dead chicken," obviously missing the point. After all, it's not like Kentucky is declaring fried cardinal the official state picnic food.

While it's been fairly conclusively proven that many animals raised specifically for mass consumption (chickens, cows, hamsters for some folks) are raised in conditions that aren't necessarily the most conducive to long healthy life, it's also not like we're looking to pamper these creatures. After all, humans have long been omnivores, and, as our population (and waistline) has increased, we've gotten used to the idea of fairly docile sources of meat. So maybe the chicken isn't living in a posh roost. Neither are a good share of the rest of us.

And, when it comes to living situations that aren't conducive to long life, why doesn't PETA look at this couple from the Moscow State Circus. Where is his support group clamoring to get him assistance?

Oh, wait. That would have probably been his wife, until recently. Oops.