text:
Mass. Highway Safety Head Loses Job After Report
The director of the Massachusetts Highway Safety Division lost her job Sunday after a newspaper reported that her driving record included seven accidents, four speeding violations and one failure to wear a seat belt.
Secretary of Public Safety and Security Mary Elizabeth Heffernan told the Boston Globe in a statement that Sheila Burgess will be assigned to a "different role" within the department. Burgess has been on medical leave since she suffered a head injury in an August crash. She told police she swerved off the road to avoid an oncoming vehicle and wasn't cited.
"Given her driving record, it is clear that Ms. Burgess should not have been hired as the director of Highway Safety in 2007," Heffernan said in a statement.
The Globe reported Sunday that Burgess has 34 entries on her driving record since 1982. The status of her driver's license status was "nonrenewable" until Nov. 1 for failure to pay local excise taxes.
Burgess declined to answer detailed questions about the accident and her $87,000-a-year job. A spokesman for Heffernan had earlier told the newspaper that she was comfortable knowing that Burgess had no driving issues between the date of her hiring and the Aug. 24 accident.
Brendan Ryan, a spokesman for Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick, said Burgess was hired, in part, based on a recommendation by U.S. Rep. James McGovern. Burgess is a former consultant to McGovern.
McGovern spokesman Michael Mershon said the congressman didn't recommend Burgess for any specific position.
"He just said, 'Here's a good person for the Patrick administration to hire,' " Mershon said, adding that he didn't know whether McGovern knew about Burgess' driving record.
The announcement that Burgess was being reassigned came hours after Patrick told reporters he was angry that she had been hired as highway safety director and that he would find out how she had gotten the job.
"I will get to the bottom on it," he said.
Burgess had no background in public safety, transportation or government administration when she was appointed highway safety director in July 2007. She had worked for two decades in Democratic Party politics as a paid consultant and congressional aide, raising money and advising political candidates including Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray.
As highway safety chief, her duties entail overseeing public campaigns on the dangers of speeding, texting while driving, driving while impaired and not buckling up.
In the August crash in Milton, state police said Burgess was driving a state vehicle during work hours when her car veered off the road and slammed into a rock outcropping at about 1:15 p.m. on a sunny day.
A state police spokesman said troopers didn't ask Burgess whether she had been using her cellphone or was distracted in any other way. State police also didn't ask her if she was wearing a seat belt. The spokesman said the accident was handled the same way as similar accidents.
This program aired on November 19, 2012. The audio for this program is not available.


text:
Scion By Toyota
The Scion Spirit Lives On at Premier Toyota of Amherst
More than a decade ago, Scion embarked on a mission to give drivers smart, practical cars that never sacrificed fun. Born in Toyota's garage in 2003 as an innovation lab for experimenting with bold, new designs, Scion never strayed from its original roots, always maintaining and nurturing its ties to Toyota.
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We hope you'll join us as Toyota continues to develop cars that meet your needs. Let's go places!
Are you a current Scion Owner? We've got your Scion Covered.
Premier Toyota of Amherst wants you to know that Scion Service Boost1 and Scion Service Boost Plus2 will still be honored for those vehicles meeting the program requirements. Additionally, our factory trained certified technicians using Genuine Toyota Parts, are available to service your Scion if these programs are no longer applicable for your vehicle.
Legal Disclosures
- Scion Service Boost Scheduled Factory Maintenance covers:
- Scion Service Boost covers normal factory scheduled maintenance for 2 years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first. For the Scion iA and FR-S, the 2 year/25,000 mile period includes a maximum of the first three normal factory recommended services. See Toyota dealer for details and exclusions. Valid only in the continental U.S. and Alaska.
- Scion Service Boost Plus provides extended coverage of factory-recommended maintenance for up to a total of 5 years or 75,000 miles, whichever comes first. Coverage is effective as of the vehicle's date of first use, and begins at the expiration of the complimentary maintenance plan. Services included vary by plan purchased.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Treeleaf Sangha marks the start of our annual ANGO (90-Day Special Practice Season) and, next week, the start of our JUKAI (Undertaking the Precepts) training ...
Additional information on Ango and Jukai at Treeleaf here:
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=4041 and viewtopic.php?f=7&t=4042
... by a series of sittings with the Xin Xin Ming, the Faith in Mind Verses (信心銘) ... one of the most cherished teachings in Zen/Chan Buddhism ... traditionally said to be the words of the Third Chinese Zen/Chan Patriarch Sengcan (鑑智僧璨) (though, even if likely not his words, and written by another fellow just a bit later, wonderful nonetheless).
The Xin Xin Ming presents, straight and true, our trust in the fundamental mind of Zazen ... Zazen on the cushion, and 'Zazen' in its boundless meaning off the cushion as well, in and as our sometimes easy sometimes hard life. Today, sitting before the ugliness and hardship of earthquake wreckage piled high in Japan ... broken homes, broken glass, hearts and lives ... we will sit with the opening words (Translated by Richard B. Clarke):
The Great Way is not difficult
for those not attached to preferences.
When neither love nor hate arises,
all is clear and undisguised.
Separate by the smallest amount, however,
and you are as far from it as heaven is from earth.
No complicated meditation instructions are needed, no intricate practices, just this simple way pointing directly to a still (even amid & as the turmoil and commotion) and illuminated mind of equanimity and wholeness. This is the Buddha mind available to all of us ... as all of us ... all judgments and frictions dropped away, the divisions of 'self vs. others and the world' dropped away ... even amid a world we sometimes do not like, and in the heart of life's struggles and strife.
What's more, this mind can come and go ... sometimes in a day, a single Zazen sitting, just a moment. In my talk, I also mention this poem attributed to Hui-Neng, the 6th Patriarch, pointing to how the Buddha Mind (though beyond coming and going) can come and go ...
Deluded, a buddha is a sentient being;
awakened, a sentient being is a buddha.
ignorant, a buddha is a sentient being;
with wisdom, a sentient being is a buddha.
if the mind is warped, a buddha is a sentient being
if the mind is impartial, a sentient being is a buddha.
when once a warped mind is produced,
buddha is concealed within the sentient being.
if for one instant of thought we become impartial,
then sentient beings are themselves buddha.
We will sit with this Xin Xin Ming over the coming days and weeks ... amid our lives of sometime ease and sometime difficulties, with the people and situations we seek and those we run from, the beautiful and the ugly ... all human judgments, resistance and separations.
What wholeness arises when all judgments and separations are dropped dropped away?
Please undertake the commitments and tasks of ANGO and JUKAI with this same attitude of dropping ... pushing ahead diligently, encountering both that which is easy and pleasing, and that which is hard or resisted ... with an attitude simultaneously transcending easy and hard, pleasing and displeasing. WONDROUS BUDDHA-MIND WILL APPEAR.
Today's Sit-A-Long video follows at this link. Remember: recording ends soon after the beginning bells; a sitting time of 15 to 35 minutes is recommended.


text:
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Here Fishy Fishy...
Thursday, March 25, 2010
1) Live animals in a wedding cake? Really? What next: hamster rolly-balls?
2) On a scale of 1-10, how bad is it that now I want to see a hamster in a rolly-ball jammed between two cake tiers? I mean, are we talking "not our first choice for babysitter" bad, or "your name should be on a national watch-list" bad?
3) Is "rolly-ball" even what you call those things?
4) What was I talking about?
5) Getting back to the fish thing: if you MUST have fish in your wedding cake, why wouldn't you at least use pretty ones? Was the bait shop having a 2-for-1 sale?
6) You know how the wedding cake usually gets set up a few hours before the reception? Well, just how long do you suppose the fish were in there? I mean, not to be indelicate or anything, but what happens if one croaks before cake-cutting time? ("It's ok, kids, he's sleeping! And his friends are just...kissing him! Yeah! Really!)
And if you're not completely grossed out yet, just imagine the smell of old fish water mixed with the smell of icing when they took that top tier off. Mmmm.
Perhaps you think I'm coming down too hard on this cake, though. After all, the cake itself isn't so bad, so maybe the whole live-fish thing was an isolated incident. Right?
If this groom's cake teaches us anything, it's this: when there are live minnows embedded in your cake, RC cars mashed down into the icing can seem downright classy.
Stacey W. & Karen W., believe it or not, these aren't the first wedding cakes with live fish in them here on CW. There was also this one. So, are we looking at a terrifying new wedding trend? (And who among us secretly hopes so?)
- Related Wreckage: The Groom's Revenge
180 comments | Post a Comment
- Jules AF said...
Hopefully, they were an outdoorsy couple, and this wasn't a surprise by the groom? - March 25, 2010 at 9:32 AM
- Taylor said...
I'm assuming the couples involved in these weddings must have been known for some weird stuff. I only know a few people who would do that. And if I went to their weddings, it wouldn't surprise me.
I guess what I'm saying is, if you're willing to do this at your wedding, the guests who know you probably won't be surprised. - March 25, 2010 at 9:35 AM
- Gina said...
Ugh... my sister had live Chinese Fighting fish in her centerpieces at her wedding (and then gave them out as favors?) but not IN the CAKE! Gross.
- March 25, 2010 at 9:40 AM
- Emily J said...
I must be honest: Looking at these pictures, I thought it was a creative idea to embed a mini-fish tank into a wedding cake, and I was not opposed to it if it was well executed (and these were NOT!).
But then I read, "just imagine the smell of old fish water mixed with the smell of icing when they took that top tier off" and nearly gagged.
Never mind. It's a terrible idea. - March 25, 2010 at 9:40 AM
- KatjaMouse said...
Oh... guh... *gag*... I can't even handle thinking about what that was like right there.
- March 25, 2010 at 9:43 AM
What they should do, is insert a large plastic bag of fish into a cavity cut in the cake, plaster it all over with icing, so that when the bride and groom cuts into it, fish and stinky water gush everywhere....
Just a thought. - March 25, 2010 at 9:44 AM
- Sarah said...
I'm pretty sure my Aunt and Uncle had fish on their wedding cake. It was the 80's.
- March 25, 2010 at 9:44 AM
- Jenniffer said...
As a cake professional, I can tell you that live fish as cake decoration has become a big thing (in my area at least). I had so many requests that I finally had a custom cake stand built with an aquarium in the bottom. Now I do fully understand that just because people want it doesn't make it right. I'll have to see if I can come up with a good picture to send you.
http://cupadeecakes.blogspot.com - March 25, 2010 at 9:44 AM
- Unknown said...
I am torn between pity and worry over the fish and disgust at the ruined cake...
wv: distritt. I am distritt at the poor fishie's fates... - March 25, 2010 at 9:44 AM
- Unknown said...
I think this is worse than fish: Buddy (The Cake Boss) did a cake on his TV show that incorporated a cage with two live doves. I believe they were released just prior to cutting the cake. The reception was indoors. All I could think of was poop on the cake or in the guests' hair.
- March 25, 2010 at 9:48 AM
- kenandbelly said...
I think it's a trend... Facebook shows me there were goldfish in a glass bauble spacer...thing... holding up the top tier of the cake at my cousin's wedding this winter. They were pretty goldfish at least. The pic shows the bride and the bud light she was drinking as well so I can't/won't share it. (She's so pretty in the pic she actually pulls it off!).
- March 25, 2010 at 9:51 AM
- The Gravekeeper said...
Man, a betta would have been a better choice. At least they don't have a reputation for rapidly polluting their water and since they actually breathe air they won't run the risk of suffocating when the oxygen level in the water drops (especially since each glass had several fish and glasses don't have the necessary surface-to-air ratio needed to keep up said oxygen level).
Except that you can't have several bettas altogether for a cake like that. Put them in a glass together and they'll fight to the death, and if they see each other in seperate glasses they'll still try and possibly die from heart attack thanks to the stress.
Also, fish have a habit suddenly jumping with no warning whatsoever. It's bad enough when they jump onto the floor; having them jump into icing would ruin the cake and probably kill the fish. - March 25, 2010 at 9:52 AM
Live fish. INSIDE a wedding cake.
JUST. PLAIN. WRONG. :( - March 25, 2010 at 9:55 AM
I can't work out if those cakes are amazing or just really, really wrong...
- March 25, 2010 at 9:55 AM
- Lauren Borquez said...
Sooooo gross...ewwww!
- March 25, 2010 at 9:57 AM
I was thinking along the EXACT same lines as Emily J.
Actually the pond one was sort of neat, but yeah....I wouldn't want to eat it. - March 25, 2010 at 10:00 AM
- Katy32 said...
I want to know what happens if the fish jumps out and gets all covered in buttercream?
- March 25, 2010 at 10:01 AM
Not that I'm condoning such behavior, but if you're going to have live fish in your cake, at least go for the Siamese fighter fish (bettas). So much prettier and can do okay in small containers.
And do the guests have to throw ping pong balls at the cake to see who gets to take one home? It's the new alternative to the garter/bouquet toss! - March 25, 2010 at 10:03 AM
- A Girl In Her Kitchen said...
Anyone who has ever had a small fish bowl will know that even fresh fish water has a fishy smell. And let's not even begin to think about the possiblity of dripping onto the cake! This is one cake I'm sure I would not be eating.
http://agirlinherkitchen.blogspot.com/ - March 25, 2010 at 10:03 AM
- Unknown said...
"just imagine the smell of old fish water mixed with the smell of icing when they took that top tier off"
yep, i was happily enjoying my bowl of cereal until I got to this part. Yuck, yuck, yuck! - March 25, 2010 at 10:08 AM
- Felicia Kramer said...
Reminds me of what one of my relatives did for a wedding reception. The table centerpieces were bowls with goldfish with floating candles on top. Looked nice, until the goldfish started going belly up because the candles warmed the water and killed the fish! I thought it was funny; the bride's mother, not so much.
- March 25, 2010 at 10:22 AM
- Stacie said...
So how do we know none of the poo-water accidently splashed onto the cake during transport?? I'm so grossed out I can't even THINK STRAIGHT!!
- March 25, 2010 at 10:22 AM
- Lucky66 said...
Am I the only one disturbed by this trend because nobody considers what happens to the fish? Sure, they aren't fluffy little kittens, but neither are they party favors or objects to be discarded after the party.
- March 25, 2010 at 10:26 AM
- abi said...
My, your description of removing the top tier of the cake was particularly...vivid. Urp.
Also: way to title this post. Heeeeeeere, fishy fishy FISHY FISHY FISHY! - March 25, 2010 at 10:29 AM
- Peaceful Mommy Kayleen said...
wow. the smell was the first thing i envisioned when i saw this cake! srsly!
- March 25, 2010 at 10:30 AM
- Unknown said...
What is it about fish poop that the wreckreators don't understand?
atimsho: Atimsho never gonna eat a cake with fish poop on it. - March 25, 2010 at 10:31 AM
- Emily said...
Is the "pond" in the last photo an old ham can? You can never get those perfectly clean and un-smelly! Imagine THAT smell mixed with fishy icing. Ew.
- March 25, 2010 at 10:35 AM
- Historic Orange said...
...are the rocks on the second one chicken nuggets? O_o
Probably not what the guests were expecting when they made the "chicken or fish" choice on the RSVP. - March 25, 2010 at 10:35 AM
Gina--Chinese fighting fish? is that prophetic for what she expects in her marriage? I hope the fish weren't dueling throughout the reception!
- March 25, 2010 at 10:39 AM
Poor things. Not a lot of room for swimming. I hope they are REALLY CAREFUL when they cut the cake or take off that top layer, that they don't knock the glasses and fishy water all over the bottom cake. or crush a glass into the icing.
There's a few hundred dollars of sugar gone to waste.
The wedding cake disturbs me more than the dirt and dune bug cake. Part of me thinks it's cute. careful not to slosh when transporting! - March 25, 2010 at 10:39 AM
I think it's sweet when people want to make their pets part of their big day. What other options were there, a ring bearercuda or flower gar?
- March 25, 2010 at 10:48 AM
Fish water, good heavens. Nope, not a smell I want mixed with a wedding cake. As for the pond on the other cake --- yep, you're right, it does look like a small ham can. Ham and fish water. Barf.
- March 25, 2010 at 10:58 AM
- Sybil said...
Hah. I would pay to see "a hamster in a rolly-ball jammed between two cake tiers". Someone HAS to make this extraordinary... creative... errr... travesty of a cake!
- March 25, 2010 at 10:58 AM
- Lady J'ssem said...
I was talking to my mum about this, and she said she'd eat them cause she doesn't think the fish would actually affect the cake, that much. (Even after I pointed out the frosting and fishy water!)
But she does agree with the general consensus that betas would've been better...
Personally I wouldn't touch the top tier, but wouldn't mind the bottom tier my-self....
And I'd happily take home some betas from a wedding and keep them as long as they live, I think they're beautiful, and easy to take care of. Get some of those halfbowl things that hang on the walls and you have living artwork for a room. Add a air freshener and you're good to go until they need fed/water cleaned.
WV ingsopo - Did the wedding make ingsopo they couldn't afford prettier fish?? - March 25, 2010 at 11:02 AM
- Three Turtles and Their Pet Librarian said...
We think it's fantastic! But then...we are turtles.
- March 25, 2010 at 11:03 AM
- My name is Michelle. said...
I really, really, REALLY want to see the hamster cake too!
- March 25, 2010 at 11:06 AM
- Gary said...
The cake in the old post at least had the fish in a proper aquarium, instead of cramming them into glasses or tiny bowls or the like.
Being kind of an aquarium geek, I take part in several online aquarium discussion groups. Very frequently, some newbie asks a question about using live fish as centerpieces or party favors at her wedding (these questioners always seem to be female), or, yes, even how to imbed them in the cake or use live fish as a cake topper. Either goldfish or bettas, or both, tend to be the victims of choice.
I, and everyone else on the forum, always try to explain that fish are live animals that should not be mistreated in that way, and that there are plenty of nice fish sculptures or pictures that could be used as decoration. I suspect that this dissuades almost none of them, though-- there's no stopping the wedding-induistrial juggernaut.
The fish in the first cake look like what pet shops call "feeder goldfish" (maybe that's why somebody thought they should go in food)-- more or less the same thing as bait fish. They are basically rejects from goldfish breeders, and they sell for about ten cents each. The fish in the jeep-stuck-in-mud cake do look like minnow, and I notice that their water is already quite dirty, which makes me wonder how long they've been in that torture chamber.
By the way, fish water (in an aquarium; I don't mean on a cake) should not smell noticeably bad. If it's stinky, somebody's not taking good care of that aquarium.
And (sorry, but I have to say this) the betta fish (Betta splendens) is the Siamese Fighting Fish-- not Chinese or Japanese, as many people seem to think-- and its name is pronounced BETT-ah, not BAY-tah. Thank you for your attention. - March 25, 2010 at 11:06 AM
I totally agree with Gravekeeper. Goldfish are completely inappropriate for keeping in little glasses on cakes (or as center pieces, either way). Not that there is really a fish that is "good" being used as a disposable ornament, but goldfish are worse than most, they just happen to be available for cheaper than betas for example.
And yes, fishy water and cake smell would be nasty! The fish tank one awhile back at least actually looked like a aquarium and had plants and things, but I can't imagine it's in any way sanitary to have a live animal on a cake, even if it is in a container. I also can't imagine it's healthy for the poor fish to be shipped all over the place with a cake (and what do they do with them afterwards?). Plus, I do rather wonder how many times the fish jumped out before they managed to get the tier on top. - March 25, 2010 at 11:06 AM
- Brandi said...
I will volunteer to be the crazy animal lover here. I don't have fish, I don't WANT fish, but I still consider fish an animal and animals are not DECORATIONS! Not for cakes, and not for wedding centerpieces. Animals as wedding decor makes me want to punch someone in the face. It is selfishness at the height of it's who-cares-about-the-rest-of-the-world glory.
- March 25, 2010 at 11:15 AM
- Natalie said...
we had thought about having live fish in our center pieces but then we thought about dead fish floating during the reception. These cakes are awesome in their reckness.
- March 25, 2010 at 11:23 AM
- Andrea said...
I have to wonder how long until the water in there doesn't look clear any more... not to mention the smell of fish poop.
The hamster in a ball on a cake... well, as long as there are no "chocolate sprinkles" all over the cake, maybe. - March 25, 2010 at 11:30 AM
- Unknown said...
bettas are definitely the better choice as they are pretty hardy fish. Goldfish are really prone to dying and need a lot more water than other fish that are about the same size.
I have heard of live fish as centerpieces but the cake should be a fish-free zone (unless this was a fake cake and you got slices from a sheet cake hidden in the back) - March 25, 2010 at 11:30 AM
How in the heck do you give away fish as party favors? Do you print on the invitations, "Come prepared to be a new pet owner?" Odds are most of them get forgotten and/or flushed. Not good for your karma in your new married life.
I'm not exactly an animal activist, and fish probably rate with most people somewhere down the list well below furry animals, but I can't see how this is a winning idea at all for people, and especially not for the fish! - March 25, 2010 at 11:31 AM
None of these people seem to be thinking in terms of all five senses, as the cakes 1)do not look good, 2) would not smell good in no time at all, 3)no one wants to touch them, for fear that they'll 4)taste awful like fish water. And obviously, they had no sixth sense to tell them how they'll 5) be hearing the unfavorable reviews for years to come, especially after they wind up on CW.
- March 25, 2010 at 11:42 AM
- jin said...
As a pastry chef I shudder whenever I see that someone has put glass between the tiers of a wedding cake. It's so unprofessional. Glass can break way too easily. Add to that fish... I'm simply mortified!
- March 25, 2010 at 11:46 AM
- Jeanna Blume said...
Cute, gross, but Cute
- March 25, 2010 at 11:54 AM
The first thing I thought of when I saw these cakes was the cake they made on Cake boss with the doves. I had to go and dig up a video for those who haven't seen it.
While the cake they are putting them in is beautiful and thankfully they only seemed to be in it for a few minutes it's still gross. - March 25, 2010 at 11:56 AM
- Unknown said...
the first thing i thought of when you mentioned hamsters in roly-balls is YES! i immediately wanted to see that and got a bit giddy at the thought of seeing one...is that wrong?
- March 25, 2010 at 11:59 AM
- WideAwakeWife said...
I <3 Lisa's ping pong toss idea. Perfect for keeping the kids entertained! lol! At least the fish were in enclosed in glasses and not swimming around in one of those cake fountains!
- March 25, 2010 at 11:59 AM
Here's a thought... what if the fish were actually pets of the bride and groom?
Perhaps they were just trying to involve them in the wedding like people do when they make their dogs ring bearers.
:D - March 25, 2010 at 12:01 PM
- Rebels in Wait said...
Are the electric blue things on the fish cake seaweed or coral? I dunno. and to solve a lot of your complains with the fish, a beta in each glass would have been ideal. They're pretty -and- they are awesome at oxygen conservation.
- March 25, 2010 at 12:02 PM
- Caroline B said...
Those poor, poor fish - several in each wine-glass, top covered, oxygen running out....and how long does a wedding reception last,not counting how much in advance the cake was prepared? I'm all for fish in unusual settings (my favourite was in a lavatory cistern in a separate glass compartment) but it has to be humane and this is just cruel. Guess the bride & groom aren't Buddhists!
The other cake is a cute idea but must contravene about 20 Health & Safety rules!! Mmmmm, fishalicious...
wv - empoly...I would not empoly these wreckorators... - March 25, 2010 at 12:02 PM
- Carma said...
Okay, I have to say that I am completely fascinated by the wedding cake. The top tier floating on top is actully very interesting. Yes, they should have had something pretty like betta. But they would have knocked the glasses over trying to kill each other so then you would have to explain dead fish AND how a fish could knock over a wine glass between two cakes. (The Groom cake is just ... well nasty looking with or without the fish)
- March 25, 2010 at 12:05 PM
- Sheyna said...
that's pretty evil and disgusting...nice way to treat living beings -- as disposable party decorations, yay!
I don't think you need to be an animal activist to find that extremely distasteful, not to mention repulsive, those are tiny containers for fish, the water must have been filthy. - March 25, 2010 at 12:08 PM
- Crumpets in Camelot said...
But why are the fish in GLASSES? Is someone going to .... drink them?
EEEwwwwwwwaaaaaccccckkkkkk. - March 25, 2010 at 12:10 PM
- Karen said...
make it stop!
- March 25, 2010 at 12:10 PM
- Unknown said...
the fish idea, not so bad as I've seen fish in bowls as centerpieces at weddings, but c'mon, can we find a better way to display them than in wine glasses? Makes you wonder if there were any fish in your champagne glass... and yes, I agree, some nice male Beta fish would have been better than those "backyard lake" looking things...
- March 25, 2010 at 12:10 PM
um, 'Cake Boss' did an Italian wedding cake with a plexiglass box with 2 live doves in it (the box did have air holes): before the cake was cut the doves (shackled with white satin ribbons) were ceremoniously 'released' (the bride dragged them out of the box by the ribbons).
- March 25, 2010 at 12:10 PM
- Sandy said...
andrea said...
Am I the only one disturbed by this trend because nobody considers what happens to the fish? Sure, they aren't fluffy little kittens, but neither are they party favors or objects to be discarded after the party.
March 25, 2010 10:26 AM
I'm with Andrea. Poor fish. - March 25, 2010 at 12:12 PM
- Jessa Kennedy said...
As a fish lover, I'm completely mortified. Goldfish (the top picture) need a LOT of water, and they're squished in there like little live sardines. Properly cared for, those fish could live 40 years -- these guys probably suffocated before the reception was over.
:( - March 25, 2010 at 12:15 PM
I am going to assume they used a lovely anchovy paste frosting between layers of the cake.
- March 25, 2010 at 12:15 PM
On the fish one, I don't think the actual idea of it is bad. Badly executed, but the idea of having live fish in there is really interesting.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/budgiejen/1460587575/in/set-72157602203193764/ - March 25, 2010 at 12:17 PM
- Unknown said...
I'm a carnivore, I loathe PETA, but this offends me. Nothing says "let's start our lives together in love and happiness" like torturing small, defenseless animals RIGHT THERE at your wedding.
I stopped going to a particular bank because they had little cups with betta fish at each teller station, and they were almost always dead, but the did occasionally replace them. So 90% of the time it was sad, and the other 10% it was soon-to-be-sad.
And you know, even if it is all the rage, at some point it behooves the decorator to say, "NO."
Now, if someone wanted a fake fish suspended in some kind of edible clear medium to simulate this effect, that would be interesting. Still kinda gross, but at least not cruel and interesting from a cake lab perspective. - March 25, 2010 at 12:20 PM
- Annie Laurie Cechini said...
*shark leaps into boat*
You calllled?
I'm with the crowd of the intrigued-yet-still-grossed-out. I've seen the fish centerpiece thing, but never in the cake. Far too many ways it could go wrong...
*shudder!* - March 25, 2010 at 12:20 PM
- Pooh's Pics said...
I think they should have at LEAST sprung for fish that cost more than 16 cents!
When we got married 20 years ago, we had fish centerpieces! (I know, animal activists all over the blog just lost consciousness.)
We put one betta in a brandy snifter with flowers around the stem. It was pretty and unusual and a nice pet-shop owner let us rent them for the night and then give them back. - March 25, 2010 at 12:20 PM
Even if they were Bettas, you wouldn't want to use them as centerpieces. Although Bettas *can* live in those half gallon or gallon bowls, it isn't good for them at all. They tend to get stressed and bail.
Don't believe it when retailers tell you all they need are the little bowls. To be properly and humanely kepts, a Betta should have at least a 2.5 gallon tank with a filter and heater. A five gallon would be better. - March 25, 2010 at 12:22 PM
- Unknown said...
How bad is it that I'm thinking you could use one of these:http://www.petplanet.co.uk/product.asp?dept_id=454&pf_id=0878
in a ring between layers (you could even get a multi-level decoration going on). And is it worse that I really want to order such a cake now?..
P.S. this site also sells hamster leashes... - March 25, 2010 at 12:23 PM
We have 2 fish tanks and they don't smell. Then again they are tanks with a filtration system, not fish crammed into glasses.
To better capture our life, our wedding cake would need the fish, AND the hamster in the rolly ball, AND a smattering of cat hair for good measure. Good thing we don't have a horse, eh? - March 25, 2010 at 12:31 PM
- Melissa (& Billy) said...
Aw! Poor fish. They don't have much room to swim.
I'd be deathly afraid to have anyone walk by the cake, lest it fall over. I wouldn't think that champagne flutes would be the wisest tier separator out there. - March 25, 2010 at 12:38 PM
That's really a shame, because the top cake would actually be pretty if it weren't for the extremely ill-advised goldfish. I'll just put my hand over the middle part of the screen and admire the pretty, pearly shells....
- March 25, 2010 at 12:38 PM
Count me with Sue, Andrea, Jo, and the others whose first thought was: Poor fish! They ARE living creatures. Did anyone think about what was going to happen to them after being cooped up in a wine glass for a few hours? Did someone save them and put them in a real aquarium? Don't tell me . . . I'm afraid to know the answer. Argh.
- March 25, 2010 at 12:44 PM
- Christina M. said...
I've kept fish for years, and this is one of the worst things I've seen! If any of that water got onto that cake, you risk salmonella and other infections from the fish waste. Don't even get me started on the fact that they probably used new tap water for clarity (which is unhealthy for the fish) and there is no room for them to even move. What are the odds the poor things were tossed after the wedding. Shame. :-(
Wouldn't anchoring plastic fish have been easier (and safer) all around? - March 25, 2010 at 12:56 PM
Even as an aquarium enthusiast that enjoys the smell of a clean aquarium, I wouldn't want tank water that close to something I intended to eat. Also, seeing those sad-looking fish in those sad little containers is... well, just plain sad.
- March 25, 2010 at 12:56 PM
- Lindsey said...
The fish smell mixed with icing was not a good moment for me... so yuck.
I know I shouldn't be surprised anymore by anything you post on here, but that grooms cake with the little pond made my jaw drop! What if the water sloshed over onto the cake?!?! EEEWWWWWWW!!!!!! - March 25, 2010 at 12:57 PM
- Muzzy said...
I'm not sure if you call them "rolly-balls" But I don't care it just seems cute! Little Fuzzy guy there, Hehe. I have a Betta so I can tell you, THEY STINK! They are very good pets but beware the smells, the water, the food, the poo that sticks to EVERYTHING, and the darn things have to be very far apart or not seeing eachother, But they are very pretty. And really, HOW IS THAT SAFE FOR THE POOR FISH?!?!?!
WV:lorkyi I will go lorkyi for the poor fishes safety! - March 25, 2010 at 12:59 PM
- Rory said...
Please tell me you've seen the Cake Boss with the doves in the cake. GROSS!
- March 25, 2010 at 1:01 PM
Actually some fish, like bettas like to live in tiny amounts of water...they naturally live in small tidal pools...you put too many of the males together (like more than 1)they fight to the death...(aka Siamese Fighting Fish, which I am sure most of you knew.) Goldfish don't mind small bowls either, but they sure are not pretty. The second one was kind of cool...thinking about doing that for my kid's birthday party...
- March 25, 2010 at 1:03 PM
Unbelievable! The smell, the use of ugly fish, the numerous things that could go wrong with this display. WOW!
- March 25, 2010 at 1:03 PM
- Rory said...
Here it is...this can't be sanitary. - March 25, 2010 at 1:05 PM
This is awful on every level. Even if the fish were to survive the reception (not likely, since the top tier of the cake is cutting off their oxygen supply), what were they planning to do with them at the end? Either way, these fish are gonna die for someone's idea of a cake decoration, and that's sick.
And even if you don't care about the lives of feeder goldfish (I'm a goldfish lover, I admit it), what about the poop? What about the smell? Whoever thought this up is nuts. - March 25, 2010 at 1:05 PM
The first cake looks like this one really chintzy "sculpture" from Bradford Exchange that we got in once at the knick-knack store where I used to work. Dolphins and fish leaping out of blue plastic waves. Breathtakingly beautiful if you're a dolphin-obsessed eight-year-old girl with no taste at all.
As for the fish-smell comment - I think I'll be skipping that tuna sandwich I brought for lunch today.
~Mel - March 25, 2010 at 1:13 PM
Not that using live fish is PC, but the wedding cake wouldn't look half bad except for the striped wallpaper behind it.
- March 25, 2010 at 1:19 PM
"Actually some fish, like bettas like to live in tiny amounts of water...they naturally live in small tidal pools"
That is NOT true. Wild bettas live in rice paddies which hold hundreds of gallons of warm water. A betta may be able to survive for a little while in a small cup, but it is cruel to them and they certainly don't "like" it. I could cram you into a small studio apartment with no heat and you'd be "just fine" but wouldn't you rather have a nice one bedroom place you can actually move around in and be warm?
See: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Where_do_Betta_fish_live_in_their_natural_environment
and: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siamese_fighting_fish#Behavior
and : http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/416986/top_five_threats_to_betta_fish_health.html - March 25, 2010 at 1:37 PM
- DMackendrick said...
Ok, EW! My first question was actually what happens if they cut the cake with more force than expected and the glasses tip over?
- March 25, 2010 at 1:46 PM
- Allie said...
I'm going to try this. It looks awesome. Awesome in that terrible, I want to try it, kind of way.
- March 25, 2010 at 1:57 PM
While I often read the blog & think, "That is the most outrageous cake ever & consequently, the funniest comments ever posted" I think this one really takes the cake! (And yes, of course I meant that!)
- March 25, 2010 at 2:01 PM
- Gary said...
No, bettas do not like to live in small containers, but they can survive in small containers if the water is warm and frequently changed. They don't live in tidal pools in nature (who told you that???)-- Bettas are strictly freshwater fish, and tidal pools are full of salt water. They live mostly in quiet swampy backwaters in Thailand and nearby countries.
Goldfish certainly DO "mind" being kept in small bowls. A goldfish in a pond can live for over 40 years. In a small bowl, it will be lucky to survive for one year. - March 25, 2010 at 2:13 PM
- Gary said...
Hmm, a lot of people seem to think that torturing Bettas is a more acceptable wedding entertainment than torturing goldfish. I don't think I buy that, notwithstanding the fact that Bettas take a little longer to strangle on their own waste than goldfish do. By the way, fish urine is much smellier and more toxic than fish poo, so even if you don't see waste in the glass, it's in there.
If a pet shop agrees to take the fish back after the reception, that would seem to solve the problem of what to do with the fish after you've had your way with them, but it doesn't really. What happens to the next customer, who buys a Betta without knowing that it has recently been stressed, jostled, chilled (probably), and scared senseless for a whole evening, and therefore is highly likely to sicken and die within the next few days or weeks (and believe me, most of them will)?
I don't care if it's cute-- find something else cute that doesn't involve cruelty to live animals. - March 25, 2010 at 2:20 PM
- Gary said...
Why stop at hamsters? Why not embed dogs, or miniature donkeys, or zebras, in cakes?
Why not hang kittens by their tails around the reception room? They would provide both decoration and musical entertainment.
Why not attach fake cherub wings to real babies and put them in a cage between cake layers?
Personally, I'm holding out for my dream cake-- a cake made of ants, with a live anteater leashed to it. - March 25, 2010 at 2:24 PM
- Tamara Marnell said...
All I can think about is one or two of those little fishies committing suicide. My first fish leaped out of a comparatively large tank with filter; and my boyfriend's boss once came back from a long weekend to find her beta flopped on the keyboard because she left the window open and it couldn't take the heat. I can only imagine how long they would survive in those glasses before they kamekaze the bottom tier.
- March 25, 2010 at 2:25 PM
- Gary said...
But, of course, there's this:
Sing a song of sixpence, pocket full of rye.
Four and twenty blackbirds, baked in a pie.
When the pie was opened, the birds began to sing.
Wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the king?
Some folklorists say that this old rhyme probably describes an actual practice. Instructions for making pies with live birds in them can be found in some old recipe books, apparently.
What the folklorists can't explain, though, is, who would want to eat a pie that has had live birds in it for any length of time?
Feather, guano, dander, and bird lice tart, anyone? - March 25, 2010 at 2:28 PM
i was at the fish store once and someone was buying gold fish for her wedding, she said "i don't want to spend a lot I'll just let them die after the wedding." to the credit of the fish store they told her to bring them back for a refund but using fish like this is cruel. if you keep fish you know how quickly water can get toxic and how painful it is for fish.
don't use fish like this please. - March 25, 2010 at 2:36 PM
Fish centerpieces never look good. The animal is almost always in there too long, and is lethargically floating around in dingy water. I have never, ever seen a fish on a dinner table where it's actually added to the ambiance. I know people want to try to save money and also be unique, but it isn't unique at all. No one wants a fish foisted off on them at the end of the night, so that it's inevitable demise is now their responsibility.
Anyway. The aquarium cake in the link looks okay, but these newer ones are pretty gross. Especially that minnow one. yeck. - March 25, 2010 at 2:36 PM
- BADKarma! said...
Aw, c'mon... Nothing says "class" like 18-cent-a-pop feeder goldfish!
- March 25, 2010 at 2:45 PM
- Stoich91 said...
Yes, fish in the cake! :) To cook as hor de vours, of course; and people thought it was strange... :) Tarter sauce, anyone?
I echo the others; how cute is it to shove poor fish into your cake? Some sick idea of "Art" (Piccasso? Is that you?!), perhapsy, but not at the sake of life (even if it is a goldfish/baitshop fish, fated to be shaken to death by a 5-year-old or chomped at the edge of a fishing line! lol). :) - March 25, 2010 at 2:48 PM
What about the wedding cake made by Buddy Valastro (the Cake Boss) that had the doves in a cage halfway up it? Apparently an "old-school" type of cake? That one was pretty wild...
- March 25, 2010 at 2:55 PM
- Unknown said...
Ok, fish is one thing, but I was watching Cake Boss on TLC one night and Carlo made a wedding cake with LIVE Doves in the middle! Above is the video link...apparently, this is an old Italian tradition. - March 25, 2010 at 2:59 PM
- Kristin said...
Okay, so fish aren't furry and don't meow or whatever. I just think it's wrong to use living animals as a decoration. (Or dead animals for decoration, for that matter.)
(And @Gina - those "Chinese fighting fish" are probably bettas, which are very sweet little guys. And they probably all died prematurely after that.)
And bettas - also not suitable for decoration. I put mine in glasses just while I'm cleaning their tanks, and they get stressed out by it. Bettas won't just keel over right away in a small container the way most fish would, but it drastically shortens their lifespan, even down to 25% of a cared-for fish.
And bettas don't smell! If they smell, you're doing it wrong, change the freaking water. - March 25, 2010 at 3:08 PM
- Kenna Jan said...
Personally I think the grooms cake was kind of cool.
- March 25, 2010 at 3:24 PM
- Shelley Dayton said...
- March 25, 2010 at 3:33 PM
- foodierachel said...
I think that's a SPAM can they are swimming in! That's horrific!
- March 25, 2010 at 3:38 PM
- Promise said...
Have you seen the episode of Cake Boss where Buddy makes a wedding cake with a cake with two live doves as the middle tier of the cake?
- March 25, 2010 at 3:45 PM
- ehnie said...
This is probably one of the craziest things I've ever seen...both cakes are so bizarre!
Btw, I think they're called Hamster Balls. Even though you can put mice in them (or gerbils or bunnies.. or small rodents..), I will forever call them Hamster Balls.
:) Loved this post!
A Kay Krex Fan,
Annie - March 25, 2010 at 3:46 PM
I actually like the wedding cake. The only thing that bothers me is when decorators use live animals (usually fish) to set a table or decorate a cake, what happens to the animal afterwards? Nine times out of ten, fish are considered 'disposable', and are flushed down the toilet!
I hate the use of living creatures as disposable decorations.... - March 25, 2010 at 3:51 PM
- sendingtheclowns said...
Jenniffer wrote:
"I'll have to see if I can come up with a good picture to send you."
A good picture of a bad idea. That happens all the time! I guess that's why we have all these "fail" blogs!
@Brandi: BRAVA!!! I agree 1,000%.
The whole idea is just T.A.C.K.Y.
But of course, if it IS the latest rage, and everyone THINKS that it's just SO wildly innovative, it will keep happening until some other, edgier, "Oooo, what a racy idea" stunt comes down the pike.
Oops--no pun intended there.
>^0.0^< - March 25, 2010 at 3:53 PM
- Hyena Overlord said...
..."Except that you can't have several bettas altogether for a cake like that. Put them in a glass together and they'll fight to the death, and if they see each other in seperate glasses they'll still try and possibly die from heart attack thanks to the stress..."
A harbinger of marital bliss to come?
wv: pinot: Something that should be in those wine glasses instead of feeder fish. - March 25, 2010 at 4:28 PM
- Etiquette Bitch said...
I'm sure i'm the gazillionth person to say it, but re: CW1: Who the hell thought this was a good idea? No way would I eat even a *taste* of that cake. It might have fish on it...or near it. Barf. Glad I ate lunch already.
- March 25, 2010 at 4:31 PM
manster.. what next your pet mice, pet snake...
- March 25, 2010 at 4:36 PM
I'm sorry, but on behalf of the entire state of WV I have to point out that those are not cars embedded in the icing but ATV's.
Otherwise, I love your site and laughed out loud. Fish? What will they think of next? - Wait don't answer that. - March 25, 2010 at 4:45 PM
- Green said...
What! No! No no. Are we even CONSIDERING a viable replacement for the crappy fish in that cake? No. No fish in cake. If a fish is anywhere around a cake it'd better be salmon, tilapia, tuna, or flounder (etc); it'd better be dead; and it'd better be prepared superbly.
This is comparable to those live fish disco platform shoes back in the 70's. At least you didn't have to eat the shoe.
No bettas, no goldfish, no pretty flowery fish, no replacements. No fish. The only thing I would except as a replacement for those wine glasses would be more cake.
And no hamster balls, for pete's sake! Even for the novelty. Rodents and cake. Sheesh. - March 25, 2010 at 4:53 PM
- Allysonk said...
I can't believe that ANYONE would think incorporating goldfish into a cake is a good idea. It's tacky, disgusting and inhumane! And it's becoming a trend? Oh dear, at least it will give you some more Cake Wrecks fuel, Jen.
But really, my offense at the treatment of the fish and dirty fish water aside, both cakes are two of the ugliest that I have seen on this site! - March 25, 2010 at 4:59 PM
- Squid Girl said...
- March 25, 2010 at 5:11 PM
- sendingtheclowns said...
Stuck in the mud
Stuck in the mud
You're a MUD-STUCK guy!
(He's a MUD-STUCK guy!)
Stuck in the mud
Stuck in the mud
You're a LIKES-MUD guy!
(He's a LIKES-MUD guy!)
Let's have a Bud
Let's have a Bud
(He'll HAVE a Bud!)
Let's have a few...let's ha--
WAIT! Why, pray tell, are they hooked up that way? The puller-outer guy should have his tow-rope /chain /(wire?) thingy attached to his BACK bumper.
No wonder it's still stuck.
=^e.e^= - March 25, 2010 at 5:37 PM
- Jena said...
I don't remember which birthday it was, but when my brother was little, he had just gotten into fishing with my Dad and wanted a fishing themed birthday party. Mom made a cake like the second one (though MUCH nicer) and just before the party started, put a goldfish into a bowl of clean room temperature water set into the cake like that. (I am fairly certain that there was a little figurine of a little boy fishing sitting at the edge of the "pond".) The fish was fine, the water didn't get smelly in the two or three hours that the birthday party lasted and the fish went on to live happily in a regular fishtank for the rest of its fishy little life.
- March 25, 2010 at 5:45 PM
- Jena said...
Second comment, I am totally inspired to make a hamster-ball birthday cake for a friend's birthday... I'd have to learn to do sugar work, but a poured-sugar ball with a fondant hamster inside? That would just be wicked awesome! (I'm anticipating being laid off at the end of the school year, so I apparently am deluded enough to think I can learn advanced sugar work by December...)
- March 25, 2010 at 5:49 PM
- Em said...
I would tell that bride and groom off at their own reception for mistreating animals. It wouldn't be much more tacky than that cake.
- March 25, 2010 at 5:53 PM
- Terri Coop said...
Not a good trend! How long before someone decides that their wedding cake and party favors are a good place to get rid of that box of kittens!
http://whyifearclowns.com - March 25, 2010 at 6:06 PM
- Fanboy Wife said...
Ugh. That is pretty nasty. I can eat an ugly cake, but I can't eat a cake that has living animals eating and pooping in it.
I'd also like to see the hamster rolly-ball, but maybe with a few of those tube things. Of course, I wouldn't eat it, but it would be funny to see. - March 25, 2010 at 6:19 PM
Using live animals as decorations and party favors = fail. I know someone who did it at their wedding and all I could do was sadly watch drunken people carrying fish bowls home. Not cool.
- March 25, 2010 at 7:38 PM
- M M said...
My first thought was how it would smell, and I am glad Jen addressed that as well
- March 25, 2010 at 8:08 PM
- ~Bry~ said...
oh I am disturbed!
- March 25, 2010 at 8:12 PM
- Rebecca said...
Really, when people started having dogs and cats as members of the bridal party, could this possibly have been far behind?
- March 25, 2010 at 8:27 PM
- amber said...
Hey, you guys are featured on the Today Show website!
Hooray! - March 25, 2010 at 9:12 PM
- merbear said...
I went to a wedding once where there were fishbowls with fish as centerpieces and by the end of the evening almost every centerpiece had a dead fish in it. Bad idea!
- March 25, 2010 at 9:15 PM
- Red Wolf said...
Minnows are the WORST choice there for that groom's cake! The thing about minnows is they JUMP. Trust me. I once took a bunch of minnows home from a fishing trip to keep as pets, and the only thing I had to put them in was a shallow(ish) plastic container. About half of them jumped out that night, onto the floor...
Seriously if you're going to put live fish in your wedding cake, you could at least spring for some prettier fish rather than the 2-cent feeder goldfish from Petsmart! - March 25, 2010 at 9:25 PM
- Suzanne Dargie said...
This is the first time I'm ever going to say that I don't think these are Wrecks. I LOVE fish, so I think these are really cute!
Weird yes, but not horrible. - March 25, 2010 at 9:28 PM
- H. R. Taylor said...
I actually REALLY like the first one! It's so pretty and the glasses make it elegant.
- March 25, 2010 at 9:46 PM
Awesomeness! I want a cake like with live fish too! Except I'm picking out the fish. Maybe some pearl goldfish or kissing gouramis; maybe bettas.
But no minnows! Yuck! Minnows! XP - March 25, 2010 at 9:52 PM
- Ella said...
Ew, it never takes fish water long to smell like fish & then it evaporates up & there's the bottom of the cake above. Oh, I'm all sorts of grossed out here. No problem skipping cake at this wedding.
lol! Fish is dead & floating at cake serving time, my grandpa always told my sister the fish was tired & giving it's fins a rest.
Fish & cake don't mix, bleh! What next live miniature poodles dyed the colour of candy floss then they do that bit, like where they drag their butts across the floor, ewww that's not chocolate!
Whoops I thought the grooms cake was a kids cake. Live minnows, maybe he's planing on going fishing right after he has his milk & cake.
It makes me wonder if any of the fish in the glasses were accidentally drunk by
people who were already three sheets to the wind. - March 25, 2010 at 10:11 PM
- Lisa Gibson said...
I hate to say that this reminds me of my days working wedding receptions. They would have fish bowls, with live fish in them. Then they would have floating candles. Usually by the end of the night the candles had warmed the water up enough that the fish didn't make it. Why did anyone think that was a good idea?
- March 25, 2010 at 10:38 PM
The wedding cake is pretty but using live fish is not a good idea. I have seen fish try to jump out when they're enclosed in small spaces and it's not a good thing.
I think sea-themed weddings are nice, but why do you need the real thing? They could have filled the glasses with seashells or matching colored glass beads floating in water instead. - March 25, 2010 at 10:40 PM
- Sylvia said...
That is some disturbingly bad taste. It makes my soul/artistic sentiment a little sore.
- March 25, 2010 at 10:41 PM
- rachel e. said...
If they had been in there a while then there would also be floating fish poop. I'm sure that was a nice touch as well.
- March 25, 2010 at 10:41 PM
- Jennifer said...
I've seen caged birds in a wedding cake.. compared to that, the fish aren't so bad... kinda...
- March 25, 2010 at 10:53 PM
OK! I totally want to see a hamster ball in a cake now too! I think people are running out of ideas and they'll do anything to be unique! Even gross fish in their cake!!!!
BTW: I spent HOURS (4) reading your website when I first discovered it...it is hysterically funny!! Keep up the good work! - March 25, 2010 at 11:25 PM
Sung a-la the McD's commercial:
Gimme back that cake-o-fish,
Gimme that fish.
Gimme back that cake-o-fish
Gimme that fish.
What if it were you, swimmin' 'neat this cake?
If it were you in this glass you wouldn't be laughin' at alllll - March 25, 2010 at 11:29 PM
- Carrietastic said...
You do not hafta be the Ace of Cakes; just make a fondant fish stew! (Wreckies: guess that song lyric!)
- March 25, 2010 at 11:29 PM
I think it's in bad form to ask your baker to make a side trip to the bait shop on the way to your reception.
And I keep wondering: when it was time for the wedding toast, did they go "lose" the fish to make use of the wine glasses? *gagging* - March 25, 2010 at 11:41 PM
Wow! Where was this reception held? At a puppy mill? Next to the pony rides? What year is this again?
- March 25, 2010 at 11:43 PM
Are those REAL shells, covered in (hopefully) food-grade paint? Yuck!
And I don't see how you can attempt to put together or serve either cake without fish water coming into contact with the cake or icing at some point. Double yuck! - March 25, 2010 at 11:48 PM
- adkjenn said...
This is terrible. And for all you people who think that its ok to keep any fish (including bettas) in such small containers, that is untrue. while they can live in them, they will not thrive and will have a very short lifespan, not to mention a very sad an unenriched one.
please read here:
http://www.ultimatebettas.com/index.php?showtopic=18097 - March 26, 2010 at 12:01 AM
- Unknown said...
Good grief.
Fish produce ammonia along with their waste. It comes from their poop and also they excrete it from their gills. Not only is this a disturbing thing to have around your cake, but that means these poor fish are stewing in their own waste in those tiny glasses. It's like being locked in a toilet. (In large, established aquariums, beneficial bacteria break the waste down into something less toxic so the fish aren't poisoned.) The fish in the picture, common goldfish, are high-waste species of fish -- they poop a LOT.
Plus, there's no air circulation in those glasses, or the little "pond" thing. The fish are also suffocating. Would they survive through the wedding? Probably. But it's very, very unpleasant for them, along with whoever has to eat that cake.
Goldfish need huge tanks with double filtration and lots and lots of aeration to live out their natural lifespan, which is 30+ years. Live animals are not decorations. Tacky, gross, and mean. - March 26, 2010 at 12:22 AM
- Alison said...
I don't mean to be gross, but all I can think of is what if one of them has one of those mile long poop strands hanging when you go to cut the cake.... ewwww!
Can we just have a rule... nothing that poops neat the cake!
Is that really too much to ask? - March 26, 2010 at 12:36 AM
- Meredith said...
The first wedding I ever went to (when I was about 6) had two fish embedded in the cake in a little acrylic container. I thought it was the coolest thing on the planet but now . . . oy.
- March 26, 2010 at 1:15 AM
Oh man who in the world would want these cakes? Oh wait insane people would probably want those and yeah we have plenty of them around. Gross just thinking of the smell and the cake and ugh.. if this is a new wedding trend they should all go for piranhas now that I would love to see lol.
- March 26, 2010 at 1:39 AM
Well, HAVE you seen the episode of Cake Boss? Would ANYONE else like to comment on that? I swear, people who do not read posts before posting are the reason why "Epcot" was invented.
So, no fish in cakes or other situations that will stress the fish. Get Buddy or Duff to design a cake with a gum-paste hamster in a plastic ball that runs.
The End! - March 26, 2010 at 2:17 AM
- Dullscythe said...
Holy carp.
I cannot believe that anyone who actually LIKES fish would ever approve of these cakes. The casual cruelty plus fish-water on the food adds up to a gross, unappetizing wreck. - March 26, 2010 at 4:03 AM
- Jenna Lynn Cody said...
Seeing as fondant icing is crap anyway, I wouldn't care about the fishwater smell (I never eat fondant, not even the "good" fondant which is still not that good).
But otherwise, bleeeaaaaarrgghhh. I am all about non-traditional wedding cakes - I think the normal looking white with flowers or pastels or pearls or whatever ones are pretty fugly, in fact - but this. This. This is just not on. Ew.
Lovin' the "two for one sale at the bait shop" comment! :)
WV: seces - feces of the sea! (Seces - sea+feces, get it?) - March 26, 2010 at 8:51 AM
- GeekGirl said...
My kids would love a cool cake loving babysitter, Jen. And I think a hamster ball cake would rock. Except how to explain those little black things under the hamster? Of course they're sprinkles! And I agree - maybe they could have used betas, a fighting fishy cake! Much better than the "baitshop special".
- March 26, 2010 at 9:25 AM
- Unknown said...
ugh, the idea of having anything alive besides the bridal party and guests is not a good one. Animals are living things, not disposable for the sake of our entertainment. :(
Poor fish. - March 26, 2010 at 11:04 AM
- sendingtheclowns said...
Jimma Lou said...
"Well, HAVE you seen the episode of Cake Boss? Would ANYONE else like to comment on that?"
Well, yes, I just barely watched it myself...but I'm not quite sure what your point was.
The whole scene was ludicrous! The "Boss" was yelling at the birds, "Get outta there!" and THEN the bridal couple had to DRAG them out of the case! The most MORONIC thing of all was that they released them with the ribbons still TIED ON and dangling from their legs...auurrgh.
=^>.<^= - March 26, 2010 at 1:53 PM
Um, this may sound weird, but the fish in the champagne glasses is actually a cool idea. It would have been better if they had used fake ones though.
- March 26, 2010 at 2:16 PM
- SG said...
AAAAAAAAACCCCKKKK! I want to run away but I can't stop looking. . .Yeah they really did that. EEWWWEEE!
- March 26, 2010 at 4:41 PM
- Alice said...
I'm late to this posting but have to chime in to say that not only is wanting to see a hamster-ball wedding cake completely understandable, your coming up with the idea just launched you guys to the top of our "please babysit" list when we have our baby in June.
Fantastic image. Maybe I can convince my friend who's getting married in 2 weeks to let me have a few minutes alone with her cake before the reception..... - March 26, 2010 at 5:15 PM
- Tatersmama said...
Fish POOP.
Nuf said. - March 26, 2010 at 5:35 PM
I find it weird that anyone needs to be told this, but Fish and Cake do not mix!!
- March 26, 2010 at 6:22 PM
Ugh. =( That's fish abuse. Those poor fish are in a horrible, horrible place. that's not even the amount of water you throw in a fish bag that's supposed to last the hour or so ride to the house and the aquarium. They've probably been in there a whole day.
Those poor fish. This is just horrible from an animal lover's standpoint. And for everyone saying 'use betta fish!' no! No, that's even worse =(!
This is just terrible. I'll be so glad when they finish passing laws in every state that makes it a crime to do stuff like this to fish. This is abuse. - March 26, 2010 at 7:27 PM
The awfulness of having something that swims around with strings of poo hanging from its behind and occasionally jumps out of its container ON YOUR FOOD is distracting y'all from the other bad badness in this horrible thing.
1. So it's an all-white cake, except for the electric blue streaks of . . . something. And the feeder goldfish.
2. Either they molded sugar shells and then skipped painting them in order to spend that whole couple dollars on feeder goldfish, or they plopped white plastic shells on the cake.
3. Somebody put a lot of thought into the engineering required to get the fish onto the cake in the first place. That was the detail that mattered most? Really?
With just a bit LESS work, this could have been a white sand beach with lifelike sugar shells scattered on it. And no half-suffocated pooping fish.
Jenny Islander - March 26, 2010 at 7:44 PM
- Sue KuKu said...
I was at a friend's wedding. She had huge vases on each table with flower bouquets and goldfish in the vases.
The problem was either the water hadn't been treated for the fish or the flowers were poisoning the water, but, yes, you guessed it, the fish started going belly up all over the hall. Reflected on mirrors on the tables, too.
Sometimes, the simpler weddings are the best! - March 26, 2010 at 8:18 PM
It's terrible that just because fish aren't fluffy or have feathers that people think they can just treat them as disposable ornaments. They're living creatures and they need proper spance and oxygenation for the water.
I wonder how long they had to be in those glasses for? I'm assuming quite a while so as someone else pointed out, those fish are suffocating. They have a limited amount of oxygen and what some people don't realise is that the wanter NEEDS to be CONSTANTLY oxygenated by an air pump or something. That's why keeping them in bowls is also cruel. You wouldn't stick a cat in an airtight box and stick it on a cake -- why would you do it to a fish? - March 26, 2010 at 8:32 PM
When I was checking out venues/caterers etc for my wedding, one suggested mini ice sculptures for each table (no). He said that they could do frozen spheres with flowers in the middle (no thanks) or goldfish. Yes, welcome friends and family. The menu is vegetarian, but no worries, there's a dead-ass frozen pet on each table for decoration. We also have a frozen puppy spewing fruit punch over by the cake.
- March 26, 2010 at 9:34 PM
- Gary said...
Skarto sez:
"You wouldn't stick a cat in an airtight box and stick it on a cake -- why would you do it to a fish?"
Don't be so sure nobody would do that. If people would put live fish and live birds in cakes, can cats and dogs be far behind?
(No animals were harmed during the writing of this comment.) - March 27, 2010 at 10:38 AM
- Gary said...
Una, I'm still chuckling over the caterer who wanted frozen dead fish as centerpieces at your vegetarian wedding. Vegetarianism seems like such a simple concept that I'm amazed at how many people don't seem to get it. I've lost count of how many people I've heard saying things like, "I'm a vegetarian. I only eat chicken and fish." (Huh?) My favorite was a woman who told me, in all seriousness, that she was a vegetarian and therefore she didn't eat meat unless it was Kosher.
- March 27, 2010 at 11:39 AM
- BChandler said...
Must have been the Little Mermaid's wedding? She wanted some of her closest friends to be a part of the wedding...you know, make 'em feel real special.
- March 27, 2010 at 10:42 PM
... Fish in a cake?
That's it. I'm putting a PONY in my wedding cake! Fish are for amateurs. - March 28, 2010 at 3:38 PM
Man, this is how I ended up with goldfish. My friend went to his cousin's wedding and came home with three of the goldfish decorations just because he couldn't stand the thought of the unwanted fish being thrown out. I'd kept fish before so I had an empty tank and I ended up taking them.
Except my tank was only 10 gallons and that's still too small for three of those tiny "feeder" goldfish once they start growing. I kept them for as long as I could, but trying to keep three growing goldfish healthy in a 10 gallon tank is a lot of work and once they reach a certain size, it's just not possible. Luckily another friend's stepmother has a proper fishpond and when the fish were finally just too big for the tank, she agreed to take them. So that's four people who were willing to put more thought into those fishes' lives than the bride or wedding planner who just thought they'd make an interesting and inexpensive wedding decoration.
I liked my goldfish. They were pretty and a lot more interesting than I was expecting after years of fiesty bettas. I'm just gonna pretend that the fish in that cake were and are now in a fish pond somewhere. - March 28, 2010 at 5:26 PM
- Rantastic Ren said...
While the blog entry is funny, the cakes are not. This is animal cruelty, pure and simple. Goldfish rapidly suffer the effects of hypoxia and ammonia levels when contined to a small container like that, particularly for prolonged periods of time like the duration of an entire wedding/reception. Plus, what is the fate of those fish once the wedding is over? With proper care goldfish should live upwards of 20 years, and single tail varieties like that need to live in ponds to reach adult size and remain healthy. How very tragic that people use living creatures and decorations.
- March 28, 2010 at 5:55 PM
- Unknown said...
My cousin thought live goldfish were a sweet wedding centerpiece idea.
1) dead fish + reception hall reeking of dead fish on the wedding day.
2) drunk guests eating said live goldfish on dares
3) no one wanting t take home sickly goldfish centerpieces and being stuck with 30 or 40 fish and a honeymoon trip to attend to...
bad idea. - March 28, 2010 at 11:15 PM
OMG. That's all I can say.
Fish? In a cake? What has this world come to? - March 29, 2010 at 4:39 AM
- Liza-Beth Jayne said...
Am I the only person who noticed that the grooms cake had real rocks in it??? Please tell me I'm not the only one. :( It was gross to see the fish, but that just made things worse....
- March 29, 2010 at 4:48 AM
Ren, you're awesome ;)
Fish as centerpieces, to me, is an ok idea.
Not taking into account the fish's wellbeing, and what to do with them after, BAD idea. Capital B-A-D! - March 29, 2010 at 9:24 AM
- Danielle West said...
If someone had described this wedding cake to me, I probably would have thought it was an awesome idea, but after seeing it...not so much. And the groom's cake...I'm not even going to get into that one.
- March 29, 2010 at 12:04 PM
- A Mother's Story said...
Those remind me of the creepy cakes found here - http://www.flickr.com/groups/creepy-cakes/pool/
JEN - March 29, 2010 at 1:28 PM
- A Mother's Story said...
Those remind me of the creepy cakes here - http://www.flickr.com/groups/creepy-cakes/pool/
-Jen - March 29, 2010 at 1:28 PM
- Katie B. Smith said...
Words fail me. The thought of fish water and icing made me want to throw up right on my laptop! To ask what these people were thinking is just the tip of the iceberg! I sincerely hope these were homemade. What self respecting baker would do that?!
- March 31, 2010 at 5:25 PM
I cannot believe some folks approve. Yeah they're fish but they are still alive and feel pain.
I wish I didn't know about this, it makes me sick to my stomach.
Oooo let's display a torture chamber on our wedding cake. Sounds lovely. - April 2, 2010 at 2:44 PM
I cannot believe some folks approve. Yeah they're fish but they are still alive and feel pain.
I wish I didn't know about this, it makes me sick to my stomach.
Oooo let's display a torture chamber on our wedding cake. Sounds lovely. - April 2, 2010 at 2:45 PM
- Carol Hurlock said...
I have never laughed so hard in my life. I went to a wedding not long ago where they had live fish as centerpieces and the fish were going belly up through the reception. Of course, having a sense of humor but in poor taste, the people at my table wanted to roast the poor fish on toothpicks over the candles burning at the table. This is priceless.
- April 16, 2010 at 7:27 AM
- jen said...
Ha! I had a beta in my wedding cake. My friend made it, was a total surprise and a big hit!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/budgiejen/1460587575/ - May 11, 2010 at 3:30 AM
- Cupcakes Lady said...
fish in glasses? I fear the worst ;) xx
- October 13, 2010 at 6:50 PM
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