Are Sea Cukes Kinder and Gentler Than Those Who Would Exploit Them?

They are. OMIGOD! When I started picking on sea cucumbers, I had absolutely no idea that the existence of these hapless creatures was seriously endangered.

And they are the innocent victims of human exploitation. Many people, excluding this author, find them delectable. In some countries, a ton of dessicated sea cukes net a cool million bucks for those who'd peddle them. Even at this moment, passionate debates about whether or not they will land on endangered species lists could be taking place.

The only fair comparison between sea cukes and the junta have to do with mindlessness, and even that one is tenuous and this is where it breaks away. What with the commodity of oil-- and soon drinkable water becoming scarce and hoarded-- none of this is going to even matter anymore.

How will global warming affect sea cucumbers? And assuming that they have never heard of Jesus Christ, will they be Left Behind when the current administration hastens the coming of the Rapture by continuing to trash the planet? Meanwhile, these diligent scavengers continue to do their humble work.

Months will pass. Maybe I'll have some answers. But I may need to visit the South Island of New Zealand to commune with the Strawberry variety of the sea cucumber. The population of these echinoderms is dense here. There's safety in numbers and possibly a lot to learn.