Would PETA miss the chance to educate nearly 1 million people about the benefits of vegan eating? Kale no!

Attendees of President Barack Obama's inauguration were so smitten by Chris P. Carrot, Celery Stalk, and Mother Earth that they actually lined up to have their pictures taken with the patriotic trio and snatched up vegetarian/vegan starter kits and copies of "Glass Walls"—a video narrated by Paul McCartney—while they were at it.

The vociferous vegetables even managed to win over a woman who was willing to consider eating fewer animals than she was wearing:

In his inaugural speech, President Obama promised to "respond to the threat of climate change." We can't think of an easier—or tastier—way to do that than by going vegan.

Have radishes made you ravishing? Parsnips made you pretty? Green beans made you gorgeous? You might be PETA's 2011 Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door. And if you are, you and a guest will take your sexy selves on an all-expenses-paid trip to Hawaii.

You have until noon EDT on April 7, 2011, to visit the contest page and upload your picture. At noon EDT on April 11, 2011, the polls will open and people can vote for the male and female who they think most put the va-va-va-voom in "vegetarian."  

2010 Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door Contest Winners Marie and Loyal

 
The competition is always fierce, and we definitely need help choosing the winners. So if you aren't entering, please, for the love of kittens, cast your votes for the Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door when the polls open in two weeks. And while you're at it, order your free copy of PETA's vegetarian/vegan starter kit. Who knows? You might be inspired to enter the contest next year.

And they say people don't get to know their neighbors anymore.

Written by Michelle Sherrow

The following is a guest post from peta2's Shan.

If you don't already track Blink 182's Mark Hoppus' every move through his Twitter page, allow me to fill you in on something awesome that one of our Blink-loving staff members spotted last week:

Ask and ye shall receive, Mark!

Mark made the compassionate choice to use a plastic prop rather than a real octopus for his photo shoot, so peta2 is giving him a Compassionate Citizen Award. He'll also receive a framed certificate and a card signed by peta2 staffers.

Octopuses are intelligent and sensitive animals who have been observed communicating with each other. They're able to grasp objects with their tentacles just like we can with our hands, and some have even been taught to unscrew jar lids in order to retrieve food inside.

Here's to Mark for showing that "all the small things" deserve compassion and respect!

Written by Shan Philips