8/16/2006: Image backlog clearing

It's that time again: time for a few items that I saved off and never used for whatever reason.



These beasts are all over where I live right now. The official cap: A cicada sheds its exoskeleton as it perches on a Norway maple tree in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania.



An xoB suggestion, this gent is participating in some sort of condom festival in Qixi, China. Or he's popping a big zit on his lip, I can't tell.



This two-mouthed pig is interesting, but we've had a bunch of two-headed and one-eyed things at this point, maybe too many. They're still mind-boggling, just not AS mind-boggling as before.



Same goes for three-armed children.



This mud bath is an interesting shot, but not much else. I was kind of intrigued by the idea of a mud bath, but why? Why do you get one? Has anyone here had one?



These queen ants are interesting for the color composition, and also because they are being sold for eating in Colombia. The accompanying story suggested that "gourmands" from other countries are taking an interest in eating them. Well that's just fine; I'll take the pan-seared tuna in sesame/soy sauce marinade with wasabi, that Jackie and I made last weekend, and they can have ANTS.



Finally, this seagull has taken its own gourmand approach.

Somewhere, some IOTD reader will some day direct a horror film, and will include one scene inspired by that first image.

Cicadas on a Plane -- I think that opens Friday with Samuel L. Jackson.

That pig one makes me ... barf.

I really like the seagull one ... but I am not sure why.

Tasty green insects again!

I have had a mud bath at a spa, the minerals are supposed to be good for the skin. It was exactly as you would expect really, warm and gloopy. My skin did feel wonderfully soft afterwards, but then I was also fully exfoliated, so it may have been that.

I've also eaten ants. I can't remember what species they were, but there was a deli in London that I used to visit with my Grandparents. They tasted meaty as I remember - not what I expected.

I had some sort of deep fried insect too - I can't remember what it was, I don't think it was an insect I was familiar with at the time. It was very crunchy anyway. All I remember that tasting of was batter.

You'll want to make certain you don't make any spelling errors if you ever tell anyone that you have recently eaten a couple of your a(u)nts.

Some time ago, during the year of a cycle where there are many locusts (that's what we call them, is it the same as cicadas?) my brother gathered up a bunch of locust shells and constructed a football game. Opposing teams set in formation (he was a graduate assistant football coach at the time...I mean American football) complete with coaches and sidelines. It was quite funny.

Locusts are actually more like grasshoppers, but the 17-year cicadas are often called locusts because when they come out it's similar to a locust swarm.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spexxvet The ants had just come from a visit to the pile of dogshit just outside.

Only 14 posts to degenerate to dogshit and ass scratching. Makes a Mother proud.