Crustacean withdrawal?

We're nearly at the end of the month and that means that the crustaceal focus here will fade, even though it will be hard to let go. But if you find you're jonesing for a lobster, you should consider joining The Crustacean Society. I know that my life won't be the same now that I can read the Journal of Crustacean Biology regularly. But even better is the biannual society newsletter, the Ecdysiast!

Remember when I used to love you?

Labbits and lobsters...not meant to be I guess.

Of crime and lobsters

For the most pun-filled news story ever written, see this piece from the Baltimore Sun.

The owner of Real Fish and Lobster, a seafood eatery in Orlando, has to be steamed after a burglar broke into the restaurant recently and stole 70 live lobsters and other assorted seafood valued at about $2,000.

LOLcrabs

What's orange, crawls sideways, and has eight tires?

I never thought I'd ever read something in a magazine devoted to SUVs but I came across an article for an all-terrain vehicle called "The Crustacean" so just had to show it!

Prawn vision

OK, so the papers call it "shrimp" vision but one of the researchers is an Australian who I interviewed a number of times about ten years ago and he calls them prawns, just like I do. Great bit about this is that the mantis shrimp is the only known animal that can see circularly polarized light. But really, the reason to read the stories is for the pretty pics like these.

Lobsterboy to the Rescue

Gleeerkggh. Lobster Boy speaks to my crabrattled mind!

Is there anything more satisfying than a good lobster story?! Perhaps this all depends on one's attitude towards lobster burlesque. That's right. I said it. The green lobster wants you to get your freak on!

Kabourophobia and flooding

One of our writers here alleges a suffering from kabourophobia and so, in an effort to help with this, we provide a set of videos and images for the purposes of flooding.




Coconut_crab from http://sageeyes.vox.com/



Coconut_crabs_at_Bora-Bora from http://sageeyes.vox.com/

Film recommendation: Crust

The 2001 movie Crust by writer/director Mark Locke is a charming adventure/comedy/drama involving a pub owner who buys a giant shrimp that has washed up on the English shoreline. When he finds he can teach it to box, he hits the road, touring the shrimp around trying to make a quid or two and become famous in the process. Yes, the shrimp is seven feet tall, so it packs a mightier punch than a two-inch crustacean. A must for boxing fans, crustacean fans, and those who love a tale of a publican searching for something more.

Why I Don't Like Crabs

Please. Call me CRAB.

If you've been searching for that great escape, look no further and rest assured--there is a CRAB getaway somewhere out there with your name on it! Curious about what this adventure entails? Intruiged by its tantalizingly crustacean name? Curiousity kills!! It's an adventure! It's called CRAB! Isn't that enough?

OK. Fine. If you must know, honeymoon material is what this is. Romance, pure and simple. Think about it. I mean. Don't think about it. Err. And don't go to the website. Umm. But if you do go to the website try not to be disappointed by the fact that our friend the crab has nothing to do with this Indonesian paradise of cars and dust...and semi-over enthusiastic guys with raised fists.

Tempted? Ready to CRAB it up??? "Fasten your seatbelt...the road was ended..."

Who's in?!?

Got crabs?

Mating Dance of the King Prawn

Rule of the crustaceans

Approximately 145 million years ago, a little known evolutionary revolution took place. The crustaceous inhabitants of the oceans rose up to briefly dominate all other lifeforms. Among inhabitants, the period was known by the colloquial name, the "rule of claw".

Although the lobsters took to the life of ruling well, the barnacles were less supportive and, after a brief but vigorous mutiny, the Crustaceous Period came to an end with the crustaceans slinking back into the oceans to take their proper place in the ecological pecking order.

The Crustaceous Period is mostly neglected in descriptions of the geologic timescale, presumably because it only lasted eight months.

DHS Achieves Lobster-Like X-Ray Vision

In its valiant quest to protect our borders, the Department of Homeland Security is developing new technology to catch all those creepy foreigners lurking around. The ideal device would have X-ray vision to detect as much contraband as possible—so where else to turn for inspiration than the lobster?

Described in a recent DHS Science & Technology Snapshots newsletter (in an article entitled "Eye of the Lobster"), the handheld device, called the LEXID (Lobster Eye X-ray Imaging Device), can use X-rays to see through walls, wood, concrete, earth, and steel—just like lobsters can. The lead scientist insists the LEXID is "modeled exactly after the lobster," and is designed to catch "the sneaky guys that don't like us."

Crustacean of the month club

The first inductee: Kiwa Hirsuta

Found 900 miles south of Easter Island at a depth of 7,540 feet, what this little fellow (he's six inches long) lacks in eyesight, he makes up for in crustacean hair!

I say it's a he because a female crustacean couldn't be that furry.

Death metal crustaceans

You gotta hand it to the Dutch. Nothing screams "death metal band" like the name "Crustacean."

Perhaps you saw them supporting "Spina Bifida" or "Disharmonic Orchestra." Or maybe you were late to the show because you were trying to put on your special metal exoskeleton. Too bad, because I heard they rawked.

In the meantime, you could check out one of their albums:

1994	Rip Off
1995	Headcleaner
1997	Murderfuck666
1998	Burden Of Our Suffering
2000	Satanized
2003	Insaniac

It's all good clean family fun. Bring the barnacles!

Stuffed lobster

You come looking for a recipe, you say? Then step right in, where we have all our dishes mounted on the wall for your salivatory pleasure. Just take a bib and bucket as you step over the threshold and let the memories of aromatic fine dining fill your senses, as you gaze upon the finest stuffed lobster in the room.

Look all you want, but just don't touch. This lobster might be stuffed but the claws have been sharpened to razors.

This is a take-out establishment only, but you must order a few weeks ahead so that Rick can create the object of your desire, just like this exquisite sample. He's been doing this for over 20 years, so you know you're going to get what you need.

Behold the Florida Lobster!

Introducing Mumble

Sometimes you just need more. For now it is more crustaceans.

Welcome to the first issue of Mumble magazine, an online curated collection of all things specific.

Soon after somebody wise once told us "Follow the lobster!" we realized that our quest had begun and could not be complete until we had a collection together. It had a kind of koan feel to it, so how could we avoid taking it seriously? Of course, the same wise person also told us many other things, which taken in concert led us to question the wisdom of aforementioned wise person. But it was too late. We had begun.

And so, join us for an exploration of all things topical, where topical means "crustaceous."

We welcome submissions, rants, presents, and stuff. Just as long as it is interesting, or at least interestingly uninteresting. Just not disinteresting. We wouldn't want to put people off.