#November2018

[jonnysinsectcatalogue]

Insects as Food - Fried Crickets/Orthopterans

We continue to explore the insect world of Asia thanks to a very dear friend of mine and her yearlong travels. With this weekend being Thanksgiving in Canada, today's post offers a new glimpse in the interaction between insects and humans for this blog: eating insects for food. I've received little detail from SaraLi about insect consumption in Myanmar (she didn't partake), but my own research suggests that Mandalay and Yangon have a solid reputation for the Antlion's share of cooking Crickets in marketplaces like these. It's an interesting aspect of culture to observe. In Myanmar, the cooked Crickets are called "payit kyay" (ပုရစ်ကြေ). The technique is to fry them with aromatics by the handful until crispy (as can be seen in Picture 2) and then allow them to cool so they can either be packaged or sold directly. The bulk of the meat comes from the body, so the legs, wings and antennae must be discarded, and the guts are removed prior to cooking. The process is quite similar to the preparation of shrimp when you think about it. It might seem strange and even unsettling to eat insects, but they can offer a surprising amount of nutritional value! On the whole, they tend to be rich in carbs and protein, with plump specimens adding fat content. Now, does that mean I think we should switch production completely from livestock and poultry to insects?

Of course not. However, the idea can be entertained to supplement our nutrition with foods like this and ease the strain of livestock production and the resources it uses. Assuming of course that the insects are grown healthily and there are no problems as a result. A practice like "payit kyay" wouldn't fly in Canada as the insects here (likely) aren't reared by those cooking them, but are caught from the wild. I'm sure great care is taken to discard unhealthy specimens, but there is always a risk if the insects are caught rather than reared, where conditions are more "controlled". Furthermore, when it comes to insect eating, not all insects are palatable. I've spoken at length before about insects that eat toxic plants and become toxic themselves, rendering them unsuitable to eat, but other realities emerge the deeper you look. Hairy Caterpillars should be avoided since their hairs can irritate a digestive tract; heavily armored insects have shells that offer little in terms of taste; insects that feed on decaying matter or carrion pose a major health risk in the form of parasites or infection; some adult insects offer little in terms of meat while others are too risky to rear (Hymenopterans come to mind) for eating.

Orthopterans seem to be a good compromise and they seem to have a good reputation in terms of flavor and as an alternate source of protein. We're still a long way from insects being integrated into our culture like this, so maybe looking at Myanmar can offer us some insight for how we can proceed, if Canada chooses to go down this road (to reiterate, as an opportunity to supplement and not replace). Furthermore, every now and then opportunities present themselves to give insects a try and overcome any squeamishness. On a personal note, I did try roasted Termites at the Taste of Toronto a few years ago. They made for a good bite-size snack by the handful with the right seasonings (you can literally eat them and their eggs like popcorn), but it's not quite popcorn chicken.

Pictures were taken on November 19, 2018 in Myanmar with a Google Pixel. Enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving and hope there are wonderful meals to enjoy with your family or friends. As per tradition, I'll be leaning towards turkey rather than Termites. Celebrate in thanks.

[drdadbooks]

Spots! 6U8A9336 by Daniel D'Auria Via Flickr: Imagine suddenly realizing that you have spots! A fawn’s white spots might seem to accentuate their appearance, but nothing could be farther from the truth. When they are huddled down in the underbrush, the spots help provide effective camouflage. But fawns more commonly look at their adult counterparts and they have long since lost their spots. This fawn is really just grooming itself, but its facial expression almost suggests intense surprise.

[stochastique-blog]

hmm...

My heart is a whirlwind to lift your memories again The same weather, the same winter, is the same happy November. ❤️   . . #november16 #november #november2016 #november1 #noshavenovember #november2018 #november2017 #blacknovember #novemberwedding #november27 #5thnovember #november5th #nonutnovember #novemberbaby #novemberchallenge #novemberproject #novemberphotoaday #november2013 #november2015 #novemberrain #sweetnovember #november6 #november2014 #november1st #dinovember https://www.instagram.com/p/BqPC1G9A_Kf/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1cqdldkz7bylv

[makanidotdot]

was looking through some of your old art and the nelf trio tags and saw you mention "But I s2g I can’t help thinking about if Illidan ends up being treated better overall by the narritive than Sylvanas I’m gonna hulk out or something" so i'm curious how you feel with where we are currently!

hahaha yeah, ok went back and found it- that was from the very beginning of BFA (it launched in August 2018 and this post was in November2018). So.. yeah I mean, today I think Illidan's treatment in game is easily one of the best- maybe the actual best in the whole series?? So it's a hilariously ironic thing to have hoped for. Like if I had said "oh boy, I can't wait to see what kind of character growth Varian gets!" at the beginning of Legion.

At the time I was thinking like, ok well Illidan was a villain that gets defeated in BC, but that obviously wasn't the end of his story, and he didn't die or lose who he was... then he got to come back and be a super fun main character of a successful expac.. surely they know how to use a very similar headliner big $$ character in the same way?

And then I basically just spent the next 5 years like

as Sylvanas just got ground to dust. And I feel like I did do lots of hulking out lmao.

That post was also the original senile Malf comic which I enjoy very much bc

How I draw Malfurion when I thought he was just a male power fantasy gary stu in a chemistryless pairing with Prize Woman that he randomly spoke rudely to that one time (but has funny wizard voice):

How I draw Malfurion now that I know he is a sweet nerd-himbo just trying his best and who blushes and cries over his wife

[discountedbucketh]

November2018/November2023

This game still makes me want to draw

[heartstoppermybeloved]

“good mates” 🤨 #november2018 #heartstopper via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOB4kzmT-q8

[thewriterzblok]

Prompt: November 2018

_______ stared at the log that was skewered on the metal fence post like a marshmallow on a stick.

[hotgirlkayla]

Some more nature photography from Livingston Park in Hooksett NH

[jonnysinsectcatalogue]

Blue Marsh Hawk - Orthetrum sp.

As the common name of this insect suggests, it can be found near wetlands and marshes in a similar to the Dragonflies that call Toronto home. There are likely many small flying insects to seize and (when the time is right) a mate to be found. However, this older male isn't blue...at least not anymore. Several male Dragonflies of the Orthetrum genus initially display a vibrant blue color on their head and thorax, and become coated in white, waxy pruinose as they age. Maybe it's faded blue or blue-grey at best. The Common Whitetail may provide more insight on this change Dragonfly males go through. Females are decorated with black that is accentuated with yellow and green depending on the specie, making them quite distinct from their male counterparts. And of course, to be sure we have a male individual in these pictures: the abdominal claspers are there! This Skimmer is most definitely a male enjoying the rivers and ponds of this Laos wilderness. Unfortunately, that's about all that can be gathered in terms of identification.

Since these photos come from my dear friend Sarali as she traveled through Asia, there is no live specimen to handle and inspect. Only the glimpses of pictures into a tropical world and its fauna. More seriously, due to overlapping geographic ranges and the similarities between male Blue Marsh Hawks (especially once they begin to turn white), narrowing a find down to a specie can be difficult, or outright impossible! I've done my share of searching and comparing in order to find a specie that matches this find, but the closest I've gotten in terms of a match is Orthetrum japonicum... I'm not confident on it. For the longest time, I thought it might've been Orthetrum glaucum (a more widespread find in Laos), but when researching that specie, there was a prominent detail missing: the last 2 abdominal segments should be prominently colored black. Even coated in pruinose, the segments would be seen. As such, this is likely isn't O. glaucum, but the possibility is always there. I looked back to the latter a few times since it has a dark-colored frons and clypeus (the face). Most of its relatives that look similar showcase white-colored faces, scratching off many other possible identifications. I'll revisit this post when I can with a more definitive insect ID, if at all possible.

Pictures were taken on November 13, 2018 in Laos with a Google Pixel.

[drdadbooks]

An Hour Well Spent 6U8A9128 by Daniel D'Auria Via Flickr: After spending the afternoon painting the front porch I sat down to enjoy the evening. A faint rumble of thunder in the distance hinted at an evening storm. A faun meandered into the yard, nibbling on our flowers. I watched as it found a suitable spot to rest and wait for mom. My camera is always near. I grabbed it and found a spot to sit in the grass not far away. It was the best hour of the entire weekend.

[soopticboop]

Hey I could be totally wrong but the glitches in-game at the end said “I’m in your bedroom”

But I looked at some other Youtubers play it and slowed down their glitches, and that line wasn’t in their videos...

Can anyone confirm?? 😳🤭

[missfliss88]

Another time another world, this was back in November 2018...... Sunset and we were staying in the free camping area at the Show Grounds in St Marys, on the East Coast of Tasmania. 

Not a care in the world....

[catharsus]

Last November I traversed out West for the first time and got to see more of my beautiful country!! I got to see and stay with my Twin friends who are practically fam. They were out there taking an intensive course at Vancouver Film School and it was such a delightful time getting to expirience Vancouver and the surrounding area first hand. . . #Vancouver2018 #outwest #granvilleisland #twins #actinglife #actorlife #vfs #vancouver #adventuretwins #BCadventure #britishcolumbia #airplane #mountains #skyscrapers #vancouverskyline #november2018 @spypz @mpypz (at Vancouver, British Columbia) https://www.instagram.com/p/B9ZlyHMHASU/?igshid=1auxcpza1x8q2

[sergei-gussev]

#tartu #estonia #november2018 (at Tartu, Estonia) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzLoq9_I8jx/?igshid=c2i5pse7psfj

[natur-nah-dran]

two colorful leaves 

[hotgirlkayla]

Generation Axe at the Chevalier Theatre (Nuno Bettencourt, Zakk Wylde, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmstein)-November 2018