I listened to your suggestions. So, this morning when I made my trip to the bait shop to pick up wiggly things and the clerk made a friendly remark about fishing, I said, “Oh, I’m not fishing. I use these to feed my spider colony.”
He hesitated for a second, gave me a funny look, and reacted as if he was going to pretend I didn’t say that. He gave me my change and didn’t say another word. I may have derailed his brain, and he didn’t have an easy reply to mind.
I’m not taking your advice anymore, especially if a mob with torches and pitchforks shows up outside my house tonight.
Oh, this gave me a hearty chuckle! Please tell me there is video documenting this exchange!
Is a large group of spiders actually called a “colony”? I thought they were called a nest.
Ray, from what I’ve seen, the usual accepted term for a large group of spiders is “AAAIIIIEEEEEE!!!” along with a series of quaint gestures, each of which tells a story.
Just wait until you come in the next time. Possible predictions: 1) he refuses to sell to you; 2) he has the cops waiting for you; 3) he starts showing you spiders he has found around the place. You never know . . .
Adding “…for a biology research project.” to the end might have garnered a different reaction.
In his book “Jazz Anecdotes,” Bill Crow tells the story of the trombonist who discovered that he’d left his plunger mute at home, and went to the local hardware store to buy a replacement. When he told the salesclerk that he “…didn’t need the handle,” the guy’s facial expression changed to one of pure disgust.
@PZ and YOB
Yes… I was imagining something more like this. But PZ your OP definitely made me laugh – and literally out loud.
@Warren Sanders (Nice ‘nym by the way):
That story also gave me a good laugh.
I think Glen Larson could do a great cartoon of your next trip to the bait shop .
What if a mob of supplicants bearing gifts and local Republicans to offer as sacrifices to the new spider-god? You’d look pretty foolish being angry now.
What if a mob of supplicants bearing exotic gifts and local Republicans in chains to offer as sacrifices to the prophet of their new spider-god shows up? You’d look pretty foolish being angry now.
So nice, I said it twice. Sorry for the double post. I hit Post Comment and noticed a goof and hit the stop page button.
Kip , that’s usually my reaction . Lol
Haha. Bring pictures in ur wallet of like 50 spiders and show them off like they’re ur grandkids. Let’s see how awkward this can get.
I blame your delivery rather than the advice.
(…humor, if that wasn’t obvious.)
Quoting from “Animal House:” “You fucked up! You trusted us!”
@ Susan Montgomery, # 11: You’re a poet, and…um…unaware of the fact!
@YOB #5
@Crip Dyke #7
Is “biology research project” an euphemism for world domination?
Morris Co-Op Ass’n: hidden hotbed of anti-colonialism!
“What? No, the spiders at the lab – the government lab. Are you sure that burning radioactive spiders sounds like a good idea, considering your homes are within the fallout zone?”
Then, watch the lot of them look for that mythical government lab with radioactive spiders, so that they could all acquire stuporpowers.
@larpar:
I believe that topic could be clarified by examining this one of PZ’s posts.
This was an obvious success since the primary functions of communication were achieved: 1) the transfer of information 2) the exchange of relevant social cues.
=8)-DX
Well, I for one told you to pretend to be normal instead! But did you listen!? Tsk, tsk, tsk…
Maybe he is wondering if you have more spiders in your colony than he does?
If it’s a new clerk, try saying “I drop them into my wife’s mouth when she snores at night.” Or, “They go great on my Cherrios and milk.” Maybe “What’s fishing?”
Hehehe oops. Next time do the opposite of what we say. :P
Next time buy one of those big bones butchers sometimes sell for dogs, and tell them that’s for the spiders.
When I worked with spiders –
What do you mean? Doesn’t everybody have an arachnid-related job at some point in their career?
Anyway, as I was saying, when I worked with spiders, the little ones were fed Drosophila fruit flies surplus to the geneticists’ requirements, while the big ones got locusts. Going down to the locust room to collect a few dozen was always a strange and somewhat disturbing experience, like a scene from a dystopian sci-fi movie.
@7Crip Dyke, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden: My name is actually Warren Senders (note the “e” in the surname). Any relationship to the current presidential campaign is entirely serendipitous.
@Warren Senders
Ack! I sometimes read with my glasses off and rely on context to distinguish fuzzy letters. The strategy clearly failed me this time. My apologies for the misnaming (I consider respecting someone’s name to be an important part of giving them respect) & otherwise happy to make your ecquaintance. (SWIDT?)
@7Crip Dyke, Right Reverend Feminist FuckToy of Death & Her Handmaiden:
You can probably imagine that it’s not the first time this has happened.
I usually try and aid Mnemosyne by telling the curious that, “If you and a friend are mailing a colony of rabbits to another location, the two of you are collectively warren senders.” This strategy has the double disadvantage of failing to clarify my name almost 100 percent of the time AND confusing my interlocutors, but I persist, apparently because I just plain don’t know any better.
And yes, I SWYDT! Pleased ta meetcha!