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dimity_blueI love eBay, and eBaying, but sometimes I sit back and scratch my head wondering what the heck people see in certain items. For instance...live (or rather, very much dead now) insects in plastic.
Call me squeamish, but there is no freaking way I would wear a spider embedded in a piece of plastic on a chain around my neck. Or a scorpion bracelet either, if it comes to it. The very idea makes my skin crawl!
Yet there's a seller on eBay who appears to specialise in that very thing. Or rather, she specialises in dead insects in 'artifical amber'. Now, I know that amber is basically resin from trees that hardened thousands of years ago, and you frequently get trapped insects in there - but that's natural! No one sat down and deliberately stuck the insects in there in order to sell them as pieces of jewellery. So, doing it deliberately is cruel, IMO.
It also strikes me as bizarre. If you like the insect in question, would you want to wear its dead body to decorate yourself? And if you don't like the insect, why would you want its dead body anyway?
The whole thing gives me the shudders.
Call me squeamish, but there is no freaking way I would wear a spider embedded in a piece of plastic on a chain around my neck. Or a scorpion bracelet either, if it comes to it. The very idea makes my skin crawl!
Yet there's a seller on eBay who appears to specialise in that very thing. Or rather, she specialises in dead insects in 'artifical amber'. Now, I know that amber is basically resin from trees that hardened thousands of years ago, and you frequently get trapped insects in there - but that's natural! No one sat down and deliberately stuck the insects in there in order to sell them as pieces of jewellery. So, doing it deliberately is cruel, IMO.
It also strikes me as bizarre. If you like the insect in question, would you want to wear its dead body to decorate yourself? And if you don't like the insect, why would you want its dead body anyway?
The whole thing gives me the shudders.
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Ditto.
Date: 2005-09-10 10:30 pm (UTC)Here in the American southwest, most of the tourist places sell paperweights of the critters in plastic - tarantulas, scorpions, and (really gruesome) rattlesnake heads.
Like you, I can't see the attraction (except for boys under ten). I've been scorpion-stung several times; I hate to look at them and certainly don't want one on my desk. Tarantulas, despite their appearance, are mild-mannered, innocuous beasts; it's a shame to kill them and preserve them. I have no beef against rattlesnakes (if they stay far away from me), but why on earth would someone want to *look* at the severed head, mouth open to strike? Ugh!
However, I did break down and send a scorpion paperweight to
http://www.livejournal.com/users/starwatcher307/2004/10/28/
That takes you to the description. If you're not too squeamish, there are some big close-up pics behind the cut.
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Re: Ditto.
Date: 2005-09-10 10:57 pm (UTC)I thought scorpions were badly poisonous? Obviously, I'm wrong, which I'm glad of.
And I'm icked beyond belief at the thought of severed rattlesnake heads as paperweights. I guess it goes back to men ("real" men with big, big guns) going on safari and shooting animals so they could have the heads stuffed and put up on the walls. Stupid and cruel (and really not a wise decorating choice).
I read your post about your encounter with Mr. T., but I'll have to take your word for it that he was cute; I didn't dare click to see the full pics. I'm glad you had fun with him though. I've heard that tarantulas are quite placid and make quite good pets (as far as too many legs and not enough fur go)...but I think I'll pass.
Re: Ditto.
Date: 2005-09-10 11:10 pm (UTC)I thought scorpions were badly poisonous? Obviously, I'm wrong, which I'm glad of.
There are several species, and some are much more dangerous than the ones we have in our corner of the world. My dad once saw a fellow airman being airlifted to hospital after he was scorpion-stung during maneuvers, and I've heard that the ones in Mexico are quite deadly. (Well, maybe not ALL the ones in Mexico, but at least one sub-species.) I'd worry if a vey young child or frail elderly person got stung around here, but it's merely a painful inconvience for the average healthy person.
And I'm icked beyond belief at the thought of severed rattlesnake heads as paperweights.
Me, too, but people must buy them, or they wouldn't be on the shelves. I guess it takes all kinds.
I didn't dare click to see the full pics.
Eh, living around here, I have very few visual squicks left. (Or maybe I didn't have many to start with, LOL!) To each their own.
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(no subject)
Date: 2005-09-11 02:26 am (UTC)Re: Ditto.
Date: 2005-09-11 02:21 pm (UTC)It really is amazing the amount of information you learn on the internet. I had no idea there were sub-species of scorpion! However, I think that if I ever see one, I'll take the cautious route and run away as opposed to thinking that it might be one of the lesser poisonous ones. :oD
(no subject)
Date: 2005-09-11 02:26 pm (UTC)That's for sure! Maybe the stuffed deer heads or foxes are a form of boasting? I don't get it though, and I do not understand people who have their pets stuffed either. If you've ever seen the film "Hope Floats", Sandra Bullock's character's mother has a ton of stuffed cats all over the place in various poses and costumes. Really icked me out. Mind you, I thought that film sucked anyway.
And I don't like spiders...but as long as they're prepared to keep their distance, I normally tolerate them or, if they're annoying me, just catch them and evict them. Well, that's if I get 'em before the cats do. My cats like spiders. A lot. But I suspect the spiders feel less friendly towards the cats.
Re: Ditto.
Date: 2005-09-11 02:36 pm (UTC)If I ever see one, I'll take the cautious route and run away
Oh, absolutely! If I find one in the house (ugh!), I don't leave it there; I catch it in a cup and take it outside. Unfortunately, it isn't the ones you see that get you. Each time I've been stung, it was one I didn't know was there.
But - am I right in thinking there are no scorpions in England? I guess you're safe from that 'enjoyable' experience. *g*
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Re: Ditto.
Date: 2005-09-11 02:41 pm (UTC)Hee hee. Yeah, 'enjoyable', that's the word I was looking for!
And no, we don't have scorpions over here (well, unless people have some as pets). I think it's basically because the climate is too wet and cold. See? There ARE advantages to all that rain! And, except for the pet situation, we don't have poisonous snakes (except the adder), or spiders either...although I could be wrong on that one.
Re: Ditto.
Date: 2005-09-12 05:35 am (UTC)Do you mean no spiders at all? Or no poisonous spiders?
Like you, we have only one poisonous snake - the rattler - although two species of spider are dangerously poisonous. I've seen black widows in wellhouse and barn, and killed them when I've found them; I've never seen a brown recluse (thankfully). Otherwise, I leave spiders alone, or put them outside; every little bit that helps catch flies is welcome!
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Re: Ditto.
Date: 2005-09-12 02:51 pm (UTC)Oh, no poisonous spiders! We have tons of spiders. ::shudders::
A friend of mine is in Australia and not so long ago told me that she took a photo of a six inch spider. She was going to send me the picture, then figured she'd never get me to visit if she did. She also reassured me by saying that it was the little spiders you had to look out for, not the big ones.
Oh, that makes me feel a *whole* lot better!