New Orleans Update : No Crawfish But London Has A Giant Squid

More hardship for New Orleans. Due to drought and hurricanes, the annual run of crawfish (or as they say, mudbugs) is practically nonexistent. It is especially difficult now with Mardi Gras and Lent being two of the largest crawfish-eating events of the year.

In the past a typical sack, which holds about 35 pounds or so of live crawfish could be purchased for $25. This year, that same sack cost $100. (but you can still get Crawfish PIES here, for only $60...)

"Crawfish and Lent go together like, well, you just name anything that goes together," the metaphorically challenged Ms. Marti Harrell, executive director of the Louisiana Crawfish Farmers Association said.

But across the pond in London town, the Brits have got themselves one heck of a calamari dish.
The 28 foot Giant Squid (Architeuthis dux), Archie, was put on display today in a 30 foot tank at the Natural History Museum. The tank was constructed in California by Casco Ltd., the same folks who made the tank for Damien Hirsts' 1991 piece The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living - one of my favorite modern art works, featuring a full grown tiger shark.

Now, most squid specimens are either found washed up on shores or in the bellies of sperm whales. Archie, though, was caught live, which means it (they believe it is a SHE) is in very good condition. The process of the preservation is detailed on the museum site pretty well - including some video footage - but some information is dropped between the "caught alive" part and the "Archie arrived at the Museum as a huge pink, folded blob. After DNA samples had been taken it was put into a freezer " part. Last time I checked, you rarely put live things into a freezer.

How did Archie die? The world may never know.