THE MAJESTIC GASTROTICH!

Who is that galloping across the fine sedimentary bottom, leaping over algae and presumably roaring its fierce battle cry? Why, it's the imposing gastrotich!
I've never seen anything like it!

Actually, I haven't. It's too small. They are seldom more than a millimetre. And I am seldom focused on sedimentary garbage at the bottom of streams and rivers. Besides, the little fellas do not hold up large signs saying "hey look at me" or slogans of a revolutionary nature. And although they suck mightily (their muscular pharynx 'inhaling' minute organic particles for food), I have never noticed them, because I rarely visit slow moving bodies of water, my reading specs aren't strong enough for something that tiny, I've never actually looked for them, and I believe they might be rather shy.

While I was drawing this one (I'll call him 'Jack'), a person identifying herself as "Meghan from PGE" called. She too is rather shy; that probably wasn't her actual name OR real employer (she had a heavy Indian accent), and when I spoke in Cantonese asking her why she had called, she hung up. Many Indian phone scammers are fearful of Cantonese.
It flummoxes them. They don't know what to do next.

With precisely three exceptions, all phone calls I receive are spam. The three exceptions are, in fact, Cantonese language familiar individuals, who would likely interrupt me to mention cardiologists appointments, regular care physician's appointments down at the clinic or something else health care provider related, or my apartment mate off-site possibly reminding me of something medically connected or suggesting impending doom.

Many gastrotiches are less than a tenth of a millimetre long. So adding a banana for scale, as is the American standard, would be somewhat ridiculous. Besides, bananas are not usually placed at the bottom of streams. So Americans looking at this will no doubt be baffled. Indian scam artists, smarter than the average American, would be confused at seeing the banana and consider the Americans stupid and wasteful for putting it there.


I am not berserk. Therefore I shall NOT add the banana.


Someone on social media mentioned the gastrotich. Which spurred my sudden interest and the drawing of the illustration above. I do not normally consider the gastrotich. And do not want one as a pet.


Another internet poster mentioned Phoenician inscriptions in Cyprus. In connection with a chart of Semitic languages ancient and modern. Which naturally caused a dumpster fire, because the internet has a large population of strongly opinionated morons.
I did not feel like illustrating that.




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