world domination prospects

ay carumba

Check out this bad-boy from South America.  It's in the tomato-family and yes.  Those are thorns growing up from the veins in the leaves.  I suppose any time one finds oneself indigenous to a tropical climate, one goes on the offense.

No doubt such well-defended greenery has its predators.  Ants, maybe.  The occasional slug.  But herbivores likely leave it alone.  (I know.  You're thinking "But hey!  Ants are herbivores!" )  Just set that thought aside my friends.  Tropical ants have voracious appetites.

When I first encountered this little shop of horrors I thought that maybe, maybe it could double as my instagram pet.  You know ... photoshop a thorny leaf into outerspace or deep sea diving or something like that.  Then I asked myself the hard questions--things like: will Bob (the above plant's name) rally the masses and achieve world domination?  Is Bob (again, the above plant) capable of garnering the mandatory 'ohhs' and 'ahhs' and 'isn't he cutes' that accompany even the ugliest of pets when dressed as trick-or-treat pumpkins?  And at last, the bottom line:  Will Bob beat out my friend's dog and top 5000 followers on instagram? 

Decidedly not.

So to comfort myself, I've added three dollars to my "ADOPT XAVIER" fund.  Hang in there my French Bulldog baby!  (Even though by my current saving standards, you aren't born yet.)  Mama's comin' ....