America........the Beautiful, by Taylor Jones in today's LA Times.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

[Lionel Mandrake]

1. My dear CP,

I see a bridge fallihg down in the Pacific NW, fires in the SW, a tornado in the "midsection" (only prizefighters used to have midsections), flooding in Texas, a snake strangling Florida, and an infestation by some critters along the East coast. What sort of arthropods are they?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. My dear Lionel Mandrake!

I have to confess that I really don't know...they look familiar, but I don't know what they're called.

Perhaps someone can enlighten us.

[dems_rightnow]

3. Cicadas, I think.

Look that way to me.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. I think you may well be right.

I couldn't remember the name.

[WinkyDink]

5. DEFINITELY cicadas! We're expecting "billions". I've been told to call my exterminator when I see

the first ones.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

6. A sorry state of affairs indeed, my dear CA Peggy

And who's gonna fix it?