This weekend, Richard and I and a friend, Skaff, went to the International
District in Seattle.  We went to a Japanese supermarket there.  What did we
find?  Durian, the KING of Fruit.  It looked like a curled up hedgehog or a
football with spikes.  I had heard of it somewhere.  It was supposed to have
an offensive odor and that it was supposed to be an acquired taste.  I warned
them of what I knew about it.  Richard commented that it looked big enough to
acquire that taste.  Skaff commented that since it was a fruit, how bad could
it actually be?  It also attacked me.  I had somehow gotten too close to it
while we were walking around the supermarket with it.  I noticed my hand was
hurting and that it felt wet and sticky.  I looked down at my hand and found
that the KING had bloodied it.  But, it was advertised as the KING so they
wanted to get it.  So, it became ours for a mere $12 (it weighed 4 pounds). 
I insisted that it was NOT going to be eaten at our house (which was actually
only a few minutes away).  So, we drove to Skaff's house which was 30 minutes
away.  We went outside on his deck with the KING and the cleaver.  I stood
far back from it.  With one quick whack, Skaff only managed to cut it open
halfway.  An odor drifted up and out from the KING.  Rotten burning tire,
that is, if tire could rot.  Cough!  Cough!  Finally, after we finished
coughing, Skaff got closer to it.  He took his fork and with trepidation in
his heart, he took a microscopic piece and tasted it.  Evolution in action! -
the gag reflex was instantaneously invoked.  He put his head over the edge of
the deck and threw up heartily.  We were all laughing so hard that our
abdominal muscles hurt.  But, Skaff!  Oh, Skaff was throwing up and laughing
so hard that the acid was going up his nose.  He finally finished throwing up
and went into the kitchen to drink water - hoping to drown out the KING. 
But, it didn't work.  So he opened a bottle of red wine.  That only served to
enhance the KING.  Richard commented that perhaps red wasn't the appropriate
wine to drink with the KING.  David, one of Skaff's housemates, asked if
perhaps Skaff should have drank Blush.  Skaff interjected the comment that he
was NOT trying to complement the KING but to kill it.  We then went back to
the KING.  We circled it.  Skaff took another tiny bit on the fork and
smelled it.  He made a face.  Richard took the fork and smelled it next.  He
made a face.  I took the fork and smelled it.  I gagged and nearly threw up. 
Skaff, being the kind of person who will not be daunted decided to try again.
 He took another tiny bit and tried it.  He instantly threw up again.  This
time it was mixed with the red wine he had just drunken.  Next Richard not to
be outdone by Skaff tried the KING.  He managed to keep the gagging reflex
under control.  He thought to himself, 'mango, mango, mango' as he finally
got it down his throat.  Challenged, Skaff, tried again (I suppose you
realize by now that Skaff is an uncommon fellow).  He managed to keep it down
this time.  He tried again and again until finally he felt that he had
conquered the KING.  

So, what did we do with the 3.999999 lbs of KING left?  We wrapped it up in 2
layers of plastic and took it work (i.e., here) and put it in the fridge. 
Then issued a challenge to the staff.  Let the games begin!