Open Thread – The Weird, Wet Web.
It’s been raining a lot. This is fine with me. Rain means one thing in October in Alaska. It means no snow.
I can hear the rain coming down in sheets on my metal roof. It tends to get pretty windy in these parts and metal roofs are the norm in my neighborhood. So, as long as I can hear it, I know we’re fine. This morning there was a heavy frost on the ground though, so I know it’s going to happen any time now. Maybe it’ll hold off a few more days…
That is incredibly beautiful.
Right out of Mother Nature’s jewelry box! Just gorgeous.
What an awesome pic, AKM!
This week over on The Mudflats forum – we are updating the States list.
For those who don’t know what the states list is – it is an easy way to find mudpuppies near you. Not long after the forums opened, the moderators and admins thought it would be a cool idea to compile a list of members by what state (or country) we live in. You can see the states list here –
http://www.themudflats.net/forum/index.php/topic,3753.0.html
It is easy to get put on the states list – all you have to do is post an introduction in the introduce yourself area. We have a how to guide on how to do this here -
http://www.themudflats.net/forum/index.php/topic,94.0.html
If you are on the list and have moved, or need to make any changes, let me know via PM or via my contact page on my blog.
I hate to knock down spiderwebs. In fact, I don’t outside. Inside, eh, sometimes I feel domestic.
If we ever get rain again, I’ll try to get a web-shot.
And it’s 43F? Heck, you may have another week to go.
Someone just asked me how they can private message (PM) another member on the list. Just in case anyone else is wondering how to do it – we have a how to guide on how to use the private messaging system here –
http://www.themudflats.net/forum/index.php/topic,11.0.html
Enjoy!
Another award worthy photo! Stunning!
I was in the yard a few days ago and saw a very intricately designed and symmetrical web on a flowering tree. I was tempted to “clean up” the tree, but decided that some creature had put a lot of work into it and just left it there for him/her to find later.
It was amazing how “perfect” it was, with each “strand” equidistant from the next, each spiraling circle exactly like the one prior. It’s like the creature had a ruler, compass and template to work with.
Checking out the States Page!
Just reported on MSNBC: Someone has an X-Box that SP autographed over the summer in Wasilla up on Ebay. The bid is up to $1.1M.
I don’t get it. DINNER with her only fetched a few thousand. I’m sure she would have autographed ANYTHING someone brought to that little meeting.
For the Troops, of course!
i love spiderwebs , great picture
I love your photo, AKM.
This painting not so much:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/06/jon-mcnaughton-painting-s_n_311912.html
@samper: They’re probably not doing the same level of authentication for the X-Box. Somebody’s bidding it up from a disownable address.
@ pearl89: Isn’t that lovely? I particularly like how McNaughton’s signature is right next to the wad of cash the “lawyer” is counting. Hmmm?
@stranglet #12, when I rolled over the painting I didn’t get anything. I tried at a couple of places even tried going to McNaughton’s web site.
I tried to go to McNaughton’s web site to provide the link but apparently his site is down. You can get a very slow loading cache site…ran out of patience before it could load.
A couple of other sites with articles about the painting are Mother Jones and PoliGazette. I’m sure there are others.
i love when the webs catch the rain. great picture.
i really liked the x-rated picture on the open thread from yesterday!!!
Found this video at Sick for Profit. It seems that Wellpoint (one, if not the, largest health insurance co) is suing the state of Maine. They want the state of Maine to guarantee that their company will make a 3% profit.
http://sickforprofit.com/
AKM, not only is the picture beautiful, but your choice of words is interesting:
The origin of “weird” is “wyrd”, meaning destiny.
Whenever I see a spider web, I marvel at its beautiful, deadly complexity.
Spider is feared and revered in many Traditions, and rightfully so:
Spider weave thy Web of Fate
May I do good before it be Late…
another gorgeous picture. thanks for sharing!
on another note. the silly palin has sanctioned another facebook post. this time she’s lecturing president obama on afghanistan. good god almighty. a woman who couldn’t face the accusations of 15 people in alaska thinks she should be giving advice to a sitting president about how to handle a WAR. in afghanistan. who has ever won a war in afghanistan? priceless.
didn’t jon stewart have a hilarious piece on war in afghanistan? oh, yes, here it is:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-september-17-2009/the-unwinnable-war-in-afghanistan
fyi, there are geat pieces on gore vidal at both huffpo and commondreams.org.
Sorta puts everything into perspective:
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/NASA-Spitzer-Space-Telescope-WM-Keck-Observatory/photo//091007/480/05fddd09a8c444069468c920accd6ed7//s:/ap/20091007/ap_on_sc/us_saturn_giant_ring#photoViewer=/091007/480/05fddd09a8c444069468c920accd6ed7
First time ever photographed.
This organization is putting together a nifty little story map of peoples’ health care experiences. They would welcome your contributions.
http://catholicsinalliance.org/storymap
I note not too many stories from red states – ha!
AKM – One of my all-time favorites! Spiderwebs have always held a fascination for me. During our ice storm last January, one was frozen perfectly on our backporch and stayed that way until after the thaw – amazing how strong they actually are!
Maybe they think they are bidding on Sarah’s “X Files!”
Beautiful..compelling..and we leave them here also. On the periodic times where a single strand is across the branches..during a hike..one may ‘sample’ a bit of web..as connection to those ..long gone ahead of us..a gentling thought/action…by way of blessing.
High BPA levels tied to aggression in young girls:
http://tinyurl.com/yecj87j
Maybe the water bottle that Sarah has been using on her long gut thrashing runs is one of those fancy BPA models!
Beautiful photo. It reminds me of that angel hair glass art.
Had a tiny weensy spider climbing up the monitor screen, and everytime I scroll down, it would get very confused and start running in circles, so I delicately placed him on the desk, dangling from his tiny web.
just WOW:
Senate Passes Amendment To Prevent KBR and Halliburton From Getting Away With Raping Employees (Literally)
(and they go on about Acorn)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/howie-klein/senate-passes-amendment-t_b_311866.html
30 Republican Senators voted against this bill. One of them was John McCain. All female Republican Senators voted yes. AKM
#26 twain12
Ditto that WOW! Kudos to Al Franken.
AKM, you leave me breathless with your photos. You ARE going to publish them in a coffee table book, are you not????
Tee Hee, Silly Sarah’s Facebook ghostwriter thinks she’s still relevant.
On a different note, I’m very disappointed in Mark Zuckerberg for allowing the SOCIAL NETWORKING site of Facebook to be used as a platform for political aggrandizing. I had written to him via email and snail mail back in August telling him that I thought it was inappropriate and never heard a word in reply. I am a Facebook user and enjoy it to keep up with my friends and family and to share our activities, travels and photos. I certainly don’t go there for political discussion!
Great photo AKM,
I have used spray bottles to mist spider webs for photos.
Personal update:
I am officially a Mat-Su Valley resident.
After an exhausting move from very rural AK, I am now enjoying electricity, refrigeration and INDOOR PLUMBING for the first time in many many years.
It was nerve wracking hoping my husband approved of the house I picked out. He finally physically saw it the day before closing, He had one week off and met me here. He likes the house and land very much, whew!
Now to unpack, and find some furniture.
oops.. gotta get used to the DSL very fast.
Glad you’re back Rubber Room! Yay for indoor potties, eh?
RRHotel – Congrats!! I was just wondering about you and your move. Was hoping all had gone well and that you were moved in by the time the weather really started getting cold. Happy New Home to you and Hubby !!!
Fall brings out all the spiders in Western Washington. In the early morning mists, I love seeing all the webs strung between the power lines along the road. Here at home, they are strung between virtually everything. Our family says we are “breaking trail” when we are the first out the door in the morning. There are frequently webs across the doors! Yes, its a nuisance, but I still enjoy the beauty. I do not enjoy when winter comes, and at least half of them move indoors. 34 degrees yesterday morning, but no frost yet…
Mudpups………check this list, if one of your congressman voted no to this amendment against Halliburton and KBR contracts you need to CHEW them out! Taking the side of rapists in stead of those raped? giving no support or justice to the abused? give me a break!
30 Republicans voted NO, including McCain! I have to wonder what his wife and daughter think about this. WTF is wrong with these people?
10 Repubs voted yes, they need to be acknowledged and thanked.
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=1&vote=00308
No votes:
Alexander (R-TN)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Gregg (R-NH)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Johanns (R-NE)
Kyl (R-AZ)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Wicker (R-MS)
Not Voting – 2
Byrd (D-WV)
Specter (D-PA)
10 Repub yes votes:
Bennett (R-UT)
Collins (R-ME)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
LeMieux (R-FL)
Lugar (R-IN)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Snowe (R-ME)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Why am I not surprised??? Bunning and McConnell from Kentucky.
I write and write to both, sign every petition, and rarely get any response.
Those I do get are stock letters that really say nothing.
Thank God Bunning won’t be running this year – he can stay at home and take all the naps he wants, instead of on the Senate floor!
McConnell is a crook and takes big $$$ from contractors, so I see why he wouldn’t want to endanger one of his big backers.
Stinko!
no surprise about cornyn. ugh! he repulses me ever so much!!!!
i will email kay bailey to thank her.
Both my senators voted no — Roberts and Brownback–no surprise there they are both losers.
There are no bids on that XBOX,its the starting price.The same XBOX was on Ebay a while back and then was removed.The seller has zero feedback.I expect this will be too.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Sarah-Palin-Signed-Autograph-XBOX-360_W0QQitemZ160367587544QQcmdZViewItemQQptZVideo_Games?hash=item2556a730d8
This is alink to his Youtube site.
http://www.youtube.com/davidmorrill
Stunning spiderweb. in the rain.
Natural beauty is more fleeting, but usually more enchanting than anything man can produce.
Juneaudream… please tell me about the single strand of a web and its reminder of connection to those who went ahead… is this your own, your very personal way of honoring the ancestors, or is it a Tradition, an Old Philosophy? If it is your own, would you mind if I shared? If it is a part of an ancient belief, please enlighten me to it? I thank you! Ing
AKM, that is a very cool picture!
So, I think this little bit of news needs to make into mainstream media. Not that we can do much about it now, but it’s further evidence of good old boy corruption. It also shows how they went after Spritzer for pointing it out.
Hey Rachel or Keith, what do ya think?
http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/study-bush-administration-blocked-att
“In 2004, the Office of the Currency Comptroller, an obscure regulatory agency tasked with ensuring the fiscal soundness of America’s banks, invoked an 1863 law to give itself the power to override state laws against predatory lending. The OCC told states they could not enforce predatory-lending laws, and all banks would be subject only to less-strict federal laws.”
Beautiful ..Spider webs have always fascinated me…So very daint looking, but very strong..Thanks AKM… Have a great day to all…
LOL, Gryphen says Scarah goes all out on shredding Levi in her book.
And, it sounds like something new is gonna come out soon. Yahoo!
http://theimmoralminority.blogspot.com/2009/10/palins-new-book-is-total-hit-job-on.html#comments
“I guess now is as good of a time as any to tell you that I did manage to get my contacts together with another media outlet. I cannot identify which one, for obvious reasons, but you can count on the fact that ALL will be revealed in the near future.”
McCain is making a fool of himself……
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/10/7/790508/-Ouch
“And participants said there was another dramatic exchange between two former presidential nominees — McCain and Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
According to the participants, Kerry told Obama that whether to send more troops into Afghanistan was a “collective” decision, because lawmakers in both parties are prepared to help him sell it to the American people.
But McCain — who campaigned in 2008 on the argument that he had more experience to make tough calls like this — stood up to insist that ultimately, the commander-in-chief alone will take the heat.
When asked by a reporter after the White House meeting if this decision is a test for Obama as head of the armed forces, McCain said, “Of course it is, and I think the president is aware of it.”
44~Say No~ This is going to be sooooo fun to watch…
All kinda things are going to start crawling out of the woodworks..
Scarah’s book, try not to gag, lol…….I found this comment over at Palingates. Thanks Jo!
jo said…
Newsmax is another Conservative rag that bought $P book in bulk. They are offering her book free with a paid subscription. Newsmax is as bad as the John Birch Society. Those are the only things $P reads, that’s why she wouldn’t answer Katie. Here is their description of what’s in the book try not to gag.
“Why You Need to Read Going Rogue
Sarah Palin is one of the most controversial and exciting figures on the political stage.
She is hated and feared by her liberal detractors. Conservatives love her.
Her story has never really been fully told — until now.
From her humble beginnings to her time in the spotlight as the first female Republican vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin has led an extraordinary life.
Going Rogue will recount her shocking rise from housewife to governor of the state of Alaska — and how she took on a corrupt political establishment to win the state’s highest office.
Going Rogue will tell for the first time why John McCain selected her and what really happened during the 2008 campaign.
In Going Rogue, Sarah Palin holds nothing back and even gives her stunning assessment of Barack Obama.
She also reveals her thoughts about a 2012 presidential run.
And in Going Rogue, you will discover the personal side of one of America’s most fascinating women.
Sarah shares how faith has led her throughout her life and offers her insights into the personal challenges she’s faced — including balancing her time as a working mother, recognizing the war’s impact with her son serving combat in Iraq, having a child with a disability, and supporting her teenage daughter through an unplanned pregnancy.
The media have gone out of their way to distort and twist the real Sarah Palin.
In Going Rogue you will get to see her close up and real — and find out what the media simply don’t want you to know.
Palin has received much attention through the media, but never before has her complete story been told in her own words.
Going Rogue does just that.”
Puke, same old BS we heard from her for the last year. That will make her look presidential all right.
AKM: from the weird, wet web to the wyrd of gang “use” of a colleague in a war zone, to a comment by a high ranking female officer (Major General?) that this action by peers was something to be expected and not to be fretted over all that much… she may have been the commander of Abu Ghraib. Maybe someone else can unearth this, unfortunately I am not very computer literate.
Spider kills the sire of her brood so the offspring have protein upon which to grow.
Gruesome? Yes, and while that is part of spider revulsion in many, it also is part of the fascination of how Life itself continues.
Now back to the Wyrd of R*pe… not “merely” of r*pe as a multitude of clubs with which to brutalize defeated nations into submission as has been recorded through history right up to the present moment in various locales of warring nations, but “collegial” violations!
Dru=ging and Fu==ing… You get the word!
Now on to today’s votes in Congress… Hand me the bag the airlines used to keep in the pocket in front of your seat, Please!!!
Where do we go from here? Alan Parsons had a valid question…
This was the article I mentioned for Samper a day or two ago about credit cards in Europe:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/travel/04pracchip.html?em
(We seem to have non-cutting edge credit cards. Thanks, you scum-sucking American banks with over-paid management.)
The Big Fat Idiot’s announcement of his attempt to buy the Rams has caused every sports commentator across the country (see article on Media Matters) to delve into his wealth of racist statements, including the one which got him fired from ESPN.
I don’t think the NFL, with over 60% of its players being African-American, will tolerate this racist pig as an owner. Words have consequences, Rush, you slime ball.
somehow I missed seeing this video, lol…….refreshing to hear intelligent thoughts about Scarah as VP, it’s the vid of a focus group opinion and impression.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnV1pS7qVD8&feature=player_embedded
BTW, anybody have tips for sinus irritation/infection? I can’t seem to shake it. It started when outside mold spore count was high. I’m using the netty pot which has helped a little, I’m also rubbing vit. E oil inside my nose, but my sinus’ still hurt. I can breath fine. I’m going to try Silver Colloidal spray, it’s worked for me before. I hate not feeling good, tired, headache, blah. Poor me, lol.
http://www.unfoundation.org/global-issues/climate-and-energy/its-getting-personal/ is your link from the U.N. to tell the world what it is you’ll miss as the climate changes.
Beautiful photo, I love spiders and their webs (though one of my best friends was bitten by a brown recluse, and could have died — fortunately, she knew how to neutralize the poison).
Health and peace to all. See you in chat tonight?
Wow. I can’t stand spiders but this photo is really amazing. Very beautiful.
Your pictures are lovely.
Say No to Palin in Politics – @51
Ever try oil pulling? There is lots of info on the tubes about it. We love it – it has kept spouse allergy free all year. Also, helps my sinuses. It might be worth a try.
For those appalled by the Jon McNaughton Jebus & Constitution painting, there is a lovely parody site all ready for you enjoyment. Mouse over the various characters, as in the original, for the “real” commentary.
http://www.shortpacked.com/McNaughton%20Fine%20Art.htm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/07/joe-scarborough-grows-exa_n_312471.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/06/michael-moore-and-sean-ha_n_311936.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/07/meet-the-senators-who-vot_n_312976.html
Moore, Blumenthal and Senator Franken are doing a good job in fighting the Republicans.
I love the picture. Look like crystal..lol
A beautiful picture of strength and fragility. Wow. Amazing photo!
Didn’t read the previous comments on this OT. Love your photo. Initial thought, breaking through the glass ceiling. Then, because you are in Alaska, I thought, trapped in the shattering glass of a misbegotten attempt (at breaking through the glass ceiling.
Thanks for the firing of brain synapses.
To fromthediagonal. It is a version..of a native american/perhaps americas..tradition of ingesting a bit of web..to .. perhap… metaphorically-speaking..to enter into..a contact, or awareness of those who have gone on before. A contact with the dead..to remind us..of all that we cherished..which Has..gone on before us..but..that we..in that ..moment..acknowledge..we too..will fade..but..that all..’They’..have left us..presents a pattern, a way..to..reconnect. That there is..a strength to this world..and ..worlds unseen..but kept close in the hearts of all who cherish..The Family of Man.
Juneaudream @61:
I did assume you were referring to Ancient Wisdoms, but I just had to ask.
Folk medicine in many regions teaches that strands of a web will help close a a scar. Passages of Those Who Came Before can leave us scarred, and thus your description of ingesting a strand of a web makes much sense if done with contemplation and meditation upon the past, present and future, knowing that it is the everchanging Moment in which we live.
I look forward to your interpretations of current affairs on how they may reflect the framework of Old Traditions.