M. (hristine

Brown recluse spiders are common here, and I have known 3 guys who have been bitten by them. That picture was the far end of the spectrum, but not by much.

Oh man I can't wait.

In the Orient, elaborate cricket cages were carved for lucky house crickets. This cage was used for fighting crickets:

I swear I saw a vinegaroon (such a name!) on my backpack while waiting for the airport shuttle late last summer. It was very early in the morning. I put my bags down, and when I went to pick them up, I was eyeball to eyeball with it. I might have said, "Oh, I see," before I brushed it off my bag. Christ it was huge!

The whole thing?? And?

Hammerhead sperm shark!

The closest I've ever been to torturing insects was snatching flies out of the air during high school study hall and tying a strand of my very long hair around their tiny flynecks and watching them fly round and round. Ditto.

Crickets live with impunity in my house, though last night I came out into the sunroom and hollered at them to chill out with their infernal wing scratching. They were only quiet for a while.

I watched in horror while wasps dined on my fat swallowtail caterpillars like so much raw hamburger. I still capture and release them if I find them in my house. I spit on earthworms and tuck them under damp leaves if I happen upon them struggling across dry pavement. I have also been known to fish with them.

What about vacuuming with the crevice tool. Is that bad karma?

I suspect that all of these media pieces were scheduled and shot at about the same time. Mostly the pragmatic consideration of having film crews and writers in the house. Plus Spencer has become a high profile recorder of Life Wilco. As a mom who has seen guitar player dad jamming with drummer kid played out many times, the angle bears much resonance. I watched this with a mixture of pride and selfishness. Still, there is beautiful irony in seeing dudes in their 40s and 50s reach a level of rock and roll success usually reserved for the youts. Kudos, Wilco. Thanks to the guys that sn

I honestly can't remember the last book of fiction I read, but this has been well worth the waiting:

These are very helpful, bjorn. Thanks!

Oh sweet creamy Jesus this sounds amazing.

Interesting thought. Someone told me not long ago that I was one of the few women he knew who still had a uterus. Wombless and plastic boobed, we have acually become Barbie dolls. Better living through science!

I love that quote, and while I agree with mizz Parker, the title of the book seems particularly apropos to this subject. The philosophy, not so much. Free market capitalism is great for some aspects of our society. Government has it's place also. Health care just doesn't seem to fit into either of these paradigms.

This too shall pass.

Sure. kwall was being sarcastic as he generally is, without offering any insight. Also a Sponge Bob double entendre. My desire that the citizens of this country open their eyes and understand that the 'state', yes even His Holiness Obama, is in a conjugal, symbiotic relationship with corporations. At this point the interests of for profit corporate America and the federal government are one in the same. As it relates to the physical health of it's citizens, this fact is particularly disturbing. That last bit is the pablum (high fructose corn syrup?) we get fed to keep our tiny minds fr

kwall, your sarcasm is showing. I wish this issue would bust open the dark box of squigglies, but as per it will be reduced to a bunch of hyberbole and incendiary buzzwords. I think Atlas shrugged.

Sorry Dick, I meant to say philosophical collectivism. "Socialism is the stage following capitalism in the transition of a society to communism, characterized by the imperfect implementation of collectivist principles." Health insurance is only capitalist in that the surplus goes into shareholders' pockets. The surplus is generated through a collectivist model. We attempt to separate for profit corporations from government. That line has become so blurred as to be non existent.

Increasingly the citizens of these united states are inflated with corn syrup and Farenheit 451 type information. Critical thinking? That fell out of favor starting in Bush era kindergarten. We just want to teach our kids to do well in standardized testing. The people who scream about socialism don't understand that ALL insurance is a form of socialism. Insurance companies don't pay for medical bills, people who buy insurance do. The healthy paying for the unhealthy. Insurance companies just get to pocket the difference. Their pockets are bulging.

I could go for an old fashioned sno cone.

Meh. Saw him in Cincinnati last year and it was a tremendous if eccentric show. Came close to seeing him in KC, but opted out. My friend that did see the KC show echoed what Tim Finn said, and will probably never bother to see him again. Dude is known for his erratic behavior, so no big surprises there. Sure ain't gonna get my panties in a twist about any of it...especially some silly little video that made me laugh at his dorkiness.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-august-17-2009/poll-bearers