"And now, the weather (on mp3)....
"That report comes to us via our corporate sponsors atSalon. For in depth coverage, please refer to Fade To Black's interview and Barbelith's updates on new releases.
"Yes, that's right, new releases.
"Thank you for listening, and good night."
Death can't stop a redneck legend.
You ever wonder about Bird-Eating Spiders?:
The largest of them, the Goliath Bird-Eating Spider, can boast a 10-inch legspan... the size of a small pizza.
excerpt: Despite its common name, the bird-eating spider rarely eats birds. Occasionally, hatchling birds will be taken from nests on the ground, however, the bulk of the diet comprises insects, lizards, frogs, and other spiders. Although the fangs are long and robust and can easily penetrate human skin, the bite is not deadly. The venom is quite toxic, however, and bites may cause severe pain, nausea and profuse sweating.
The female bird-eating spider spends most of her life in her burrow. During spring or early summer. The male approaches the female's burrow and entices her out, hopefully without becoming dinner, to mate at the entrance. The female lays about 50 eggs into a 30mm diameter sack several days later, which is stored in the burrow and protected by a tough cover of silk. If the female leaves the burrow to hunt, she will often take the egg sack with her, secured between the palps and fang tips. While females may live in excess of ten years, the male usually dies after mating at around five years of age.
On the other hand:
excerpt: Tarantulas use their fangs for subduing their prey and carrying it to their dens (or to a safe location) for devouring at their leisure. They don't have teeth for tearing and chewing their meals so they regurgitate digestive juices onto their victim. These digestive juices break down the soft tissues so that the spider can slurp up its meal. All that's left when the spider has finished its meal is bones, skin, fur and/or feathers. The goliath bird-eating spider has been known to take young birds from their nests for its mealtime pleasure - hence the name "bird-eater". Tarantulas eat frogs, small snakes, beetles, lizards, and even bats.
You think that's creepy? Believe it or not there are people in South America who eat tarantulas. Many of us in developed countries are repulsed by the idea of eating insects or spiders, but it actually makes sense if you think about it. They are the most plentiful living things on earth and they are a good source of protein. I've heard tarantulas roasted in their own skins over a campfire are pretty tasty.
They have their fans.
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The Goliath Bird-Eating Spider (Theraphosa blondi) :
"This is not a species suitable for any freehandling. If it wont bite you sure get a dose of the itching urticating hairs. So I use a plastic box for transfers when cleaning the cage or mating. T. blondi is not a good beginner species."
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Lesser Black Bird-Eating Spider (Xementhis immensis)
[a.k.a. Purple Bloom Bird-Eating Spider (Xenesthis immanis)] :
"This species is very fast and aggressive and appears to do well in captivity when given the proper care. The Xenesthis immanis will readily flick urticating hairs, but these seem to be less irritating than other large species of tarantula."
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Pink-toed Bird-eating Spider (Avicularia avicularia) :
"Avicularia species are quite adept at perching on smooth surfaces while enjoying a meal."
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The Queensland Bird-Eating Spider (Selenocosmia crassipes) :
"The Bird Eating Spider is one of Australia's largest spiders. It is also known as the Barking Spider or Whistling Spider. The barking or whistling sound is a warning when the spider is disturbed and is made by rubbing their palps with their fangs."
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Salmon Pink Bird-Eating Spider (Lasiodora parahybana) :
"She is very aggressive but also very beautiful."
frog before: 
frog after:
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Thanks to the sonic virus vectors at Radio 1190, I’m currently slipping deep into an obsession with The Mountain Goats and their new album, Tallahassee.
It’s different from their (his?) older material only inasmuch as it’s done in a studio and not on a home cassette rig.
Something about me, right now, is vulnerable to Mountain Goat infection – something about the direction of my thoughts today, which have been swirling around mortality and relationships and the future, and small towns and old friends and (as ever) the End Times, something in me is leaping along with these songs.
Especially listening to this one, here, …which is presented as part of this interview …where he talks about a show in Tallahassee where his fingers bled.
North Florida. Heartbreak. Rain. Memory. Road trips.
Music reads minds.
and then the old voice crackled through the static.
and i felt young and alive
and the hair stood up on the back of my neck
we were rising from the grave, yeah yeah.
If you're feeling especially nosy, the "personal" song he refers to in the interview is on the web here, as an mp3.