Unshelved by Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum
comic strip overdue media

Monday, July 12, 2004

No one ever believes me when I tell them about Spider Goats

except, of course, the person who first told me about them, who loves goats, hates spiders, and thought this was an unholy thing. I have to admit, this kind of tinkering with nature really bothers me. So, anyway, here's a link for future reference.

SPIDER SILK FROM GOATS' MILK -- HINTS OF A NEW INDUSTRIAL

New Spin on Spider Silk

PS I was actually looking at lovely pictures of orb spiders (I have two great white beauties, one on either side of the back door of my apartment, that come out every night) and argiope spiders, which are freaking huge even by my standards, write zigzags into their webs, and tend to hold their legs in a cross pattern. Since I have many arachnophobic friends, I won't post links here. The above articles have no pictures to worry about, either. ;)

I'm afraid I'm very much in the minority, being arachnophilic. The spider figures in to some of my religious beliefs, and I consider it taboo for me to kill one. My middle name even means spider, or web, in Latin (Aranea). Oh, well. I think they're useful, grand creatures, although terribly unappreciated. I'm sorry others don't feel that way. On the other hand, I'd rather not be bitten by a black widow or brown recluse, the only spiders in our area poisonous to humans. :)

No comments: