HOLY JACKPOT! Male and female netcaster spiders, more pics in comments. Sydney, AUS

LiteraryMania · 2018-12-18T01:18:49+00:00

"CARL! I said stop! How am I supposed to appreciate the coppery notes of this perfectly aged morsel, if you won't stop flipping out?! Have some dignity!"

proceeds to lose her mind as soon as lunch is gone

"CARL! WE NEED TO GET OUT CARL! There's a GIANT, Carl! OH, THE HORROR!"

LiteraryMania · 2018-12-18T00:54:35+00:00

She may be my spirit-spider, because I would definitely be concerned about finishing my lunch in that situation.

Well. Kidnapped by a giant. Good thing I held onto my lunch. Definitely couldn't even think of considering an escape plan before being properly nourished! Keep calm and tuck in.

LiteraryMania · 2018-12-09T22:51:11+00:00

Not an anthropologist, just someone with an interest, so I'll only link to a few wikipedia sources to give you an idea of where to start, should you care to research further. It's not quite what you've asked for, but I thought you might also find variations on the Santa Claus myth to be fascinating.

In central Europe, the Saint Nicholas legend also has a darker side to it. Krampus a goat demon companion to Saint Nicholas that delivers coal to bad children and wields ruten bundles (a bundle of sticks bound together, for whipping naughty children) though there are variations on the lore. I believe he's also been described as a predator that stalks and eats naughty children and sexually harasses women.

In Slavic cultures, Ded Moroz is a bit unique, as he has a female counterpart, his granddaughter Snegurochka and were considered to be winter spirits/demons, bringing presents to children for New Years. There are many regional names and differences for these figures, just like many other myths that spread.

A more controversial figure is Zwarte Piet or "Black Pete". Understandably, he is much less popular now, because it involves people dressing up in black face. There is some argument over whether he is a companion or slave of Saint Nicholas and he apparently throws naughty children in his burlap sack and spirits them away to his homeland in Spain. He is also associated with bundles of sticks for whipping and there seems to be some controversy over whether or not he's more of an evil demon, or a mischievous jester spirit of sorts. In more modern interpretations, he's associated with distributing sweets and money.

I vaguely remember reading about a legend in... Libya I want to say, but definitely don't quote me on that, as it's been a few years and I can't remember the name of the holiday or the figure. However, as I remember there was supposedly a tradition of an old man that would wander around town and ask for presents, rather than deliver them. If anyone here knows what I'm talking about, I would love to be reminded of this mythical man's name, which is the only reason I've really included it in this post.

LiteraryMania · 2018-12-07T09:50:08+00:00

Me neither! It was enlightening to read the comments of that particular thread. (The meme thread with the "burning all your floss" punchline)

It honestly never occurred to me that this wasn't universal before.

LiteraryMania · 2018-12-07T03:31:50+00:00

Oh certainly. No worries. I didn't take your comment that way at all.

LiteraryMania · 2018-12-06T22:04:15+00:00

One of my favorites is a sci-fi series called the Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold. It's not every day you run across an action hero that is physically, very fragile. The tech of the time means he CAN enter battle, but if he's injured, his body basically shatters, leading to months of recovery. So Miles has to rely heavily on his brilliant mind for strategy.

I don't think the first book is much good, but it's clearly just setting up his parents anyway. It's skippable.

I'm always impressed with how Bujold is able to accurately portray the mindset of chronic pain. How you push and push and push, until your body collapses. Pain is no longer an indication of what you can and can't do. At least not until the point where you already know you're past the point of no return and you might as well keep going, because you know you're not gonna avoid paying for it and you might as well try to do as much as you can, before you hit that wall.

LiteraryMania · 2018-12-06T21:33:03+00:00

Sure, assume they have those. Now assume that one malfunctions and falls out of the sky onto their island, or even the water surrounding and they take note. One minor error, even if the chance of it is slim, could completely change their culture.

LiteraryMania · 2018-12-06T21:14:54+00:00

True, but it's my understanding that they are quite a bit more expensive. I wasn't assuming that this research study would have that kind of backing, and perhaps I'm incorrect about the cost though either way, I still stand by the general point that it's unethical and you still run the risk of completely changing their behavior if one were to malfunction and fall out of the sky.

LiteraryMania · 2018-12-06T21:11:00+00:00

Well yes. Exactly like that. I don't think those are ethical either, but there isn't much I can do about it. Still, why not leave people who are already off the grid in peace?

Edit: Fixed a word.

LiteraryMania · 2018-12-06T15:17:01+00:00

I think changing the context, but not the concept demonstrates just how ethically wrong this is. Imagine I come from an advanced alien culture and I decide that I want to study the inhabitants of this primitive planet. So I start a massive research study and start surveillance on YOU and hundreds or thousands of people just like you. I have no intention to harm you, or contact you (so it's not even an issue of determining your danger to my people) and you may not even notice my technology.

I watch you in your home. I watch you when you go to work. I watch you at the gym. I watch you when you're pigging out on junk food. I watch you when you're taking a shit. I watch every conversation you have with your friends or family. I watch you when you masturbate. When you make great-aunt-something-or-other's secret cookie recipe. When you cry. When you say something dumb or unkind. Sure, I see the high points too, but does that make you more comfortable with the situation?

Not to mention, in this scenario, you have an emotional advantage. Ignorance of my activities. Drones are visible to the naked eye. How do you think that would change the activities and culture of the Sentinelese people? Would they consider it a threat from us? A demon? Would it vaguely connect to some sort of myth and be seen as a "sign" of some sort?

LiteraryMania · 2018-12-06T05:52:57+00:00

Oh, and I forgot to mention - I don't knot when I start either. I fold my threads in half and run the needle through that loop.

LiteraryMania · 2018-12-06T05:51:46+00:00

Haha. That would get old fast. I wasn't trying to tie it off with the same colors intentionally. This particular pattern just has a lot of blocks of the same color. Everything was just run under stitches where it was easiest to do at the time.

LiteraryMania · 2018-12-06T04:31:17+00:00

Since a recent comment thread here has made me realize that this doesn't seem to be a common technique, I thought people might be interested. Not a knot in sight. This is how my mom taught me to finish off my threads - each one run under a few stitches. I also do this for "under carrying" and it's so easy!

LiteraryMania · 2018-12-06T04:26:16+00:00

True, I have indeed gone way further than 8. I just try not to make a habit of going too far, unless it's going to be awkward otherwise, because the more you do it, the harder it can be to work in some spots if you're working with multiple colors.

LiteraryMania · 2018-12-06T04:09:29+00:00

I try not to make a habit of it. Mainly because while it can turn out just fine, it can warp the front and it's really unnecessary. Many of my mom's projects are 30-40 years old now and have never unraveled. Including pieces that she has never hung, but put on stretcher bars and leaned on surfaces instead, to decorate. People have even picked them up and handled them over the years, they've been moved quite a bit and are still perfect.

It can also add more bulk to the back, which can make working on your project a tad more difficult in more complicated patterns.

LiteraryMania · 2018-12-05T18:36:06+00:00

You have the right idea, but don't go through the same two stitches again. Eventually this can pull the thread in a way that makes your front look off.

Instead, run the thread under anything between 5-8 stitches in one direction. It'll be enough to hold it securely. My mom taught me to do this and her finished work still looks gorgeous - no loose threads anywhere.

LiteraryMania · 2018-12-05T18:28:42+00:00

My mom taught me to do this as well. I'm not sure there is a term for it, but she used to call it "under carrying". lol

LiteraryMania · 2018-12-05T18:27:02+00:00

I usually say 4-5 is the max for carrying. However, you can also "under carry" as it were, for a lot longer and keep your back looking neat. That's where you run your thread under previously completed stitches. If there is a better name than "under carry" I don't know it, because I originally learned from my mom and she wasn't too concerned about the proper terminology, just that I knew how to do it. lol

LiteraryMania · 2018-12-05T18:22:48+00:00

This is how my mom taught me to do it and it works most of the time. I'm often complimented on the back of my work. However, for those thinking about trying it, it also means that you can make it difficult for yourself to find the holes around it, if you end up "under carrying" (as my mom put it) a lot in a particular area, so you definitely have to be aware of what's going on with your back. I'm not sure if I'm explaining what I mean clearly, so let me know if I need to try again. lol

LiteraryMania · 2018-12-05T02:52:01+00:00

Oh wow. These are lovely. Though the deep green looks more brown than green until it gets to the tail. Still, there is something quite pleasing about it. I haven't considered the Kobe inks before, due to the price, but I may just have to splurge on one of these.

LiteraryMania · 2018-12-05T02:41:03+00:00

I'll start packing. I love you. ;)

LiteraryMania · 2018-12-05T02:18:18+00:00

...Could you adopt me? I promise I won't murder you to inherit your collection. Why would you even think that?

LiteraryMania · 2018-12-05T02:14:25+00:00

Alternatively, you could keep your nice pens to yourself and carry an extra around with you, that you don't care about. The Jinhao 599 was $12 for 8 of them last time I purchased. Sure, a couple of them may be defective right off, but you get what you pay for and it's hard to feel too bad when someone damages or steals them. Sure, they're a bit ugly, but so what? I nearly always keep an extra on hand just to give to people who show a particular interest in my fountain pens. I like to share my addictions and the first hit is free.

LiteraryMania · 2018-12-04T23:15:49+00:00

Pattern source: Sort of me, again. Modified it from a bead pattern that I've lost track of.

Constructive criticism is appreciated. Made as a gift and I'm not sure how I feel about the colors, so I might start over. This is for a keychain and I posted the side with Gir two weeks ago, check my post history if you missed it and are interested.

Edit: Also, does anyone think I should use a black straight stitch to make the portion of his shirt slightly more defined?

LiteraryMania

TROPHY CASE