Probably one of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever met. Died eight years ago at the age of 29. I still miss her.

This spider and her web are HUGE!!! I went to check my mail when I got home from work today, and I almost jumped out of my skin when I saw her! I think spiders are beautiful creatures and they serve an important purpose in nature...but I definitely respect them from a distance!

This was quite a nice surprise!

Pic 1: I tried to get a good shot of her web to show the size of it, but it didn't turn out too well. The spider is in the center of the picture by the thick, white, vertical line of webbing.



Pic 2: I took a good pic here with the sunlight reflecting off of her web. You can also see the distinct yellow markings on her back. That's my silver Corolla in the background.



Pic 3: I took a close up of her underside. The quality of this pic is not as good since the sun is behind me, but you can still see some of her web. I basically just took this picture to illustrate her size.

The link below contains a collection of analogies that actual high school students made in their essays, papers, etc. They're hilarious, and a few are actually pretty clever. I was reading this at work and had to stop myself from laughing out loud!

Here are some of my favorites:

"He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it."

"Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever."

"Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze."

"They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan’s teeth."

Enjoy, this is good stuff! It's good for a laugh!

http://writingenglish.wordpress.com/2006/0... /

I recently signed a petition online regarding the Federal Marriage Amendment where I weighed in and explained why this issue is so important to me. The petition was forwarded to my Congressman, Rep. John Lewis of the fifth district of Georgia. I received the response below today. I realize that this is probably a type of form letter that his office sends out, but it was really nice to see his views spelled out so eloquently. I absolutely adore this man, I'm proud to be his constituent, and I'm glad he's on our side on this issue.



I just thought I would share this letter with all of you...


<--beginning of letter--->


Dear Mr. Caulk:

Thank you for contacting me to express your views on same-sex marriage. I appreciate hearing from you and having the benefit of your views.

As you may know, I am a strong supporter of equal rights for all. My life's struggle has been in the name of equality and tolerance for all Americans. I believe that the effort to secure marriage equality is part of the same struggle.

Conservatives in Congress have embarked upon a so-called "moral" crusade to deny gay and lesbian citizens of this country their right to marry. In both the Senate and the House, the Republican majority unsuccessfully attempted to pass the Federal Marriage Amendment, H.J.Res.106, which would amend our Constitution to forbid same-sex couples from marrying. I voted against the Amendment and spoke vehemently in opposition when it failed to receive the necessary two-thirds majority vote to pass through the House on September 30, 2004. As the Senate and House again take up the marriage amendment, I would like to reiterate my firm stand in opposition to denying gay and lesbian citizens of this country their right to marry.

I understand that same-sex marriage makes many of us uncomfortable; it is a departure from tradition and the accepted norms. Supporters of the marriage amendment claim that we face a decline in so-called "family values" and they propose that they can restore values by excluding same-sex couples from the American community. But my family values are of inclusion, not exclusion. I intend to protect the American family not by singling out certain citizens, but by standing up for over seven million forgotten families living in poverty, ensuring that children are guaranteed first-class education, and easing the burden of single parent households. The attack on same-sex couples is divisive, destructive, and contrary to the American spirit of equality and tolerance. To me, our nation faces far graver threats than those posed by two men or two women who make a solemn, loving commitment.

Again, thank you for weighing in on this issue and please continue to contact me on other issues of importance to you. Also, please visit my website at http://www.house.gov/johnlewis / for more information.

Sincerely,

John Lewis
Member of Congress

I moved here from North Carolina during the summer of 2001, and I agree with a lot of what you said in your post. The southern hospitality thing isn't new to me, since I grew up in the southeast.

One thing I think you'll find very quickly is that there is no shortage of good restaurants in this city. I mean there are a lot of restaurants. IMHO, the best ones are the ones that are out of the way and that you would never know about unless a friend took you there first.

Looking for good Mexican? Here are a few suggestions:
--Zocalo at 10th and Piedmont in Midtown - this is hands down the best Mexican I have found in this city. Period. It's a little on the pricey side, but their food is excellent, the atmosphere is terrific, and their margaritas will knock you on your ass! I highly recommend this place!
--Frogs Cantina at 8th and Monroe in Midtown- a more casual and less expensive alternative to Zocalo, but the food and drinks are just as decent.
--Nava at Peachtree and Paces Ferry in Buckhead - this is more fusion/Southwestern food than your typical Mexican, but the food is excellent! You should definitely check this place out since you're in the Buckhead area.

And you're right, fresh seafood is pretty difficult to find. A couple of places you may want to check out:
--Atlanta Fish Market on Pharr Rd (near N Fulton Drive) in Buckhead - this is a combo market/restaurant, and the seafood is pretty high quality. A little pricey, but worth it if you're looking for good seafood.
--Ray's on the River on Powers Ferry Rd (near I-285 at the Chattahoochee River) - definitely a great seafood place if you're looking to get out of Buckhead. And no, I don't think they get their seafood from the Chattahoochee (at least I hope they don't!).

With the AJC, keep your eye on Mike Luckovich's cartoons. The man is brilliant I tell ya, brilliant!!! His cartoons always make me laugh! A recent example of his work:





And I agree, Krystal sucks. Absolutely disgusting! And you may as well just get used to the potholes, because they never seem to go away. Once you've driven around for a while, you learn where they are and you just avoid them.

And stay with us year-round. The humidity thing is just bad during the summer, IMHO. I use a humidifier in my apartment during the winter months because the air just gets bone dry. Well, at least in comparison to the summer--it may still seem fairly humid to you.

Again, welcome to Atlanta. Just keep your eyes and your mind open and I promise you'll find lots of exciting things and opportunities that this city has to offer! And especially if you like volunteer opportunities, you'll find no shortage of things to do here.

And keep your eye on the Georgia forum here at DU. I believe there is an occasional meetup of local DUers, even though I haven't made one yet, so it would be nice to meet you in person!

Tina Turner - my all-time favorite diva!!!

As a player in one of the gay rugby teams that Mark helped to inspire, Mark has had a profound impact on my life, even though I never met him. Rugby, though an incredibly rough and difficult sport, has been very therapeutic for me, has greatly increased my circle of friends, and has allowed me to find a fraternity-like brotherhood that I didn't know was out there for me. My life has been greatly enriched because of Mark, I just regret that I'll never have the opportunity to tell him that.

By all accounts that I have read by people that knew him, Mark was an incredible man and someone that I would have been honored to call a friend. Learn more about him here: http://www.markbingham.org /

Due to work and other commitments, I was unable to attend the Bingham Cup tournament this year. But I will damn well be there in 2008!

Go Bucks!

"Have you had enough?"

I think these four words could wield a lot of power in the Congressional elections of this year. In the past few election cycles, I have been so frustrated and angry (as I'm sure many of you have) by watching our Democratic hopefuls on the defensive--taking a wedge issue fronted by the Republicans, debating it on their terms and in their language, and more often than not "losing" the debate.

This year, they need to go on the offensive and never, ever let up. Consider a debate, advertisement, or address where the Democratic candidate said one or more of the following:


During this year's mid-term elections, whenever the Republican tries to divert attention and bring up a wedge issue or talking point, the Democrat needs to turn the tables and focus on them and their support for * and his administration. I believe that every single Democrat that's running to replace a Republican Congressional incumbent this year would do well to accept "Have you had enough?" as their mantra. This very simple question could have the same power of "It's Time For a Change" that Clinton successfully used in 1992, if they decide to use it.

Even though some Republicans occasionally dissent from the majority and are progressive on some issues, the wide majority of them have mostly voted in lockstep to advance a regressive, pro-corporate, and right-wing agenda. We need to link every Republican Congressman to * because they have on the whole provided rubberstamp approval and minimal oversight of his behavior for six long years. Therefore, we need to stress that people aren't voting this year for an individual Congressman, even if they approve of the Republican incumbent. Instead, they're voting for an agenda and a philosophy. The agenda and philosophy of Bushism simply has not worked for our country, and we need to consistently ask Americans if they have had enough of it.

Our Republican-led government is plagued by incompetence, cronyism, and corruption, and we need to drive that point home. By voting to reelect our Republican-led Congress, Americans will be enabling the continuance of that same incompetence, cronyism, and corruption. If you don't vote for a change, then nothing will change. It's just that simple.

Have you had enough?

I just received my newest issue of Men's Health in the mail, and look at this little gem that I found inside...

Take It From Me: Al Gore

Al Gore isn't dwelling on the pass{sic} -- he's moved on

Don't talk to Al Gore about disappointment. It's not that he wishes people would shut up already about the 2000 election: He understands that 50 million Americans shared his disappointment, and he's happy to let them vent. But he doesn't want to dwell on history. He's looking decades ahead, when seawater may be lapping against Manhattan skyscrapers unless, he says, something is done to stop global warming. So he's been on the road, with a slide show, a documentary, and now a book -- An Inconvenient Truth. Alarmist grandstanding? An addiction to the spotlight? A step toward another run? Gore says no. He knows that's what some people think. But more important, he says, he knows what he believes.

On Dog-Pound Wisdom
When I was in my 20s, my wife and I got a little puppy at the pound. We asked a dog trainer to give us some pointers. She said, "Okay, step one: What is this puppy going to do?" I said, "What do you mean? He's going to be a puppy!" She said, "No, no, no: Is he going to get the news-paper? Be a watchdog? Herd sheep?" And she said something very simple, but to me it came off as profound: "A puppy has to have a purpose." A lot of men out there don't feel like they have a purpose.

<---snip--->

Link: http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?s...

Would * be President today?

I know this may be far fetched, but I'm just curious to know what those of you here at DU think of this. How important was the Bush name to * being "elected" in 2000?

If you haven't already, please take the pledge to see "An Inconvenient Truth" this summer. I know this movie has been discussed a bit here at DU lately, but I believe it bears repeating.

This movie opens in select theaters on May 24, and then rolls out to other cities nationwide throughout the month of June. This could be the most important film you see this year. Find a local theater, and take your family and friends to see it.

Send the link below to everyone you know. Learn more about this issue, get involved, and educate others.

Take the pledge. Do it now.

http://www.climatecrisis.net

FOR SIX LONG years, Mary Cheney backpedaled from speaking out against Republican attempts to write her out of the Constitution, yet emerged from the musty closet just in time to peddle her new book, which hits stores this week.

Cowed Mary now wants to be Proud Mary, but it’s too late, for she has already sold us down the river.

From the comfortable confines of the V.P. mansion, Mary watched countless times as gay Americans get bashed. Yet, she remained a veritable Pet Rock until she received a $1 million advance to pry open her mouth.

Cheney launched a major public relations blitz for "Now It’s My Turn: A Daughter’s Chronicle of Political Life," but instead of sympathy, she deserves contempt for meekly attempting to justify her silence. She and her family had a unique opportunity to use the bully pulpit to educate Americans, and they failed miserably.

<---snip--->

Link: http://www.sovo.com/2006/5-12/view/columns...