RobotBlogger

I use a Wiki every day at work. They're great collaborative ways to share information. Who isn't addicted to Wikipedia.org?

So can anyone really add stuff to Wikipedia.org? I think so. I added that scary spider shot, of Mr. Nephila Pilipes, and some of the foxbat shots - i mean, Pteropus Pampyrus.

I guess if they don't take them down, then yes, it is that easy to contribute.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nephila_pilipes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pteropus

Every night


Down this river
















Past our window
















Fly thousands of these











They're fruit bats, or foxbats, and they're almost as big as cats, with wingspans almost as large as an ironing board. The descend on Brisbane every night and eat the fruit from the trees right outside our window.

Many more pictures here

OMFG. This is a Golden Orb Weaver spider. It was in the back yard of a house we rented near the beach in Noosa (more on that later)

Ok, i'm not exaggerating, this thing is 8" across. Larger than a side plate. Bigger than a CD - quite a bit bigger - if it stretched it's legs out, it would be the size of a frisbee. It struck fear and terror into my bones, more than anything else has, perhaps ever.

Luckily, they're not poisonous. They're gentle giant, giant spiders. Very interestingly, they have one of the strongest web compound materials on the planet, and they maintain their giant webs for years. This guys particular web was the size of a small trampoline, strung between two trees which were far enough apart to drive a car through.

More on the web strength - it's one of the strongest elements there is. Not this particular guy, but in another web, i've seen sticks hanging freely in the air, trapped in their amazing stronger-than-kevlar web strands. Not twigs. Sticks.

This guy affected me. i had a dream about him last night, and we had a conversation about fermenting home brew alcohol (long story). Anyways, he was pretty laid back and cool, much like the real one i suppose.

Sorry, can't blog. Very busy listening to hip-hop with my homey crew.

Will blog later.

PS Curtis and Rachel are here from Canada, we're going to go surfing today.