Trying to scare people away from reptiles ...

Probably as a not-so-subtle way of pushing a position in the battle being fought in the UK over whether individuals will be able to keep herps at all, The Sun newspaper has published this article trying to scare people about snakes, spiders, geckos, and similar pets. This article makes me angry.

Stupid...stupid...stupd.....

that's all I got to say about that...

OK - call me twisted - but I find that story hilarious. It sounds soooo exaggerated. It reminds me of something you would read in "The Globe" or "The Star" here in the states.

But I understand your anger Marla, and there is a "contact us" link on the site. I think we should all flood them with email.

I have flooded them already...

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OK - call me twisted - but I find that story hilarious.

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Definitely! LMAO!!!!

Well, just to give extra context, I got that article from an email from my father today with a subject line of "Choose your pets carefully." Grrrrr

Ohhhh. Well then, Marla, your anger is definitely understood. My father is still in the dark about our legless pets - I'm sure he would not approve. You know, I'm 35 years old with 3 kids of my own, but I will still get upset if my father sent me a message like that. He's a good guy, and I know he would only mean well, as I'm sure yours does, Marla, but still . . . .

I'm 33 and have two kids of my own in middle school who have never come to any serious harm in my care (Jess did once break a finger, in the interest of disclosure). Does he really think that I'd be stupid enough to put them in danger when they're just a few years from being self-supporting? He has two nuisance boxers and a cat who wanted to be a sniper this time around. They're a lot more dangerous than ball pythons and crested geckos for cryin out loud!
/ranting

I know that if it was my father, he would have warned me out of a lack of understanding of the pets, not out of a lack of faith in my ability as a parent. We know you're right about which pets are more dangerous, but I know that people who don't keep herps or take the initiative to learn about them can't understand that.

I just had to vent a little here, and I figured y'all would understand how misleading that was more than the average person I see. As far as I know, it is based on a lack of faith in me, though, as he and his wife see me as a screwup because I never finished getting my degree and was divorced with two kids at 23. And now I'm endangering them with vicious reptiles. Ugh.

Yes, those vicious ball pythons! They should be outlawed. :roll: And if divorced with two kids at 23 makes you a screw-up, count me in, too. [Although I did finally get it right with Smulkin. :wink: ] Anyway, I've come to the conclusion that our parents never stop thinking of us as kids.

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As far as I know, it is based on a lack of faith in me, though, as he and his wife see me as a screwup because I never finished getting my degree and was divorced with two kids at 23.

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Marla, i admire you for raising your two kids, on your own, some people wouldn't. You just keep up the good work!!!!

Smynx, I will be happy to count the Queen of Common Sense in my company. And I believe you on Smulkin. He definitely seems like a good match fro what I can see from here. :) I think to qualify as an adult in my family, I'm going to have to hit retirement age.

That is just ridiculous!

Thanks, rding. I didn't see your response before. My father doesn't think it's admirable. He tried to get me to give them up for adoption when they were one and three years old, saying they were "holding me back." That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. They're my best motivation for moving forward. Sometimes it's difficult, and it will be more so as I move into a house without a backup adult around, but my girls are great. I learn from them and they from me all the time and I wouldn't trade them for a dozen leucistic ball pythons. Loan, maybe, trade, no. ;)

well, it is him that need a recheck!!!! i had once read a fitness article on a model that was beautiful.......they asked how she stayed in shape, excercised, and modeled...being a single mom....she said her husband has custody and she didn't see her that much because of her hectic schedule....she came first...i lost a lot of respect for her.i think that you are the greatest....can always go back to school, can't always be there to see them grow. if we lived closer, i would switch every once in a while....i have two boys......all boy!!!!! i would love to comb hair and buy dresses!! and i didn't mean it worng about the model...i know there are circumstances that arise, but she put herself and her "body" first...it wasn't that she had no other options.

I understand what you mean, and I agree completely. I'd love to switch occasionally. I have a friend who wanted girls but got three boys, and I wanted boys but got two girls and we used to trade occasionally but I rarely get to see her or the boys anymore. She just had to farm them out to their grandparents (different ones) because she got evicted and so she doesn't have a phone.

if someone sent this article to me and it wasn't to be funny i would be mad to. i had to laugh when i saw the little caption underneath the cobra picture "Danger ... he kept snakes"(which probably isn't a picture of a snake he kept) i don't know how many times Ive felt like a danger to my society but not because i keep snakes lol.

LOL, Daft. I have a tshirt that certifies me, "No longer a danger to society." ;)

That article reminded me again of why I hate people. :)