Re: Reasons To Be Grumpy thread

[Dragonia]

Buddy, what kinds of snakes do you have? I am a fellow herp lover, but with only one 7 year old ball python. I'm sorry you lost one of your slither babies.

[hermes2015]

Buddy, what kinds of snakes do you have? I am a fellow herp lover, but with only one 7 year old ball python. I'm sorry you lost one of your slither babies.

Buddy and Dragonia, I have always wondered whether snakes are affectionate towards humans. I have an African Grey parrot and she goes nuts when I get home and can't wait to sit on my shoulder. Do snakes acknowledge their owners, or are they usually aloof?

[xSilverPhinx]

How would you tell if a snake is affectionate towards you (if in fact they're capable of affection) without projecting or humanising them in the first place?

Biochemical markers?  

I'm don't know much about snake behaviour, so I wouldn't be able to differentiate affection from aloofness. 

[Icarus]

Not grumpy so much as sad or maybe just bewildered........

Today was my annual routine exam by a dermatologist. I had a Quiet episode in the waiting room before being seen by the doc.

Well dressed sophisticated appearing older woman absorbed in her book....Title of book was:  Healthful recipes from the holy bible. She noticed me looking at the the title on the cover and hastened to engage me in conversation about the subject matter.  I said that I was unaware that there are food recipes in the bible. She assured me that indeed there are useful references to healthy foods and combinations of foods.

The nice lady explained that Jesus talked to her every day. I asked if she actually saw Jesus. No she said but she can feel his presence and his glory.  She assured me that every word in her bible was true and that it is the revealed word of god.

Hmmmmm! I asked her if she had studied the history of the KJV. She said No but that she would be interested...................That was an invitation for me to recount some of the history of her beloved book. I told her about the inheritance of the throne by James after his catholic sister died and left him as the monarch. 1601 Ce =/-.   Old Jimmy leaning more toward the christian faith than to the catholic way of his sister, formed a committee of 54 scholars to write the bible,  after four years or so they came up with what is now known as the KJV.  Previously only priests and clergymen were allowed to read the scriptures. James wanted a book that could be read by ordinary people if the were sufficiently literate.

I mentioned that part of the origin, but only a part, was influenced by the Mazerite scribes from around 600 to 800 CE.  They were translating mostly from the Aramaic, A language that has few if any vowels. Then there was Constantine, then the Latin Vulgate editions that out of necessity were duplicated by hand with quill pens from porcupines or geese. Hand made copies of copies of copies were made, and later Gutenberg rigged his press so to duplicate whatever his take might have been..... then Luther.....and by that time the poor woman had heard more than she could process.  She said that she did not care about all that. She knew in her heart that every word of the KJV was Gods word.  I asked if she knew the connotation of the word; Version.  That did not register with her.

I sent her on her way with my best and kindest wishes.  Her beliefs, as uninformed as they are, are a genuine comfort to her. Who am I to deny her that comfort by insisting on facts?.... On the other hand it bothered me a just a bit that an otherwise perfectly functional human is not interested in learning about anything that questions their preconceived beliefs.

[xSilverPhinx]

When comfort derived from fantasy takes precedence over evidence-based knowledge that's what you get. Someone who simply does not want to see, hear or speak of anything that contradicts their beliefs. What saddens me is when people spend so much of energy believing in fantasy and trying to spread their version of the god virus to others who don't share their belief system, instead of otherwise engaging in more productive endeavours.

[Dave]

How would you tell if a snake is affectionate towards you (if in fact they're capable of affection) without projecting or humanising them in the first place?

Biochemical markers?  

I'm don't know much about snake behaviour, so I wouldn't be able to differentiate affection from aloofness. 

I knew one snake who loved having his throat stroked but, generslly they do not pair bond like parrots (or dogs, or cats) and pair bonding is the basis of affection. Lot's of birds pair bond very strongly for life. My mother's budgie, unfortunately, bonded with me, instantly, instead of her.

[Bad Penny II]

Not grumpy so much as sad or maybe just bewildered........

Today was my annual routine exam by a dermatologist. I had a Quiet episode in the waiting room before being seen by the doc.

Well dressed sophisticated appearing older woman absorbed in her book....Title of book was:  Healthful recipes from the holy bible. She noticed me looking at the the title on the cover and hastened to engage me in conversation about the subject matter.  I said that I was unaware that there are food recipes in the bible. She assured me that indeed there are useful references to healthy foods and combinations of foods.

The nice lady explained that Jesus talked to her every day. I asked if she actually saw Jesus. No she said but she can feel his presence and his glory.  She assured me that every word in her bible was true and that it is the revealed word of god.

Hmmmmm! I asked her if she had studied the history of the KJV. She said No but that she would be interested...................That was an invitation for me to recount some of the history of her beloved book. I told her about the inheritance of the throne by James after his catholic sister died and left him as the monarch. 1601 Ce =/-.   Old Jimmy leaning more toward the christian faith than to the catholic way of his sister, formed a committee of 54 scholars to write the bible,  after four years or so they came up with what is now known as the KJV.  Previously only priests and clergymen were allowed to read the scriptures. James wanted a book that could be read by ordinary people if the were sufficiently literate.

I mentioned that part of the origin, but only a part, was influenced by the Mazerite scribes from around 600 to 800 CE.  They were translating mostly from the Aramaic, A language that has few if any vowels. Then there was Constantine, then the Latin Vulgate editions that out of necessity were duplicated by hand with quill pens from porcupines or geese. Hand made copies of copies of copies were made, and later Gutenberg rigged his press so to duplicate whatever his take might have been..... then Luther.....and by that time the poor woman had heard more than she could process.  She said that she did not care about all that. She knew in her heart that every word of the KJV was Gods word.  I asked if she knew the connotation of the word; Version.  That did not register with her.

I sent her on her way with my best and kindest wishes.  Her beliefs, as uninformed as they are, are a genuine comfort to her. Who am I to deny her that comfort by insisting on facts?.... On the other hand it bothered me a just a bit that an otherwise perfectly functional human is not interested in learning about anything that questions their preconceived beliefs.

You're a dog guy Ic, do you think you might have some vulnerable bubbles?
Do they really like you for you?
Would they like someone else if they feed them for a week?

Sorry, I'm forgetting myself, I'm playing the fool again.
I used to like to play HAF fool but Dave explained it was actually a job for a smart person.

let he without bubbles
or she also now days
pierce the first bubble

[Bad Penny II]

How would you tell if a snake is affectionate towards you (if in fact they're capable of affection) without projecting or humanising them in the first place?

Biochemical markers?  

I'm don't know much about snake behaviour, so I wouldn't be able to differentiate affection from aloofness. 

I knew one snake who loved having his throat stroked but, generslly they do not pair bond like parrots (or dogs, or cats) and pair bonding is the basis of affection. Lot's of birds pair bond very strongly for life. My mother's budgie, unfortunately, bonded with me, instantly, instead of her.

Despite the anti intellectualism of the age I'm not afraid to reference the classics.
I and others saw lots of snakes sharing a small space in the Indiana Jones movies.

[Dragonia]

Buddy, what kinds of snakes do you have? I am a fellow herp lover, but with only one 7 year old ball python. I'm sorry you lost one of your slither babies.

Buddy and Dragonia, I have always wondered whether snakes are affectionate towards humans. I have an African Grey parrot and she goes nuts when I get home and can't wait to sit on my shoulder. Do snakes acknowledge their owners, or are they usually aloof?

I don't think my girl is all that attached to me. She remains quite aloof to my movements and any other activities happening around her.   When I take her out and hold her, she seems happy enough and will wind around my waist or my arms and stretch herself out, "sniffing" the air with her tongue, and sometimes she settles happily around my neck (not wrapped!) and just hangs out. But I'm not sure I would call any of this affection. I'm probably just a big play toy with new smells.

[Guardian85]

Buddy, what kinds of snakes do you have? I am a fellow herp lover, but with only one 7 year old ball python. I'm sorry you lost one of your slither babies.

Buddy and Dragonia, I have always wondered whether snakes are affectionate towards humans. I have an African Grey parrot and she goes nuts when I get home and can't wait to sit on my shoulder. Do snakes acknowledge their owners, or are they usually aloof?

I don't think my girl is all that attached to me. She remains quite aloof to my movements and any other activities happening around her.   When I take her out and hold her, she seems happy enough and will wind around my waist or my arms and stretch herself out, "sniffing" the air with her tongue, and sometimes she settles happily around my neck (not wrapped!) and just hangs out. But I'm not sure I would call any of this affection. I'm probably just a big play toy with new smells.

And ,to a cold-blooded creature, you have all that lovely body heat for her to leech off.

[OldGit]

I believe there are some tasty recipes for snakes.

[Dave]

Although I have passed the sight test (  ) after my cataract op it seems that I cannot do the fast online application for a new licence, got to do the full snail mail thing.

The forms will not be posted until Mondsy and may take up to two weeks to get to me. Then it can be at least another couple of weeks to process . . .

[xSilverPhinx]

^Ah, the ever efficient bureaucratic machine...

[xSilverPhinx]

I've come down with something, and haven't felt this miserable in a long time. Weakness, , headache, fever, aching joints and a whole night of tossing and turning has taken a toll on me today. I spent the entire day sleeping, and not doing anything else.

[Magdalena]

I've come down with something, and haven't felt this miserable in a long time. Weakness, , headache, fever, aching joints and a whole night of tossing and turning has taken a toll on me today. I spent the entire day sleeping, and not doing anything else.

I hope you feel better soon.