B!TC# IT OUT!

[Mermaid Mystery]

Bindi Irwin is 16, and trying to find herself whilst still being in her fathers' spotlight. She's extroverted and always has been, but she's not a bad kid at all. Like I said before, she's just at that stage were she's a young adult figuring herself out.

I still want to fight her

[Mermaid Mystery]

bindi has one advantage over me: I'm so terrified to cut up the meat at work and I hope I don't have to today because I might cry. I bet she can do that. ugh I'm so terrified.

[Sabrina the Selkie]

It'll be okay, Labrynth. Just try to objectify the meat in your brain. Or thank the animal for it's life. Just think about how it'll get everyone fed. I'm a vegetarian and I love disections.
And everyone else: Keep in mind that Labyrinth (and myself too, actually) is going through the same young adult struggle of figuring herself out, and she's feeling jealous of the recognition Bindi gets because she does the same things. She then feels that she MUST be substandard, even though she isn't substandard at all. (Think about the super amazing musicians who aren't famous simply because of the luck of the draw) The Australian thing doesn't come from having anything against Australians, it's coming from a place where she's an American, in America hearing nothing but chatter and praise about an Australian girl who is similar to herself. So she wonders why SHE, who is actually American, couldn't be American zoology's little darling. It's a perfectly normal sentiment.
And was that accurate Labrynthe?

[Mermaid Mystery]

you're absolutely correct. and I did it! I only cried once.

[Mermaid Mystery]

I also just fed the giraffes which aren't even in my department

[Sabrina the Selkie]

Good job! Never easy to deal with meat. (Despite being able to do disections, I want to cry whenever I find meat in food I'm eating)

[Mermaid Mystery]

I still eat meat which I might want to change after that but I'm not sure.

[Mermaid Mystery]

someone hit a nerve ending

[Mermaid Mystery]

I work with birds smarter than this woman

[Mermaid Alea]

I always wanted to work at the zoo but I don't live close enough to the local zoo. So I think you are cool
Zoos have come a looong way since the days of keeping animals in concrete cages. What some people complaining might not realize is there are exhibits that guests never get to see where the zoo might be keeping and breeding really endangered animals. Also a lot of research is put into making an appropriate environment for the animals. Although I will say some zoos are lacking in nice space or care for animals and some really are all about exploiting the animals to make a proffit. Most are good but some do exploit animals such as tiger cubs and then somehow when the tiger cubs get older they "disappear".

[Lotus the Mermaid]

I agree with Mermaid Alea. There are good zoos and there are bad zoos. So I understand her concern, but she should have researched which one yours was before speaking out of ignorance.

[Mermaid Mystery]

she literally told me that zoos will be banned in 50 years, um ok, I doubt you've ever been to a zoological park. they're not for entertainment, visitors bring in money.

[PearlieMae]

This argument went on on MY facebook timeline. Your defense of zoos turned into a personal attack and was completely unwarranted. SOME zoos are trying to do a lot for conservation of species, but for the most part, zoos are income generators, and the vast majority of zoos outside the US are horrible prisons for wild animals.

I seriously doubt that Gabi is talking out of her ass, and to get insulting and tell her she's not as smart os some birds you worked with was totally uncalled for. Your defense of zoos devolved into a 'yeah, whatever' response from you, which hardly a valid argument. She posted this link and you went straight for her throat. http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animal...ext-zoo-visit/

So not cool, kiddo.

And, I happen to know she's a very smart person.

[Mermaid Mystery]

I'm just going to calmly approach this because otherwise this is gonna turn into a bigger mess.
1. I've honestly had enough of people, so I admittedly get out of control a lot.
2. out of the U.S., I agree that a lot of zoos are horrible. and the reason they are "income generators" is because we don't have enough money for everything.
3. while the link has valid points, some of it isn't true, but I'm not gonna go into that right now.
I can work the rest out later but I have a class soon

[PearlieMae]

I look forward to your well researched and rational rebuttal.

[Seatan]

I think you have to approach zoos one at a time and measure what they do that is negative (keeping large, free roaming animals in captivity that are in no way endangered for the entertainment of humans) with that which is positive (saving endangered species, educating people about the beauty of and importance of animals, helping repopulate the wild, researching the habits of animals so that we can better protect them, offering therapy for people in need) and decide whether that particular zoo leans toward being a money maker or an institution attempting to educate people and help animals--because almost all zoos are a combination of both.

For example, I am no fan of Sea World, like many here. They are a cash cow who enclose animals that swim hundreds of miles a day in small, white pools. However, there is an ocean pen dolphin park in Roatan. Downside: They contain several dolphins inside an ocean pen in their cove and teach those dolphins to do tricks for humans. Upside: They are one of the main centers where American universities send their marine biology students to study dolphins, they use the dolphins for children's therapy, and they actually take the dolphins outside of the ocean pen at least once a week to SCUBA dive with people along the coral reef--and if the dolphin swims away they make no attempt to retrieve it and return it to the ocean pen. Also, they have had dolphins jump out of the pen before and made no attempt to find those dolphins (how "Free Willy", right?.) Honestly, you don't get much better when it comes to keeping marine mammals than that, and their program does a lot of good. Those half a dozen dolphins may have a different life from their wild cousins, but it is not a BAD life, and it is also not a life that they would be incapable of escaping if they wished. Plus they provide students who will go on to help promote the safety and sanctity of dolphins a chance to study dolphins up close and they provide therapy to special needs children whose lives are often changed by the amazing experience. So while keeping such an animal in an ocean pen is a negative, in this case I feel that the positives out weigh them. I do not feel the same way about Sea World.

I feel like all animal facilities should be evaluated in the same manner. If the negatives out weigh the positives and their main purpose is money making and entertainment, not study and the re-population and preservation of endangered species, then they are "bad zoos." If it is the other way around they are "good zoos." You have to find a medium balance, because, unfortunately, the way we humans treat the planet it is not possible to have all the positives that zoos provide AND leave all animals free. The sharks would all be finned, the rhinos would be killed for their horns, and many species would be pressed to extinction by urban development. We are not a world that cares much for nature in its natural state, so we have to do something to preserve it as we will NOT be able to change the mind of every elephant and whale hunter out there. But we don't have to keep animals who should be free roaming for miles penned up in small areas or any animals in unnatural habitats simply for our own enjoyment and the ability to sell a Pepsi for $8, either.

[Seatan]

I CANNOT FIND

my toothbrush
my backup SCUBA mask
my crochet hook
my tank top
my rash guard
my extra contacts
my glasses

HOW COULD I HAVE POSSIBLY LEFT ALL THIS IN HONDURAS? THE ROOM WAS FREAKING EMPTY I SWEAR!

[Lotus the Mermaid]

I'm gonna just say, I'm really proud of mermaidofthelabyrinth for your passion. I agree with Pearlie that the aggression seemed unwarranted, but I have confidence that, if you learn to control that passion and channel it into making a difference (as it seems you're already starting to), you're going to do great things in the world. You'll just have to have patience with those who don't yet understand where you're coming from. It's a learning process. I hope that's encouraging for you. <3

[Mermaid Cascada]

Welp, I was diagnosed with depression recently and I'm trying to convince myself to take the medicine the doctor prescribed but at the same time I don't want to. I don't know if I'm in denial (like Cleopatra... AHAHAHAhaha.. Ha..) or if I just feel like I'm not depressed on that level that requires medicine. I know I'm depressed because I haven't been able to get to the level of happiness and joy that I was at before, but I am a generally happy person. I lack the motivation I had before and Im not as active as much, but if something intrests me that changes, which I feel is normal. I only feel depressed when things depress me, if that makes sense. I don't know what to do...

[Fun123joker]

someone hit a nerve ending

lol im sorry but when i read the part about "almost fainted by cutting meat for the raptors" for a second i thought you were talking about the dinosaur and i was so confused yet flipped my shit at the same time.
then i remember raptors are birds