I'll do this story many of you may of heard it i hope i get it somewhat right:
One day a scorpion was walking along a stream and desperatly needed to get to the other side, along came a small turtoise, shocked he stopped and begged please mister scorpion please do not kill me today..  The scorpion thought and said I'll tell you what mr turtle I will not kill you today but i need a favor, with interest the turtle responded and said well, what?  The Scorpion said i simply need a ride to the other side of the stream and i will not kill you today.  The turtle thought and then said wait a minute what if you kill me in the water and this is a trick, surely replied the scorpion if i did that then we would both die?  The turtle thought and with hesitation said okay fine; deal.  The scorpion climbed on his back and they headed accross the stream and halfway accross the stream the turtle felt a sharp sting to his neck and as he looked up the scorpion was retracking his tail.  the turtle muddered as he started to die, why did you do that now we will both die?  the scorpion answered with malice i'm sorry IT"S IN MY NATURE
I got into this at work today discussing people and animals what differs us so much are there transgendered animals?  Deer that think they are doe?  Roosters that think they are hens?  I made a comment that people i think (just guessing i am not an animal expert) have a conscience and know a belief of right and wrong -the power to choose, do animals have a conscience and the power to choose or are they driven by much simpler force?  I dunno sometimes i wonder if they are better off than we?  What seperates us, i dunno sort of out there but when thinking about gender and different issue and illnesses without knowing animal language what seperates us? Do we suffer different plights because we are the (i use this staement very loosely...) supposed most evolved species?
Ricki

tink

Popular belief is animals can't reason therefore they can't know the difference between male and female.  But, like the scorpion, they can tell when it's time to have sex and with whom.

I don't know animals can't reason but I do know my dog is the only creature I know well that doesn't care one bit what I look like.  He accepts who I am, regardless of appearance.  Humans could learn a lot from animals.

Julie

Ahhh... interesting question.  Yes there are similarities in the animal kingdom.  Scientists have been studying gay mice for some time.

I raised pigeons when I was a kid.  I had a hen.  She was beautiful and was my favorite.  All the cocks liked her too.  They all mounted her.  Well go figure... she mounted another hen and they had chicks.  Once the chicks were raised, he went back to being a she and started up with the other cocks. Pretty pigeon never "fathered" any additional chicks.   I made sure to point out this interesting story to my father as it played out.  I was hopeful that it might someday serve as a handy reference.

What separates us from the animals?

     1)  We write stories and write music.  We pass them over the generations.
     2)  We have created religion.  Animals are too smart to get into this kind of trouble.
     3)  We are the only species capable to work together to leave our planet, visit another world and return.
     4)  We have the capacity and desire to protect and rear defective offspring en masse.

Where are we so much like animals?

     1)  We are territorial.  We kill those not like us.  The only difference between us and animals in this most animal of instincts is that we give the glory of carnage to god.
     2)  We protect our young.
     3)  We pass on learned behaviour to our young through our actions.
     4)  We procreate uncontrollably.  We depend on nature and our own warring ways to cull the herd.

And like that.

Chin up....

Cindi
bending light and time
     
     

tinkerbell
     

Quote from: Tinkerbell on November 07, 2006, 08:07:55 PM

Quote from: Cindianna_Jonesshe mounted another hen and they had chicks

whaaaaaaaatttttt???  was she a hen or a rooster?

Apparently a gender dysphoric rooster and a lesbian.

Melissa

Quote from: Tinkerbell on November 07, 2006, 08:07:55 PM

Quote from: Cindianna_Jones on November 07, 2006, 08:18:35 AM
I raised pigeons when I was a kid.  I had a hen. 

This is interesting, Cindi.  I did not know this about you.  I used to raise pigeons as well; we started with only two, and then they just multiplied like rabbits, well that is what they are...rabbits with wings... ....I also had a hen, her name was Pia, but her only problem was that she used to eat her own eggs....very bad habit in a hen!

Quote from: Cindianna_Jonesshe mounted another hen and they had chicks

whaaaaaaaatttttt???  was she a hen or a rooster?

Quote from: Cindianna_JonesShe was beautiful and was my favorite.  All the cocks liked her too.  They all mounted her.

tinkerbell
     

In the pigeon community there are cocks and hens.  This particular cock spelled his name L O L A 

Cindi

You "girls" are too much!
I got a laugh out of this!  Timkerbell I would like to see you start the post for the urban legends and would like to see where it goes?
Please do this 4-me?
Ricki