Off Topic Part Trois

[lgg 2]

Hey! Where'd you get this???

^

That might be my new fave emoticon other than this one:

Omg I found a new hilarious forum: Site suggestions.

Some people take this place really seriously... like reaaaallllly seriously.

I mean the information aspect is great, but there's so much drama behind the scenes and people get so involved with it. I just don't even know what to think when I read some of those threads.

WAAH my post was deleted! WAAH my thread was locked! WAAH I got my green card and everything else I need, but I am still going to stick around and let internet people bother me! WAAH!

[Varba 0]

BON JOUR NOOO.

[lgg 2]

Varba...

Do you really own a Hedgehog???

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Varba...

Do you really own a Hedgehog???

Varba IS a hedgehog. Spiny little #######. Peachey must like pricks.

[Sprailenes 47]

Aren't hedgehogs illegal in PA???

Varba...

Do you really own a Hedgehog???

Varba IS a hedgehog. Spiny little #######. Peachey must like pricks.

Nice one.

[lgg 2]

Eeeeeeeeeek!

Someone's a little punchy this morning!

Oh man, it's 10:30am and I want to eat my lunch already.

:|

Varba...

Do you really own a Hedgehog???

Varba IS a hedgehog. Spiny little #######. Peachey must like pricks.

[Peachey 10]

Aren't hedgehogs illegal in PA???

Varba...

Do you really own a Hedgehog???

Varba IS a hedgehog. Spiny little #######. Peachey must like pricks.

Nice one.

Yes, and you DON'T want to know what they do to them if they catch you with one, or if you're transporting them through the state.

Sprailenes, I was playing online monopoly with a bunch of strangers last night. I made a bad trade, I knew it was bad, but I just didn't care cause the game was going on much longer than it needed to be. So this other player starts telling me how I don't know how to play, and stuff. I tell him to relax, it's just a game, then he tells me that he's a "serious online monopoly player" and if it's just a game to me I shouldn't play.

Anyway, a few rounds later, he goes bankrupt, and since I had the most net worth I won the game and said "yay". He says to me "WHY THE YAY, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO PLAY". HAHA

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

The last big argument between my wife and I was over a Monopoly game last month. She had the edge in terms of money and property holdings, and she used much of her money to build houses and hotels...but then happened to land on Boardwalk, which I owned, and had JUST put a hotel on the turn before.

I guess I gloated a little bit, which made her very angry...and I ultimately wound up forfeiting the game because I didn't want to play a game when she was no longer having fun. She admits that she's a sore loser, though I admit that I'm also a bit of a sore winner...

I don't think we'll be playing Monopoly anytime soon.

P.S.: Peachey & co.: just to make absolutely sure...I was making my "#######" comments above as a pun, not any judgment of Varba's awesome character. I just reread that post and wondered if the pun was a little cloudy...

Edited December 2, 2009 by Wyatt's Torch

[Peachey 10]

Oh I totally got your pun and laughed

[Ban Hammer 13,112]

Good morning everyone. I hate wrapping Christmas gifts.

you're supposed to wrap them?

[Sprailenes 47]

Aren't hedgehogs illegal in PA???

Varba...

Do you really own a Hedgehog???

Varba IS a hedgehog. Spiny little #######. Peachey must like pricks.

Nice one.

Yes, and you DON'T want to know what they do to them if they catch you with one, or if you're transporting them through the state.

Sprailenes, I was playing online monopoly with a bunch of strangers last night. I made a bad trade, I knew it was bad, but I just didn't care cause the game was going on much longer than it needed to be. So this other player starts telling me how I don't know how to play, and stuff. I tell him to relax, it's just a game, then he tells me that he's a "serious online monopoly player" and if it's just a game to me I shouldn't play.

Anyway, a few rounds later, he goes bankrupt, and since I had the most net worth I won the game and said "yay". He says to me "WHY THE YAY, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO PLAY". HAHA

Serious online monopoly player.

[Varba 0]

I love the lil buggers, and I'd love to get one. However, PA is being very stupid about them right now.

This is what I've learned researching them to see if I can get one.

In PA, "wild" animals and "domestic" animals are treated very different. In the early 90's, some jerk decided that hedgehogs were a danger to indigenous birds and got legislature to classify them as wild animals.

This makes importation of the illegal, however there were breeders in PA who imported prior to the law changing. They had licenses to keep and breed them, and it was determined that "legally" it was "ok" for them to continue as long as they never imported any more and just kept the same blood lines that they always had.

At some point the P[ennsyvania]G[ame]C[commision] decided to start a holy war against these cute lil guys.

They sent letters to most/all breeders accusing them of illegally importing all of their stock. They were served papers and advised by marshals to get all of their stock out of the state "or else".

Many of them protested, calling congresspeople, police stations, and the PGC - asking what they had to do to continue business as they had done nothing illegal. They were either ignored or told to get rid of the illegal animals.

In the early 2000's the "raids" commenced. This might sound dramatic, but it is completely true.

Hedgehog breeders started having State Troopers show up with search and seizure warrants, kicking down doors, and taking every hedgehog on the premises.

In one case, they even went into the breeders house and took the two that were the kid's pets. When asked if they would be cared for or at least humanely euthanized, the breeder was told to mind their own business and stop conducting illegal breeding practices or they'd revoke their breeding license. (Which really, at this point, does it matter?)

It is apparently to the point now where, any report of a hedgehog as a pet will invoke a warrant for seizure and destruction of the "wild animal." There are also reports of fines as high as 100$ a day for every day they can prove you had it.

People got pissed about it and demanded an answer from the state government (cause honestly, this is BULLCRAP). This is what they had to say:

"Hedgehogs are considered dangerous and injurious to Pennsylvania's native wildlife. Hedgehogs feed on the eggs or young of ground-nesting game, and can carry diseases like Leptospira pomona (affects young dairy calves) and ringworm which affects humans. Hedgehogs were released by people in New Zealand in 1885, and now are more numerous there than their native range in Britain. Since Pennsylvania shares the same climate changes as Britain and New Zealand, hedgehogs would be able to survive the winter and possibly start a wild population in Pennsylvania. For these reasons the Commission does not allow the importation or possession of hedgehogs."

This irritates me greatly, as the typical hedgehog is actually a pygmy african style hedgehog. It's my understanding that they can not build up the fat reserves needed to survive hibernation - which they do if the temperature goes under 65F (18C). In fact, in the care sections of articles talking about care for hedgehogs, they very clearly say to be extremely careful to not let them get cold or they often die.

The PGC has gone so far as to stop transports (semis) hauling animals from NY to other states (not even stopping in PA) taking out the hedgehogs and killing them.

They are legal in 45/50 states in the US, including EVERY state bordering PA. But for some reason, we have declared a holy war against them. (Not to mention my tax money pays for all this effort to kill them.)

Edited December 2, 2009 by Varba

[Malrothien 6]

Poor little guys! Who would want to hurt a poor little hedgehog?!

[trailmix 77]

Good morning everyone. I hate wrapping Christmas gifts.

Look you said that with a smile!

Good morning and thanks for the coffee Carla.

I like coffee.

[Varba 0]

Poor little guys! Who would want to hurt a poor little hedgehog?!

I just can't imagine how horrible the police must feel taking pets from little kids and killing them.

I mean, seriously, there's not something better for them to be doing?