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Post by brownrexx on Jun 29, 2019 7:46:31 GMT -5
Do you have a fear of any of the following? Choose all that apply.
I only chose one item and that was ticks. Even if they didn't carry diseases I would be afraid of them. I just hate the way they poke their heads under your skin. If they just bit and went away, I wouldn't mind them as much.
After I edited the poll to add sharks, I went back and chose it. I always had an irrational fear of them and THEN I saw Jaws .....
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Post by paquebot on Jun 29, 2019 8:21:25 GMT -5
No option for None Of The Above. Don't fear ticks as already have had Lyme's and supposedly now immune. Been attacked twice by dogs and both were cocker spaniels. I do have a quarrel with mosquitoes as one gave me viral meningitis one time. And I did shoot the last rattlesnake I saw but it was under my uncle's front porch and there was still a bounty. I would probably be afraid of a lion but likelihood of encountering one is low.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Jun 29, 2019 8:55:10 GMT -5
I don't have any phobia about any of these, though I will say that I don't trust ANY dog. I always say that there isn't any dog that won't bite, unless its teeth are removed! I watch closely for ticks, however, and make sure that I use insect repellents for those and mosquitoes, which have been horrible this year.
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Post by brownrexx on Jun 29, 2019 9:03:00 GMT -5
No option for None Of The Above. I edited and added that option so you can select it now.
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Post by paulf on Jun 29, 2019 9:03:21 GMT -5
If you would ask my wife she would say wasps put the fear into me. That used to be true but I am getting over that fear of being stung.
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Post by spike on Jun 29, 2019 9:06:54 GMT -5
Well now that the rains have eased up a bit I am not as concerned about sharks in my garden as I once was >,<
Add Wasps and hornets and Yellow Jackets to your list and I might have to choose that. Other than the "dogs" I don't want to make pets out of any of the rest of your list but meh.
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Post by Gianna on Jun 29, 2019 9:23:42 GMT -5
I'm not sure 'afraid' is the right word, but I do have a 'healthy respect' for snakes, mainly rattlers. I see one in the yard about once every year or so. I do wish they werent in the area, but they are, and they help control rodents and stuff. I'd guess there are more here than I actually do see, so I am always careful. They have taken away the 'reckless abandon' that I used to enjoy in previous gardens. I always am looking when I walk and never stick my hand into vegetation before checking. We also have gopher and king snakes here, and coming upon one suddenly always startles me. I give them ample space. I did not grow up with snakes of any sort 'in the yard', and only came in to regular contact with them since moving here. I'm also mindful of spiders, ticks, and dogs since I've been bitten by all of these. Don't much like fleas either. I've also been bitten by my cat (avatar), ...and I just love him.
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Post by ahntjudy on Jun 29, 2019 9:47:10 GMT -5
I'm not afraid of them, just creeped out by spiders...And only if they are crawling on me... Love them anywhere else...
Oddly, I can let ladybugs and my praying mantis buddies walk and crawl on me and that doesn't bother me in the least... Just not spiders...
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Jun 29, 2019 21:40:41 GMT -5
I put "none of the above" since there's a difference between a healthy respect for the potential danger an animal can pose and getting frightened at the mere thought or sight of that animal.
But if I had to choose one animal from the list, it would be dogs. Don't get me wrong: we almost always had a dog when I was growing up and I like dogs. When I go to visit folks who have dogs I enjoy being introduced to the dog and I always pet and/or play with the dog if it's friendly. I don't have plans to get a dog, but I wouldn't rule it out, either.
On the other hand, I've also been chased by dogs, bitten by dogs (thankfully not seriously), and had a dog suddenly become aggressive towards me for no reason I could figure out. Also, when one of my nieces was a child, she was mauled by a neighborhood dog and needed ~80 stitches mostly on her arms. (The damage was mostly to her arms because she had her arms wrapped around her head and neck!) Dogs do hurt and kill people, and we don't always know what will set a dog off. Also, roaming packs of dogs can be downright dangerous - they protect their territory and hunt.
So when I am around a dog that is big enough to do me serious harm, I pay attention to its behavior and try to defuse the situation or back away if I see anything but friendliness.
One animal that is not on the list but can really creep me out is ants. Not seeing ants farming aphids, or building their nests, or even having a few ants get on me in the garden - I just calmly flick them off and move on. But when I see ants swarming over something it really gives me the heebie-jeebies. I fell off my tricycle into a fire ant bed when I was little - it was bad enough to go to the hospital. Mercifully I don't remember anything after the sensation of falling into the soft dirt. But the experience must still be buried in my subconscious somewhere, because I still have a visceral reaction to seeing ants swarm over anything.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Joined: January 1970
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2019 7:07:05 GMT -5
I have no "fear" but I do have a healthy respect for danger. I think Laura has a point; those of us who were hurt as youngsters develop a sense of danger that often keeps us safe as adults.
Cats: They carry a disease transmissible to humans and which can seriously harm (even blind) a developing child--I'd dispose of a biting cat in a heartbeat. Dogs; same, but dogs can be disciplined in most cases, socialized, so that they are well behaved. Unfortunately not true of all.
Snakes---Know them and deal with the dangerous ones--
Farm animals---Bulls, stallions, etc, etc. Even rams---Police shot a vicious 400 pound ram in Tulsa one year when it could not be subdued. Friend was down on the ground as a kid when big billy got him. Hired hand knocked the billy down with a 2x4 and saved the friend.
Fellow who posted here (as I recall) told of cougar attacking his son in Colorado--he saved the boy by jumping down an incline onto the cougar, which then ran away.
Same instincts which keep us away from rattlesnakes cause us to drive carefully. This is one reason I hate to see the kids nowadays with their noses buried in their phones. They should be out getting their bumps and bruises.
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Post by octave1 on Jul 1, 2019 8:51:24 GMT -5
In my urban environment, the only thing that I am afraid of is any vehicle involved in a Police chase. But I also distrust dogs.
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Post by Gianna on Jul 1, 2019 9:01:12 GMT -5
When I come to this site, I'm thinking of plants and gardening. So when I see 3 people listing sharks as something to be afraid of I chuckle. Not because of their fears, but because I dont think of there being too many sharks in the garden.
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Post by brownrexx on Jul 1, 2019 11:14:20 GMT -5
when I see 3 people listing sharks as something to be afraid of I chuckle. I added that just for fun at the last minute and isn't it funny that there are the same number of people afraid of sharks as spiders? Ha ha. I am one of those posters afraid of sharks because I love swimming in the ocean and so do sharks! Looks like this is a fairly fearless group with "none of the above" being the answer most chosen.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Jul 1, 2019 11:34:54 GMT -5
Gianna, you don't have land sharks in California? @oxankle2, are you referring to cat scratch fever or toxoplasmosis? Cat scratch fever is dangerous to young children and the immune-compromised, but usually not to healthy older children or adults. (There are rare cases of serious complications, though.) So yes, biting or scratching cats are bad to have around young children. Toxoplasmosis is really dangerous to a fetus, so pregnant women need to avoid exposure. But toxoplasmosis is not spread by bites or scratches. Instead, it's spread through exposure to cat feces, rodent feces, garden soil, untreated water, unwashed produce, and undercooked meats. (The lifecycle of toxoplasmosis uses both rodents and cats as a hosts in different stages of its life cycle. So anything that could be contaminated by either rodent feces or cat feces is a possible means of exposure - this is why garden soil, unwashed produce, and untreated water are risks. Some other animals are also hosts, which is why raw or undercooked meats are risks.) The interesting thing about toxoplasmosis is that the disease enters a chronic phase in which it hangs out in the body permanently and seems dormant - it doesn't produce any signs of illness. But while seeming dormant, toxoplasmosis actually alters human behavior. Creepy, huh? EDIT: DO NOT CLICK on the following link. If you click on the link it will redirect you to the National Geographic shop for some reason. This is true whether I use the "link" button to add the link or just type the URL into the post directly. If you would like to read the article, please copy and paste the URL into your browser or type it into your browser manually: news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/01/220113-sneaky-cat-parasite-takes-over-human-brains-science/ I don't know why this redirect is happening. I've never seen this happen before, and the link worked correctly for me yesterday when I made the post. (I did check it, since broken links bug me.) I may make a test thread and try other links from National Geographic to see if it's something they are doing. I apologize for any inconvenience, and I appreciate brownrexx pointing it out to me so I can look into it.
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Post by carolyn on Jul 1, 2019 15:08:11 GMT -5
Laura there is only a link to the NG store. no article.
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Post by ladymarmalade on Jul 1, 2019 15:09:51 GMT -5
Rodents. A tiny little mouse turns me into a completely different person. You know those old Tom & Jerry cartoons with the housewife up on a chair and screaming? Totally me. It's totally irrational and I know it. I also really hate snakes, though I am less afraid of them than DH is. I have no problems picking up a harmless garter snake for relocation. Spiders are right behind rodents for me. I don't mind daddy long-legs, but once the body starts to have substance and the legs get bigger... Can't do them. I also can't squish them- that sickening crunch that the bodies make is so awful...
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Jul 2, 2019 9:57:11 GMT -5
I edited my post above...weird about the link redirecting! I hope it didn't cause anyone any inconvenience.
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Post by mgulfcoastguy on Jul 2, 2019 22:25:29 GMT -5
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Jul 2, 2019 23:26:31 GMT -5
The question and answer section for that Bug-A-Salt gun is a hoot.
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Post by brownrexx on Jul 4, 2019 7:39:35 GMT -5
There is an 800 lb Great White shark off the coast in Ocean City NJ today.
They say that your chances of being killed by a shark are super small and that only 4 people worldwide have been killed by sharks in a whole year but I don't care. I am still afraid of having a leg chomped off so I will still be afraid when in the ocean.
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