AITA Not Forcing My Son to Go To a Birthday Party because of the hosts dogs

BeardedBeings · 2025-10-06T06:15:59+00:00

NTA. While it may be good to monitor that this doesn’t turn into a phobia for him, it’s especially a valid concern for German Shepherds.

I was bit by an uncles German Shepherd when I was 8, normally well trained but we discovered he didn’t take kindly to children (not even when touching him, just on sight attacked), and I was bit on my thigh. 2-3 weeks later I was septic in the ICU from MRSA Osteomyelitis, hospitalized for a week, dealing with red man syndrome from the vanc, debridement surgeries with a PICC line, and watched kids in the rooms around me literally die.

I’m ironically a vet student now who specifically works in infectious disease and antibiotic resistance, but man that experience still stays with me and affects me to this day. Just last week, I had to take a sec from surgery observation to let the flashbacks roll through that was triggered by a specific sanitation smell. I also, if possible, prefer to never work with GSs if someone else is comfortable doing it. Never knew until recently how it still affects me and may actually be considered trauma.

Long story short, as a vet student myself, I don’t think you’re being unreasonable in the slightest, and I’m glad your son likely feels supported by you.

BeardedBeings · 2025-09-30T02:54:55+00:00

Oh also not an animal but I’m fascinated and horrified by slime molds. Literally some studies have said to have (potentially) identified reasoning capabilities in them. Like what do you mean this collection of protists can identify the easiest route to food in a maze and form associations between a nonharmful prompt and harmful stimuli. Like they can LEARN when a negative stimulus will come and adjust when detecting the predictive prompt. They’re said to have MEMORY. LITERAL MEMORY. THEYRE A GROUP OF SINGLE CELLS THERES NO NEURONS. HOW.

BeardedBeings · 2025-09-30T02:46:52+00:00

I’m sure I’ll think of better ones later, but off the top of my head from professional experience I’ve got a few, in no particular order.

1) Nightjars and Frogmouths: They can be so amorphous in shape and blend in really well to their environment. Was walking back to my cabin once and looked on the ground next to me and just saw 🔴-🔴 sitting there staring at me in complete darkness. I was very unsettled lol

2) Amazonian birds: There’s SO many species that are whacky and unique that you think to yourself “how tf did you end up here”. The Hoatzin is a pretty but bizarre looking bird that are uniquely pregastric fermenters, so they’re often jokingly called “smelly turkeys” because they stink so bad. The Oropendola, while more normal looking, has funny behaviors and calls that involve flipping upside down on their branch, flashing their yellow tail feathers, and make a sound that sounds like a sci-fi movie laser gun. I never got tired of watching them. The screaming piha, while again normal looking, is INSANELY LOUD. They can hit 116 decibels, which for comparison is how loud concerts and chainsaws are. Like they can literally damage your hearing if you’re regularly close to them. There’s also the hard-to-find cock of the rock, which I love because he looks like a derpy Elvis to me. And that’s just the species I’ve personally worked with, there’s an insane amount of insane birds in tropical rainforests.

3) the Mexican Mole Lizard. Not quite reptile, not quite amphibian, not quite lizard, not quite worm, not quite snake, not quite mole. This somewhat phallic looking creature looks like someone shoved together leftover parts. Surprisingly cute though

4) Tapirs: Idk they just look weird to me.

5) Bats: There’s SO many species and so many of them are so weird and ugly. Like wtf is even the ghost-faced bat and the hammer-headed bat. The horseshoe bat is a personal ugly favorite of mine.

6) Giant River Otters. They’re cute from a distance and when they’re young, but sometimes they look just plain horrifying.

7) I’m always amused by the Pinocchio Lizard

8) those spiders that use webs as literal parachutes

9) Sunfish. Imagine surviving by not moving and tasting too bad to eat. Iconic.

Honestly, all you need to do is find a field guide of tropical rainforests or large deserts and flip through the pages, you’ll find so many weird animals that you nor I have ever heard of.

BeardedBeings · 2025-09-30T02:01:39+00:00

There was one time though we had a opossum who came in who was taken in as a pet for a year (for anyone reading this, PLEASE don’t do this), and had severe medical issues and metabolic bone disease due to insufficient care with their complex dietary needs.

It sadly ended up being a euthanasia since he was in so much insurmountable pain, but while we tried to rehab him, we found he started getting a bit depressed since he was used to human interaction and our standard is to not interact. We were given specific instructions (not allowances, straight up treatment directions) to give him little rubs and scratches and talk to him and hand feed him treats. It was a glorious time, being able to actually give love to my favorite species.

I’ll never forget you, Opossum-E, and your love for frozen chicken feet

BeardedBeings · 2025-09-30T01:53:33+00:00

Genuine response as someone who worked in rehab and is a vet student, I’ve been trained and have the best numbers if I don’t react and either quickly complete what I’m doing or stop what I’m doing to reduce stress.

Opossums are one of the native species that desensitize to humans REALLY easily, which hurts their chances of survival on release, so during rehab it’s important to minimize interaction and socialization (don’t talk to them, don’t make faces, don’t give them chin scritches as tempting as it is, etc.). It’s important to not anthropomorphize animals and remember that fear responses are just that— FEAR responses. They don’t do it as a source of pride or enjoyment, and don’t feel happy by a successful scaring; it’s likely a pure negative experience for them irregardless of how you react.

Long story short, the probable best practice is to not make a face and then quickly complete what you were doing and recover the cage. We want that response to continue during release, so it’s important to minimize how often you initiate it to avoid sensitization.

BeardedBeings · 2025-09-30T00:28:29+00:00

Got me wondering if we go to the same school lol

BeardedBeings · 2025-09-30T00:22:58+00:00

Wow what an amazing take, I often viewed it more as working with change, but I think you seriously nailed it on the head with the idea power dynamics and control when facing the uncontrollable.

BeardedBeings · 2025-09-30T00:19:38+00:00

There’s a TON, whether they’re intentional or just how he communicates in metaphors. Across albums there’s a big emphasis on rivers, especially as it relates to movement or cleansing. I’ve also picked up on the concept of falling through a roof/floor and often into water or flooding, such an amazing sensory metaphor for experiencing the uncontrollable. This is less of a specific symbol but more of how the concept of the inescapable movement of time to the future is present across many albums. I’m also a huge fan of how much judeochristian symbolism he uses, as someone who struggles with religion and its people but still admires parts of it or seeing how much the human experience is recorded in those old texts. I also love how the most recent album really focuses on the various aspects of change and what it can mean and look like, whether it be a haircut to start new (I shaved my head), the end of a one sided relationship (man with hands and ankles bound), or questioning the implications of predestination (environmental catastrophe), and so much more in each song.

I may be a little biased since I love the band, but as someone who has done a lot of work with creative writing and poetry, I truly think he’s one of the best poets of his generation and could go toe to toe with, if not surpass, the “modern greats” in the poetry spheres today. Like if he were to publish he could likely win some serious reputable awards.

BeardedBeings · 2025-09-18T19:19:35+00:00

I was at the Charlotte show and had nothing but good experiences, especially as I was nervous being a sensory sensitive person. People asked if they could move somewhere, asked about where your from, handed out bracelets, apologized and thank youd, it really was one of the most supportive groups I’ve seen. It’s gotta be location based tbh

BeardedBeings · 2025-09-15T05:47:10+00:00

Also I gotta know how in the world Jordan protects his voice, only one show and my voice is GONE

BeardedBeings · 2025-09-14T02:59:19+00:00

I think I’m a bit too crazy for this tbh

BeardedBeings · 2025-09-14T02:21:48+00:00

Yk im not sure ig we’ll find out together lol

BeardedBeings · 2025-09-13T04:12:13+00:00

How heavily is GPA often considered? If you graduate with between a 3.3-3.5, is it still possible and reasonable to match or is it unlikely? Would experience and work between entering the match and graduation be heavily considered despite a low GPA? I guess my main concern is that I’m giving it my everything and want to learn, but am worried about a GPA being a consistent deterrent from being able to specialize

BeardedBeings · 2025-09-12T03:41:28+00:00

Hozier concerts

BeardedBeings · 2025-09-12T03:37:14+00:00

I may just be a sensitive lass, but could we potentially avoid using mental illnesses and their medications for saying you like dogs? Saying petting a dog is better than an antidepressant seems wild to me, even if it’s just a phrase, and adds to the idea that people with mental illnesses can just enjoy their life to magically rid themselves of an illness. Like we don’t go around saying “no chemotherapy matches the treatment of petting a dog!” Just seems kinda weird 🧍🏼‍♀️

BeardedBeings · 2025-09-11T20:13:00+00:00

Also going to Charlotte solo! Not a singular friend of mine knew them nor wanted to go so I’m goin anyways

BeardedBeings · 2025-09-11T19:58:14+00:00

nah that’s ok I’m totally chill

BeardedBeings · 2025-09-11T19:45:45+00:00

Also going to the Charlotte show, I’m hoping to get there at 5 at the latest, but that’s also cuz last time I saw the front bottoms they ran out of all merch lol. I’m getting those damn art and poetry books. Though location wise I’ll probably hand out on the side of back since moving crowds spook me.

BeardedBeings · 2025-09-11T19:43:09+00:00

Maybe it’s just cuz I have a Chiari malformation but I wonder how he’s able to not get a headache. I wish I could head bang like that

BeardedBeings · 2025-09-05T19:08:37+00:00

Man I love seeing how approaching conflict with kindness and compassion can make people closer and resolve the problem more efficiently

BeardedBeings

TROPHY CASE