Aston, scraped vipers, gerbils and much more

[GrimbutGerbil]

As ever, the gerbils are yours to command...

A subject which doesn't involve the defamation of a huge swathe of the population for beliefs which are woriads? Or something with more purpose than a modern day witch hunt. There were some good suggestions on the threads on site stuff.

I have a beetle. Will admit I bought one of the other options on the page, but that's mainly due to the £20 difference in price.

The question is will it still be in the box come Christmas?

And if I do open it and like it will I end up buying the other 2?

I came across this bit of gerbiliana online, I think it's for real, but I can easily see it coming from the vivid imaginations of posters on this thread.

Notice if your gerbil jumps into the air. This is a sign your gerbil is excited. Your gerbil may do this when it sees you first thing in the morning. It may also jump into the air when you are playing with it to let you know it is excited to be socializing with you.
There's lots more at How to Understand Gerbil Body Language: 12 Steps (with Pictures) (wikihow.pet)

This gerbil is worried about something. I think I look like that when I'm worried about something. Maybe I'm a gerbil...

Last one!
This gerbil has just realised that there's a glaring spelling mistake in the comment she has just posted. Or that she has used the word 'just' twice in the same sentence...
How to Understand Gerbil Body Language: 12 Steps (with Pictures) (wikihow.pet) for more gerbil factual fun😄

All sorts of weird stuff quoted as 'fact' turn out to be unverifiable once someone actually looks into it. Sort of a reverse history becomes legend becomes myth. The interweb has just made it easier.

That said, I look forward to something that everyone knows as a fact about gerbils being traced back to a MN post taking the piss from Aston University that they'd scraped and uncritically disseminated.

It appears to be an authentic pet-care website lcakethereforeIam, and none of the emotionally volatile gerbils featured are engaged in political activities or clothing manufacture😊

Oh, that's a pity 😕

😁

"GrannyCake did you know some countries use gerbils in the manufacture of cheap clothing...."

"Do they? Really? And where did you find this little known gerbil fact random grandchild?"

Now the question is when they lead you to one of your own posts do you feign ignorance or fess up?

Obviously you tell them that that poster is well known to be 100% reliable & an all-round good egg.

I think I'd lean into it. My kids believed for years that 'road bears*' stole sandwiches from cars. My sense of humour can be very whimsical.

*Inspired by the eldest asking what they were after listening to the sat nav.

2 See if your gerbil sits upright with its arms at its sides. This is a sign that it is

... pretending to be a kangaroo.

Don't tell them about a sign near me which says 'Bear left at roundabout'. It always makes me want to reunite the bear with its owner.

Oh no! 😢

If your gerbils regularly gossip about you, leave a tiny microphone in their cage to check what they think of you.

Do you identity as a gerbil? That's all it takes, nothing to do with behaviour, looks, etc.

But make sure your passport is stamped gerbil just in case anyone makes enquiries..

Looked at my passport, doesn't mention species.

Just make sure you look gerbily in the photo?

Time to petition parliament?

They have no issue allowing people to choose to lie about their sex in their passport, despite the fact it is a document used to prove their ID. Why shouldn’t people be allowed to lie about any & everything else - plus claim they are a gerbil or unicorn or dinosaur or princess or superhero or dragon or wizard or whatever else - as well? It makes just as much sense as allowing people to lie about their sex 🤷‍♀️

You're joking about it now but just give it 18 months...

Thank you for joining in the gerbil games, ifIwerenotanandroid. I haven't laughed this much for ages!

'You take a swab test!; 'No, YOU take a swab test!'

talking of swab tests...

The other gerbils had their suspicions that Glenda might in fact not be the same as the other gerbils competing

Thank you for finding it!

'Dearly Beloved, there is a lesson of hope in this for all of us... Life may seem bleak and unforgiving, with trouble and sorrow all around us, but in the midst of our suffering, in this Vale of Tears, there is a shining light - a pet-care website with hilarious pictures of gerbils just waiting for you to find them by chance and let them into your life..'😄

Serendipity rocks!

I've just looked at your 'tiny microphone' one and it's set me off again😂

@MarieDeGournay I suggest you don't look at this one, then. It's wild.