[hahnmeister]

Sure. No problem. I think people's response when written lacks the meta-semantics that goes with a real conversation, so some people's words get 'painted' as being rather extreme when they really arent... its just a person's candor being taken as apathy, extremism, etc.

In the next year or so, I will most likely be moving to Marietta, and then you will know Im not as 'extreme' as my posts may suggest.

I have taken the 'behind the scenes' tours of the Shedd, Georgia, New England, Baltimore, and Monterrey Bay Aquariums, and the Georgia was the most 'commercial' of them all. Granted, its the newest, but Marcus set the place up to make money as a self-sustaining entity... as in, its there for profit somewhat (at least more so than ones like the Shedd that get city/state funding FOR research). The place is deep in corporate sponsorship as well, and some of the displays just made me think 'this is wrong'. Im sorry it sounds so extreme, but it wasnt like when I visit other public aquariums. All I can hope is that I am wrong, and that its a work in progress.

Of course, the other thing I wondered is 'how can they build the worlds largest aquarium in a city that is supposed to run out of water in 7 years or less?'

Well, guess what... several of the displays are being closed down, and drained to eliminate water use this year.