Dani, Bill Gruber is the FML moderator, not Bob!  Ah, I am not the only
one who makes innocent typos (like when I wrote "rumor mill" instead of
"diploma mill" the other day)!
 
LOL!  This gives me a chance to remind folks of how much Bill Gruber
does!
 
Bill is the second FML moderator.  The first was Chris Lewis -- yes, we
were begun by a Canadian before a New Yorker took on most of the years
of moderation -- who began it after the bunch of us got tired of snide
comments from non-ferret people on the THEN rec.pets.alt.ferrets (which
has gone away and then been restarted several times over during the years
between).
 
Before Bill Gruber became the FML moderator he was the person who
provided protection for those were in FFZs through the anonymous feature.
You don't hear about FFZs much anymore.  Since careful CDC and university
research led to improvements in the Compendium of Animal Rabies Control
and Prevention most of the anti-ferret bans which had existed have gone
away, so usually these days the few locales are just said by name.
 
Bill Gruber has almost never missed a day's FML coming out to us all,
even when he has been sick -- sometimes very ill.
 
He also does a ton of work behind the scenes to help ferrets and ferret
people.  In fact, he does more behind the scenes than most people you
will ever meet.
 
So, thanks for the chance to say, "Thank you!" to Bill Gruber.  he more
than deserves it!  BTW, folks attending the upcoming IFC Symposium in St.
Louis will get a chance to meet him.  Warnings: he walks fast, and it is
impossible to resist hugging him because he is as kind a person in person
as he is over the internet!  (Oh, and he has GREAT HAIR!  It's black and
curly.)
 
Anne, that tube on the stairs is a GREAT idea!  I wish we had inside
stairs so that we could do it.  Our ferrets would LOVE it!  I had to
shout your post back to Steve!  (The downstairs and next door neighbors
aren't home so I can shout right now -- the only upstairs neighbors were
attic squirrels but I held a diggerdo to the ceiling and played it and
they left in less than a week.)
 
Yvonne, what a good and smart child you have!  We used to have a
terminally ill mother downstairs and when her kids were too sad two of
our ferrets: Meltdown and Spot would dote on them and share hugs -- never
being the slightest bit rough no matter what the younger one did.  It can
be hard to teach animals to those who don't have exposure, though, and I
wish you luck with the visitors.  All I can contribute is: go slow and
steady using encouragement and removing the ferrets as needed to let all
wind down.  (LOVE you address pun!)
 
Anne, WOW!  Those are some incredible common sense ideas you presented
(both for shelters and for our wedding anniversary).  I LOVE it when a
conversation gets constructive like this.  Everyone who listens benefits
and that is truly, truly marvelous.  I agree with you on your noting:
 
 > The one thing I will say is that in general I think people are more
 > comfortable expressing opposing opinions without getting ripped to
 > shreds, and I think the list has become more pleasant and more
 > tempered.
 
and
 
 > I came on shortly after Chris left the list in the trusted and
 > capable hands of BIG, and just want to applaud him for doing such a
 > great job!  Thanks Bill!
 
*** BILL (BIG): is this your tenth anniversary as moderator this year,
   or was it last year and we sadly missed it?  ***    [1994 Nov 28]
 
We don't have an igloo but I liked thinking about those posts.  If we
get one sometime I know some useful stuff upfront now.
 
James, don't let the TX heat get to you!  When you have a chance to
post, do!  It was good to see you on again, "Mr. Numbers"!
 
Nicole, your comment on the trouble you had finding the FML made me
realize that if Bill doesn't mind it this list would be a GREAT subject
for one of the upbeat series of posts in "Ferrets" like maybe Wolfy's
regular column, if Becca and Bill don't mind my saying so and if I am
not once again inserting foot in mouth with the suggestion.  (Loved your
ferret's milk bath and wish I could afford one!)
 
IMPORTANT: I LOVE the way recently that conversations are staying so
civil right now and people can add comments as they are needed (though
we all know what to do if that changes badly -- which I really, really
hope it does not THIS TIME so please, please, please make my wish for
continued civil exchange continue and be willing to disagree without
fights and with lots of listening when you do disagree).
[Posted in FML issue 4853]