Just had something to say about Ground Fault Interupters.  Rudy is right in
that they save lives; I am walking proof.  I once had a short in a color
enlarger, which was located near the wall supporting (external) water pipes.
I was stupidly leaning against those pipes when, with damp hands, I grabbed
the metal part of the enlarger.  I distinctly remember a popping sound as
the lights went off.
 
We had this problem before, so I wasn't too concerned, reset the circuits,
and went back in to see what caused it.  This time, I used both (now dry)
hands to pick up the power box.  I distinctly remember a popping sound as
my lights went out.  I suffered small third degree burns to both hands, and
the ability to light cigarettes with my fingernail for more than a month
(besides inventing a really cool dance).  When the newspaper electrician
came up, I complained that the interupters did not work, and the truth was
explained to me that, in fact, they had or I might be dead.  Seems they
stop circuits from grounding, not from circuit completion.  Without leaning
against the pipes, my body completed the circuit across the short, rather
than acting like a conduit to the ground.
 
The same thing might happen when a ferret (or any biological organism) chews
an electrical cord.  The current will pass from one part of the mouth to the
other, which normally is just a shocking experience, but can cause serious
burns, cause teeth to crack or explode, or cause the ferret to go into shock
or cardiac arrest.  Still, this is better than no Ground Fault Interupter at
all, which would allow the current can travel through the body of the ferret
and cause much more damage or death (assuming the ferret is grounded at the
time of the accident).
 
It might be considered overkill, but I put Ground Fault Interupters on my
computers, home entertainment system, main kitchen and bathroom power
supplies, garage/basement, and the main house power supply.  They are cheap,
they protect equipment, and they save lives, even if they don't always stop
the occasional burn or shock.  (No, I don't do the wiring--My brother David
has 20 years experience as an electrical contractor in Calif--he does.  As
you can imagine, the wiring in my home is top-notch, with all the little
extras, including a small emergency electrical generator anmd emergency
boxes with recharging battery-powered lights that come on when the power
goes off).
 
The best prevention is preventing the chewing of power cords in the first
place, but ferrets are intelligent and individuals, so sometimes nothing
seems to work.  My best friend (he lives in Calif) has two illegal ferrets,
one of which loved to chew power cords.  NOTHING worked, not even the
occasional powercord-shock, so my friend bought one of those shock-collars
used to train doggies.  He blocked the doors, threw a bunch of power cords
on the floor, and each time the ferret did more than just sniff, it would
recieve a light punishment.  At the same time, rawhide chewing materials
were provided, and the ferret got some ferretone each time it chewed on them
instead.  According to my friend, it took three lessons to prevent the
ferret from chewing power cords at any time, and the lessons have never been
repeated.  As a pacifist, I do not advocate such a program, only report it
because I realize it might be the only choice for some, and a trained ferret
is better than a dead or seriously burned ferret.  I would strongly
recommend all other efforts be exhausted prior to this type of behavioral
modification, and only attempt it as a last resort to save your fuzzie from
injury or death.  In the meantime, take Rudy's advice, and get a Ground
Fault Interupter.
 
On another note, It has been reported that some of you did not get a
certificate.  I know they were mailed, because I did it, and the post office
is investigating the loss (some of you might get a letter from them, or so
they said).  Still, I have no idea who got them or who did not, so if you
didn't, write and I will send you another, because, quite frankly, I think
the PO lost them, or possibly stolen as part of a CIA/CALIF F&G sting
operation.  Maybe you will get both at some time or another, but who cares?
I would rather you have two than not get the one.  Please e-mail me and let
me know.
 
In the same note, I will be sending BIG a new and improved nickname list
sometime this weekend (to be posted in ferret-request; but not on the FML
because it's way to BIG <hehheheh>).  If you want new nicknames added to the
list, e-mail them to me.  If you sent any to the FML, send them to me also,
and they will be added.  I have had to start Fetching my mail lately,
because for the next couple of weeks they will be revamping our mail and
modem system to prevent the type of crap that happened to me before, as well
as to increase the amount of people that can connect via modem.  Already,
people have reported mail has bounced, so just resend it, and I should get
it sometime.
 
Bob C and the Wild One Three
[Posted in FML issue 1486]