To put things in perspective:
 
The June issue of Harper's magazine notes in their "Harper's Index" that
Americans suffer 12,877 dog bites DAILY.  Insurance companies shell out
$2,739,726 DAILY to cover these injuries.  (Sources are the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention [Atlanta], and the Insurance Information
Institute [NYC].)
 
I realize there are more dogs than ferrets running around in this country,
but the point is that if man's best friend bites him more than 10,000 times
a day--and those are just the reported bites--then I see no reason why MY
best friends, namely, Mookie, Cody, Samantha, and Sabrina (none of whom, by
the way, has ever bitten anybody) should not be warmly welcomed in every
single state of the union!!
 
Okay, okay, they do confess to the occasional, tentative nibble, but that
just keeps me on my toes (or off them).
 
Best wishes everyone, and good luck especially to all ye underground
Californians!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Anatole Mori                Managing Editor       *
*                             Classical Philology   *
* [log in to unmask]   1010 East 59th Street *
* office (312) 702-2564       University of Chicago *
* fax (312) 702-9861          Chicago, IL  60637    *
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[Posted in FML issue 1580]