Ok, so moving the files with broken ribs MAY have been a bit dumb, or so the
dozen or so e-mails might have implied.  Maybe my learning curve WAS a bit
depressed on that one.  Today, I was scratching my sore head, and noticed a
small lump.  Not one to leave any lump alone, I worried it until is started
to bleed, then got someone to look at it.  (A man thing.  Nothing is bad
unless it bleeds) A few pushes, and out popped a piece of windshield glass.
Very cool.  Added it to my collection of stuff from my body what were never
supposed to be there.
 
I have recieved lots of stuff on the history/domestication of the ferret,
but the questions has already been covered, and I refer to to past issues of
the FML.  Can't tell you the exact issues, sorry.  At the moment, it seems
to be a tired subject, at least for me, and it needs to rest a few weeks.
Not that I don't love discussing it, but there are only so many ways of
saying the same thing.
 
The bumper stickers and limericks have been great!  I am so proud of all of
you!  And not one has been really dirty....well, Amanda got close.  How do
you know I'm not a hobbie?  See if I come to your house in the middle of the
night again.  Of course, I mean while delivering Oregon ferrets ;-) (Tell
Smudge that Chrys said hullo bro'.)
 
Reference of the Day:
 
Paddy Sleeman 1989 "Stoats & Weasels Polecats & Martens" Whittet Books,
London. ISBN: 0-905483-75-8
 
This book appears to be designed for the serious but non-professional nature
lover (or weasel lover in our case).  It is well written, the mistakes are
few, and the writing is conversational and easy to read.  The bibliography
is sparce, but as I said, it does not appear to have been meant for the
professional biologist.
 
The book would be a great source of information for those of you who get
confused when the stuff on the FML gets a bit technical.  It coveres a lot
of basic mustelid biology and behavior, and from that point of view,
explains a lot about our little fuzzballs, even thought the parts on ferrets
are terse.  However, if you remember the behavior of ferret is very similar
(or identical) to all mustelids in general, the book becomes more valuable.
In any case, it is entertaining.
 
One of the more enjoyable parts about the book are the many line drawings
and cartoons.  I especially enjoyed one regarding baculae, and one showing a
scientist peering over a partition at two ferrets.  One even showed a weasel
biting some guy on the nose; very funny to me because of the mink bites to
my ear from "The Devil in the Mink Coat."
 
I would recommend this book to anyone who honestly wants to know more about
mustelids in general.  One way of telling how much I like a book is how I
maintain the reference.  With many books, I just copy the title page (or
bibliographic reference) and write some notes which I staple to the paper.
If I think parts were important or useful, I only copy those paragraphs, and
attach them to the sheet.  If the book was really good or important, I buy
it.  I have ordered a copy of this book for myself.  I think it would be a
quite valuable reference setting next to Fox's ferret book.  Remember, don't
expect much about ferrets; it's a mustelid book.
 
Here are a few more Limericks
 
I have a ferret named Daye,
(And Stella and Moose, by the way).
So if you visit my pad,
You might think me mad,
But you will know I love "Moose Stella Daye."
 
There's a New Yorker on the net named Bill,
Whose moderation is a BIG deal.
If ferrets are your game
And computers the same,
Then the FML will give you a thrill.
 
(Blantant suckup piece)
 
Mo' Bob and 18 Mo' Madcap Monkeys
[Posted in FML issue 1856]