Urine Drinking
This can be many things, but most importantly a sign of diabetes.  Please
get the ferret to the vet to test the blood sugar levels.  Hobs will
occaisionally drink the urine of other ferrets when they are in rut, and
some ferrets just do it for no particular reason (nuerosis perhaps?).
 
Tail Wagging
It can mean they are excited, anxious, or mad.  Of course it is the happy,
excited tail wagging I love to see.  Some do it all the time, some do it
once in a while, some never do it.  It seems to happen the most in kits
from 8-16 weeks of age.
 
Public Domain Songs
Here is the scoop as I understand it.
 
If you are simply publishing "poetry", and saying it is to a certain tune,
but not giving the actual notes/bars, etc., you are not infringing.
 
Best bet is to get in touch with the legal departments at ASCAP and BMI and
ask them.  Both have offices in NYC and LA.  ASCAP is American Society of
Composers and Performers, BMI is Broadcast Music Inc.
 
Patents
A patent is not a 2-3 month process.  It can cost upwards of $10,000 and
take 3-7 years to obtain.
 
You can however get a trademark in a relatively short time.
 
Best bet is to spend a couple bucks and sit down for an hour with an
attorney that SPECIALIZES in Patent and Trademerk Law.  Don't waste your
time or money if they don't, it is a very complex and specialized legal
field that most general practitioners know nothing about.  On top of that,
if I am not mistaken the Patent office will not deal with an attorney not
registered with them.
 
-Anne
[Posted in FML issue 2306]