>From:    Edward Lipinski <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Genetic Drift . . . Awash in  the Tide of Change
>You know, it would be greatly appreciated if instead of throwing around
>terms that are essentially meaningless, (at least to me and possibly to
>just a few others ) could you please explain yourself.  What in the
>blazes are you talking about?  Please let us understand you.
 
This perhaps needs to be resolved by learning the terms rather than calling
them meaningless.  We'd written much more but in reviewing it, we decided
we and others had already made the points.  We'll spare the rest of the
readership most of it.
 
>From:    victoria foster <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: reply to lipinski
 
We don't speak FOR the AFA.  But having some knowledge of one of their
policies we can discuss our opinion of it.
 
>Yes, let us do look at dogs and cats.  Edward, you have given some of the
>best reasons I have ever heard to spay and neuter ferrets.
 
'Selectively' spay and neuter.  The American Ferret Association specifically
works to keep ferrets from being bred into different breeds to avoid the
problems of the dog and cat world.  This is a good thing in our opinion in
that by having the ferret be just a ferret and having the standard based as
much as possible on a healthy "normal" ferret you don't promote the silly
exaggerations for show that (mostly American unfortunately) show breeders
create.  That point is also made by Sean Sawyer and Linda Iroff.
 
Some other ferret folks seem to be trying for oversized or undersized
ferrets.  Some over do the "bulldog look".  This doesn't bode well.
 
>From:    Sean Sawyer <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: Nobody Know the Trouble I See (#1998-2393)
>[Moderator's note: [...]
>As for cows becoming extinct, actually, there is concern that some breeds
>of cows and other domesticated animals might indeed become extinct.
 
Breeds.  Yes.  This is due to breeds coming from regional preferences rather
than universal preferences.  Swedish ferrets have longer guard hair than
American ferrets.  Angoras and non-angoras alike.  If American ferrets were
to be imported into Sweden, Norway and Denmark where these long haired
ferrets live, in such numbers that the American shorter haired ferrets
replaced the longer haired ferrets then the regional "breed" could get lost.
 
In cattle American/European breeds are replacing local breeds and the local
breeds are getting reduced.  But the same thing is happening in the US with
the preferences of some breeds over others.  The long horn wasn't as popular
for a while.
 
This also extends to plants.  There are groups dedicated to saving apple
varieties that are subcombing to the market preferences for a "universal"
apple - that is the red delicious.  (We live in apple country here.)
 
>From:    Michael McKinley <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: post on
>Dog breeders breed today for money.  They are governed by the AKC which
>dictates what each breed should look like.
 
Technically the AKC merely uses the definition of a breed from a club
concentrating on that breed.  Not all breeders of dogs are in it for the
money.  They have both responsible breeders and mills like we do with
ferrets.  They don't have ranches breeding for the pet market like we do
in ferrets however.  But we agree with everything else.
 
>From:    Edward Lipinski <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Oh dem wild, wild ferrets, dey are a runnin' maybe som'where?
 
An analogy...
 
I can assert that there are wild Lipinski goats in our woods.  Little gray
bearded goats with horns that look like iron crosses and manes that look
like Imperial German helmets.  They all follow a lead goat called the
kaiser.
 
Do I need to prove they exist?  Or do you need to prove they don't?
 
>From:    Rebecca Murdock <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: FML reading advice
 
We are more than willing to change our opinions.  What we think now has some
drastic differences from what we thought only a few years ago when we learn
new things.  We have learned things from folks that aren't "famous" or that
aren't "major contributors".  A lot of it is in little things.  You have
more influence on us than you'd think.  But choosing not to read certain
opics is fine.  There are topics we choose not to read.
 
>Dayna's Foggy,
 
A fairey tale.  Forgetting it might actually be a good idea.
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
 
[Moderator's note: So who has to prove Foggy does or doesn't live with the
Lipinski goats who also may or may not exist?  BIG]
[Posted in FML issue 2395]