Liebe Kaye,
 
Querry for you, since you are a Brit, yes?
 
Mein hausfrau was reading one of the final chaptes in Stephen E. Ambrose's
book titled, "Citizen Soldiers," in which the term, "Tommies" was mentioned
as a generic name for English infantry.  Since she thinks I know everything
about the Landwehr, Luftwaffe, Panzers and military history (Served 6 plus
years in the US Navy (Kriegsmarine) as a first class petty officer - guided
missiles - during the Korean "police action"), I was a faulted hubby 'cause
I had to plead ignorance to the origin of the term "Tommy."
 
During the first Weltkrieg there was a fine English General named Thomas
Enright (?) who commanded a very large contingent of the BEF (British
Expeditionary Force).  Somehow or other the English soldiers were
nick-named after this general's first name, "Thomas." So now we refer to
the English soldier as a "Tommie." Hummmm.  I wonder?
 
Does this theory hold Wasser?  Please do some research for me and let us
know the real reason for the term, "tommy."  Ooooh kaaaay, yes?
 
Will look toward an episode of blinding transcendent cognitive clarity
reflected from the mirror of your mind.
 
TTFN
 
Edweirdo . . . oops; I mean = Edward.  There, that's right!  Haruumph.
 
Ohy vehy!  Almost forgot my need.  Please could you find for me some of
those simple leather-made, figure-8, characteristic English-made cat/ferret
harnesses?  Simply described: consist of a single long strap with a
miniature buckle and small punched holes down the centerline.  Also to hold
it all together there is a simple loop of leather held looped by a single
rivet and an attached "D-ring." The single long strap encircles the
ferret's body twice, once about the neck and once about the chest just aft
of the front paws and with both loops going thru the single "D-ring" loop
described above.  The loop is positioned parallel to the ferret's spine and
dorsad or on top.
 
The leather is quite thin (about 2 to 3 millimeters thickness), width of
about 10 millimeters, and total strap length of about 490 millimeters long.
20 by 13 mm the dimension of the steel buckle with a tongue of about 10 mm
originating from the centerbar of the buckle.The loop of leather is the
same thickness and width as the strap and measures about 45 mm long, not
including the "D" ring.  The 10-year old English harnesses I still have are
color stained on one side of the leather, although the color is irrelevant
to me.
 
Please, no to the figure "H" harness.  It's twice the work to put on (two
buckles) and not as secure as the figure-8 for my purposes of posting the
different sized ferrets to posts all day and into the evening hours outside
in my side yard and under the protection of my pet crow and her mates.
They protect the ferrets from the American bald eagle and the red-tailed
hawks that patrol my air space.
 
Leashes would be fine too.  I need a proof copy of a prototype and will
order about a 100 of the harness/leash sets if they are anywhere similar
to the one described above.
 
Over here in the colony can't buy them anywhere.  All we get are the really
cheap and crummy Asian nylon mfg stuff.  And usually at the same price as
the superior English ones.  Rumor has it the design was stolen along with
our nuke technology by the Chinese spys who helped the funding of Clinton's
election.
 
Would appreciate your help and and the help of anyone on the FerretNet and
do hope that I'm not asking too much, but I am desperate.
 
Dzjankuija.  [Polish] Thank you.  Not to certain of the slavic spelling.
Help needed from fellow polaks, please?
 
EL & TTFN.
[Posted in FML issue 2690]