Hi, all.  I was writing something in Russian today (brushing up for when I
get to go back and take 3rd semester) and wondered if anybody could give me
the proper spelling of the word ferret in Russian.  I think it's stem is
xapok (if that were cyrillic) or english "harok" (approx.), but it isn't in
my dictionary and I don't remember if they classify the word as masculine or
feminine in the language...I tend to think it's feminine, xapoka ("haroka").
I'm writing to a russian major in Michigan and I felt it would benefit me to
practice with at least a paragraph in Russian about my ferret's antics.
Thanks if anyone knows...if not, I'll have to get a more ferret-friendly
Russian/English dictionary.  (although, come to think of it, my former
Russian tutor,who was from the Ukraine, had to look up the word in his
native language to tell me a few years ago because he didn't even know what
a ferret was...) They must not be very common there.
 
Thanks to all who asked about Maynard and offered suggestions or advice.  I
still don't know exactly what is wrong with him, but from all reports he
doesn't even seem sick anymore.  I think he's going to the vet tomorrow and
then I should be able to bring him back to Houston this weekend.  Anyway,
thanks for the support.
 
To all those fighting for ferret legalization, I think the most encouragement
you could have would be that such an unlikely thing as Marijuana was
legalized (if even partially) in California.  Just think how long NORML
(Nat'l Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) has been fighting for
this, and how big of a joke they were to the politicals, and how big the "war
on drugs" has been in the past decade...who would have thought.  I personally
think that if CA see past all the negatives of that new legislation, the
legalization of ferrets can't be too far behind.  (my theory: Ferrets keep
you happier than smoking pot does, even if it is for medicinal purposes).
Would it help for people outside California to write?  I hadn't before
because I figured noone cares if you aren't a state voter...well let me know.
 
Just one more Ferret freedom fighter, standing on my soapbox from time to
time, and thinking about the Reverend Maynard in the San Antonio FFZ.
 
                                   --->Kelly
 |\__\           /__/|          Head of Animal Optometry
 |  o o         o o  |          "Damn you, Let the Rabbits wear glasses"
/    =p=     =q=   \          University of Houston
     |              |
Reverend Maynard: "I'm not looking at you."  Edie: "Snore, squeak."
** "A man talking sense to himself is no madder than a man talking nonsense
not to himself." **
      (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead)
[Posted in FML issue 1753]