I promised myself not to post as often and just lurk, but recently I have watched some things transpire of note on the FML and I just cannot keep quiet, LOL! There appears to be much debate surrounding litter and what is best. I have been using Crown Animal Bedding for over ten years and I have found it to be the best option. It does not fall apart like Yesterday's News and I only pay $10 for a 50 lb. sack. It has been very economical and my ferrets are ok with it. I caution anyone using alfalfa for litter, or hay for bedding. I know of some ferrets who have been allergic to both and it took a very long time for the vet/owner to figure it out, while the ferret suffered needlessly. I am not suggesting that it will cause problems, just a heads up. As far as flaming people for their political views, shame on you! This is a free country and that is what we are now fighting for - the freedoms we have all come to know and love. If you disagree with something someone states, why flame them and call them names or "unpatriotic"? I know exactly what this is like since I voiced my opinion about protecting places of worship and tax dollars only to be flamed and hurt by a certain individual on this board that does not even know me. I agree that email is NOT the best form of communication but if you don't like what someone believes, you can send a CIVIL email privately to them without resorting to labeling or name-calling. Occasionally, you will find your viewpoint well-received and you might even find the person changing their mind about what they believe. My sincerest apologies go out to Stan for what mean-spirited people sent him. I may or may not agree with Stan on his views, but bashing him accomplishes NOTHING. No, there are no excuses for it such as "maybe this person was having a bad day" etc...That is just not ok. I also need to state that none of this has anything to do with ferrets and therefore should have been left off the FML just as my attempted post about my neighbor killing squirrels was considered "off-topic" (I still managed to get an abbreviated version through). The rule for "off-topic" posts needs to be in effect for ALL off-topic posts, not just some. I also don't feel that posts about being a "deadhead" belong, since that also has nothing to do with ferrets. No offense to anyone who is into music, but this board is for and about ferrets. There are tons of newsgroups and mailing lists for music topics. I hope this post makes it onto the forum, since most of it is ferret-related. A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE NEEDS TO GO OUT TO NANCY MARTIN! She is doing a superb job of fighting (well, not "fighting") her local township to keep ferrets legal. Hooray for your efforts! I know this is not an easy task and can be very time-consuming. GOOD JOB! Other than that, I will go back into "lurking" mode. Please consider what I have stated above. You may not realize how much words can hurt and it is certainly easy for some to hide behind their machines (both legally and illegally). Step back and think about how poor email communication is, and realize that you don't know the person you are flaming except for email. Hating someone for their views is very narrow-minded and unaccepting of the freedoms of speech we all fight for. Agree to disagree and be civil. Think about it... [Posted in FML issue 3579]