Greetings to my fellow ferret slaves, Just thought I would drop my $2.02 in for a bit (more cents because it's so long!): No one likes people who "flame" other people, or even flame in disguise (that's when you say "this is not a flame" and then say "but your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries") But we can't take any of this too seriously. About two years ago, when I had just started back to school, I made the mistake of posting an inquiry of what someone would do who wanted to get into Vet school. Now, I was 24 or 25, and finishing my BA a little late, but I didn't think this would hurt anything TOO much; I have always made above average grades and have never had any problems with academic pursuits I was really set on. But I got this reply speculating about my personal life, telling me I probably never followed through on anything and that I should "really reconsider this" before trying to do it, because this person was "concerned" for me. HA! They were so concerned they had to tell me I was a loser who never followed through on things? Sure. They weren't even a vet and they were telling me how hard it was to become one. That was the only reply I got. I could have crawled into a hole and died. I almost gave up the idea completely. Now, I imagine that if I had listened to that person (whose name, unfortunately, I have forgotten) I would not be receiving the news from my advisor that I am currently competitive for several Veternary programs in the U.S., including LSU Vet, which I am told is not easy to get into. Have that with your coffee, Mr. or Ms. nonbeliever. Competitive means that the programs will WANT to have me in them. What have YOU been doing in the past 2 years? :) Honestly I think most of these people who feel the need to criticize us "for our own good" just have low self-esteem and are probably really lonely. I'm sure that without us to pick on, and without our angry replies to their accusations in their inbox they would feel that they were worthless. So the next time someone flames you, criticizes your lifestyle, or judges the way you care for you animals (and you have done your homework and your animals are on a good diet have safe living quarters and are supervised properly) just smile, and tell them you are glad you could make the flamer feel better about him/herself. A favorite saying of my mother's was "If you take the high road, you can always look down." Not a very charitable reason for doing the "right" thing, but definitely very satisfying. Very satisfying indeed. ;P On a lighter note, our FML bards are back, and I for one am glad to see them! Isn't it incredibly nice of these people to take their time -- which they could be using to take bubblebaths, or watch the Olympics, or play with their own ferrets -- to try to entertain us and make us laugh and forget our troubles for a while? I know it isn't easy to come up with a contiguous plot line for several days in a row and then have it all come out as something recognizable in the end!!! Three cheers for the FML bards! Three cheers for the return of the Oracle! Hip Hip Hurrah! Hip Hip Hurrah! Hip Hip Hurrah! love to ALL of your ferrets and ALL of you, too! Christine and Mab and Dustbin ===== christine newkirk [log in to unmask] My Ebay items ICQ# 3937465 Please visit my website: http://www.midnightferret.com [Posted in FML issue 4620]