Hey!!! I have just waded through 2 weeks fmls that built up here, and am dismayed at the critisism of the content of the FML. A message for BIG.... I am amazed at the way you seem to get the balance right, and allow people an exchange of views, and put opposing arguments while knowing exactly when to call a halt to a topic, in my view, the attraction of the FML is the varied mix of fact, narrative and fiction which both informs and entertains readers. Alexandra, Dont you dare stop amusing us with O/T posts. Lee and I look forward to the adventures of Switch and Lily, and still recall with fondness the wit and wisdom of Sabrina the bat biter. I would caution you about getting involved in anything that involves a body being willingly chained, such things have brought down careers, although I hear the publishing rights can be good if you dont mind the notoriety. And now... for whoever feels that this should be 100% ferret related I am often moved close to tears by the cruelty and evil I read about on the FML, Each needless death of a fuzzy is in some way painful to me, maybe that is over the top, but its how I feel. I wish I were able to inflict similar cruelty on the perpetrators. Were this point of view taken further then what? What is next? no "Rainbow Bridge" posts because they are not "factual"? (and who is to say that the bridge doesnt exist in one form or another?) For some people the Rainbow Bridge posts are a very neccessary part of healing after the loss of a pet, I think those messages demonstrate the great kindness that exists and given thier nature are an extreme act of generosity on the part of those anonymous persons involved. Theres a hell of a lot of posts that are not relevant to me in the UK, and I am sure the same is true for people in other countries (I can only dream of attending a symposium) so I skim, feeling joy at some posts, sadness at others, and then having a damned good laugh at some of the humour, be it "The Oracle" and the little red radio flyer wagon or the further adventures of Switch and Lily and the green and yellow 1948 John Deere with its back-hoe attachment. I think it is true to say that most of the "readership" of the list NEED something to break what would otherwise be a cold litany of cruelty death and disease. I get the FHL, and yes the posts there are great for facts etc, but can you understand how depressed it makes me feel when I read them? although there is often some good news, when a fuzzy recovers from a nasty sickness, I still end my reading with a heavy heart, so much sickness in these tiny wonderful zany creatures, thats why I am thankful for the O/T stuff that often lightens the darkness of this mean world I like the analogy of the list "family", for that is what it is. After one of my losses, I was incredibly touched when I receieved a small gift through the post, from a person I shall probably never meet who lives thousands of miles away, and yet, because of this list, they felt free to reach out to me in a time of great sorrow. That is the strength of the FML, it brings us all together on a common ground, and such is the intimacy that is built here, we become friends. To tamper with the character of the FML would be to risk losing all that makes it special My thoughts and best wishes to those with sick, lost or angelled fuzzie heart stealers Cris & the kidz - Rhoobarb (biteyweezil) and the new guy... "Chunk" (Chunkyweezil) Remembering those who stole pieces of my heart Custard (Cussieangelweezil) my gentle little joker and daddies snuggleferret Bubbles, (Da Warweezil) first ferret par excellence and leader of the furkidz Skweek (Skweekyweezil) daddies litle earwashing girl and all round little madam Called away from this world to dance with the angels at the rainbow bridge mailto:[log in to unmask] [Posted in FML issue 4714]