Bell never actually bred ferrets. He simply gave them the opportunities to have meaningful relationships.
I'm sure Bell had the best of intentions in doing so too JK, but forcing them to speak into a tin can attached by wire to communicate seems a tad cruel.
Not so. Despite having an innate fear of fire (and persistent problems with striking flints to make sparks) ferrets had traditionally been obliged to communicate over long distances by means of bonfires and smoke signals. Their undying gratitude to Mr Bell for his most welcome innovation cannot be overstated.
Always love Lincoln's quote that went something like, "Better to remain silent and be thought of as a fool than to open one's mouth and erase all doubt."
Bell never actually bred ferrets. He simply gave them the opportunities to have meaningful relationships.
I'm sure Bell had the best of intentions in doing so too JK, but forcing them to speak into a tin can attached by wire to communicate seems a tad cruel.
Not so. Despite having an innate fear of fire (and persistent problems with striking flints to make sparks) ferrets had traditionally been obliged to communicate over long distances by means of bonfires and smoke signals. Their undying gratitude to Mr Bell for his most welcome innovation cannot be overstated.
Well in spite of the overly difficult learning curve experienced, such improved communication certainly was a healthier option. It is well documented that ferret lung cancer rates plummeted after smoke signal communication was discontinued.
Well, I keep trying. My latest approach to mastering those blasted pushbuttons involves a set of needle files, some lengths of ingeniously knotted string and a well-greased sink plunger. It is looking promising but so far I have only managed to accidentally dial 999 (our version of 911, as you know) which brought three police cars, the fire brigade and an ambulance to our front door. The explanations involved were somewhat embarrassing (one police officer actually asked if I had considered trying the barbed wire gauntlets as an aid to manual dexterity, which I thought showed considerable insight on his part). But as an initial proof of concept I found the experiment rather encouraging.
p.s. My reply to Tony P. should not be taken out of context.
@graeme-ogg Nice to hear that the ingenious and practical barbed wire gauntlets have caught on in the GMT Graeme! Btw, I am sorry to hear of your ongoing issues with your push button dial situation. Your improvised tools are obvious evidence of your Eagle Scout background. Personally I'm not convinced that it is an improvement over my rotary dial and seriously doubt that it will ever catch on. Must run...sorry....my missus is on the phone and someone on the party line is swearing at her....I must mediate.
