Ferrets are adorable, I wish I had the time, room, and money for one! lol
Adam, you make an excellent point. Although I think the overall negative opinion of reptiles will not be changed anytime soon due to their portrayal in the media, I would hope people in general are intelligent enough not to get too swept up in the animal activists' fear mongering...though the ban against pit bulls and other "dangerous" breeds in certain areas is a depressing example of how people will assume one or two bad animals are representative of an entire breed/species. That was just because of one very high-profile story, too...if that's all it takes...well...responsible owners just need to work that much harder.
Sorry if that sounds disjunct, I have a lot of strong opinions on this subjuct, like I'm sure most of you do. I do appreciate the banter =P