Whirlpool has a good rep for refrigerators. You'll find them sold under the Whirlpool, Roper, Estate, Kirkland, and KitchenAid names. Keep in mind that newer refrigerators use considerably less power than older fridges -- depending on the cost of electricity in your area, it may make sense to spend a little more on the fridge to get a newer one rather than pay more for an older one every month through the electric bill. You don't say how long this fridge has to last, but: - I'd stay away from anything with dents, especially around the door or the compressor (likely on the bottom); - It's possible to test the quality of the seals by seeing how tightly they hold a dollar bill placed between the seal and the door; - Avoid fridges with patched insides (good ol' duct tape) and with rust and lots of dirt (some folks never clean the outside of the fridge, so it works much harder than it has to). Pull the drip pan on the bottom to make sure there's no rust/dirt/junk in it, either. Another option is to buy from an appliance dealer that sells used appliances or scratch-n-dent. It will cost more than buying a fridge from a private party, but you can be confident it's not a total lemon or they wouldn't be selling it/offering a warranty. And they likely will deliver it -- which may not be a bad thing for people not used to moving refrigerators properly.

I hate these five minutes of fame interviews done by the morning shows. All that interview was was damage control. It's no different from the famous idiots who publicly humiliate themselves and do the same thing to change public opinion. Mel Gibson, Tiger Woods, Koby Bryant to name a few. They dress up pretty, get prepped for a "controlled" interview and have their professional talking head sitting next to them to make it all seem like it's okay and under control. What's really appalling to me about this guy is not only was he able to talk about how many people agreed with his behavior (which I find hard to believe) he let Matt Lauer scold and force that girl to admit on live TV that she was wrong for posting a stupid letter on her facebook page. IMHO, they're all hypocrites because I don't know an adult alive who at some point during their teens didn't vent to their friends about their parents; the only difference now is thanks to technology, the manner in which it's done is different. Yes Facebook is a public network but her parents did allow her to have the account and she did post it on a PRIVATE page that he had to break into. Would I want to hear my daughter talking about me like that? Of course not but then again, I wouldn't have invaded her privacy the way he did. And honestly, there are a lot worse things she could be doing to lash out with her frustrations. Still instead of seeing there was a problem and working with her to fix it, he grounds her for "months" like she's in prison and destroys the equipment she needs for school. I also feel very strongly that instead of putting a minor on national so she could be further intimidated and humiliated by someone like Matt Lauer, he should be protecting her from the backlash of his stupid antics and taking classes to gain some freaking parenting skills. I just can't believe that people are buying into the facade and don't realize that the behavior in that video is uncensored and THAT guy is who that young girl is really living with, not the jerk on the couch.

A jug of Febreeze. I'm quite sure the guys in my son's dorm never did laundry the way you and I think of laundry...they Febreezed--EVERYTHING--shirts, jeans, sheets, towels, probably their armpits...lol I second the OTC med/first aid kit. Send the minimum until you know the kiddoes your son will be rooming with. Things like Sudafed can be abused. Still...I wish we'd done this. There was one very miserable night when my son (no longer in the dorm) called to tell me he was sick. Based on past experience, I knew immediately he had strep...probably 103 fever, raging sore throat, chills, in short he was alone, several miles from a store and miserable. I can guarantee you I spent a miserable night as well. While he was at the pharmacy the next day, I made him stock up on Tylenol and such. Extention cords and power strips. My son's dorm room had two outlets. Boys seem to need their electronics...Xbox, DVD players, Speakers system. Hopefully you can coordinate with the roomie so they don't overlap too much. Personally, I'd love to see game systems banned for dorms, but I'm sure schools fear no young men would come to school. lol Remember, you can't prepare for every instance. What you hope to see when your son or daughter goes away to school is some of the resourcefulness you've taught over the years. Do they know how to find information? Do they seek out the best way to do things? Can they face a challenge and deal with it? (Like getting a ride to the store when they don't drive. It's perfectly do-able.) Have fun and remember to enjoy these next few months.

gardenerlorisc- Some people don't see more guns in this country as a solution, and the fact that a simple request for advice on improving a lock elicits an exhortation to get a gun is deeply troubling. I'm a father of three girls who was always concerned about their safety, so please don't jump to conclusions about my views on women protecting themselves. I just never thought that putting guns in their hands would improve their lives. You're entitled to do what you like. I'm not going to debate you.