Thank you for the link, Mellisa. We should all make a copy of this.

I said I didn't think I'd say any more about the subject, but it seems appropriate and safe to continue. My parents have been on my case for years to get my CCW permit. I come from folks who work/worked in law enforcement and I've had a gun in my hands since I was four. To this day, Daddy makes sure I practice, and I even won a target-shooting tournament last year, but I've never shot a living thing in my life, nor do I have the desire to do so. However, I wouldn't have any hesitation doing that very thing if my kids (or yours) were in danger and that was the only solution to the problem. If Cho had been my beloved child, I would wish somebody would've neutralized him earlier, even by death if necessary, to save the other lives. Makes no difference WHY he was killing people, whether by mental illness or a depraved mind; either way, I would still wish he'd not been allowed to take so many lives and then his own. And if somebody else had been armed, maybe they could've simply taken him DOWN, not OUT, and he could've received treatment if he was found to be mentally ill, and I'd still have my child. That's said from a parent's point of view. From a citizen's point of view, I can see advantages to him taking his own life--no lengthy, drawn-out trial to torture the victims' families, and God, who knows every man's heart, is the best judge of these things. It's in His hands now, and I guess that's right where it ought to be. ******* J.D., sorry I didn't respond earlier--didn't get enough computer time over the weekend! It IS easy to get lost in plants "over there"! So beautiful! And "she" is such a neat person! It's official now--I'm Bo B. and I'm a plantaholic. I realized it when my mouth went dry and my pulse quickened at the words "the donkey doo is free". I'd go get a truckload if only I lived closer to the source! I mean, don't get me wrong, I do have my own sources of donkey dookey around here, but it's not the kind I can use on my garden. ;-)

I sold my Mother's farm in VA (where she died very unexpectedly, but of natural causes) and asked this question and was told it was not a "discloseable item". I did tell my buyers, but mostly because I knew they would eventually hear about it and I wanted to frame it for them so they would know that it was not a great tragedy (except as a shocking loss for my family) and I'm sure that all things considered my Mother would have preferred for it to happen there (if it had to happen), rather than in any other circumstances as she loved her house and felt deeply safe and at home there. I live in a very old house (175+ years) and I'm sure many people have died here in my rooms. Doesn't trouble me at all, but then we also have a private family cemetery here with dozens of graves (some from the 1700's - so sad to see a week when four small children died, one after the other probably from something like diptheria). I'm not sure if I would feel the same about a house as notorious as one where some infamous murders took place, for instance. Even if I came to peace about it, I would worry about resale issues. (That's about the only resale issue that would bother me, aside from environmental crises.) You could (depending on your beliefs) have the house "cleansed" of bad energy if it bothered you. L.

I considered Paperstone. I was looking at the "Handyman Specials" with the intention of a DIY project. If you can find something in that section on their website, you may be able to save a bundle and get a innovative countertop. I gave up on it, because I wasn't able to see the product anywhere but on their website. I was reluctant to become a beta-tester for something so unfamiliar. A little bit off-topic, but I have (2) recycled paper cutting boards, that are absolutely the best cutting boards I've found. (I'm a little bit neurotic about cutting boards.) If recycled paper can perform on a countertop, the way it does on my heavily used cutting boards, this stuff will be come very popular. Incidentally, the cutting boards are Epicurean brand, and even with regular use and frequent visits to the dishwasher, they look fantastic!