Hi. I live in a new development. The only trees are along the old fence rows that once stood between cotton fields. Our lot was a bare 1 acre. I planted saplings/whips to save money and enjoy the growth. Here's what I have, and I'm pretty much at the limit. I have a septic system and had to leave that spot bare. Red Maple 4 Dawn Redwood 4 Bald Cypress 2 Weeping Willow 1 Sourwood 1 Crabapple 2 Washington Hawthorne 2 Giant Sequoia 1 (just an experiment, lol) Loblolly Pine 2 Smoketree 1 American Hazelnut 5 Cherry (3 varities, dwarf) 3 Apple (2 varieties, dwarf) 5 Pussy Willow 3 Mock Orange 3 Wiegelia 3 Azela 6 Norway Spruce 3 American Arborvite (as screens) 9 I don't expect the Spruce to make it and may pull them. We're in a rural area with no sidewalks, and shallow drainage ditches (hence the willow and cypress near spots often too wet). It looks a little odd now, since they are all rather small. Only the Norway Spruce are in danger of crowding, so I'll probably remove all but one watch how it does with the heat for the next few years. I hope I inspire others to plant the development. I will remain responsible with limbs, tree health, leaves, etc. That's the key when having a suburban forest, at least in my opinon.

NO. I think the same way as ebse - my husband and i slog it out to make money, get no benefits for being responsible with money, just keep seeing our taxes shooting up and up as a reward for our hard work. So, I buy the best value for my money. I hate my old GE profile cook top and am waiting to get rid of it. My fridge is a sub-zero and pretty much every thing else in my kitchen is not american. BTW/ we have never owned an American car - but, our last european car was manufactured in South Carolina - so maybe that is not true, after all. I am american, but have worked for 12 years in a Japanese semi conductor company with huge operations and thousands of american employees in California. So, what is American and what is non-american anymore? This is a global economy whether we like it or not. So, I am always happy to buy the best quality for my money without any pressure to buy american. If some american companies suffer (especially in the auto sector), it is not because of our lack of support, it is because of the poor business strategies - and anyway, Congress is always there to bail them out with my tax $$$$. So, no worries, I am supporting them by working hard to pay my taxes :)

Why I'm not impressed by numbers stats when viewed in perspective: GM offers 48 models in the US; Toyota offers 16. If GM doesn't outsell Toyota, they're even more pathetic than I thought. Ford outselling Honda is not a surprise. Honda is a very small mfg in Japan, hardly anyone drives one. The company long ago made the decision to concentrate on the US market: they were one of the first to introduce models that were US-designed and aimed solely for export, such as the Accord and the entire Acura line. JD Powers survey is INITIAL car quality (first 30 days only). It has nothing to do with reliability. The reliability of US cars has improved, but they still lag behind the Japanese. Depending upon where you live, you may indeed find a Toyota or Honda shop full - because their dealer/repair network is much smaller than the Big 3, so they tend to concentrate where the sales are. IOW, the coastal areas, especially in the West, you have no problem finding repair shops who will take you quickly. In our experience, we've had far more trouble with the 1996 Buick Regal than with any of the Fords we've owned over the last 30 yrs, including the original Escort, the original Contour, and a 1995 Taurus. Our 2003 Hyundai has been almost trouble-free, and the few minor things (door lock failed, seat cushion got stuck and wouldn't fold down) were quickly fixed by cheerful service reps or covered under the extended warranty we purchased. If I had more money to burn, I'd go back to Acura, because our old Integra was the most fun to drive with fabulous Recaro-like seats - but the Hyundai has been a great compact SUV and reliable performer. Plus, it came, as Hondas/Acuras do, with virtually everything on the mid-level model: tinted glass, intermittent wiper, air conditioning, luggage rack, an outrageously good stereo system, etc. etc. The only option I purchased was ABS with traction control, a necessity for a 3800-lb. vehicle - all of which came in well under $20K. Neither the Honda CRV, the Toyota RAV4, nor the Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute could be purchased for anywhere near that price. I'd judge the Hyundai and the Ford to be equal in quality, but Hyundai wins on features for equal price. We plan to replace the Regal next year - we always keep two cars. I'd love half a dozen different cars, ranging from a Mini-S to an Acura MDX to (should I suddenly win the lottery) a Bentley Continental GT. But in terms of return for the money, the best bet will be a used 2005/6 Ford Taurus, when reliability was fairly high and of course, resale-wise it's a steal because nobody wants one any longer. Plus, they don't sell well in San Francisco because the car's simply too big to park anywhere; garages are at a premium around here. I have test-driven the Focus and really like it, but let's face it, a V4 just does not have the pep and durability of the standard Detroit V6. Living in the hills and possessing a "lead foot" makes a V6 the minimum to keep me happy.

To answer your ?'s, ( hope no one is upset by telling most of the story). Yes he did rig the gun - he didn't trust the girl - he killed the girl in Sweden cause she would have to have been told of his past, of his job, etc. The boss put a hit out on him cause he knew that Clooney had broken the golden rule of never getting close to someone (his girl in Sweden) and that he was not following orders (he didn't go to the town where the boss told him to go, throw away the cell phone, etc). I think he would have killed him if Clooney hadn't first killed him(remember he got shot and yes, we are led to believe that he died). When you really think about the story line - it really is quite heavy. He is torn between a life where you can't trust anyone and now he appears to be getting tired of it - remember he tells his boss he wants out after making the gun for the girl, another reason for the boss to do him in. He becomes friends with the priest - as though he is looking for forgiveness - he apologizes to the priest when he shoots the girl - even though she was going to kill him. My hubby thinks that the girl wasn't to kill HIM at first but someone else then when he wants out, the boss tells her to kill him first. It really is a story about someone who is conflicted with his life. He goes to just the one hooker - he wants a real relationship - not just the physical act. Thinking back - all the alone scenes and the silence adds to that inner conflict. The more I think about it, the more I'm liking it more. It's just not the typical Clooney movie. Hmm...something to think about.