Thanks for the welcome, vodkafan. To answer question number one, no, I have heard of Jack Vance but I haven't ever read anything written by him. Since you speak so highly I might look into him though. To answer question number two, no, I am in corrections so I am not required, nor even allowed at this point, to carry a weapon. I have not been certified and it is optional. I thought about it, but the cost of buying a weapon is quite high, especially for the kind I wish to have. It is a decision I have been mulling over for some time and might eventually make the leap to do. I don't take the idea of using a weapon on a fellow human being lightly, especially since I deal with non-convicted inmates. Why do you ask?