house got broken into yesterday

Sorry to hear about your break in. these things are becoming far more common these days, the world really is in sorry shape right now. You seem to have handled it well, better that I would have.

I'm with Brian on the hand cutting off, providing you can prove guilt. Bird shot to the face might me a bit extreme. But the hand thing, YEAH! They have done it to thieves in the middle east fora few thousand years, let update our laws to allow it!