Brian Katcher

It was published before 1985. It was about a poor boy who is kidnapped along with a rich girl in his class. They are held for ransom in an isolated cabin by a pair of married kidnappers. I remember one scene where the kidnappers take the kids along as they rob a gas station. There's also a description of the boy slowly being driven crazy by daytime television, as that's all there is to do in the cabin. The book ends when the boy gets the gun away from the woman kidnapper, and the kids escape.

Who is officially responsible for the body? Where would it be buried? Would there be any sort of service? I'm not talking about a person with no money, just someone with no official executor.

In US prisons, is all mail to prisoners read in advance? What if the mail is in a foreign language, would the prison have it translated? What if a translator was not available for that language, would the letter not be delivered? Does the same go for county jails? (this is for a novel I'm writing)

Those little Windows balloons that say 'Java update available' or 'the last backup failed'. How do you stop them? I have fifty computers under my command and I don't need to be constantly reminded.

What should I do with old clothes that are too worn out or stained to give to Goodwill? I have enough rags and work clothes already. Is there any way to recycle them?