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By Alan Gottlieb When the British newspaper the Telegraph asked readers which of six suggested measures they would like to see introduced in the House of Commons, the response was surprisingly tilted toward one significant proposal. Of the six suggestions, which included setting a flat tax and placing a term limit on the office of prime minister, what drew more than 86 percent of reader support was a proposal to repeal the handgun ban of 1997. This is an unscientific poll, but the results should signal to U.S. gun prohibitionists that their habitual use of the United Kingdom as an example of domestic tranquility where guns are concerned just took a direct hit in the credibility department.

Recently, this space has been devoted to reader complaints that builders of over-55 housing aren't meeting the physical and financial needs of aging baby boomers. It's a discussion that was initiated a few weeks ago by a reader who was disappointed by what she considered to be the options the market offered. In response, I received more than 100 e-mails and calls supporting her observations, some of which I quoted in a subsequent column. The result of that, of course, was 150 more e-mails.

Here is an excerpt from Craig LaBan's online chat: Craig LaBan: I've been enjoying some great fall flavors, especially at the Saturday farmer's market on Rittenhouse Square, where vendors like Hands on Earth Farm from Lititz were going apple crazy with sublimely soft and tangy apple cider caramels, flaky turnovers, and glazed homemade pop tarts that I liked a bit more than I expected. Reader: So, Michelin stars and why doesn't anyone in Philly have one? Do Vetri/Fountain/Zahav measure up?

Do you have stories you would like to share with other readers, tales from long ago or the present? The kind of anecdote you would normally tell a family member, friend or neighbor? We would like to see them and print the best on our local Commentary pages. Please send essays of 300 words or less to: Mysteries, Surprises and Delights c/o Metro Commentary Editor The Philadelphia Inquirer Box 41705 Philadelphia 19101, or E-mail metro@phillynews.com.

JUST-RELEASED figures indicate that the circulation numbers of a considerable majority of American newspapers continue in a consistent slide, a phenomenon which I greatly lament. Although the technical quality of most newspapers has declined over the years, and the price of subscriptions has been hiked, quite sharply in some instances, I don't believe these are the reasons for diminished interest in our old reliable standard to obtain news. The newspaper is something I look forward to each day. It enables me to be knowledgeable and conversant on local, national and international issues; this is why I read three papers every day plus two weeklies.

Last spring, a listener writing to Recorded Books suggested that the company do James Joyce's Ulysses. In a humorous, Joyce-in-cheek response, the company noted: " . . . there's no doubt its a great book poetic too but the thing is 768 pages long thats about 26 cassettes and the other problem is where would we find a reader who could hold her breath for an hour or so while she reads Molly's soliloquy its 45 and a half pages long divided into...

Alan Baldwin, of Philadelphia, is the winner of the Daily News' Phillies Clincher Contest. Baldwin was randomly chosen from among those who selected Sept. 17 as the date for the Phillies to clinch their fifth consecutive National League East title. Baldwin will receiver a commemorative Daily News front page from a historic Phillies moment; the chance to put his own headline on a keepsake Daily News front page; and lunch with a member of the DN sports staff.

Even though many people have never heard of it, the largest cooking magazine in North America is Taste of Home. So notes Catherine Cassidy, senior vice president of Reiman publications, based in Greendale, Wis. With a circulation of 3.4 million, "We're bigger than the top three [food magazines] together," said Cassidy, also editor in chief of the magazine, launched in 1993. Cassidy oversees four cooking-related bi-monthlies - Taste of Home, Simple & Delicious, Light & Tasty and Cooking for 2. All are reader-driven - and contain reader-submitted editorial, including stories, recipes and memories.

With these pages, the regular Rally coverage of the 2012-13 academic year ends. Coverage of 2013-14 will begin in August. In the meantime, look for occasional high school sports news or stories in The Inquirer and on sports/high_school .

D EAR ABBY: It is easy to watch or read the news and think people are awful and this world is going nowhere fast. At New Year's I made a resolution to try and do something about it. I decided I'd do 30 random acts of service for strangers. I know it may seem small and insignificant, but at least I can say I'm trying to make this a better place to live. Ideally, one or two people will notice and pay it forward. It's spring, and I'm already falling behind, and I'm struggling to come up with some good ideas.

This is an excerpt from Craig LaBan's online chat from May 28, 2013: Craig LaBan: It's been a good week for me, as you can see from this Crumb Tracker Quiz. Name the place I ate these dishes: (1) chu toro nigiri with tofu, ginger and chive; (2) crispy haloumi with poached figs; (3) lamb burger and fries with curry ketchup. I've got asparagus on the brain because we popped by amazing Terhune Orchards while in Princeton last weekend and found a "pick your own asparagus patch.

D EAR ABBY: I was surprised to see you equate a concerned grandmother's creative solution to smoking with bribery in a previous column. The word "bribe" has a negative connotation. What the grandmother did was offer an incentive, not a bribe, that will benefit her grandchildren in the long run. I think the woman should be congratulated. Now for a disclaimer: When my daughter was 14, I came up with the same idea in the form of a wager. I bet her that if she could resist peer pressure and not become a smoker by the time she was 21, I would buy her the dress of her dreams.

This is an excerpt from Craig LaBan's online chat of May 21, 2013: Craig LaBan: I was tied up last week with the aftermath of The Inquirer's Fourth Annual Brew-vitational Competition for local beers - tasting 49 beers from 26 breweries with eight judges - you'll learn our winners next week in the May 30 Food section. Here's a photo before the competition of a bucket of local pilsners - a new category this year - chilling before they hit the judges' table. In terms of chat topics, this is likely at the top: the Le Bec Fin era really is finally about to end. This Philly institution has had more comeback sequels than Rocky.

COLUMNIST Will Bunch is constantly trying to tie (usually violent) historical events to the modern-day political debate. That is fine, but Bunch always uses these events, such as the tragedy at Kent State, to attack those with whom he disagrees politically. Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell wrote a memorandum that convinced corporate America that the free-enterprise system was being negatively portrayed on America's college campuses. That is all Kent State and the Powell memo have in common; they both involve higher education, to a degree.

Beginning Monday, Small Business will once again have its own standalone section. Look forward to more compelling articles by Diane Mastrull about the region's innovators and entrepreneurs, more insights from columnist Mike Armstrong , and more of our popular features People in the News and On the Boards . In addition, the section will include the Monday comics, puzzles, and TV listings.

I get the impression that there are a lot of untrustworthy cats in this country from the number of remedies submitted to me on combating urine odors. Here's a step-by-step from reader Ed Zoller in Jacksonville, Fla.: If the area is carpeted, Remove the carpet and padding. Clean the area by scrubbing with a stiff bristle brush and a solution heavy with Pine-Sol or Lysol. Don't use ammonia-based cleaners; ammonia will intensify the odor and might even attract the cat for a return.