I find the oddest news interesting. Apparently, mainstream health officials are now acknowledging that wood cutting boards are more sanitary than synthetic (thanks again, Cronaca). The manager of my rafting company's Idaho operation was therefore way ahead of the curve. We've been using wooden tables on our river trips for several years now, despite continued pressure from the Utah health Nazis (an angry rant about whom is here) to use disgusting, uncleanable plastic tablecloths. Our Idaho manager is an impressive guy in any case, though; he's a muscleman who went to university on a football scholarship, promptly blew out his knee, and then used the scholarship to study neuroscience. I challenge you to name another white-water rafting operation which has an aquarium full of zebra-fish and African clawed frogs, courtesy of the University of Oregon, in its warehouse.