"Wow!! Thats cool...I'll have to give that a try. 
Thanks for the reply."

"Regarding the issue of keeping the compost pile wet, if you have a drip system set up in your yard, run a drip-line through the pile, our compost ate up a Christmas tree in just over a year."

"Good question!
We just threw them (corn cobs) in with the whole kit-and-kaboodle this May and I can't recall seeing them recently....must have worked!
I think what, and how fast things break down depends on the pile, how active and large it is. To…"

"I'm so glad to learn about paper and citrus rinds in the compost pile; I didn't think that could go in there. I also have only moved here in July, and I've yet to keep my compost pile wet enough.No matter how often I water, it never seems…"

"Will do...Thanks Chris :)"

"Thanks everyone.  We just moved here from Colorado about a year ago so there are many things that we need to learn about gardening in this type of climate. "

"No glossy paper just old bills and such."

"So glad you asked this question as I, too, place my rinds in the compost pile.  Could you expand on the shredded mail?  Is this newspaper type mail, white paper and/or glossy paper? "