A '-sama' is usually someone whose life you'd put before your own in
importance. A '-dono' is someone you hold respect for, but if the tihs hits
the fan, you could live with letting them cover their own rear. ^_^

I've never come across -dono before, but -sama is not necessarily something you
would use to only someone who'd you give your life to. Examples: Okaasama /
Otousama: sama used here to show high respect for your mom/dad if you were in a
well-to-do family. -sama is generally used by employees addressing the company
president or other exective staff as well. In feudal times, -sama referred to
one of high status, a lord or lady, etc., but not those who have a title like a
princess, <name>-hime as opposed to -sama, however I have seen it used like:
hime-sama. Umm... Oh. another interesting one I learned in Japanese class:
-sama is always used after the name of the recipient of a letter or package, in
the mailing address, not in a letter itself. This goes for everyone including
your parents, close friends, etc.

    Anyway, that's my 2 cents on the matter, and my contibution to the madness.

SoulDrake

--
"May the journey through the darkness give you comfort in the presence of the
everlasting light"

     -The Mighty SoulDrake