While mulching can control the wimpy grasses we consider desireable (Blue Grass, Perennial Rye, the Fescues) it will only encourage those grasses that are the least bit invasive (Quack Grass, Johnston Grass, Bermuda, and St. Augustine). The only organic method to remove grasses growing in a planting bed is mecahnical removal and then placing a physical barrier to prevent future incursions into that bed. The Vinegar and a few other solutions that might be acceptable to an organic gardener will only kill the top growth of plants, not the roots, and they will kill any plant they contact so much care in application will be necessary, more than just digging the roots out.

There are those who can't seem to understand why others threaten to "rid" those problem cats. Usually some owners of pets. Yet those who have to deal with other's pets, which is what cats are, who continue over and over to destroy and leave filth on other's own private property is a nuisance. There are some that should not own pets, that do not care what is done to neighbors. Those same people are the ones who have no say in what can or can't be done to remove those problems. What happens with these pets come down to the owner. Control them or don't. Would you let your children run free to trash and urinate on other people's property? If so, maybe others will return the favor to you and your home. Since it is apparently no problem there.

I have the H3060, the very first one on the page I linked to above. Don't be shocked by the price though; I bought mine brand new for about $75 less than what Hoover advertises it for. I like it a lot. It comes with two brush block assemblies, one specifically for cleaning grout. Hoover also sells a special grout solution too. It works very well, and never "reuses" water, so you're always putting down fresh water and dirt is never spread around. I guess the only gripe I might have (and even then I understand the design decision by Hoover perfectly) is that it scrubs very lightly. With brushes spinning at a very high speed there is a balancing act of pushing too hard (which could damage wood or linoleum) or pushing just hard enough to clean tough spots. Hoover erred on the side of caution, so any ground in dirt, scuff marks, etc. still require a pre-scrub by hand to loosen them up. Otherwise, no complaints. Spills, normal dirt, etc. are all picked up very well and the floor left sparkling.

You can (sorta) "create" low-lactose several ways.... #1. Our adult son and now our granddaughter are both lactose intolerant and have used a low-lactose whey-based milk substitute called Morning Moo's (www.moosmilk.com) for many years. I make homemade pudding mixes with it, use it as a substitute for evaporated milk by making it "double" strength. I use the dry powder in mashed potatoes for really extra fluffy mashed potatoes. I add the powder to potatoes boiled in a small amount of water to make potato soup. I make flavored cocoa mixes using the dry powder and flavored non-dairy creamer powders, but it also comes in a chocolate flavor. This particular whey-based milk substitute has the best flavor of these types of whey-based products - nearly like milk. It's inexpensive per gallon when you purchase it in large bulk quantities (24.25# bucket - or larger). Our son (almost 31) has used a whey-based milk substitute "milk" since he was 4 years old on the advise of a pediatrition. Yes, there is some lactose, but most people who are lactose intolerant can consume low levels of lactose without any problems. #2. Another point to know... There is a percentage of lactose in dairy products (see link below). As a general rule of thumb, the higher the fat content the lower the lactose. The longer a cheese has aged, the lower the lactose. That's why most people who are lactose intolerant don't have any problems with consumption (in low to moderate amounts) of things like butter (0.8-1.0%) or cream. There's very little lactose in it. #3. Fermentation also alters the lactose. I make homemade kefir (using almost any kind of milk), and it reduces the lactose to a very low, very digestible, level. I use homemade kefir as a substitute for buttermilk and use it in our smoothies everyday (along with some kind of 100% fruit juice - 50/50 and other additions like flax meal, etc.). The longer you ferment the kefir, the thicker the curd gets. You can drain the thick curd like you would yogurt for yogurt cheese, and depending on how long it drains, I use it as a substitute for plain yogurt, cream cheese, sour cream, and even a cottage cheese type product. Do a Google search for - Dom's Kefir Insite - for more information about kefir. #4. Keep Coffee-Mate Single-Serve Portions (the size used for individual use in coffee/tea) on hand (I can get a box of 50 at Wal-Mart). They are lactose FREE and don't require refrigeration. Perfect for adding to oatmeal - as I found out during a recent ice storm when we were without electricity for an extended period of time. I could make instant oatmeal with water heated on our camp stove, and added the liquid from 2-3 creamers to the oatmeal. You can also mix the powdered non-dairy creamers with water and make "milk" for topping your morning cereal. -Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: Lactose Percentages of Foods