Good points Paul. Outsourcing production makes sense. I haven't really tried to quantify it but my gut tells me to be skeptical about synthetic companies' organic products. My gut tends to be right a lot of the time so I'm starting out with other organic sources. My correspondence with Shel at Organic Lawns for America has been very positive. From speaking with another user I found it seems like they select what they consider the best products and repackage them and provide the convenience of mail order. I know to some this may seem lazy to some but the easier my lawn is to maintain the happier I am :) I got some soil conditioner which seems to be mostly calcium derived from limestone and an assortment of bacteria and fungi that appear to be soil inoculants as well as some other things that seem to help bring nutrients back into the soil. Going to do some more searching on the ingredients. I saw the abstract of one study on one of the bacteria and it increases the size of tomatoes. The Ca in it should help to. Curious to see how the other ingredients play in other plantings. No "fertilizer" in this treatment but with the grasscycling, liming and this treatment I'm hoping to see some better color in the lawn in a couple of weeks.

February 25, 2010 2:36 PM CST Appliance Cash for Clunkers set for March debut by Bob Geiger Staff Writer And you thought Cash for Clunkers was dead. Come March 1, a home appliance version of the stimulus program that provided cash to car-buyers trading in their old models is scheduled to start. Designed to save consumers money for buying energy-efficient clothes washers, dishwashers, freezers and refrigerators, nearly $5 million in federal stimulus funding is designed to help Minnesota households save up to $200 for replacing their aging appliance with a qualifying Energy Star model. The Minnesota Trade-in & Save Appliance Rebate Program, operated through the Minnesota Department of CommerceÂs Office of Energy Security (OES), could enable up to 25,000 Minnesota households buy Energy Star appliances. Warners Stellian on Wednesday held a media event with OES and Waste Management Inc. officials to publicize the program. Just like Cash for Clunkers, residents are encouraged to decommission appliances that consume more energy. Eligible appliance and rebate amounts are clothes washers, $200; dishwashers, $150; refrigerators (minimum of 7.75 cubic feet priced over $300), $100 to $200; and freezers, $50 or $100. Advertisement Warners Stellian is not the only OES partner involved in the program. Other utilities or retailers partnering for the energy-efficient appliance replacement effort are Sears Holdings Corp., Best Buy Co. Inc., Whirlpool Corp., BSH Home Appliances, Great River Energy and Minnesota Power. Here is a link that might be useful: Finance & Commerce

Do any of you know about computer programs for designing and printing clothing patterns? I have found a few but they obviously are geared more toward industrial production. I want something for home use. I read about FashionCAD but it lists for $1,200. I realize that CAD programs will cost me but not THAT much. Can anyone steer me towards something that is less expensive?

I've used the text and spreadsheet applications and they work pretty darn well given the price. The only thing you need to remember is that Open Office is not 100% compatible with Microsoft Office. If you are in a business environment were the office uses Office, then you need Office.