Both times I ordered cuttings from Thailand (1. shipped bare 2. shipped with very tiny packets of damp sphagnum at their cut ends), they arrived in pretty good condition, considering the distance they had traveled. For example, I ordered danumensis from both Ted Green and Aleya this year and the Aleya danumensis actually looked comparable to the condition of the TG cutting, which had been in the mail for a MUCH shorter time. It was like the plant experienced a shock, sulked, but did not get worse than the initial upset. Although I failed with both cuttings, they hung in there for roughly equal days. (Note: Usually TG cuttings do arrive MUCH fresher looking than Thai cuttings, but danumensis is an interesting example, because of its fragility. Maybe there is a sort of plateau after a certain level of shock and it takes plants different durations to reach that point. So, like danumensis @ 2 days = lvl10 and danumensis @ 19 days = lvl10, however rigida @ 2 days = lvl1 and rigida @ 19 days = lvl 3.) My ultimate success rate with Thai cuttings has been between 50-60%. (Keeping in mind that parts of these orders are known delicates like lasiantha/praetorii and campanulata/danumensis.) Because they look viable upon arrival, and then quite bad after a brief soak, I feel I need to experiment with their transition from "survive in a box" to "start a new life in a rooting aquarium." My gut read on the situation is that they experience a shock, akin to a desert survivor drinking too much water at once. I really feel like the answer is out there and it's worth it to figure it out. On my next order, I'll probably buy a couple cuttings of each type and run an experiment using multiple rehabilitation and rooting strategies. I should also mention that certain cuttings just handle the transport very well and root without skipping a beat, as though they'd come from next door. Maybe we should make a list of cuttings that were particularly unproblematic for us, after being shipped from Thailand or the Philippines.

jasdip - I found the dog about to jump on to the kitchen table to eat the papers that were on it. A 25 lb. Eskie can seriously jump - there is a reason why we did not put him in to agility. And did he ever scarf up the snow last night and today. It is just awful. Unfortunately all of the cooked squash and green beans etc. I am making to give him in addition to his canned food and meds and soaked kibble are just extras in his mind - and he sits for hours staring at his cookie jar. He is trying to hard to be cute (and he already is a hot looking boy) to get food. I just wish I could explain the whys of it all to him - not that he would agree. He is constantly licking the floor - and my housecoat and my hands - anything. It is only Day 3! But no way am I showing up for his follow-up having not followed our vet's instructions to a T (okay, she doesn't like green beans but there are 3 other vets in the practice and they do) - and I won't be telling. Your oatmeal cookies sound wonderful. I might have to make oatmeal for my husband's lunch - most things at the store the other day looked horrible or were stale dated and I don't want to take the car out. The roads are icy - actually the car was covered in ice. So, see, your shovelling skills would be much appreciated. I just wish we had an enterprising kid in the neighbourhood. We have kids, they just stay inside while the old folks shovel. Here comes the starving dog now. The fact that he is 10 but looks 2 and I want to come back as my dog means nothing - he is ready to phone the SPCA to report us - those Eskie paws are very handy.

I googled for the wireless network settings on your printer. Sorry, but I am an HP woman :-) The link below has screen shots if a visual presentation is more your style. Here they are nearly verbatim: Selecting Wireless Network Settings From the Control Panel You can select or change wireless network settings using your product control panel. To install your product on a wireless network, follow the instructions on the Start Here sheet and install the necessary software from the product CD. The installer program guides you through network setup. Note: Breakdown or repair of this product may cause loss of fax and network data and settings. Epson is not responsible for backing up or recovering data and settings during or after the warranty period. We recommend that you make your own backup or print out your fax and network data and settings. Press the Setup button. Press the arrow buttons to select Network Settings and press the OK button. Here is where you see your network name and choose to remove or forget the network, then run the wizard. Select Wireless LAN Setup and press the OK button. You see this screen: Select Setup Wizard and press the OK button. Note: If you need to disable the wireless network to set up your product on an Ethernet network, select Disable Wireless LAN instead. Then follow the instructions on the Start Here sheet to set up your product on a wired network and install the necessary software from the product CD. The installer program guides you through network setup. Select the name of your wireless network (SSID) or enter the name manually. Note: To enter the wireless network name manually, press the arrow buttons to select Other SSIDs and press the OK button. Use the displayed keypad to enter your network name, as described in the next step. Enter your wireless password (or network name and then password) using the displayed keypad. Note: If your password has uppercase (ABC) or lowercase (abc) letters, make sure you enter them correctly. Press the arrow buttons to highlight a character or a function button displayed on the keypad. Then press the OK button to select it. To change the case of letters or select symbols, select AB12 (uppercase), ab12 (lowercase), or !#%@ and press the OK button. Then highlight an option and press the OK button to select it. To enter a space, select and press the OK button. To delete characters, select the back arrow and press the OK button. When you finish entering characters, select Done and press the OK button. Confirm the displayed network settings and press the OK button to save them. Note: If you need to change a setting, press the Back button. If you want to print a network setup report, select Yes and press the OK button. (Otherwise, select No.) Press the Copy button to exit. The WiFi light should now be on, but not flashing. Note: If the WiFi light is off, you may have selected the wrong network name (SSID) or entered the password incorrectly. Repeat these steps to try again. Here is a link that might be useful: Epson WorkForce 645 All-in-One Printer

I really honestly can say that I don't understand how people can afford to smoke nowadays. We have patients come in on state aid to our ER all the time who smoke, which doesn't make sense to me. If you can afford to smoke you should be able to afford the insurance you will need to deal with the chronic health problems associated with your habit. I don't understand how people can afford smoking either. It's all the more puzzling if they have low enough income to be on state aid, yet I doubt if quitting smoking will provide the dollars it takes to buy insurance. My mate and I pay $1365 a month at a group rate and we think that is a good rate. I can't imagine anyone really spends that much on smoking. Do they? What do cigarettes cost?--about $4 a pack? On the other hand, I've heard that the various stop smoking aids, over the counter and prescription, might cost about the same as smoking. Presumably they'd be a one or two time only expense though. If smoking is really and addiction, it is a medical problem and I wish it could always be addressed successfully.