saccharum: No offense--I am a natural exaggerater, but do my best to restrain myself. As for the copper fungicide's toxicity. I have noted in these forums before my suspicion that it has some toxicity to sapwood if it soaks down inside a tree and gets at it from the inside. I have not reported all the things I have tried with this, but I did try applying this stuff to real extremes, and at what I would call almost ridiculous over applications I suspect some marginal toxicity. One pine tree that I poured this stuff on in amounts I cannot accurately document had a portion of the side of the trunk under the application zone die. But this was a tree that a storm broke half of off, the broken part being about 14 inches in diameter, and where it broke there was a sunken area where I could actually pool this stuff. But in my experience, the part of the trunk under this really huge broken area may have died anyway. In another instance where I applied it very, very liberally I noticed some bleeding beneath the cut, which was a cut to remove half of a forked tree and the cut was about 5 inches across. I did this experimental overapplication on this tree, a Norway spruce, because it was a weak tree growing in the shade of other spruces and a white pine. A stronger tree growing in full sun may not have shown the same symptom. The tree, however, is still alive and has not shown any loss of vigor. It is in substantial shade but is "plugging along" nicely considering that. Both of these instances were cases where the cut or the break was across the grain and the cut or break faced upwards and absorbed all the rain that fell also. I noticed no other instance of anything I would suspect was a toxic effect, and for a while--until I learned better, I applied more than needed. So I think it is in all probability safe. As for research--I have been talking to people for at least 20 years in several universities trying to get someone interested, but no luck so far. This liquid copper fungicide is the third thing I tried--it seemed obvious very soon that it was working, so I have tried nothing else since. But of course there are other things one could try. Part of my reason for trying this liquid copper fungicide is that it was my understanding that the copper itself was the active agent, and I thought that the copper would have some stability in the outdoor environment and would not break down so fast as other fungicidal compounds. Also, it is my understanding that the "liquid" copper fungicide is, in fact, a true liquid solution, and as such it would soak into the wood in a way that a wettable powder would not. A great many trees get fungal infections through injuries to the trunk or from pruning cuts made to remove very large limbs. It pains me to see this and I am convinced (I understand research needs to be done, if only to convince others) that it can be easily prevented. Many of the trees are trees loved by their owners, and in many cases these trees have a monetary value that would exceed several thousands of dollars. What a waste! Oh, I must note--even though I admit to a frequent tendency to exaggerate, I am not exaggerating about the ability of this liquid copper fungicide to stop fungal infections. Just to be clear--over the last 20 years, I have probably used this stuff on 200 trees. About 60 or 70 of these were spruce and pine trees (Norway spruce, white pine, red pine) that were forked. I cut half the fork off, leaving big ugly cuts, mostly sloping, but not always. Some of these cuts were at least 6" across. Many took 10 to 15 years to occlude, and some, after 20 years have not yet occluded. I have seen no evidence that I could recognize of any fungal infection whatsoever. And the wood at the surface of these cuts is as fresh and hard as a board in a lumber yard. I am not exaggerating this one tiny, tiny bit. I have also used this stuff on logging bumps and scrapes, some really huge, on various species of hardwood trees and hemlock, and as I reported above--no trace of fungal infection that I could detect. I have tried to renew this stuff every year--in some cases I missed a year or two, especially on the logging wounds which require a lot of walking to get to every year. One thing I would like research to show is how often it is necessary to reapply this stuff. I have wanted to be on the safe side, hence my reapplication every year, as far as I have had time and energy. Getting to all the treated trees over the 300 acres I have is a four day job, and an exhausting one at that. --Spruce

Oh for goodness sakes, 4M! These ridiculous Aga-bashing comments by folk who are trying to talk you into buying a cooking appliance of their personal preference are largely without merit and should not be "well-taken"! LOL! If you don't know it by now, you should at least know that Agas are those darn British cooking contraptions that some on this forum love to hate -- whether they've ever owned one, or even had substantial cooking experience on one or not. Nevertheless, for nearly a century now, Aga has been turning out the traditional Aga Cooker for a very solid and serious fan base. And, whatever bricks and bats have been thrown at the Aga Cooker, -- none have ever made a serious dent where the claim was that the machine is of "subpar" performance! Has it gotten a bad rap for being "always on"? Yes. A fuel hog? Yes. Requires a slight learning curve in getting to know how to operate the thing? Yes. Pricey? Yes. But subpar in performance? No! A terrible service history? No! A horse? No! At least not unless you are talking about being a work horse. Then, yes! :-) Again, I neither own an Aga Cooker nor a Companion nor do I work for Aga, an Aga distributor, vendor, or servicer. At the end of the day, I do not really care what cooking appliance you buy for yourself and your family. In short, I've got no skin in this game. However, as an owner of the Aga 6-4, I do admit to trying to combat some of the more ridiculous, meritless claims that are often made about Aga products on this forum from time to time. That said, let me at least offer these few counter points for your consideration: Every owner of an Aga Cooker I've ever heard from (on this forum and elsewhere) has marveled at their cooking results with that machine. If you enjoy cooking with cast iron pots and pans, imagine how much you might like the results of cooking where the entire cooking unit is made of cast iron. (Trust me, as the owner of a cast-iron Aga 6-4, I love it!) Since you are going to an Aga cooking demonstration tomorrow, you might want to raise all your concerns about "subpar" performance at that time. As for the Aga Companion, I'm also unaware of any performance-related complaints about that machine. If you feel that a 15K BTU burner just can't get the job done for you and you must have a 30K+ BTU Molteni "power burner" to truly meet your needs in a residential cooking appliance, then, by all means, go back to the Molteni! (Meanwhile, I wonder what all the cooks of the world, from time immemorial, have done to feed their families when using cooking devices of 15K BTUs or less? Or, shudder the thought of struggling to prepare meals on a --dare I say it-- sealed burner? Oh the horror of pre-Bluestar/Capital appliance manufacturing!) LOL! The traditional Aga Cooker has got to be one of the most bell-and-whistle free "modern" cooking machines money can buy. With so few doo dads, it just doesn't have a reputation of constantly needing service. So, never before having heard that it's necessary to service an Aga Cooker every 9 months , I actually called Aga customer service directly to see if I could substantiate that claim before posting these comments. In a nutshell, here's what Aga customer said: The recommended frequency of basic maintenance on a vented, gas fired, 4-oven Aga Cooker is one year. [Aga also recommends replacement of Cooker thermocouples every 3 years.] However, an annual maintenance call is only a recommendation. It is most certainly not a requirement. Because the Aga Cooker is "always on," you might want to think of this machine as you think of your home heating system. Many homeowners conduct an annual check of their heating units which includes cleaning, replacing of filters, etc. While such a routine is not necessary, with an "always on" system, it certainly doesn't hurt to engage in periodic maintenance. BTW, other Aga cooking products, such as the Companion, 6-4, Legacy, Aga Pro, for example, make no such recommendation of an annual and basic system maintenance call. As for the "looks vs performance" argument. . . huh? I do not get what what the problem is with your considering looks as one of many factors to consider when making a major appliance purchase. If looks are your only consideration, then I can perhaps see a concern about your judgment. But I would think that most consumers who are trying to make such a major decision will take a variety of factors into account, including price, performance, size/dimensions/weight, service history, serviceability, and, yes. . . looks. FWIW, I'm not ashamed to say that the appearance of my range was a very important factor in my choosing an Aga 6-4 in order to replace my beloved antique stove when I did my own kitchen remodel. I repeat: If you have any serious intention in considering the Aga Cooker and Companion -- or any appliance for that matter -- then please find a credible, experienced source to query. I suggest to you that such an informed source has yet to appear on this thread -- including moi. :-) But, then, I'm not trying to talk you out of, or into, any other product purchase either! Whatever you choose, just make sure your choice is truly well-informed and well-reasoned. And, again, good luck!

Thank you all so much. It's nice to have input from people who know first hand what engineering classes are like. As I read your generous responses, I realized I left you all a bit unsure who was concerned here, him or I. His dad and I have practically taken him by the ear, and put him in a car with his buddies, so he will get a break and have some laughs, and he is always glad he did. For some reason, this post made me see what I already knew, but was careful not to admit to you and even to myself. He has a girlfriend who is 3 years older, with a 10 yr old daughter. For alot of understandable reasons, she is more than anxious to loose the title single mom and get married. He wants to wait till he graduates to marry, and this makes her resent how much school he has left, She is really laying on the pressure. If she want to go out She complains in front of his friends and her family, about how much he studies, and I have been there when she has stated that she is the only one who works, leaving out the fact he is in college full time, as if it isn't an appropriate detail for such a remark. She believes that because she was able to get thru dental assistant school and still party, that engineering school should be the same, she knows it's not true, but when she wants to do something one evening and he has a test the next day, she resorts back to these kind of judgements, saying it not only to him, but she says it to his friends and her family, and even my husband and I. It's tough as a parent to watch, because It tears him down and belittles the hard work he puts forth with consistancy and with out whining. I see it in his face, and we have talked about it, they have broke up over it but they always get back together. I guess I didn't want to admit it was not just people in general, but her, because there is basically nothing I can do to make this right for him. That is about them and thier issues, and I have no place in the middle of it. I don't want to meddle in his life, tho I sometimes do accidentally. As far as working, he has worked thru the summers. And he's mentioned working during school. We have told him, it's his choice, but if it's strictly money driving that idea, to know we can give him what he needs. I hate to tell this, but we lost a family business we had for 32 years, last year, and it was messy. It was and still is a a very tough time, and there was no way to hide that from our kids. What it has done to him is make him feel guilty for the expense of college. We have a college fund, that is much smaller than it was, but its still enough. But he knows that the bank was able to 75 percent of our retirement, but we still will not starve. We have tried to convince him of this, but when he sees us watch our funds in little ways we never ever did before, he feels like hes partly the cause. Wow, people; this is getting more complicated and pathetic by the minute. And as I try to make it sound better or lighter I seem to do the opposite, so I am just going to stop and thank you all for your help. I am going to realize that this problem is with his girlfriend and is something only he can handle. And your inquiring minds are what made me realize that so thanks to you all. laurily

kkny, This thread was starting (and I referred to the other thread because that was where you wrote the line I thought was judgmental on your part) but I wasn't clear in my original post. I have quoted the line that I meant from that thread and I thought it is ridiculous that you are basically saying that SM's have a double standard regarding responsibility when you apparently have never made a mistake, except letting your registration expire. Maybe you are more perfect than I thought, so I apologize for thinking you might have ever done anything wrong or that your DD was a normal teenager with problems that normal teenagers have, I guess I am wrong there too. It must be nice to have a teenage girl that doesn't get moody, talk back occasionally, or do anything wrong, except get B's. Now, I envy you a little. We all have a right to express our opinions and disagree. It is more about the personal attacks against moral character. and I don't think your profession (or socioeconomic status), regardless of what it is, has anything to do with deserving to express your opinion, but perhaps it has been the way you write "I'm a professional" that makes it sound like you are saying you are better than the next person that isn't a "professional", when your being a professional has nothing to do with your opinions on step families. Some of the sleaziest criminals were "professionals" but that didn't make them better than the honest guy picking up garbage for a living. My careers have had some direct influence on my opinions because it's what I have experienced that caused me to have the opinions I have. And it's also my life experiences that I have learned from that formed my opinions, so that is why I have shared them. I made mistakes many years ago and I'm not the same person, I have learned and grown from it. I've been very open and honest about my life. I don't see that you are as open and honest, yet you lump SM's into a group and judge. finedreams, I don't think you were told not to talk about children, but if you only have one (that is problem free) and you use her as an example, then you should realize also that all kids are different. If you work with kids or have other experiences, then use that as an example. and I agree with you on cheating, it is never right. Is it really necessary to personally attack each other?