Linda, the bronze markings are an indication that the plant was subject to cold stress and Sarcochilus do lose older leaves from time by first going yellow and then dropping off. Some Dendrobiums are fine outside all year while others need a glasshouse to provide humidity and extra warmth during winter. Cannot quite decide what you have from the picture. The thing about Sarcochilus is that you have to find a spot where they are happy and that is hard to define. Tried them in my shadehouse and they never did much good so it is a matter of moving them around till you find a spot that they like. Are they happy? They make new leaves, flower, and make new roots. If you are asking for advice, give plant names because even with Sarcochilus some fine tuning re. position is necessary because if they have a strong ceciliae influence they have to be kept a little drier in winter. Peak blooming of Sarcochilus is in the coming four weeks or so. If you are in The Southern Suburbs there is an Orchid Show on at Cronulla Leagues club running Friday till Saturday. The Show consists of Orchid displays in one room and Orchid sales in another room. http://www.orchidsocietynsw.com.au/Documents/A4brochure2008.pdf Lots of people there to give advice, especially if you avoid Friday morning.

Sherrmann: I don't know how to do italics either, so I'm just going to use the age old quotes, should I quote you. =0) The different systems were all listed on a website at one time, but it was several months ago, I believe it's "hillaries" plan that has the communist bent I mentioned (though I could be wrong on that....). Obama had one that makes a immediate "check-up" mandatory, though I don't remember what happens if you tell them to pound sand. "WHY ARE YOU NOT BOTHERED BY THAT?" Who says I'm not?!? Ok, I'm not as bothered by companies restricting the folks who choose to use their company, because each and every one of those folks have the choice not to give that company their money. (I also understand that those companies have made agreements with the doctors on their list, that they can only charge their people certain amounts, thus saving the insurance company and the consumer both money. Thus the reasons for the lists.... of course you can go outside your system, but the company will only pay the amount they have worked out with the doctor on their list... you will have to pay the rest.) Consumers seem to have forgotten that what they buy, they get. If there is not an option out there that they find ok, then they have the choice not to buy at all. We had a post either here or in the money saving forum that proves that point to the letter. Someone wanted to be able to pay their bill by phone without charge. At least 5 folks came on saying that they should just accept what the company offered, even if it wasn't what they wanted. Excuse me WHAT?!?!?!? Why the heck should we do that? There are too many companies offering similar services to settle for what one company offers. My dad just had a woman for a satellite company tell him that he had to either pay $70 for a service call, or pay a monthly fee to have them come out and fix their equipment, that there was no other choice. She was actually shocked to find out that HIS choice would involve a rival company and NOT paying this company's bogus fees. (they came out and fixed their stuff without charge) Yes, I know, just like that lady on the phone, many believe that they do not have a choice in the insurance company they choose. It's simply not true. You always have a choice. It may be between something bad and something worse, but it is still a choice. "I DON'T THINK IT IS OK FOR "SOME OF US TO FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS." NO ONE IS MORE ENTITLED TO GOOD HEALTH CARE THAN ANYONE ELSE." No, it's not "OK", but it IS going to happen. No matter how good the system it's still run by people, and people aren't perfect. There are folks in every system in the world falling through those cracks. Are wealthy people "entitled" to more/better care simply because they can pay for it themselves? As much as it seems to go against the grain, and that I hate the word "entitled"....... Yes. In the same way as they are "entitled" to better houses, better cars, and even better tvs. They can pay to fly to where ever the expert in their particular problem is, they can afford to stay as long as they need to in that area, they can afford the fees that the best can charge. They can also chase all over the world for the latest "cure" not available here, to the scientists and the wackos who they think can help. They can pay to have a private nurse come to their home and stay with them for 24 hours a day for months and/or years. And as much as many may hate it, those wealthy folks chasing the fountain of youth, allow the experts to volunteer their time helping those that may not have as much. Allows them to charge less if anything to those who can not afford to pay. And in the case of a home health nurse... pays a living salary for someone else. This does not mean that everyone should not be able to get some basic care. It does not mean that everyone should be able to get good care. And if you need me to pay for your basic health care, then you should be willing to go through the systems currently in place. They may be broken, but they are in place. Somehow it seems to speak to the "throw away" society we have become that no one is interested in fixing what we have, they just want to go out and buy "healthcare 2.0". Kidney cancer (hopefully you are doing better now) is not a minor ailment. I believe that the comment was directed at those who could not be bothered to take a few hours off work to take a kid with a cold to the regular doctor. Anyone who has ever been in an ER has seen the number of folks with routine care concerns that are filling up the seats and bogging down the staff. Each and every one of those folks are going to be charged ER rates, which is probably 2-3 times more than a regular office visit, even including the time off work. Which may have something to do with Americans "paying twice as much" for care than other parts of the world, if in fact we do. If we do it is probably the ONLY thing we pay more for. I believe that I am intelligent enough to make my own decisions, and am old enough to take responsibility for my own actions or inactions. Whatever they may be. I wonder how many folks will be thrown into financial trouble by these plans (even those without a communist bent). With many living paycheck to paycheck and that's without insurance... how much worse off will those that we are supposedly trying to "help" be? How many will tank out and go under with the additional tax burden? Yes, it sounds good as long as you do not scratch the surface. So did ARM's and IO loans not too long ago......

Kara, Have you heard of CHIPS? They advertise it all the time on TV. Try your local assistance office for the number. CHIPS is there for working familes in PA who don't have insurance through work or can't afford the insurance. They're are two differnt programs that you can qualify for based on income. One will give you free insurance and another offers a co-pay. If you don't qualify for that, there is Access. There are programs here that will help and you should find one to work for you and your family. Access is Medicaid but PA offers it as an option for people with no insurance, not just for people on Welfare. We've had to have some type of help since DS was born because his father never had a job with insurance until now. Good luck! ~Leslie~

raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio, Quality of health care in the U.S. depends a lot on where you live as well as what kind of health insurance you have. (There are probably not many on gardenweb who are living in a ghetto.) There are many doctors who will no longer take on new Medicare patients. And Medicaid (based on having very little income) can be terrible in some states and counties. Things have changed a lot over the years, too, so one's past experiences don't necessarily match up with current practice. I live near a teaching hospital that accepts Medicare assignment but I wonder if they still will when I reach the age of 65. My mother has seen her choices dwindle when it comes to medical care and home health equipment. She is unfortunate enough to have health issues that were not caused by her personal choices and hates to hear people's generalizations that imply that people are responsible for their own illness. ETA - I want to apologize if this sounds like I'm ranting at you, raee_gw. Your post was just a starting point for some of my own thoughts.