I saw the thread you referred to & didn't comment. First, when you're talking about a micro-nutrient deficiency, you're talking about elements that are generally not mobile. Sulfur, chloride, copper, zinc, manganese, iron and molybdenum are marginally mobile in plants, but only under certain circumstances. Most of the mobility in the elements listed is usually associated with the breakdown of amino acids and proteins in older parts of the plant, only under nitrogen deficient conditions. IOW, they're only mobile when the plant is robbing nutrients from old tissues before they are shed, and translocating them to other tissues via the phloem stream. Since these elements are essentially immobile during periods of adequate N supply, a foliar application (spray) really doesn't do much good. It can alleviate the deficiency temporarily by supplying Mn to the leaves it contacts, but unless it rinses off the foliage and enters the plant through the root pathway, it won't be present in the nutrient stream to ensure the normal development of new growth. This is the reason that, no matter what advertising claims are made, Ca spray supplements are so ineffective at eliminating BER. Ca is considered immobile in the plant, so if Ca is not in the nutrient stream as new cells/tissues are forming, the tissue will form abnormally, with weak cell walls and other issues - BER. In the same vein as what you were mentioning, I don't like to advise people to use this element or that element to 'cure' an 'apparent' deficiency. Many 'deficiencies' aren't deficiencies at all, only symptoms of cultural inadequacies; or, they are deceptive, varying widely in symptoms, and even then, many of the symptoms overlap. One of the first things experts will agree on is that diagnosing many nutritional deficiencies is little more than a crap shoot w/o the benefit of tissue analysis, so there is a good chance the diagnosis will be wrong. Second, adding individual elements can easily affect the uptake of another or create a toxicity. E.g., if someone had applies an Fe supplement to try to 'green up the leaves', he might have unwittingly have caused a Mn deficiency. Fe and Mn are known as classic antagonists, and a deficiency/excess of one can affect the uptake of the other. Adding Mn only can affect the uptake of Fe, P, N, and other elements as well. It just makes much better sense to me to use a fertilizer that supplies the elements most apt to be deficient in container media, or to use a fertilizer like FP, that ensures all the essential elements plants take up via their roots are available in a favorable ratio. Ideally, when one element is getting to the point it is in short supply, they all will be - at the same time. Using fast soils that allow you to water so you're flushing excesses out before you fertilize again, helps to keep the ratios in balance, so there should never be a need to supplement individual elements. Plants DO take what they need and leave the rest, but it is decidedly in our favors to keep 'the rest' at a minimal level. If the person is actually using FP on a regular basis, it's unlikely there is a Mn deficiency unrelated to pH. Like Fe deficiencies that occur when using soluble fertilizers (they all contain Fe), the Fe is in the soil, but unavailable. Mn is affected by pH in the same way as Fe. My advice would have been to flush the soil thoroughly and fertilize; or, if the grower really was using the fertilizer regularly and at adequate solution strength, to add enough vinegar to bring the irrigation water pH down to 5.8-6.0. Al

I originally posted my "move in diary" over on the building forum. The thread's long since fallen off but here's a link to the log of my trials and travails in moving into a brand-new semi-custom house. I just re-read it for the first time in months and it's still pretty hilarious in a Wile E. Coyote way. For those who've never built a new house, builders charge outrageous prices for upgrades, so I took standard carpet everywhere but the kitchen and master bath, then immediately tore it all out and upgraded. Here's the diary. Amazingly enough, I had yet another water leak a few months after the last entry. I should go back and make a few more entries. The TKO will catch a few references to kitchen stuff, like missing holes in the granite, un-level fridge doors, crooked backsplash tiles, etc. Here is a link that might be useful: The chief's moving in diary

Hi, Johnny D. Welcome. When I got my first PC, I found "boards" where I found many acronyms. Took a while to figure them out, but I wondered who started it, and why? Why not just type a few more letters? But then I am old school, and I don't have any of those must-have gadgets; not even a cell phone. I do use the acronyms. One that I have seen recently that I had to Google to find out the meaning of is Meh. Huh? Okay, I've only seen it a couple times, but it is so meaningless. It really is not a word, or letters that spell a word. It indicates a lack of interest in the topic, boredom, or get this: a shoulder shrug. Who cares if you aren't interested? SOB works just fine. ;) Sue

In an attempt to alleviate the sense of bewilderment often expressed by newcomers to this rather technical and in-depth Forum, the following FAQ article provides definitions for some of the terms and abbreviations employed in the discussion threads hereabouts. This list will probably always be a "work in progress", as the laundromania meme continues to evolve and ever more-inclusive reference works are needed to truly understand the denizens of this site. :) If there is a particular term or piece of information anyone would like to see included in this mini-dictionary, please let me know! --Tom. ------------------------------ First, to help bring true computer neophytes up to speed with these types of online discussion boards, here are some of the more commonly-seen acronyms, not specific to the Laundry Room Forum, which have been used on many online message sites and chat rooms for years (predating the Web itself): AFAIK - As Far As I Know BIL - Brother-In-Law BTW - By The Way DD - Dear Daughter (Also, in the Appliances Forum, used as an abbreviation for "Dish Drawer", a type of dishwasher manufactured by F&P.) DH - Dear Husband DIL - Daughter-In-Law DP - Dear Partner DS - Dear Son DW - Dear Wife (Also, in the Appliances Forum, used as an abbreviation for "Dishwasher". It is highly recommended that husbands not use the two meanings interchangeably, LOL!) FAQ - Frequently Asked/Answered Questions FIL - Father-In-Law FWIW - For What It's Worth IIRC - If I Recall/Remember Correctly IMHO - In My Humble Opinion IMO - In My Opinion IRL - In Real Life (i.e. not via a computer/online connection or search) ISO - In Search Of JMHO - Just My Humble Opinion JMO - Just My Opinion LOL - Laughing Out Loud OT - Original Topic, or conversely, Off Topic OTOH - On The Other Hand ROFL or ROTFL - Rolling on (the) Floor Laughing SIL - Sister-In-Law SO - Significant Other SWMBO - She Who Must Be Obeyed (see "DW") TIA - Thanks In Advance YMMV - Your Mileage May Vary (i.e. this was my experience, but you might get different results) ------------------------------ And here are some of the acronyms, abbreviations, and unusual or otherwise unfamiliar nomenclature seen in the Laundry Room Forum proper: AEG - Allgemeine Elektricits-Gesellschaft. German manufacturer of frontloading washers. AEG washers are of very high quality (a close second to Miele) and tend to have similarly high prices in North America. As of this writing (January 2005), not sold directly in the USA, but can be ordered from Canada. Asko - Swedish manufacturer of quality frontloading washers. Bosch - German manufacturer of quality frontloading washers. As of this writing (January 2005), Bosch offers two series of frontloading washers, the smaller "Axxis" machines which run on 240V power, and the larger "Nexxt" machines which run on 120V power. Combo washer/dryer or Combo WD or Combo - A single machine which can both wash and dry clothes in a single drum, without transferring the load between a separate washer and dryer. Not to be confused with a washer/dryer STACK or PAIR, which refers to a separate washer and dryer installed together as a unit. Danby - North American company selling relatively inexpensive appliances. The Danby frontloading washer is manufactured by Gorenje, in Slovenia. Duet - A large frontloading washer manufactured by Whirlpool in Germany. Closely related to the Kenmore HE3/HE4 machines. Equator - An American company which sells frontloading combo washer-dryers. F&P - Fisher&Paykel. New Zealand based manufacturer of high-efficiency toploading washers (and, as of late 2004, also a unique toploading dryer). FL (or FL washer or FLer) - A washing machine that is loaded and unloaded from a front-mounted access door. Frigmore or FriGEmore - Forum term first coined by Rich (spambdamn_rich) to refer to the Frigidaire-built frontloading washers sold under various labels, such as GE and Kenmore. See the FAQ article "What is a FriGEmore?". H-axis - Refers to clothes washers which tumble/spin clothes about a horizontal or nearly horizontal axis. The category includes frontloading washers, as well as some toploaders like the Staber (which are known as "H-axis toploaders"). HE - "High Efficiency". Refers to clothes washers which use much less energy and/or water and/or detergent than conventional American toploaders. Usually means a frontload washer, but there are also HE toploaders. Also see the FAQ article on "HE Detergent". HE3, HE3t, HE4, HE4t - Large frontloading washers made by Whirlpool in Germany, and sold at Sears under the Kenmore label. Closely related to the Whirlpool-branded Duet washers. Known as "Hetties" in the Forum. Hettie - Forum term first coined by Amy (GatorGirlinTX) to refer to the Whirlpool-built Kenmore HE3(t) frontloading washers. Sometimes also used to refer to the similar Whirlpool-branded Duet washers. Laundromania - A condition characterized by an obsession with the latest and greatest laundry appliances and/or old classic laundry appliances and/or the fine details of the operation of all laundry appliances, a desire to watch clothes washers while they're running through their cycles, a desire to custom-formulate one's own laundry detergents, and a general fascination with ultra-clean fabrics. Contagious in direct proportion to the length of time spent on this Forum. Usually viewed here as a positive trait. :) Laundromaniac - A person afflicted with laundromania. Descriptive of many of this Forum's regular participants, who are willing to spend long hours writing detailed posts in thread after thread to help others make informed laundry appliance purchasing decisions and use optimal techniques in their own laundry rooms. Kenmore - A brand of appliances sold at Sears and Sears subsidiaries, such as the "Hettie" and "Frigmore" frontloading washers. Note that Kenmore does not manufacture any of their own appliances, so all of these machines are re-badged from other companies (often Whirlpool and Frigidaire). LG - Korean manufacturer of large frontloading washers and combo washer-dryers. Formerly known as "Goldstar", but renamed and moved toward the more upscale appliance market. LCB - Liquid Chlorine Bleach. Miele - German manufacturer of frontloading washers. Miele washers are typically sold by high-end retailers, tend to be very expensive, require 240V power to operate, and are generally regarded in this Forum as the most durable and reliable residential frontloading washers available. Neptune - Large frontloading washer produced by Maytag. OxiClean - Trade name of one brand of oxygen bleach, containing sodium percarbonate as the active ingredient. There are now numerous "Oxi" or "Oxy" type cleaners on the market, which are very similar chemically. Persil - Laundry detergent manufactured in Europe (by two different manufacturers: Henkel in Germany, and Unilever in UK), popular with owners of Euro-branded frontloading washers like Miele. Originally named after two of the major ingredients, sodium PERborate and sodium SILicate. RMC - Remaining Moisture Content, a measurement of the amount of water remaining in fabrics after a clothes washer's spin cycle. Expressed as a percentage: a load of fabrics which weighs 5 pounds when bone dry, and 7 pounds when removed from the washer, has an RMC of ((7-5)/5)(100) = 40%. RPM - Revolutions Per Minute, a measurement of the speed of a washer's spin cycle. Higher speeds will extract more water from fabrics, thus leaving a lower RMC or Remaining Moisture Content, which translates into greater energy efficiency as less work is required in the dryer. Sodium perborate - An oxygen bleach used in some laundry detergent formulas. Only provides bleaching action at higher temperatures, so a chemical activator is usually included in detergent blends that use perborate as a bleaching agent. Sodium Percarbonate - An oxygen bleach used in some laundry detergent formulas. Can be purchased separately in various "Oxy" cleaning products, or as the pure substance from chemical supply houses. Effective on stains as a soaking solution, and much safer on colors than chlorine bleach. SS - Stainless steel. Not to be confused with "SxS", which means side-by-side, a term used in the Appliances Forum to refer to a particular refrigerator/freezer combination. Staber - An American manufacturer of H-axis TL washers. STPP - Sodium TriPolyPhosphate. A complex phosphate which functions as a water softener and "builder" in some laundry detergent formulas. Improves cleaning performance, particularly in hard water conditions or in loads with soil deposits. Can be purchased separately (i.e. not as part of a detergent mix) from chemical supply houses, or in laundry "booster" products like White King. See the separate FAQ article on "STPP". TL (or TL washer or TLer) - A washing machine that is loaded and unloaded from a top-mounted access door. Usually a V-axis machine, although there are also H-axis TLers, like the Staber. V-axis - Refers to clothes washers which spin clothes about a vertical axis. The category includes conventional American toploaders as well as some HE machines like the Calypso. ------------------------------ [first added to Laundry Room FAQ: 2 January 2005] [last edited: 2 January 2005]