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|Ok. I just bought a ghost seedling from a nursery today and am kinda excited to get going on it and I keep reading about this 5-1-1 mix. DaMonkey gave me a modified recipe---
4 1/2 parts pine bark (range: 1/8" - 1/2")
So here's my questions:
Is there an ORIGINAL 5-1-1 mix or is the above an updated(better) version of the original?
Where do I find the bark? --- the only bark I've ever NOTICED at Lowe's/home depot/walmart is that stuff which is usually used for mulching.
Can't I just use something like THIS for the woody material?
I can get this stuff for $18/yd at the city landfill--- their compost and mulch have turned out to be great.
Regarding the perlite, the only perlite I ever(once again) NOTICE is stuff that's in a small bag. Seems like it could get kind of pricey even to have just a few 5 gallon buckets of plants. One of the main reasons I got into gardening was price of FOOD. I WILL NOT(yes, I'm shouting) spend more money raising a foodstuff than what I can go down to the store/farmer's market,etc. and purchase it. If I wanted to grow something just for the fun of it and nothing else, I'd get one of those chia pets.
I thought perlite was mainly used when STARTING seedlings, not actually part of a 5-50 gallon container... [/shrug]. I just normally add a good dose of sphagnum to my containers for water retention.
My recipe(although never measured) is maybe half bagged garden soil(something like kellogg's, miracle gro) a quarter peat(maybe less) and then the rest is some well aged compost(up until recently, homemade.) I've grown 2 Anaheims, 2 chile de arbol, 1 habanero and 1 cayenne( 2 plants each half oak barrel) and had great results on all.
Now. You're probably saying to yourself, "great results, why does he need OUR help?" Well, I've heard ghost chiles are finicky, and I don't have access to those barrels. That's why.. :)
Next-- Turface...never even heard of it--- LOL. Please help with where to get this stuff also and if there are any substitutes and/or cheaper alternatives.
Next question. Why the need for all the different sizes with the perlite and turface? I can understand the need for different sizes of chips/bark---porosity/drainage/compaction, etc.
Finally-- is a five gallon bucket with good drainage usually enough space for a ghost chile?
Actually, One more question. Am I overdoing it when I use a 15-30-15 flowering plant fert ever month or two with vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, squash, et al?
Follow-Up Postings:
Josh just now posted a youtube video of him making a batch of 5-1-1. The stuff you cited above is like 5-1-1-1-1-1 or something. Josh's is much simpler and probably just as or more effective for growing peppers. It is tried and true. Check the link at the bottom of this post for a link to the video.
I had a heck of a time of finding bark just like you. Pine tree mulch wont due...it has to be FINE ground pine BARK. I finally found two different brands of it at a local KMart. Others have said they found it at theirs also. Copy and paste this link into your browser and it will take you to another thread which has pictures of the pine bark I found at Kmart.
For Perlite, I agree, the normal bags in stores is way too expensive. The best I could find was a big 2.0 CF bag for $17 from Home Depot online. If you buy $45 worth of stuff, you can get free shipping. A 2cf bag goes a long way in the 5-1-1 mix.
Hope this all helps.
Here is a link that might be useful: Josh's 5-1-1 mix video
|You could probably substitute peat for the pine bark if it becomes really hard to find.
Myself, I prefer shredded pine bark for a container medium for a variety of reasons...mostly sustainability and expense (it would be much cheaper if it was distributed more for home gardeners, in bulk it's pretty cheap). It's been an awesome replacement for peat in container gardening.
- Posted by DaMonkey007 10b - Miami (My Page) on Thu, Jun 7, 12 at 9:20
|Hey guys,
I'll chime in on this, since it's my recipe...lol. This IS a 5-1-1, not a 5-1-1-1-1-1-1...lol. It's 5 parts bark, 1 part perlite, and 1 part turface - all screened to specific ranges, while the origial 5-1-1 is 5 parts bark, 1 part perlite, and 1 part peat - basically unscreened. I prefer to split my ingredients into particulate size ranges to ensure that my mix has an absolute minimum of particulates in the range that will support a perched water table, which is about 1/10".
I also like to break it down into ranges so that I ensure my mix is identical every time. This is not any more complicated than the video Josh posted, other than some additional screening is required. In fact, Josh uses turface in some of his mixes as well, and I worked very closely with him to develop this methodology. The truth is once you've initially screened all your materials (I basically do the whole years worth of screening over a weekend and store the particulate ranges in separately labeled 5 gal buckets, or larger totes for the bark) it's even EASIER to make, because you just scoop out what you need by the 1/2 gallon and your on your way.
In addition, unless you have the PERFECT material, not screening your resources down to specific particle sizes, most importantly not screening out the dust (<1/16"), will yield wildly different results every time you mix a batch. Every bag of bark, or perlite, or turface is going to be composed differently. I hate that unknown, it drives me crazy, I go though the extra trouble of screening everything to ensure that I know EXACTLY what's in my mix. For example, if your bark has alot of fine materials in it, all that fine stuff acts just like your peat fraction would, by absorbing and holding moisture....thus you may very well be making a 4-1-2, or a 3-1-3 even, not a 5-1-1....same with fine perlite. Most people are not going to find that pea gravel sized perlite that Josh has in his video, nor will they find that BEAUTIFUL fir bark that he has. Most of you will have to live with what you find. I buy "coarse" perlite in 4 cu ft bags from my nursury....it has every particle size in it from 1/4" down to dust - it's just not useable straight out of the bag. Same with the bark that I can get....it just has too much dust and fine particles - again, its just not usable right out of the bag. Most of you will find that the resources that you have available to you are not perfect, not even close, this method will mitigate that problem.
As for the turface. Turface is basically baked clay. They use it on baseball infields. It's internally porous, and will replace the peat fraction of your mix. There are also some substitutes, like Napa floor dry. The resulting mix yields a far superior product in terms of durability. An unscreened peat/soil fractioned mix will be a 1 year and done thing, while the screened mix made with turface will last for more like 3 years.
Regarding the bark, many people are under the impression that the bark MUST be partially decomposed "pine bark fines" for it to work here. First, don't get hung up on the name, you may find it labeled as many different products...pine bark fines, pine bark mulch, bark mulch, soil conditioner..blah blah blah. Just make sure that it's not shredded sapwood being passed off as bark, and that it not TOO FINE! What you want is a bark that is mostly under 1/2" or so - you can work with that. And, by the way, totally uncomposted stuff is PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE!! I even like it better, for it's durabilty. I'm not one that will toss my mix away after 1 season, I go though way to much trouble for that. I make my mix to last for years to come.
A 5-1-1 is far more than the sum of it's parts. Every piece of the puzzle brings something to the party. It's a delicate dance between durabilty, water retention, drainage, and aeration. Too many large particles, or too many fine particles, defeat the purpose of the 5-1-1. There are many ways to make a 5-1-1, this is mine. It's super durable, incredibly well draining and aerated, yet will hang on to plently of moisture - even in the south florida summer, and it will last for YEARS...but best of all it's EXACTLY the same every time I make it.
Take from that what you will.
Good Luck!
|Miracle grow and similar commercial potting mixes are mostly peat based anyway, so, mixing it with more peat isn't really going to buy you anything.
Also, from what I've found, at least in my area, most of the pine bark products do have a wide range in size with a significant portion being larger than you really want. I didn't worry so much about the smaller pieces, but, did screen the larger pieces using 1/2" hardware cloth.
- Posted by greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a (My Page) on Thu, Jun 7, 12 at 12:04
|Hey, guys!
Bruce, thanks for sharing the video!
Hey, PJ, just saw the re-sent e-mail this morning...you're right, the other one must have been
swallowed by the spam folder...? I don't know why, though. Regardless, thanks for sending again,
and I will respond later.
I was going to comment on PJ's refined 5-1-1. Not only does PJ create consistency from batch
PJ, you're quite correct that I normally include Turface so that my mix has a bit more durability
The only reason I haven't used Turface this year is because I ran out and I haven't been down
I really am lucky to have so many great ingredients at my fingertips.
- Posted by DaMonkey007 10b - Miami (My Page) on Thu, Jun 7, 12 at 12:39
|This is a great example of what I was just saying. Tsheets is living with what he could find, like most of us, but chose to forego the removal of the small particulates. I believe I recently read something about tsheets experiencing a number of problems that he is attributing to the 5-1-1. This may explain those problems.
The fact is that even a well made 5-1-1 holds a great deal of moisture. People think that because it's refered to as a "fast" soil that excessive water retention will not be an issue, no matter how its made. The problem therein lies with something called a perched water table. Many of you may be familiar with the term, others not. Think of a paper towel dipped into a glass of water, the paper towel will wick up water until the wicking potential of the medium equals the gravitaional pull on the water held. At this point the upward (and downward) movement of the water in halted - this water is said to be perched. Soil will also perch water. This begins to happen as your average particle size approachs 1/10". This is to say, the finer your mix, the more water it will perch. Perched water tables in bagged potting mix can reach as high as 4", depending on the composition. This means that the bottom 4" of your pot is virtually uninhabitable by your plants roots for (up to) days after a thorough watering. This is why so many people have issues growing in containers with slow, compost / peat laden soils. Not that it can't be done, it just requires a very deft hand.
Now, back to what I said earlier. If you chose you disregard the finer particles in your bark and perlite, you are contributing to the reduction of average particle size in your mix. This is, of course, unless you are lucky enough to have perfect resources rigth out of the bag. This creates excessive water retention AND a perched water table in your container media. This causes many 5-1-1 users much heartache, because they assume that they can water freely - when is truth - they cannot, because they have composed a 5-1-1 with an undesirable average particle size.
As an experiment, you can use a 12 oz clear drinking cup. Drill a hole in the bottom, fill with your media, cover hole, fill with water - allow the media to saturate, uncover hole - allow water to drain completely. You will see the perched water, if it's there. Now, stick a skewer through the hole and into the medium. This will act as a wick and allow any perched water to drain. A properly made 5-1-1 will not perch more than about 1 tbsp or so per 12 oz cup of soil.
My version perches none at all, therefore - barring excessive rainfall, or self induced over watering - the entire volume of my pots are well aerated and conducive to root functionality at virtually all times. This is because I pay particular attention to my particle sizes.
Beware of the dust my 5-1-1 using friends, beware of the dust.....
- Posted by DaMonkey007 10b - Miami (My Page) on Thu, Jun 7, 12 at 12:50
|Hey Josh!!
Sorry buddy, your post wasn't up when I started mine! LOL!
Talk soon....
- Posted by DaMonkey007 10b - Miami (My Page) on Thu, Jun 7, 12 at 12:53
|Hey Josh!!
Sorry buddy, your post wasn't up when I started mine! LOL!
Talk soon....
- Posted by DaMonkey007 10b - Miami (My Page) on Thu, Jun 7, 12 at 13:15
|Uggh, sorry for the double (now triple) post. LoL. I believe I just broke some forum rules...
Anywho, great point on the customization Josh - I missed that piece on my first run through of your post, and I forgot to mention it in mine. This is a BIG part of it guys. With the separation of the particle sizes, specifically those between 1/8" - 1/16", the water retention characteristics of your mix can be - as Josh said - tinkered with to meet your needs.
Additionally, one other side note on that all important 1/8" - 1/16" range. There is method to this madness, I swear! As I said particle size influences perching. When approximately 20 percent of your 5-1-1 mix is at and below 1/10" - water will ~begin~ to perch. My mix uses 1/2 part each of bark, perlite, and turface - meaning that approximately 21 percent (1-1/2 part of 7 total parts) of my total volume is 1/8" - 1/16". Because a fraction of that will be above that 1/10" target, I ensure that I never cross that 20 percent threshold, while holding as close to it as possible.
Droppin' some science B.
Yes, I think you are right about the particulate size theory. When I screened my bark, I first put it through a 1/2" hardware cloth screen. Then I put that through a window screen and was amazed at the stuff that came through. It was very light but a lot of fine particles. I suppose I maybe should have used an even bigger second screening.
I didn't mean to start a debate on particle size. I just don't feel like spending 20 bucks to get 20 dollars worth of food(not counting the labor).
So, just straight wood chips wont do, even if I do screen them proportionally? Why PINE BARK? Why not 5 parts WOOD CHIPS(screened to get out both large pieces and dust), 1 part coarse perlite (screened to get out dust), and 1 part peat?
|And why no compost?
|Seems the actual wood has tannins and other substances in it that leech out and are detrimental to plant growth. I tried to use "pine wood mulch" for the main ingredient of my starter mix this year. My plants germinated fine, grew up to about an inch and then stopped and the seed leaves all fell off before they could produce true leaves. They also began turning black/purple (all varieties). They just sat there like that for nearly a month until I figured it was the soil and transplanted ever seedling into some MG Orchid mix. Within a few days, they started putting out new leaves and growing again. I lost an entire month of growth and nearly lost my whole crop. When I watered, the water would run out the bottom of the containers and was dark colored. Presumably from the tannins. Bark evidently doesn't contain tannins and doesn't break down and decompose as readily as "wood".
|PJ - Yes, I have had some struggles with the 5-1-1. It could be due to more water retention / PWT than I was expecting from not screening the smallest particles out. I've had pretty good luck (or maybe just adjusted my practices) with commercial potting mix which is way more retentive than even unscreened 5-1-1.
- Posted by DaMonkey007 10b - Miami (My Page) on Thu, Jun 7, 12 at 16:26
That is exactly how a started down this road. At first, I thought that my bark product was basically usable out of the bag....based on how it looked to my eye. Then I decided on experimenting to fine tune some things. I was shocked to see that, in reality, at least 1/4 of the bag was less than 1/8". At this, an adventure was born...lol...and here we are!!
First, you want some inorganic fraction to diffuse the decompostion of the bark. Although - as Josh would say - those plants that live an "arboreal existance" would appreciate such a mix ;) Also, an all bark mix would tend to decompose faster than that with some portion of inorganics. It would also stay very wet at the bottom, while the top dried out. Additionally, the inclusion of things like perlite provide aeration by 1) creating nooks and crannys between the bark, and 2) simply by taking up space that would normal be retaining water. You see, perlite is not internally porous, so it displaces the other water retentive materials, while still holding some moisture in the fissures on its exterior surface. It also will not decompose or compress. Perlite is a win win for container media. The peat fraction is there to fill in some of those nooks and retain some moisture. The peat fraction could be completely excluded in leiu of bark dust, if so desired, as they have simliar characteristics. In my case, turface is used to replace peat for both retention and durability, along with the fact that it - like perlite - will also not decompose or compress.
The reason you want bark, conifer bark more specifically, is for it's obvious natural characteristics. For one, it's going to resist decomposition, as it would for it's parent tree, thus providing durability and structure to the mix. You have to be careful though, bark also has a natural ability to resist water. If you let it dry out too much it will become hydrophobic - then you'll have a mess on your hands. On the contrary, sapwood (wood chips minus the bark) will decompose quickly, and in many cases, tie up nutrients - speciifically nitrogen - while it does so.
There's more to it than that, it's just too much to cover in one shot.
As for the compost...oh boy, can-o-worms....lol. The fact is, organics require organisms to break them down. Fertilizers, composts, whatever...they all require a microherd to convert them into a form usable for the plants. Micro organisms are very difficult to maintain in a container. If it gets too hot, too cold, too wet, or too dry in the pot...they all die. Then your plant is starved until the microherd regenerates. Mother earth provides a huge network of life that you just can't duplicate very effectively in a container. Second, the purpose of a 5-1-1 is too provide drainage and aeration. Compost is heavy, fine, and water retentive - it negates the entire concept. Surely it could be used in small amounts, but then, what's the point? You may as well just use peat, or soil like Josh did in his video. The 5-1-1 will also require frequent watering and fertilization. Many folks, including myself (not during summer though, too much rain) will fertilize weakly at every watering. To this end, the 5-1-1 lends itself to the use of well balanced synthetics, such as foliage pro.
I'm sure i missed a bunch of stuff that I wanted to say but, man, I wrote alot today...lol...my fingers hurt ;)
It's also my B-day tomorrow - and I'm taking the day off, so I need to bail out of here and go purchase some well-crafted hoppy adult beverages!!
Happy Plantings!
|Have a great b-day, PJ! Wonder if your beverage is 5-1-1 water-malt-hops??? ;-) Something to contemplate anyway!
- Posted by DaMonkey007 10b - Miami (My Page) on Thu, Jun 7, 12 at 20:43
|LOL sheets! That is a very witty and smart comment! I like it - spoken like a true beer nut! Although, my personal preference is for the hops to be in front...lets say a 5-1-2! I'm currently enjoying a Red Hook Longhammer IPA....yummy.
LOL, good stuff sheets, good stuff...
It's funny that you mention having "luck" with commercial potting soil. I think that that's exactly what it comes down to with that stuff sometimes. Just luck. Put soil in pot - put plant in soil - water once a week - hope for the best. LOL! You would think that a medium like the 5-1-1 that provides a perfect growing environment for plants would be EASIER to manage. Truth is, its harder. It requires more attention and dedication, but the results will pay off in spades. It comes down to ~ what's best for the plants vs. whats best for the grower ~ if you have the desire to follow through with your responsibilities to your plants in the 5-1-1, and you're willing to do your homework to understand WHY it works, not just whats in it, I think that you'll find theres no comparison for container mediums.
Anywho......GO HEAT!!!!!
Games on, I'm gonna get ripped....
Talk soon!
|PJ: Yes, Have a great B-day!
Listen guys/girls. I'm all for a healthy environment for my plants. I'm also all for striving for perfection. But, I'm still stuck on the cost of a setup like this. Between the cost of the medium, expensive fertilizers and the need for lime just to bring the "soil" to an acceptable ph level, the COST of a couple of plants done this way far outweighs what I've usually gotten by with doing it the old fashioned way.
That is, a nice loose porous soil amended with lots of organic matter, some peat for volume and water retention, and some supplemental feeding throughout the fruiting season(organically if possible).
I'm just trying to be frugal(call it "cheap" if you want) about the whole thing. I call it "have fun gardening, but don't let it dig into your wallet so much that it doesn't balance out in the long run.
I'll throw another possible option out there--- can I use compost TEA as my fertilizer..
And what's the big deal about the bark decomposing? It isn't going to decompose a truly significant amount with an ANNUAL plant that's going to be pulled in six months.
I just don't know. I know you guys/girls are the "experts," but it just seems like you all have real deep pockets to LOSE on your investments. Don't even get me started in regards to the research of the earthtainer (SWC) cost. LOL
|The price "breaks" really nicely when you're doing a lot of containers.
If you're looking to do just a few containers and you don't want to store excess stuff it can get pricey.
For some people an "ideal" container solution will have no soil in it and it's water/nutrients supplied by the grower as needed. I prefer container mixes without actual soil, but soil container gardening has it's place. It's a matter of preference or need.
Also, many container pepper growers don't treat their plants as annuals and they go for many years of overwintering.
- Posted by DaMonkey007 10b - Miami (My Page) on Thu, Jun 7, 12 at 21:40
|Heat up by 13! Unfortunatly, this means nothing based on thier previous performances.
I get 2cu ft bags of pine bark for 4 bucks. I'll pull at least 10 gal of useable materials out of that. So for 40 bucks I've got 100 gallons of bark.
I get 4 cu ft of perlite for 20 bucks. That will supply the 20 gallons you need.
I get turface for 15 bucks per 50 lb bag. You'll probably need 2 for 20 gallons with some left over.
Or you can get a huge bail of peat the will last forever for 20 bucks or so...cheaper now, but you'll need to make new stuff next year.
Lime is negligable. One 5 lb bag is like 6 bucks, that will work for all of it.
So for less than 100 bucks you have 140 gallons of basically the best container mix you can buy, which you can use for the next 3 years, provided that you ph balance it each year.
Of course your prices will vary depending on locale, but can you buy 420 gallons (140 per year) of commercial potting mix for 100 bucks?
I think not. Not even close.
I'm getting buzzed on my liquid 5-1-1 y'all!!!
Sorry bud, I've always been a Boston fan although I'm from San Diego. ;)
Regarding the cost of commercial mixes, you're probably right. But I very rarely even purchase commercial soil any longer, but as far as "container acceptable" mix is concerned, I can get wood chips for 18/cu. yd and compost for 12/ cu. yd (or free- homemade). Supplement that with a bale of peat now and then and the cost is quite minimal. Feed weith more compost, compost tea, and some fert(now and then) throughout the season and my plants seem to do quite well. Unless these 2 new chiles I'm trying this year(thai and ghost) are particularly finicky), I just might keep doing it my way.
Don't get me wrong. You guys still might be able to "sell" me on the idea.
Question: How does the 5-1-1 do with other veggies such as anything in the brassica family(broccoli, cauliflower, kale, etc), alliums(onions), cucurbits(squashes, cucumbers, melons), green beans, lettuces and spinach?
GO CELTICS!! Thunder will take it all this year though.
|woo - Have you seen this post? If not, it's worth reading through.
I like this one too - It summarizes a bunch of tidbits pulled from all those threads.
|PJ: where are you purchasing your media from and what are you using for fertilizer?
- Posted by DaMonkey007 10b - Miami (My Page) on Thu, Jun 7, 12 at 23:07
|Uh oh Woo, you're boys are down by 19 with 8:26 left....eekk!
Don't get me wrong bud, I'm not trying to convert you..if you're happy with what you do then by all means - go for it. After all, we're talking about growing peppers, not sending them to the moon. Whatever makes you happy is what you should do.
Regarding your question: The 5-1-1 works for EVERYTHING!!! That's what's great about it. The "gritty" is generally more desirable for certain long term plantings...but a refined 5-1-1 will even work well for those. In the end, all roots want the same thing. Oxygen, water, easily available nutrients, and freedom of movement...the 5-1-1 provides all of those.
I get all my resources, almost exclusively, from a local, privately owned nursury. I'm very lucky in that respect. Although, it's not perfect, it's all in one place. For ferts, I've used Miracle Gro 24-8-16 plus Micros in the past, mostly for cost effectiveness...but I just made the move to Foliage Pro 9-3-6 and Pro-Tekt - both from Dyna Gro - as I stumbled across a local dealer virtually in my back yard, with rock bottom prices. FP is arguably the best product of its kind on the market, so I'm stoked that I found it for the right price.
Now I'm drunk, and I'm squinting - typing with 2 fingers, so now your boys are down by 20 with 1:20....
Saturday night Game 7 in the MIA...I like it, I like it a lot.....
- Posted by greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a (My Page) on Fri, Jun 8, 12 at 12:31
|Happy birthday, PJ!
I hope you're feeling alright today! hehehe ;-)
5-1-1 is actually quite economical when compared to pre-bagged mixes on the market.
When making the 5-1-1, you can definitely use Compost in place of the peat fraction.
But you don't want to use woodchips. PJ mentioned a couple reasons.
Conifer Bark is rich in Suberin (often called nature's water-repellent or preservative)
|I wanna talk about peat for a second and I hope I'm not derailing anything.
There is a lot...way too much...crap peat on the market.
There's too much of this small-particle, soup-making, dusty stuff out there.
When you get quality peat (not a bunch of mega-fines) it can be very similar to the pine bark in how it "acts" in a container. Yes, it breaks down faster, but quality peat doesn't "soup up" or hold tons of water like the cheap stuff (which you cannot trust by price in many cases).
For instance, and not preference (just something I've used a lot), Premier Horticulture's peat is good stuff. I've managed containers with quality PHort mixes in them that have been outside year-round for 4-5 years.
That said, I far prefer the pine bark fines and if you want to keep your container mixes for more than 3-5 years I would try to find the pine bark fines over the peat even if it meant a few dollars extra.
|Since I'm rambling...
It's actually getting harder to find screened peat in the US compared to Europe/Asia and a lot of it has to do with less demand from huge commercial growers because they're going to pine bark fines. PBFines aren't new, but they've been gaining much more popularity over the past decade...coconut coir, too.
When you're starting seeds or annuals for sale, peat screening doesn't do a whole lot of good since you're moving those plants in 15-60 days for most applications.
We have way more than enough "raw supply" for pine bark fines in every corner of the US. Eventually they'll find their way into commercial container mixes, but the commercial demand vs commercial output of product is still catching up. About 4 years ago we actually had a pine bark fines shortage for a few months here in Central NC. That's like having a salt water shortage in Hawaii.
|I found a four-leaf clover in my garden today, but still haven't found anything labeled as pine bark at HD/Lowe's/Walmart. There was some stuff at HD that was labeled decortive bark that looked to be about the right sizes you guys have been mentioning, but i could swear I smelled cedar in a handful? Any suggestions? The nearest K-Mart is quite away and when I do a search on their website, nothing comes up.
One would figure that as popular as this mix is, corporate America would jump on the chance to profit from it. Anybody know a purchaser at Home Depot?
- Posted by DaMonkey007 10b - Miami (My Page) on Sat, Jun 9, 12 at 9:48
|Nothing to worry about folks....I'm still alive...lol....barely!!
I had a great B-Day, thanks for all the well wishes!
This is a great conversation, I do hope that at least a few of you make the plunge....you won't be disappointed.
Good luck on the hunt!
|BTW, tsheets. Thanks for the links, good reading. ALthough I don't know if I have time to tend to the garden now.
|That 5-1-1 fertilizer smells like my bathroom the morning after a night of tequila and burritos.
- Posted by DaMonkey007 10b - Miami (My Page) on Sun, Jun 10, 12 at 15:22
|LOL, Frank. I think you're refering to Fish Emulsion 5-1-1 fertilizer, and it does smell terrible, but we are discussing a soilless media formula...two different ballgames...it all good though - welcome to the discussion!
I snapped a pic today that I thought might bring something to the party. If any of you are wondering how to best go about the whole screening process, this is one way that I do it.
It's just a 2' x 2' square made from 2" x 4" with handles on each side. The 1/2" hardware cloth is held in place by large washers and screws, like so.
Obviously this design work for any size cloth. I also use some pre-made things, such as wire mesh storage bins from the Container Store - but making them only takes a few minutes and they turn out to be cheaper anyways...
Just thought I'd share.
I would have to FIND some fines to screen first! ;)
I called a couple of local chain nurseries yesterday and they both had this:
2 c.f. for $10 was the cheapest. Still too cost prohibitive in my opinion. I'll try to be more creative in my searches around the county, but may have to wait until corporate america gets wind of this product before I go full tilt into the 5-1-1 craze.
Maybe the local Master gardener's cooperative extension might know??
- Posted by greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a (My Page) on Sun, Jun 10, 12 at 20:15
|PJ, excellent screen, man ;-)
Woohoo, most hardware stores, like ACE, carry various sizes of "Hardware cloth."
|I can't believe you can't find pine bark mulch anywhere. Size-wise it may not be ideal, but, it is cheap and if you're going to screen it anyway..... You can get it at any place that has plants here (walmart, home depot, the grocery store, you name it) for about $3 and change / 2 cuft bag.
I made a similar screening box, except I used 1"x6" and stapled the hardware cloth on rather than screws and washers. Those handles are pretty nice, I don't have those. :-)
If I ever find some conifer fines for a decent price, I have some hardware cloth.
Nothing labeled as such. There's "bark" at Lowes, HD, AND walmart. Cedar is no problem. Then there's bark mulch that lists the ingredients as "forest products." Then there's something at Home Depot labeled as "decorative bark" and when I smelled it, I can swear I smell some cedar in it.
You got any label names for me? Or some pics of the bags at those places you mentioned.
Any help would be appreciated.
- Posted by greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a (My Page) on Mon, Jun 11, 12 at 3:18
|I use a product called Micro Bark, brand name Greenall. I'm pretty sure it's E.B. Stone.
E.B. Stone also has "Orchid Bark" in fine-grade, but it is much more costly. If you can find
someone who carries or will order the "Mini" orchid bark from Shasta Forest Products, then
you won't have to do any screening at all.
Here is a link that might be useful: Shasta Forest Products
- Posted by DaMonkey007 10b - Miami (My Page) on Mon, Jun 11, 12 at 8:30
|Yeah, I would agree that 10 bucks for 2 cu ft is a bit expensive.
I did some research for you though, and I think that I have a promising lead. Try Grangetto's Farm & Garden Supply. They have 4 locations is SD County (Escondido, Encinitas, Fallbrook, & Valley Center). Thier "products" page lists bark products, perlite, peat, dolomite...everything you would need for a 5-1-1...Not to mention a TON of other stuff. This place looks SWEET! I wish I could find something like this close to me!!
Good Luck!
|Thanks for the work PJ! Yeah. I'll have to travel a tad to get to one of those locations but that place does look promising. Been kind of busy to call some of the nurseries closer to me. Hopefully I can find something inexpensive, even if I have to buy it in bulk.
Once again, thanks for the help. :)
Btw, OKC looked good, eh? ;)
- Posted by DaMonkey007 10b - Miami (My Page) on Wed, Jun 13, 12 at 12:36
|NP Woo, my pleasure!
And YES, they DID look good :P
They played a more complete game, that's for sure. They moved the ball around way better, and they kept up the intensity for the long haul....a problem that the Heat stuggle with. If they can steal one tomorrow, they might have a chance - if they go down 2-0, I'd wager that's it's a done deal.
- Posted by DaMonkey007 10b - Miami (My Page) on Fri, Jun 15, 12 at 0:07
|Btw, Heat looked good, eh? ;)
Steal one in OKC....check
Bienvenido a Miami!!
- Posted by DaMonkey007 10b - Miami (My Page) on Sat, Jun 16, 12 at 14:28
|So I just concluded a little screening work and I wanted to share. If this doesn't drive home the importance of screening, then nothing will. I had some old 5-1-1 around the side of the house. It was from my first try at the 5-1-1, and I DID NOT screen this batch. I was planning on recycling it into a raised bed, or what have you, but hadn't gotten around to it. I hadn't thought about it in a while, but I was over there today and it dawned on me that this might be a good learning/teaching experience, so I decided to screen it.
It turned out to be roughly 22 gallons total. I ran the entire batch trough a 1/8" screen to separate the large particles from the small. For every 4 parts of large product I added 1 part of small to reach my 20% threshold (decribed above). I was able to re-build 18 gallons of properly built 5-1-1 and was left with ~4 GALLONS~ (!!!!) of small particulates, less than 1/8". This means that my unscreened attempt yielded over 100% MORE smalls than I intended. A mistake like that could ruin your whole season.
Food for thought.
Thanks for keeping the thread alive. I'm learning a little bit more about the whole 5-1-1 mix as the days go by. Still haven't gotten around to trying to find some fines nearby. My grandmother passed and now I have to make a trip to(of all places) Oklahoma City to bury her. Too bad she didn't want to get buried in my hometown-- The weather's better. ;)
Btw, I notice through video that 1/2" hardware cloth is used to screen the larger pieces. WHat do you use to screen down to 1/8"?
- Posted by DaMonkey007 10b - Miami (My Page) on Sun, Jun 17, 12 at 11:06
|Hey Kevin,
Really sorry to hear about your Grandmother, I'm sure she lived a wonderful live. May God rest her soul.
Regarding the screens, you can use hardware cloth for 1/8" as well, if you so choose. Generally ACE Hardware sells it by the foot...but I've also seen it on ebay pretty cheap as well. OR, you can use something pre-made. For example, I know that Josh uses a pond basket for screening out the smalls. I sometimes use a wire mesh storage drawer from The Container Store...see the link. This particular product can be substituted for you're 1/8" hardware cloth setup. I personlly chose the one that measures 20-3/4" x 20-3/4" x 3-1/4" h. Just be advised, its not ~exactly~ 1/8" mesh. It's a diamond shaped opening with the narrowest dimension at 1/8", the other way it's closer to 3/16"....but it will do just fine.
For the dust you'll need a 1/16" screen. They don't have hardware cloth that size, so aluminum insect screen is the tool of choice.
I know it seems like alot. If you want to work your way into it, there are 2 neccesities. The 1/2" screen and the 1/16" screen. That will at least provide an acceptable range of product. Many people only do these two steps for thier 5-1-1. As I've said....I like to have much more control over my mix than that, this is where the 1/8" screen comes in. Adding in that step allows you to fully customize your mix to your liking, and maintain consistancy from batch to batch.
A word of advice. This is pretty obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people miss it. Screen your materials from largest to smallest, setting aside the large as you go. I cringe every time I hear someone say they tried to pass 50 gal of raw material through an insect screen...and they wonder why it took them a week!!! LOL! This is actually another HUGE benefit of the 1/8" stage. This DRASTICALLY cuts down the amount of product that has to go through the insect screen...which is the slowest and most frustrating step in the process.
Here is a link that might be useful: Container Store Bins
|PJ: Thanks for the condolences. It's all good! She made it to 95. Actually I should be consoled for having to go to Oklahoma this time of year. ;)
Once again, thanks for all the help! :)
|I wonder if ground styrofoam can stand in for perlite? It's just an inert space filler, right?
|Styrofoam compacts over time, unfortunately...and a lot of modern styrofoam is starch-based rather than exclusively "plastic" and can break down with watering.
Also, though the perlite is mostly inert on it's own, it has surfaces which can hold moisture and nutrients.
- Posted by habjolokia 7 (firstname.lastname@example.com) on Mon, Jun 18, 12 at 20:21
|Question to Josh or PJ would Charcoal have the same purpose as the Turface? Could it be used in its place?
- Posted by greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a (My Page) on Wed, Jun 20, 12 at 1:16
|Hey, Mark!
The original 5-1-1 recipe only calls for peat moss and perlite as amendments to the bark.
I say this to stress that deviations from the straight recipe can manifest different results.
Of course, several of us have tried substituting those amendments with various ingredients.
So, how were you planning to use the Turface? As a substitute for peat moss/potting soil?
- Posted by habjolokia 7 (firstname.lastname@example.com) on Wed, Jun 20, 12 at 7:51
|Hi Josh,
Thanks for your response, would Charcoal replace Turface? Here is what I was thinking about doing. See link below.
Here is a link that might be useful: Mix that I could use for peppers?
- Posted by greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a (My Page) on Wed, Jun 20, 12 at 12:12
|Call me dense, but I'm still not quite there.
Short answer: No, Charcoal is not a direct substitute for Turface.
The mix in your link would be far closer to a Gritty Mix than a 5-1-1.
Even when I used Turface in my 5-1-1, I still included an equal amount of potting mix to
The further you go from the original recipe, the more varied your results may be.
If you have the ingredients, I would say put together a mix and see how it works.
- Posted by habjolokia 7 (email@example.com) on Wed, Jun 20, 12 at 13:01
|Great thanks for the info very helpful. Will stick with the 5-1-1 without Charcoal. Dont really want to experiment at this point.
Finally made it back from god-forsaken Oklahoma(no offense Oklahomans). Congratulations on the Heat winning it all. I didn't see THAT conclusion AT ALL! LeBron finally DIDN'T choke!
I'm no chemistry expert, but from my research, wood ashes are hish in potash(potassium) and changes pH levels also. Maybe CHARCOAL would have these same characteristics? Just a guess on my part. /shrug.
Anyhow, Thanks to everybody for their input. If I DO finally try the famed 5-1-1, I'll share my experiences.
- Posted by DaMonkey007 10b - Miami (My Page) on Sat, Jun 30, 12 at 8:49
|Heya Woo!
Welcome back! Yeah, I don't think anybody saw that coming! It was fun though, looking forward to next year!
This is actually the first time I've been back on GW in a few weeks too. I just started a new job and it is SUPER intense. I have no oportuntity to get on during the day like before, and with a 3 year old at home...I don't get much time here either..LOL. One down side is that I'll be traveling every other week, so I'm in the process of training my wife how NOT to KILL my babies while I'm away.....eeeekkkkkk!!!! It's a great opportunity though, so I'm not going to complain....too much anyways....LOL.
Anyways, I might be MIA on and off for a while - at least while I'm adjusting to the new schedule, but I'll do my best to check in.
By the way, I thought that I had posted a pic of my modified 5-1-1 on this thread...but I hadn't - so here it is.
|A little more help on the 5-1-1 please.
I finally broke down. hat to get my ghost and thai in SOMETHING, and I didn't have space in the ground where the rest of my chiles are.
So, I got some bark, prelite, and peat(couldn't find turface).
Added 1 TB of lime per gallon of mix and used 2 TB of Osmocote per 5 gallon bucket(plant).
Now, on to the fertilizing. I've read a lot of you are using foliage pro. Couldn't find that so I picked up some Vigoro AP with a 3-1-2 ratio of NPK and small amounts of micronutrients. Will this suffice?
Am I to understand that I shouldn't use natural fertilizers? No compost tea, no compost, no ORGANIC fertilizers?
Feedback please.
- Posted by DaMonkey007 10b - Miami (My Page) on Tue, Jul 10, 12 at 18:36
|Hey Kevin,
That vigaro should be fine, I used the MG version of that formula before switching to FP without any problems. The only real downfall of both the Vigaro and the MG 3-1-2's is the obvious lack of Ca and Mg.
As for organics, most people that use the 5-1-1 opt against organics - but it's up to you. The fact is that containers aren't the best environment for microorganisms, which are, of course, required to convert organic ferts into a form usable by the plants. Unlike mother earth, container mediums are subject to extreme variations from day to day. This is going to create boom or bust development of your microherd...meaning boom or bust nutrient delivery. The synthetics are going to give you a well balanced and consistent delivery of nutrients - especially if you use a low dose with high frequency, while organics will be sporadic and hard to dial in. Not to mention that the 5-1-1 isn't exactly Club Med for microorganisms, nor is it meant to be.
For my buck, the organics stay in the garden.
PS - If you're going to go with peat, you can also consider using the bark fines as a replacement. You bought them right? May as well use em up! Not that peat breaks the bank or anything, but it's one less ingredient to buy....and I hate peat...lol...can ya tell?? Check out what I mean in the link.
Here is a link that might be useful: Another option for you
- Posted by greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a (My Page) on Wed, Jul 11, 12 at 16:58
|PJ nailed it re: organics in the 5-1-1.
If the container is large enough, organics can work.....however, it will shorten the
life of the 5-1-1 (increase the decomposition process). It'll still last a good season,
but you won't get much more than that.
|Josh and PJ:
So, Let's say I want to use half oak barrels. Would I be able to possibly use peat, compost, coarse perlite and the wood chips I mentioned at the beginning of this thread and still be able to lower the PWT you guys stress so much?
I really do want to go as organic as possible.
I've got the ghost and thai in a 5-1-1 and I'll give it a shot this year. I just hope the difference is worth it. I have had good success with three out of the four ingredients(peat, compost, and chips).
Even Miracle-Gro Organic Choice fert won't do with the 5-1-1??
Here is a link that might be useful: wood chips link
- Posted by DaMonkey007 10b - Miami (My Page) on Sat, Jul 14, 12 at 12:13
|You can do whatever you want, however, if you stray too far from the original idea of the 5-1-1 it ceases to be a 5-1-1. The ~idea~ of the 5-1-1 is to provide maximum structure, aeration, and drainage - with very little, if any, regard for organics. By adding in a bunch of peat and compost you take away from those properties that the 5-1-1 strives to create. If your hung up on staying organic - which is perfectly fine - simply put, the 5-1-1 may not be for you. Maybe you'd be more comfortable with something like a 3-2-1 with the 3 parts being comprised of potting mix/peat/compost/etc, the 2 parts being bark, and the 1 part being perlite. This would be a much better medium to use organic ferts in, as long as the container is big enough. Just be warned, it's gonna hold water and its gonna compress. You'll want to be extra diligent with your watering habits - not only for the plants, but for the micro-organisms as well.
Now, and most importantly, I would personally stay away from those wood chips....do yourself a favor and stick with bark. The chips are gonna decompose quickly and tie up nutrients, specifically nitrogen, as they do so.
As for the MG OC fert in the 5-1-1, I don't have anything else to add besides what I said a few posts ago...it's really your choice at this point.
Hope that helps!
|Thanks PJ and everybody else. You've all been a great help and opened my eyes a bit regarding containers.
- Posted by goldfinchy 10 (My Page) on Mon, Aug 13, 12 at 1:42
|Hi all,
I am considering a 5-1-1 or a gritty mix (or some variation) for large containers.
For example:
1) 5-1-1
2) gritty mix
If you have your other favorite mix, please post it too!
- Posted by greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a (My Page) on Mon, Aug 13, 12 at 12:19
this particular Thread is about the 5-1-1, so I think it best if "other favorite mix"
is not posted here (lest there be confusion).
The 5-1-1 is a bit lighter in weight than an equal volume of bagged mix, like Miracle Grow.
The Gritty Mix is significantly heavier, owing primarily to its inclusion of grit (turface/granite).
- Posted by goldfinchy 10 (My Page) on Mon, Aug 13, 12 at 14:29
Thanks for pointing out, I will create a new thread.
I know that some mixes are heavier than the others, I was curious about the actual pounds/kg per gallon/liters.
- Posted by greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a (My Page) on Mon, Aug 13, 12 at 15:05
|I wish I could help with the weights, but I've never weighed my containers.....
nor do I have any containers with bagged mixes with which to compare.
I saw your post at the Container Forum, and I think you'll get some relative weights (fractions),
- Posted by greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a (My Page) on Mon, Aug 13, 12 at 17:02
|Since this pertains to the 5-1-1 (and Gritty Mix, for those interested), I thought I'd post
it here, as well. Al, who goes by Tapla on these Fora, put these mixes together and has offered
the recipes as a starting point for a customized container medium.
"Well-made 5:1:1 mix weighs about the same as a peat-based mix when dry
A well-made gritty mix weighs about 2-3X as much as a peat-based soil when dry,
- Posted by serge94501 Sunset 17 Alameda, (My Page) on Fri, Jul 26, 13 at 21:03
|It looks like it's very easy to screw up a 5-1-1 mix. I am sure I have. So here's a question:
Is a poorly constructed 5-1-1 still better than a store-bought potting mix?
|Serge: It's only my 2nd year using the 5-1-1, but I would say that a 5-1-1 with a bunch of sapwood would be far worse than taking a bag of potting mix and adding some extra perlite for porosity.
At least with potting mix, you don't have a bunch of material sucking the nutrients out of the mix as sapwood does.
I'll let the experts chime in though.
|IMO, Kevin is right on. The bark is the key to the mix and getting to fine of bark, too course or one with too much sapwood will give you a growing medium that will likely not produce very good results regardless of the rest of the components used. As long as you have a good bark component, you simply need to add the other ingredients in close to a 5-1-1 ratio. The soil part of the mix can be any reasonable soil, peat or potting mix. The perlite should be mostly coarse with little dust. A bit of garden lime and some slow release fertilizer like Osmocote is about all you need.
Good luck
- Posted by northeast_chileman 6a (My Page) on Sat, Aug 2, 14 at 10:14
So I read through this and have a question, how many seasons can you get out of the mix?
|Several. This is my 3rd year using it and though I've refreshed it and just made more each season, It doesn't look like It's degrading very much to me.
- Posted by greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a (My Page) on Sun, Aug 3, 14 at 23:31
|Kevin's right....you can go 2 - 3 years with this mix, especially with some refreshing. I've certainly pressed mine for use with Citrus and other bonsai trees. For peppers, I try to make fresh mix every year. If you use uncomposted bark, you'll certainly get more longevity.
| Would it help if you fairly dry them at the end of season, keep it air dry so it wont compost ?
I have a pretty good source here. It costs me around $3.50 per cubic foot, including perlite, lime and CRF. .
|Does anyone have a good suggestion for a pine alternative? I'm tired of rubbing my eyes and itching when I garden. :(
|You're allergic to the bark ??
|I'm having at least some sensitivity to it- itchy watering eyes, runny nose, itchy skin even though I wear garden gloves. It's certainly nothing life threatening but an alternative would be nice. I'd really like to add more containers of peppers and not have to use so much space in my raised beds since they overwinter here easily. I could really use the space in the beds for things I can't grow in pots.
|As I understand it you can use any bark that contains lignin (sp?) a substance that inhibits decomposition. As far as I know this includes all fir barks. I've never heard of using hardwood bark in a soil-less mix.
Seems to me that this question could be better answered in the Container forum.
|Conifer bark - fir, pine, hemlock. Not sure about redwood. Ask Josh or Al.
- Posted by greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a (My Page) on Tue, Aug 5, 14 at 10:33
|Yep, fir, pine, hemlock...and *possibly* spruce if the bark looks right. Redwood and Cedar are not advised, as they tend to be too fibrous (and may contain chemicals that are not conducive to root-growth).
|Dennis, I just figured I'd throw it out there since I'm specifically growing peppers in pots. I had found a discussion on the container forum where someone was looking for alternatives because they couldn't find the right size bark and there were a lot of responses with helping the person find the right bark but no mentions of suitable alternatives.
Thanks Kevin and Josh. I've never seen hemlock anything anywhere. I'll have to ask at my local nursery this weekend. Otherwise I might just have to wing it and shoot for the right texture if not the right materials.
|IMO the size of the bark pieces is over-emphasized. You don't want them too small, granted. But "too big" should be reserved for chunks over 2". The bark is essentially a filler that also holds some moisture. If you can find a chunky alternative, go with it.
Or you can run it over with your car several times...
- Posted by greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a (My Page) on Tue, Aug 5, 14 at 12:25
|Size is majorly prohibitive. The larger the bark, the faster the drainage....at first. As the mix settles, the fine material migrates to the bottom of the pot, leaving the top of the pot dry and the bottom too wet. In addition, overly large bark reduces the room for roots to grow. 1/2 inch bark is the upper limit, and for very good reason.
|Now that we're back to talking 5-1-1 again. I have a couple questions Josh...
First, have you found a different source other than GreenAll for your fines? Don't get me wrong... the stuff is a perfect size. But with that perfect size comes very small pieces of sapwood that takes forever to pick out and even after picking, I know there's still quite a bit left in it.
I'm almost thinking that it would be easier to buy large nugget, pick the LARGER sapwood pieces, and then do what Dennis suggests... stick in a pillowcase and drive over. Then screen.
Also, have you found an acceptable bark(even if large nugget) at any of the big box stores?
- Posted by greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a (My Page) on Tue, Aug 5, 14 at 13:19
|Hey, Kevin, I've stuck with Greenall Micro Bark, only venturing off the reservation a few times. Every once in a while, Home Depot has Earthgro in the right size, but usually it's way too large. Beware, however....the Earthgro has even more sapwood. The other bark I've used is really the same as the Greenall, just in a different package...E.B. Stone's fine-grade "Orchid Bark" - which is more expensive for the purple packaging ;-)
As long as the sapwood is less than 10% of the overall product, I think the Osmocote is more than enough to offset any Nitrogen immobilization.
|"Or you can run it over with your car several times...
|1960 Buick Gunboat! Awright!
2" is too large, I suppose, but I've been using pieces up to 1" with no noticeable problem. 'Course, I don't use 5:1:1 with very young plants.
|I may have found something that will work for me- at least as a good starting point and so far it doesn't make me itchy or sniffly!
It's Sta-Green tree and shrub mix from Lowe's. At just under 6 bucks for a 2 cuft bag it's seems like a pretty good deal.
Compost (a write up in Wired Magazine about this mix said: "Sta-Green's formulation varies by region, but typically a significant percentage of it is decaying plant matter. A common ingredient is rice hulls, which retain water. In Georgia, half of the mix is pine bark, which can help ward off root rot. In California it contains "forest products" "mostly mill leftovers."
Potassium Nitrate
Any thoughts? Also, we've just been slapped with even more water restrictions (effective immediately,) so I need to consider water retention- screen less of the small particles out of increase something else?
- Posted by greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a (My Page) on Thu, Aug 7, 14 at 14:23
|I wouldn't use that shredded, dusty bark mix, personally. Lots of sapwood in that handful alone.
|Oh, well. I'm probably going to just stop bothering about 5-1-1 then.
- Posted by greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a (My Page) on Fri, Aug 8, 14 at 3:06
can you find Greenall Micro Bark?
|Josh, I used several store locators and it looks like the closest place is 35 miles away. In a car that gets 7 miles to a gallon and gas around $4 a gallon that's a $50 bag of bark. :) For that $50 I can get a yard of a good raised bed mix (29.99) and a yard of good bio-solid free compost (19.99) from my local nursery and fill 2 more 4x8 raised beds (I get the 2x10s to build them for free,) which is looking like a better solution for me than trying to do pots at this point but I do appreciate the suggestion.
- Posted by greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a (My Page) on Fri, Aug 8, 14 at 11:23
|Of course! Yes, beds would make more sense, especially in your zone. More moisture efficient.
|Veda: those store locators aren't the best for finding things sometimes. But...anyhow, do you have an Armstrong's Garden nearby? They have the microbark for 10/2cf.
|No, Kevin, we don't have them here- we have big box stores and small independents. The closest is either Anaheim or Temecula- about 30-35 miles either way. No worries, I'll just keep doing what I have been- I'm up to my eyeballs in peppers so it's not any kind of emergency. I'll revisit the possibility of pots with 5-1-1 at a later time if the right materials become available.
- Posted by northeast_chileman 6a (My Page) on Fri, Aug 15, 14 at 17:37
- Posted by northeast_chileman 6a (My Page) on Thu, Dec 18, 14 at 17:42
@ daveintexas.... Actually I was the first to be Disneyed for Bumping threads.
Here is a link that might be useful: Does my 5:1:1 mix look right?
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text:
Added Jan 13, 2011
by firenice468
Cambridge, Massa...
Floral dress made using Burda Pattern for "Dress with Ruffled Hem and Sleeves"
I'm very happy with how this one turned out, considering how difficult the material was to work with! I used pretty purple pearlized buttons (with working buttonholes) and side invisible zipper. The lining gives the skirt some body so it doesn't cling to my legs. Hopefully I can take some skirt-twirling pictures and post them later!
Bark crepe (this was difficult to sew, slippery and got caught a lot especially when doing the ruffle, but oh so pretty!)
Black batiste lining
Feb 10, 2011, 03.59 PMby cathysews
a super fab dress…great!!
Jan 14, 2011, 03.28 PMby loulourosa
lovely dress! Your dress looks better than the one in Burda magazine!
Jan 14, 2011, 04.22 AMby fabricaddict
your dress looks lovely! well done, that fabric is great
Jan 13, 2011, 11.58 PMby tashmopolitan
Jan 13, 2011, 10.40 PMby analogue
Beautiful! The colour really suits you :-)
Jan 13, 2011, 10.18 PMby nidhi
very pretty dress! looks great on you.
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text: Depends how you might want to report back on this over the years. If as a check list only, then you could look at setting up a UDF on the pupil record section. If there is more detailed reporting or caclulations or something needed, you would look at AM yes.


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While classic pieces are considered classic for a reason, sometimes the styles we love can be so ubiquitous that we yearn for something new. Designer Jason Koharik pays hommage to the clean lines and geometric silhouette of the modern and deco pieces that are so well loved, in the form of his new collection, aptly titled, The Collected.
The Collected by lamp series is inspired by the beautiful sweeping lines and modeled forms of the Art Nouveau period and early French Modernists. The series represents a "New Nouveau". Each lamp is a one of a kind sculpture made with a variety of reclaimed and recycled materials that show age and marks from its maker. Each is hand crafted and hammered in effort to create a unique and nostalgic piece that can settle comfortably in a modern environment.
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White Rabbit Light
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• My Sweet Muffin
I'd been eyeing this UK-made lamp for a while, but was put off by the international shipping costs. It's now available from some U.S. stores so there's nothing stopping me. It's a little bit sweet, a little bit Alice-ish.
Classified Moto's Upcycled Gear Lamps
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Your nightstand and what you place on it are the last things you see at night and the first things you see in the morning, so when choosing a bed side lamp, choose wisely. In addition to being something pretty to look at, a lamp by the bed should offer a light that is bright enough to read by but soft enough to create a relaxing environment. Whether you like your lamp to stand out or to blend in to your bedroom decor, this selection includes a wide range of looks and styles.
Power Up: 10 Bedside Lamps with Built-In Power Outlets
You want to know one of my favorite parts of staying in a hotel? Getting to use a bedside table lamp with a power outlet built in. It's the perfect spot to leave your phone/alarm clock/livesaver to charge for the night. You can bring the comforts of a resort stay to your own bedroom each night with one of these 10 outlet-fitted table lamps.


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New to Typophile? Accounts are free, and easy to set up.
Hi all
One of my clients has asked me to provide the EULA for the fonts used in the design work. Not an issue as the fonts were legally purchased. However in reading the agreements, one of the foundries prohibits embedding. When producing PDFs for print and also electronic distribution the fonts are embedded (i.e. I'm not sending the font out of house) and without specific software, for all intents and purposes they are non-editable - would this be considered illegal and can they actually enforce this?
If I send this to my client they are probably going to force a change in the font which I really don't want to do, but more of an issue is that this may effect many of my fonts and client work.
Surely everybody needs to embed fonts in PDFs and for distribution and production?
Has anyone experienced this before?
Thanks, any advice hugely appreciated.
Are the fonts 100% embedded, or are they subset? Most foundries allow subsetting. It seems odd to me that if they are 100% embedded, their EULA prohibits the practice yet they failed to set the flag within the font to prevent it.
The EULA's legal precedence would likely be superior to that of the font setting, and it probably is enforceable. Your best choice would be to contact the foundry and discuss this issue with them.
Thanks George, if they were outlined and PDF'ed (thereby embedding 100%) they wouldn't be searchable - which is an issue for the client.
Would that it were so simple... There is no sanity with EULAs, as Tiffany Wardle lamented long ago. The original intent was probably to protect against piracy, but there are other financial issues at stake now.
Check the EULA carefully In your particular case, for example, the EULA may permit embedding the font in the PDF sent to the printer, but no other uses. For web distribution, you would then make another PDF. With that one, several solutions -- use the WEB version of the fonts (i.e., pay more), turn the font characters to outlines, or ... probably other techniques I've missed.
But the real answer, far as I'm concerned, is to only purchase fonts (licenses) that present a simple & seamless workflow at your end.
We've gotten to the point where Wall Street investment bankers and all too many font publishers have much in common.
It's your money, spend it as you want.
Buy nothing from Monotype/Linotype, H&FJ, FontFont, etc. Some of the smaller font publishers have quite good EULAs. Not sure about Adobe's embedding restrictions, but I do know you can embed for printing. As Adobe is heavily invested in PDFs, there is an easy, seamless solution for web use, too.
Youngsters find this appalling. So many fonts with either expensive or restrictive licenses when it comes to using them. But for 500+ years, until the mid 1990s, people worked with just a few fonts. Somehow, advertising got done, books written, culture preserved, etc. Even limiting yourself to fonts with sane EULAs, you have far more to choose from these days.
Thanks Charles, that does rather clear things up. Unfortunately many of our fonts come from H&F and fontfont… Do you have a link to Tiffany's piece - I searched but the original link is dead?
I don't have Tiffany's piece. Most important from your perspective was her work on a chart of who allowed what, and of course, that's long changed.
Probably another internet forum/site will be of more use with this topic ... Typophile runs about 10:1 type designers to type users, and the designers have an understandable interest in getting more money. They find users' concerns about costs puzzling.
I'm not much help either, since I work only with books, and can choose solutions you probably couldn't use.
With FontFont & H&FJ, I *think* you can just buy the web versions of the fonts -- of course, H&FJ seems to want to sell you packages, not individual fonts, so that's going to be rather a large chunk of change...
Darren , just like you should indeed be careful about taking the advice of type designers when it comes to buying fonts, be careful about taking the advice of somebody who uses fonts in a very niche way. So a blanket statement like "buy nothing from Monotype/Linotype, H&FJ, FontFont" might be good advice for a small minority of people, but it's clearly bad advice for most people (probably including you).
Typophile runs about 10:1 type designers to type users
False. And very likely intentionally so.
Youngsters find this appalling.
Then they grow up. Many of them even end up liking classical music! The horror...
A moment of lucidity:
I'm not much help either
I think you're quite helpful to anybody who is able to factor in how narrow (if refined) your experience is. It also helps a great deal to be able filter out your emotional hang-up against type designers.
They find users' concerns about costs puzzling.
This is also largely false. Most type designers are not rabid hermits.
But for 500+ years, until the mid 1990s, people worked with just a few fonts.
For much longer than that people worked without typesetters either... Obviously that's moot, and lamenting choice and cultural richness will turn you into a rabid hermit.
Not everybody needs to appreciate the subtle visual language of typefaces, hence the real cultural need for a large number of fonts. But a good typesetter (one that will be hard to replace with an algorithm sooner rather than later) necessarily does. A good typesetter appreciates type designers.
Here's my advice:
- Do be aware of what you're paying for; avoid a font with a EULA that's likely to get you in trouble. Usually you'll be able to use any font you license in some productive ways, but not every productive way. For this client, avoid the problematic fonts (and let the foundries know that you did).
- If there's a EULA clause that you find unethical, violate it; just don't shy away from the consequences if you get caught. Don't do something because you think you can get away with it - do something because you believe in it, whether you think you can get away with it or not. To me, there's only one such -sadly common- clause: one that says you can't modify the font. Just keep the results -and the fact that you did it- internal.
You mentioned that a lot of your fonts come from Fontfont, who have a much clearer policy of embedding fonts than most.
I work in video games producing User Interfaces and this is a constant headache for me. For something that is not a particularly new idea, a huge number of foundries are struggling to keep up with the times and don't offer clear pricing for embedding without obtaining a custom quote. Sometimes the price that comes back is so much it's ridiculous. Things have only started to move on because of the web and the increasing popularity of tablet devices and app development.
Increasingly we are turning to FontSpring because it's such a simple website to use, there are no custom quotes etc, the pricing is very clearly outlined. Their selection is quite limited however.


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Hotel Zum Kreuz - Glottertal
Landstrasse 14 - Glottertal1-877-662-6988
Welcome to Hotel Zum Kreuz!
This 3 star Glottertal hotel has its own restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner where you will find a selection of items to try. No matter how busy you are, take some time out to de-stress as you will find massage/treatment rooms and a sauna on site. Multilingual staff are available at the front desk 24 hours-a-day and can provide tour/ticket assistance.
Guests can make use of the free Wi-Fi. Other amenities include a train station pick-up service, an elevator (lift) and a garden.
We show TripAdvisor reviews for new Venere hotels that haven't been reviewed yet
Check Availability at Hotel Zum Kreuz
Facilities at Hotel Zum Kreuz
- Sauna
- Massages
- Dogs allowed
- Lift/elevator
- Room service - limited hour
- Garden
- Pets accepted
- Meeting Room
- Multilingual staff
- City tour
- Front desk - 24 hour
- Internet/Email services
- Restaurant/Dining
- Shuttle service from and/or to the railway station
- Free parking
Know before you go
- Reservations are required for massage services. Reservations can be made by contacting the hotel prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation.
- Guests can arrange to bring pets by contacting the property directly, using the contact information on the booking confirmation (surcharges apply and can be found in the Fees section).
Check-in: after 2 PM.
Check-out: before 11 AM.
Please contact the property ahead of time if you are planning to arrive after 8 PM.
PolicyExtra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
City tax and/or any other fees charged by the hotel
The following fees and deposits are charged by the property at time of service, check-in, or check-out.
- Pet fee: EUR 7 per pet, per night
- Rollaway bed fee: EUR 20 per night
The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.
Unless otherwise indicated, the charges below are not included in the overall room price. If not included in the overall room price, they will be charged by the property at check-in or check-out. Charges can vary, for example, based on length of stay or the room you book. This property told us they will charge you for the following:
- A tax is imposed by the city: EUR 1.50 per person, per night
We have included all charges provided to us by the property. However, charges can vary, for example, based on length of stay or the room you book.
National ratingHotelstars Union assigns an official star rating in Germany. This property is rated 3 star Superior and is displayed on this page as 3 stars.
Room Details
Book your pet-friendly accommodation at the 41-room Hotel Zum Kreuz. Televisions in each room offer entertainment at the end of a long day. Corporate travelers visiting the Glottertal area will benefit from free wireless high-speed Internet access as well as desks.
Every room comes with an ensuite bathroom. Minibars and hair dryers are supplied in each room to facilitate basic travel needs.
Accommodation Services
- Mini bar
- Extra beds
- Hairdryer in each room
- Desk
- Wireless Internet access
Distances from Hotel Zum KreuzMesse Freiburg - 7.6 km / 4.7 mi
Schlossberg - 8.4 km / 5.2 mi
Muensterplatz - 8.5 km / 5.3 mi
Freiburg Main Cathedral - 8.5 km / 5.3 mi
Old Town Hall - 8.6 km / 5.3 mi
New Town Hall - 8.6 km / 5.3 mi
Schwabentor Gate - 8.6 km / 5.4 mi
Martinstor Gate - 8.8 km / 5.5 mi
Freiburg Theater - 8.9 km / 5.5 mi
Breisacher Gate - 8.9 km / 5.6 mi
University of Freiburg - 9 km / 5.6 mi
Freiburg Concert Hall - 9 km / 5.6 mi
Goethe Institute - 9.1 km / 5.7 mi
Schauinsland - 15.8 km / 9.8 mi
Feldberg Ski Resort - 20.8 km / 12.9 mi
The preferred airport for Hotel Zum Kreuz is Mulhouse (MLH-EuroAirport) - 58.4 km / 36.3 mi.
Distances are calculated in a straight line from the property's location to the point of interest or airport and may not reflect actual travel distance.
Distances are displayed to the nearest 0.1 mile and kilometer.
Transportation services Hotel Zum Kreuz
- Shuttle service from and/or to the railway station
- Free parking
We have the accommodation you need, all over the world
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Alienware Invasion
|Alienware Area-51 Series m5550
Gaming PCs were once a strictly nerds-only corner of the personal computer market. Heck, you still can't even rent PC games at most Blockbusters.
But then no less than Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) bought game PC maker Voodoo Computers last month; Dell had already gobbled up fellow game PCer Alienware in March.
It's easy to see what attracted both H-P and Dell to their game-making quarries.
Game-playing computers are cool. They're the Porsche 977 Turbos of the PC market: fire-breathing computational monsters built with the speed and power to handle processor-taxing pastimes such as Doom III or Quake 4.
"Our machines have an aggressive contour and design that separates them from the mass market," says Mark Vena, vice president of marketing at Alienware.But the deals got me wondering: Are Dell and H-P becoming serious gaming PC impresarios? A quick look at Voodoo's and Alienware's product lines showed me the big computer makers are not going into gaming with a vengeance. Rather, it's the other way around -- Voodoo and Alienware are going to pump fresh blood into the otherwise lackluster general computer market.
The Laptop of LuxuryIf you are a computer snob like me, the Calgary, Alberta-based Voodoo PC is for you. The company's Envy line of laptop computers, for example, starts at $2,500. And trust me, you'll want to throw more like $8,000 into an Envy once you taste the blistering performance and excellent features. These machines come in countless colors and configurations. The best part is the paint: The Envy I tested was finished with the same red epoxy used by Italian sports car maker Ferrari. Va-va-voom. Miami-based Alienware tells a different, more varied product story. Yes, the company sells ubergaming PCs with the similar bombproof performance and price as the Voodoo. But the company has also quietly developed about a half-dozen rather everyday business and personal laptop computers. These machines are still game-friendly; all offer serious processors and memory. But the units proffer more modest features akin to a traditional mass-market laptop. To get a feel for Alienware's more mainstream offerings, I spent a few weeks with the company's decidedly humanoid Area-51 Series m5550 laptop. The m5550 is Alienware's value-oriented line. These machines start at $999, and the one I tested ran at about $1,684. Pricing and comparing laptops is disgracefully complex -- yet another product line ruined by bait-and-switch pricing -- but I'd say on average an Alienware's price will run about 25% more than one for a comparable Dell, H-P or Toshiba. What do you get for your 25%? Actually, quite a bit.
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OTHER Starship Captains - Symbolism, Foreshadowing & Plot Devices
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January 16 2012, 03:25 PM
Fleet Captain
Location: Either Quark's, or a bar on St. Mark's Place
Re: OTHER Starship Captains - Symbolism, Foreshadowing & Plot Devices
^But, were Khan and his people criminals? Again, I point to their lack of choice over their actions, based on being unwilling victims of genetic manipulation. And, if Kirk and co. don't "press charges", as it were, then that would leave Khan and friends lose in the Federation, or locked up for being who they are, since there is an apparent Federation wide fear of genetic alteration, as shown in DS9 re Bashir, and in the ENT eps dealing with the "supermen". So, I say Kirk knew that he was not going to persue charges, and rather then condemn Khan and company to some cage somewhere, decided to give them the opportunity to live out their lives challenged, but free. The humane thing to do, no?
starship, the places you've been to, the things that you've shown us, the stories you tell,
starship we sing to your spirit and the beings that have served you so long and so well"
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Barnsley weather mapYELLOW Warnings in force for South Yorkshire
- Recent locations
Your chosen location:
City of London
An error has occurred.
Weather type
Forecast summary
Regional forecast for Yorkshire & Humber
Mostly dry overnight. Becoming milder, windier, with some rain Sunday.
This Evening and Tonight:
A clear evening with easing winds will see temperatures drop for a while. Temperatures will recover again as cloud and wind increases from the west later in the night, with perhaps a little rain in places by dawn. Minimum Temperature 4C.
An increasingly windy and mild day, with some outbreaks of rain at times, chiefly over the hills in the west. Winds may gust to gale-force later. Maximum Temperature 11C.
Outlook for Monday to Wednesday:
Staying cloudy, breezy and mild with rain at times during Monday and Tuesday, some heavy. Rain most likely moving southwards during Christmas Eve, replaced by colder conditions and scattered showers.
Updated at: 1529 on Sat 20 Dec 2014
UK forecast for the next 5 days
Becoming wet and windy in the northwest. Largely dry elsewhere.
This Evening and Tonight:
Clear spells in the east this evening will allow a patchy frost to develop for a time. However, thicker cloud and milder conditions in the west will spread east with occasional rain and strong winds developing in the northwest.
Cloud and rain in the north and west, heavy and persistent western Scotland. Windy across northern parts, especially to the east of high ground. Elsewhere, largely fine and breezy. Mild.
Outlook for Monday to Wednesday:
Cloudy, mild and windy with rain across central parts Monday. These conditions will slowly move south, perhaps clearing to colder conditions through Christmas Eve. Northern parts colder with wintry showers.
Updated at: 1532 on Sat 20 Dec 2014
Outlook for the UK over the next 6-30 days
UK Outlook for Thursday 25 Dec 2014 to Saturday 3 Jan 2015:
Largely fine, bright and cold on Christmas Day with many places starting with a frost. Across northern parts there will be some wintry showers, these most likely across northern Scotland. Showers will ease later with a widespread frost overnight, leading to a cold and bright day for many on Boxing Day. However, northern/northwestern parts will become increasingly unsettled with rain, perhaps transient snow, and strong winds developing; risk of gales/severe gales. Into the weekend, low pressure looks likely to become established over the UK bringing periods of rain/showers along with potentially very strong winds. There will also be the risk of some snow, most likely in the north. Into the following week, the most likely solution is for periods of frontal rain and milder temperatures interspersed by colder, showery conditions.
UK Outlook for Sunday 4 Jan 2015 to Sunday 18 Jan 2015:
The most likely scenario for the coming New Year is for a continuation of changeable, and at times, windy weather coming from the Atlantic with the wettest weather probably across western parts of the UK, and eastern parts most likely to see the best of any dry weather. In between the wetter periods there should be drier, brighter, and colder spells. Temperatures are most likely to be around, or slightly below, average for the time of year with overnight frosts and some snow expected, particularly over the high ground.
Updated at: 1532 on Sat 20 Dec 2014
Location Details
Location: 53.5524, -1.4782
Altitude: 98m above mean sea level


text:
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TPMCafe: Politics, Ideas and Lots of Caffeine
Matthew Yglesias
Two Cheers for Special Interests
I'm probably not the best person to rebut Mickey Kaus' attacks on the Davis-Bacon Act since I don't really know anything about it, but even accepting his characterization of the issue for the sake of argument I don't buy it. Here's what he has to say:
A Democrat who is serious about using the state for the public good, as opposed to protecting the AFL-CIO, will realize that Davis-Bacon creates a huge hidden impediment to effective government action (if it involves building anything)--and will affirmatively welcome any initiative that undermines the Act. A Democrat who is worried more about union support will do what Drum and Reed do.So here's the shape of the river. Davis-Bacon strengthens unions, but it makes it harder to do some worthwhile government stuff. In particular, with Davis-Bacon, $X worth of appropriations for, say, building public housing will get you Y units. Without Davis-Bacon those $X would get you some larger number of units zY. So, according to Kaus, Davis-Bacon is bad, QED. Right? Well, not really.
That kind of thinking strikes me as precisely the sort of "policy literalism" that rightly gets critiqued in "The Death of Environmentalism" and that's done little good for progressive politics. It's true that if all you care about is how much public housing we build this budget cycle that Davis-Bacon looks bad, but liberals have every reason to look at the situation more broadly. With Davis-Bacon, you get stronger unions and you get unions as your allies. Those strong, friendly unions then serve as a constituency for appropriating money for federal construction projects. As a result, over the long haul money will be appropriated for such projects and the things will get built.
The limiting factor then become the large interests at work who are trying to starve the government of revenue.
Scrap Davis-Bacon and the GOP doesn't call off the tax cut jihad. But progressives will have knee-capped unions, one of the only forces in American society that's actually capable of serving as a constituency for the principle that the government ought to have revenue. And unions, rather than owing you a debt that might be repaid in terms of support on other topics that aren't narrowly in their interest, see that it's every interest-group for themselves and the whole progressive coalitions continues to break down.
That's a very bad deal on the whole. It's true that you'll probably never achieve an Ideal Policy Utopia as long as politicians are sometimes kowtowing to union interests rather than an abstract conception of the public good. But it's much more true that you're never going to have a politics wholly dominated by an abstract conception of the public good. Politics is the art of the possible, and trying to advance the public interest is necessarily a case of searching for satisficing solutions to problems.
Unless we're just going to abolish capitalism (which would be a bad idea) there are going to be powerful corporate lobbies at work in the political process. Unless those lobbies are checked by some other lobbies, they're going to totally dominate the political process. Unions, historically, have been the major counterweight. If there's going to be a progressive politics in this country capable of accomplishing anything, it's going to need a reasonably strong union movement to be a reasonably large part of it. The notion that you'll be able to advance a sustained anti-poverty agenda while simultaneously crippling unionism is absurd.
Does that mean liberals should never deviate from the AFL-CIO line? Of course not. If it were really the case that the only way to have federal construction projects was to repeal Davis-Bacon, then that'd just be the thing you'd have to do. But that's not how it goes in the real world. It's both a question of how much money you appropriate and how cheaply you can get things done. There's simply no possibility of public housing advocates (or whomever) building a lasting political alliance with the tax-cut-and-union-bust people to accomplish anything. The earnest neoliberals would win the battle tomorrow and then get stabbed in the back the next day.
Now arguably there was a time in America when the coalition backing the Democratic Party was so entrenched and overweening that elements of that coalition really were a substantial barrier to progress. I haven't made a study of the question, but I'll grant it as a possibility. That moment, however, is clearly not September 2005 when unions are a shell of their former selves and Democrats hold zero percent of the political power in Washington. For different elements of the progressive coalition to start stabbing each other in the back to try and maximize their share of table scraps would be suicidal. Coalition-management is a perfectly legitimate element of politics and it's really just silly to pretend otherwise.
Two Cheers for Special Interests | 17 comments (17 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)
Two Cheers for Special Interests | 17 comments (17 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
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|Do you have the spirit of a warrior?
Submitted by:
Rich Von Voigt
Riverhead, New York
Do you arrive at work with the spirit of a warrior, or do you just show up with the attitude just another day of job BS and public stupidity? If you have the attitude that this is just going to be another eight- or ten-hour shift of nonsense, you have to change your way of thinking.
This job is not like any other, you get paid to get involved when everyone else is moving away from the problem. You have to keep yourself, physically, mentally and spiritually fit, so that you can make it through your tour and get home at the end of the day. I recently read a quote which made me think about how I want to take care of me.
Reading this just kind of puts things in perspective. We had about 175 LEOs killed in the line of duty in 2011 — about 65 by gunfire. The numbers are still rising as I write this safety tip. So, why would you not want to be a better and safer you.
There is more benefit in being positive at work than negative. Get that Warrior Spirit up and running.
Be smart, be safe, be tactical always.


text:
Insurance coverage is frustrating and confusing for most of us—and it has the very practical role of affecting the quality and frequency of the therapy we get. Over the next few blogs, I'll be posting an interview with a Geoffrey Steinberg, Psy.D., about insurance as it relates to therapy, as well as answers to any questions you send us on the topic.
The past five years have been important in the world of insurance: Major national and state laws regulating insurance companies have changed. And in 2010, what's come to be known as Obamacare—the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—passed, which will progressively be implemented over the next three years. For good timelines of what's happening with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, see these two links:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patient_Protection_and_Affordable_Care_Act
- http://www.healthcare.gov/law/timeline/index.html
Below I interview Geoffrey Steinberg, Psy.D., a New York City based psychologist who founded TherapySafetyNet in 2007 as a way to deal with problems in insurance care. TherapySafetyNet is a coalition of New York-based psychologists and social workers who dedicate a part of their private practices to providing low-fee therapy to uninsured New Yorkers. Steinberg started the group because, when he was starting his own private practice in Chelsea, specializing in work with gay men, he was fielding a lot of calls from patients who lived in what he calls "benefits purgatory." These are people—entrepreneurs, service industry professionals, artists—who make too much money to receive Medicaid, but whose employers do not provide healthcare.
This space should be a sounding board, too: if any of you post your own questions about insurance and therapy costs to Dr. Steinberg here, we'll try to answer them over the coming weeks.


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Memphis Grizzlies v Golden State Warriors
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The American Red Cross members greet fans as they gather donations... News Photo 155330745American Red Cross,Assembling,Basketball - NBA Pro,California,Donation,Fan - Enthusiast,Golden State Warriors,Greeting,Horizontal,Hurricane Sandy,Making Money,Match - Sport,Memphis Grizzlies,Oakland - California,Oracle Arena,People,Relief,Sport,USAPhotographer Rocky WidnerCollection: National Basketball Association 2012 NBAEOAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 2: The American Red Cross members greet fans as they gather donations for the Hurricane Sandy relief fund during the game between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Golden State Warriors on November 2, 2012 at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2012 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)


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U.S. Ski Team Women's Alpine Guide
The women look toward stepping it up on home turf for World Champs.
RacerNext: Station Wagons And Condiment Sandwiches
What this sport is missing in the Ritzification of racing,
The women look toward stepping it up on home turf for World Champs.
What this sport is missing in the Ritzification of racing,
American skis to 61st career victory and wins a calf while at the French resort. read more
Canadian Ford Swette and Norwegian Henrik Roea win giant slalom races to close out the series. read more
The American dominates in Val Gardena to earn third career win behind Jansrud. read more
Course modifications required after five racers take to the track and Austrian Stefanie Moser is injured. read more
How Lindsey Vonn wound up with a cow after her 2005 downhill victory in Val d'Isere, France. read more
Is the parallel city event scheduled for New Year's Day in Munich facing extinction? read more
First women's downhill training canceled due to significant overnight snow accumulation on the OK course. read more
American AJ Ginnis scores career-first European Cup podium finish. read more
Race favorite Kjetil Jansrud finishes second, says the course is in good shape, despite weather challenges. read more


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Hola senors.I noticed one of my neighbors has his/her real name in SSIDs. Do you guys see this too in your local SSIDs?Thank you in advance.
Twixt, please elaborate on how choice of SSID could make it easier for unauthorized access.
... If you know the physical location of a WAP/Router - then you can figure out who uses that WAP/Router. Thus, you know who to target for social-engineering-type attacks.