Sorry But I’m Gonna Post A Rant That I Wrote, Please Filter ‘harassment Tw‘ If You Don’t Want

the last set for this year’s (not) dinovember! this marks 3 years in a row done now, geez. If I do it next year I definitely will be changing things up a bit.

Didelphodon > Hatzegopteryx > Diplocaulus > Elasmosaurus > Lystrosaurus > Darwinopterus > Tylosaurus > Anurognathus > Nothosaurus > Tiktaalik

The basics of growing food

So, growing food sounds very intimidating, and in reality, it’s something people knew how to do thru all history, and it’s made even easier by new methods of ‘no till’ and ‘no dig’ garden. I didn’t know almost anything about it until 3 years ago, when I got a plot in a community garden and started growing food with no experience. Still it went good! Here’s what I learned:

The basics are as simple as ‘if you put a seed underground and keep it wet, it’s going to come out.’ If you start off from that, even if you know nothing else, eventually you will succeed. The additional stuff is done to ensure success. The biggest actual issue of gardening isn’t how, but when. When are you supposed to put all the seeds underground to get good harvest? For most of the plants, it can be as simple as 'Spring’. For others, it’s very important just when in the spring you plant it.

Let’s say you want to start your first garden, you want to plant some onions, lettuce, peas, green beans, tomatoes, peppers and zucchini. All of these can be planted in the spring! But these plants are sorted in 2 categories: Those who can survive a frost, and those who cannot. We call these 'frost hardy’ (those who survive the frost) and frost-tender (those plants will die if they’re exposed to lower than 0 temperatures). From the ones I listed, onions, lettuce and peas are frost hardy! It means you can plant them very early in spring, such as February and March, and they can be hit with snow and ice and be just fine. They can also be planted in autumn, and they only really start growing in the spring.

Green beans, tomatoes, peppers, and zucchini are frost-tender, meaning you absolutely can’t grow them before the chance of freezing temperatures is gone. This is known in gardening as 'the last frost date’. Every area has a different last-frost date, so it’s good to google yours to be sure you’re planting these when it’s safe to do so. For me it’s mid-April.

Now, since it’s a long time to wait for your plants to grow if you’ve only planted the seeds in mid April, people have found a way around it by planting the seeds in little containers inside of their house, or in a greenhouse, so they grow in a nice warm place on a windowsill, and are moved out in the ground when it’s warm and safe. This is a very fun thing to do as you will have bunch of little plants growing in your home. Important thing to know about it is to use really light and airy soil, not garden soil, (you can use forest soil!) and to make sure you’re not over-watering them and you give them as much light as possible.

Soil is another big thing in gardening, the grass grows so easily from it, but you can’t exactly plant your seeds into the grass; they will get suffocated. For a long time people have tilled the ground to make it empty of all the weeds and easy to handle; however this isn’t healthy for the soil, because it ruins the quality of top-soil, exposes it to sun and wind erosion, and it dries up very easily. Here are some beneficial methods of gardening: mulching and no-dig. Mulching means adding stuff like hay, straw, tree leaves, woodchips, pine needles on top of the soil. You’re protecting your soil from sun, wind, erosion, drying out, and if your mulch is thick and dark enough, no weeds will grow in your garden. You are gardening by science.

So what does this mean for you, when you’re standing before a patch of grass, thinking of turning it into a garden? You need to do this months before the actual planting, using time to your benefit is the smartest thing a gardener can do. You pick a patch of land and bring in everything you can on top: cut grass, hay, tree leaves you raked or found, straw if you have any, woodchips, anything that will stop the grass from growing. If you really want to build up your soil you can bring in compost too! All that organic material will eventually turn into compost and fertilize your garden as it degrades to soil. It’s important to not mix it with the soil, and to only keep it on top of the plants. Mixing it will deplete the soil of nitrogen, and you need nitrogen to grow anything green. If you keep bringing in organic material for years of gardening, and on top of that put some compost as well, in 3-5 years your soil will become so rich and soft you will no longer have to use tools to plant in it.

But, hey, if it’s your first time, you don’t need to aim for perfection. If you didn’t prepare your soil in the fall, whatever! You can still pull the weeds, dig around a little to make some clear soil, and plant your stuff! I’ve done this last-minute planting and it works just fine. Mulching and adding organic material is only the easiest, most scienc-y way to garden.

The next big thing in gardening is spacing and depth: how far apart should your plants be? And how deep to plant them? For depth, the rule of the thumb is 'twice as deep as the seed is tall’. But I’ve seen people pull various shit in this area and succeed so do what you want. As of spacing, I would also say, try out what fits for you. It takes a year of gardening to get a sense of just how big the plants get, and what would be ideal spacing for each of them. I decided only on my third year to plant tomatoes VERY far apart, because I realized in this case, one plant will give me more than 8kg tomatoes and it’s much less work than planting 3 times as many plants that are close together. Peas seem to like to grow close tho, for some reason. Sometimes you can decide you want a bunch of tiny plants because you’ll eat them young, so you don’t space them on purpose, people do that with lettuce, leeks, spinach. If you want your plants as big as possible with as much yield as possible, give them half a meter and see what happens.

Fertilization is another big thing in gardening; if you add a lot of compost and mulch your garden consistently, you won’t need a lot more; however there’s a cool free trick you can do (if you’re not currently sick): you can mix your urine with 10x water, and water your plants with that. And I really mean mix it with 10x water! Plants can get very fried by it and start to wilt if they’re bombed with too much fertilizer at once! There are rules for this: use it when you want your plants to grow a lot of greenery, not if you want them to flower or produce fruit. This fertilizer is rich in nitrogen, and nitrogen inspires plants to grow more leaves! If you wanna fertilize them later in their growth, put a lot of nettle plants in a big container with water, leave it in the sun for 10 days; when it starts to smell real bad, it’s ready. (you can also do this with comfrey). Also dilute it with 10x water! Don’t use these fertilizers on bean or pea plants, or any legume, they don’t like it.

Now I’ve given you so much info at once, you’re probably struggling to take it all in, so here’s a good youtube channel where I learned all I know: Roots and Refuge. If you watch this lady garden for long enough, she will tell you all of the secrets.

I remember being a first time gardener overwhelmed with worry; what if I fail, what if nothing grows, what if I kill all the plants, what if I have a black thumb, what if the plants die because I am stupid, what if I put all of this work in and get nothing, what if people make fun of me, what if I run into problems I won’t be able to solve. Here are some of the answers to these!

A part of what you grow will DEFINITELY DIE. I can guarantee it, it happens to everyone, every single garden in the world has had plants die, sometimes for no reason at all, but in no case will EVERYTHING die. We all count on a part of our plants dying, becoming slug food, not doing well in general, and we always plant 30% more than we absolutely need. Even if you are personally responsible for killing the plants, the plants will not hold it against you! Plants appreciate you spreading their seed regardless of success, they understand that by trying multiple times you will eventually succeed and they absolutely want you to learn thru occasional failure. The answer is again to plant a lot, and it never ever happened that nothing came out of it. Most often, it’s not going to be your fault at all. Sometimes the year will be good for tomatoes and carrots, and bad for peas. It’s all okay! Because you just planted extra peas, and you’ll get more tomatoes than you expected to have.

If you have the desire to plant food, you do not have a black thumb; the green thumb is in the heart that yearns to grow. You’re not stupid if your plants die, plants die for everyone. And people are likely to come at you with million advice; listen to no one, try everything yourself. If they make fun of you, they’re gonna look real stupid when you have home-grown food. Any problem you might run into while gardening is google-able! Or you can join a page of gardeners and they’ll be happy to identify the issue.

The real main issue with gardening are slugs and bug-type pests, and that is a problem for another day because all I know to do is to yeet those away by hand and shake my finger very sternly at them. Hope this helps!

The war on drugs main consequence was to incarcerate huge numbers of people. There are 2,400,000 people in jail in the U.S. There are 7 times as many people in jail now as in the early seventies. About 1 in every 100 American adults is in jail. About half are there for drug offenses, many just possession.

It’s wild.

We tried prohibition with alcohol. It led to gang violence, people drinking poorly distilled liquor with methanol and getting sick or going blind, and so on. We tried it for ten years and were like, “Hey, maybe this just doesn’t fucking work at all.” And then we tried it with drugs.

Opium (not opiates, mind, but opium specifically) is the only drug whose usage decreased after prohibition, likely because other opiates including morphine and heroin were available. Everything else, usage has increased, and though most have peaked, none are close to their pre-prohibition usage status.

Prohibition has not made us safer and will not make us safer. Ascribing a level of rebelliousness to drugs, teaching kids lies about drugs that make them likely to doubt our word on all drugs rather than teaching them the actual potential harms and being honest, jailing people for ingesting substances on their own terms without harming anyone else (and again, if they do harm anyone else, they should be arrested for that, of course), not regulating the content of the drugs people buy and consume, pressuring people to hide their habits rather than seek help, forcing them into a position of isolation that progresses rather than impedes addiction, creating financial incentive for gangs to sell drugs and war over selling territory–none of these are things that benefit us. Responsibility for casual users and rehabilitation for problem users, honesty about all substances, proper education, healthy discussions, these are things that will make a difference.

With all the talk about telling people to start planting and growing crops to feed themselves and their communities during this time of crisis, I’m surprised I haven’t seen much about HOW MUCH to plant to feed people. Here’s a good article to serve as a jumping-off point, to give people an idea of when to plant and how much to plant to keep people fed. Keep in mind that unless you live on a fairly sizeable plot of land that has ideal growing conditions, you probably won’t be able to completely feed a family of four, at least with traditional gardening methods. However, you can still heavily supplement your diet with homegrown food if you plot your garden carefully.

The Spruce

How Much to Plant per Person in the Vegetable Garden

It's time to plan the vegetable garden, but how much should you plant per person to feed your family?

Some things you can do to save space include growing plants in stackable towers rather than flat rows. Not everything can grow this way, but growing herbs or even strawberries or some kinds of tomatoes in them can save a lot of space. Bonus points if you can get some vertical vining plants like beans or tomatoes to grow up the sides of them to maximize the space used.

Hanging planters can also be used for things like tomatoes, herbs, some berries, etc. The people who grew up watching TV in the 2000s may remember ads for the topsy-turvy tomato planter. I can’t vouch for the effectiveness of them, but it may be good inspiration for creative DIY hanging planters.

Many people don’t seem to know this (to be fair, it’s not very intuitive), but small melons and gourds can be grown vertically on a trellis. You will need pantyhose or something else that can act like a sling for when the fruit gets large enough, and you’ll also want to make sure the trellis is very sturdy. Here is an example of a watermelon growing on a trellis, with squash growing in the background:

Other good options that require a bit more DIY are hydroponics towers and walls. It’s basically just a series of pipes with holes for plants to grow out of. The only downside is they will require very regular fertilization and supplementation with other micronutrients that are essential for plant growth, because the plants are typically grown in either a non-nutritious medium like coconut coir or nothing at all.

Planter walls are the next step down, basically just building shelves with pots in them to fill with soil. Put these on a wall that gets good morning sun and some afternoon sunlight for best results. These and hydroponics both also have the advantage of being able to hook up to your gutters so that rainwater will go towards watering your plants rather than just being wasted.

If you want to get really fancy, aquaponics is the next step up. With aquaponics, you create a system that circulates water between plants and a tank full of fish. The fish waste provides fertilizer for the plants, and the plants help filter out the waste so the water stays cleaner. I’ve heard they’re a bit tricky to establish, but once you find the right balance, all you’ll need to do is feed the fish. This has the added bonus of providing a source of fish for people who can’t eat things like nuts and legumes but need protein. Here is a link to an article explaining what aquaponics is, how it works, and how it differs from hydroponics.

The Aquaponic Source

What is Aquaponics? | The Aquaponic Source

WHAT IS AQUAPONICS? What is Aquaponics? Many definitions of aquaponics recognize the ‘ponics’ part of this word for hydroponics which is gro

I also want to add that if you don’t have the space or ability to maintain a large garden, there are other options. Find or create a group with access to enough food to supplement or completely fulfill your diet, and offer another service. If you have space for a vermicompost bin or tower, that can still help contribute to the garden. Learning other skills like soap making, cooking, sewing/knitting/crocheting, electrical skills like wiring and soldering, welding, woodworking/carpentry, etc. means you will still have valuable skills to contribute towards the group, and this will set up the basis for a larger mutual aid network within your community.

gofundme.com

Help a muslim lesbian escape arranged marriage, organized by Naailah Hakim

I'm making this fundraiser on behalf of my friend River, as it isn't safe… Naailah Hakim needs your support for Help a muslim lesbian escape

Happy disability pride month!! Pls help a disabled muslim lesbian in the middle east (me) escape an abusive household + arranged marriage that's been fixed for later this year.

I'm making a new post bc old one has lots of notes but the donations have slowed down a lot and my situation has now become potentially time sensitive. You can read the old post or the link for more details.

Please consider donating and sharing this post! I also have made posts on instagram and twitter that you can share. Here's also a link to proof (bc for whatever reason people think I'm scamming...like I'm making this up for fun? lmao.)

I'm so so grateful to everyone who is and has been helping me, thank you so much, i appreciate each and everyone of you ❤️

5,312/10,000

And we’re back to the beginning

Israel attacked worshipers at AlAqsa mosque on Friday prayer with sticks, rubber bullets, and gas bombs. Remember this is what started the entire events on the previous 11 days. They attacked worshippers at AlAqsa mosque.

Note, Friday prayer is the group pray of the week is Islam, that’s why you see a lot of people. I can’t help but think of this a provocatively deliberate choice of day.

And look at them! Do they look like a threat ?!!

P.S : this happened about 14 hours ago and they retreated, but unfortunately I was too ill today to hold the phone. Even though Israeli police retreated. You must know and see this.

You can find more #Israelbreaksthetruce on Twitter.

How to build a garden with no money

It's a relatively modern problem, where you, a scrappy solarpunk with no money, want to begin a vegetable garden. The ground you have to work with is either dead as hell or flat out toxic or has no dirt at all. You want to build a raised bed but you have no money and the kits are expensive. There's a lot of ways to go about this, here's what I did: I built a wicker basket.

Step one: assemble your branches.

You want whippy ones at least 4' long, no thicker than two fingers, no thinner than a chopstick. Longer and bendier is better, but also get a bunch of thick stiff ones. I got mine from the Greenway near my lil condo, and from my neighbor's yards.

Protips: Wear gloves, because thorns. Carry clippers discretely, because people get nervous when they see sharp shiny things in your pocket. The branches in the above pic are one load of three, because that's how much I could carry.

Step two: hammer your stakes

(no pic for this part, sorry)

Take the thickest and straightest of your branches, and cut a length you want to be the height of your box plus a couple inches extra. Hammer them into the ground every 18" or so, and at each corner. Every side of your box must have at least three stakes.

Protip: if the ground is really hard, drive a hole ahead of the stick by hammering in a screwdriver.

Step three: get weaving

First weave your biggest branches in and out between the stakes. You can remove any leaves for free compost at this point.

Protip: this is the hardest part, so don't get discouraged! Here is also where you will find out of the stakes are thick enough or hammered in deep enough. Try not to cry if they fall over. Or break.

Step four: keep weaving

Now you put in the smaller branches. I found that long vine types like ivy and wild rose can be woven in more than one direction, so if you need to fill in some gaps you can get creative.

Protip: tamp down the walls you've made every so often do they stay nice and dense. They need to be closely woven enough to hold dirt later.

Step five: smaller, different weaving

By now you have gotten down to the sticks that aren't quite long enough to go between the stakes. Make them into smaller stakes, ones that don't go into the ground but nonetheless weave vertically through your box walls. Hey, it's starting to look more like a box!

Protip: break off the ends of the stakes and your new vertical weave so they don't have out too much, and WEAR YOUR GLOVES, don't be an idiot like me and think you're safe because you don't have thorns to deal with.

Step six: fill it with dirt.

If you have any budget, use it all here. Get good, organic dirt, get your compost bin empty, and be extra careful taking dirt from elsewhere if you don't know exactly what has been leaking into it.

Protip: get more dirt than you think you need. Dirt is fluffy. The second you get water on it all the air goes away and you have a three inches deep garden box. In the unlikely event that you get more dirt than you need, use it for your houseplants or porch containers.

And that's it! Plant what you like! Use the seeds you've stolen from other gardens and the insides of your daily fruit! If you've bothered your nosy neighbor and they have alerted the HOA or your landlord, take this time to brush up on your various rights. If your neighbor dislikes you because they believe you to be a witch and a lesbian and idk, a long haired hippy or some other deeply outdated derogatory term, get those middle fingers up because you are going to help the bees and they aren't.

Green can be very punk.

You think “oh it would be useful to learn how to identify my thrifted yarn and clothing” and before you know it you’ve been recruited by fiber witches giving out their spells willy nilly, again

Ten Fics!

I am finally doing this! :) :) Unfortunately, I can’t find the original post but I was tagged by caitlinispiningforjohnlock​ and cloisteredself​. Here are ten fics that I love to death and that will always stick with me:

The Second Law of Thermodynamics by entanglednow- I wasn’t going to start reading johnlock. And then I read this fic.

The Violet Hour by breathedout- Hands down, one of my favorite fics of all time. 1920s historical AU where Sherlock and John get together while solving a case in the midst of the Bloomsbury crew. The writing is absolutely exquisite and John and Sherlock are unmistakably themselves in the fascinating backdrop of post-WWI England. It’s perfect in every way.

Ein Zimmer Mit Bad by breathedout- I think this fic actually contains my favorite sex scene in all of literature. John and Sherlock have angry, possessive, jealousy-induced sex in a giant copper bathtub in Berlin. Oh my god, it is everything.

What to do When Your Flatmate is Homicidal by hyacinthsky_747- This fic is so funny, and so touching and poetic, and just a delight from beginning to end.

Cooperative Principle by bendingsignpost- This fic ripped my heart out and threw it on the floor and trampled all over it with hob-nailed boots. And I loved every minute of it.

Yet by aderyn- Post-Reichenbach fic full of folklore, poetry, and loveliness. Every word is perfect.

Art and Nature by PoppyAlexander- Gorgeous, gorgeous historical AU where Sherlock is the butler and John is the gardener in a manor house in the 1920s. Sherlock is cold and remote and impeccable until John Watson comes to the house and slowly draws him out. When they are alone together, the way Sherlock comes apart just for John… Oh, it is to die for.

Landscape With The Fall of Icarus by CaitlinFairchild- This is the first story by caitlinispiningforjohnlock that I ever read and it seriously changed my life. This fic fucking knocked me off my feet and left me panting for breath. It was so good I didn’t even know what to do with myself when I finished it. It was a fic I didn’t even know how badly I needed until I read it. It helped me recover from season three. It is devastating in the most eloquent way.

Kings Among Runaways by allonsys_girl- This story is my life. I am obsessed with it. The brilliant anigrrrl2​ is busy working on a myriad of other brilliant fics at the moment, but this one really gets me. Like reaches into my chest and does things with my heart gets me. It is vivid and searing and tender and gorgeous and so full of feeling I ache when I read it. And she’s only written four chapters so far.

All the Best and Brightest Creatures by wordstrings- I will continue to rec this fic until I die. It is on another level of fic-ness. Sometimes, I have to put off reading the updates for months and months because they are too good and I feel them too deeply and coming back to real life is sad and painful. That is how good this fic is. You live in it when you read it.