“We have always lived in slums and holes in the wall. We will know how to accommodate ourselves for a while. For you must not forget that we can also build. It is we who built these palaces and cities, here in Spain and America and everywhere. We, the workers. We can build others to take their place. And better ones. We are not in the least afraid of ruins. We are going to inherit the earth; there is not the slightest doubt about that. The bourgeoisie might blast and ruin its own world before it leaves the stage of history. We carry a new world here, in our hearts. That world is growing in this minute.”

—Buenaventura Durruti, Van Paassen interview (1936)

(when part of the image getting pushed on us is: degrowth = austerity)

(minor nitpick: change ‘x’ and ‘y’ to what the axes actually are)

• soaking beans overnight – this helps to remove some of the compounds that cause gastric problems (as long as you remember to dump the soaking water)
• bring to a boil and turn heat off is the best way to do hard boiled eggs (and you don’t get that gray-green line around the yolks) – bring to a boil, move pot off burner, put a lid on, set timer for 12 minutes

(don’t forget the leaves make a great salad)

didn’t even think of this earlier – you can also look into the next step beyond growing and eating: preserving – pickling for the cucumbers (tsukemono or quick pickles, dill pickles, bread-and-butter pickles) – fermentation for the cabbage (sauerkraut, kimchi)

• if you can handle fruit trees and perennials, then annuals won’t pose too much of a challenge – same rules apply, pick plants that like your climate – USDA hardiness, humid continental climate
• most plants and seed packets will come with relatively basic instructions (how often to water, how much sun, etc.) to give you a starting point
• cucumbers (pretty much the whole squash family) can be pretty prolific growers (there’s running jokes about planting too much zucchini and ending up having to leave bags of extra zucchini on neighbors’ doorsteps)
• if you go a large pot (or a raised bed), take a look at companion planting (plants that traditionally grow well together)
  • the classic is “four sisters” (“three sisters” + pollinator) – tall corn in the center, something out of the bean family that will climb up the support of the corn, something out of the squash family that will act as ground cover, and something flowering (like sunflower) that will attract the pollinators (bees and birds)
• if you’re dealing with early winters
  • something out of the cabbage family (cabbages, kale, broccoli, cauliflower) and a tuber (carrots, radishes, daikon) – one grows up, one grows down
  • potatoes will do pretty well on their own

insecticidal soap ­– fill a spray bottle with water, add a couple drops of liquid soap (Dr. Bronners or J&J Baby Shampoo)

ooh, another Dust Bowl, but this one loaded with fertilizers, pesticides, and weedkillers – we can recreate Salton Sea or Aral Sea on a national level …

one of the big results out of the various UBI trials so far is that even with so-called “freeloaders”, overall productivity goes up – and we can see similar results in housing (providing housing for the unhoused saves money for the whole society) and health care (taking care of everyone costs less than gatekeeping whether you “qualify”)

a skin-tight second-skin in a hot climate …

Uncontrolled chemical reactions fuel crises at L.A. County’s two largest landfills

New evidence shows planting around school playgrounds protects children from air pollution (Phys.org, 2022)

Rosemary and Lavender off the top of my head

still not as good as Waterman Butterfly (and relevant xkcd)

it’s more about infrascruture than having the perfect conditions

“The fruit flesh is white and turns blue upon oxidation, a reaction with air.” —Wikipedia

they should’ve just left it at: “Jordan Peterson doesn’t understand” ?

“502 Bad Gateway”