andrewgalbraith

[andrewgalbraith]

cinemagraph artist

[andrewgalbraith]

Lago di Braies, Italy

The peaceful tranquility of the water is enough, but the overwhelming majesty of the nature and surroundings makes it so much more beautiful. 

[andrewgalbraith]

😷uarantine H👌use

Artist by Stephan Tsymbaliuk

[andrewgalbraith]

Plant Cuttings!

Most plants can be grown from cuttings meaning that, if you know what you’re doing, they’re a great way to rapidly grow a whole garden full of plants. Or a whole house full, if you’d prefer. 

The simplest type are stem cuttings, but many plants can be regrown from other parts like leaves or roots too. As long as there are stem cells in the cutting it’s possible to, with some care, regrow a full plant. In practice, how easy this is depends on the specific plant – but it never hurts to try!

So here are a bunch of how-to resources for anyone who wants to know more.

Basic how-to guide

More basic info

Detailed advice

Taking summer cuttings

Taking root cuttings

Taking leaf cuttings

Taking tip cuttings

Taking hardwood cuttings

Using potatoes to grow cuttings

Some plants which grow well from stem cuttings

Here are some random ideas of things to do with cuttings…

Buy a rose bush. The good ones like damask roses can be expensive, but that’s ok. Prune it extensively and plant the stems as cuttings. You’ll soon have a whole host of rose bushes! The same thing goes for any other bush or tree. Plant yourself an apple orchard or a raspberry grove!

Buy fresh herbs. Cook with the leaves. Save aside the stems. Grow them as cuttings. Create a herb garden in your windowsill.

Going out for a walk? Carry a small jar in your bag with some damp tissue in the bottom, and a small pair of study scissors. If you see any wild plants or trees you like the look of, snip off a small stem (from somewhere discrete!) and keep it in the jar. Grow it as a cutting when you get home. (Note: I’d advise against doing this in gardens, parks, or other privately owned areas. Technically, that’s theft.)

Grow kitchen scraps. 

When you buy potatoes, check them for sprouts. Sprouting potatoes can be cut up into pieces, so each piece has at least one sprout or eye. Leave them overnight to dry off a little, then plant them. Soon you’ll have a whole potato patch. Just like Mark Watney. 

If a friend has an interesting plant in their garden/home/office/wherever, ask them if you can take a small cutting. Most people won’t mind.

If there are trees or shrubs in your garden, you’ll probably need to prune them occasionally. Grow the pruned stems and branches as hardwood cuttings. If you don’t have space for more trees in your garden, they make good gifts once they’re established.

[andrewgalbraith]

Bloomberg reported yesterday that if Sen. Sanders implemented his highly progressive tax plan, billionaires could face an effective tax rate of up to 97.5%. This will be met with complete apoplexy amongst the ruling-class, but, apart from the fact that it is entirely correct that governments use punitive tax regimes to discourage socially destructive behaviour such as ruthless exploitation and wealth hoarding, let’s put it in perspective.

If Jeff Bezos was hit by a 97.5% wealth tax, he would still be a billionaire. His fortune currently stands at roughly $108,200,000,000. After a Sanders wealth tax, he would still sit atop a hoard of almost $3.75bn. The tax from he alone would enable the federal government to wipe the debt of a million students (c. $50bn), to train half a million new grad nurses (c. $25bn), to pay the entire education budget of the five lowest spending states for a year (Utah + Idaho + Arizona + Oklahoma + Mississippi = c. $24bn) - and still, still have enough spare change to double federal spending on energy efficiency and renewable energy ($4bn).

And that’s just one big fish.

Put in that sort of context there is simply no moral justification for any individual to have the private enjoyment of the sort of wealth that could seriously adjust the social outcomes of a entire nation’s working-class.

Pitchforks are an extremely moderate and conservative reaction.

[andrewgalbraith]

My favorite thing about "Ok Boomer" is that, instead of arguing, the youth unconsiously and collectively decided to literally just verbally wave boomers off and treat them like children who won't shut up and i think that's beautiful

[andrewgalbraith]

40 sqm apartment in Chisinau, Moldova by Curly Design Studio

[andrewgalbraith]

Greg Winters ‘90

[andrewgalbraith]

Project management is, more or less, just like this.

[andrewgalbraith]

Bennett Young

[andrewgalbraith]

Big Bear Treehouse