#Aeration test

[howdoesone]

How does one maintain a healthy and thriving lawn?

A well-maintained lawn can add value and beauty to your home, but it takes effort and care to keep it healthy and green. Continue reading Untitled

[kaijuno]

It's currently fair season all around our state.

And in true, unfortunate fair fashion, they're giving away live animals as prizes again.

Goldfish have gained a reputation for dying quickly. Which leads many to think of them as fun little toys rather than living beings.

But be aware- They're not dying because they have naturally short lifespans. They're dying from neglect..

The #1 reason goldfish die is because they cannot survive longer than a few weeks without properly aerated water and most people are keeping them in a tiny bowl of stagnant water where they are literally suffocating to death.

If given the proper care though, goldfish can grow to 8+ inches long and live 20 years. Something to think about before making the impulsive decision to bring one home with you from the fair.

This is what proper goldfish care looks like:

🐟 Depending on the type, goldfish should be housed in a habitat that provides about 20 gallons of water per fish. However some varieties require a larger amount of space, around 50–100 gallons.

🐟 Good water quality is critical for keeping a goldfish healthy. The pH should range between 7–8.4 and you should test the water frequently with a water quality test kit.

🐟 Water aeration is vital to maintain oxygen levels within their habitat so they can breathe. This can be provided with an air pump and air stone.

🐟 Filtration is important because goldfish are messy. A filter helps remove small particulates, and it also houses a large portion of the biological filtration needed to keep your water parameters healthy and liveable.

🐟 Unlike most aquarium fish, Goldfish are most comfortable around 72–76 F. So depending on your room temperature, you may or may not need a heater to keep your tank within this range. You should always have a thermometer in your tank to ensure your water temperature is within a healthy range.

🐟 Goldfish are predominately omnivores and should have a diet consisting mostly of sinking pellets. Flake foods are not recommended as it often doesn’t sink and if a goldfish eats at the surface too much, they can develop buoyancy issues. Enrichment food ideas are krill, Daphnia and Brine shrimp.

It doesn't matter that it's "just a fish." They still deserve more than bare minimum care. Monetarily its life may only be worth 25-60 cents to you, or whatever you spent to win it at the fair- but morally, it's still a living creature and it deserves a proper chance.

Thank you.

[inkcurlsandknives]

My husband was gifted an espresso machine for his birthday, and I don't drink much coffee but I do LOVE steamed milk. I've discovered I can dump ANYTHING into cold milk, steam it and tada almost instant hot foamy drink. So far I've done instant chai, hot chocolate, turmeric and matcha I was hesitating on testing the matcha powder because I worried it'd clump or taste burnt, but it was a DELIGHTFUL matcha latte and didn't need any sugar. What other powders should I add to my milk? I was gonna test black sesame powder and dried ube. maybe get powdered hojicha. I'm absolutely bringing back drinking a warm glass of milk before bed and I'm going absolutely mad with power. For anyone who tries it at home, there is a learning curve to steaming milk with "stuff" in it. the wand wants to scream a bit more at the jump but if you persistently aerate it for 5-10 seconds it submits to the task at hand silently (I did cover my kitchen in turmeric milk/golden latte working out the bugs in the methodology)

Up-side, steamed milk is "sweeter" so I'm drinking less sugar in all the hot drinks I need to get through the winter. Downside my steamed milk addiction has resulted in double the amount of milk purchase per grocery run and that may bankrupt us in this economy. Other upside, if I tried to get this number of drinks at the starbuck it WOULD bankrupt us

[unidentifiedmammal]

Alrighty so this is the post on lichen dyes!

this particular bath of lichen dyes was originally started over a year ago scraping a tentatively-ID'd lecanora and/or ochrolechia genus lichen off of a fallen branch (remember, don't gather lichen when it's still growing! it's very slow growing and easy to overharvest)

to start off, this particular type of dye is made through the ammonia-fermentation method, also known as ammonia maceration. No actual bacterial fermentation occurs though. Rather, the compound orcinol (and precursor compound to orcinols) react with ammonia (N2) and oxygen to form the compound orcein (also called orchil/archil) which is what makes the final dye!

this process takes anywhere from 3 weeks to 16+ weeks depending on the lichen species, its constituent acids, the temperature, and the frequency of aeration.

This batch was set aside for several months and neglected a good bit, but it still works. I strained out the crumbled lichens (which i set aside for later) and diluted it 1:4 as instructed by a very good book called Lichen Dyes: The New Source Book by Karen Diadick Casselman. This book is basically omnipresent everywhere you see lichen dyes mentioned, especially the orcein-based dyes. I also used several websites/videos/papers and such that i've hunted down over various internet crawls.

I use an old coffee pot for this as it's both a non-reactive material (glass) and is built to withstand heat. Ironically i also scraped the lichens off the branch using a tool i made out of a metal band from the broken handle of this same coffee pot!

I decided to dye some eri silk cakes that i fluffed up and scoured. these have been very good at absorbing dye in the past so i would hopefully get a good result from them. As lichens are a substantive dye i don't have to put a mordant on them, but i did soak them in an alum solution just before adding them to the dye bath to hopefully maximize dye uptake as well as improve fastness as lichen dyes are also fugitive and can fade in sunlight.

Substantive dyes contain mordants already embedded in them; fugitive dyes are a bit fuzzy to me but my understanding is they end up trapped in the fiber instead of actually bonding to the fiber in a stronger way. Mordants are used to help the dye "bite" onto the fiber better, improving both fastness (the ability of a due to resist fading from sunlight/washing/time) and the brightness of a color. Alum is useful in that it typically doesn't affect the end color of a dye more than simply making it slightly more strong!

it was pretty successful i'd say! i warmed up the dyebath, added the silk, let it simmer for a few hours, let it cool down overnight, and then warmed it back up the next day for a few hours; then, when it cooled, i took it out, let it dry, then rinsed it, and let it dry a second time. At that point, it was ready for spinning!

It was a lovely pink color that's not fully captured by the camera like most dyes, and eri silk is lovely because you can spin the clouds directly and easily without carding and make lovely relatively threadlike yarn

this was the first skein i got! i love how shiny the silk is. Some dyes can get really purple or even magenta-like!

next, i had the leftover lichens that i had set aside. They were a crumbly texture and dark black and i dried them out, crushed them up more, set them back in a jar, added more ammonia and water, and did the ammonia fermentation method a second time! this was after reading about the method for making french purple, and while this is definitely a very pale imitation of the method, the double-soak is the key feature here

here it is (on the left); it was already way darker purple than an in-progress lichen dye i had yet to crack open and use

speaking of which, heres a shot of various test lichens i had while working on this, you can see the blue-capped jar that has the second-soaked lichens. the foam will often give a preview of whether or not the dye will be red/purple or not!

Here it is, i forget how long i let it soak but i think it was a bit over a week. i strained the material out, diluted it, and then repeated the same warm/cool/warm/cool/dry/rinse/dry method with more eri silk

And below you can see the difference, it's definitely slight but still cool!

the left is from the original dyebath, the right is the second-soaked one. the first one is more salmon-colored while the second is a tad more blue-purpled!

I'm extremely excited about this, these dyes have such a fascinating history and have multiple historical uses everywhere from florentine orchil to norwegian korkje to scottish cudbear and more, and it was often used in tandem with the roman murex/tyrian purple dyes that come from a mussel. Some folks used the lichens to pre-dye the fabric before dyeing with tyrian purple, both to stretch the expensive tyrian purple and to make the end color more vibrant. It's all such a great topic that's mightily confusing and could take up a post of its own, same with the underlying chemistry of what makes these dyes work in the first place!

Anyways that's all for this post, i have more i'm working on involving actually turning these dyes into paint that i'll hopefully turn into a post on its own soon! I've also got other lichen dyes I'm waiting to get through the ammonia fermentation process that will hopefully give other colors, whenever that may be!

[cardiacreports2]

Kyle

Autopsy Report

Name: Kyle Thompson Age: 19 Gender: Male Date of Death: [August 24, 2023] Time of Death: Estimated between 3:00 AM and 4:00 AM Body Build: Lean Height: 6'0" Weight: 155 lbs Hair Color: Brown Eye Color: Blue

Cause of Death: Sudden Cardiac Arrest due to Cardiac Arrhythmia

Background Information: Kyle Thompson, a 19-year-old male with a lean build and no prior documented health conditions, was found unresponsive in his bedroom by family members. He had a known history of occasional dizziness and palpitations but had not sought medical attention. He had been otherwise healthy, with no recent complaints or signs of illness.

External Examination:

General Appearance: The decedent is a lean, well-nourished young male with no visible injuries.

Skin Condition: Skin tone is pale, with postmortem lividity consistent with the reported position at time of discovery. No contusions, abrasions, or other trauma were noted.

Internal Examination:

Cardiovascular System:

Heart: Mild enlargement of the heart noted, with a heart weight of 385 grams, slightly above average for his age and body size.

Left Ventricle: Minimal thickening detected, though overall structure appeared typical.

Electrophysiology: Evidence of fibrosis in the Purkinje fibers and some fibrosis in the right ventricle suggests an electrical conduction abnormality, possibly arrhythmogenic in origin.

Coronary Arteries: Normal distribution with no significant occlusion or plaque buildup; arteries were unobstructed.

Valves: All heart valves appeared normal and functional, with no signs of regurgitation or calcification.

Aorta: No abnormalities; normal diameter and structure with no evidence of aneurysm.

Respiratory System:

Lungs: Lungs were well-aerated and free of fluid buildup. No signs of pneumonia, aspiration, or obstruction.

Nervous System:

Brain: No hemorrhages or structural abnormalities. Brain size, shape, and tissue appeared within normal parameters.

Abdominal Organs:

Liver, kidneys, and spleen were of normal size and consistency, with no abnormalities noted.

Stomach contents showed partial digestion, indicating the decedent had eaten approximately four to six hours prior to death.

Toxicology Report: Toxicology tests returned negative for alcohol, drugs, and toxic substances. No medications or supplements detected.

Conclusion: The autopsy findings suggest that Kyle Thompson's sudden cardiac arrest was caused by an underlying electrical conduction abnormality within the heart. The fibrosis found in the conduction pathways, specifically the Purkinje fibers, and in the right ventricle, indicates a possible genetic predisposition or undiagnosed arrhythmogenic condition. These abnormalities likely disrupted the heart’s electrical signals, leading to a fatal arrhythmia. Given the absence of any other physical abnormalities or toxicological factors, this cardiac electrical issue is deemed the primary cause of death.

Final Diagnosis:

Sudden cardiac arrest due to cardiac arrhythmia from a known electrical conduction abnormality

[gardeningloverfamily]

How to Improve Soil Quality Naturally

Improving soil quality is crucial for healthy plant growth and sustainable gardening. Here are some natural methods to enhance your soil:

Add Organic Matter: Incorporate compost, well-rotted manure, or leaf mold to increase nutrient content and improve soil structure.

Practice Crop Rotation: Rotate crops annually to prevent nutrient depletion and reduce pest and disease build-up.

Use Cover Crops: Plant cover crops, like clover or rye, during the off-season to protect and enrich the soil.

Mulch: Apply a layer of organic mulch (like straw or wood chips) to retain moisture, suppress weeds, and gradually enrich the soil as it decomposes.

Encourage Earthworms: Earthworms naturally aerate the soil and improve nutrient cycling. You can attract them by adding organic matter and reducing chemical use.

Test Soil pH: Use a soil test kit to determine pH levels and amend accordingly with lime to raise pH or sulfur to lower it, ensuring optimal nutrient availability.

By implementing these practices, you can foster a thriving ecosystem in your garden, leading to healthier plants and better yields.

[bladewinged]

At this point, Will is decent at disguising the habit. He pushes his food around his plate-- almost a sophisticated inspection. The routine is you test the sauce, then the side vegetables, then the meat. The same neurosis as the aerating and inhalation of wine. Some childish sensory paranoia, he reminds himself, not the fruit of good upbringing. The meat yields and feathers along his knife. He chews it the normal amount of times. He doesn’t focus on the fibers, the juice, the richness and the prior heartbeat. There is nothing wrong with the food. He forces a rough swallow.

drabble for @irrealisms

read on ao3 here

[anipgarden]

Fun notes from Hellstrip Gardening by Evelyn J. Hadden

I’d mentioned in my liveblogging notes that I’d share the cool stuff I learned/found interesting but my notes quickly got Very Long so they’re now their own post. Seeing as this is what I personally found noteworthy, I definitely encourage people read the book for themselves—you might find value in a place I looked over!

Working with Poor Soil

- Use plants that thrive in less than ideal soil

- Grow herbs 👀 many common perennial herbs like thyme, sage, and oregano prefer nutrient-poor soil and dry conditions make them more flavorful. BUT get your soil tested first. Nitrogen fixers will improve poor soils and manage fine on their own, like false indigo. Flax, penstemons, and salvias are plants that are well adapted to lean growing conditions. I found this interesting because whenever I plant salvias in my garden I give them Scoops of Compost but I guess its not needed lol.

- Deep rooted prairie grasses and flowers can withstand the extremes of clay soil flipping between too wet and too dry. Some sturdy taprooted plants can break through compacted soil.

- If your soil is BAD bad then grow in containers and/or raised beds! It’ll be less costly than trying to improve a huge swath of shitty soil on your own. They’ll also provide textural interest to the landscape.

- Use a fork or pitchfork to improve compacted soil, or a broad-fork. Near tree roots, try pushing a stick/stake/rigid object into the ground and then remove it to make holes where water and organic matter can enter.

- To boost fertility quickly, add dehydrated manure, leaf mold, mushroom compost, alfalfa pellets, or garden compost. I had no idea what an alfalfa pellet was before this.

- Grow annuals for a year, cut them off at the ground level in fall, and leave the roots to decay in place. Plants with big taproots will also help break up soil. Letting roots rot in place create channels of organic matter to aerate soil, hold water, and hold nutrients.

- Sheet mulch

- When it comes to contaminated soils, you can remove the top layer of soil and replace it with good soil, or add the fresh soil on top in raised beds or mounded into berms. If you aren’t in a hurry, certain plants and fungi can be used to phytoremediate or mycoremediate the soil. They remove contaminants and store them in their tissues—you have to remove and dispose of them after though.

- Sunflowers remove lead from soil and store it in their tissues. Increasing their potassium levels increases their effectiveness for this. Cut plants after the growing season and dispose as hazardous waste. Good news! According to this book, the lead and other toxins don’t really accumulate in the seeds, so its safe for seed-eating birds. And since its stored in tissues idk if it’d affect pollinators either?

- Cover bare soil under the phytoremediating plants with a thick mulch or dense ground-covers. For easy living mulch, the book suggests Dutch white clover, annual sweet alyssum, or johnny jump-ups.

- Phytoremediation and mycoremediation require a lot more patience than just removing and replacing soil. It can take a decade or longer, depending on the situation. Definitely test the soil before you use it for other purposes, even if you’ve been phytoremediating.

Working with Laws and Covenants

- Know what the regulations are. This can include what trees are and aren’t allowed to be planted on roadsides, if trees are allowed in strips of certain widths, plant height at intersections, etc. However its also possible that the city will plant a tree for you if its on their list and you qualify, saving you money.

- When confronting a restrictive regulation (esp if written decades ago) whether its from an HOA or a city ordinance, don’t assume it can’t be revised, varied, or taken out entirely after some prompting. Have a civil conversation about it, draw up a plan or describe your garden plan, maybe be ready to make a formal presentation.

- You’ll have more luck if you come to the bargaining table prepared to and willing to compromise, take feedback, address concerns with facts and examples. Offer to meet again after the landscape is in place. Honestly I find this point interesting because the mindset of a lot of people frequently is ‘ask forgiveness not permission don’t ask and fight them if they get pissed’ but also in some situations asking cordially can get the results you want more painlessly. (That being said if lawn lovers dig in their heels maybe then its time to rally the forces and protest it but yknow cross that bridge when you get there I guess)

- Know the applicable laws. Some states (the book lists Colorado, Texas, California, Nevada, and Florida) hqve laws preventing HOAs from prohibiting xeriscaping.

- When proposing/fighting for your garden, focus on practical benefits that are easier to quantify and communicate than emotions and personal values. An HOA might not necessarily care about pollinator habitat, but they might be more understanding of ‘reducing water runoff, erosion control, lower energy use, less water needs, and no noisy mowers and blowers to bother neighbors with and spend money maintaining.’ Assigning dollar values to the garden will help communicate other positives—even if its not your main focus. Speak to them in their language, not necessarily your own.

- Show pictures of examples! If there’s a similar garden elsewhere in town, tell them where they can find it to see for themselves that it Works and Looks Great. Show them that others are doing this kind of stuff and it’ll adjust their view on ‘normal’ and ‘acceptable’ landscaping choices.

- Consider adding barriers to your beds and paths to help neighbors see that it’s ‘managed’ and actively cared for/enjoyed. Including a path and maybe a bench or some chairs will help it read as more Orderly. Wider paths will also alleviate fears about ticks, snakes, etc.

- If your neighbors aren’t crazy about a meadow garden, a no-mow lawn or groundcovers can give the look and feel of a lawn without being lawn if compromising is needed.

- Get a garden club or other local group to back you up. If there isn’t one already 👀 make one.

Living with Vehicles

- Sometimes if you garden close to the road cars might accidentally drive over parts of it, especially if parking. Put plants that are more easily replaceable on the forefront, and don’t forget to aerate the compacted soil afterwards.

- You could also put in a low fence/wall, a row of rocks, prickly plants or shrubs, or brightly colored taller plants to make the garden More Obvious and Less Drive-On-Able. If it keeps happening maybe request a cautionary sign or speed bump be added, or that a visibility barrier be removed.

- If there’s part of the garden you wanna save for occasional driving/parking, use plants that can be mowed when needed, or install permeable pavement/gravel/driving strips through a low ground cover planting. You can add a barrier that can either be mowed down or moved when that area’s not being used.

- If you have a Hellstrip hellstrip (which this book ends up talking a lot about Total Lawn Transformations but there’s still a lot of hellstrip advice too) then the combo of asphalt on one side and sidewalk on the other is gonna make a heat island. Find plants that like the heat! Use that strip to extend your growing season for warmth loving annuals or even for edible plants like tomatoes, peppers, squash, and melons! BUT get your soil tested before you do that.

- Alternatively you could plant trees to help shade the area and cool it down

- MULCH

- You can plant things to help muffle the sounds smells and other effects of traffic, winds, and passerby. You’ll want a four season barrier for this—plant a variety of things that’ll either stay green and leafed up in Winter or at least add visual interest.

Living with Wildlife

- So apparently geese like to eat the blades of grass lawns??? I thought they were eating bugs IN the grass, not the grass itself. Anyways they especially love eating fresh grass in view of a shoreline so you could add a 20 foot wide buffer of tall plants between the lawn and the shore if you don’t wanna deal with Goose Poop

- Mosquitoes lay eggs in standing water but apparently can also lay eggs in really wet dirt which I DID NOT know so even a leaky faucet onto some dirt can cause issues with mosquitoes.

- According to the book, humans don’t tend to notice damage to leaves until it surpasses ~10%, and don’t notice a particular kind of insect until its population surpasses a certain number of individuals. So instead of trying to eliminate all leaf-eating bugs, aim to control their populations so the damage isn’t noticeable to you and the insect predators will remain in the landscape and continue controlling said population. However, I took note because hey if you plant host plants and either have so many of them or manage to sneak them into so many different places that the leaf damage becomes Barely Noticeable…. Idk that just feels like a good thing to take note of for Sneaky Pollinator Gardening purposes.

- In areas prone to ticks, make your paths wide enough to pass through without touching foliage. Also having other animals around can minimize exposure—pheasants, chickens, and guinea fowl actively seek and eat ticks while possums and raccoons attract them and kill them while grooming. HOWEVER. Mice and deer can be sources of tick reproduction.

- Diverse plantings can limit damage from both insect herbivores as well as larger herbivores like rabbits, deer, and birds. These animals are generalists but may focus on specific favorites, so a mixed variety might get nibbled a little but mostly left alone.

- As a general rule, herbivores are attracted to nitrogen content in foliage, plants kept well watered, and new growth. Pampered plants are more appealing.

- Planting favorites like clover or alfalfa in specific areas may keep herbivores from finding (or at least encourage them to ignore) other areas like a veggie garden. A mulberry tree may make birds ignore your other fruits. A well placed shrub can host a rabbit nest instead of the underside of a deck. Piling ripe seed heads of grasses and flowers alongside an alley or generally away from your house can lure mice away from said house (and possibly expose them to more predators along the way)

- Vertical gardens, cold frames, hoop houses, and green houses can protect edible plants from herbivores

- Maintaining an excessively tidy lawn is a high effort way to avoid contact with particular local species (ticks, snakes, black widows, scorpions, etc.) Gaining more knowledge might help find easier ways to avoid the animal and give more peace of mind. Slight modifications could keep the animal out of your immediate environment. Its possible they aren’t even interested. (This feels fantastic but I feel like the last time I tried to read up on ‘how to keep snakes away from house/out of garden’ the results were basically Dont Have A Garden And Dont Go Outside so)

- I now want a garden toad friend time to find a broken pot to put upside down in the garden

- Early spring bulbs like low iris, species tulips, hyacinths, and crocus will supply nectar at a highly valuable time of year, attracting pollinators to the garden.

- Cleaning up fallen leaves destroys butterflies overwintering under plants.

- Birds will be lured in by the sound of moving water.

- Include prickly shrubs and thorned trees to help give birds a hiding space from predators like hawks or urban cats. Just keep thorny branches out of pathways.

Living with Road Maintenance and Utilities

- If you live in a place where roads are sanded or salted in winter, try to find salt-tolerant plants for your area. To protect curbsides from water logging and salt buildup, slope the ground towards the road/path. Direct salt-laden runoff into a seasonal stream or rain garden planted with salt-resistant species. A berm and/or row of salt-tolerant plants can protect sensitive plants from said salts. Frequent shallow waterings create a buildup of salts in the top layer of soil—deep watering helps flush salts out of the soil.

- Plants can be damaged by piling snow, and soil can be compacted underneath. Make sure the garden includes an area for piling snow, possibly a rain garde or bioswale to shovel into/let meltwater flow to.

- call the local utility company before you make bigass changes to your lawn PLEASE don’t hit a utility line. Also don’t plant tough, deep-rooted masses of roots over shallowly buried utility lines. Consider paths of loose gravel/mulch/stepping stones, shallow-rooted ground covers, and/or annuals and other easily replaced plants.

- Vines can be grown on individual wires, metal fencing, latticework, or wooden poles. Match the vine’s growth habit to the structure you want it to climb. HOWEVER regulations may prohibit stuff like this, and you’ll have to be ready to move/remove any added trellising and plants when maintenance time comes around.

- Shrubs can conceal metal boxes and other equipment, or you can use perennials. When using foliage to hide electrical boxes and other utility containers, keep clear access to any doors and allow their complete range of motion.

- If you can’t/don’t want to mask an object, try shielding it from view in certain vantage points. Or incorporate the colors of the equipment into the garden by mimicking the color scheme.

Living with the Public

- Especially if you’ve got a sidewalk running through the front yard, you have to consider EVERYBODY who’s going through there. Strangers, neighbors, vehicles, animals. Pedestrian traffic is an important consideration—wheelchair users, strollers, children, dogs, and depending on where you are even horses are something to keep in mind.

- Elements that can encourage traffic include mat forming ground covers, level places, and paved/graveled/mulched open areas. Elements that discourage traffic include protective fencing, uneven or sloping surfaces, and plants that are tall or look uncomfortable to touch.

- To minimize damage from foot traffic, enlist self-repairing plants whose stems are capable of rerooting when they’re broken and come into contact with soil. Self sowing plants can seed to fill in bare spots, and running plants can spread to fill gaps.

- Protect your nonwalkable plants with edges, hedges, and other hardscape choices. Berming or hollowing planting areas while keeping paths level can be a more effective strategy. Or you can densely plant s low, prickling, spreading shrub to bar passage.

- If visitors will be parking on the street, make sure they can exit their cars safely, and provide a clear path to your door. Said path can be straight and wide, or meandering. Guests on wheels need to be considered though.

- Plants with high moisture content should be planted closer to the curb where fire is a concern. Idling cars can emit occasional sparks and you don’t want long dry grass catching a spark. Instead consider succulents or a rock/stepping stone border along the edge, and keep dry leaves/pine needles from accumulating near parking.

- Fruit or nut trees can yield a notable surplus. Check for gleaning organizations in the community that may pick your extra edibles for personal use or charitable distribution. Or leave them for neighbors to enjoy.

- When clearing paths consider people’s feet and their faces. Keep prickly branches out of the way, take note of sharp leaves or pollen-laden plants that can make a walkway into an obstacle course hazard. If your area is prone to ticks, keep vegetation far enough from the public walk that it won’t brush against people.

- Some people don’t fucking respect gardens, or don’t have manners. Don’t put super mega rarities or plants you can’t afford to lose where the public can access them easily. Or like. You can. But be warned I’ve seen at least 5 stories of people’s front gardens getting defoliated for ‘bouquets’.

- Frequent presence in a garden (or signs of it) can deter littering, vandalism, and other mischief. A garden that looks well kept can discourage negative attention.

- Consider the garden from several points of view. If you’ve got a lot of neighborhood kids and dogs running around, keep poisonous plants near the back. A mulching of large rocks can lead to trouble with rambunctious gremlins. Etc etc.

- The curbside garden can be a great way to build community. You can even encourage communal use. Include a bench for chilling near the sidewalk, fresh food free for all to pick, a sunflower house or bed of pine cones for kids to play, a bowl of water for passing dogs, etc.

- if you want more curbside gardens in your area, consider sharing extra plants, forming a neighborhood garden club, make a list of Good Neighborhood Plants, establish a local contest, give tours of your yard, persuade a local agency or organization to offer grants, and/or lobby to change restrictive regulations.

[cuprohastes]

The Lab Rats

Dave the Human and Dave The Human were checking on the moss substrates - Spot checking for anything that might have snuck in, or any environmental issues that could be detected by checking the moss's bio-accumulation.

Garfield "Garf" Bloom, a 7ft tall, kinda reptilian biped rolled in, in her normal-for-the-species gait, hauled out Un-Named Male, her little guy, out of her pouch and dropped him from a moderate height onto the moss bank.

"Hey Garf." said the Dave that was a female Tsin for biological reasons and a male human for Payroll reasons.

"Yo, you two." said the Dave who was Human, plausibly male but had spent a week as a Female Atrix, as part of a plot to annoy the government.

Un-Named Male flashed a howdy with his display patch and wiggled into the patch of purple moss happily, which is a small Atrix's natural habitat.

"So I heard that the Human science labs still use rats." Garf said. "Do you... not use bio-chips or clone cells?"

Dave with scales scratched her chin. "Dave, you want to take this one?"

Other Dave wiggled a probe into a particularly scruffy clump of moss and nodded. "Indeed I do!" he said.

"You see, rats are very social, and have a short generation span. Back before we could load up cells onto a chip for testing we needed them for... well testing."

"Yesh! Pretty much everyone did that at some point in history." added Dave The Human, Running a spectrograph on a sample to check the light absorption was within the expected range.

Un-Named Male jsut lurked in the soft, moist moss and let the high UV lighting play on his back, which added nothing to the conversation, but he did look very comfortable.

"Right. So when it stopped being necessary for uh, biological testing, rats were often used for behavioural testing. Non-human cognition, social studies, that sort of thing."

"OK..." said Garf, quietly wiggling her fingers into the moss and making a kneading motion, a common and casual motion that would break up the substrate and allow aeration. It was soothing - Even a big Atrix like Garf remembered the comfort of hiding in a moss patch.

The Atrix parts of The Station were basically covered in various species of Moss - Their solution to air quality and comfort, and it'd taken the humans about nine seconds to point at a wall mat of deliciously verdant and fuzzy plant life and go 'Want!'.

Indeed, the introduction of non-native species for one's living quarters was just one of the benefits of the Human-Atrix alliance.

The Tsin, who developed scales to keep their water on the inside had not really taken to it so much, but if you want some fungus to add a little pizazz, they're the go-to.

"Anyway, eventually it sort of got to be a hobby thing. People like rats. They make great pets, they quite like us, and they're very non-judgemental. So someone did this study and found that labs that had a colony of two or more rats had better results... The scientists could go over and fuss with the little fuzzballs and de-stress, and it turns out if you sit down and explain your experiments to a rat, you often figure out what is causing you problems."

"Seriously?" asked Dave The Human.

"Seconded." said Garf.

"Wait, aren't they vermin?"

"Oh totally." said Dave, "Well some are. Same species. But... it turns out if you give them the opportunity they're little fuzzy buddies, so we brought them with us."

"And they're used by human scientists... to figure things out indirectly?"

"For real. Sometimes they get cited in papers as authors," said Dave happily. "I used to keep a couple when I was a Little Guy"

Note: Little Guy in this case is an Atrix phrase. The Atrix pretty much only have one gender which is size. It actually doesn't distinguish male or female. That's a human thing. Even the Tsin have four biological sexes. Un-Named Male is only nominally male because he's small. He is an adult of the species. One day he's going to put on some body mass and develop bipedal locomotion and eventually be a large Atrix, and get his own Little Guy, and be referred to as female.

"That's why they're called Lab Rats - They're essential to Human Science."

Garf pondered this, leaning to run her cheek along a mossy wall. "We just talk to our little guys." she noted casually and a patch of moss said "Grak" in confirmation.

The Tsin in the room made a face. "Dang, yo. I think we're missing out!"

"Hmm," said the more human of the Daves. "I smell an Interspecies Xenthropology collab..."

And that, dearly beloved, is how the Tsin got their Rats.

[charadriusnivosus]

“A Guide to the Four Shapes of Wine Glasses

You don’t need a glass for every region or grape but depending on what and how you drink, there are four standard glass shapes you should consider. The combination of these shapes plus the cost, fragility, washability, and comfort in holding and drinking will be the keys to getting the best wine glass for you.

The White Wine Glass

Shaped like a tulip, this glass has a round bowl and goes straight up before tapering slightly at the top. The bottom of the glass allows you to swirl without spilling, but the real magic of a white wine glass is that it concentrates aromas of the wine at the rim and traps them slightly so we can sniff the (hopefully) delicious things the wine has to offer.

The standard white glass is a bit smaller than the red: Because whites don’t need as much aeration (swirling), they’re smaller. Also, whites are almost always served colder than reds. Pouring smaller quantities into the glass will ensure that what you have in the glass always stays at a cool temperature. This glass type will work for almost all white wines, except for fuller whites like oaked Chardonnay and white blends from the Rhône Valley, for example.

The Burgundy Glass

Shaped a bit like an upside-down mushroom, these glasses have wide bowls and then taper at the top to a narrow rim. The huge bowl allows for tons of swirling. With reds and the fuller whites, you want to introduce a lot of air into the wine. The swirling motion jostles the esters and aldehydes in wines, which are the things that make the juice smell so good. In very aromatic but less mouth-drying tannic reds, you want to concentrate the aromas at the rim of the glass to maximize the intensity of smell compounds your nose can sense. The wider base allows room to swirl (you should never fill these glasses above the bulge in the glass or it’s spill city), but the top ensures that delicate aromas of red Burgundy (Pinot Noir), Beaujolais (Gamay), or Nebbiolo, for instance, aren’t lost.

The Bordeaux Glass

This is a giant version of the tulip shape we find in the white wine glass, although it tapers less at the top. The relatively straight sides of this glass and large bowl allow air to penetrate before, during, and after swirling, allowing harsh tannins to dance with the oxygen and soften up—exactly what you need to enjoy a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Bordeaux blend, a Rioja from Spain, or a Syrah from the northern Rhône of France.

The Champagne Flute

This is actually quite a controversial opinion among wine snobs: Flutes are festive, fun, and they do, in fact, help keep the sparkle in your glass for longer. There are some practical issues with these party-perfect glasses: Unless you drink sparkling wine a lot, they tend to gather dust; if you have a beak like mine, that can be an issue for drinking; and—the dork argument—they have no room for swirling. Nevertheless, I love enjoying sparkling out of them and I drink enough of it to have them around. Still, they are optional. A white wine glass works just as well.

What About Universal Wine Glasses?

Try as they might, over and over again, the universal glass always makes one wine or another a loser. They are too narrow for tannic reds and sometimes don’t aerate the wine as much as they should. They are too wide and open for aromatic reds or delicate whites (although they are better for whites than reds most of the time). Regardless of how high-quality the glass, the shape matters too much for these glasses to work for all wine types. My advice: Buy a set of whites and reds (I think Burgundy glasses are more useful than Bordeaux) and leave the universals to people who didn’t read this article.

What About Stemless Wine Glasses?

We did not include any stemless glasses in our tests of the best wine glasses simply because we do not feel they belong in that elevated tier. Because there is no stem, the drinker holds the bowl of the glass in their hand—and that direct contact can possibly increase the temperature of the wine, and that increase in temperature can mess up the flavor of the wine.”

[sewagetreatmentplant01]

Packaged Sewage Treatment Plant in Gurgaon- Netsol Water

Modern urban development needs effective wastewater management solutions. Gurgaon faces growing challenges in treating sewage from residential and commercial buildings. This makes choosing the right Sewage Treatment Plant Manufacturer in Gurgaon essential for property developers and building managers. Netsol Water stands out in providing packaged sewage treatment solutions that work for different property types.

The rapid growth of Gurgaon creates new wastewater treatment demands. Each property needs an efficient treatment system. Residential complexes need compact solutions. Commercial buildings need higher capacity systems. A trusted Sewage Treatment Plant Manufacturer in Gurgaon understands these different requirements. This understanding helps create effective solutions for each situation.

This blog will help you understand packaged sewage treatment plants. You will learn about system features, benefits, and maintenance needs. The information will help you make good decisions about wastewater treatment for your property.

Advantages of Packaged Sewage Treatment Plants

Packaged systems offer many benefits over traditional designs. These units come pre-engineered for quick installation. They need less space than conventional plants. The modular design allows future expansion. Modern packaged plants include features that make operation simple and efficient.

Space-Saving Design

Urban properties have limited space. Packaged systems fit in small areas. The compact design saves valuable property space. Underground installation options hide the treatment plant. These features make packaged systems perfect for urban buildings.

Quick Installation

Factory-built units speed up installation. Site work takes less time. Buildings get treatment systems faster. This saves time and money during construction.

Operational Efficiency

Automated controls make operation easy. Monitoring systems track performance. Maintenance needs stay low. Operating costs remain under control. These features benefit property managers and owners.

Complete Treatment Process in a Compact Package

Each packaged plant includes multiple treatment stages. The design removes different types of pollutants. The process creates clean water suitable for reuse. As a leading Sewage Treatment Plant Manufacturers in Gurgaon Netsol Water ensures complete treatment in every system.

Primary Treatment Stage

Initial treatment removes solid materials. Screens catch debris and large items. Settling chambers remove suspended solids. Oil separation systems remove floating materials. These processes protect downstream treatment stages.

Biological Treatment Process

Bacteria clean the wastewater naturally. Aeration systems provide oxygen. Special media support bacterial growth. Clarifiers separate clean water from solids. This creates clear treated water.

Final Treatment Phase

Filtration removes remaining particles. Disinfection eliminates harmful organisms. Additional processes improve water quality. The treated water becomes suitable for various uses.

Support Services for Long-Term Operation

Every packaged plant needs proper support. Regular maintenance keeps systems running well. Operator training ensures good performance. Technical support solves problems quickly.

Installation Support

Expert teams handle system setup. They ensure proper installation. They train building staff. This creates smooth system operation from day one.

Maintenance Programs

Regular checks prevent problems. Scheduled maintenance keeps systems running. Parts get replaced when needed. This maintains treatment quality over time.

Water Quality Management

Regular testing confirms treatment results. Reports show system performance. Quick adjustments maintain quality. This ensures consistent operation.

Conclusion

Experience makes Netsol Water a trusted Sewage Treatment Plant Manufacturer in Gurgaon. We understand treatment challenges. Our packaged systems deliver consistent performance. Our support keeps them running efficiently. Contact our team to discuss your treatment needs. We offer free consultations and site visits. Our experts will help find the right packaged solution. Start your journey toward better wastewater management today.

[olliethescribe]

Chocolate Lava Torta w/ steps and recipe

Chocolate Lava Torta Recipe:

Eggs, whole - 4

Sugar, white - 180g

Salt - 2g

Vanilla Extract - 10g

Butter, melted - 150g

Dark Chocolate, chopped (or chips so long as the cacao percentage is 60-70%) melted into butter - 190g

Flour - 4 tablespoons (40g)

Preheat oven to 400F (200C)

Melt butter and chopped chocolate together in the microwave or over the stove until smooth. Set aside to cool.

Beat eggs, vanilla, salt, and sugar together until doubled in volume - not white but like a pale yellow. Not exactly aerated. 

Mix in the combined melted butter and chocolate until thoroughly mixed.

Fold in flour.

Pour into an 8 inch (20 cm) cake pan lined with parchment paper.

Bake for roughly twenty minutes, until set on the sides but still wobbly in the center. 

Cool to room temperature, invert onto a serving plate, and enjoy. Serves about eight people or two very hungry weirdos in the dead of night. Photos in order

Video of cake testing technique

[dentist-brainsurgeon]

I found one of my pregnant shrimp dead 😔

Thankfully not Mama Blueberry, not sure how long she was gone for, but she did start to turn red like shrimp do when they die, and I had to scrape as many eggs out of her that I could(only one got smashed) and had to come up with a quick way to keep em aerated until at least tomorrow. As for cause of death, my only guess is that the Nitrates were higher than normal, I added some liquid ferts earlier and that does tend to increase nitrates a bit, but everyone else in the tank seems fine,still did an immediate water change after collecting the eggs and I'm gonna test it again in an hour and hopefully everything is back to normal, and hoping her eggs make it 🤞😔

[laundryandtaxes]

I often find myself really surprised at the specific bits of information any individual guest may have about wine, sake, cocktails, etc, because often people have totally disparate levels of knowledge about those different things, but also because sometimes I meet someone whose information and lack thereof really intrigues me. For instance, last week a guest asked me why we shake or stir cocktails. Fundamentally, shaking produces three outcomes for a cocktail- aeration, dilution, and chilling- whereas stirring only produces the last two of those outcomes. You can test this yourself at home if you have a cocktail shaker- a properly shaken cocktail should, when poured into a glass, have a little sort of crema of bubbles on the top. These bubbles are literally the result of the introduction of air, which changes the texture of a cocktail as well, and while I would not do this behind the bar you can even hear the bubbles popping if you place your ear to them. But practically, if presented with a cocktail build and not told how to build it, I will default to shaking when there is citrus in the cocktail. Syrup can be blended into a cocktail with stirring. Citrus juice cannot. No amount of stirring with a human hand is going to incorporate agave syrup into tequila- that requires the kind of mechanical force and aeration you get when shaking.

This same guest later saw me building a paper plane and inquired, "Paper plane?" And I was genuinely shocked that someone could not know why a cocktail is shaken or stirred, but ALSO recognize a Paper Plane being built, and he noticed even though we have to fudge a paper plane with Montenegro because my bar doesn't stock Amaro Nonino. Maybe I have the wrong idea of the cocktail, but I think of it as a cocktail drinker's order- it's not a mojoto or a long island or other widely recognizable cocktail. But interactions like that are why I never assume that someone who is clearly very knowledgeable about Scotch knows anything about wine, or that just someone who doesn't know anything about whiskey that means they won't know anything about gin, etc, and is why I almost always sort of poke to see whether a guest wants to know everything about x spirit/wine/sake or has had it a million times and wants no explanation.

[mochawolf505]

Cheat Day

(Weight Gain Story)

(A tall jock happily walks out of the store with a tin of ice cream and a can of whipped cream)

“Ah, what a good cheat day this’ll be. Haven’t had sweets in a while! Good thing my buddy recommended me this stuff, and they both are even made for gainers like me! …Is it even a cheat day if all my foods are gonna be packed with protein? Eh, who cares, I’ll order a pizza or something when I get home to make it a proper cheat day.”

He walks home and sets his ice cream on the counter, still having not properly read the label.

[GNR: Gainer Ice Cream- Made For True Gainers]

(Warning- Causes an increase in hunger, and stomach capacity, with side effects including sluggishness, laziness, increased weight gain, alongside more sizable belches and louder stomach noises

Do not eat for at least 5 minutes after each use of GNR* brand products, as the effects may pass onto other foods

Do not mix with any other GNR* brand products, as results are not tested)

An almost identical label could be spotted on the whipped cream, as it is of the same brand- and has the same unfortunate side effects. He would’ve known this, had he cared to read it.

Lying back on the couch, the unknowing jock flings the cap off the GNR: Gainer Whipped Cream and chugs it before he makes a call to the local pizza place…

“Heya! Can I get one large pizza… (GRRRRROOOOOWWWWWLLL) oh wow, maybe just a couple more… fourty large pizzas (GWWWOOAAARR) and twenty orders of breadsticks (GRRROOOAAAN) and fifty two-liters of soda? The address? Yeah uhh…”

After the call is finished, he looks down at his gurgling gut, confused as to why it would be so hungry- Until he notices his gut has bulged out a whole two feet!

“WOAH. Okay, I’m absolutely sure that wasn’t there before… Maybe it’s from the whipped cream? Y’know, aerated cans and such? That would explain the noise… I’m super hungry though, but it must just be because it’s my cheat day, and my gut’s ready to bulk!”

He goes to slap his seemingly tight gut and sure enough- WHAP! -But what he didn’t expect was his hand sinking in a few inches deep into his definitely flabby midsection

“Uhh, okay, that’s not how a gut works, I think… Unless it means my gut is ready to digest all that pizza I ordered? (GWWWOOOAAAAARRRRP) Ugh, alright, I can’t wait any longer- I’m gonna dig into this ice cream!”

And with a spoon and a hungry gut, the ex-jock got to work. Amazingly, he scarfed down the entire tin of ice cream before the pizzas arrived- adding another 28 feet of pure flab onto his gut. With this, his legs and arms grew outward with 2 feet of fat in each direction, with moobs flowing down and his chin developing into its own pile of lard. Before, when it was just the whipped cream, it turned all of his muscles into fat, and added a hefty belly onto him- placing him at around 170 lbs. But now, with the ice cream adding onto that, it ballooned him up past. 2000 lbs of fat- over a TON.

Not having time to have fully taken this in, a knock on the door is heard, and the door opens

“Hey man, I thought I’d be your delivery guy, since I recommended those gainer foods to ya- WOAH! You really packed on the pounds man, huh! Well, y’know what, I think you’ve got this all under control man. See ya at the gym tomorrow, man! I think?”

And with that, the blob’s friend tossed the pizzas up on his belly, alongside the breadsticks, and set the soda down up there, too.

“Ough… (Huff, wheeze) I need… More food…”

And with that, the 1-ton pile of flab somehow got to work, shoving pizza after pizza down his gullet, along with a 2-liter getting chugged between each. After the pizza stash ran dry, he moved onto the breadsticks.

The breadsticks were eaten in packs of two, with another whole 2-liter chugged between each feast.

Plumping out by 2 feet with each slice of pizza, 4 feet for every 2-liter, and 12 per bunch of breadsticks left the flabby mound spilling out 1,110 feet in each direction. Having shattered his walls from all his weight, the 74,000 lb mountain of fat could do nothing but yell for help… In his own special way-

“Hey! (Wheeze, pant) You! (Huff, huff) Bring me some more (Wheeze) of that Gainer Ice Cream… (Huff, Pant) And another couple hundred pizzas, too!”

(BWWWWWOOOOAAAAAARRRRRPP) (BWEEEEEEAAAAARRRRRRRRPPPHHH)(GWWOOOAARRRGGGLL) (GRRROOAAAN)

“I’m (Pant, Huff) Starving! (Wheeze)”

[plantingcoach1]

Comprehensive Guide to Soil Improvement for Gardening

Soil improvement, also known as soil amendment or soil conditioning, is an essential practice for gardeners seeking to cultivate healthy, productive plants. This process involves enhancing the physical and chemical properties of soil to create an optimal growing environment. Good soil is the foundation of a thriving garden, as it provides plants with the necessary nutrients, water, and structure to grow vigorously. This article delves into the importance of soil improvement, the various methods available, and practical steps to enhance your garden soil.

Why Soil Improvement is Crucial The quality of soil directly influences the health and productivity of plants. Poor soil conditions can lead to weak growth, nutrient deficiencies, and increased susceptibility to pests and diseases. Conversely, well-improved soil can significantly boost plant health and yield. Here are the primary benefits of soil improvement:

Enhanced Nutrient Availability: Soil amendments increase the availability of essential nutrients needed for plant growth.

Better Soil Structure: Improved soil texture aids in root penetration, air circulation, and water retention.

Increased Water Retention: Amended soil can hold moisture more effectively, reducing the need for frequent watering.

Improved Drainage: Good soil structure prevents waterlogging and root rot, ensuring proper aeration.

Enhanced Microbial Activity: Healthy soil supports beneficial microorganisms that aid in nutrient cycling and plant health.

Key Methods of Soil Improvement Adding Organic Matter

Compost: Incorporating compost into your soil enriches it with organic matter, improving structure and providing essential nutrients. Compost is made from decomposed plant materials and kitchen scraps, making it a sustainable option for soil enhancement.

Mulching: Applying a layer of organic mulch, such as straw, wood chips, or leaves, on the soil surface helps retain moisture, suppress weeds, and eventually decomposes to add organic matter to the soil.

Manure: Well-rotted animal manure adds nutrients and organic matter, enhancing soil fertility and structure. Manure should be properly composted to avoid introducing pathogens or weed seeds. Adjusting Soil pH

Lime: Used to raise the pH of acidic soils, making them more alkaline and improving nutrient availability. Lime should be applied according to soil test recommendations.

Sulfur: Applied to lower the pH of alkaline soils, making them more acidic and suitable for acid-loving plants. Sulfur should also be used based on soil test results.

Nutrient Enhancement

Organic Fertilizers: Products like bone meal, blood meal, and fish emulsion provide slow-release nutrients and improve soil health. These fertilizers are derived from natural sources and decompose slowly, providing a steady supply of nutrients.

Inorganic Fertilizers: These are concentrated sources of specific nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK), essential for plant growth. Inorganic fertilizers are fast-acting and can quickly correct nutrient deficiencies.

Micronutrients: Adding trace elements such as iron, manganese, and zinc can correct deficiencies and promote plant health. Micronutrients are essential for various physiological functions in plants, even though they are required in small amounts. Improving Soil Structure

Aeration: Techniques like tilling, spading, or using a garden fork to break up compacted soil enhance air and water movement. Aeration prevents soil compaction and promotes root growth.

Amendments: Materials such as sand, perlite, or vermiculite can be added to improve drainage in heavy clay soils or increase water retention in sandy soils. These amendments modify soil texture, making it more suitable for plant growth. Using Cover Crops

Green Manure: Planting cover crops like clover, alfalfa, or rye can improve soil structure, add organic matter, and increase nitrogen content when tilled into the soil. Cover crops also help prevent soil erosion and suppress weeds.

Practical Steps for Effective Soil Improvement

Conduct a Soil Test: Start with a soil test to determine the pH, nutrient levels, and texture of your soil. This information will guide your amendment choices. Soil tests can be done through local cooperative extension services or private laboratories.

Choose the Right Amendments: Based on the soil test results, select appropriate amendments to address deficiencies and improve soil structure. Organic matter, lime, sulfur, and specific fertilizers should be chosen according to the needs of your soil and plants.

Apply Organic Matter Regularly: Regularly add compost and mulch to maintain soil health and fertility. Organic matter improves soil structure, enhances nutrient content, and supports beneficial soil organisms.

Adjust Soil pH as Needed: Use lime or sulfur to correct pH imbalances, ensuring optimal nutrient availability for your plants. Proper pH ensures that plants can absorb the nutrients they need from the soil.

Fertilize Appropriately: Follow recommendations for fertilizing, considering both macro- and micronutrients. Avoid over-application, which can harm plants and the environment. Slow-release fertilizers are often preferable as they provide a steady supply of nutrients.

Improve Soil Structure: Use mechanical aeration and add structural amendments to enhance soil texture and drainage. Regularly turning the soil and adding coarse materials like sand or perlite can prevent compaction and improve root growth.

Plant Cover Crops: Incorporate cover crops into your gardening routine to naturally improve soil health and fertility. Cover crops also help manage weeds, reduce erosion, and enhance soil organic matter.

Regular Monitoring and Maintenance: Continuously monitor soil conditions and plant health. Make adjustments as needed to maintain optimal soil quality. Regular soil testing can help track changes and guide future amendments.

Learn More : Comprehensive Guide to Soil Improvement for Gardening 4 Soil improvement method

Conclusion Soil improvement is a foundational practice in gardening that ensures your plants have the best possible environment to grow. By understanding and implementing soil amendment techniques, gardeners can create rich, fertile soil that supports robust plant health, increases yields, and reduces the need for chemical interventions. Regular soil testing, adding organic matter, adjusting pH, enhancing nutrients, and improving soil structure are all essential steps in achieving a thriving garden. Investing time and effort into soil improvement pays off with a beautiful and productive garden that is resilient and sustainable.

Through careful management and consistent improvement, gardeners can transform even the poorest soils into rich, productive growing mediums. Whether you are a novice gardener or an experienced horticulturist, soil improvement is key to unlocking the full potential of your garden. Embrace these practices, and watch your garden flourish.