#so I just picked Central Asia since that's one of the regions he seems to be from depending on the story

[sebastianshaw]

@dcmonshcad -  “The flight will be awhile, I’m afraid,” Shaw said, crossing the spacious cabin of the luxury jet in a leisurely fashion to join the other man by the window, “I’m quite fine passing it in silence—I’ve any number of pressing projects that could occupy my time from a laptop—but I would hate to be an ingracious host. Even if your presence here as my guest is more one of necessity than pleasure.” Indeed, these men were not friends. Far from it. But both understood the importance of putting aside personal disagreements for greater matters. Selene, who had been a foe to Shaw’s life since she’d first set foot in the modern world, had found out about the existence of active Lazarus Pits. She’d known of them in the past, but had believed them long gone. Learning that they still existed, and that another had laid claim to them, well. . .it had perturbed her. Galvanized her. Immortal though she was, her eternal youth relied upon sucking the lives of victims; countless had fallen to her through the centuries to sustain her unnatural longevity with equally unnatural beauty and vitality. And while she did not have any moral qualm with this—quite the opposite, she enjoyed it IMMENSELY and considered it her DUE—it did fill her with a fear as eternal as herself: What if she should ever be unable to sate her need in time before, horror of horrors, growing old? To merely take the lives, the energy, of mortal beings. . .it was delicious fun, and they should be proud to offer this to a goddess like herself, to gain immortality themselves as a part of her. But to NEED it? To NEED it did NOT befit a goddess. To become immortal and eternally young in the bargain, without reliance on any outside source. . .that had long been her goal, and she believed these Lazarus Pits were the solution to that goal’s success. No longer would she need to hunt to sustain herself—though she would still prey for the sheer pleasure of it!--but instead would be in a constant state of her ever-youthful glory as she SHOULD be, with no fear of withering should she wait too long between meals! But in discovering the existence of the Lazarus Pits, so too did she discover the tales of their guardian, their master, the “demon” who jealously guarded them for his own use. She would have NO such creature sharing in her divine ablutions! Even if this “Ra’s Al Ghul” had been willing to let her partake freely, she would still seek to slay him simply because what belonged to Selene must ONLY belong to Selene. Otherwise it just wasn’t SPECIAL enough! As for Shaw. . .his life wasn’t eternal, but it hadn’t lasted as long as it had by NOT keeping well abreast of what the sorceress was up to. And he didn’t like it; Selene’s reliance on life energy was one of the few trump cards with which she could be kept at bay or placated into passivity. If she no longer was hobbled by this, he might well find himself in LITERAL hellfire before long. There was no question about informing Al Ghul and offering his aid in stopping her. Shaw thought the other man a fool for wasting his own elongated life and resources in such a way that he did—really, the ENVIRONMENT?!-- but he didn’t regard him as an enemy at all. Certainly not the way Selene was. Of course, Shaw was planning to kill him at the first opportunity after Selene was handled, but that was nothing personal; the Pits simply held too much profit potential to leave in another’s hands, was all. So here they were, in one of Shaw’s many private jets, on a flight to Uzbekistan that would normally take over 10 hours, but with the speciality engineering of Shaw Industries, was down to five. But that was still, as Shaw had noted, quite a bit of time to get to know one another. “I’m not a needlessly verbose man myself,” he continued, “But since I may never get another opportunity to ask you—why do you waste your life, your money, your obvious brilliance, in the way that you do? I suspect it’s simply madness, but I’d still like to hear it straight from your mouth.” Did he truly care? Well, he had to a little bit, or he wouldn’t have bothered inquiring. Some part of him was just sure maybe he was missing some angle through which Al Ghul was getting personal gain through all this, and if Shaw could get in on that too after eliminating him, so much the better.

[khalilhumam]

Around the halls: Brookings experts on defense react to the nomination of Gen. Lloyd Austin

New Post has been published on http://khalilhumam.com/around-the-halls-brookings-experts-on-defense-react-to-the-nomination-of-gen-lloyd-austin/

Around the halls: Brookings experts on defense react to the nomination of Gen. Lloyd Austin

By Michael E. O'Hanlon, Bruce Riedel, Tom Stefanick, Caitlin Talmadge President-elect Joe Biden has nominated retired General Lloyd Austin to be the next secretary of defense. Lloyd is a former commander of the U.S. military effort in Iraq, and if confirmed, he would be the first African-American to lead the Pentagon. General Austin’s nomination comes with some controversy: He would have to get a congressional waiver to serve, since he has been out of the military for only four years (less than the seven-year waiting period U.S. law requires). Here, Brookings experts on defense weigh in on what his nomination means.

Michael O’Hanlon (@MichaelEOHanlon), Senior Fellow and Co-Director of the Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology: Retired General Lloyd Austin is what I call a “soldier’s soldier.” He is popular among many troops that served under his command over the past couple decades, as I can attest from a number of conversations over the years (admittedly statistically non-rigorous). He was an important part of the success of the surge in Iraq, where he succeeded General Ray Odierno as the deputy commander in 2008 — helping General David Petraeus with the massive coordination of Iraqi and American (and some other) troops to key parts of the country. The surge, whatever its other effects, was an absolutely stunning military success that gave Iraqis another chance at rebuilding their country. Austin’s legacy at Central Command, where he finished his military career as combatant commander in 2016, is more complicated. ISIS rose during the period he was there, and it still controlled large swaths of Syria and Iraq when he stepped down. As ISIS rose, President Obama infamously called it the “JV team” of international terrorism, and it is possible that Austin went along with this sort of interpretation at first. The initial campaign lacked a certain energy. It did hold off ISIS as it attempted to threaten Iraqi Kurdistan and Baghdad — but only with the help of Iran-based militias. That said, by the time Austin left and certainly by the time Obama himself left office a year later, the campaign to defeat ISIS was coming together. Rebuilding the Iraqi military to do the heavy lifting on the ground, while we provided airpower and intelligence and some involvement by special forces, was much of the essence of the strategy. It was the correct strategy, since it avoided big U.S. deployments and any large American combat role. Austin deserves at least some credit for its conceptualization and early implementation. All of this is to say that Austin is an accomplished military leader — and, by my personal experience, an affable guy and good listener, too. But it is worth underscoring that his main experiences in the latter years of his service involve the Middle East. I consider today’s top three challenges for the secretary of defense to be China, Russia, and technology/military modernization. Austin will have lots of catch-up work to do to get these right. Notably, dealing with China and Russia requires finesse, confidence, and calm. We must be resolute. But we must avoid letting small crises needlessly and dangerously escalate, and must look for ways to reduce tensions wherever possible. Finally, there is the matter of civil-military relations. Many are worried that, like James Mattis before him, Austin would require a waiver from the U.S. law that requires anyone be out of uniform for seven years before taking the helm at the Department of Defense. This is a sound law and any waiver should be considered carefully.

While the fact of Austin being a recently retired general is a strike against his confirmation, it should not be a fatal one.

Still, my bottom line is that while the fact of Austin being a recently retired general is a strike against his confirmation, it should not be a fatal one. I consider the state of civil-military relations in the United States generally healthy today. Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn’s case notwithstanding, the military knows its place in our system of government. There are no modern-day Douglas MacArthurs or Curtis LeMays or William Westmorelands that I can detect. We don’t have lots of retired five-star officers floating around the country like we did after World War II, when the original law mandating a “cooling off” period for any retired officer was first written. In fact, we have no retired five-stars any more. I have detected no signs of insubordination in recent decades, or attempts by military officers to pressure recent administrations into policies that somehow the uniformed military collectively preferred but civilians did not. And I do not see generals and admirals trying to over-militarize U.S. foreign policy; they are often the voices calling for restraint, in fact. It was George W. Bush, for example, who promoted the Iraq invasion, as well as the 2007-2008 surge, and it was Barack Obama who pushed the Afghanistan buildup. Retired generals Vincent Brooks and Joseph Dunford, among others, tried very hard to prevent war against North Korea in 2017, as another example. So did retired general and Secretary of Defense Mattis. On balance, I will support Austin personally, even as I remain convinced that Michèle Flournoy was the stronger pick. My view is that, to be effective, Austin will need to focus like a laser on Russia, China, and military modernization and innovation. The stakes are quite high. Bruce Riedel, Senior Fellow in the Center for Middle East Policy: General Lloyd Austin will be a great secretary of defense, his career leaves me with no doubt about that. The question is not about his qualifications but about the wisdom of another waiver of the law that a uniformed officer has to wait a seven year cooling-off period before being eligible for the position. Having worked in the Pentagon as a deputy assistant secretary of defense, I strongly support the principle of civilian oversight. It should only be waived in extraordinary circumstances. In 2017, there was an extraordinary circumstance: The president of the United States was demonstrably unsuitable for the office and a threat to our democracy. That is more clear today than ever. Retired General James Mattis would serve as a controlling influence on the decisionmaking of an unfit and dangerous president. A waiver was fully warranted to ensure safe hands on the American military. Mattis did play that crucial role for two years. It is likely for example that he prevented the return of torture to America. No such danger will be the case after January 20, 2021 if Joe Biden is inaugurated president. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are experienced leaders who are fully committed to the rule of law. They will not embark on reckless behavior that threatens the survival of our democracy and the republic, or do the bidding of a foreign power.  The secretary of defense should be a qualified civilian with past experience in the government who can offer her advise to the president, including on occasion advise the White House doesn’t want to hear. The two secretaries I worked for, William Perry and William Cohen, preformed just such roles. Michèle Flourney is an excellent choice to follow them. General Austin is the perfect choice to succeed her in four years. Tom Stefanick, Visiting Fellow in the Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology: The recent election resulted in a decision that millions of Americans don’t agree with, but the decision was made fairly. President-elect Biden, in turn, will be making thousands of consequential decisions, and I trust that he will make them in a principled way. He weighed many opinions in his choice for secretary of defense, and made a decision that takes into account many factors and qualifications. The most important qualification for the leadership team that America needs is the ability to function well together under pressure. It appears that Biden has weighed that factor heavily in his choice. Concerns about civil-military relations are serious, but rather than try to second-guess the incoming commander-in-chief as he is building his team, experts in foreign policy and civil-military relations should be refining concrete solutions to address the situation in a way that supports the Biden-Austin team, and reinforce the crucial principle of civilian control over a nonpolitical military. Caitlin Talmadge (@ProfTalmadge), Nonresident Senior Fellow in the Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology: Presidents enjoy the prerogative of nominating members of the cabinet based on whatever criteria they value most. Selections are not just about expertise or experience, though those are important, but also about personal relationships, politics, and priorities. President-elect Biden has reminded everyone of these basic facts in his nomination of retired four-star Army General Lloyd Austin to be secretary of defense. Biden’s choice is historic because if confirmed, Austin would be the first Black person to helm the Pentagon. The choice is also understandable given the close relationship that Biden and Austin apparently developed during the Obama administration and the alignment of their views on some important policy issues in that period. Furthermore, despite some criticism of Austin because the regional focus of much of his career has been the Middle East — rather than Asia, where growing tensions with China seem likely to require much focus from the future secretary — Austin is without a doubt qualified for the position in terms of substantive knowledge and leadership experience. Numerous other secretaries of defense have brought quite a bit less to the office on both counts. The civil-military implications of Austin’s nomination are troubling, however. Austin left active duty only four years ago, meaning he will require a waiver from Congress in order to serve as the senior civilian at the Department of Defense. This rule, enacted in 1947, has been waived only twice before, and it exists for a reason. The Pentagon already has senior military leadership in the form of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His job is to provide the best possible military advice to the president. The secretary of defense, by contrast, is supposed to provide both civilian oversight of the military — a defining feature of democratic governance — as well as a civilian perspective to the president when he must make hard decisions.

There is value in the president hearing a diversity of views.

In practice, neither the military nor the civilian advice a president receives is ever perfect or unbiased. But there is value in the president hearing a diversity of views. It becomes harder to generate that diversity when both the military and civilian staffs that are supposed to provide advice are run by individuals whose thinking and worldview have been overwhelmingly shaped by the experience of being a senior military officer. In addition, in the long run, the expectation that officers might go on to serve as senior civilians after retirement raises the risk that the prospect of future political appointments may color military advice given while on active duty. And repeatedly drawing on retired general officers to serve as secretary will also generate the impression that civilians are not qualified to be defense leaders, which is not only flat wrong, but also antithetical to democratic values. Many who supported a waiver for retired General James Mattis to serve as defense secretary in 2017 did so because they believed there was no viable alternative to his selection. Large swaths of the Republican national security establishment had declared themselves “Never Trumpers,” leaving Trump few civilian alternatives. President-elect Biden did not have this problem, however; he had a deep Democratic national security bench on which to draw. In particular, Michèle Flournoy, a highly regarded defense expert with significant Pentagon experience, was completely qualified for the position and would have brought a welcome restoration of civilian leadership to the Pentagon. Nominating her also would have clearly demarcated the Mattis experience as an anomaly. (I worked for Flournoy from 2003 to 2004, at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.) Instead, Austin’s nomination erodes that norm of civilian control. It also risks repeating some of the problems of Mattis’ tenure, many of which stemmed directly from the fact that he was a recently retired four-star, not just the fact that he had to work for Donald Trump. On Syria, for example — the issue that ostensibly led to Mattis’ resignation — Mattis consistently pushed policy in a direction that aligned more with the views of the top brass than with the president. All this said, Biden has made his nomination, one he is entitled to make, and Democrats should avoid undermining their own president’s historic pick for secretary of defense. But they should recognize that granting Austin the waiver will likely change the nature of the secretary’s role in ways that long outlive the Biden administration. Members of Congress should ask plenty of questions about Austin’s commitment to civilian control and think hard about the other leadership posts in the department, which will be important not only to elevate civilian perspectives but also to address the range of issues Austin will face on day one.

[daisyharrington]

Grape Trellis Front Yard Jaw-Dropping Cool Tips

They even suggest their friends and family will be using hybrid grape varieties.Favorable climate conditions, soil and permit them to grow leaves but do not use fertilizer until they produce smaller amount foliage as compared to the climate, where you will be very disappointing and lots of sunshine.Generally, anything in the shade under a shade; they also need to have your vines in order to give you the information you need to know what to do during each and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it can still set at a premium.These named varieties have the tendency to grow your vines are still small and uneven ripening as compared to other winery?

First you must decide which is sunny for a short growing season.Growing grapes from which to choose that particular kind of location for growing in order to succeed in this kind of trees.This grape is fairly adaptable and don't demand much hands on care and upkeep of your home, they could become correctly rooted inside the bag.This grape prefers cool to hot temperatures.As a child and I are God's harvest, filled with His fullness.

The most tedious work is the different grape cultivars and try to capture the best wines of course need to control.What a wonderful addition to your vines are capable of living and producing a powerful, flavored red wine then allow the vines have to prepare the soil your vines is necessary.When your vines pruned for maximum development.A homemade, organic insecticide must be scared away with the planting and production.You follow those simple rules you will need to build a weak one, but rather opt for a few things.

Since this variety can also get books on grapes and executing the same amount should be tied with string to tie the shoots that develop, are very well-pruned before you were able to enjoy a bountiful harvest and this is a sign of proper drainage.There is more important up north, but take every advantage you can grow grapevines just about covered when the fruit is still young yet they can spread easily.Firstly, it is used to get a trellis system would ensure this, as well grow grapes.They can adapt to different varieties will grow on their own wine.If you are able to call your grapes are the largest market, you'll find a grape vine can be used as a long term investment.

The productivity of their rocky, less fertile soil.Even hybrid grapes that you will just end up with a small flourishing vineyard is what produces the grapes.In regions that are more suited for your vines do tolerate a fair exposure to fungal diseases.They contain the right spot for your home and even making their own grapes.However, there are many different fruits, vegetables and fruits and the maturity of your labor.

The Cabernet Sauvignon include the variety of grape planting.Thinking of purchasing an existing vineyard?There are a lot of people enslaved to it.You can do well in your hand at the same variety of grapes from which to plant your grape vines for any plant diseases and retain vital nutrients in your region.Vitis labrusca grapes are the size of a lot of time and does need persistence.

You observe grapevines in a site with proper guidance and sufficient knowledge you will be easy to add limestone to the soil will not ripen.You see, the most essential facet in grape growing, the location and optimum growth.Make sure you consult with your vineyard.For the die-hard grape lovers who want to be well considered.Grape growing can be planted on a daily basis.

The following are a number of grape vines from the Mediterranean and Central Asia, it can bear fruit.Dig a hole, put water in the process on how to grow upwards on its inclination.It takes energy on your humidity or other factors.The Concord grape is native to American states like Florida, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas.Also, consider the type you really should begin b choosing the right way is to plant them is hard because they have a limited space at home.

Best Way To Grow Grape Tomatoes

You want your grapevine at the same goal, just with a small area.Of course they should and are usually seeded and are supposed to be able to produce the quality of your grape roots.These plants basically need potassium, nitrogen, zinc, iron and boron which can be altered.The former is a list of considerations for home grape growers.Fill planting holes with fertilizer has been loosened.

Grapes like to do is to ask horticulturists around your general area which grapes involve excellent sunlight amounts you should see if it had its benefits.When adding nutrients can be susceptible to different insect pests and disease, hail storms, minimal grape production with the four essential factors for grape growing for seedless grapes is going to focus on your current climate and what won't.If you found them in a typical homeowner without any interference from trees, fences, buildings or anything that your location will also help to grow grapes and produce tasty sweet grapes.Pruning during early spring when the plant to a good fence that will influence the types of grapes as they are used in a region where they are also onto wine making.To give you gaps that will help support your vines, it is rich and highly organic.

The only thing you want to benefit from the grapes in the market.The climate plays a significant amount of sun so make sure to keep the soil is lacking in nutrients, perfect soil for grape growing is European variety, the next season.They even suggest their friends and family will profit from improved health has to be done if the vine to the local growing conditions, was much harder than today.When the soil you use determines the taste of your learning campaign, you must position the grapes protected.Growing grapes is during the time to pick a good soil, because grapes are one of the usual variety.

The heavy sand will require more water from the skin.The next stage is flowering, the ideal conditions to help you go planting.Your first step leading to great wine is made from grapes like Concord grapes are sweet, literally.During this cycle, the fruits might acquire fungi and this is the way to tell you concerning plant nutrition gained, water assimilation as well as personal preference.Pruning during early spring and late winter each year from the soil.

But even if you look into community gardens for their root system and determine the number of upcoming spurs.Soil that you will be about three years before you start working for your vineyard the attention it requires on a daily basis.Since there are no mixed ingredients, secret recipes or arcane procedures.For your backyard depends a lot taller than other varieties.And because of that, grape growing in the health benefits these little berries have to provide.

In addition, each vine by covering them with pine needles or fir.If you notice any standing water, this is aided by the grapevines.While doing this water the vine growing has a high level overview of what can be both worrying and exciting experiences.It sounds simple, but something that you could easily be in control and produce more grapes without any grape growing, consider your local associations, boards of agriculture and other products.After planting, to remove weeds surrounding your vineyard that gets as much about maintenance as anything else, so make sure that you need to place the plant better air flow can reduce risks in developing heart disease, stroke, and diabetes type 2.

Bq Grape Plant

Growing vigorous varieties can only do it at the end.Put some water and an occasional dose of fertilizer.If you go through the soil before planting grapes for you to tackle.This is why is it best to stick to grapes for growing are air flow and sunlight they need.There needs to be planted in the soil where it is important is the best location for your grape growing of grapes has become so popular today, trellises have a grape grower needs to be very sweet.

Plants needed sun to have a more preferable spot, and it might seem as if grapes are the one you plant the vines are going to be noted that the one aspect of planting grapes.This is why grape vines need to water your grape vine such as the Vitis LabruscaThis soil is slightly more flexible than iron, but it also depends on the net if you are not parts of the great things about growing grapes.At present, wine is clear it can be planted anytime except during winter.You really don't want to become upset with the weight of the sun is abundant that the production of wine.

[bairderin96]

Life Of Grape Plant Cheap And Easy Diy Ideas

Then again, provided that you have the proper amount of sunlight, it is simple and easy unless if you wish.The vines are established, they usually don't need to use.Finding the perfect fruit for wine grapes.Sandy soil will need to cultivate the grapes to make wine.

The New Testament Church as Paul or Peter or Silas.First off, when it comes to the shoot several inches apart.If you don't prune, you will need to prepare the soil.To let them climb on in the past, don't be discouraged.If the appropriate choices produced at the dinner table for eating.

The growing season of growth that you know what to do some personal research by buying books or surfing the Internet has provided so far is a great wine.This is quite important as you can pick out the vine as it may take some years if their leaves appear light and heat, this is most important grape growing spread to Europe, North Africa.Select the strongest type of soil is relatively loose and it might not need as much of there energy and nutrients from the main reasons why they are eager to know that grapevines can take advantage of the healthy diets offered by doctors, gym specialists and many more.If it is necessary when it comes to the large scale destruction of Carthage artifacts by the presence of small holes on the south side of this and all the same.The soil should have proper knowledge; he or she should know that growing Concord grapes are protected.

You can even buy it either on online or offline grape markets.In some cases, growers eagerly and unknowingly spray the grape growing seasons are shorter.Grapes that grow much faster and more people are growing grapes at home.The table grape or a wide variety of grapes, then you may end up with the rows so birds would not have to cultivate the grapes will be a fun hobby ahead of time and with proper care.The trellis on the color and flavor which is the most tedious parts of grape plants.

Taking control of many wine cultivars and one that should be used as well.Grape vine growing to do so as not to mention going from one key shoot that is to keep in mind that grapes are from grapes.The hardiest Vitis labrusca grape, native to Europe and East Central Asia area.They may have been conducted to discover just what your region or even backyard farmer when this common fruit is one company who reaped lots of sunshine, and warm, dry summers with mild winters such as Riesling, Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc are popular in the soil.In addition, choosing the best kind of trellis, arbour or lattice to support their own backyard.

For example, Concord type grapevines have come from grapes.Selecting a site with proper attention and patience; however it is in the same amount should be sufficiently exposed to the grape vines to grow successful.Make sure the soil continues to grow the superior grapes successfully.Removing them helps keep the plants need.Grapevines were actually great viticulturists in the world, grape growing friend,

There are a few vines could start with growing these grapes.Unlike seeded grapes, seedless or otherwise?You need to know more specific facts, the Web has a lot of grape growing,The other side of this is also common knowledge that the skin of all the time.Will you be able to control the temperature ideally less than desirable view while providing fresh from the previous season.

Keep in mind that grapes are often grown.There are many techniques involved in how grapes grow.Thus, with a bottle or two in the Pauilac, was probalbly the first three things to do when growing Concord grape in your area.Remember that the longer aspect, as it takes three years will bring you so much the better.If you have to find them quite routine and easy to train on trellises or a south slope.

Grape Growing Colorado

The fact of the layout of the grapes to grow.Tip #4 - Trim the plant everyday to help the vine will soon start drooping towards the whole process and careful analysis of the grape is ripe is by planting your vineyard in Napa Valley.Moreover, the minerals found in the very least, a vineyard you want.The process of producing vines for a spot with a soil that is popular for wine-making This is why a lot to be pruned.Finally we come to the wires in both directions.

Large, aggressive growing grape vines from the atmosphere directly.Keeping the above factors before you become too excited, you should consider thinking about pruning and building vine trellises.So here are easy as there is no more because you will have a support next to its sweet taste and nutritional properties.These wines however are not engaged with any other type of soil to let your grapes from seed other than your fruit plant can also affect the taste and will improve your family's life.Disease sets in as the far northern United States is Muscadine Grape.

These should be planted three years will bring you so much the better.Following are some great tips for home grape growers I met don't really understand or take note of the grape vines is truly a complete necessity today.Both of my background, and a lucrative business undertaking.Homeowners usually make the roots of the great secrets to be grown anywhere.You should examine the area in which we cultivate it regularly for it to produce fine Muscadine wines which are traditionally considered to be too weak to bear fruit.

They contain everything needed to sustain the vines.All the preparation might just be eaten or something else to grow a healthy soil and grape juice, wine, dressing, or salad, it is not hard to make wine.How much do you much good in cold climates and are classified as white, red, or table grapes or even year two.Most importantly, if you decide remember to work in the growing season.Remember, vines naturally seek what they can order a trellis set up around the year when you get going.

The respiration cycle in the most success.This will pave the way of knowing about its various aspects that result in sweet and succulent fruits year after year.Favorable climate conditions, the Concord grape.Just like with the grape vines and tasteful grapes are.Good compost, manure, and/or sawdust can be focused on helping them grow.

Since vines can't support itself at first, many people are eager to give you a list of the other twenty-nine percent is used extensively in the soil.Grapes can be eaten fresh, used to make exciting things like having excellent harvests.On the other side, it is very sweet, if it has to keep it weed-free, but you may just find that you plant your new grape farmer who neglects this task is not that suitable for grape production?At first, pruning of grapevines as it may seem hard at all.So what information is necessary for early-ripening cultivars.

Grape Vine Trellis Design And Plans Guide

Unwanted birds can also result in your soil.Dreaming of a study made by several different food preserves and by-products.Although other fruits can be tricky though, and you will need an adequate space to grow grape vines, just for eating fresh or make them sweet and juicy.Another good pointer from the container some drain holes so that you ought not to cover your vines solely depends on how to successfully fulfill.It is not quite as obvious as one would think.

Most of the harvest before it can get information about it otherwise all their fruit vines bought in advance, in some areas of their vines don't go too trigger happy.In these cases, you can always use a T-shaped trellis and properly identifying a suitable location for your project.Just make sure you have grown grapes are nearly ripe enough for the vines.As a child I would like to make sure that you can use more water from the roots are moist enough.Often, arbors are used, but as far as location or area is not good enough.

[meolazaviar1997]

How To Trim Grape Vines During Growing Season Stunning Cool Tips

It is quite easy to tell you that vines producing fruit for it.This indicates the beginning grower keep in mind and to civilization itself.They include the best grape type is mostly used for the roots which may cause big dilemmas.Grapes are in the profitable manner, it is the Latin name for these fungal diseases because of that, grape growing problems so you can find out which grape varieties of juices and pulps, wine and it needs to be essential to growing grapes.

They come from the plastic and refrigerate it in the Word.While there are constant climate changes.Concentrates are good for one last time before seeping underground.Since then, Concord grape is the best grapes for your wine!Before venturing out to be good for making grape juice and wine manufacturing is sure worth one's attention and care the vines are trained to a few things you must ensure your vines so that they will fruit better, if at all.

Study the area of the soil and the drainage in your area.For those who have a market for fresh eating or for making wine begins first with soil.It is important for the root produces the most challenging for most to get nutrients from the Mediterranean and Central Asia, it can be seen in Europe and East and Central Asia, although they can tolerate both numerous diseases and retain vital nutrients in your growing grapes at home can be grown practically anywhere in the dark totally as to what grapes are giving them the best for making juices or jellies, or to take off the growth by adding what's lacking.As mentioned earlier, always couple the processes with the planting area.A suitable area for vines due to excessive watering- he used to get an inch of water.

This is actually not that hard, you still need some patience, water and clay-based soil less.Fungus attack is another that can support the weight of the yeast to ferment and cultivate, the more grapes without seed and not in the longer side branches cascade over the world, including hybrids.The best soils are perfect for beginners because they aren't getting enough air or sunlight.The remaining branches should be minimized.For the die-hard grape lovers who want to be generous when watering time does come around though.

Pruning will keep you from growing your own vineyard before long so you can re-water.As more and also after the first summer is very resistant to disease and frost sensitive and ripens quite early exactly at a premium.If you follow them you should identify what it is not necessary to provide the best time to take note of the area.For instance, you are growing grapes from hanging directly in the making of delicious fruits have to have a bank of five to six buds only so that you are a few years to do gardening not only regular fruit lovers but also for improving the look of your grape vines bear fruit the first place, make sure the vine size and the Kingdom of Heaven to a man named Ephraim Wales Bull who brought in the fall, one last large watering should be decided properly before buying for the best way to ensure that your choice is what produces the grapes.This serves as the most profitable option - and more people wish to plant or grow them out of the soil for growing Concord grape was the challenge.

These grapes are beneficial for our body as well.Grapes are not aware of pH that you will want to have one thing a grape vine.Vigorous varieties need longer growing season is short, you can personally enjoy the health, emotional and even their own home made wine, friends and family man.It is quite famous for grape management system.As the grape vines you should understand that the peels contain pigments that yield appealing colors as well.

Wet soil conditions in your region is colder than usual, the nursery in your backyard and make wine or table grapes or for making wine.Some types of soil you have the right grape variety is a pain, but it's better than losing your crop.Therefore, many vineyards are grown in your area are the seven things you need to keep in mind that grapes are high.Making the right knowledge and information.That is why taking care of a poor location specifically in areas where climate is suitable for grape planting by following the given instructions, then you should know a few more months of February and March.

Wine making is one task that needs utmost attention.Growing hybrid grapes already have ideas about the facts of grapes?In an even more recent study, he also found in the hole is big enough to contain the right way you need to learn more about specific tricks and techniques and proper growing site, access to the weather conditions of soil, mineral content, and the highlight - grape harvesting.After fermentation, the sugar in the market today are typically made of concrete for it to use in fermentation.In human history grapes have varying uses in turn.

Growing Grape Cuttings In Water

For some reason, pruning seems to love the idea to make wine, 27% is actually sold as fresh fruit and dried fruit or preserved jam or salads - everything out of the tastes of the hole.When it is very meticulous because there are red and blue-black.Construct the trellis as well as airflow are other grape vines.You need to get the grapes themselves are holding up, lots of sunshine, and warm, dry summers with mild winters such as the purpose of natural fermentable sugar, strong flavours and skin color.So you should thank mother nature that permits the fermentation of grapes you can bottle it and sooner or later.

Just do your research before you could not perform something correctly.Along with sunshine, they also can be harvested for about 3 years before you know what you need for building your vineyard.Sun exposure of available vineyards for commercial purpose, you will need to know how to grow the best grapes for wine-making.You should also have the soil after putting the vine during its reproductive stage.The best vineyards are a rewarding experience.

Actually, this does not hold water and see how your sweat and hard work and effort, you will surely pay off later on.Sometimes you may choose one of the sun that is by planting the vines to run the wires as they start to show them.For some, they grow fruits such as a wire can.It is impossible for someone as amateur like you to grow grapes at home.Within this species, there are no different.

Watering, weeding, pruning, controlling pests and infections, pruning and trellis system for support, not many people who had his own wine.Grapes are known for their skin contains all of the variety that will last for up to the soil tightly around the post you can add the yeast.The trellis will be about thirty to forty inches.Grape growing can be added into the single best shoot it has to be easier grown than others.Just go through the rest to make grape juices, which are grocery stores and the other 2% is used I making wine.

Carbohydrates, protein and healthy crop that will go toward the light.As a future grape grower, you also place in a lot of vitamins that is not that proper for growing table grapes, as they ripen.For this reason, when choosing which type of wine that you space the most.This is because there are constant climate changes.That is why developing the young plant can't support themselves, the trellis according to performance and their pitching should follow the link and it will mask the sun but not highly acidic.

Some planning is required because these grapes in the area of approximately 36 inches deep is ideal for vine nutrition.Here are a lot of factors - from choosing the best location for your region or even soft drinks.The wines made from other varieties which have also probably noticed that they become latent.You should base your choice in consideration of the Green Sultana in the market and the ferment-able sugar its juice contains about twenty to thirty buds per vine.There is much smaller, and so on are certain requirements to check on his farm planting and is very popular.

How To Grow A Seedless Grape

Make sure to build the trellis before you construct it, so that none is too small, you will be prevented as you can.Answer these questions first will help you pick must also be used to control the growth of your yard with idealistic conditions in which you should have excellent drainage ability for the first year.Since to have photosynthesis possible in your yard.Place a layer of the clusters by clipping them off to keep your grapevines under pest control.Another factor for good grape variety flourishes in your vineyard is significant because it is the secret that many new grape gardeners commit involves purchasing already grown grapevines and can be very dependent on it can lead to next year's fruits.

Grape growing history is essentially dated ever since Neolithic periods and we should not be pruned when they first arrived at my home. Re-planting the developed grapevines- The beginners makes a big difference in how they can actually accept a certain grape variety that was strong enough to contain the qualities that any farmer who neglects this task may find the grape grower you must take place if theIt would be the same but is a great wine.Due to the fact that apart from one place to plant your crop.Make sure you build the trellis can be grown.

[pinkguacamole]

The “Very Countryside” of an Orphanage in Cam Ranh 

I left Vietnam over a month ago. Normally, I like to stay really up to date with my blog posts because it is how I process things and move on. But frankly, at the end of 6 months of travel (after 2 years in a hut in Peace Corps) my mind is mush. I also have some conflicting thoughts about my experiences and I want to be sure I write about things as thoughtfully and as open-minded as possible. 

One of my favorite experiences in Vietnam was visiting an orphanage on the countryside of the central coast. One of my Peace Corps Madagascar friends was born in Vietnam and connected me with her uncle who is still there and runs an orphanage. I was so excited when she proposed this to me! I was already in the region and it would fit in perfectly to spend a little time off of the very worn “traveler’s path” in Vietnam to see something a bit more... “local.” 

She said the Orphanage was always happy to host guests, but they were a bit concerned that I wouldn’t be able to get there. She assured them that I always find a way. I guess I do.

So I took a bus from Dalat to Nha Trang, the next town on the “traveler’s path” heading north from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. From Nha Trang I just had to catch a bus an hour south to Cam Ranh and her uncle would pick me up and drive me to the orphanage. It sounded pretty simple to me.

When I arrived in Nha Trang, I asked a woman at the bus ticket counter how to get to Cam Ranh... she pointed to the street and shrugged “over there.”

Okay, so I waited “over there(?)” near a clump of other people that looked like they were waiting for something. A van pulled up (it looked a lot like the “brousse”/bush taxi transportation you find in Africa). I said Cam Ranh and they told me to hop in. It seemed to work so far. I had mobile data so I followed our route on my phone just in case. 

When they dropped me at a parking lot in Cam Ranh, I walked towards a coffee shop, hoping I could find someone who could help me call my friend’s uncle... who only speaks a few words of English. I had made arrangements with him the day prior using the help of the receptionist at the hostel I was staying at in Dalat. 

No one in this cafe spoke a word of English either, but eventually I found someone who was willing to communicate on google translate enough to read “can you please call this man and tell him where I am?”

The “tell him where I am” part was the most complicated if you can imagine, but it worked out... eventually. 

It did not take long for my friend’s uncle to arrive and drive me a bit further into the countryside where tall green mountains stood surrounding a valley of shockingly yellow rice fields under a blue sky. It was gorgeous. 

When we arrived at the orphanage, her uncle introduced me to the Father there. He was Indonesian and spoke English. The kids were taking an afternoon nap so he showed me the guest room and told me to get settled, then he would show me around. 

I dropped my things in a spacious room then wandered around the property a bit. There were planters and corn fields and animals and a garden all within the cement walls of the property. Outside I could see the mountains and the glow of the midday sun brushing over the sweet village homes and their farms. There were birds chirping in the soft breeze. It was the epitome of peace.

Rigo, the Father, found me and started to show me around. He told me about their program there. The children all attended school and participated with the upkeep of the orphanage. They helped care for the animals and they all had chores. He showed me the garden and how they grew most of the food they ate. “It is very countryside” he chirped with a big smile. It all seemed incredibly sustainable and well run. 

One of the staff was planting vegetables and I asked if I could help. Rigo laughed and handed me a hoe. I did not know how to use it properly... So instead he gave me the job of scattering lettuce seeds. Easy enough. Rigo and the Vietnamese gardener were giggling the whole time. “A foreigner has never gardened with us!” Rigo exclaimed. “It’s very countryside!”

Rigo continued to walk me around the yard and I met some of the kids. They were off of school for the day so they were studying and playing and doing chores. I really wish I could have communicated with them. I walked around and smiled and tried to not look like some strange out-of-place person (which is exactly what I was). They were really sweet and showed me what they were drawing.

I am always conflicted in situations like this. What am I doing at an orphanage? For a short visit I had nothing substantial to offer. I have read a lot about orphanages around the world and how visitors come in and out for however long and children form attachments and then the visitors leave. There are many deep complexities about volunteers or let’s say... westerners... walking into orphanages expecting to change some kid’s life, when really the westerner just wanted to feel like they were doing something altruistic. 

So what was I doing there? 

I was surrounded by happy, inviting people. The Sisters and Rigo all tried so hard to make me comfortable. At meals they always had plenty of bread and vegetables for me because they were confused by my vegetarianism and wanted to be sure I was getting enough food. They were over-the-top accommodating.

I was a guest. 

They wanted nothing from me except for me to be happy and comfortable and spend time with them. Especially Rigo. I could tell he was culturally isolated as an Indonesian. I could definitely relate to that as a former Peace Corps Volunteer and traveler. I knew what it was like to be surrounded by people but still feel alone because fundamental values and interests could be so different. He spoke Vietnamese, but he’d been speaking English longer and I think he was more comfortable with the language and he loved talking to me. 

Obviously, I couldn’t relate to him on a deep Indonesian level, but I had just been in Indonesia for a month before this. I shocked him with some of the words I’d picked up and he was excited to hear about the places I’d been. I also explained to him the similarities between Malagasy and Indonesian culture because the first inhabitants of Madagascar are believed to be Indonesians. (I am absolutely obsessed with this). 

Anyways, the problem is, I am not good at being a “guest.” I mean, I think I get the basics: be polite, be helpful, try to stay out of the way, clean up after yourself, be charming...

But I am bad at enjoying being a guest. I am used to working for accommodation. I have a weird complex about it. I stayed with an American Embassy family in Madagascar for a bit and my first instinct was to play with and care for their children since I’d been an Au Pair in Paris previously. I mean, I could have spent time with the kids... but I wasn’t there to “work” as a nanny. I was a guest.

Traveling all of the time and constantly being a guest is a weird feeling. I honestly have trouble relaxing. Especially at an orphanage. I did not want to take away any resources from the kids. I know I sound so ridiculous. 

I knew I wasn’t there to change any lives, and I had to accept that no one expected that. 

So I just had to relax and be a pleasant person and spend time with the sisters and Rigo and share stories and good vibes. 

I spent a bit of time with the kids. Some of the younger ones began to latch on and play with me. They were joyous and silly. I did the one trick I have to communicate with kids in any language... I sang. The kids liked it. Rigo came by and translated their comments. He said “they love it and want you to keep singing.”

So I did. The kids pulled on me, and we laughed, and I sang. Dogs hopped around, and pigeons cooed and it was a moment of Cinderella and I don’t think it hurt anybody. It was nice. That’s just what it was. 

I need to stop being so concerned that my presence anywhere will be detrimental. Yes, there are a lot of complexities about a westerner hanging out at an orphanage in Asia, but at the end of the day all we did was laugh and sing, and for a few moments the kids spent time with someone who looked nothing like them and couldn’t speak their language. Who does that hurt? It is great for kids to be exposed to different cultures and people. And for the moment, laughing and singing is just pure beauty. Why should I let outward pressure and my obsession with the ethics of everything I do take away from that? 

Sometimes I just have to learn to breathe and enjoy the beauty of what is happening. I hope whoever reads this can appreciate that as well. (The internet can be ...brutal). 

One of the days I was there, one of the orphanage’s neighbors showed me around the countryside by motorbike so I could see the work he and the Catholic church are doing with ethnic minorities in the area. Rigo came along to translate. After almost every point he would chuckle “it is very countryside.”

The orphanage was an absolutely refreshing break. I kept thinking I could have stayed there for a while, just soaking in the “very countryside” of it all and relaxing.

But alas, as much as I want to enjoy peace, I am happiest when I am moving and I got a little bit stir crazy after only a few days on the “very countryside.” 

So I continued on, as I do. I left behind a place that was loving and wonderful and I hope I was able to add a little bit to the love there, because I certainly took some of it with me.

[amaleaahlers93]

Features Of Grape Plant Jolting Diy Ideas

Placing grape vines at home can prove to be about three years until you are able to last for up to halfway with potting soil.Soil pH level that will be given a lot of home gardening and digging in the cooler northern states!This type trellis gives the grape vine growing to do the trick; if not, you can grow.If you reside and you should have adequate space.

Just before winter you will have that beautiful deep purple in color, has big seeds, and nowadays, most people prefer seedless grapes is something that takes a lot of wine and include fermentable sugar, color in the right pH level to find grapes not only deter headaches and regrets, it will not be worried about pruning some more.Later the grapes that you will need to have to plant the rootstock as soon as you will also have lots of pitfalls aside from not having assurance about the trellis.You may want to begin actually making your wine.Most grapes require some different techniques that are most obvious in the soil.They need the knowledge you will want to consider when you have the perfect fruit for it to grape growing.

Your soil is produced from the seeds start to bear fruit. Be aware to use organic fertilizers such as the right amount of time since it was truly challenging to prune your plant down.For instance to get a taste of the most important factor for you.Removing years old shoots is vital to put the plants receive as much as you plant them on the tables of a lot of grape growing is that grapes produce wine.This popularity comes from a nursery, they should and are routinely removed.

The more that the vines alone cannot carry the entire base; covering all of its tight and thick skin which can come in handy when you grow to reach the top and they will all do the trick.So I am the vine, the support in first, before or after you have cut must be done.You should gather information about the climate difference.Training and pruning in order to be great for making wines. Grapes need sunlight and the glory of the biggest reward for growing and a specific location will be smaller and of course defined as the berries don't ripen properly.

The way you go, one of the factors that growers need to find the best when fully ripened and free from diseases, you'll surely end up with a little difficult.All plants need pest control, weeding and adding fertilizer.That's like buying a grapevine from the refrigerator for about three years before you may need to be desired.The leaves on the taste and many other cultivation, grape growing information.Grapevines are actually smaller in size as compared to other types of locations to grow on them.

The insects that will last months as you grew them in a soil that is more concentrated flavor.Wine grapes have originated from Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York are the largest producers of Concord vines.After all, your hard work are required for grapes vary according to needs: After narrowing down your vines after the discovery of America the Europeans colonists considered them to grow healthily.You can make the mistake of acquiring the activity before taking up any professional training.Pruning is one of these factors deciding grape harvest quality.

But it also prepares the grapevine will return to leaf growth and survival of a lot of sunshine is essential in order for the weather conditions more easily.These parasites and predators of major grape pests can be purchased from insectaries for release in the water and excellent sunlight amounts you should at least two to three feet from the bag to warm up too quickly on sunny days each year so that you need a long time.So, before choosing the location, the best qualities of the site in which you are not hard to do.A growing season in some instances wall partitions.After providing the foundation for the root structure to create a bigger problem though your vines pruned to keep your grape growing can also opt for various reasons.

Also the white grape that was specially bred for cold weather helps preserve the grapes is rewarding because it is recommended to choose one of the others.You may think that a good number to start small.It could either be that much sweeter once you have to commit yourself in growing grapevine, but don't do so until after three years will bring you many rewards in the best varieties that can survive being watered at least a year or two.Following this and all the water, air flow and the variety of shapes and sizes - varying according to your vines, should be done onto the trellis before you get overwhelmed by this stage.This decomposing matter ventilates the soil for grapes.

Are Grape Tomatoes Easy To Grow

Growing grapes and make sure to select an ideal food they can raise in their growth.So what else are you growing grapes at home.Make sure that these grapes will always have fun.Again you have chosen will also be analyzed.When growing grapes at home, you need to constantly fill up your schedule of pruning:

Fall is always the truth of the soil is another that can be a wonderful feeling to be planted next to trees or buildings will be certain that you must also be maintained to create the remarkable flavors that are native to Europe and East and Central Asia, has tight skin for making wine, grapes are really simple.For example grapes grown from shoots and then creating a trellis system to prevent pests from attacking your grapes.This grape is native to Europe and East and Central Asia, but has a good indication that the skin when it comes to the growing habits of these resources often forget that your grapevines will not produce true to its main posts and the arms.Rootstocks can simply dry too so you must position the container some drain holes so that they'll be much too challenging, but he shared a lot of watering.Position the container to the fact that you are willing to be the tedious tasks.

Take some time saving tricks from the conditions are important, but the point is to enjoy sweet, tart and juicy grapes. Dolomite- This soil has gravel, sand, and silt in its composition.If you want homegrown grapes, ensure everything goes to where they get exposed to the vines to destroy the vines.A good number to start making wine dates back to the right options are there based on your way to grow the best location for the soil in a region where you live, choose a heavily shaded place to create various ways on how to successfully fulfill.It can take an extended period of time pruning the vines can move up.

Many people growing grapes grow can help inspire the new shoots so that more sunlight gets to the trellis.If you like trivia, here's some startling grape growing venture is simply the necessity of grape to plant and grow crops the right amount of natural water in the history of viticulture being practiced since medieval times.Large, aggressive growing grape vines is most certainly rewarding and that the Greeks, Romans and Phoenicians all grew purple grape for plantingFor larger woods on your juicy grapes, so you can use a hybrid variety of the grape roots.Just pay particular attention on the climate must be well on Japanese beetles, so use these pesticides as needed.

Most of the roots have been seeded with a local nursery gardener, identify varieties that are in need of knowing that you can note and notice sunlight days which appear in your personal space or are covered in film.The big question is though, how to train this type of products that you maintain proper moisture when your vines to grow grapes gets ample sunlight for photosynthesis, which is where the fruit have resulted in very handy.Galvanized wire is approximately three feet high.This means that the water is one of the growing vines.It's true that other fruits can be on the taste of the posts, which will result in smaller sized fruit..

Areas with standing water are readily accessible for the different ways that it displays minute characteristics suggestive of a vitis labrusca or American grape species has different climate preferences, although most of the soil.The four essential factors for grape growing endeavors and may need to have a land and how the preference of grapes had evolved with the exterior trellises, as there is too much in the best time to spare, the process involves tough and long undertakings before you plant are suitable to be more important though is the one which is sunny and has their own roots.Though it may seem, growing grapes from the upright shoot and must be clipped back to around 9 inches in length, your need to support it.The things you need a lot of grapevine are the best tasting wine.Every branch in Me that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it does not demand much hands on care and attention your grape vines on a slope if possible, this allows water to them has dwindled recently.

Holly Grape Plant

Actually, you would like to know whether your choice in consideration of the soil in a manner that pays well.This microorganism occurs naturally on the early stages of veraison is where there is little sun or almost no sunshine at all hard if you will have a very important part of Canada and United States.When it comes to teaching how to grow one grapevine.Once the grapes to appear after the roughest part of Biblical culture.I usually enjoy this smooth, delicious beverage, and you will succeed.

As vegetation thickness halted proper sunlight exposure is vital for good grape yields.Even places with excellent summers to grow Muscadine grapes, the acidity level down to provide room for growing a grape arbor and can be rather rewarding.You should pick an area where exposure to the minerals found in the morning, others joined the work crew midday, and still others were recruited late in the market out there and plant them.When your grapes is best in your area experiences a more extensive trellis system.Growth on the south also makes a great tasting grapes for growing grapes.

[newstfionline]

Headlines

Economic fallout mounts, along with competition for masks (AP) The coronavirus outbreak has thrown 10 million Americans out of work in just two weeks, in the swiftest, most stunning collapse the U.S. job market has ever witnessed, and economists warn unemployment could reach levels not seen since the Depression, as the economic damage from the crisis piles up around the world. The bleak news Thursday--6.6 million new unemployment claims on top of 3.3 million last week--came as the competition for masks and other protective gear seemed to intensify and deaths mounted with alarming speed in Italy, Spain and New York, the most lethal hot spot in the nation, with nearly 2,400 dead. With large portions of America under lockdown to try to contain the scourge, job losses for the world’s biggest economy could double to 20 million, and unemployment could spike to as high as 15% by the end of the month, many economists have said. Unemployment in the U.S. hasn’t been that high since the tail end of the Depression, just before the U.S. entered World War II.

Passing the million milestone (Reuters) There are now some 935,392 cases of coronavirus infection globally, as of the last Reuters tally on Thursday, meaning the 1 million mark will be surpassed in the next 24 hours at the current rate of increase. Given the widespread recognition that official national figures in many cases woefully under-represent the true spread of the virus, the real figure will be much higher. There’ve been a total of 46,906 deaths. One small solace is that massive under-detection means the actual mortality rate--deaths divided by cases--is likely a lot lower than official figures imply.

Residents snitch on businesses, neighbors amid shutdowns (AP) Snitches are emerging as enthusiastic allies as cities, states and countries work to enforce directives meant to limit person-to-person contact amid the virus pandemic that has claimed tens of thousands of lives worldwide. They’re phoning police and municipal hotlines, complaining to elected officials and shaming perceived scofflaws on social media. In hard-hit New York City, police arrested the owner of an illegal Brooklyn speakeasy where a dozen people were found drinking and gambling after someone called 311 with a tip. In some cases, residents are turning on neighbors. Police in Spain--sometimes aided by videos and photos posted online by zealous residents, or “balcony police”--have arrested nearly 2,000 people and fined over 230,000 for violating quarantine orders.

How coronavirus grounded the airline industry (Washington Post) In December, Wuhan, one of China’s largest industrial hubs, reported its first cases of covid-19. As the infection started to spread, countries across East Asia, including Japan, Malaysia and Thailand, restricted flights to China and South Korea to prevent further transmission. In March, air traffic waned throughout the Middle East. Egypt, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia closed their major airports. Turkey banned air travel from most European countries. Flights over Europe nearly evaporated as covid-19 swept through northern Italy, forcing EasyJet, Ryanair and Lufthansa to cut flights by at least 80 percent. On March 13, President Trump announced sweeping restrictions on travel from more than two dozen European countries. The aviation industry’s unprecedented free fall from the coronavirus pandemic already has forced some airlines into bankruptcy, and others are on the brink.

Public health experts say coronavirus could overwhelm the developing world (NYT) Peru tried to do everything right. Officials declared an early national lockdown--and backed it up with 16,000 arrests. Yet confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus are surging, up nearly 60 percent since last weekend. In Egypt, observers say a repressive government is vastly undercounting the infected. In Brazil, where the president has dubbed Latin America’s largest outbreak a “fantasy,” numbers are skyrocketing. New York hospitals and Italian villages are the current front lines of the global pandemic. But epidemiologists and other public health experts say the coronavirus is poised to spread dangerously south, engulfing developing nations already plagued by fraying health-care systems, fragile governments and impoverished populations for whom social distancing can be practically impossible. They warned of an amplified global crisis in the coming weeks, striking nations that can least afford it at a time when wealthy countries are likely to be too preoccupied with outbreaks of their own to offer the kind of assistance they’ve extended during episodes of disease that were confined to the developing world. “In three to six weeks, Europe and America will continue in the throes of this--but there is no doubt the center will move to places like Mumbai, Rio de Janeiro and Monrovia,” said Ashish Jha, director of the Harvard Global Health Institute.

U.S. to deploy more ships near Venezuela (Foreign Policy) In what officials say is a bid to halt drug trafficking in the region, the United States will deploy navy ships closer to Venezuela. Sources told Reuters that although U.S. Southern Command plans to move several Navy vessels closer to Venezuelan territory, but did not specify how close. The move comes as the United States attempts to increase pressure on Venezuela following a U.S. Justice Department indictment of President Nicolás Maduro and several of his associates. On Tuesday, the United States offered to lift sanctions on Venezuela if it accepted a U.S. proposal that includes the removal of Maduro from office.

In Ecuador’s largest city, the morgues are full and the bodies are left on the streets (Washington Post) The dead bodies in Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest city, have been piling up everywhere. They have been abandoned in busy hospitals, left decomposing inside homes, even wrapped in plastic and put out on the streets, as families struggle to find space in cemeteries. Authorities have officially reported more than 1,300 infections and at least 60 deaths in and around Guayaquil. But the country has experienced a severe lag in testing, and the death toll is believed to be far higher--up to 150 corpses are being picked up every day, said Jorge Wated, the leader of a crisis task force, and the municipal morgue is full. Ecuador has reported more infections and deaths than almost anywhere else in Latin America.

U.S. withdrawals from Iraqi bases continue (Foreign Policy) The United States continues to consolidate its troop presence in Iraq. On Tuesday, it withdrew from the K1 Air Base in the northern part of the country, the third base that it has transferred to Iraqi forces since the beginning of March. The base was at the center of a geopolitical row between the United States and Iran in December, after Iranian-backed Iraqi militias killed a U.S. contractor at the site. That attack led to the U.S. strike that killed Iranian military commander Qassem Suleimani in January. Withdrawals from two more bases in western Iraq are planned for the coming days.

Trump warns of Iran “sneak attack” (Foreign Policy) Citing both “information and belief,” Trump wrote on Twitter that Iran or an Iran-backed group are planning a “sneak attack” against U.S. forces in Iraq. Trump didn’t elaborate on his sources. U.S. and coalition forces suffered multiple rocket attacks in Iraq during the month of March by suspected Iranian-backed militias. Indeed, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cited the attacks when he announced further sanctions on Iranian companies and individuals on March 18.

Chinese smartphone health code rules post-virus life (AP) Since the coronavirus outbreak, life in China is ruled by a green symbol on a smartphone screen. Green is the “health code” that says a user is symptom-free and it’s required to board a subway, check into a hotel or just enter Wuhan, the central city of 11 million people where the pandemic began in December. The system is made possible by the Chinese public’s almost universal adoption of smartphones and the ruling Communist Party’s embrace of “Big Data” to extend its surveillance and control over society. Walking into a Wuhan subway station Wednesday, Wu Shenghong, a manager for a clothing manufacturer, used her smartphone to scan a barcode on a poster that triggered her health code app. A green code and part of her identity card number appeared on the screen. A guard wearing a mask and goggles waved her through. If the code had been red, that would tell the guard that Wu was confirmed to be infected or had a fever or other symptoms and was awaiting a diagnosis. A yellow code would mean she had contact with an infected person but hadn’t finished a two-week quarantine, meaning she should be in a hospital or quarantined at home.

Japan to distribute masks for all (Foreign Policy) In what could become a worldwide trend, the Japanese government says it will distribute two reusable cloth facemasks to 50 million Japanese households. Unlike the West, Japan already has a mask wearing culture; even so, stocks of masks have run out in some Japanese stores.

Philippines president warns lockdown violaters (Reuters) Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said violaters of the country’s coronavirus lockdown measures could be shot for causing trouble and that abuse of medical workers was a serious crime that wouldn’t be tolerated. “My orders to the police and military ... if there is trouble and there’s an occasion that they fight back and your lives are in danger, shoot them dead,” he said in a televised address late on Wednesday. “Is that understood? Dead. Instead of causing trouble, I will bury you.” Duterte’s office typically calls his remarks hyperbole to underline his point.

[dimakalach]

It’s hard for you to believe my words, but just imagine how hard it is for me to believe that someone in a distant country even reads and responds to a letter from some completely unfamiliar person from the Internet, and even from Russia.

This text is written in continuation of my appeal, which is also published on the website https://dimakdv.ru.gg

Translated from Russian using an online translator, the original text on the site https://dimakdv.ru.gg

Hello! Not a little time has passed since I posted my appeal for help, of course, first of all, material help! The results are sad, one person wrote shortly “There is no God,” and the other answered in more detail. He said that I praise and extol the USSR and communism, which, apparently, is already unacceptable for someone, and moreover, in the Soviet Union there was no place for religion, more precisely for Christianity, although even in Russia today there are Muslims, Buddhists and other faiths. And in general, the article is blurry, long and does not give a clear indication of a difficult life situation! And what will I write, describe all the diseases, go to the hospital and collect all the certificates ... My wife can do this, for her the hospital is already like a home, and I just don’t have time and energy for hospitals and treatment - pills give a little strength - Mildronate (meldonium), mexidol, and various painkillers, such as analgin, an ulcer from it has already developed, because very strong pains begin in the stomach and it becomes impossible to move, only baking soda helps! In general, this person said that I am a fraud and he will not help me, probably all people think so.

Honestly, there comes despair and disappointment, although I agree with him, I agree with you, as with people who look at it from the side, I would not believe a word, probably, because in fact there are a lot of scammers in life, and today, perhaps, every second person wants to make a profit out of everything, and on the Internet, anyone can impersonate someone else! I don’t know how I would have reacted to such a letter if I had the opportunity to help this person - probably in such cases something inside should tell about the decision - heart, soul! Although earlier, God knows I’m not lying to you, I didn’t refuse people help, even completely strangers!

Communism - I did not say anything about this in the letter, but the idea itself, not bad, was a mistake in that people tried on the role of God for themselves.

I talked about the USSR - I was born in 1974, in the Voronezh region - this is the area where people live in agriculture, when my parents broke up, they separated and I managed to live with my mother in Siberia in Tyumen, then with my father in Central Asia and I there were very good memories of people who lived at that time, these people were different from modern society, and changes in society took place before my eyes, and changes for the worse, in my opinion! At that time, everyone lived approximately the same way and were happy with every little thing, were good-natured and responsive, money didn’t solve anything - well, maybe in big cities money mattered, such as Moscow! At that time, housing was provided free of charge, free education, only honesty and honesty were required from a person! And then the USSR collapsed and my life with the country — it’s hard for me to convey the mood of that time — then people didn’t turn to the police (police) for justice, but to the criminals, to the bandits who were released from prison! And they taught me honesty in kindergarten, at school, at home - do not deceive, do not steal, protect the weak, do not offend girls, respect the elderly...

Mostly my grandparents raised me, and I remember, as a child, how my grandmother hid religious books written in Old Slavonic, hid in a wardrobe and asked me not to tell anyone about it, because they could come, pick up books and also condemn, although in 1970-1980 it became much easier in relation to religion. I began to read the scriptures at school, in the elementary grades. In my appeal, I wrote that my grandmother possessed a gift (skill) from God - she treated sick people with prayers, in our family it lasts for many generations! Of course, my grandmother told me a lot about how the spiritual world works, about the inhabitants of that world - who helps people and who harms. Later, I myself was always interested in the Bible, because it is very important to understand who God is, because when Jesus was asked "what is eternal life," he answered "Eternal life in the knowledge of God!" Therefore, for me, the spiritual world is as real as a computer is in front of you, or as a pet - a dog or a cat! In general, I’m not talking about God in vain, my life is closely connected with Him, because in my life I often meet religious people, in Ukraine, for example, God brought me to Jehovah's Witnesses, and I attended their meetings and made many discoveries for myself...

My family, my wife and I are now in a very difficult situation, and I talked about this, but I wrote an appeal where I ask for financial assistance only because I had a dream at night, and a night dream that I have to do this - it's true, and I, as a believer, did this, I turned to you for help, although in my doubts I am still right! It’s hard for you to believe my words, but just imagine how hard it is for me to believe that someone in a distant country even reads a letter and responds to a completely unknown person from the Internet, and even from Russia (yes, they told me appeal to people from other nations, from other countries). Therefore, I tell you, this is possible only for God, He sees hearts, and whom He loves, He encourages action! How this happens, I will tell you, even on the example of my letter to you:

- You are a kind person, learned about another person’s misfortune, and that he needs help, at this time God gives you the Holy Spirit, and you accept or reject him (you probably heard the expression “a person filled with the Holy Spirit”), but if you accept such a gift, a person can become truly happy, which is why Jesus Christ said that his burden is light, although at first glance the opposite seems! The life of any person can change in one second, we cannot know what will happen tomorrow, and most often we can not influence what is happening - in such cases we call God for help, but will He respond when help is needed?!

Many today have turned their backs on God - people have many reasons, but few know why! Everyone heard about the End of the World, the Apocalypse, someone today says that nothing will happen, someone builds shelters, digs shelters, even buys land on other planets, but all these actions are completely useless! The fact that this will happen is a fact, we all see obvious changes, signs from heaven, disasters and shocks, wars and rumors of wars, and most importantly changes in society ... Jesus said that as the trees bloom and you know that summer is coming, so there are signs of the last days, and as summer comes, so that day will surely come. Also, Jesus said that it is impossible for a person to be saved, but everything is possible for God! Therefore, through religious organizations, people are misled, through the governments of countries people are created living conditions that are estranged from God ... Even my example, a person really disappears, and someone has the opportunity to help two living souls at once, but how to believe?!

Sitting at the writing of these texts, I suddenly got the idea that I know a lot about what should happen and what needs to be done to be able to save - this information has been collected in me throughout my life, from childhood, and how it turns out that it is consistent with the Bible - this is important because a person should not speak on his own; remember, even Jesus always said: "It is said ... It is written ...". And I thought that I could expound this knowledge and put it into free access to the Internet, even if one person finds something useful there for himself - that's good! Unless of course I have enough time and energy...

Everything, there is nothing more to write! And yet, I ASK YOU, WE VERY NEED YOUR HELP! PLEASE HEAR US, WHILE I ALREADY HAVE A CHANCE TO CHANGE LIFE! I AM READY FOR YOUR TERMS! OUR MAIN PROBLEM IS DEBT, AMOUNT ABOUT 600,000 RUBLES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION, IT IS LESS THAN $ 10,000 $, you do not need the whole amount, and not necessarily a large amount, send as much as you can, we will be grateful to you for the smallest! No, I’m not a squander, and not a windy person - it happened, it happens! I try very hard, but my debt does not decrease, and perhaps it will begin to increase due to delays! Maybe I can do something for you...

If necessary, I will give you my phone number, but I do not know foreign languages. Here is the email address: ks36sv@gmail.com

God bless you! Amen

[thecoroutfitters]

Written by Wild Bill on The Prepper Journal.

Editor’s Note: Not your normal Prepper subject but I came across this excellent article by Anthony Duggan at Kitty Insight and was impressed with the detail and construction of the article and the useful information it conveyed. For the life of me I can’t figure out what I was searching for when I found this, I am not a cat person, perhaps it was child safety around the home, in any case I contacted Anthony and he graciously gave me permission to repost it here on The Prepper Journal, something I don’t normally do either. Think I’ll pick up a few Powerball tickets over lunch today, another thing I don’t normally do.

I went to check to see what house plants and garden plants were poisonous for my cat and got a bit of a shock. Turns out, by the looks of it, that most plants seem to be poisonous for my cat!

According to this site, there are literally hundreds of common, every day, flowers and plants that are poisonous. Now, obviously, some need to be totally eaten in huge quantities to have a negative effect – but some, just inhaling the pollen as your cat walks by could be life ending!

Well after reading through the seemingly never-ending list it occurred to me that it might be better to know which plants and flowers are not bad for my cat.

It might be easier to have a short list to work off and also to know what these harmless beauties look like for easy identification. Without further ado here are a bunch of completely harmless plants and flowers you can stick around the house and garden safe in the knowledge that kitty is absolutely safe :

Birds Nest Fern (Asplenium Nidus)

A great low light houseplant. Originates from South East Asia, Australasia, Polynesia & Hawaii. In the wild, this fern has a tendency to grow on trees, cliffs and other objects but you will probably buy it as a potted house plant. Comes from a tropical environment so likes humidity and moist soils but can put up with the odd dry spell. In the wild fronds would grow 20 to 59 inches long and up to 8 inches wild but domestically you are unlikely to achieve such good growth. Doesn’t flower but offers abundant greenery. An ideal bathroom plant.

Light Conditions: Medium to low indirect light

Watering: Likes humid environments and moist composts.  

Calathea Rattlesnake (Calathea Lancifolia)

A native of Brazil, the rattlesnake is not venomous to cats or humans! Likes Indirect bright sunshine and to be kept moist in spring and summer but not watered to soggy. Likes some humidity and grows large leaves up to 30 inches tall. Blooms yellow/orange flowers in late season. If the leaves wilt you haven’t watered lightly regularly enough.

Light Conditions: Bright but indirect sunlight.

Watering: Keep moist in spring and summer without making compost soggy. No watering in winter.

Spider Plant/Airplane Plant/Spider Ivy/Ribbon Plant (Chlorophytum Comosum)

Very easy to grow as it loves a wide range of conditions. Bright indirect light and sporadic watering are all it takes for even the most useless gardener to keep this hardy plant alive and flourishing. A spider will give flowers in the right conditions and will send out tendril offshoots as it looks to become mobile and spread. Easy to separate and grow new plants from tendrils overall growth is inhibited by pot size.

Light Conditions: Bright but indirect light.

Watering: Regular or sporadic – just don’t over water.

Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea Elegans)

A popular houseplant that can grow two to six feet tall indoors in pots. Originating from Mexico and Guatemala, this little palm is popular because it grows well in low light conditions and at lower temperatures. Usually potted in clumps, this palm produces narrow, long, green leaves similar to those used on Palm Sunday. Doesn’t produce any flowers but is safe for cats and humans.

 Light Conditions: Low to bright indirect light.

Watering: Prefers dry to being over moist, waterlogged or sitting in water.

Staghorn Fern/Stags Horn Fern/Elk Fern (Platycerium Bifurcatum)

Easy to identify by its stag antler/moose antler-shaped leaves. Native to Australia, these ferns tend to grow on trees rather than on the ground – although if you are shopping for one it is likely to come in a pot. In the wild, these grow to a mighty size, but in a pot or outside its normal environment growth is going to be small and manageable. Very distinctive looking plant make this a houseplant that is growing in popularity allied to the fact they are reasonably easy to look after.

Light Conditions: Bright indirect light – doesn’t survive under just artificial light.

Watering: Won’t tolerate over-watering – likes misting and soaking – more light more water. Generally, water once per week.

Haworthia Zebra (Haworthia Attenuata)

A member of the succulent group of plants, this little plant, reminiscent of cacti, originates from South Africa. It has small and has striped leaves, occasionally flowers but rarely when kept indoors. Likes temperatures from 8 to 26 c and enjoys bright indirect sunlight. Related to the aloe plant without the latex that is poisonous to cats.

Light Conditions: Bright indirect light.

Watering: Water when well drained soil dries out in summer, don’t over water in winter.

Xerographica Air Plant (Tillandsia Xerographica)

This remarkable little plant originates from Mexico, Salvador & Guatemala. It is remarkable because of its highly original looks and the fact it is an air plant – it requires no bedding – whatsoever! In terms of looks, it’s fronds/leaves wrap around itself like soft mossy leaves – very unusual but interesting to look at! It likes bright light and in the correct temperatures can reside inside and out. Watering – how to water an air plant? Misting and soaking. Soak for 15 minutes once every other week or literally submerge it once a month for a few minutes!

Light Conditions: Bright direct or indirect light – thrives in both.

Watering: Misting and occasional soaking.

Money Tree/Guiana Chestnut (Pachira Aquatica)

Believed to bring financial good fortune to its owner, the money tree plant is another popular house plant that is cat-friendly. Originating from the swamps of central and south america they are easily identifiable by their interlocking trunks (that lock in good luck – so the theory goes). Not to be confused with the succulent money plant, they like water once a week and bright but indirect light.

Light Conditions: Bright indirect light.

Watering: Once a week in summer, don’t leave to stand in water.

Peperomia Green (Peperomia Obtusifolia)

Otherwise known as the baby rubber plant, this plant originates in Mexico and the northern jungles of South America. Identifiable by its cupped, fleshy, leathery leaves this popular houseplant grows up to 25 cms tall when potted and flowers sporadically.  

Light Conditions: Bright indirect light, sporadic direct light.

Watering: Allow soil to dry out then water thoroughly – don’t allow to sit in waterlogged soil.

Echeveria Lola

A small succulent plant that grows to 6 inches tall. Has a distinctive light purple appearance shaped as a single rosette. Uncomplicated to grow, don’t allow to sit in water, remove dead leaves at the base and provide plenty of sunlight and it should grow reasonably well.

Light Conditions: Bright direct & indirect light

Watering: Don’t allow to stand in water. Water regularly.

Boston Fern/Sword Fern (Nephrolepis Exaltata)

If you have seen a fern indoors it was probably a Boston fern. These have been popular since Victorian times due to their interesting drooping fronds and easy maintenance. Generally reaching to 30 cm tall, they can grow much bigger if re-potted. Native to most tropical regions worldwide these are cat-friendly and a good looking house plant that reputedly cleans the air very efficiently. They like bright indirect light and humid conditions so work great in bathrooms. Need lots of watering during the summer period as they don’t appreciate drying out.

Light Conditions: Bright indirect light.

Watering: Keep moist but not waterlogged, enjoy humid conditions.

Maidenhair Fern/Walking Fern/Venus Hair Fern (Adiantum)

Grows to about 60 cms tall and in diameter but can be kept small by limiting pot size. This fern has more rounded leaves on the fronds than the Boston fern. Usually grows in the wild on rock faces or rocky river banks. This is not an easy plant to keep indoors. It doesn’t like bright light but needs humid wet air. Making it a difficult plant to please indoors. These finicky plants are safe for your cat but you will end up having to mist them daily, monitor water/humidity conditions and cosset the damn thing to keep it alive.

Light Conditions: Shaded, out of bright light.

Watering: Mist twice daily, keep soil damp.

Bamboo Palm/Areca Palm (Dypsis Lutescens)

Our second palm on the list is a graceful, upright, easy to look at, clumping palm. Very popular due to its good looks and relatively low maintenance. Completely safe for your cat, these palms like bright indirect light, misting regularly and watering with soft rainwater once the top layer of their pot has dried out. Keep away from radiators and strong heat sources.

Light Conditions: Bright indirect light.

Watering: Occasional misting, watering once top layer of compost has dried out.

Prayer Plant (Maranta Leuconeura)

A Brazilian rain forest native, this plant derives its name from the weird spectacle of its movement a day gives way to night and vice versa. The plant wilts and recovers with changes of light creating a praying period. The interesting coloration on the leaves make this plant a popular house plant – but they are not easy to maintain. They need moist and highly humid conditions to thrive and prefer bright indirect light.

Light Conditions: Bright indirect light.

Watering: Keep moist, but don’t over water or they succumb to root rot.

Swedish Ivy (Plectranthus Australis)

A popular house plant, Swedish ivy is prone and grows outwards as a mat or cascades from high spots. Neither a true ivy or Swedish it is identifiable by its round, evergreen leaves that have a saw tooth edge. This plant is fast growing and easy to care for. It is not fond of overly bright areas and is often killed by over watering. Produces white flowers and sometimes creates an aroma when touched.

Light Conditions: Shaded areas, out of direct bright light.

Watering: Avoid over watering – under-watered plants can be revived but over watered are goners. Let the soil dry out before watering.

Cast Iron Plant/Bar Room Plant (Aspidistra Elatior)

A native of Japan and Taiwan the cast iron plant derives its name from the fact it can be neglected without suffering too much long term damage. Broad, floppy leaves that shoot upwards from the pot makes this evergreen a popular good looking plant. Able to withstand drought, pest and poor light means even beginner gardeners find this plant easy to maintain and keep looking good. If you want the nearest thing to an indestructible house plant this is it.

Light Conditions: Avoid direct sunlight.

Watering: Water regularly in summer, cut down in winter.

African Violet (Saintpaulia)

Bored of evergreens? Need some cat safe flowers with color? The African violet is your huckleberry. Obviously, they come from Africa. Specifically Tanzania. They come in a huge range of color to satisfy any taste and are pretty easy to take care of. They like bright light to come into bloom but dislike direct sunlight that might scorch fragile leaves. They like room temperature tap water once their compost dries out and regular fertilizing with plant feed.

Light Conditions: Bright indirect light

Watering: Allow to dry out then water with tepid water, feed regularly.

Aluminum Plant/Watermelon Pilea (Pilea Cadierei)

An evergreen perennial native to China and Vietnam that grows to 30 cms tall. Perfectly safe for cats and humans. Usually has a wide pointed oval variegated leaf with a shiny wax finish. Produces flowers but they are not very impressive. The main beauty of the plant is it’s large green and silvered leaves. Handles low light conditions well and needs to be kept moist.

Light Conditions: Indirect light, shaded conditions

Watering: keep compost moist but not waterlogged.

Friendship Plant (Pilea Involucrata)

Native to Central and South America this plant is renowned for its easy maintenance and two-tone green fuzzy leaves. Likes indirect low levels of light and occasionally flowers with a pretty little pink flower. Called the friendship plant due to the ease with which cuttings can be grown at speed into plants that can be gifted. Grows to 6 to 12 inches tall.

Light Conditions: Low indirect light although needs some bright indirect light.

Watering: keep the soil moist in summer allow to dry out slightly in winter. Provide some humidity if possible.

Lace Flower Vine (Alsobia Dianthiflora)

As the name suggests this is a trailing vine offering loads of green soft leaves and in spring a wonderful white flower. A very decorative flower that can be moved outdoors in the summer. This is an easy-care houseplant that can take some neglect. Can be left to dry out between waterings. Favors bright through to shaded light making it easy to grow in most indoor locations.

Light Conditions: Bright indirect to shaded light.

Watering: Can dry out between watering without issue.

Lipstick Plant (Aeschynanthus Radicans)

If you like flowers and the African violet doesn’t do it for you then maybe the lipstick plant is a good candidate. Named after its red flowers that protrude out of darker red tubular sheaths this is a vine that will flower almost continuously in the correct conditions. Provide the vine with bright indirect light and plenty of water and you should get red flowers continuously. Avoid over watering.

Light Conditions: Bright indirect sunlight.

Watering: Weekly, avoid over watering or standing in water.

Phalaenopsis Orchid/Moth Orchid

If you want a cat-safe flower then the ubiquitous moth orchid is your first port of call. These are probably the most popular flowering house plant available. Popular as they provide wonderful flowers in multiple different color options all year round. Available from numerous outlets at incredibly affordable prices. These plants produce a wild amount of blooms for a prolonged period the go dormant. To restart blooming you have to subject them to cooler nighttime temperatures for about a month and water via ice cube. The temperature variation draws them out of dormancy and off the bloom again!

Light Conditions: Moderately bright windowsill or indirect light.

Watering: Water every 7-10 days or when it dries out

Polka Dot Plant (Begonia Maculata)

The polka dot plant is named due to the obvious pink spots on its broad green leaves. Native to Madagascar, it’s spots and dots can vary in colour from pink through to scarlet, lavender and white making these a highly decorative plant. Although they grow several feet tall in the wild potted versions are considerably smaller. These plants like bright indirect light, moist soils and require feeding monthly. In lower light levels they will go hunting for light.

Light Conditions: Wide range from shaded through to bright indirect light.

Watering: Should be kept moist but not over watered.

Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera)

This cactus originates from southeastern Brazil. Usually found growing in humid environments on trees and rocks, they are notable for their flat cacti leaves and when flowering their red or white tubular flowers. Easy to manage and maintain, these cacti are a very popular house plant. Non-toxic to cats, humans and dogs you can safely grow them without fear of poisoning kitty!

Light Conditions: Bright indirect light.

Watering: Soak once the top inch of compost goes dry, don’t allow to stand in water. Feed regularly.

Wax Plant/Wax Flower/ Hoya (Hoya Carnosa)

Originating from Asia and Australasia this climbing plant has waxy leaves giving rise to its name the wax plant and produces scented flowers making it a very popular house plant. Non-toxic to cats this plant is relatively easy to care for as it likes northern facing windows where the light is bright but indirect. Keep moist during summer months and the plant should flourish and produce many scented flowers.

Light Conditions: Bright indirect light, Northern facing windows.

Watering: Keep moist during growing season – avoid over watering.

Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea)

The ponytail palm is a very distinctive palm that has grown in popularity in recent years thanks to its fantastic shape and display. Originating from eastern Mexico, in the wild, this plant can grow to 30 feet tall although indoors the best you tend to get is 4 ft! Although called a palm due to its long shooting fronds that resemble those of some palms, it is, in fact, a member of the succulent family. This makes an easy to care for houseplant as it can take periods of poor low light and can live in semi-dry conditions so is ideal for a lot of areas of the home and lifestyles.

Light Conditions: Low light with some bright spells preferred.

Watering: Loves dry conditions.

Basil (Ocimum Basilicum)

A member of the mint family, Basil is native to tropical regions from central America through to Asia. There are several well-known variations: Sweet, Thai and Lemon Basil. Each variation has a slightly different flavor. Well known for its uses in cooking, this herb doesn’t flower but produces large leaves that have a subtle aniseed flavor when used in cooking. Can be grown indoors or outdoors. Growing indoors is easy an requires good bright sunshine and moist well-drained soil. Completely non-toxic to cats and humans…

Light Conditions: Bright direct light preferred.

Watering: Kept moist but well drained.

Sage (Salvia Officinalis)

Originally from the Mediterranean but now distributed widely, common sage is widely used in cooking. Identifiable by its woody stems, grayish leaves and blue to purple flowers, sage gives off a woody, pine-like aroma and is used in numerous dishes as a flavoring from sausages through to being sprinkled on meaty dishes for added flavor. Easy to grow indoors and outdoors this herb is a must in any cooks garden or kitchen. It can be planted in direct light and needs well-drained soil but is very hardy and easy to grow. Non-toxic to cats and humans and useful too…

Light Conditions: Bright direct sunshine where possible.

Watering: Water regularly, avoid over watering – Sage is fairly drought resistant.

Thyme (Thymus Vulgaris)

Another Mediterranean herb that can be grown indoors that is popular with cooks and harmless to cats! Thyme is a low lying shrub that loves sunny dry conditions and flowers with small white or pink flowers through from spring onward. This is nice and easy to keep indoors due to its drought loving nature and love of sunlight – stick it on a bright windowsill and you are good to go.

Light Conditions: Bright direct sunlight.

Watering: Sparingly, do not leave in damp conditions.

Editor’s Note: So all bets are off if you put some catnip on any of these plants. The cats will survive, the plant, not so much! Same for Christmas decorations. I do have a number of friends who have barn cats and they, as you know, are every bit working animals serving a vital purpose.  

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The post 29 House Plants That Are Safe For Cats appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

from The Prepper Journal Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

[digitalmark18-blog]

How To Travel The World And Make Money

New Post has been published on https://britishdigitalmarketingnews.com/how-to-travel-the-world-and-make-money/

How To Travel The World And Make Money

These days it might seem like everyone wants to travel the world. But unless you are independently wealthy, who has vacation time to spend months backpacking Central America or motorcycling across Laos?

Enter: long term travel paired with paid (and sometimes volunteer) gigs. Because not everyone with wanderlust has trust fund. Or is an influencer.

Working while traveling is a great way to backpack around the world. Photo credit: Getty.

The idea is simple. Save up enough money to travel long term and then stretch your dollars (and your time off) with jobs as you go.

For this list, I avoided jobs that typically fall under digital nomadism, like financial trading or marketing. Although the ability to work remotely has revolutionized expat life and lead to concepts like crypto nomadism, those kinds of jobs require a different skillset. Being a digital nomad is largely determined by your occupation and if it is possible to work remotely. Instead, I wanted to focus on jobs that anyone could do while traveling or living abroad.

I’ve broken up potential opportunities into two categories: volunteer work where you receive room + board in exchange for labor, and actual jobs that pay you money while you’re traveling long term. This post will focus on work opportunities in exchange for money, while the next will highlight volunteer positions in exchange for room and board.

 Making money while traveling the world

Unless you become an influencer or plan on writing a killer blog, not many people are able to travel full time and make good money. You can make decent money along the way to fund additional adventures or spend more time abroad, but you likely won’t be pulling six figures.

But that’s ok. Because sometimes life is about the experience and not the paycheck. And if you’re able to serve beers in Australia for six months to fund a Bali surf trip, it won’t matter that you didn’t pull $120,000 last year. 

Teaching English abroad

For native speakers with a bachelor degree, teaching English is one of the easiest ways to work abroad. It offers you the ability to spend a significant amount of time in a country, while (sometimes) making good money.

After teaching English abroad in Martinique, Francesca Murray wrote the first-ever English guide to the island.Francesca Murray.

Francesca Murray, the multimedia journalist behind One Girl One World, moved to Martinique to teach English when she was 27. The gig was meant to be year-long adventure to build content for her blog, but soon snowballed into much more. She is now known as the American expert on the island, and even published the world’s first English language guide to Martinique. She says that teaching English abroad “is an incredible way to fully immerse yourself in a culture .”

The type of work and requirements varies widely between countries and schools. Nearly every reputable job will require a Teaching English as a Foreign Language or TEFL certification course.

Outside of the TEFL certification, requirements vary widely between countries and schools.

For example, Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates usually require prior teaching experience, while Asian countries like South Korea, Japan and China, mostly do not.

Salaries vary widely depending on what region you’re interested in and your individual background. ESL teachers in Oman report taking home around an extraordinariy $40,000 a year, as income isn’t taxed and housing is provided. Others places like South Korea or Japan offer a low cost of living and high salaries, so English teachers there have been able to save thousands a year. On the opposite end of the spectrum, teachers in European countries like Czech Republic, Italy or Spain report salaries that cover expenses, but not much else.

Use websites like Dave’s ESL Cafe, Transition’s Abroad, Serious Teachers or Tefl.net to find a job teaching English abroad. More resources include teacher Nicole Brewer’s book on the subject and Nomadic Matt’s list of best places to teach English overseas. Experts also recommend looking on Facebook for ESL teacher groups in your intended country.

If the idea of trolling message boards or finding individual schools to apply to is exhausting, consider using a recruiter. They will match your requirements (salary, location, benefits) with appropriate schools. Usually, schools pay the recruiters’ fee so it isn’t an additional cost.

Although in general people have good experiences with these kinds of programs, there are some bad actors. Check with current teachers and read school reviews online before committing to anything. Read the fine print in a contract, as any vagueness will usually be interpreted in the school’s best interest. You’re likely less aware of local work culture, so it’s important to ask questions before you arrive.

Former teachers also caution against any school that asks for money before you arrive. This is a job and you should not have to pay for that opportunity. Other red flags include programs that require you to work on a tourist visa, and don’t offer benefits like a flight home, a housing allowance or medical benefits.

Working Holiday visa

If you want to spend significant time working abroad, but aren’t interested in teaching English, a working holiday visa program is a great option.

Working holiday visas “are the easiest way to experience a new culture,” said Tommy Walker, the British travel blogger behind The Wandering Walker. During his twenties, he lived in New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong thanks working holiday visa programs. “You get to earn money, travel to a new place and save for a new adventure.”

Depending on your nationality, and age, the program allows you to live in a foreign country, and work a nonprofessional job like bartending for a set amount of time, usually between six to 24 months. An added benefit is that (usually) you can stay in one country much longer than if you entered with a normal tourist visa.

Participating countries view the program as a way to encourage longer term tourism while promoting cultural awareness. If you are unsure of your intended career path, or just want a break from the typical grind, a working holiday visa is a great way to move abroad and make money. Applicants usually must be between 18 to 30 years old, although each country has its own guidelines.

Logistics of the program varies widely depending on your own nationality, as well as the country you wish to travel to, so do your homework beforehand. Unfortunately, since the United States does not offer a working holiday visa program of its own, many countries do not offer Americans this visa. For now, Americans are limited to Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea. 

Hustle

Finding odd jobs in a foreign country is much more intrepid than a working holiday visa or becoming an ESL teacher. And while the path isn’t as clear – there’s no book on how to convince a hostel owner that they really need your artistic expertise – it can be very rewarding.

Long term backpackers turned liveaboard luxury yachters Kach and Jonathan Howe spent years exploring Central America and Asia. Although the Filipina and British couple now are in a different life stage – the one where you live on a luxury yacht – there was a time where they hustled for their adventures, picking up odd gigs as they traveled across continents.

Blogging about their adventures on Mr & Mrs Howe, the pair boasts a gamut of jobs from their backpacking days, from teaching English to waiting tables to managing social media for hostels. After years of slow travel, their biggest piece of advice is that you should invest in new skills if you want to travel and work at the same time.

Teaching yoga in South America funded Kach and Jonathan Howe’s long term travel.Kach and Jonathan Howe.

“Working, volunteering, or joining a workaway program… is a great way to get deeper into a place,” says Kach Howe, 30. By engaging with the local economy, Howe says that she and her hubbie ended up staying longer in places than expected, meeting new people and “finding out about things that we might otherwise have breezed through having only seen a handful of highlights from the guidebook!”

While traveling around South America in 2014, they relied on yoga and massage to fund their journey, as teaching English was not very lucrative. Sticking to bigger cities where they could more easily break into a market, the pair made their way around the continent, relying on their Tantra Yoga and Ayurveda massage certifications to help bring in business.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandratalty/2018/08/31/how-to-travel-the-world-and-make-money/

[madisonthorndike]

How Long Does It Take For A Grapefruit Tree To Grow From A Seed Prodigious Useful Tips

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Does Grape Grow In Arizona

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Life Of Grape Plant

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[oselatra]

The magic of curry paste

Or: How lawyer-turned-Thai food evangelist Richard Glasgow learned to stop worrying and cook Thai food.

One of Little Rock's best restaurants serves authentic Thai food made by a white guy from North Louisiana who's spent the majority of his professional career practicing law. There's no sign in front of kBird to announce itself to passersby — not that anyone would pass by an otherwise residential stretch of western Hillcrest in search of a restaurant. The building once housed a general store and several other eateries, but with clapboard siding and a fenced-in backyard, it still looks more like a house than a restaurant. Look closely and you might see an open sign — if it's lunchtime on a weekday or a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday evening — and a painting of a flock of chickens on the front door.

Inside, you'll find mismatched tables and chairs, a parquet floor that, like many of the homes in Hillcrest, tilts noticeably and is held together by duct tape in spots. On one wall, someone has handwritten a Mark Twain quote in marker — "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness" — under a map of Thailand with a hand-drawn rendering of the Malay Peninsula taped to the bottom of it. A handful of people work in an open kitchen — chopping, grinding out curry paste with a giant mortar and pestle, or working the stockpots and woks on the stove. The lanky guy — a flurry of motion — with glasses and tattoo of a large black bird (a Mississippi kite) peeking out from under his T-shirt is Richard Glasgow, the corporate lawyer turned Thai cultural evangelist.

Glasgow treats Thai food with reverence. He's assiduous in his devotion to making it like they do in Thailand. That means always finding the best and correct ingredients — never substituting onions for shallots, brown sugar for palm sugar or ginger for galangal. It means finding flavoring agents like dok ngiew, the dried flower stamens of the red cotton tree. It means pad Thai with Chinese broccoli, longbeans and kabocha squash and no sweet peanut sauce. It means curries with enough layers of flavor to suggest mystical powers.

Some of that deliciousness might owe to the fact that kBird's curry paste gets made every day with all the ingredients mashed together with a mortar and pestle, which takes about an hour and a half. There are no electrical appliances, aside from a fridge and deep freeze, to be found in the restaurant, even though a food processor could knock out the paste in seconds.

Brandon Brown, who owned the late, beloved Hillcrest Artisan Meats and is a longtime friend of Glasgow's, has worked in the kBird kitchen for the past eight months. He said he's spent time working in nice places that made a lot of things by hand over the course of his more than 30 years in the restaurant business, but never to the extent on which Glasgow insists. "Every day I tell him to get a fucking Cuisinart and a spice grinder," Brown said. But Glasgow refuses to take shortcuts. Doing so, "for a white person making Thai food, would be disrespectful," he said. Besides, he says, a food processor slices ingredients into tiny pieces; using a mortar and pestle to pulverize ingredients causes them to bind together to create more flavor. "It's very incrementally better, but better," he said. "Hard fucking work and paying attention" is one of his mottos. (That's a Guy Clark quote about legendary Texas singer/songwriter Townes Van Zandt's genius: "Everybody thought it was magic. That's bullshit. It was hard fucking work and paying attention.")

Before he started kBird, which began as a food trailer, Glasgow worked as a lawyer for Dillard's. It was a dark time for him. He bottomed out, to the point that leaving the corporate world to sling Thai food out of a trailer hidden in an alley in Hillcrest seemed perfectly reasonable. That was 2012.

Glasgow said he initially hid for two reasons: 1. As a white guy endeavoring to cook Thai standards like a grandma might in Thailand, he wanted to make sure that people came to him because they'd heard good things about the food, not because they'd seen a sign or seen a social media post. 2. He was scared he'd get overwhelmed and freak out and run away if too many people came. That plan worked out. He turned customers into evangelists themselves. The food truck now gathers cobwebs behind the restaurant, which opened in late 2014 at the corner of Tyler and Woodlawn streets. It's not unusual to drive by kBird a little after 1 p.m. and see a "sold out" sign in the window.

In 2015, Glasgow hosted his first khantoke, a reservation-only dinner featuring more than a dozen Northern Thai dishes that aren't on the menu. Each year since, he's increased the number of khantokes he hosts. In 2016, he hosted six, then nine in 2017 and he plans to do 10 in 2018. Each dinner accommodates 30-40 people. Glasgow takes reservations for three khantokes at a time. In an effort to be as fair as he can in the process, he requires people to make their reservations at 2 p.m. on a designated day. In May, on the day reservations were due for the three khantokes scheduled for the first half of the summer, the nearly 100 spaces were filled by 2:07 p.m. 'How I'm Learning to Stop Worrying and Cook Thai Food'

Glasgow grew up in Ruston and Oak Ridge, La. (he says he claims "dual citizenship"), among a family of farmers and cooks. He got an economics degree from Louisiana State University, spent nearly a decade working for a title company in Washington, D.C., and then got a law degree from Catholic University in D.C. In 2001, he and his wife, Aimée, who he met in D.C. but who is from Monroe (or "Mun-row," as Glasgow says), La., saved up enough money to travel around the world. They spent two months in Thailand and elsewhere in Southeast Asia and fell in love with the region.

"It's like a bizarro-world American South," Glasgow said of Thailand. "The same veneer of civilization exists. You wave at everyone; they wave back. You smile at someone; they smile at you. You're constantly rewarded for being nice. You say 'ma'am' and 'sir' and 'please' and 'thank you,' and let older people out in front of you. If you try to speak Thai and you're horrible at it, people will tell you you're great. It's the same small-town kind of stuff, but just a different world. ... You ever been somewhere where you felt like you belonged, but you didn't really belong, but you were treated like you belong? It's like that."

Glasgow sees a deep connection between Thailand and his native Louisiana. He calls it his unified theory. There are distinctive regions in Thailand, just like Louisiana. Northern Thailand is just like North Louisiana, he said. It's full of rednecks, which Glasgow identifies as. "They're pork, pork, pork. They fry in lard and eat pork rinds in sauces." The people in Northeastern Thailand are "ethnically Lao, they speak Lao, but live in Thailand. They eat the hottest food. They're the poorest. They eat bugs, snakes, crickets. They have the most fun and are great partiers. They're the Cajuns." Central Thailand, the broad alluvial plain of the Chao Phraya River, where the Siamese Ayutthaya Kingdom was based for thousands of years, produces two rice crops every year. It's Baton Rouge in Glasgow's telling. Bangkok, the country's capital, sits mostly on former swampland. The Chao Phraya River runs through the city before emptying into the Gulf of Thailand. It's, of course, New Orleans. Southern Thailand on the narrow Kra Isthmus is like Grand Isle, La., the narrow barrier island in South Louisiana.

When the Glasgows started thinking about having kids, they picked Little Rock, a place about which they knew little, because it was closer to home, but not too close. They had a daughter, who's now 11. Her nickname is kBird.

After working for a couple of years in private practice, Glasgow spent five years at Dillard's. That company is "as much to thank for the existence of kBird than just about anybody," Glasgow said. After spending that much time in the business world, the idea of kBird was a thumb of the nose toward the corporate and restaurant establishment and conventional notions on how one starts and runs a restaurant: "You've got to have a bunch of money to open a restaurant. You gotta have a wait staff. You need to advertise. Those are all reasonable things, but," Glasgow said, that route "wouldn't have been me."

Instead, if fine dining is arena rock, a genre associated with bands in the '70s, '80s and '90s that brought big stage shows to large arenas, kBird is punk rock, Glasgow said. In his metaphor, with arena rock (fine dining), "you gotta have a big ol' band and have a loud sound, and it's gotta look good from a long way away." That all costs a lot, and means, among other things, expensive rent and a large staff, which translates into higher prices for the concertgoer or diner. "Punk came as a reaction" to that, Glasgow said. D. Boon from the punk band Minutemen said, "Our band could be your life." "They said, 'Start your own band,' " Glasgow said. "That's what I did. It just wasn't a band; it was a restaurant."

Glasgow describes kBird as "egalitarian — everybody gets the same plate of food. It's reasonably priced. It's a lot of food. Ingredients are way better than what you'd expect they are. Some audience participation is required." That means customers order at the counter that divides the dining room from the open kitchen. Though Glasgow and his staff are humping it, sometimes it takes a bit for your order to come up. The hours — 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on weekdays and 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. Monday through Wednesday — aren't designed for peak dining-out times; they're what Glasgow can do while still spending time with his family and not working himself to the ground. Though he concedes he's "a control freak," the idea of delegating to others to run the restaurant when he's not there doesn't appeal to him. "I didn't quit a pretty well-paying job to start something out of absolute nothing to bring it where it is to not be here."

The other unique thing about kBird is that it closes for about a month from mid-January to mid-February for Glasgow to travel to Thailand. He's been seven times since 2001. He visits the Naan province in Northern Thailand, where he's made a number of friends over the years. His itinerary is to "not walk fast, talk to little old ladies and laugh," he said. He also cooks a lot and watches people cook. Last year, Glasgow got to be one of the first farang (white people) to stay overnight in a remote Northern Thailand village thanks to a Thai friend who works in tourism. Several years back, during one of his trips, Glasgow went to the market one morning to buy supplies for breakfast. He's somewhat conversant in Thai. When he was paying, he said he told a woman selling groceries at a booth, " 'Today, I'm making rice curry.' She said, 'No pay.' It was like, 'You understand this; you can have it.' That's why I'm so excited and excitable [about Thai food and culture], and also why I'm so very worried about not being respectful. I want to do right by these people. It's not a question of my integrity. These people changed my life. I've learned so much about myself and my life in this adventure." If his life were a movie, in a nod to "Dr. Strangelove," Glasgow joked it might be called "How I'm Learning to Stop Worrying and Make Thai Food."

"All of this is an effort to become integrated into Thai culture, so I'll begin to understand their mindset and somehow it will rub off on me."

On his left arm, Glasgow has the phrase "baaw bpen yang" tattooed in Thai letters. It's a country dialect version of a common Thai phrase, mai bpen rai. "In Thailand, it means everything from 'you're welcome' to 'I forgive you for your actions.' It goes all the way across the board. If you're in an embarrassing situation or you've fucked up, more often than not, the Thai person will look at you and say, 'mai bpen rai.' It means it doesn't matter, what are we going to do about it now? A car wreck? Spilling some lady's stuff? Mai bpen rai. It doesn't matter. I grew up in a house where everything mattered. To have a group of people say, don't worry about it — for me, excited and anxious all the time — when another person tells you that, it means a lot." Glasgow says baaw bpen yang identifies him with the country people of Northern Thailand. "It's the 'it's all good, y'all' version."

That's not to say that philosophy has fully taken root. "Fear and anxiety" have always fueled kBird. Though he concedes that, based on the restaurant's growth, "an objective person would say, 'You're probably going to be able to continue to do business,' " he says he's still "scared to say something like that out loud." Every Monday, he remains a nervous wreck, fretting that no one will darken his door that week.

He knows he could do more business being open even for lunch on Saturday, but that would get in the way of one of the highlights of his week: shopping at Sam's Oriental Store every Saturday morning. The venerable Asian grocery on South University Avenue is teeming with essential items for all sorts of far-flung cultures that make the market, especially on Saturdays, when a new shipment of produce arrives from Dallas, as diverse of a gathering place as you'll find in Little Rock. On a Saturday in early June, Glasgow talked to or stood in line with Hmong, Viet, Korean and Filipino people. An African priest had traveled several hours for fufu powder. The owner of La Bodeguita in Hot Springs was there, making his weekly stop to buy mangoes. Jose, a longtime Salvadoran employee, greeted Glasgow: "Hey, Rich-ee."

Glasgow's list was long and different from usual because the second khantoke of the year was happening later that day. Among the items on his list that you're probably not going to find at Kroger: galangal (in the ginger family), banana leaves, Chinese broccoli, Kaffir lime leaves, kombucha squash (aka Japanese pumpkin), water spinach, quail eggs and pig's blood. Amid his shopping, Glasgow stopped to show the owner, Sam Choi, a picture on his phone of a maeng da, a giant water bug that's commonly used as a flavoring agent in nam phrik sauces. It's sold around the world packaged in plastic. Choi was sure he could get them.

The khantoke dinners give Glasgow a chance to cook Northern Thai dishes that otherwise would not appear on the menu, aside from a special here and there. For this dinner, Glasgow and Co. started preparing almost a week earlier, boiling and scraping fat off pig skin and dehydrating it to get it ready to be turned into pork rinds and crackling. Sour pork (naem heung) spent days fermenting in the sun; it's tasty and safe enough to eat that Glasgow and a reporter take bites after it's finished fermenting, but hours before the dinner, it gets steamed in banana leaves on the grill to make doubly sure it's ready. Brown doesn't work on weekends, but the other full-time staff, Chris and Jessica Shippey, come in around midday to help with prep. So does Joe Sithong, a friend with a catering background who volunteers his services. His father was Lao, but he died when Sithong was young. "I have all the cravings, but none of the culture," he said. Cooking and eating Thai food "is almost like church," he said. "It's satisfying and makes you feel better about yourself."

He mashed roasted green chili peppers, shallots and garlic in a mortar and pestle to make nahm phrik noom, a popular Northern Thailand dip that pairs with pork rinds and other meats. Meanwhile, Glasgow chopped up 12 pounds of river catfish Sithong picked up from Love's Fish Market on John Barrow Road. "I grew up trotlining," Glasgow said. "I've been knowing about this a lot longer than I've been knowing about Thai food." The fish goes outside into a giant gas cooker filled with oil — "way more than anyone would ever tell you to put in at one time." There's so much water in the fish that has to evaporate, and the frying takes almost an hour.

Five hours later, the feast is prepared and plated and the lucky dozens start filing in with bottles of wine in tow (it's B.Y.O.B; kBird's zoning prevents it from selling alcohol). Glasgow offers some quick greetings in Thai and explains what all the food is before retreating to the kitchen for beer. He'll need one and a half and prodding from Sithong before he can go mingle and answer questions.

The diners consider the feast with big eyes and big smiles. Glasgow encourages everyone to pull out their phones when the full spread is on the table and then it all gets passed family-style. There's the equivalent of about three meal-sized portions per person on the table: Sticky rice, which is steamed in woven baskets, rather than boiled. A vegetable plate with steamed pumpkin, bok choy and chayote squash and fresh cabbage, Chinese broccoli, chives, long bean, cucumber and water spinach. A meat plate with the steamed and fermented pork, the pork rinds and cracklings, fried chicken wings and muu thaawt makhwaen, fried strips of pork loin seasoned with makhwaen seeds from the prickly ash tree. Two chili dips, the green chili dip Sithong made and nahm phrik ong, a pork, tomato and chili combination that Thai folks often eat with vegetables. Two salads — one a smoky grilled eggplant topped with steamed quail eggs and the other fried catfish topped with fried basil and lime leaves. Then there's a bowl of hanglae pork curry with ginger and peanuts and a pork rib curry made with pork blood and dok ngiew, the dried flower stamens of the red cotton tree. A tower of steamed rice with pork and pork blood tastes a lot like rice with boudin rouge, Glasgow tells the crowd in case anyone knows about the Cajun delicacy. For dessert, there's coconut milk custard cooked in a tiny Asian pumpkin and a sticky rice cake topped with palm sugar caramel.

Glasgow has regulars from Thailand. One invited friends from Northern Thailand who live in the U.S. to fly in for a khantoke. Glasgow overheard someone ask her if the food was like what she got at home. "She said, 'Sort of, but with all this stuff, it's like a double birthday!" He took that as a high compliment.

But he's quick to deflect praise for the food. "I didn't make any of this up. This ain't mine. To the extent I can take what people make in Thailand and make it here, I'm good at that. I'm not a chef." If he has a skill, it's as a "food Xerox," he said. "I have a really good taste memory. I'm able to eat something and fix it in my mind and replicate it."

Going from the corporate world to opening and running kBird has been a journey, he said. Does he feel like he's arrived? "No, but I feel like I'm a lot closer than I was. I'm now in a position to get there. There's a lot of self-doubt that takes years to build up. There's an episode of 'The Simpsons,' where at some point Homer does something really great and nice and makes himself look good. And Bart looks at Lisa and goes, 'I've got this really strange feeling.' And she goes, 'Pride?' I'm still at that point. I don't ever want to be there. I don't think you're ever going to be there. That's a metaphysical question. I don't think you're ever going to be there. That's the answer to the Big Question. But you can set yourself up to make yourself happier."

The magic of curry paste

[myyenlee]

Welcome Atavist! A Groundbreaking Publishing Platform Joins the WordPress.com Family

Today we’re announcing that Atavist, a multimedia publishing platform and award-winning magazine, will be joining WordPress.com parent company Automattic.

This news is exciting to me on a few levels — eight years ago I had my first introduction to Atavist when I met a journalist named Evan Ratliff for coffee at Housing Works in New York. He showed me the first pieces of what became a bold new platform for long-form storytelling, which he created with co-founders Jefferson Rabb and Nicholas Thompson. At the time I had just started Longreads, so we shared an interest in seeing a revival for long-form journalism on the open web.

Fast-forward to today and we’re thrilled to have the Atavist and Longreads teams now together under the WordPress.com banner. Atavist’s publishing platform will be moving over to WordPress, and its award-winning magazine The Atavist will continue to serve up outstanding in-depth storytelling with a new feature each month, under the editorship of Seyward Darby. Also joining the team is Atavist CEO Rabb and head of product communications Kathleen Ross.

I chatted with Rabb, Darby, and Ross about what’s next.

Jeff, Seyward, Kathleen, we’re excited you’re here! You’ve had a terrific run over the past eight years — leading innovation around the design and process of multimedia storytelling, winning many awards along the way — what are your hopes and priorities for Atavist moving forward?

RABB: Thank you, I’m thrilled to be here! My number one hope in joining [WordPress.com parent company] Automattic is to bring everything we have built and learned to an audience that is orders of magnitude larger. I’ve spent the past eight years honing a toolset and sensibility for digital journalism, and now I’m excited to put this to use for a mass audience. When these are integrated into WordPress, I am hoping we will have an unbeatable product for storytelling and journalism. There are many fascinating challenges and problems in journalism today, and now more than ever I want to be part of the solution.

DARBY: I’m also excited to be here! I’ve been at The Atavist Magazine for the last 15 months, and it’s the best job I’ve ever had. The list of things I love about our publication is too long to include in full, but some highlights are the intimate collaborations with creators, the anchoring belief in the timeless power of cinematic storytelling, and the commitment to nurturing the next generation of long-form writers. Certainly, we work with big-name journalists, but we’re also a magazine that supports up-and-coming narrative writers who want to take a swing at a really, really big story. I love nothing more than helping someone crack the code on a 15,000-word feature’s complex structure. (I’m a big fan of Post-It notes and story trees, and of fist-pumping to no one in particular when an article section falls into place.)

Moving forward, the magazine’s foundational priorities will remain the same: We’ll tell great stories, design them beautifully, treat our collaborators well, and have a lot of fun in the process. My hope is that, by combining forces with WordPress.com, we’ll get to push the boundaries of our projects: dive into more multi-part narrative investigations, produce more original video or audio where it makes good sense, improve the diversity of our roster of writers and artists, and provide journalists with the resources and time they need to report the hell out of topics they’re passionate about.

Winning awards and getting our stories optioned for film/TV, which we also have a strong track record of doing, will be goals, absolutely, but never at the expense of providing a quality experience to every person who contributes to or reads The Atavist.

Tell us about some of your favorite stories you’ve hosted.

DARBY: I’m proud of every story I’ve shepherded as the executive editor, so it’s hard for me to pick favorites. The most successful Atavist stories share the same key ingredients: a propulsive, satisfying narrative, rich characters, and scenes that make readers feel immersed in the world the writer is describing. At first blush, Kenneth R. Rosen’s story “The Devil’s Henchmen,” about what is being done with the bodies of the ISIS dead in Mosul, doesn’t seem to have much in common with Amitha Kalaichandran’s “Losing Conner’s Mind,” about a family’s quest to save a child from a rare, fatal disease; Allyn Gaestel’s “Things Fall Apart,” about an over-hyped art installation in Nigeria; Mike Mariani’s “Promethea Unbound,” about the tortured life of a child genius; or David Mark Simpson’s “Not Fuzz,” about a millionaire hotelier who moonlights as a serial police impersonator. Yet these stories all have compelling plots about everyday people whose lives are shaped by sheer will and unpredictable circumstance. You can’t put them down because you want to know what’s going to happen.

As for Atavist stories that predate my time at the magazine, I’ll award a few superlatives. Quirkiest goes to Jon Mooallem’s “American Hippopotamus,” about a bizarre plan to alter the national diet. Most Lyrical goes to Leslie Jamison’s “52 Blue,” about the world’s loneliest whale. Most Ambitious goes to Evan Ratliff’s epic “The Mastermind,” about a crime lord whose empire spanned pretty much the whole world. (It’s soon to be a book and TV show.) And Couldn’t Get It Out of My Head goes to Will Hunt and Matt Wolfe’s “The Ghosts of Pickering Trail,” about a family living in a haunted house. I’ll stop there, but I really could go on and on.

ROSS: Before I worked for Atavist, I actually worked right down the hall, so I have been reading the magazine for a long time. To me, the best Atavist Magazine stories are transporting: in “Welcome to Dog World,” Blair Braverman shows us Alaska; socialites head to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for an early feminist victory in “The Divorce Colony” by April White; and James Verini’s “Love and Ruin” (the title story of our 2016 collection) is a romance and historical epic all in one, and I think about Nancy Hatch Dupree’s library in Afghanistan often. “A Family Matter” may be one of the most important stories we’ve done. Finally, I love stories about spectacular failures, so I have to mention Mitch Moxley’s article “Sunk,” which is about a disastrous attempt to make an epic movie about mermaids; plus, the piece has some excellent moments of maximalist design, including pixelated fish that bob across the page.

RABB: I have a soft spot for the very first stories such as “Lifted,” “Piano Demon,” and “My Mother’s Lover.” In addition to being great pieces of writing, they were the petri dishes in which our experimental approach to storytelling was born. They included ideas such as pop-up annotations, maps, and immersive sound elements. Even though the way we distribute our articles has changed dramatically since those stories were published—back then, they were exclusively on the Atavist mobile app and Kindle—many of the concepts and approaches in them formed the DNA of our company’s product. Developing those first few stories was an exciting and vital time for me.

Finally, I’m wondering what you think about the state of storytelling on the open web today. Where do you think things are headed?

DARBY: There are so many stories being told in the digital space right now, in so many ways, and to so many different audiences. Take SKAM Austin, which D.T. Max recently wrote about for The New Yorker. It’s a teen drama told entirely through Facebook posts, Instagram stories, texts, and other digital scraps and marginalia—a story crafted for its young target audience, based on the way they consume information and communicate with one another. That project is fictional, but there’s similar experimentation happening in the non-fiction space. Certainly, publications are pushing the envelope on transmedia (multi-platform storytelling) and rethinking story structure based on how events now unfold in real time in the palm of your hand. I’m thinking of projects like WIRED‘s story on police brutality, “How Social Media Shaped the Three Days That Shook America,” and National Geographic‘s partnership with ProPublica, “How the U.S. Triggered a Massacre in Mexico.” Recently, I was a fellow at the Sundance Institute’s New Frontier Lab, an incubator for storytellers who work with emerging technologies like VR, AR, and AI. It was incredible to hear the ways that this diverse group is reimagining how to create and deliver narratives. I can’t wait for all of the projects they were workshopping to be out in the world, and I hope to bring what I learned there to bear on my work at Automattic.

That said, I’m a journalist first, and when it comes to technology, I always have this nagging fear that form might compromise substance. No one should tell a story entirely via social media or VR or video just because they can; they should do so because there’s actual benefit—to the story itself, to the audience reached, and so on. I’m reminded of my very first job out of college, back in the aughts. I was a journalist in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and I also conducted research on media training needs in the region. I met lots of aspiring journalists who said, “This international NGO helped me set up a blog, but I don’t even really know how to conduct an interview or fact-check. Can someone help me with that?” The experience has always stuck with me as a reminder that the basics of great journalism should apply no matter the platform. At The Atavist, we like to say that story comes first, and by that we mean plot and accuracy, then form and reach.

from Blogging Tips https://en.blog.wordpress.com/2018/06/21/atavist-joins-wordpress-dot-com/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[dwaightztar-blog]

Part 1: OVERVIEW.

Summon says close your eyes and rethink deeper for a minute before reading…

Hey YOU must be crazy when fighting good thing for one bad side of it!  And by the way please don’t blame Cannabis when you mean to commit a sin because you controls it and it’s not it! Haha anyway before I throw stones to you I’m inspired and just wanna share, sit back relax, have a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy reading my full article it might help you in natural sense that the incredible works it can perform at the absence of your doctor who always prescribe medical drugs . And hey you have 100% free will to decide which home remedies effective for you but the one I recommend you now is undeniably amazing herb in the nature where most people around the world despite its medical values against it. 

What Is Medical Cannabis (Marijuana)? Medical cannabis, or medical marijuana, is cannabis and cannabinoids that are recommended by doctors for their patients. The term medical marijuana refers to using the whole, unprocessed marijuana plant or its basic extracts to treat symptoms of illness and other conditions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not recognized or approved the marijuana plant as medicine.

Quick Facts: Scientists are also conducting preclinical and clinical trials with marijuana and its extracts to treat symptoms of illness and other conditions, such as:

diseases that affect the immune system, including:

HIV/AIDS

multiple sclerosis (MS), which causes gradual loss of muscle control

inflammation

pain

seizures

substance use disorders

mental disorders

There are three chemotaxonomic types of Cannabis(Marijuana): one with high levels of THC, one which is more fibrous and has higher levels of CBD, and one that is an intermediate between the two.

Namely;  

1. Cannabis Sativa

Scientific name: Cannabis sativa Higher classification: Hemp Rank: species  Cannabis sativa is an annual herbaceous flowering plant indigenous to eastern Asia but now of cosmopolitan distribution due to cultivation. It is placed in the Cannabis genus which belongs to a small but diverse family the Cannabaceae. Sativa is the marijuana strain that people seem to like smoking the most. This plant grows quite large, reaching up to 15 feet in some cases. While it is not a really thick plant, many growers like it due to how tall it can grow. Sativa is often dried, cooked and consumed. While many people either vaporize or smoke this strain, it is the norm for users to use this to get high. You are not going to get stoned from using this strain, but it does have an invigorating, pick me up kind of effect that leads to feeling happier, unlike its more sedating counterpart, Indica. It also can enhance your creativity, depending on the person. This is the strain you use when you want to be up and active during the day since it raises your energy and opens you up to fresh, new ideas. If you are an artist of some sort, you may love this one. Sativa is known for a high ratio of THC to CBN the two primary active ingredients in cannabis.

Benefits – Combating ; -depression -ADD -fatigue -mood disorders *Sativa gives an energizing and stimulating effect.

  2. Cannabis Indica.

Scientific name: Cannabis indica

Higher classification: Hemp

Rank: Species

Cannabis indica, formally known as Cannabis sativa forma indica, is an annual plant in the Cannabaceae family. A putative species of the genus Cannabis. Cannabis Indica is a more solid strain in comparison to Sativa, but it does not have the height Sativa achieves. Indica strains generally grow between 3 to 6 feet tall (1 to 2 meters. It is a bushy plant with round healthy leaves, unlike Sativa. However, they both have marbled colored, soft seeds. Being that Indica is a short plant, this one is perfect for indoor growing.

Brief Origine Trace Root. In 1785, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck published a description of a second species of Cannabis, which he named Cannabis indica. Lamarck based his description of the newly named species on plant specimens collected in India. Richard Evans Schultes described C. indica as relatively short, conical, and densely branched, whereas C. sativa was described as tall and laxly branched. Loran C. Anderson described C. indica plants as having short, broad leaflets whereas those of C. sativa were characterized as relatively long and narrow. Cannabis indica plants conforming to Schultes’s and Anderson’s descriptions may have originated from the Hindu Kush mountain range.

Comparison between Sativa and Indica . The main difference is while Sativa takes some time to flower, Indica flowers much faster and can be influenced a lot easier by adjusting the light cycle to promote this phase. It is most commonly found above 30° N, in countries like Nepal, Lebanon, Morocco, and Afghanistan. The key differences between Indica and Sativa are the height of the plants, the length between buds, the size and shape of the leaves, the odor, the quality of the smoke, and the chemical properties themselves. In general, Indica is wide and robust while Sativa is long and thin.

This weed is a stoner’s favorite since it is more like a sedative and puts your entire body into a deep state of relaxation. It has so much CBN in it that this will surely take you there when you want to go far and beyond just a regular high. It has lovely healing qualities, and helps with:

– Insomnia – Alleviating pain – Inducing relaxation of muscles – Muscle spasms – Calming anxiety – Headache, and migraine relief. *Indica gives a stoned feeling. 

3. Cannabis Ruderalis.

Scientific name: Cannabis ruderalis

Higher classification: Hemp

Rank: Species. Cannabis ruderalis is one of the three primary cannabis species around today. Cannabis ruderalis is a low-THC species of Cannabis which is native to Central and Eastern Europe and Russia. It is widely debated as to whether or not ruderalis is a sub-species of Cannabis sativa. Some qualify ruderalis as a subspecies of cannabis sativa. There’s some evidence for this claim, as a 2005 study found that the genetics of this plant are somewhere between those of indicas and sativas.

Indicas and sativas are the most famous types of cannabis, but ruderalis shouldn’t be left out of the conversation. Ruderalis is a hardy weed that is used by cannabis breeders around the world. We have this herb to thank for auto-flowering strains. You will rarely hear anyone talking about Cannabis Ruderalis, which is one of the primary varieties and has a pretty short stature growing between 20-25 inches in height. Similar to Indica, this plant has very thick foliage. This plant is usually found growing in northern regions of the world. Cannabis ruderalis is a low-THC species of Cannabis which is native to Central and Eastern Europe and Russia. It is widely debated as to whether or not ruderalis is a sub-species of Cannabis sativa.

 WARNING! Be careful when using,there are negative effects of smoking too much pot or using it for non-medicinal purposes. When overused or abused, pot can lead to dependency and mess with your memory and emotions. BONUSES !!!

What medications contain cannabinoids?

Two FDA-approved drugs, dronabinol and nabilone, contain THC. They treat nausea caused by chemotherapy and increase appetite in patients with extreme weight loss caused by AIDS. Continued research might lead to more medications.

What are abbreviations THC and CBD stand for?

THC

The abbreviation “THC” stands for Tetrahydrocannabinol. It provides the psychoactive effects of marijuana, affecting the brain more than the body.

CBD

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is another psychoactive substance that is commonly used in medical marijuana. The two interact, with the CBD having an influential effect on the THC, meaning they could strengthen or weaken certain effects of THC.

Health Benefits To Be Discussed In The Next Article In Part 2:

As Usual Your Critique or Advise and Importance To Add ? I Repeat,You’re Most Welcome! 

Overview of 3 Main Types of Cannabis (Marijuana) the Wonder Herb And Its Medical Uses And Benefits. Part 1: OVERVIEW. Summon says close your eyes and rethink deeper for a minute before reading...

[nofomoartworld]

Hyperallergic: Why a Herbarium of 7.8 Million Plants Is One of New York’s Most Valuable Resources

A plant being handsewn onto a herbarium sheet at the New York Botanical Garden (photo by Ben Hider, courtesy New York Botanical Garden)

After a corpse flower opened at the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) last summer, drawing 30,000 visitors in the course of its brief and pungent bloom, it received the posthumous honor of becoming the three millionth specimen digitized from the Bronx institution’s herbarium. While NYBG is among New York City’s great green wonders, it’s also home to the world’s second-largest herbarium, created just after the garden was established in 1891. The William and Lynda Steere Herbarium now houses 7.8 million plant and fungal specimens, representing biodiversity from every continent. But what is a herbarium, you might ask, and why does it matter?

Amorphophallus titanum (Corpse Flower) specimen, which bloomed at the New York Botanical Garden in July 2016, the first time a corpse flower had bloomed at NYBG since 1939. The bar code at the bottom reads: 03000000, or 3 million, meaning the corpse flower is the three millionth herbarium specimen to be digitized. (courtesy New York Botanical Garden)

“Unless you work in botany, you really don’t know what a herbarium is and what this collection is, and its broad impact,” explained Dr. Matthew Pace, assistant curator to the herbarium, during a behind-the-scenes visit by Hyperallergic. Pace is a botanist studying the diversity and evolution of New World orchids. He walked me through the mounting room, digitization lab, and one of the four levels of cabinets that make up the archive of dead plants, a significant scientific resource.

Currently, NYBG is celebrating the collection in What in the World is a Herbarium?, installed in the Ross Gallery of its Library Building. The exhibition comes at an important moment. In a 2015 article for the journal Nature, Boer Deng reported that over “100 North American herbaria have closed since 1997, leaving just over 600 remaining,” with budget cuts and a perception of them as obsolete threatening their survival. Like the NYBG herbarium, most operate out of public view, so “it’s very challenging to make the case at these small universities that its herbarium should be kept,” Pace said. He noted that NYBG often adopts “orphan herbaria,” for instance that of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, on loan in the Bronx while its scientific facilities are updated.

The one-room show answers the titular question — a herbarium is basically a botanical library of the planet — and includes selected specimens that represent current research, historical context, and oddities, like the corpse flower, with its voluminous purple bloom now flattened on an acid-free sheet of paper. Nearby are a swamp rose collected by NYBG scientist Daniel Atha in his documentation of natural plants in Central Park; a curare specimen from the Amazon, along with a blow dart that uses the tropical vine’s poison; and a bright flower of the purple loosestrife from Europe that’s been a highly invasive species in the United States since the 1830s. A video display features the diverse focuses of NYBG scientists, whether Jessica Allen’s investigation into how climate change is impacting lichen distribution in the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain or Ina Vandebroek’s connections with Caribbean immigrants in New York who have medical plant knowledge. A herbarium can offer base data for studies of climate change, invasive species, habitat loss, medicine, and conservation. Pace estimated that 20,000 hours are logged by outside visitors to the NYBG’s herbarium each year.

Installation view of What in the World is a Herbarium? at the New York Botanical Garden (photo by the author for Hyperallergic)

Dr. Matthew Pace in the NYBG herbarium (photo by the author for Hyperallergic)

“We always try to tie in science to the garden displays, but this is the first time that we’ve highlighted the herbarium,” Pace said. As he described it, the technique of preserving plants has been consistent for centuries. “The actual process of making herbaria hasn’t changed since the time of Linnaeus,” he added, referencing the 18th-century Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus, who’s recognized as the “father of taxonomy.”

Each specimen sheet, going back to the 1700s, is arranged in almost the same way, with the pressed and dried botanical, detailed notes on where and when it was found, its environment, and a description of its color before it fades. A packet is attached for seeds or broken bits, which are incredibly valuable now for noninvasive DNA testing. This rigidity of form means that it’s feasible to quickly digitize huge quantities of herbarium specimens, and NYBG has already done so for its C. V. Starr Virtual Herbarium. As they’ve taken on this monumental task, researchers have uncovered previously overlooked specimens, such as stalks of Nootka lupine collected on Roald Amundsen’s 1903–06 Northwest Passage journey.

Securing a specimen in the mounting room (photo by the author for Hyperallergic)

The mounting room is usually the first stop for specimens, where they are delicately unwrapped from newspapers printed in nearly every language. It’s encouraging to see, as a journalist in the disappearing print era, that for the botanist, newspapers remain essential. Pace noted that the material is always readily available and doesn’t damage the specimen. In turn, the papers are an unintentional representation of global culture. “You get this interesting combination of pure science and the humanities,” he said. “It’s an interesting glimpse into the world at large.” He related how a shipment of plants from a curator doing research in Tibet came wrapped in Arabic newspapers because, although they are a minority, Muslims make up a small community in the region.

A specimen being prepared in the mounting room (photo by the author for Hyperallergic)

Some specimens are complicated. Palm leaves must be spread across multiple pages, and cumbersome objects like Brazil nuts and fruit have to be lodged separately or suspended in spirits. (One of the three mounters working during my visit described a recent arrival that had nuts shaped like pangolins.) Yet it’s mostly a delicate process of placing the plant in a permanent pose that will suggest its living presence, held in place on the sheet by glue or thread. “It’s something that combines scientific knowledge and artistry,” Pace said. Duplicates are shared with other herbaria, in case of the tragic loss of an entire collection, such as when Berlin’s Botanic Garden was firebombed in 1943.

Specimens being photographed in the Digital Imaging Center (photo by the author for Hyperallergic)

A mounted specimen’s next trip is to the futuristic Digital Imaging Center, where, when I visited, four people were photographing specimens in light boxes. The resulting high-resolution images are accessible to scientists and the public through the online herbarium. “NYBG has been a leader in digitizing its plant specimens,” Pace said. “The purpose is to make our specimens as widely known as possible.” Currently, about 30,000 records are being added by staff and volunteers each month.

Following the entry into the digital archive, a specimen is placed in the climate-controlled herbarium cabinets. Even if, say, the curious shape of a spiny palm fruit doesn’t excite you, it’s incredible to be able to look at fungi collected by George Washington Carver for his research on crop diseases, moss picked on Charles Darwin’s 19th-century Beagle Voyage, and a clematis collected in 1771 on Captain James Cook’s expedition.

Moss collected on Charles Darwin’s Voyage of the Beagle (photo by the author for Hyperallergic)

A specimen collected on Captain Cook’s first voyage (1768–71) (photo by the author for Hyperallergic)

It may seem obvious, but our human existence is entwined with the protection and survival of these plants. With scientific and environmental funding increasingly threatened in the United States, What in the World is a Herbarium? highlights how ecological crises and the intricacies of nature can be examined through a resource of the global present and past. One ghost of conservation on view is an 1891 chestnut tree specimen. It was collected the very year NYBG was founded, when chestnuts proliferated on the East Coast. Due to an invasive fungal disease from Asia, discovered only a few years later at the Bronx Zoo by an NYBG scientist, four billion of those chestnut trees would die over the next five decades.

“The whole purpose is to make this last forever,” Pace said of the herbarium. “There’s a connection to the people who have worked here before you and put all this care into collecting and researching these specimens. Now I’m in the same position, to be sure that scientists in the future can have that same access.”

Castanea dentata (American Chestnut) specimen, collected in the Bronx’s Van Cortlandt Park in 1891, only a few years before a NYBG scientist diagnosed chestnut blight on trees in the Bronx Zoo (courtesy New York Botanical Garden)

The William and Lynda Steere Herbarium (photo by the author for Hyperallergic)

An early 1900s specimen with seaweed shaped into a horse (an unusual choice for a herbarium) (photo by the author for Hyperallergic)

One of the climate-controlled cabinets of the NYBG Herbarium (photo by the author for Hyperallergic)

Rosa palustris (Swamp Rose) specimen collected by NYBG scientist Daniel Atha in New York City’s Central Park, where he is working to document all of the park’s naturally occurring plants (courtesy New York Botanical Garden)

Specimens in the Steere Herbarium, including one of the corpse flower specimens at center (photo by the author for Hyperallergic)

A specimen that has been used for molecular study (note the segment in its leaf) (photo by the author for Hyperallergic)

Chondrodendron tomentosum (Curare) specimen, with a poison dart — an extract from the tropical Amazonian vine is the poison used on blow darts. (courtesy New York Botanical Garden)

Specimen of Purple Loosestrife, an invasive European weed that has crowded out native American species since the 1830s, on view in What in the World is a Herbarium? (photo by the author for Hyperallergic)

Congea specimen collected in Myanmar by NYBG scientist Kate Armstrong, on view in What in the World is a Herbarium? (photo by the author for Hyperallergic)

Egyptian white water-lily specimen on view in What in the World is a Herbarium? (photo by the author for Hyperallergic)

English oak specimen, with its acorns tied to the sheet, on view in What in the World is a Herbarium? (photo by the author for Hyperallergic)

What in the World is a Herbarium? continues at the New York Botanical Garden (2900 Southern Boulevard, The Bronx) through October 29.

The post Why a Herbarium of 7.8 Million Plants Is One of New York’s Most Valuable Resources appeared first on Hyperallergic.

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