This was a fantastic read, and so fascinating to glimpse a life such as this! A strong takeaway for me was that no matter the circumstances or culture, we are greater and stronger when we cooperate with the ecosystem to mutual benefit.
One of my best friends (who is no longer with us) taught me how to do the Secure Shoelace Knot, and I’ve been using it for over 20 years. I’ve taught others how to use it cause it’s so amazing. Never looked back! This resource is wonderful, and there should be more resources like this that teach practical skills that we need in reality.
Precisely, which will cut down on e-waste and consumer costs as well. If industry says that reduces profit bc people are still using their current models, then they need to be better and more creative as businesses to deliver what people want, and not shoving them toward a new purchase they don’t need/can’t afford.
“Vampire Capitalists” – Using this term now, thanks!
The water thing is not overblown if you consider that data centers will only use potable water and will not be able to use treated water. Per just one of many studies:
Large data centers can consume up to 5 million gallons per day, equivalent to the water use of a town populated by 10,000 to 50,000 people.
With climate change and the exacerbation of droughts around the world, this puts any source of fresh surface or groundwater at risk of drying up.
Only 3% of Earth’s water is freshwater, and only 0.5% of all water is accessible and safe for human consumption.
This is a growing environmental justice issue (and data centers encourage further energy poverty that I haven’t even addressed, much less the increasing ratio of usage for industry vs residential), and to ignore that we as humans cannot replenish or increase freshwater supplies with any meaningful scale to support life, this becomes a dire issue.
I for one would much rather have water and affordable energy for communities.
Commenting to keep track of this.
Was going to say something similar about the clusterfuck part. That sounds like an absolute logistical nightmare for any small dev team that’s already stretched thin.
My elderly neighbor had amazing mandarin and grapefruit trees in her yard when I was young. I have a distinct memory of being up on her roof on a particularly cold and windy day, harvesting the mandarins, trying not to get poked by the massive 6-8cm spikes along the branches while we combed through each part of the tree. She was grateful to have our help and I really enjoyed time spent around her. Great memory that I didn’t think about until your post, so thank you!
Oh, thank you for this! Any excuse to enjoy one more weekend preparing/resting rather than doing the hard labor. Especially if it means I’m helping out our friends!
I’m still trying to determine what kind of fruit trees are growing in the yard. Getting closer to identifying them as the days pass! Getting more confident about the plum and apple guesses.
It’s been fun to see the grapevines waking up; I made a few wreaths with the trimmed vines last week. I’ll keep picking at the mint that I found lounging around the stairs so it doesn’t get too out of hand.
Cut down some invasives and trimmed up the trees a few weeks ago and everything is filling out nicely. Once the leaves and branches are fully raked and removed, I’ll be able to see what’s up for the rest. It looks like most of the pollinators are awake and about now that it’s warm enough so I feel better about tidying up the leaves to send to the city compost.
I pressed some of the freshly fallen PJM rhododendron flowers between parchment paper and set them under some weight. Looking forward to seeing what they look like in a few weeks.
No Mow May is in full swing - dandelions abound!
Hear hear. They’re fallible, make trash decisions, and bleed like the rest of us. It’s time we recognize them only as the scourge they are.
I’m discovering hyacinth (and gardening for that matter) for the first time this year! Yours has an incredible color! I’m on mobile using the Jerboa app so I’m not sure if the pic i added uploaded. We’ll see! Also our PJM Rhodie is in bloom.
We’re still trying to figure out what kind of fruit trees we have in the backyard but I’m assuming plum, and maybe apple or pear.
I’m very meh on the AWD as someone in the north. Not needed, but a/c is definitely helpful!
We might not have them as you see them today, but there is building science that is centuries old that works with the environment to have architectural solutions that don’t even rely on electricity to retain heat or cool a space. There’s also the more modern passive house design. As someone born and raised in a hot climate like you mentioned, had we created a built environment like this instead of crippling ourselves to use fossil fuels and refrigerants with high global warming potential, we wouldn’t be where we are today. I agree that a/c changed the world. That change could have been a much more positive one had we taken a more practical approach!
Same. I stopped using non-Beehaw social media at the end of last year and haven’t looked back. I barely respond to texts as well. My social battery is pretty weak these days and I can only take so much irl interaction.
I can’t help but point out - during the previous Trump term, he appointed family to positions and they were everywhere in the public eye. Now it’s very rare to see any of them. I wonder if they’re just as tired of his bs as everyone else now as he goes deeper into the rabbit hole.
I also wonder how Vance’s wife is in all of this. I only saw her once during inauguration at the church service, but largely didn’t pay attention to any of the transition or the people involved. If she’s an actual caring human, I wonder how much abuse she encounters. Or maybe she’s as messed up as the rest of em…
It’s a mob shakedown by an incompetent, myopic, known to be liar and his minion. Repeating yourself, raising your voice, and latching onto half-ideas to push your brand – “intimidating” and bluffing to force the deal only works if you had any respect in the first place.
Also, it feels like Vance’s PR team told him he’s being overshadowed by Trump in the media so he should make a big show to boost his ratings. Absolute clowns.
Thank you kindly! I will check back in hopefully by the end of spring!
Fuuuuuuck.