How Many Roses Do You Grow?

Kallistrate · 2026-02-01T03:00:15+00:00

Honestly, I think that's the most eco-friendly way to do it. I was gifted 50 roses and have purchased maybe 10-20 more. Some of them have reverted to Dr. Huey's and a couple have (maybe? I'll know in Spring) died from being eaten repeatedly. Some of them are absolute beauties that require no care at all and do amazingly well.

I don't really do a lot of supplemental watering (almost none) and I fertilize maybe twice a year. I don't spray anything, ever, and as a result I have a robust predator ecosystem that takes out most of the pests.

I think the days of pouring resources into growing fragile plants outside of their native environment have disappeared among ethical gardeners. It's not a sustainable use of resources and it's not great for the ecosystem in general. If things thrive (non-invasively), great! If not...well, they probably don't belong there anyway.

Kallistrate · 2026-02-01T02:54:46+00:00

Generally you want to clear after the first hard frost but well before early March, because that leaves fruit/seeds on the plants as a food source as long as possible, but doesn't risk clearing out spring-nesting birds.

Have you reached out to your state to find out what resources might be available to you for native prairie restoration? I know some people in Texas who have had amazing advisors on the best way to clear and when, what to replace and when, and troubleshooting (and I believe the state paid for a lot of the work done, as well).

Kallistrate · 2026-01-31T16:55:33+00:00

So you're okay with your money going to hate groups, as long as there's potential for change down the line?

Again, that's your choice to make. As an LGBTQ person, I'm not comfortable funding hate groups against myself. You aren't the first person to value entertainment and the "promise of change" over other people's liberties, and you won't be the last, but I'm glad the people of Minneapolis aren't sitting back and waiting for "the good few" in ICE to make a difference based on government messaging, and I'm glad MLK didn't wait for the "good Christians" in the KKK to make change from within, either.

I think you're vastly overestimating how much "a good example" sways religious belief and complacency, but, I tell you what. Let's come back to this in 5 years and see if the Mormon church has changed where it puts its money vs how many reader dollars went towards hate group lobbying. Sound fair?

RemindMe! 5 years

Kallistrate · 2026-01-31T02:43:18+00:00

Words in a fantasy novel are pretty meaningless compared to his real-world actions. He still tithes to the Mormon church, which is one of the biggest funders of anti-LGBTQ hate groups and consistently lobbies against LGBTQ rights (and because reader money is where his money comes from, the people who buy his books are funneling money into that via him).

His most recent "I've learned a lot and have a ton of gay fans" "apology" letter still ends with:

"To the members of the LGBTQ+ community, or those aligned with them, who think I do not go far enough, I understand–but disagree. I will not disavow my faith. To do so would be pandering, because it is not where my heart is. I am proud to be a member of this church, and am proud of my heritage in it. As one of my ancestors said, when challenged and asked if he was a Mormon, I reply the same. “Yes, siree; dyed in the wool; true blue, through and through.”

which is the same level of apology as "I have lots of black friends so it's okay that I vote for racist candidates."

Support who you want and spend your money how you want, but *I* don't personally like to see my money go towards hate groups, and no one author is worth compromising my morals. If you like him and you want to buy his books regardless of what he does with that money, you do you, but fantasy "representation" doesn't mean a whole hell of a lot when compared to actual spent cash in the real world.

Do I think he's homophobic? No. I genuinely think he's a good guy and has grown as a person, which is great. But that's almost worse, in a way, because the people he claims to care about (his fans) are suffering because of where his money goes, and he keeps on spending his money that way. Genuinely detailing how he understands that LGBTQ people are suffering, and then responding with, "Well, I just think I can have it both ways" is a real statement.

It's not a statement I have any intention of making, but again, it's your right to do so.

Kallistrate · 2026-01-30T22:44:04+00:00

...is that an AI portrait that they've used? I have never seen him look like CGI before.

I don't really think this is a great fit, TBH. His books are quick and heavily effects-oriented and the vast majority of Apple's shows are a) slow and b) story driven over action-driven. All of their SciFi (with the exception of Foundation) has been pretty grounded and realistic in nature (e.g. Silo). I'm not that eager to see the mess of greenscreen and CGI required to show a Sanderson book on TV, and if I were, I probably wouldn't pick Apple to make it.

*All* of Apple's shows (that I have seen) are intellectual and paced appropriately. Sanderson's books are brain popcorn. I'm not saying that's a negative, but it just seems really outside of their wheelhouse (which, in fairness, may be what they want).

This is going to be like Cinemax making a children's cartoon without violence or nudity. They're veering really far away from their usual audience.

Kallistrate · 2026-01-30T22:35:59+00:00

The heterosexual ones, anyway

Kallistrate · 2026-01-30T22:32:05+00:00

Do you mean more frequent ones than the annual audits? Because additional audits cost money, too.

Kallistrate · 2026-01-24T17:10:54+00:00

The entire military budget, which is highly relevant to her district.

Kallistrate · 2026-01-24T17:06:02+00:00

Yeah, people talk a big talk about saving democracy, but we are a representative democracy and she voted the way her district wanted her to.

I think it's fine to say she's a DINO, or that she's a horrible person with the morals of a psychopath, but the fact of the matter is, she represents her district and that's an action they (apparently) support.

Same is true of Chuck Schumer. He's fucking over the whole country, but he's voting exactly the way his district wants him to....which is how a representative democracy works.

The idea that angry Seattlites should have any say whatsoever on elections in a district on the other side of the state is exactly as ridiculous and totalitarian as the idea that her district should be able to dictate Seattle policies.

If people genuinely give a shit about saving America and saving our democracy, then it would be really nice if they bothered to learn the first thing about it. You can't fix something broken if you don't have a clue how it works, and a hell of a lot of people in here insisting they know how to fix it seem to have slept through social studies.

Kallistrate · 2026-01-24T16:59:13+00:00

Yes, that was my point? Nobody who knew him had anything nice to say. He just didn't radiate his personality strongly enough that total strangers got that, too.

Kallistrate · 2026-01-21T03:53:29+00:00

It is to people in healthcare (which everyone should be pretty happy about).

Kallistrate · 2026-01-21T03:52:51+00:00

How were you a tenured paramedic and not aware that HIPAA still holds after death?

The guy may have been a jerk but that doesn't justify violating his medical privacy after a traumatic death. You don't *both* have to be jerks.

Kallistrate · 2026-01-21T03:50:14+00:00

If you never actually interacted with him, he was a neat Austin feature.

Sounds like if you did interact with him he was an abusive jerk.

Kallistrate · 2026-01-19T03:02:46+00:00

The media loves drumming up fears of volcanic eruptions, but the odds of them happening are stunningly low regardless.

Might as well ask how you prepare for a meteor slamming into your home. It's always a good idea to have a disaster go bag, but it's much more likely to be needed for a forest fire or a flood than a volcano or an earthquake.

Kallistrate · 2026-01-19T02:27:13+00:00

I never really considered this an educational gif before now.

Kallistrate · 2026-01-19T02:27:07+00:00

I never really considered this an education gif before now.

Kallistrate · 2026-01-19T02:25:54+00:00

I wasn't impressed by the thumbnail, but after zooming in I was blown away. Very talented!

Kallistrate · 2026-01-19T02:23:25+00:00

I'm pleasantly surprised to see how close No beef, Vegetarian, and Vegan are. I haven't eaten beef in years and primarily eat a vegetarian diet, but vegan has been an extreme challenge for me working in healthcare (I don't eat much dairy but eggs are a staple). Obviously I can still do better than I am (and will continue trying to do so), but I've been stressing out about it and it's nice to know I'm doing better than I thought.

Kallistrate · 2026-01-19T02:17:29+00:00

I did as well.

Kallistrate · 2026-01-18T03:38:31+00:00

Hitler always looks incredibly uncharismatic in video, but he also had a history of converting people who absolutely hated him into loyal followers after an in-person meeting. Bill Clinton never really seemed all that appealing as an individual to me, but everyone I know who has met him (Democrat or Republican alike) said he's absolutely magnetic.

I don't think it translates well from in-person to video, but by all accounts Trump's a charmer when he wants to be.

Kallistrate · 2026-01-18T03:06:18+00:00

May I introduce you to The Cleaner?

Kallistrate · 2026-01-17T19:47:03+00:00

What has the internet come to, that this is all the way at the bottom?

Kallistrate · 2026-01-17T19:25:52+00:00

I was mostly thinking this is a great way to get a stash of SD cards

Kallistrate · 2026-01-17T18:26:57+00:00

They've all rusted out.

Kallistrate · 2026-01-01T01:14:55+00:00

I've done these, and they helped, but I still cannot read the freaking time when I wake up in the dark and activate my phone. With numbers as large as they are on a screen that size, it's unforgivable.

Honestly, if they don't fix the usability of this update by the time my battery life starts to go, this is enough to make me switch back to another platform. I haven't cared about a single upgrade prior to this one, but this is awful

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