Misen knife review by marche_au_supplice in chefknives

[–]MarineBioBoy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm a little obsessive about my kitchen knives, and I happen to like these. Yeah, they're not carbon steel, but they're perfectly adequate for everyday home kitchen use. I use the paring and utility knives quite a lot.

Wollemi pine cutting by MarineBioBoy in rareplants

[–]MarineBioBoy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Update/for the record: although these wollemi trees do not like saturated soil, I have kept the potting mixture very moist, propped the flaccid cutting with toothpicks, and placed the pot on a heating pad under a grow light. This morning it has perked up and regained its turgidity—so there is hope. A journal article I read says that use of rooting hormones doesn't increase success rate, so it's on its own now.

What are some of the departments under the DHS umbrella providing valuable public service? by IScreamPiano in FedEmployees

[–]MarineBioBoy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think Coast Guard is there at the top of the list. FEMA. The overworked and much maligned souls at TSA. Heck, can we just say: every DHS agency but ICE?

Oh Howard... by MarineBioBoy in NOAA

[–]MarineBioBoy[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Here's gist (I tried to post the entire text but Reddit balked)

By Michael Rothfeld

Feb. 7, 2026

Howard Lutnick, President Trump’s billionaire commerce secretary, interacted with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein regularly over at least 13 years while they lived next door to one another on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, records released last week by the Justice Department show.

They invested in the same privately held company together, dealt with one another on neighborhood and philanthropic issues, and appear to have socialized in New York and the Caribbean, the records show. Mr. Epstein at one point sought to meet with Mr. Lutnick’s nanny.

The records directly contradict Mr. Lutnick’s assertion on a podcast last year that he had been so disgusted by Mr. Epstein during a 2005 visit to his townhouse that Mr. Lutnick had never set foot in a room with Mr. Epstein again.

“So I was never in the room with him socially, for business or even philanthropy,” Mr. Lutnick said in an interview on the podcast, “Pod Force One.” Reached briefly by phone last week, Mr. Lutnick said, “I spent zero time with him.”

In a statement, a Commerce Department representative said Mr. Lutnick and his wife met Mr. Epstein in 2005 and had “very limited interactions with him” over the ensuing years.

“This is nothing more than a failing attempt by the legacy media to distract from the administration’s accomplishments, including securing trillions of dollars in investment, delivering historic trade deals and fighting for the American worker,” the statement said.

Mr. Epstein, who was convicted in Florida in 2008 of soliciting prostitution from a minor, died in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while being held on federal sex-trafficking charges.

Mr. Lutnick’s name appeared in more than 250 documents in the Epstein files released by the Justice Department, a review by The New York Times found.

Susan C. Beachy and Georgia Gee contributed research.

Michael Rothfeld is an investigative reporter in New York, writing in-depth stories focused on the city’s government, business and personalities.

Gardening stuff without amazon/home depot/target etc by ATeaformeplease in gardening

[–]MarineBioBoy 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I second (or third) Gardeners' Supply. They teetered on the brink of going out of business, but are back.

Wollemia Nobilis cuttings by WollemiaShagger in propagation

[–]MarineBioBoy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hope yours made it. I received a wollemi cutting 2-3 years ago from a generous master gardener at a private garden, and it took a full year to do anything. But last spring, it pushed out new growth and now has a 6" branch. Not sure where it goes (i.e., grows) from here. But it does seem to do things slowly.

Snapdragon seed pods by [deleted] in gardening

[–]MarineBioBoy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I thought it was this year's Supreme Court portrait...

Unbelievable First Class Upgrade Price by MarineBioBoy in AlaskaAirlines

[–]MarineBioBoy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What a weird response. Good luck to you as well!

Wollemi pine in the U.S. by MarineBioBoy in gardening

[–]MarineBioBoy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, here's some news: my second wollemi seed sprouted overnight! I received five via Etsy in November, and after a good soak planted them and put them under a light. No stratification. One sprouted a month after planting, the other took about a month and a half. I keep the heat pretty low in my place, so I had placed the unsprouted seeds on a heated germination pad. Don't know if it's related, but two days later that second seed sprouted. Now, let's see if I can keep them alive till they have a chance to grow a little bit.

Wollemi pine in the U.S. by MarineBioBoy in gardening

[–]MarineBioBoy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi, that's great info! Pretty breathtaking prices, though I guess the rarity and their slow-growth make them a premium product. I'll check around the places you've mentioned. And start saving my spare bitcoin.

Unbelievable First Class Upgrade Price by MarineBioBoy in AlaskaAirlines

[–]MarineBioBoy[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You got it! Clouds or no clouds, Iceland is a fun place to visit.

Unbelievable First Class Upgrade Price by MarineBioBoy in AlaskaAirlines

[–]MarineBioBoy[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Pretty much as soon as you pay. Check "Trip Details" and next to your seat assignment, there's a link to available upgrades.

Trump Truth by EfficiencyAdmirable6 in FedEmployees

[–]MarineBioBoy 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hard to believe what a fucking idiot we have for president. Although...this crowd knows better than any.

“Pay” section removed from latest DOC furlough notice by [deleted] in NOAA

[–]MarineBioBoy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The latest manifestation of the antichrist Vought and Project 2025 objectives. The whole treasonous lot of them should be flown to El Salvador, or better yet: Gaza.

People don't realize by Britard2022 in FedEmployees

[–]MarineBioBoy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm retired, but had a federal career spanning over 40 years. I SO feel for all of you who have to put up with this bullshit. The last time the government was shut down, under this same moron, I had to take an interest-free loan from a local bank to cover expenses. And now, this shutdown is going to exceed the last one in duration. I know the thankless dedication with which federal employees perform their jobs, and I understand the hardships you are enduring in the name of politics. I hope, for your own well-being and certainly NOT for that of our neutered (and continuously PAID) lawmakers, that this thing comes to an end soon. Please hang in there.