QueenB's recent activity

  1. Comment on The issues with reusable straws in ~enviro

    QueenB
    Link Parent
    So... we should sit around and do nothing until there's political will to solve the big things?

    So... we should sit around and do nothing until there's political will to solve the big things?

    12 votes

  2. Comment on Does anyone have experience transforming their boring lawns into more eco-friendly alternatives? in ~life.home_improvement

    QueenB
    Link Parent
    So, first off, check out this awesome resource: https://www.plantrealflorida.org/ Their retail nurseries page has a map and list of native plant nurseries, and they have a cool map of habitats...
    • Exemplary

    So, first off, check out this awesome resource: https://www.plantrealflorida.org/ Their retail nurseries page has a map and list of native plant nurseries, and they have a cool map of habitats that can help you figure out exactly what ecosystem you fall under. (This is less important than just planting SOMETHING native, but it could help you figure out which plants will thrive in your yard).

    Florida is pretty far outside of my wheelhouse, but I recognized some of the plants. I picked these because they're widespread and therefore presumably adaptable, and/or fill an important niche. They all like full sun and well-drained soil.

    Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
    Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
    Swamp Sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius)
    Buttonsage (Lantana involucrata)
    Elliott’s Aster (Symphyotrichum elliottii) - aggressive, fall bloomer (generally less flowers are blooming in fall, so the ones that do are important food for bees and other pollinators - but I'm not sure how critical this is in warmer climates)
    Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa) - milkweed species are the only host plants for monarch butterflies. They also appeal to a lot of other insects. (Whatever you do, don't plant tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) - it's not native to the continental US, and it doesn't die back in the winter, which has been speculated to cause issues with monarchs.)

    There are some really striking vines native to Florida, but IME native vines tend to be pretty aggressive, so maybe know what you're getting into first with them.

    I also want to say that sometimes native plants just don't do well, even if you do everything right. That's ok, it probably just wasn't meant to be.

    2 votes

  3. Comment on Does anyone have experience transforming their boring lawns into more eco-friendly alternatives? in ~life.home_improvement

    QueenB
    Link
    Yes! I converted my front yard to almost entirely native plants a few years ago. It's fantastic. I love seeing the huge variety of insects that show up. If you're going for environmentally...

    Yes! I converted my front yard to almost entirely native plants a few years ago. It's fantastic. I love seeing the huge variety of insects that show up.

    If you're going for environmentally friendly, one of the most important things is to use plants that are native to your area. Without knowing your geographic location (but assuming US), the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is a good resource, although it can be a little overwhelming when you're first starting out.

    In more developed areas, you sometimes have to make concessions to aesthetics. That's okay. It's still an improvement over a monoculture lawn.

    6 votes

  4. Comment on Does anyone have experience transforming their boring lawns into more eco-friendly alternatives? in ~life.home_improvement

    QueenB
    Link Parent
    Can you be more specific with your location? State is fine. General rule of thumb is plant either in the spring or fall, and baby them for their first growing season (watering if there isn't...

    Can you be more specific with your location? State is fine.

    General rule of thumb is plant either in the spring or fall, and baby them for their first growing season (watering if there isn't enough rain, weed around them so invasives don't crowd them out).

    2 votes

  5. Comment on Remote work to wipe out $800 billion from office values, McKinsey says in ~life

    QueenB
    Link Parent
    Even newer skyscrapers come with challenges. It's still going to be a full gut renovation, because none of the walls will be in the right place or up to residential standards (sound and...

    Even newer skyscrapers come with challenges. It's still going to be a full gut renovation, because none of the walls will be in the right place or up to residential standards (sound and fireproofing). This means workers going in and demolishing everything, then removing debris one elevator load at a time. Lots of new buildings rely on post-tensioned cables for structure, so you can't go drilling holes willy-nilly through the floor; every single spot you want to put a hole in that floor, for new plumbing or electrical or HVAC, has to be checked first. Maybe you could have technicians go in and map the exact locations of the cables in every floor before you try and design the layout, but they'd have to be incredibly accurate, and again - it's labor. And if you do it that way, it means that the architects and mechanical designers have to spend more time doing their jobs, because a cable in the wrong place means a toilet has to move means a whole bathroom is off. Etc.

    I'm not arguing against it, just trying to explain that it IS a big deal and there's a reason it isn't done more often.

    4 votes

  6. Comment on Remote work to wipe out $800 billion from office values, McKinsey says in ~life

    QueenB
    Link Parent
    It is hard, though. Or at least it's expensive. My first year as an apprentice, I worked on a full gut renovation of a skyscraper being converted from offices to a hotel. Sure, they saved...

    It is hard, though. Or at least it's expensive. My first year as an apprentice, I worked on a full gut renovation of a skyscraper being converted from offices to a hotel. Sure, they saved themselves building a structure, but in return the internal demolition process was slower, they had to cut a second staircase through the entire building, etc. These things can be prefabbed or streamlined on new construction. Weird things constantly come up in old buildings that need to be resolved.

    It's very possible, and it's a little less wasteful, it's just that someone has to want to pay for it.

    3 votes

  7. Comment on First over-the-counter birth control pill gets US FDA approval in ~health

    QueenB
    Link Parent
    Are physicians really in the picture now? It's been a long time since I was on hormonal birth control, but I don't remember any relevant health screenings on initial prescription or at follow-up...

    Are physicians really in the picture now? It's been a long time since I was on hormonal birth control, but I don't remember any relevant health screenings on initial prescription or at follow-up visits. Just pressure to do that yearly pap smear, which isn't even the recommendation anymore.

    4 votes

  8. Comment on Strides, and back slides: A discussion on where women are, where we'd like to be, what we've lost in ~life.women

    QueenB
    Link Parent
    This is something I can never seem to explain properly. I'm a huge fan of women's groups (formal or informal) when we're organizing it ourselves, but I won't attend anything employee-sponsored....

    I've become jaded to diversity efforts because 9 times out of 10 it just exists to make a good social media post; there's no actual teeth to them.

    This is something I can never seem to explain properly. I'm a huge fan of women's groups (formal or informal) when we're organizing it ourselves, but I won't attend anything employee-sponsored. I've been used for PR purposes and managerial back-patting too many times.

    My experience is mostly in industry and construction, but it's disappointingly similar to yours. I will say that things have gotten better, and on average, younger guys are more accepting. But damn do we still have a long way to go.

    8 votes

  9. Comment on What are industries and specialties where you see demand for employees? in ~talk

    QueenB
    Link Parent
    After 15 years in the trades, my $0.02 is this: there isn't a shortage of skilled workers. There's a shortage of employers willing to pay for them. You can make good money in the trades - if you...

    After 15 years in the trades, my $0.02 is this: there isn't a shortage of skilled workers. There's a shortage of employers willing to pay for them.

    You can make good money in the trades - if you luck out and find the right niche. The best paying jobs are usually dangerous, unpleasant, and/or require travel. Trade unions are solid jobs, but they depend heavily on construction.

    All this goes double for welding jobs.

    22 votes

  10. Comment on Without saying where you live, where do you live? in ~talk

  11. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech

  12. Comment on What consumeristic and somewhat pointless hobby do you have? in ~hobbies

    QueenB
    Link Parent
    It's pretty cool that people noticed them that much! She must have had some spectacular ones.

    It's pretty cool that people noticed them that much! She must have had some spectacular ones.

  13. Comment on What consumeristic and somewhat pointless hobby do you have? in ~hobbies

    QueenB
    Link Parent
    Oh those all sound adorable! A few years ago I passed up a pair of fishbowl earrings and they STILL haunt me. I keep scraping Etsy but none of them are as cool as the ones in my memory.

    Oh those all sound adorable!

    A few years ago I passed up a pair of fishbowl earrings and they STILL haunt me. I keep scraping Etsy but none of them are as cool as the ones in my memory.

    3 votes

  14. Comment on What consumeristic and somewhat pointless hobby do you have? in ~hobbies

    QueenB
    Link Parent
    Omg I love wacky earrings, what are some of your favorites? I have ones that look like zipper pulls, goldfish in bags, cinnamon buns, real tiny watches, "daggers" that look like they're stabbed...

    Omg I love wacky earrings, what are some of your favorites?

    I have ones that look like zipper pulls, goldfish in bags, cinnamon buns, real tiny watches, "daggers" that look like they're stabbed through the earlobe...

    2 votes