A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in

Brussels Sprouts

I've never been able to grow good brussels sprouts and find the plants are always affected by anything and everything that is possible to go wrong. Whitefly, moulds, buttons that should be tight blowing (opening instead of forming recognisable compact sprouts), stunted growth and even worse they taste very bitter. I've followed all the usual advice trampling the soil down firmly and adhering to planting times strictly. This season as per usual was full of distractions and as a result, some of my brassicas were left in their trays for far too long before being pricked out and then left too long again in their module trays. They were planted late and had hardly grown so I expected nothing from them. The results have been surprising. Both the brussels and cauliflowers have settled in and grown better than any other previous year. The soil wasn't cultivated very thoroughly either just weeded, raked and covered in a thick mulch of leaves and a sprinkling of blood, fish and bone for each planting hole. This was all done in almost pitch blackness as an afterthought at the end of the day. yet here they are thriving the only concern now is to protect the sappy lush growth from the cold so a bit of fleece covering may be in order.

Gender fluidity / binary

People are always scared of change that's why there is ridicule and angst against the whole idea of gender fluidity. An anti PC backlash as venomous as any veganazi. Referring to a group in a genderless way feels like the majority's "normal" gender status is being taken awake for the sake of the feelings of a few, but it isn't. We're all used to being called them or they in plural or when someone doesn't know our name and if an individual wants to be called these things it's their right and doesn't affect anyone else. We need to stop being so weak and defensive thinking our rights are infringed everytime someone merely speaks up for their own. I was born a man and identify as one but I get it and don't care if a gender spectrum is "real" or not. That it's physiological, psychological or "fake" doesn't matter a jot because it's not my business what others decide. It requires little effort to change how I describe them (yay I remembered). To go on and on that it is all made up and not real is just making excuses for yourself and pretending it isn't actually you projecting and forcing your feelings on to others rather than vice versa. Just be happy with who you are and allow others to do likewise and above all grow a fucking backbone you snowflakes and stop seeing threats where there aren't any. It's good to be a man or a woman and always will be, celebrate it. But if you want a bit of both or neither go for it. It can only make life richer and more interesting.