In article ,
says...

wrote:
You forget the Merkin effect. The environment is full of carcinogens,
but anything that doesn't have the backing of Real Money behind it
gets flagged as really bad news, however far down the list of dangers
it is. That being said, bracken isn't one of the really lunatic
cases, and is well worth not eating.

Speaking of the Merkins, you're not allowed to call them lunatics any more.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17997413

(it's even more bizarre sounding on reading the article than it first
appears, imho)

Not so different from campaigns here to eliminate the use of misleading
and/or stigmatising terms like mongol, spastic, split personality, manic
depression.

Janet

Janet wrote:
Speaking of the Merkins, you're not allowed to call them lunatics any more.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17997413

(it's even more bizarre sounding on reading the article than it first
appears, imho)

Not so different from campaigns here to eliminate the use of misleading
and/or stigmatising terms like mongol, spastic, split personality, manic
depression.

I was .. surprised to find it actually /ever/ had a mention in Federal law,
let alone still did. I couldn't see the context, but I didn't study the
article thoroughly, it may have had further references that I didn't see.

In article , wrote:
Janet wrote:
Speaking of the Merkins, you're not allowed to call them lunatics any more.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17997413

(it's even more bizarre sounding on reading the article than it first
appears, imho)

Not so different from campaigns here to eliminate the use of misleading
and/or stigmatising terms like mongol, spastic, split personality, manic
depression.

I was .. surprised to find it actually /ever/ had a mention in Federal law,
let alone still did. I couldn't see the context, but I didn't study the
article thoroughly, it may have had further references that I didn't see.

I am not, and should be pretty flabberghasted if it were not used
in some English statute law or binding precedent. It was the
standard term for someone who was mentally incapable; if I recall,
it was superseded by insane, which was itself superseded ages ago
(possibly over a century ago).

However, it is very different from the cases that Janet described,
as the term has not been used in a medical sense in the lifetime
of anyone living and, I believe that in the USA as here, hasn't
even used as a widespread casual term for the mentally incapable
in half a century and more. There are therefore good grounds for
removing it from the law, but it is not offensive to people with
specific medical conditions in the way that spastic is (when used
as an insult).


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

wrote in message ...
In article , wrote:
Janet wrote:
Speaking of the Merkins, you're not allowed to call them lunatics any
more.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17997413

(it's even more bizarre sounding on reading the article than it first
appears, imho)

Not so different from campaigns here to eliminate the use of misleading
and/or stigmatising terms like mongol, spastic, split personality, manic
depression.

I was .. surprised to find it actually /ever/ had a mention in Federal
law,
let alone still did. I couldn't see the context, but I didn't study the
article thoroughly, it may have had further references that I didn't see.

I am not, and should be pretty flabberghasted if it were not used
in some English statute law or binding precedent. It was the
standard term for someone who was mentally incapable; if I recall,
it was superseded by insane, which was itself superseded ages ago
(possibly over a century ago).

However, it is very different from the cases that Janet described,
as the term has not been used in a medical sense in the lifetime
of anyone living and, I believe that in the USA as here, hasn't
even used as a widespread casual term for the mentally incapable
in half a century and more. There are therefore good grounds for
removing it from the law, but it is not offensive to people with
specific medical conditions in the way that spastic is (when used
as an insult).


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Shanklin Theatre is used by a group for rehearsals and productions who have
'Leaning Difficulties'

A lovely expression I feel :-)

A word that I feel is a very very great loss is the word ... 'gay' :-(

Mike


--

....................................

I'm an Angel, honest ! The horns are there just to keep the halo straight.

....................................

In article , says...

In article , wrote:
Janet wrote:
Speaking of the Merkins, you're not allowed to call them lunatics any more.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17997413

(it's even more bizarre sounding on reading the article than it first
appears, imho)

Not so different from campaigns here to eliminate the use of misleading
and/or stigmatising terms like mongol, spastic, split personality, manic
depression.

I was .. surprised to find it actually /ever/ had a mention in Federal law,
let alone still did. I couldn't see the context, but I didn't study the
article thoroughly, it may have had further references that I didn't see..

I am not, and should be pretty flabberghasted if it were not used
in some English statute law or binding precedent.

Lots. right up until 1948.

The General Board of Commissioners in Lunacy for Scotland continued to
use that name until 1913.

Westminster passed the Lunacy Act 1890, Lunacy Act 1911, and

Mental Deficiency Act 1913

the 1913 Act defined "Institution for lunatics", as "the same meaning
as in the Lunacy Acts". It also defined the classifications of "idiots:
imbeciles: feeble-minded people: and moral defectives ".

There was a Royal Commission on Lunacy and Mental Disorder, in 1924.

The term Criminal Lunatic existed in law (referring to inmates of
Broadmoor) until the Criminal Justice Act 1948, which declared

"Discontinuance of terms "criminal lunatic" and "criminal lunatic
asylum. Asylums and places appointed under section one of the Criminal
Lunatic Asylums Act, i860, shall be called and are in this Act referred to
as " Broadmoor institutions "; and accordingly for references to criminal
lunatic asylums (by whatever name called) in any enactment there shall be
substituted references to Broadmoor institutions.

(2)The expression " criminal lunatic " shall cease to be used; and there
shall be substituted for it wherever it occurs in any enactment the
expression?Broadmoor patient.?

Janet.

In article ,
Janet wrote:

There was a Royal Commission on Lunacy and Mental Disorder, in 1924.

The term Criminal Lunatic existed in law (referring to inmates of
Broadmoor) until the Criminal Justice Act 1948, which declared

Later than I thought, but bureaucrats are very like slugs in many
respects :=(


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article , says...

In article ,
Janet wrote:

There was a Royal Commission on Lunacy and Mental Disorder, in 1924.

The term Criminal Lunatic existed in law (referring to inmates of
Broadmoor) until the Criminal Justice Act 1948, which declared

Later than I thought, but bureaucrats are very like slugs in many
respects :=(

and the public they serve are even worse; very much like lemmings in
their willingness to follow any lead that saves them thinking for
themselves.

Janet

wrote:
The term Criminal Lunatic existed in law (referring to inmates of
Broadmoor) until the Criminal Justice Act 1948, which declared
Later than I thought, but bureaucrats are very like slugs in many
respects :=(

Perhaps we should go sprinkle salt, woodash or bracken around Westminster
and assorted town halls.

On Thu, 10 May 2012 22:18:36 +0100, "Christina Websell"
wrote:


Well I had hoped that it would rot down, when the digger made a heap of
it,
but now it's just a huge amount of couch grass growing again in a 3 ft
high
heapsigh
I guess growing courgettes in it are out of the plan now.

Not necessarily. courgettes are very hard to kill, I wouldn't have
thought the couch grass would do them much harm. They may even shade
it over enough to kill it off a bit

I'd sort of hoped it would turn into a gigantic compost heap but
realistically, it's been too cold and wet.

How long has it been there?

My massive heap of couch grass and weeds is now lovely soil. The end
I've started excavating is just about a year old.
The other half has lots of things growing in it (jack by the hedge
which smells lovely and garlicy) .. so I covered it in a pile of grass
clippings I got.




I have no experience with courgettes. I tried them once (not where I am
planning to have them now) and the slugs got them.
So, if I inserted a bit of chicken manure into the bottom of the hole that I
plant them in (having started them at my house) do you think they would do
OK?
The main veggie beds show no sign of slugs or snails as there is a huge
expanse of bare soil around them so nowhere to hide.
It would be a brave slug or snail that attempted the journey to my lettuces
(famous last words)



--
http://www.voucherfreebies.co.uk

mogga wrote:
I'd sort of hoped it would turn into a gigantic compost heap but
realistically, it's been too cold and wet.
How long has it been there?

don't know abotu tina's, but /my/ weed compost heap is now growing buttercups out
of it. :-(

On 14/05/2012 13:08, wrote:
wrote:
I'd sort of hoped it would turn into a gigantic compost heap but
realistically, it's been too cold and wet.

How long has it been there?

don't know abotu tina's, but /my/ weed compost heap is now growing buttercups out
of it. :-(

They are shallow rooted in coarse compost you can just pull them out and
leave to mature in the sunshine for a while (assuming your garden is not
already under water after the recent drought).

I find buttercup is one of the few plants that resists glyphosate.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

In article ,
says...

mogga wrote:

Tina said

I'd sort of hoped it would turn into a gigantic compost heap but
realistically, it's been too cold and wet.

mogg said
How long has it been there?

don't know abotu tina's, but /my/ weed compost heap is now growing buttercups out
of it. :-(

Isn't it contained/covered in any way? If I didn't contain and cover
mine they would be so cool they'd take years to become usable compost.
Rain and wind are both cooling. Light encourages weeds to grow.

Tina's idea that a springtime naked heap of earth and newly dug couch
grass would "become compost" was unrealistic; couch regenerates rapidly
from its roots/stolons. If one wanted to farm couch grass on an
industrial scale, piling it into an uncovered heap in spring, with loose
soil and gentle rain, would work fine.

Janet

On 14/05/2012 13:26, Janet wrote:
In ,
says...

wrote:

Tina said

I'd sort of hoped it would turn into a gigantic compost heap but
realistically, it's been too cold and wet.

mogg said
How long has it been there?

don't know abotu tina's, but /my/ weed compost heap is now growing buttercups out
of it. :-(

Isn't it contained/covered in any way? If I didn't contain and cover
mine they would be so cool they'd take years to become usable compost.
Rain and wind are both cooling. Light encourages weeds to grow.

Tina's idea that a springtime naked heap of earth and newly dug couch
grass would "become compost" was unrealistic; couch regenerates rapidly
from its roots/stolons. If one wanted to farm couch grass on an
industrial scale, piling it into an uncovered heap in spring, with loose
soil and gentle rain, would work fine.

I find overlooking a small piece to be an effective way of farming the
stuff at this time of year. A hot heap will kill it but nothing less!

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

In article ,
Martin Brown wrote:

Tina's idea that a springtime naked heap of earth and newly dug couch
grass would "become compost" was unrealistic; couch regenerates rapidly
from its roots/stolons. If one wanted to farm couch grass on an
industrial scale, piling it into an uncovered heap in spring, with loose
soil and gentle rain, would work fine.

I find overlooking a small piece to be an effective way of farming the
stuff at this time of year. A hot heap will kill it but nothing less!

My cold heap kills it. The key is that it ends up under a depth of
actively rotting material, and its young leaves are as subject to
bacterial attack as anything else. I occasionally have to remove
couch that was in the top 6" when I stop building at about 4'.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Janet wrote:
don't know abotu tina's, but /my/ weed compost heap is now growing buttercups out
of it. :-(
Isn't it contained/covered in any way? If I didn't contain and cover
mine they would be so cool they'd take years to become usable compost.
Rain and wind are both cooling. Light encourages weeds to grow.

Light, in general, encourages plants to grow. :-P

The weed pile that I am talking about isn't covered, as the lid vanished one day
during the strong winds, but it's in a green dalek. I didn't say I was surprised
it was growing buttercups, just stating that it was. It'll probably be growing
potatoes under the buttercups