Invasive Toxic Plant: Giant Hogweed

[icemanat95]

Blue Jay,

I plead guilty of over-exaggeration to make the point that Glyphosate is a very safe herbicide for humans to use, handle, and even mishandle (as most people do). You have to make a conscious effort of stupidity to seriously poison yourself with the stuff, and even then you have to try harder than you would have to with a lot of old-style herbicides.

But obviously the common sense quotient has fallen enough that people cannot see an overexaggeration without having smiley faces next to it.

For the record: Do NOT drink glyphosate or any other herbicide. While drinking glyphosate won't kill you (barring an allergic or sensitivity attack), it'll render your short term future decidedly uncomfortable, and you will become intimately familiar with your bathroom.

Good enough?

As far as whether I do not approve of any death-dealing product, there are many that I don't approve of. I don't approve of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons. I'm not a big fan of landmines or booby traps. I think riding a motorcycle without a helmet, while not criminal, is insensitive to the EMT's who are going to have to scoop up the remains of your brains with a grain scoop shovel if you get into an accident. Heroin, Crystal Meth, Crack, powder cocaine, ecstacy and other "recreational pharmaceuticals" result in misery everywhere they are used and made. I am less harsh in my opinion on marijuana, but seing as it's illegal, people should not use it...eventually it will be legalized (another ten years probably.) At that point I'll re-assess. I think smoking cigarettes is stupid, but if you feel you must, go ahead, just don't sign onto any lawsuits later. Anyone in the past forty years who claims they didn't know cigarette smoking was hazardous to their health is either a complete moron or is lying like an old rug. I used to smoke and I knew I was risking it all. Nevertheless I do not support banning cigarettes.

There are a lot of "death-dealing" products that are necessary for public health. Antibiotics, antiseptics, some pesticides (about the only thing that keeps malaria and yellow fever from becoming endemic up along the East coast as far as New York are pesticides that keep the populations down. ) Pesticide use is the only thing that keeps schools and hospitals from being over-run by cockroaches, rats, mice and other vermin. Places where pesticide use in those public places have been banned experience immediate expansions of those pests because it is not possible to maintain the clean-clean environments needed to keep them away when children and sick people are involved.

Likewise herbicides are used to keep invasive species like poison ivy,oak, hogweed, kudzu, Japanese Bamboo, Purple Loosetrife, Fragmites, etc. checked. They are used selectively along powerline rights of way to prevent trees from growing up into the wires and creating fire hazards or wind hazards. They are used along fuel pipelines at storage stations and at electrical substations to keep plants from threatening those installations. Transformer stations need to be kept essentially plant free to remove the fire hazards they would otherwise represent. handwork cannot accomplish this. Some chemicals are used merely to retard plant growth, lowering the mowing frequency from monthly to bi-or tri-monthly where high grass growth would create a safety issue by obstructing sightlines (along highways).

Pesticides and herbicides can be used responsibly or irresponsibly. This is true of most "death-dealing" products, in fact, this is true of absolutely all things. You can destroy a human being as surely by abusing their emotions as you can by shooting them. A person is just as dead when beaten with a hammer as when stabbed with a kitchen knife.

The crime is in the person who commits it, not in the object used.

[Blue Jay]

Both Herbicide and Pasticide levels are rising in both food and water. Even Organic farmers are find ing high levels in fields far away from contaminated ones. You are correct that the responsible use of these poisons is beneficial. The problem is that "responsible" is clearly not an attribute of the human species. For example "corn" no longer exists anywhere on the planet. A geneticlly engineered Frankenfood that looks like corn has taken its place. One that can survive ROUNDUP. Even if you had corn seed it could no pollinate because frankencorn is engineered to overcome it. Are we aware of the short or long term effects if this distruction. No, there is no oversight, few regulations (none that matter in any way), and actually very little science involved. Monsanto did not destroy a major food sourse for any compassionate "beneficial" reasons. It was purely to fill the pockets of a few insane executives. Now all food products are under attack from Monsanto. The rest of the world is fighting this insane activity, but Amerikans are just flat out ignorant.

[Blue Jay]

One more thing, pesticides, herbicides, suicide and fratracide are biological weapons. Just because we use them on ourselves and our families does not change that fact.

[meBrad]

I have come to understand that my participation in this forum is counter productive. In an attempt to ammend this I am deleting my posts and have requested to have my account deleted

[Blue Jay]

Thanks Todd (I mean Brad). If you had any different opinion about my intellect I would be deeply offended.

[meBrad]

I have come to understand that my participation in this forum is counter productive. In an attempt to ammend this I am deleting my posts and have requested to have my account deleted

[icemanat95]

Originally posted by meBrad
I am left puzzled why you infer that I know him or am him?

Some of the more paranoid netizens frequently assume that their opponents post under a variety of aliases to "gang" up on them. Blue Jay is clearly a fan of conspiracy theories.

[meBrad]

I have come to understand that my participation in this forum is counter productive. In an attempt to ammend this I am deleting my posts and have requested to have my account deleted

[Lone Wolf]

Why don't you pseudo-intellectuals take your sophmoric pissing contest somewhere else for christ's sake! wha wha wha.

[asmtroop3]

I did not want to be the first Wolf but BRAVO.

The two of them should do a section or two together and if they don't kill each other, maybe they will learn to shut the F$*% up.

Granted, this is a forum and it was made to allow freedom of speech. but freedom at the expense of others is not right.

I could get personal right here but Brad and BJ, you figure it out without us, OK.

[Blue Jay]

Now Mr. Wolf you've always liked to start pissing contests in the past. Mr. Troop you could always avoid Giant Hogweed or other scary threads. I will agree to your suggestions.

[meBrad]

I have come to understand that my participation in this forum is counter productive. In an attempt to ammend this I am deleting my posts and have requested to have my account deleted

[asmtroop3]

I do not want to avoid threads because I do not like the content.
Reasonable debates are healthy. I like to throw the occasional stone as well. The last thing I considered SCARY, I killed and ate.

But having to weed through all you two have provided lately to gather the knowledge this site is known for is a pain in the A**.

Maybe we can start a section called the boxing ring or pissing corner or whatever that will be a place for totally unreasonable sh*# like you guys are spewing.

Like you said, I can always take my A** elsewhere.

[meBrad]

I have come to understand that my participation in this forum is counter productive. In an attempt to ammend this I am deleting my posts and have requested to have my account deleted

[smokymtnsteve]

.....

[Lone Wolf]

amstroop, just view them as a couple of elementary school girls bitching at one another except they're using BIG WORDS. hahaha

[smokymtnsteve]

.....

[steve hiker]

Brad or Blue Jay, maybe one of you could help me out. What do you think of yellow blazing New Yawk, New Joisey, and the rocks of eastern Pennsylvania. Just hitch from Dumcannon to the NY/CT state line. Any reason why not?

I mean, WHY do this section of trale? Nobody seems to enjoy it, they just plow right through with a goal of getting to New England or Shenandoah. This section is conspicuously out of place on the AT anyway, going through suburban NY and Rockville, PA at a whopping 270 feet above sea level.

Is it really worth the extra 306 miles just for:

--a view and a whiff (gagh!) of the Big Apple
--an opportunity to rough it up with "youse guyz"
--a chance of getting some sleazy Joisey tail at a trailside bar
--a scenic walk through a Superfund waste site (tasty water!)
--best chance of mangling your ankle on the whole AT
--certainty of slicing the soles of your boots to shreds on PA razors

[Lone Wolf]

C'mon Jumble Troll, you've worn out the skipping trail thing. Come up with a new original topic.

[Blue Jay]

Your just jealous Wolfy because I usually bitch at you. Just you'all remember Giant Hogweed is sneaking up on you this very minute, and your guns won't help.