Snails and Dr Phil (I rant.)

[callistra]

Does any one know a home remedy for stopping snails eating my basil? I'd rather a home remedy if any one has one than pellets. I never see the snails so I can't move them to other plants. They just seem to like the basil.



On Dr Phil... interesting episode today. They had a man with 41 seperate law infractions, one of which involved stabbing someone a few times and causing permanent paralysis from the nect down in the victim (self defense apparently), attempted grand theft, and a number of assaults and general bodily violence.

So. He is also an alcoholic and druggee for a while, and wants access to his daughter again (she is seven now) because "he is a changed man." He "doesn't want to be judged on his past because he is now a different person." His ex-wife is sitting there shaking, with "anxiety", and he has anger management issues and a propensity toward violence. He denies that he broke her nose or hit her in the stomach. (It turns out she was pregnant at the time, but they didn't know it then).

It was intersting to watch Dr Phil dance. He danced fast, he danced hard, but you only get 42 minutes in a show. How do you tell someone with anger management issues "You don't deserve to be a father" when being a father is a "right" in America and not a privilege?

I felt sorry for the ex-wife. Did you know, in america, that there are laws against spouses who allow their abusive partners to harm their children? I believe it's only been used against women who can't don't or won't stop abusive men from abusing children.

And then again, if she denies him access, there are laws which will put her in jail for doing so, and that law has been used to grant fathers access to their children who then killed them.

What is she supposed to do? What was she supposed to have done when she realised she was pregnant? Abortion is still illegal and/or difficult to get in America. If she could have afforded it. They had problems before they got pregnant; it's all too easy to say she just never should have married him. But she did, and they did get pregnant, and now there is a child who deserves to grow up and hopefully be everything she can possibly be. Should she know her father if he is a violent, wife-abusing, drugged alcoholic who claims he has changed (hasn't had an infraction in 9 months apparently). She can't run, they'll get dragged back. She can't hide; that's against the law too. She can't murder him, and she can't allow him to have access to his daughter, and she can't deny him access to his daughter. Is this like shroedinger's father (please forgive the spelling if it's wrong) in that he exists in a state of limbo until created as an entity by being given access to her? He actually said at one point that of he had access to her, he would have things to do with his time and wouldn't drink or take drugs. Huh? Horse: Cart, Cart: Horse?

What gets me is that he just expects to be GIVEN access to his daughter. He has six or seven cards worth of legal charges, and just thinks that because he SAYS he is a changed person, his ex-wife should bloody well believe him and just give him unsupervised access to his daughter.

And every time they talked about his attacking his wife, he demanded to know where the reports were. Where was the proof?

So where's the reports and the proof that he was a changed man? Why shouldn't he have to prove himself the hard way, the same way he earned the rep he has currently, with years and years of effort. Why does he think he can just say reality is not based on the history of events, and expect that that is enough?

And how do I neuter him from here? (Long range lasers? I don't think that's a working option somehow...) Just because he is a biological relative does not mean he would be a good influence on his daughter's life. In a year or two more, when he can prove to himself and every one that he truly is a different person, then he would certainly be an interest influence on his daughter's life. Then perhaps he could teach her about self control. About making mistakes and doing right by them. About fixing problems. Maybe.

And just in case LJ is watching, breatfeeding boobies!

Comments

[akire-yta.livejournal.com]

i find one of the best things for stopping ANYTHING eating plants is tea leaves. I save my tea bags, and then just rip them open and sprinkle them over and around my plants.

And it makes good fertilizer when it decomposes ;) We don't have a snail problem here, so I can't guarentee it will work for them, but it works for everything else :)

[fe2h2o.livejournal.com]

I believe beer traps work. Shallow containers with beer in them, set in the ground. You then just need to empty them. Alternatively, Vinnie will soon be about the right age to set among the plants... he will certainly see the snails—and will no doubt eat them (of course, he's as likely to eat the basil as well):-)

[divaflip.livejournal.com]

I have heard of something similar, I think it was wine or honey trap with borasic powder in it?

[gevauden.livejournal.com]

Beer is the goods.
Snails love it. Pour a little beer into a container, preferably sunken in to ground level. Works a treat.
It does, however, kill the snails. In case you were concerned. But hey! They drown in beer! ROCK!

[babalon-93.livejournal.com]

I can vouch for the beer traps, I've used them, the snails do drown in them, but at least they die happy.

I just finished watching Dr Phil, yes, scary man. I do think supervised visits are the way to go (supervised by a trained professional).

[baby-elvis.livejournal.com]

I too was horrified by the man. At least Phil said he shouldn't have access to the little girl.

And Oprah was about transgender children. And some remarkably brave families. It was both inspiring and sad.

[valeskah1.livejournal.com]

Coffee grinds work well, too. Like the tea, just scatter amongst the plants.

[tikiwanderer.livejournal.com]

Planting marigolds nearby is supposed to discourage them from your other plantings according to the old books - my experiences is that it discourages them by giving them really tasty stuff to eat instead. I have trouble keeping my marigolds alive. Lettuce for snails, anyone?