Amelanchier

You're probably right.

Ah the bullet numbers game. Sigh. 1. Value and validity are added if the use of the terms is correct. Are you saying that they are not? 2. Please define your term 'non-scientific' and explain how texts published by academic publishing houses with peer review processes do not meet this criteria. 3. Have you noticed how easy it is to make a comment on Arbtalk that you haven't referenced immediately to susbtantiate? See number 4 below. 4. Please give me a list of the sources by which you intend to substantiate your second point. 5. Why do you assume that the anatomy of the eye is related to the way people ascribe motive and meaning to causation? Can blind people not do this? Have you misinterpreted the my usage of the verb 'see'? 6. Please confirm to me that you have read the full works of the authors that I listed above so as to be able to substantiate your categorisation of their publications as superficial. 7. Please list the remaining identified phenomena that I have failed to explain. 8. This is going to get really boring but I'm not going anywhere - so take your time and don't miss a point or reference please.

Dean, it was mainly the OP I was addressing. Although I used to work for an LPA I no longer do. Like I said to Tim (see above) we don't really disagree on the existance of corruption, it's just that your experience has led you to consider it more prevalent than mine does for me. So, no real arguement here.

I based my statement on the identified phenomena of confirmation bias, illusory correlation, cognitive dissonance and self-deception decribed in the works of Daniel Dennett, Stephen Pinker and Robert Trivers. They are not psychologists themselves but do a suffiently robust review of the literature in preparing arguements within their work for my purposes as a non-specialist. Especially suitable, I would argue for allowing superficial comments to be made on a tree work discussion forum. As you are apparently qualified to do so, perhaps you could explain whether it is reasonable to claim that sometimes people see patterns where there are none.

True enough Tim. I don't really think there is much to disagree on really; corruption happens - I just think it happens less often than others do. Giving examples and sharing experiences can't provide us with a definitive answer because the claims are being made on a larger scale than the limited evidence can support. As the man said, "One swallow does not a summer make...".

Tedious but inevitable I suppose. Bit like an echo, only more boring.

I like the 'very few friends' bit, very playground. You'll understand if I don't rush to post my life history - suffice it to say that I'm younger than you, have done my time dragging leylandii in the sleet and haven't needed to cohabit with a dictionary because I read books. As to my naivety and my friends, I'll let others judge that. There is nothing more stupid, arrogant and boorish than someone defining themselves as worldly or popular. I guess you'll just have to see me as you want to see me. It doesn't change the validity of my point.

Hang on Rupe. That seems plausible but doesn't involve an evil job killing empire hell bent on intergalactic domination but fronted by a small UK charity so it can't be right.

Perhaps he did; but he also decided that the only way that decision arose was via conspiracy rather than stupidity. I say that is unlikely. That, you see, was my point. Quite prosaic and unremarkable really.

Ha ha, Tim 'the academic of contraria' agrees with you.

And you sir, craft such elegant sentences - you operate at the zenith of wit. I am, inevitably, humbled by the keen force of your retort.

Yep, sometimes they are. I don't doubt Dean either (why would I?). I was making a more general point and thinking more probability than possibilty. Of course its possible; I just don't agree that it is probable.

How do you have more morals?

Nope. I'm in my thirties. However, I look foward to the day when I'm as old as you Dean. I'll be able to simply dismiss arguements made by younger people just because they haven't existed for as long as I have. I may even be able to practically insult them provided I dress it up as banter. Anyway. Regardless of my age, politics, views on dialling the A11, inside leg measurement and cholesterol levels my point remains the same - people are hardwired to conclude conspiracy despite the reality being far more mundane.

Been taking notes since day one huh? Or perhaps you based that judgement on how few threads I post complaining about my life and its cruel twists of fate? Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

Are we seriously having this debate again? Bottom line - people see consipracy everywhere, it's human psychology to ascribe motive to a chain of events and to see patterns where there aren't any (or even to berate inanimate objects for their malevolance). More often than not, your suspicions are wrong. If you had ever worked with the people that are accused of being in the old boys club, the Masons or the Mafia (really?) you'd realise that none of them has the time, inclination or the individual power to make the kind of impact needed to swing a decision. And that's leaving aside the obvious allegations of dishonesty which quite frankly are insulting. I wonder how they'd be taken if the shoe were on the other foot? Anyway must be on my way now so I can beat all the old ladies in micras and tractor / combine drivers who wait for me to drive down the road so that they can pull out in front of me and make me late. I swear they communicate.

Me or 'im?

Interesting that you accuse people like me of being closed minded elitists who unfairly pigeonhole your leftfield ideas whilst you happily stick your head deep in the sand about the frankly vast body of established scentific knowledge simply because it doesn't fit your world view. Your revelations are old news in evolutionary biology. Oh please expand. Any examples that don't include some dull poxy bracket and a knackered old tree?

I think you need to read outside of your mycocentric library Tony. To be evolutionarily successful (i.e., to exhibit an evolutionarily stable strategy), an organism only needs it host to survive for as long as it takes to replicate sufficiently to infect another host. It's hosts quality of life is largely irrelevant. Kolmogorov models and Lotka–Volterra equations describe the rest of the party. Would you care to describe your theory of mutual cooperation in the context of HIV in Homo sapiens? Or perhaps the mutual advantage obtained by the host species involved in the life cycle of the Ichneumonidae wasps? Guinea worms? Bot flies? Ticks? Toxoplasmosis gondii? For every cute little clownfish peeking out from a pretty anenome or fig wasp elegantly specialised to a particular variety of Ficus there's four or five other species that would indifferently leave you hemorrhaging blood from your eyes or with your colon teaming with eggs.

Why is this your problem John? The previous complany were presumably engaged to undertake a resistograph test with the intention of providing some useful information. They appear to have failed and your client should be raining endless grief upon them rather than passing the results onto you for a second opinion!?!

Ha fair question! At the Norwich showground in sunny Norfolk.

Bump

Same here. Anyone know how many roots you need for a 'clump'? (see 7.2.3)

Its time again for our annual Cutters and Climbers competition at the East of England game fair on the 28th and 29th April at the Norwich Showground, Norfolk. As with all previous years we strive to make things bigger and better every time around - I'll add details as I get them. The competition is open to all qualified climbers and chainsaw operators regardless of age and gender. It consists of three individual climbing, spiking and chainsaw events with separate and combined prizes for each. The vast majority of competitors compete in all three, with the chance to win the much coveted ‘Most Employable Person’ title, based on scores from all three events. Climbing event, a solo simulated work scenario tests climbers with a variety of targets and aerial challenges such as our hair trigger limb walk which challenges competitors to get as far out on an artificial branch as they can without setting off an alarm. Chainsaw event competitors are expected to fell a standing stem, de-limb and cross cut an artificial tree with points will be awarded for the precision of cuts and the time taken to achieve them. Pole climb pits two competitors head to head up the largest poles we can transport down the road. Although these fall short of the 80ft monsters that you might find at the UK championship, they more than make up for it in speed and splinters. Team relay events (Spiking/Felling/Snedding/Axe Crosscut) Send the entry form attached below to [email protected] ASAP. Whilst we try to get tickets out to all those who enter prior to the show, you'll understand that if we recieve your entry form the day before the show it'll be tricky to arrange tickets by post. Different date to Capel this year so expecting to see all those who usually make excuses! Enrolment Form C&C 2012.doc

Terrible news. I worked with Darryl for over two years at his fathers company. As Steve says, he was an exceptional climber, with an eye for detail and very conscientious about the job. He'll be sorely missed - tragic loss.