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Amelanchier

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Everything posted by Amelanchier

  1. One measure of the value of an approach is to see what advantages it has over other approaches. Does this approach explain the data better than the existing approach? Does it allow for more accurate predictions? I don't think it does - sorry. Lets take some simple VTA (cos I know you lke it!) - the axiom of uniform stress. 'Traditional science' (whatever that is...) explains this as the increased tissue production by the cambium to distibute the stress placed upon it over a larger area (Its late and I'm generalising). It lets us predict that a tree will adapt its growth when it contacts a wall/doric column/fossilised mammoth. What can your inclusionality add?
  2. I read it Tony and I'm still not buying.
  3. Yeah point taken. Wonder why they have antivirus products for mac though in that case? Surely you don't need them
  4. I've been a PC user since forever as that was simply what was around. Later I got put off by the 'cool' of Apple products. I've used an ipod and found it quite easy to get along with but nothing worldbreaking. Same with iphones - apps and facetime? Sounds like programs and video calling to me. Whatever works for you though. What I am interested in is the psychology and perception of Apple and how its changing. I think they're still trying to remain niche and aloof while chavs buy burberry Ipods, users complain about various Iphone 4 issues (and are simply dismissed) and the poverty stricken factory workers who churn the products out jump to their death. Its hard to be cool and niche when your turing into all the other companies. It'll be interesting to see how they deal with all this.
  5. Like all the best propaganda, there is an element of truth in it... World's first OS X virus hits Apple - Techworld.com
  6. I'm having a bad day.
  7. I'm glad we both get the chance to be amused by your statement. On the one hand you get to find your own jokes funny whilst I get to observe a hilariously poor attempt to raise your own social standing by displacing your authority issues. Everybody wins.
  8. Well now we know that everyone's right, I feel that this has run its course. These things rarely get back on track and have a nasty habit of permeating the rest of the forum. For those reasons I will close this thread in the morning - then we can all get back to complaining about the censorship of free speech by heavy handed moderation.
  9. I think the guiding principle has to be "discuss the idea not the individual". I hate these threads. They never achieve anything except the bountiful proliferation of bad vibes.
  10. I can see why Dawkins does it. At some stage in the past, he's presumably just had enough of the vapid empty hyperbole espoused by the manipulative and the damaged. I feel like that somedays.
  11. I guess thats your arguement holding a smoking gun whilst hopping around bleeding with shattered metatarsals...
  12. Er. This thread has the potential to take us into all kinds of wacky places but IMO the OP intended it to be about Mr Dawkins rather than a platform to argue the validity of the Christian God based on a smattering of creationism.
  13. That would be Hemingway. As quoted in the latest predator film by a dubious Adrian Brody.
  14. Why not just get the NPTC certs that you need to do the job and then take the ISA Certified Arborist exam. It'll certainly be cheaper in the long run.
  15. Its a shame the torygraph toff who came up with that disposible childish chain email dirge couldn't add up. Not only do the numbers bear no resemblance to any shade of reality, but the second round of costs add up to £79 not £80.
  16. Well done mate. Solid mark there and commendable attitude in releasing the document. Respect due.
  17. Tony, Just a thought - given that anyone can make a TPO application for any TPO tree why don't you reapply as a interested party submitting all this info. It would be a good learning process - especially if you go to appeal. Perhaps give you some kudos with the boss if you get consent where he didn't...
  18. Its impossible to say why the application was refused without knowing what was in the application! If you had included the same level of information (and I realise it wasn't your app or spec) within the application as you have done here then in the unlikely event the work was refused consent, you would be in a strong position to appeal against the decision. Appealing isn't done enough. If you don't agree with the decision - appeal it. BTW the LPA should give you clear and comprehensive reasons for each refusal. If they don't then there is even more reason to appeal.
  19. CAVAT is easily to get to grips with than Helliwell. The training is useful but I'd say that a knowledgable chap like yourself should find the guidance notes easy enough. Basically you start with a price based on an extrapolated £ per unit of girth. Everything after that is modifiers. I've just used it to put a cost on some root damage in terms of life span and loss of amenity. Value before - Value after = Depreciation of asset. Won't break the bank of the guilty party but certainly motivates the money men. (Especially if they see solicitors rubbing their hands together, some things are universal.) Any cost in this climate is worth avoiding. Factor in the cost of appropriate protection and you can show that its definatley worth doing it properly. That said - you need to pick your fights. That cat C sycamore in the corner ain't worth it mate. Ain't worth it.
  20. That looks incised rather than lacerated and there's no swelling / capilliary damage. I'm calling fake.
  21. Its a tough one isn't it. Another issue is how to increase protection without increasing resentment. Before you designate a conservation area you have to consult with the public - if you don't want them hacking all their trees down during that period you have to serve TPOs. Which means a lot of work and normally, a lot of objections. Not much fun IME. Anyway - I'm not convinced this government is looking for ways to scale up the powers of the LPA. Their focus is localism, I wonder if that can be harnessed in any meaning way?
  22. Steve, do you know anything about Tony Sorensen? I've heard he's a jolly nice bloke and works for very reasonables rates.
  23. That's fine, the others aren't going anywhere when you're ready I dunno - I'd accept that it might well have a skew toward the lower end but a natural variable such as stem diameter is characteristic of a simple population biomass pyramid. Amenity doesn't play by those kind of arithmetic rules. The system still requires site visits for the middle ground whether that covers 50% of the population or 20% - its still an increase in workload. The Blue Book is clear in this respect, which is why I used it. (My emphasis in bold) - 9.5 It is vitally important that the section 211 notice sets out clearly what work is proposed. This should be straightforward if the proposal is to fell a tree, as long as the tree is clearly identified. But if the proposal is to prune a tree the section 211 notice should clarify exactly what work is envisaged. A proposal simply to 'top' the tree or to 'lop' or 'cut back' some branches is too vague because it fails to describe the extent of the work. People are advised not to submit a section 211 notice until they are in a position to present a clear proposal. They should consider first discussing their ideas with an arboriculturist or the tree officer of the LPA. 9.6 If the LPA receive a vague section 211 notice they are advised to refer back to the person who submitted it. Any clarification of the proposal should be confirmed in writing, either by modifying the original section 211 notice or withdrawing it and submitting a new one. Viola! Increased workload. Yes it does. You're oversimplifying the value issue again - what about the tree that has amenity value but just not enough to TPO it? Is it OK if the owner wants to top it at 6metres because it blocks the TV signal? You suggest creating the same wrangling and informal dialouge that goes on already in conservation areas (which often takes the LPA right up to the 6 week deadline) to the whole country. That's gonna be more work. No, not one that reduces workload whilst increasing protection. Do I need one?
  24. Its easy to design a system that addresses each end of the scale well. Crap trees = hack away / Nice trees = TPO. Easy right? However, that's not where the majority of trees are. I'd suggest that in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, that the amenity value of trees is normally distributed throughout the population. Therefore the majority of trees tend to be of medium amenity value - subsequently it follows that the majority of works under your proposed scheme would relate to trees of middling amenity value; requiring a site visit to determine the appropriateness of a TPO simply because its not clear cut. Furthermore, lets not forget that the majority of all notifications are sub standard and typically notify of an owners intent to "prune the tree". Clarifying the notifications from across an entire district neccessarily increases workload. Consider enforcement - patchily implemented at best. Just how much officer time will be needed to enforce a blanket restriction on all trees over your size criteria? How many cases will fail the test of public interest? Also - how do you get from here to there? How do you overlap the systems without a spike in man hours? And how do you fund that spike with the proposed budgets? Don't get me wrong - the idea has legs as Andrew says. There just happen to be a lot of hurdles for those legs to get over.

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