Linda

I agree that differences definitely exist, but let's talk about it in a constructive way. Like many of you guys posting on this thread have done. Thanks for your support by the way. The race metaphor was used to highlight the fact that the initial poster described his (I'm assuming it's a man here) experiences in the same way people did when coloured people were first allowed to enter previously white-only occupations (and still do in some areas as we all know). It reminded me of an old news paper clipping from the States, some column you could write into for advice, someone had written in saying she'd got herself a new Negro but had some trouble with her doing the domestic work and did the column writer know of any more people having trouble with their Negros and was there anything one could do to ease the breaking in of them? It would have been more interesting if the initial poster wrote in saying look, we used to have this problem, but this is how we solved it, what do you guys think? Even if it meant saying that he unfortunately had had to let the females go. What would be really interesting is to have people discuss why there are so few women in the industry and what could be done to get more women into arb. Steve once asked me if I felt like starting some sort of female issue thread but I have conciously stayed away from it, but there you go Steve, there's one for ya right there.

Saw something interesting on the tube for a change a few weeks back, some research showing that if kids don't get to go out and play by themselves, outside of a sheltered area, to climb trees for example, they will never learn what safety is, they will never learn from their mistakes as it were.

Sorry guys but what is the point of this thread?! What is it you want to say/suggest/ask? If you don't think your employees do a good job then I suggest you should have a chat with them about their attitude. Or maybe you should name them and we could all point fingers at them? If you have something constructive to bring to the forum on the gender topic we're happy to hear it. And please, stop pretending women are a different species. There will be women good at what they do and bad at what they do, just as there are men good and bad at what they do. In all professions. No wonder women always feel they have to prove themselves and work twice as hard as men to get the same recognition men get for just breathing.

And another...

Here's one.. and yes this IS work related...

This editorial has been posted under the thread BS5837:2005 which means that potentially it will go unread by a lot of people who might like it. I thought it was quite a good piece. And it went out to 20,000 members worldwide. Colin, as you might have noticed, is working hard to be 'down with the dawgs' by hanging out here on arbtalk.co.uk 93930-bashford_AN_0807[1].pdf 93930-bashford_AN_0807[1].pdf

Hi Tony, was just thinking earlier today how rubbish the food on Myerscough campus was (their idea of a balanced vegetarian meal is a mountain of chips with a blob of melted cheese on top...), don't know if this is a Northern thing perhaps? But yeah, the online degree is a great opportunity for people who for whatever reason(s) can't attend normal lectures. Go for it! Yes, methinks I will be competing next year...seems like it's quite alright to make an arse out of yourself at the tccs so I reckoned why not!?! ;-D

Am not sure I'm the right person to post this as I didn't know the guy that well and I'm sure those who did have already been informed, but I haven't seen anything about this on the forum and thought you guys might want to know: Noel Donaghy Jnr was killed Monday afternoon in a road traffic accident near Brookeborough in Northern Ireland. Noel was a keen novice tcc competitor and worked in the family firm A Total Tree Care Company. Noel's brother Stephen who you may also know from the tcc circuit is in a critical condition in hospital with broken arms, shoulders, legs. Their work mate Al is also in hospital although not in such a critical state. Two children and two more adults were also injured in the crash. Noel's funeral will be held in Belfast tomorrow Saturday. Freak accidents like this one makes me think that the most important thing in the world is not your job or your new shining climbing kit or your car or your bank account or your facebook account - it's the people that you love and hold closest to your heart. Make sure you let your friends and loved ones know you like and love them as often as possible because maybe there will come a time when you wish you'd have told them more often.

Hi Louisa Hows the new family member? Linda

I like the fact that it looks like a conifer... scots pine or whatever, people more often than not go for something like bog standard oaks don't they

Well you would if you were doing the degree...

I go climbing at my local public woodland most evenings and have had no problems so far. Probably because I seem to be the only one using the woodland on weekdays... If people start asking questions I will just explain what I'm doing and that none of it will damage the tree and hope that they won't take it to the LA.

The top-up year is well worth the time and money. I didn't do it online so obviously got all the benefits of the open-door-policy at the Myerscough arb office and the lab sessions down at the proper uni in Preston, and being a full-time student you get the time to properly research the topics (and the chance at getting really good grades...;-D). On the other hand you also get to make aquantaince with loads of unruly 14 year olds on day release in the agricultural unit who lounge around in the library while you're trying to read up on SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis...