scotspine1

last part of a Spruce removal, bit of slo mo with the gopro, can be viewed in HD, enjoy folks - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPonHi-j1sI

Paul, I worked with a climber in London who wore hearing aids in both ears all the time, not sure why? he was in his early 20s, never affected his work at all, great climber.

Re-branded Wetterlings, the 2nd best splitting maul after the Gransfors maul Buy Wetterlings Splitting Maul online at Rutlands.co.uk

this? He definitely recognised the negative impact of nationalism in Germany in the 30s when it coincided with the rise in persecution of the jews and other people who didn't conform to the nationalist ideal There are people behind the scenes in the SNP that hold extreme views, Salmond and Sturgeon are tame in comparison. I'm not saying the SNP are Nazis, I am however saying there are people within the ranks of the SNP who would be only to happy to see dissenters silenced in a SNP run independent Scotland.

Mr Squirrel's post is far from measured and sensible. Why do the SNP and pro independence supporters always cite Norway as an example for Scotland to follow? Norway has just elected a Thatcherite government.....so could someone from the YES camp please explain how Norway is the model for Scottish independence? An independent Scotland would be the most socialist country in Europe, if it isn't already. A state based on the empty ideology of welfare-ism. The Norwegians are actively moving away from that kind if thing.

It could be argued the UK's permanent seat on the UN security council along with only four other countries - the US, China, France and Russia means it still has the potential to have a significant role in world affairs. By voting YES to an independent Scotland you not only severely diminish Scotland's capacity to have at least some say in important world/European affairs (security/trade etc), you also threaten the UK's permanent seat on the UN security council. For people living in an independent Scotland (the UK's closest neighbour) - this scenario would be self defeating. Scotland on it's own would have absolutely zero significance in world and European affairs. It would have less influence than the likes of Latvia and Estonia. No one living in Scotland should take being part of the United Kingdom for granted.

The Herald have totally lost the plot on the referendum. Iain McWhirter - can't believe how he's fallen for the SNP's propaganda in such a big way. Shame, as he was a well respected journalist. people like him... Lesley Riddoch (former BBC Radio Scotland), Derek Bateman (Former BBC Radio Scotland), Pat Kane (Artists for Independence), Eddie Reader (Artists for Independence) and other people like them in various walks of life who support the SNP/independence - they all want independence so they can be big fish in a small pond. McWhirter, Riddoch and Batemen etc will be looking for jobs in government as chief communications officers, Kane and Reader etc- overseeing culture in a newly independent Scotland. And that guy that runs Mull29's 'Business for Scotland' pro independence lobby group will be wanting the top job in gov as business advisor. All on the take, all they care about is what's in it for them.

the debate here in Scotland is turning more toxic as each day goes by it has the potential to cause major problems between friends, family, work colleagues etc, come September it will have reached fever pitch and there will no doubt be some violence between insane pro nationalists and ultra unionists The most worrying aspect is that there could be mass rallies in the big cities by nationalists refusing to accept they've lost the referendum, it'll be like Ukraine is now.

Salmond has said he will allow USA nuclear armed submarines to dock in an independent Scotland on a 'we wont ask, you don't tell us if there's missiles on board' basis. He wants to be part of NATO, but this wont happen because Scotland would be the first NATO member in history to ask for nuclear weapons to be removed from their country. NATO simply wouldn't allow it. The UK's nuclear submarine fleet would be moved to the east coast of the USA and Scotland would not get into NATO leaving us defenceless and having no influence what so ever in NATO foreign policy. His policy on nuclear arms is not credible. Re Iraq/Afghanistan, if you think it's bad having the USA and it's western allies running the world just now, just wait until you see a world dominated by China.

He definitely recognised the negative impact of nationalism in Germany in the 30s when it coincided with the rise in persecution of the jews and other people who didn't conform to the nationalist ideal

'Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind' Albert Einstein How right old Albert was.

This is the narrative your being spoonfed by the the SNP....... Why is it the SNP chooses to define Scottish people and Scotland by what is different about them when compared to the English instead of what unites us? the answer is simple, the SNP are divisive, narrow minded, short sighted nationalists who want to drive a wedge between Scotland and the rest of the UK so they can fulfil their immature fantasies of being big fish in a small pond. President Salmond? - no thanks. It was also Billy Connelly who said he feels he has more in common with a shipyard worker in Liverpool than a farmer in the highlands.

How many times before the referendum are we going to hear that cliché by the pro independence side?........talk about a stuck record. Don't mistake negativity for critical thought, the pro independence supporters (apart from maybe Jim Sillars) seem to have lost their critical faculties - instead choosing to blindly follow the pied piper to the cliff edge like a bunch of sycophantic lemmings. Critical thought enables a person to scrutinise Salmond's vision and under close scrutiny his vision for Scotland simply does not stack up.

300 years united and still going strong. The relationship between Scotland and England has always been fractious, being part of the United Kingdom has taken the sharp edges away. An independent Scotland would see a renewed and insidious animosity between the two countries. Any Scottish person who believes their being oppressed by the English is completely deluded. You want real oppression?? try the Tamils in Sri Lanka, the Palestinians, the Jews in Nazi Germany. The Scottish people are not an oppressed race like the SNP and pro independence lobby seem to imply with their pathetic chip on the shoulder. Underneath all the SNP's rhetoric about an 'inclusive society' lies a deeply embedded anti-English sentiment. .

Jules, the SNP don't want independence so that power will trickle down to the people, they want power so they can implement their socialist, nationalistic, narrow minded policies. Named guardians for all children from birth to 18 years old - talk about big brother, it seems the SNP have decided they will bring up our children, it's nothing more than pernicious monitoring by the state. That's the shape of things to come if you vote for independence. Salmond and the SNP - you can't separate them from the debate. They bring in people like Colin Fox (Scottish Socialists) and Patrick Harvey (Scottish Greens) as a gesture to pretend there are other parties interested in independence. Those 2 represent about 0.0000000001% of the Scottish electorate, Fox isn't even an MSP. All the people who rave about Salmond and his soclalist utopian vision for Scotland need to remember one thing, Salmond was the former banker who encouraged and supported RBS's take over of the Dutch bank ABN AMRO, the biggest disaster in UK banking history - and this is the guy who wants to lead an independent Scotland!

commercial treework will die out in Scotland in the event of independence, all trees will be managed by the state, every aspect of life in an independent Scotland will be managed by the state. This will mean all intelligent and freethinking 'pro treeworkers' from Scotland will move to the rest of the UK to escape Salmond's cold water Cuba. .

everyone seen this? [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6aFwwacHA8&feature=youtube]Chainsaw - YouTube[/ame]

The AA Scottish Branch run a few seminars/workshops every year which I try to get to. They did a Delivering Treework seminar last year, good speakers on consultancy, contracting, professionalism etc Lonsdale and Barrell are doing a seminar at Edinburgh Botanic gardens this year, 1st July, will try to get to that.

Police seize family pet dog after baby is killed at a home in South Wales | Mail Online How many more babies, toddlers and young children are we going to allow to be savaged to death by dogs? When are dog owners going to wake up? seriously how stupid are the majority of dog owners in the UK? letting a dog, any dog - into the same room as a baby, toddler or very young child is about the most stupid thing a dog owner can do. I honestly couldn't care less if the dog attacked the owner and mauled them half to death, in fact I'd call that justice. It's innocent children being mauled and killed I find so sickening.

Yes, because as you say it's under tension, if you want to cut a piece of rope with a knife quickly you pull it under tension, you don't just leave it sitting on the deck where you would get no purchase. There could be people who don't understand SRT work positioning and assume the only option is a base tie off, this is what meant re 'confusion'. For serious pros there's no confusion about SRTWP with the base tie off, we all know it obviously carries a higher risk of failure than DbRT or SRTWP with a top tie off.

Maybe it's this people are thinking of - With DbRT work positioning you have all of the critical parts of the system above you and in most situations you're aware of where the two parts of the system are sitting in the tree - they're nearly always in sight, you still have to be aware of the trailing end below, if it gets cut and you don't notice you're falling off the end of your system. With SRT work positioning with a base tie off, the down rope is outwith your control, unlike in DbRT you can't see it in most situations and it's below you where branches, timber do fall and potentially sharp tools can fall. The same applies to the trailing end in SRT as for DbRT. SRTWP with a top tie off is as safe as DbRT. I suspect the confusion and concern lies with SRTWP with the base tie off.

Never heard of people saying that about DbRT ever, not once in all my time in treework. There is obvious issues with SRTWP with the base tie off, even the strongest proponents of SRT for work positioning recognise this, but never in all my days have I heard of people assuming that a DbRT is cut proof because you work with 2 legs of the same rope in front of you. I honestly think you must be picking these people up wrong Adam. Either that or the people you are discussing SRT/DbRT with have never climbed and have no knowledge of climbing which if that is indeed the case then their opinions are worthless and not open for consideration.

Go and live in any Islamic country of which there are many then you'll understand what it means. Failing that try China, Russia or North Korea. If you have anti American views, you are basically saying you have anti western views, if you don't like core western values go and live in a totalitarian regime like Iran.

That's it's strength, the right of people to think critically, question authority, debate political differences and the right to disagree using rational argument.