Steven P

Ring count requested.

I've known the tree for near 50 years* and it was a good height then, estimating from before about 1970 though * Though I was also smaller then. 1980s was good enough to climb high enough to scare mum... so we didn't when she could see. A couple more shots:

So back to the statistics and title of the thread, many polls are indicating that The Trump is not as popular as he wants us to believe, from some of the big polling companies who are less biased then the smaller ones... I'd be inclined to believe those polls.

Exactly the point, statistics can show what you want depending on your view point. So the polls and statistics that I might quote here are very correct, but polar opposites to the polls and statistics that you post here... and yet yours might be very correct as well. That was the basic GCSE maths, many years ago. Ask a loaded question, and you get the answer you want that fits your opinion. Doesn't mean that the answer is the full story.

... your half of the conversation Gareth are made up of course .... and the other half confusions of data. I remember school days (the old RE teacher of them all), in Sweden in the 80's they'd corrollated nesting stalks on chimneys and new born children in the house. Though for these statistics, depends on the questions asked, there are a few different polls corroborating the same findings, The Trump isn't as popular as his minions are telling him that he is (emperors new clothes story has parallels to Trump).

Didn't Boris Johnson spend millions on a similar media suit for exactly the same purpose? Hardly in need of an outrage. Teleprompter outrage.... because The Trump cannot use a teleprompter perhaps? I reckon if you go around the world most governments will have or be considering similar.

As mentioned above, they are your number I am using.

You need a better acountant. But thanks, I was just about to ask you to humour me, "to take home your £10k a month what would you need to take in a day".... £1250 a day nearer the mark?... and you think the tax increase on that will be too much for your customers? You need a better customer too if so. Of course, that £1250 is just for you, there are the other 2 you share the cab with say a bit over £2k a day

They're going to, but interested also to see what the opinion on here might be too

Not running a business at the moment, and the numbers are rule of thumb from my 'corporate world' world of work... however from comments on here (OK from smaller concerns than JohnsonDs £120k take home pay) not too far off from what you need to pay a man for a days work, and what you need to take to pay for the big machines he runs. I might be way off the mark, and perhaps best I don't run a business - never make any sales or money if so.

Whoops - I'd be the first to ask for a photo too if it helps others. It's this fella in the middle, was. Reckoned it was 25m to the top - the trees around it are all mature for example sycamore and so on. 4m at ground level, a little less at chest height. I'll grab a couple of photos tomorrow of work in progress.

Haven't looked but this thread suggests there will be loads of cheap double cabs flooding the market any day soon

Your numbers, 7 year old motor, 107k, or about 15k miles a year, works out to be 20 or 30p a mile . If my sums are a fantasy, they are done off the numbers you suggested. And what can your customers afford... going back to your numbers, you've suggested previously that your wage is about £120k, I'd estimate for that you'd need to be taking closer to £160 to cover taxes, expenses, equipment (loans, maintenance, replacements), training, accountancy, holidays, pensions, and everything else... just for you. £1000 a day. Add to you - checking numbers above - 2 passengers on your jobs, £300 daily wage - specialist stuff I am guessing, wouldn't get out of bed for any less, needs £450 for the business, makes about £1700 day rate for your team... and your customers cannot afford an extra £15? I'm not believing that.

Had a conversation earlier, a Lawson Cyprus I knew when I was younger, damaged in the storms so taken down this week.... question was how old do you think it was - 25m high and about 4m girth.. the little calculator I had didn't go to that size though. Any thoughts? Minimum age is 75 A good climbing tree.

but if the tree surgeon said apple....

I'll see your 30m.... Had a couple of Wild Slings knocking about somewhere, they were good

But that is the basis of all business taxes, eventually the cost gets added onto the ultimate purchaser... which is usually you or me. If taxes have to rise to pay for all the stuff we want, (or wanted) then eventually we have to pay and then we are just discussing how they are disguising the cost increase to me and you. Direct taxes or hidden taxes, how do you want to pay? If it is a personal vehicle - Chelsea Tractor style - then that is no bad thing, if it is business use only then the business owner only passes on the cost if they have done their sums.... and likely that all similar businesses will be doing the same. Those that buy from a knock at the door by a wandering man with a transit wouldn't be giving you the business anyway, only those that want the job done right... and giving your customers credit... they are smart enough to know that prices rise.

End of the day though it is a business tool. Same as any tool we use for work, estimate the total number of running hours, the outlay, running costs, taxes, fuels and so on, divide by the length of a job and that is what the customer pays. Simple business maths, if the running costs go up then what the customer pays goes up, or you don't pass on the cost and make a loss. My choice: My kids eat, or the customers kids eat... so my rate increases. The business doesn't take a hit on the extra tax. I can see where the whinges start 'hitting the business' if you haven't done the basics and don't know what it all costs, or if the vehicle isn't a business expense but a personal one... but pass it onto the business and increase the rate. Say 15,000 miles a year, add in 20 to 30p a mile whatever it is to cover the tax increase, a small increase in the price of a job when your charging ££ to the hour to do the work. 50 mile round trip... adds £15, but at a day rate of £300+ it is an amount the customer can afford, add in 2 more passengers, £1k a day, £15 is peanuts for the customer.

Criticism all depends on what you say - the laws are generally not biased though the implementation might be, and some might be more tolerant to criticism than others. Say "I think that is a stupid idea" - about any of them you aren't going to be arrested, but add a side portion of racism (which can be against the law), certain discrimination (again could be illegal) and you are crossing a fine line sometimes (and the fact that some religions tend to be practiced by whites and some by Asians that fine line could be crossed depending on what you say and the religion in question). But the law isn't biased. The I side with Big J though and will often ask "which god"... flusters some.

However no denials that Musk might have picked that idea up from somewhere though.... That and of course, his special wave at the audience. Not all Germans were taught it, it was emphasised when the Nazi party were in power but before and after not.

I don't think there is anything in his nationality Bill. All my adult life ships have been manned by the cheapest - Panama flag used to be cheapest, Russian officers and Filipino crews, as they were here. Some prestige ships use British crews (ferry services, cruse ships). If it was an issue with him being Russian and a 'weapon' a US fuel ship is an odd target given the current armed commitments they have, don't want to drag the US into any conflicts directly. Putin is not stupid. Comes to old fashioned feck-up, asleep at the wheel maybe (Vodka?) and reports that the ship wasn't in the best condition (which is no surprise, the Russian domestic fleet is also maintained by the cheapest)

10 minutes with sheers once a month taking off the new growth, a long term project but that will do it.

That would be a war crime then?

And in other other news, no hell breaking loose in Gaza. Still hostages.

In other news, I see that Trump has just 'bought' a brand new electric car. Does that mean electric cars are a good thing now?