Steven P

It was the 1965 discrimination bill he scrapped. Nothing to do with diversity targets, just plain scrapping the legal protections of that.

But back on topic, the equal opportunities acts - and similar around the world are to stop basic discriminations, basic racism and to allow all to have a fair crack at the whip, a fair chance at getting any job.. This is a good thing. Larger companies will have a HR department monitoring these things and should be quick to ask hiring managers for example "Why do you only hire white men"... 60 years of US protection for workers and in all those 60 years no one has been shouting that it is unfair... then up steps Trump, a rash swish of the pen and womens rights have gone back to last century (along with the inferred allowable racism that you can scrap all CVs from other races, only interviewing your own (which of course favours the white man)). Discrimination is still discrimination whichever way it goes, but... your workforce should be representative of the local employee pool for the roles: So perhaps in Tree surgery and arboculture, fewer women wanting this career so you'd expect fewer in the workforce.. but they should get an even crack at it if they do apply for roles, and opposite to that, office workers should see a 50-50 mix men-women and an ethnic blend close to the local workforce - in Aberdeen for example, might be 95% white, in London might be 80% white. Fair an even for all. The law -was- there to help ensure this. It was a good thing.

Yup, though I'd shy away from checking if they are virgins though, that is probably a whole world of pain - though they reckon that is a translation issue and what they meant was 'unmarried'.

Wow, that's a big iceberg!

No, in the UK that would still be religious discrimination, Jesus was a hippy, basis of a couple of religious books.

TV License... if they had a big squad out there enforcing them we'd know about it I think. Chances are the ones on the TV had been dropped in it by a friendly neighbour. Getting a high court writ for everyone? Probably not, Not sure though if shops have to report who buys a TV? Something in the back of my mind. Woodsure... probably enforced the same way, someone with a reason to lets them know and round they pop.

That's a point.... Obligatory Editty bit (Been missing these, whoops) 'That's a point' referring to Gareth, I need to make more of the First-Bestie being South African

I'm not an expert on tachometers, not GPS? So you'd only get time of day they were moving but not where even if they were working? It is another thing how you sneak an arctic down a country lane... twice... with no one noticing

Heat pumps will work for us... no gas supply... so heating electrically for the same price as gas has its merits. Add in a couple of solar panels... but while there is excess tax on electricity that isn't on gas (at the point of use) heat pumps won't make sense to most. Still need an immersion heater or under sink electric heater for hot water though.

...any layby generally (reports on the news yesterday of 2 arctic loads fly tipped - builders waste... any layby will do).

This is true... that is another issue... but one to consider also.

Word of mouth and visibility helps more. Go out in a white transit with no advertising logo on the side you won't get noticed, but have a fully liveried van, park up for morning coffee where the school run mums walk past, have business cards ready to hand out, use a real phone number - even if just for an answer machine plus a mobile, a simple website... can all help I can name about 3 or 4 local tree surgeons just from seeing them out and about in their vans, no need to look them up. However for what you are describing, letter boxing with some leaflets could help, but word of mouth when you start getting more work in

Gradual training maybe. Don't throw thousands at a new employee in the first week they join - do the ones to get them on site safely grafting, get that mostly paid off then throw in a chainsaw ticket, get that paid off and so on... the career minded will see regular training and hang about if they can see the next tickets coming along in a month or so. You'll soon know if they are only there to take you for a ride. After that keeping them is old fashioned loyalty - your personality and how you treat them. Buy a bacon bun 'thanks' after a tricky week with an earlier dart if possible, it is worth it's weight in gold

Do your tree work customers ever ask for the logs? Might be a handy extra days work "We can split them for you, bring the same ones back in a week or 2 or I can swap them for a random selection I have split ready in the yard this afternoon" type of thing - saves all schemes I think since you are not supplying the logs, only splitting them.

That her, yes. (one of Trumps ... many... discrepancies between what he says and what he does. Maybe he just doesn't realise - a horrifying thought - a bit like that scene in Trainspotting where Robert Carlisle is in the night club touching a man... wonder if Trump is angry cause he did the same?)

Considering that electric cars are a part of the solution to move away from fossil fuels.... I am sure it is you that gives a shit. In fact it is probably on a scale of taking a huge jobby on Union Street scale of giving a shit.

Firewood is going the way that you have to really go all in and full time or just about break even with small quantities I think. All in and you can afford the machinery from your sales with the added costs of the ready to burn scheme, small scale the ready to burn scheme eats into your profits too much taking into account of machinery costs. You could sell unseasoned wood... but you don't get the premium of leaving it outside to dry and increasing your prices, your time input is the same but less money. Small scale, there is premium of very small scale - those that want a Christmas day fire type of thing or a sunday afternoon where £15 for a few dry logs (not ready to burn) can be profitable but in limited quantities each year

Easy? So why the big fuss earlier then about posting the original links? You'll note that many of your screen shot links are not mainstream news... hard to do an easy google search .. and that's why you get questioned about the source. Just FYI really. While you are here, I wonder if the First Bestie, Musk, is having words this morning about the extra taxes on electric cars in the US?

Not like you to be doing independent research on a picture that's been posted, but well done (You'd also get a pat on the head if you were in the room here), well done.

Bruce was quite entertaining at least.

Good point. 'Cause he is orange'. That's better

I'm looking at something to go in the loft - air-con, Dehumidifier or MVHR, the delay is not being convinced which system yet - but will be something up there eventually.

Moisture in the house.... cooking steam, showers, baths, breathing, poorly ventilated gas boilers, gas hob, The Boys spilling -more- juice, damp and wet shoes and jackets, washing machines, dish washers, tumble driers, pot plants - err- indoor plants, washing laminate floors... in a well sealed house all increase moisture vapour and can increase it above ambient outdoor vapour. In the winter outside air can dry - colder it holds less water, inside air, warmer, can hold more moisture... which can turn to condensation when it hits cold surfaces. Anecdotal from me but putting the bedroom fire on upstairs draws more air in (both stoves burning), more air changes in the house and drier indoor air. Older houses were designed to be leaky, gas appliances could be less well designed, open fires were more common needing the air flow. Modern houses without the open fires and better vented (outside vents!) boilers means they can be better sealed... and then can cause a problem with an after market stove... not enough air flow. Windows have to have trickle vents in them because all the leaks are too well sealed. However if (and when) I change the stove I'll be putting in an external air supply for it even with a leaky house. Next job however is an air con / dehumidifier for the bathroom

However politically, any republican would be doing the same thing, and would also probably also be elected. Biden was an easy obstacle to overcome in the election, age playing against him, Harris joined too late in the game... so even without Trump (rapist, sex offender... you know the rest), US politics would be going down the same path... but without rewarding a criminal who appears to be where he is cause he is white and can throw a lot of money at making things "disappear"

I'm not disputing how they voted, never have. I am disputing what I perceive to people adoring a rapist, serial sex abuser, voyeur, apologist for a child rapist and sex trafficker (and financial crimes) that he is a good man. He is not.