Steven P

That one nearly got a thumbs up:

Pink hair? Remember when the olds used to moan at us for mohicans? I guess the kids later will moan again about their grand kids having coloured hair too and odd liberal ideas. We get old, some get grumpy. (anyway Peds, it is usually smoke and mirrors, get them riled up about the insignificant, and while they are distracted do what you really want.) I am going to derail this though and show my old gitted-ness with a Tony Hancock reference - Rhesus Positive? Their monkeys aren't they, classic.

You need to hang about the forum more, 5 pages in and only 1 joke? The thread is holding interest more than most. Usually by 5 pages we've had a page for the topic, a page of insults, a page of bad puns and 2 pages on a complete tangent. Cleaning up with a detergent pun? I'd be all for that.

6 months ban, 12 month suspended sentence? Proper bellends, but also idiots for forgetting that every man (or woman) and their dog (or... ) has a camera phone at the ready, and the police will take it as evidence quite happily.

Had to look carefully to see the rope on the right, thought the bigger one was going to hold the little one up - full Irish Breakfast I was assuming. Only ever had the Lidle straps out a few times, I can get it taught enough for The Boys to have a good go and for me to fall off fairly quick.

I did a bit of climbing in earlier days - not trees and in the corporate world where we were risk assessed to death which is where my comment is coming from. We wouldn't be allowed to make a move unless the rescue climber was kitted up (He'd usually stay on the ground though). My point is I'll assume that the site 'belongs' to the boss with regards to safety and working the site, and they'd be sharing with the workers the risk assessments. If the risk assessment says 'rescue climber' (or equivalent wording) and there is none, an accident happens but work had started because the boss said to go ahead then I think the liability sits on their shoulders? Insurers would use it as an excuse to duck out of a pay-out. Now suppose a worst case - end of career injury or worse, can the boss afford to make suitable financial payments out of their pocket? Other lines of work where the job stops if the safety supervisor (equivalent to rescue climber) goes off site - even for a 5 min toilet break, we stop. We don't change our behaviours cause they aren't there - still work safely - but the liability shifts to us and away from the agreed assessment and method statements. Both examples working for large companies in the corporate world. Could be the best climber in the world, accidents happen, can you afford the insurers to walk away? Might be the case where the RA doesn't specify a 2nd climber in which case I think it is whatever you are comfortable with and the job in hand.

Not a good week for his press relations: Trump calls for '60 minutes' and CBS to be 'terminated' - immediately no less. Cannot be having the press write bad things. Trump complains he cannot understand a reporter... but her accent is wonderful. Didn't even bother to ask her to repeat her question (about Afghanistan), not sure if that is him ignoring an awkward question, racist or sexist.. or all 3

Would be a nice golf course along that coast, sunny with plenty of bunkers. (only draw back is to do that the US would also need to step up and house 1.8 million Palestinian immigrants since none of the neighbouring states have ever wanted to do that, with many many barriers to them moving away from Gaza into neighbouring states.)

Ran past some tree work yesterday, reasonably main town road with full traffic management, cones, lights, and the traffic management company in attendance... remembering this thread I took note - didn't see anyone being too arsey with it... but that road often has works on it just now... Multiple trees over about 100m and not sure if that helped with it being a longer scheme than just a single tree where you can 'see' what is going on to take a chance? Cones, Traffic lights, Footpath closed off Traffic management company in attendance About 6 workers all in high vis

For a slack line Lidle do some ratchet straps fairly cheap every now and then if you need them

Tow truck at fault I reckon, the cyclists were going round a corner, doesn't look like they were racing or going fast, the view of the towed van and half the wire was obstructed by the wheelie bin (placed by the recovery truck guys?) - they can't see what is going on, reaction time is not a lot. I get this a lot while running - dogs on trip wires, practically impossible to see.

You talking the Labour thread or the POTUS thread?

Labour bashing or adoration would go into the 'Who likes Labour' thread? Trump bashing or adoration would go in this thread? There is a little overlap of course but I don't think that Starmer or Trump have announced any results of any negotiating yet, or from Trump and tariffs on UK goods. However with the news catching up on Trumps twatterings, it appears that his negotiating with Mexico worked so spectacularly that they agreed to continue with the agreement they'd made with Biden and nothing more. With Canada he just rolled over and dropped the tariffs threat when they went 'fine, cancel the contracts and don't sell US goods'. None of the threatened EU or UK tariffs appearing, is that maybe that the EU and UK have stood together a bit, Trump finds it hard to divide and conquer (his favourite technique) against a united opposition. As I mentioned above, so far his international relations and negotiations have been bluster and bluff, no substance and business as it was at the end of 2024 despite the bravado he went into office with, wanting to change the world quickly... I think we'll be waiting a while yet.

Yes, but mostly irrelevant to what Trump is doing with his tariffs isn't it? (threat, 'negotiate', publicise big wins (that might have already been negotiated))

But Ireland isn't imposing tariffs on imports to the US are they?

We probably read different slants on the news. Canada didn't roll over, they cancelled a starlink project and stuck signs in all the shops "buy Canadian" while removing US products... and Trump paused the tariffs with no gain for himself. Mexico just confirmed 10,000 troops will be sent - as agreed with the Biden administration and the tariffs were dropped. Not really bending over, but he got the publicity out of it?

Will their software be imported from Mexico or sent out from within the US and so not subjected to tariffs?

Hypothetical at the moment, I am not going to be convinced. Maybe have to look back a few years time to see what happens.

That's not my point, aware of restrictions of who can manufacture what and were. Point being why are you accepting potential tariffs on Mexican goods (I know they've been dropped, but you understand the example), and yet don't appear to be acepting tariffs on UK manufactured goods... surely that tool is to get US manufacturing industry manufacturing more? It is either going to work... for all sectors...or it is not.

This is where a confusion in tariffs happens. Manufacturers don't and often can't drop their prices, what they sell a product for out of the factory door won't change, their profit magin will be the same. Add a tariff in and the purchaser simply pays more. Deer for example will still be profitable. If you are talking the likes of large agricultural machinery there isn't a lot of choice, got to buy Deer really. Same with a lot of foods, the US don't produce the quantities required... there will be imports, no choice, the prices rise on imports. Home grown manufacturers see, say Mexican tomatoes prices rise 25%... and still get bought...guess what they are going to do? cannot legislate old fashioned greed and price rises.

So am I reading this right, manufacturing abroad doesn't benefit the American people unless it is manufactured abroad in the UK? How does that happen?

That would be an economic decision then? Biden would similarly have been slated if he had put in place policies to sacrifice wage growth for the benefit of cheaper manufacturing wouldn't he? If these companies move back to the US their prices will have to rise, if they get hit with tariffs their prices will rise. The American public would see price rises... Didn't Trump campaign that he'd lower prices immediately - eggs quoted but it was almost everything. Can't see that happening with tariffs being added in, which goes back to him bluffing, blatantly go back on an election pledge or be seen to do a deal, a great deal the likes of which has never been seen before.. but which gets him what he originally wanted. Do you honestly think he cares much car manufacturers in Mexico more than the public perception and his approval rating? Car manufacturing will stay in Mexico, tariffs will be dropped, headlines of Mexico sending 100,00 troops to the border, Trump gets the kudos.

Look at Mexico, played by the Trump play book: Rich and powerful man threatens the smaller man with bigly problems / financial issues Little man rolls over and negotiates Trump plays his trump card (I know, I know) and gets what he wanted in the first place. Bigly problems don't happen. Classic call my bluff. In Mexico: Bigly threatening tariffs even if they will hurt the US, bluff for a week or so. Mexico phones. Tariffs 'postponed' (the threat is still there for his next whim) Mexico sends 100,000 national guard to the border to stop drugs and immigrants. Trump gets what he wanted. Very rare for anyone to call his bluff, though he might be pushing it a bit too far with the rest of the world leaders. Some push back in Ontario where they have cancelled the contract with the first besties starlink in response to tariffs... that isn't in the play book, you're meant to roll over before you can act

If it was Silver Birch I'd be splitting that half way through the pile to be split.. and then it sits nice in the middle of the stack, off the ground but also a bit sheltered. One year I was getting as load of bark falling off, the makes an excellent roof as it dries.. none of the problems with tarps, tin, no construction to make a roof. I'm not in the wettest part of the UK but nearly, and my wood dries fine. If you have the option, stak on the sunny side of your area and were the wind can whistle through it

If it is for next winter or afterwards, leave it open to the elements, don't make life harder than you need. Move somewhere covered the year the end of September before you want to use it - after a dry few days of course