peds

Ukrainian President Zelensky's speech before the attack: "I have initiated a call today with the president of the Russian Federation. The result - silence. Although silence should be in Donbass. That is why today, I want to come with an appeal to all citizens of Russia. Not as President. I am appealing to the people of Russia as a citizen of Ukraine. We share more than two thousand kilometres of border. Around it, today, is your army: almost 200,000 soldiers; thousands of military units. Your leadership has approved their movement towards us. Towards the territory of another country. This step can become the start of a big war on the European continent. The whole world is talking about what can happen any day now. A reason can appear at any moment. Any provocation. Any spark. A spark that has the potential of burning everything down. You are told that this flame will bring freedom to the people of Ukraine. But the people of Ukraine are free. They remember their past, and are building their own future. They are building it, not destroying it, as you are told everyday on TV. Ukraine in your news and Ukraine in reality are two completely different countries. The most important difference is that ours is real. You are being told that we are nazis. But how can a nation be called nazist after sacrificing more than 8 million lives to eradicate nazism. How can I be a nazi, when my grandfather has survived the whole war as part of the Soviet infantry, and has died a colonel in an independent Ukraine. You are told that we hate Russian culture. But how can a culture be hated? Any culture. Neighbours are always enriching each other culturally. Yet, that does not make them one entity, and does not separate people into “us” and “them”. We are different, but that is not a reason to be enemies. We want to build our own history. Peacefully, calmly, and truthfully. You are told that I am ordering to attack the Donbass. To shoot. To bomb without questions. Although there are questions: To shoot at whom? To bomb what? Donetsk? To which I have been dozens of times. I have seen their faces and eyes. Artema street? On which I have been on many walks with my friends in the past. Donbass arena? Where I have been rooting with the locals for our boys during the Euros. Shcherbakova Park? In which we were drinking together after our team has lost Lugansk? The home of my best friend’s mom. The place where my best friend’s father is buried. Note that I am now speaking in Russian, yet no one in Russia understands what these names, streets, and events mean. This is all foreign to you. Unknown. This is our land. This is our history. What are you going to fight for? And against whom? Many of you have visited Ukraine in the past. Many of you have relatives here. Some of you studied in our universities. Befriended Ukrainian people. You’re familiar with our character, with our people, our principles. You know what we cherish the most. Look inside you, listen to the voice of reason, of common sense. Hear our voices. The people of Ukraine want peace. Ukrainian authorities want peace. We want it, and we make it. We do everything in our powers. We are not alone. It’s true, Ukraine is supported by many countries. Why? Because we are not talking about peace at any cost. We are talking about peace, and about principles, justice. About everyone’s right to define their own future, of safety, and everyone’s right to live without threat. All this is important to us. All this is important for peace. I know for sure that this is also important for you. We know for sure that we don’t want war. Neither cold, hot, or hybrid. But, if we are threatened; If someone is trying to take away our country, our freedom, our lives. The lives of our children. We are going to defend ourselves. Not attack. Defend. By attacking us, you are going to see our faces. Not backs. Our faces. War is a big distress, and it has a big price - in all meanings of this word. People lose their money, reputation, quality of life, freedom, and most importantly, people lose their loved ones. Lose themselves. A lot of things are always lacking in war. But what is in abundance is pain, dirt, blood, and death. Thousands. Tens of thousands of deaths. You are told that Ukraine is a threat to Russia. This was not true before, not now, and won’t be in the future. You are demanding security assurances from NATO. We are also demanding assurances of our security. The security of Ukraine from you. From Russia. And from other signatories of the Budapest memorandum. Today, we are not part of random security alliances. The security of Ukraine is tied to the security of our neighbours. That is why we are now talking about the security of all Europe. But our main goal is peace in Ukraine, and the safety of our citizens. Of Ukrainians. We are determined to let everyone know about this, including you. War is going to deprive everyone of any assurances. No one will have assurances of security. Who is going to suffer from this the most? The people. Who does not want this more than anyone? The people. Who can prevent all this from happening? The people. If these people are among you. I am sure they are. Public figures, journalists, musicians, actors, athletes, scientists, doctors, bloggers, stand-up comics, tiktokers, and others. Ordinary people. Ordinary, simple people. Men, women, old, young, fathers, and most importantly - mothers. Just as much as the people in Ukraine, no matter how much they try to convince you of the opposite. I know that my announcement will not be aired on Russian television. But the citizens of Russia have to see it. They need to know the truth. And the truth is, that this needs to stop, before it’s too late. And if the authorities of Russia don’t want to talk to us, for the sake of peace, maybe they will talk to you. Do the people of Russia want war? I would’ve very much liked to be able to answer this, but the answer depends only on you - citizens of the Russian Federation."

Is it possible that... both sides are arseholes?

*baton, buddy.

Good to see you'll be providing the entertainment in this thread.

I can't quite understand what you are saying here. I understand, and I can imagine the kind of situation where one might use it. I'd probably just go ahead and climb it though, to be honest. Like kerf bending, but facing the other way.

? Are you climbing this tree without your own rope? Just how stuck are you hoping to get? I think I want to see some pictures of this tree, because either I'm missing a piece of the puzzle or you shouldn't be trying to climb it. Edit to add: Could I remind you of the existence of a really useful bit of kit for when the start of the climb is really not worth the hassle... a nice big double or triple extension ladder? There's really no shame in it... ladder against tree, set your rope as high as you can, ask groundie to remove ladder OR descend and remove it yourself, prusik back up your rope and carry on with life... then no-one has to call a passing tree surgeon with a... second climbing line...? to get you down from a tree like a hungry cat...

World's longest doormat ^

Stop me if this sounds bonkers. Back doing my cs38 there was a leaning post for practicing gaffing up. For laughs, we tried going up the underside instead of the topside. Some found it impossible, others not so bad. My history of rock climbing perhaps made it easier for me. I've not had the necessity to do so out in the field, but if I had to, it's a route I'd happily take. Coupled with Hairy Chest's recommendation for choked slings as footholds, it'd work quite well (if you've got the core for it).

Gladly. That's not an improvement, it's monstrous. Fake grass on anything except an indoor football pitch or whatever is disgusting, anyone who installs it for a living is doing actual, measurable harm to the planet, and anyone who wants it installing needs to take a good hard look at the other options available.

To be honest with you Mark, I found absolutely nothing important about dropping a few thousand spruce into a bog in horizontal Irish rain. The odd day of native broadleaf was great fun, but the spruce... not so much.

I planted for a season, I always enjoyed beating up days because it was a more relaxed pace than new planting, but it was at absolutely feck all of a day rate, €85, whether you were replacing 50 or 500. Not worth it, except that I always had the dog with me and it was a chance to give him a nice long walk.

https://arbtalk.co.uk/forums/topic/125681-tpo-confirmed-but-owner-not-informed/#comments

That's not it at all, it's just that the chip kept blowing off the roof when he drove away.

There are a big number of smelly hippies around who'd like to build a fence with scabs and offcuts. The question is whether or not there's any overlap between the money the smelly hippies would be willing to give you and the time it'd take you to prep it. My local sawmill does stacked and metal taped pallets of loads like this for absolute peanuts, at the price it's worth it for the firewood alone for at-home producers with no source for their own logs. I'll be making a fence in the future like the one pictured, anyway.

Clearly after the salt, your dog needs to drink more margaritas.

You wouldn't want to wash your hands in a buffalo...

I used to work for a chef who knew f*ck all about cooking. Just sayin' yo.

Brilliant.

Those spiral rope brushes work great when clamped in a vice with the bucket underneath, leaving both hands free to pull it through. Edit I hardly ever clean my ropes, and should do it more often, as the literature I've seen from manufacturers (during training courses with mountain rescue) make it clear that clean, dry ropes are significantly stronger than wet ropes with ingrained dirt particles, with breaking point much easier to reach. Even then, though, that breaking point should still be well outside your safe working load, but all it doesn't take much for things to snowball into a catastrophe.

Back in the Alps (my home for 15 years) I'd not think twice about strolling through a field of cows, public footpaths cross them like spiderwebs. I'd often go over and chat to them, see if I could get a tune out of their little bells. Friendly fellows, despite the massive horns. Sometimes I'd sit down among them and crack open my flask of tea. Here in Ireland, I'd not go near the f*ckers. Absolutely mental, the lot of them. They'd eat you for breakfast.

I've heard people waxing lyrical about Laxtons Superb before, so I'll definitely look into that. I'll check if the two you suggest are known to do well on my bit of the west coast of Ireland. Thanks for the recommendation.

Agreed. I'll do it for 4000 per tree, or 50 quid the lot if you'll sell me the timber afterwards.

Good to know. How about longevity? How many tons can you send through a set of pack press sheets before they give up the ghost, and how does that compare to a basket? Will you get a lifetime out of it, if looked after, or do they eventually retire? Point noted about using stainless steel for the scratter instead of whatever blades come attached to the lawnmower. I've used a Speidel mill for the last two seasons, so I'll be modeling whatever I build closely on that. The one I have access to is a 40 minute drive away, and I fancy owning something myself anyway. One question: any recommendations for a pollination group 4 eater that keeps well? Tart and crisp, ideally...

What variety is that? I have a few mm106 say here doing nothing just begging for some attention! I'm definitely looking at building a pack press, I don't think I could tackle the engineering for a basket press. Are they more efficient do you know? I'm at work at the minute but I'll gladly fire questions at you later on! Cheers. Edit I dropped the first 8 trees of my orchard in the ground just the other day, 5 of my own grafts, 2 from a friend, and one orphan. Soon I won't have to rely on scrumping to provide for my cider requirements!

They are all in one massive shed for a guy with a very specific fetish.