Have you learned anything today?

[timsussex]

Everything you didnt want to know about the Birds and the Bees

External Link/Members Only

including that the Vasa Parrot - has a penis so mating takes 30 minutes while for most birds its over in 2 seconds

Also includes the mathematically proved method to get the best mate - and how it applies to humans at a party

[mr.bluesky]

only now - the moon used to be a lot closer and is slowly moving away so see an eclipse while you can !

It's only moving away by about 4cm a year so it will take a long time before it has an effect on future luna eclipses. The distance can be measured by bouncing lazers off reflective mirrors which were left on the lunar surface by various Apollo moon missions.

[timsussex]

It's only moving away by about 4cm a year so it will take a long time before it has an effect on future luna eclipses. The distance can be measured by bouncing lazers off reflective mirrors which were left on the lunar surface by various Apollo moon missions.

I should have added a sarcastic emoji but my 4cm is important to me 

[Blackpool Rock]

Everyone should try and see one live - its amazing
If you don't expect to live until 2090 (!) and live in the South for the next UK one then Spain will have two - in 2026 and 2027.

I did try back in 99 and positioned myself on the south coast of Devon for the spectacle, it was fucking cloudy   

Seriously though it can't just be me whose noticed that seemingly every time there is anything celestial going on like an eclipse or meteor shower etc that it's cloudy in the UK 

[Blackpool Rock]

It's only moving away by about 4cm a year so it will take a long time before it has an effect on future luna eclipses. The distance can be measured by bouncing lazers off reflective mirrors which were left on the lunar surface by various Apollo moon missions.

I knew it was moving away but couldn't remember by how much, I actually had a mile a year in my head which is obviously wrong but I do recall when we had the (cloudy) UK eclipse in 99 that in something like 1 or 2 billion years there wouldn't be an eclipse anymore

[Malvolio]

Apparently you don't get sent off after receiving a second yellow card if it's given during a penalty shoot-out

[timsussex]

Apparently you don't get sent off after receiving a second yellow card if it's given during a penalty shoot-out

Looked like it surprised the ref as well a rule made for Martinez !

[standardpostage]

My neighbour was quoted £2000 to have his tree pruned,  and all the cuttings  taken away, in his back garden. It is a tall one. Don't know how tall in meters ?

Maybe about double the height of his semi-detached house ?

Didn't know it was such an expensive job 

[Bertiebeenthere]

It does sound expensive to me.
But, breaking down the costs, £300 per person per day.
How long will the job take?
Travelling time and does the tree surgeon pay to dispose of the clippings?
Is all the tree coming down?
What type of tree is it?
The tree surgeon could sell on the timber, still sounds expensive to me.
Your neighbour should have at least three quotes.
Also, being cynical, certain special tradespeople know each other and quote very similar prices.
Buy/hire a chain saw and ladder and do it himself.

[PilotMan]

My neighbour was quoted £2000 to have his tree pruned,  and all the cuttings  taken away, in his back garden. It is a tall one. Don't know how tall in meters ?

Maybe about double the height of his semi-detached house ?

Didn't know it was such an expensive job 

I'm not surprised, that will need a couple of guys minimum, possibly a Health and Safety Assessment taking in to account surrounding factors such as nearby risks, there could be rotting branches. Safety rig, waste collectors license.

[standardpostage]

It does sound expensive to me.
But, breaking down the costs, £300 per person per day.
How long will the job take?
Travelling time and does the tree surgeon pay to dispose of the clippings?
Is all the tree coming down?
What type of tree is it?
The tree surgeon could sell on the timber, still sounds expensive to me.
Your neighbour should have at least three quotes.
Also, being cynical, certain special tradespeople know each other and quote very similar prices.
Buy/hire a chain saw and ladder and do it himself.

Thanks for info 
Too old to do it himself, but very streetwise and with it.

[standardpostage]

I'm not surprised, that will need a couple of guys minimum, possibly a Health and Safety Assessment taking in to account surrounding factors such as nearby risks, there could be rotting branches. Safety rig, waste collectors license.

  He has had a few quotes. One of the people said it was too tall for them to do.

[Blackpool Rock]

It does sound expensive to me.
But, breaking down the costs, £300 per person per day.
How long will the job take?
Travelling time and does the tree surgeon pay to dispose of the clippings?
Is all the tree coming down?
What type of tree is it?
The tree surgeon could sell on the timber, still sounds expensive to me.
Your neighbour should have at least three quotes.
Also, being cynical, certain special tradespeople know each other and quote very similar prices.
Buy/hire a chain saw and ladder and do it himself.

I believe that being a tree surgeon is one of the most dangerous jobs you can do so not recommended 

I did know a lad about 40 years ago who was a very competent and capable bloke into rock climbing and used to working at height etc, anyway he hired a chain saw and went up a ladder with various ropes around branches etc to ensure they fell correctly
An hour later he was in A&E having almost severed his foot with the chainsaw 

[PilotMan]

I cut some of my trees myself, but only up to where my ladders will go without being extended too much AND provided I can reach them comfortably with the chain saw. Some trees are really hard to cut, such as Hawthorn and elder, whilst others are a lot softer, like Willow. It can be really difficult handle a chain saw at height and a precarious angle.

I won't tackle anything too high, there's way too much risk for personal injury. And if I was in a semi in a residential area, there's also the risk for third party damage, i.e. neighbours buildings or cars.

[PilotMan]

I believe that being a tree surgeon is one of the most dangerous jobs you can do so not recommended 

I don't know if being an Arborist comes under agriculture. but construction and agriculture are the most dangerous professions.

You would be surprised how many farmers get run over and killed by their own tractors 

[Blackpool Rock]

I don't know if being an Arborist comes under agriculture. but construction and agriculture are the most dangerous professions.

You would be surprised how many farmers get run over and killed by their own tractors 

Surely the single most dangerous profession is a sub section of the music industry - Rapper as they all seem to die in their 20's 

[george r]

My neighbour was quoted £2000 to have his tree pruned,  and all the cuttings  taken away, in his back garden. It is a tall one. Don't know how tall in meters ?

Maybe about double the height of his semi-detached house ?

Didn't know it was such an expensive job 

Sounds very expensive to me , a neighbour had a very tall tree in his back garden cut down to just above ground level last summer it was about a good 2 feet diameter at the base of the tree and cost £450

[PilotMan]

Sounds very expensive to me , a neighbour had a very tall tree in his back garden cut down to just above ground level last summer it was about a good 2 feet diameter at the base of the tree and cost £450

There's a huge difference cutting the whole tree down from the base where the operator is at ground level, that's a piece of cake. I've done it myself plenty of times, including several Willows circa 70ft tall. Just recently I cut down an Elm that was around 45ft tall, that was pretty easy, chopping it up after it was down was the hard part.

Try climbing up a tree and cutting down individual branches, that's a different thing altogether.

[standardpostage]

My neighbour was quoted £2000 to have his tree pruned,  and all the cuttings  taken away, in his back garden. It is a tall one. Don't know how tall in meters ?

Maybe about double the height of his semi-detached house ?

Didn't know it was such an expensive job 

In the end, he paid £300 for a low level prune. No waste taken away. Lets lots more light into the house, he says. But the height is still there.

[Kuteguy]

I have had trouble accessing the ukpunting website bookmarks menu when on mobile
I learnt that I Can copy it here https://www.ukpunting.com/index.php?action=bookmarks and access it via my post history :-)

[standardpostage]

There is about a million types of alternative milk in Tesco nowadays.

Oat, almond, soya, coconut, rice, hemp, cashew, etc, etc, etc.

At this rate milk cows will be being made redundant   

I like normal full fat myself 

[george r]

There's a huge difference cutting the whole tree down from the base where the operator is at ground level, that's a piece of cake. I've done it myself plenty of times, including several Willows circa 70ft tall. Just recently I cut down an Elm that was around 45ft tall, that was pretty easy, chopping it up after it was down was the hard part.

Try climbing up a tree and cutting down individual branches, that's a different thing altogether.

2 guys did the neighbour's tree and were like monkeys climbing over the tree using harness' lopping off all the branches , it was good to watch 

[JontyR]

At this rate milk cows will be being made redundant   

No they won't.

[Watts.E.Dunn]

Do bear in mind the insurance these men have to have and what that costs!

I know of some Steeplejacks and they pay a absolute fortune!..

[m4rmite]

At this rate milk cows will be being made redundant   

Nah, they'll just be put out to pasture ised

[standardpostage]

Nah, they'll just be put out to pasture ised

Ha ha, good one 

[Niggledebits]

Well, many of you may already know but I learned today that the comedian Harry Hill is a qualified doctor. He worked at Doncaster Hospital as a proctologist until deciding to pack it in and move into comedy.

[mr.bluesky]

Well, many of you may already know but I learned today that the comedian Harry Hill is a qualified doctor. He worked at Doncaster Hospital as a proctologist until deciding to pack it in and move into comedy.

Also qualified to operate on your funny bone 

[Thephoenix]

Also qualified to operate on your funny bone 

That's very humerus!

[Thephoenix]

I learnt today that the slowest time for a competitor to complete the London marathon was 5 days, 8 hours and 29 minutes, recorded in 2002.

Can anyone remember why he took a so long?

[timsussex]

I learnt today that the slowest time for a competitor to complete the London marathon was 5 days, 8 hours and 29 minutes, recorded in 2002.

Can anyone remember why he took a so long?

there was a guy dressed as a deep sea diver - complete with lead boots

edit Yes thats the guy External Link/Members Only

[mr.bluesky]

there was a guy dressed as a deep sea diver - complete with lead boots

edit Yes thats the guy External Link/Members Only

So it wasn't because he got lost 

[JontyR]

80s newsreader Jan Leeming has married and divorced 5 times. Between her first and second marriage she had a relationship and ended up taking her partners name although they never married and this was the name that she was known to millions.