What I Learnt Today

The simple joy of climbing a tree – an activity all of us have enjoyed at some time, although perhaps not for many years.

Unless, like Peter King, you are a card carrying member of Tree Climbers International.

Until today, I was unaware that tree climbing is an official sport.

Wikipedia tells us that:

Tree climbing as an organised recreational activity using modern climbing equipment emerged in the early 1980s in USA. In 1983, Peter “Treeman” Jenkins, an active arborist and retired rock climber, founded Tree Climbers International, Inc. and opened the world’s first tree climbing school in Atlanta, Georgia USA. TCI eventually developed written safety and training rules for tree climbing which are used to this day. Now there are numerous organizations promote tree climbing around the world (Japan, USA, France, UK, Canada, Taiwan, Australia, Indonesia, China etc.).

Peter King is a member of Tree Climbers International (Australia). He showed me where Treeman Jenkings has signed his membership card.

Peter points out that tree climbing combines physical fitness, problem solving skills, team work, adrenaline, contact with nature –  and you get to use some pretty cool gear.

Special climbing techniques and equipment have been developed that make tree climbing safe. TCI says that tree climbing done according to their rules is safer than walking across the street. In fact, since the formation of the club in 1983 no participants have been injured (except for crossing the street to get to the tree, perhaps)

Once upon a time, you and I would have used the technique of ‘free solo climbing’, (without knowing it by that name.) Organised tree climbers use ‘single rope’ or ‘double rope’ techniques so that they can belay themselves using a system of friction hitches (ie if they fall a rope will catch them).

Peter and his clubmates are always on the look out for really high trees to climb. Working out the best path to the top of a new tree gives similar satisfaction to solving a difficult puzzle. 

Thanks for the photos, Peter. I’m still considering whether to join you and Simon next time you’re out. Perhaps we could start with this tree

or maybe these

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Bored? Lonely?

Crikey would like to proposition you.

Crikey online magazine offers one ‘proposition’ each day – a challenge that you might like to consider.

Read a new book before it is shown as a TV series, cook a special meal, watch a particular show (which I am told by other sources is excellent), see a play, join a club.

If that’s too energetic, perhaps you could go fishing (and drinking).

 

 

 

 

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The Nintendo 3DS was released this week.

I know this because I subscribe to “What I Learnt Today – Junior Edition” at http://wiltjunior.com

Wiltjunior – all the news that Millie thinks is fit to print.

If you know any junior reporters who would like to contribute items to wiltjunior, please have them contact millielembke@gmail.com.

The process for contributing an article is easy – all you need to do is know how to email, or read a web page. On the job training is provided, and you are paid handsomely by the esteem of all your friends.

On another note, you can now access What I Learnt Today through the short address wilt.me.
The long version http://whatIlearnttoday.com.au still works – the shorter version is easier to remember, easier to share, and quicker to type.

 

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 Awesome Thing #282 of 1000awesomethings was ‘Sending yourself emails to do stuff in the future‘.

As someone who may have forgotten an important date two years in a row, sending an email to a future me seems like a good plan.

MsgMe.at is a web service that allows you to do just that in the most simple way possible.

Once logged in, write a message to yourself, and tell msgme.at when you want to receive it.

• April 6th – Buy flowers
• April 7th – Don’t forget this time, dumb dumb.

 

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You can rely on my cousin Sven to keep us up to date with all the news from Stockholm.

He writes “I am thinking that Murray and Lola will be interested in this new product from Ikea”

Indeed they are.

This video shows some customers testing the product.

While we are on the subject of Ikea-

Talkshow host Conan O”Brien decided last month to give a special thrill to his viewers from FInland by playing a real giant version of the Finnish national game (Angry Birds). To make it even more interesting, the pigs were protected by furniture from Finland’s great rival, Sweden.

You can check it out here – 

http://video.teamcoco.com/video/conan.jsp?oid=245479

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