Archive for November, 2007
Monday, November 12th, 2007
So we had an interesting view from our offices today, about 12:10 we saw a massive plume of smoke coming from East London, as you can see below it was quite large:
This is taken from Chelsea Harbour, about 12 miles away from the site of the fire. I used to cycle past that road on my way to work from Leytonstone. I don’t think anyone will be injured as the area – disused warehouses right next to the A11 (and very close to Hackney Marshes and the old Eastway Cycle circuit) – is pretty much deserted ready to build the Olympic park. Google maps shows where exactly:
View Larger Map
It looks like the BBC and police don’t think it’s anything but a large warehouse which is a good thing!
Read the BBC report on the fire.
Wednesday, November 7th, 2007
No, is of course the answer but the gear problems I’ve had are starting to get on my nerves a little! I lost the ability to change into a lower gear about 3 weeks ago and this doesn’t help when Wimbledon Hill is between me and work.
Now since I’ve had this problem the former bike mechanic at work was very doubtful it was the shifter (Shimano Sora STI) – but I could see no other problems, the cassette and chain work verifying this. I was going to buy a shifter straight away, but thought I would wait until after I fit my cassette and chain and checked the dérailleur was moving freely.
Having replaced the chain, cassette, cables and cable housing the problem was slightly improved in that I found it was only changing from the very high gears that wouldn’t work. Now this is fine, I have some gears, and know how to fix the rest, so went back to cycling to work quite happily.
However as I joined the A3 at Tibbets Corner, a heard a load crunch and my rear shifter seized. So after wedging a tyre leaver into the dérailleur so that I could get up a hill I got to and from work.
Shiny new cassette and tyre lever keeping me in a friendly gear.
The Sora Shifter is definitely the problem, so now I just need to find £67.99 for a new set (unfortunately they only come in sets, although I have only tried Evans cycles so far, definitely not the cheapest…) so there’s another job for when I get back form working on my mini.
Saturday, November 3rd, 2007
After watching SiCKO by Michael Moore I feel very lucky to be British and have the NHS. Should I have been American, 4 major operations wouldn’t have been cheap and after this who even knows if I would be accepted for insurance followowing my pneumothorax in 2005. Obviously I don’t know all the facts, but based on what I saw and read lately this is what I think.
People often complain about the NHS and , and I know people have, even those I know criticise the treatment I received after getting an infection at a chest drain site, but I think it’s excellent from first hand knowledge. I found a cockroach in hospital after my leg break – so maybe that’s worth criticising – but at least I didn’t have to pay for the priviledge!
Now I know there will be elements of bias and fights for both sides of the story, as Moorewatch.com points out – but I think that I have grasped the fundamentals.
Both systems may need work – but I think that I am better off for being ill in England. You shouldn’t have to pay for healthcare in my opinion, nor insurance in case of illness, nor should the decision of allowing treatment be based on money or decided by anyone that isn’t the doctor treating you.