[Richard]

The SSD is small, has it filled up and left very little workable space left? That could cause slow downs otherwise if it affecting such as broadcasts could transmission disturbances be the issue? The odd weather recently, that is odd from the point of radio transmission has caused a few breaks round here with some channels.

[Richard]

For the last few nights I have not been blessed with the vision of such times, usually I first wake at about 00:15 and then at hourly intervals, but, perhaps because I am totally cream cream-crackered I have avoided such games. I was getting the dog walks started by about 06:00, but the very dark not to mention cold mornings have caused a rethink and I try to wait until there are the first signs of grey dawn with which to pick my way. We did make last month’s 07:30 appointment for Michele’s operation, an hour’s drive away, but it was a real challenge – and yes the dogs did get a walk first, all before breakfast. If you can make those sorts of times it can make life easier.

[Richard]

WoF, that would be the old nitrate film base, which as you said contains essentially the same materials as several well known explosives and could produce very similar results. I had to recheck my memories of such film issues. Nitrate films should be stored in the right climate conditions and, ideally is small batches within fire proof storage units. As you said, once it starts burning it is almost impossible to stop and given even half a chance it has the desire to burn violently. Acetate film stock breaks down in other ways and gives rise to the acetic acid smell. Both film stocks are far from ideal from an archive point of view though some reckon the nitrate film bas gave a superior image result. Not much use if it cannot be shown due to licence conditions, or the fact that it has self destructed! Polyester film appears to be the most stable, but being very tough, it risks damaging either cameras or projection equipment should it jam along the way.

Ed, I am not surprised that, quote During Uni vacations, I once worked in the labs of an explosive factory. From my untutored eye the safety precautions surrounding black powder production were much greater for smaller quantities than those for nitroglycerine. (just a darned great zip bag in the ceiling full of tons of water). endquote

Provided that you avoided the things that nitroglycerine did not tolerate it could be kept moderately happily, shocks and heat were two that I remember. Watch out if you start to develop severe headaches especially in the presence of gelignite it is a sign it is breaking down.

With black powder the grinding puts energy into the mix and thus risks heat and god forbid a potential for sparks or hot spots.

Father used to burn off some unwanted explosives when they were constraint free, i.e. out of any casings, though munitions were usually blown up once the fuses were removed for transport.

At a guess the water was there not to stop the nitro going up, but to suppress any subsequent fire and to try to absorb any explosive energy, at a guess stopping it if it had a mind to brew up would not be an option.

[Richard]

Bob, you put your finger on a major issue, travel in cities with their legions of pollution multipliers, also known as traffic lights helps to make them hell. Friday’s appointment was cross country and almost free of such monstrosities, which allowed something of a driving rhythm to develop. Driving twice as far in distance terms becomes a pleasure compared to transit in an urban jungle area. Thursday in London was one of the few times I made sure to lock the doors while driving. Perhaps the most shocking thing was the renewed realisation that people actually lived there, a fact that I had forgotten since I last ventured through such a place.

[Richard]

Yes rush hour is a killer and I agree that big cities are no fun at all. I had another appointment today, this time for me. It was further away by about 20% but out of London. It took the same amount of time to get there as yesterday’s bun fight. The difference was that I left slightly later for the return journey than we did yesterday but it still took about the same time out bound and inbound and I was home about an hour earlier

Sadiq Khan is welcome to festering London: I do not know about public transport in London these days. I had enough of it when I worked there from 1992 through to 2002, (it was often termed putrid transport). The trains going in were terrible unreliable often attacked by bands of thieves, (they called it steaming) so I often used a coach service, it was more door to door and no changes. However, rail is a totally impractical option for my wife as her health issues mean it would take painful hours due to her very slow walking. I am not sure either of us would cope with standing on a train if there were no seats.

PM, good luck with getting there that early, herself would seriously struggle to make that sort of time to get out of the house.

When I was small and we lived in Bristol it was within walking distance of a station on the now long closed and gone line from Bristol to Bath. Somehow it all felt so much easier back then, perhaps it was because it was without the hordes of passengers – though perhaps that is why the line was closed. I would last have used it in perhaps 1950 ~ 52.

[Richard]

Have you solved your jumping mouse issue? In the past some optical mice did not like nearby lamps especially the CFLs and perhaps some LEDs depending on the surface on which they were used. I wondered if the circuitry was misreading stray radio signals.

[Richard]

That is great news, the ringing the bell is pretty standard across many units, Michele got her turn a few weeks ago though it now feels it was a we bit premature. I will write a bit more once I have caught up with myself ; we have had 6 appointments this week, (I managed to turn up half an hour late for my first one of the week Oops I pleaded pressure of circumstances and they were very good), my spine surgeon appointment went OK after a quick post operation appointment for my wife. Tomorrow we are off to North Middlesex Hospital for a preplan meeting on the radiotherapy.

Friday I have a follow up on my skin cancer, which I think will be all clear.

Still relax and do whatever you like to enjoy, you have earned some good news after all the upsets.

[Richard]

I had three old XP PCs until recently, one supported a scanner. A couple had the POS modification and all connected to the internet (unsafely) and the POS versions updated while I was not watching. I only wanted to check them over before scrapping them. I did put 7 onto two of them but aborted its use, as it was just not worth messing about with them, they were just far too slow for anything useful these days. So I salvaged the hard drives and WEEE-ed the remains at PC World. My wife wanted them gone but in truth it has made little difference to the clutter, so I clearly have more work to be done in that direction.

[Richard]

Since my wife got her initial batch of less than pleasing news the grass has not been allowed to grow, she has had both a CT scan and a bone scan. No news yet from the CT but the bone scan has come back clear which is a prime source of worry cleared for the moment. This news release came about as she had a rheumatology appointment to explore ways to control her mixed connective tissues illness, a circulation problem and her arthritic issues. This mornings upshot, a shed load of blood tests, a number of hand and foot x-rays and some suggestions as to palliative treatments to ease the pains so it was not all in vain. She should return in 6 weeks for an update from the tests. Now to persuade the GP to give her the (non addictive) additional treatments., Tramadol ‘sort of helped‘ but did not resolve the issues or restore normal function, so fingers crossed.

[Richard]

That is good news at an otherwise cold and uncomfortable time of year. Now try to enjoy all upcoming seasonal events. I do wonder if the DWP have finally realised that you can manage something better if you don’t just say “No!” to everything?

[Richard]

Bob, when I had an ongoing cough I was investigated complete with a camera down into the lung, without a sedative, but that is another story. The conclusion was that I had a resistant lung infection that came from my nose. Since then I have had a twice daily nasal wash, sprays and tablets taken at various times throughout the day. I still have blockages build up that have to be cleared, physically quite frequently, (do not ask, but given the quality and colour I call it coal mining). I would rate the chance of your trouble starting there as very good given what you said.

@Tippon, yes I totally agree, if the body says take a hike (and join the Foreign Office to anyone interfering), do so, the body will tell the inhabitant when it is time to move. She does get moving for appointments and for the moments that is enough for her and for me, she will keep trying to be ‘helpful’ when I would rather she devoted time to herself, but it is best not to argue!

 

[Richard]

After a busy week with bone scans and other scans were are tired. At least daughter has settled into her accommodation, but I am racking up the miles. My wife is feeling the pain of worry while she waits for results, every new pain triggers a new concern. Most of the wounds are settling though a new one was found open and weeping mid week, so the therapy for that is in full swing. She is not always getting dressed as she is not well enough to go out at the moment so sees no point in the extra work and strain. As far as I am concerned we must be guided by how she feels.

Thank you for asking, I trust you are stepping on well.

[Richard]

I had a keyboard go foul on me last weekend but I have also heard of radio mice throwing tantrums in the past, that might be worth a check.

[Richard]

Wow, there is some really good, useful stuff lurking on this site. I had not idea that PPI claims could be such a murky pool when you add in some of the possible variables. What was not said is what happens if the outstanding balance on he bankruptcy is less than a claim; I guess it just moves from messy to even more complex. I wonder if you can or even should advise them that after taking advice you are no longer in a position to take further action. Then KEEP any and all records of contact to establish that you have no desire to take possibly illegal steps.

Does anyone any have any further thoughts?

[Richard]

Few people realise the power locked up in simple things like sugar. Explosives are in general just slightly easier to persuade to demonstrate their power. Sugar mills are certainly not the only ones that give cause for concern. Flour mills and even those dealing with wood can be equally easy to destroy. A picture of a very large mill several hundred feet tall reduced to a few 6 foot high stumps can be sobering. A wood flour mill plant was recently destroyed in this country, though ‘elf and safety did complain before the event that cleaning was omitted rather than performed. The efficiency of the filters and exhaust fans had also been questioned.

I heard stories of someone after the WWII who destroyed unwanted shelters with a candle, an old vacuum cleaner and out of date waste flour of some sort. By blowing the dust into the void using the vacuum cleaner’s exhaust air flow he slowly built up the right stoichiometric fuel air mix which hit the flame and blew the shelter roof to bits.

I was told that a pound of butter has more energy than a pound of most explosives, it just does not let it go off so easily.

[Richard]

Thank you again to all and a special note to Steve and JayCeeDee, those thoughts mirror mine. In a nothing much to loose situation go for all you can, while you can and keep in touch of what is happening. Since standard protocols have not worked going off piste appears to be the best course of possible action. However, it is not my final call to make so I must be prepared to support whatever choice is made. For the moment I am looking at the future as a large bag of hidden challenges that I have to meet one by one. It is the only way I know how to deal with the issues. Sometimes it is hard to know which call to answer first: that is the only choice to make. If I find it was not the right call, I must then be flexible enough to modify my approach, no ifs no buts, just change, don’t argue.

At least we have had a few great offers of real support with one in particular really delivering, for which we are very grateful.

 

[Richard]

Thank you to all who responded, I know Steve you have had your ongoing challenges with your wife’s health. My wife successfully was cleared from a stage 2 melanoma over quarter of a century back so I guess we had some luck at that time. This one is already showing signs of being more of a B***** and there has already been talk of research studies and experimental projects and invites to join trials at UCLA. As long as it is not going to be too outlandish I hope my wife will join in, but it has to be her choice. Either way it was a lot to take in. Next week I have to stuff in a dental appointment, spinal surgeon appointment and a plastic surgeon for my post operative skin cancer removal review, that should see me done and dusted.

Steve, thanks for the personal message, I am not sure how to respond ‘off site’, but as a hint, information is also being shared on a restricted basis within our family for deducible reasons. In addition to the three hours waiting time this morning I have just had another hour and a half for her scans with more on Friday. Tomorrow is a simply trip across the county boarder for physio and a dressing check. It is all go and no mistake at the moment. I am not looking forward to a month of daily round trips to the North Middlesex Hospital, probably starting in January but could be later this month, query – snow and ice time.

My wife’s mobility rules out public transport so it is going to have to be car trips that should take about 1/3rd of the travel time by other means, thank goodness I no longer have daughter’s taxi duties!

[Richard]

Way back when, I also knew a school chum and we dabbled in such delights with things that went bang. I did not see him for a while and when I called round to find out what he was doing, his elder brother called me aside. It appears that he had been mixing a batch of one of his brews when he ground things a bit too hard. it caught fire in the bowl and expelled the burning mixture into his face.  I did not see him again as he had a long spell in hospital, though I think he might have survived in one form or another.

[Richard]

Bob, I am inclined to agree though everywhere tends to fight today’s issue with yesterday’s tools and ideas. Having said that, I do find the current wave of complaints about how high living costs are for renters and would be house buyers a wee bit self serving. They were not that darned easy in my time and we did not have the same ways to spend money that exist today. A mobile phone required a boot filled with electronics and very deep pockets for example. Food was something you ate or you went hungry, rather than photographed and stared at and for a while you needed the right coupons or had Hobson’s choice at the shops.

[Richard]

Jukebox wrote:

Richard wrote:

Do you have access to an older Windows 10 ISO to try?

As it happened I found a copy of the 1703 iso which has installed OK. Question now is – if it’s a 1809 driver problem how do I stop it updating? !!

It may well be that it will not get the 1809 though it could get 1803. I would try to find out why it is still on 32 bit as that might give a clue to the possible issues. Whatever you do going forward I would keep an image for the time being as soon as the machine becomes stable. My 2008 Dell Inspiron threw some very hard to track down errors relating to the USB server. Warning, don’t use the MS error tracing software in an effort to resolve the issue: I ended up having to re-install to get out of the boot loop. It has since appeared to run happily with 1809, co-incidence or not, it is a 32 bit machine, it does not have enough memory to try 64 bit working.

[Author]

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