the HOFIT

The Time

2011-04-10T12:00:00.000+01:00

England

... and time is all any of us has!

Quotes I Have Seen and Admired

2011-01-22T08:33:00.003Z

I have decided to start noting (again) good quotes as I encounter them. Here we go:-

"In the EUSSR, it seems that the Gravy Train is more important than the Passenger Trains!"

"Before retirement I was lucky enough to be able to live and work in several countries. In all cases I followed local customs, ate the same foods, wore the same clothes, and enjoyed the experience. At no time was I ever offered any state benefits, residency or voting rights, nor did I expect any. I had to carry ID and had it inspected frequently. I did not try to tell the locals what to do. It might be a good idea for foreigners in the UK to try the same."

Interesting Thoughts

2011-01-08T09:41:00.003Z

And he thought of those he angered,
For he was not a violent man,
And he thought of those he hurt,
For he was not a cruel man.

And he thought of those he frightened,
For he was not an evil man,
And he understood.
He understood himself.

Upon this he saw that when he was of anger
Or knew hurt or felt fear,
It was because he was not understanding,
And he learned, compassion.

And with his eye of compassion.
He saw his enemies like unto himself,
And he learned love.
Then, he was answered.

- Graeme Edge of the "Moody Blues"

Time for Reflection

2011-01-01T15:00:00.001Z

As usual these last few years, New Year's Day finds me working on my TaskMaster program. But, at as yet another year begins, it's hard to resist pausing a little for reflection.

For instance, it's interesting to note where New Year's Day would have found me these last forty years:-

2010 Rotherham
2009 Rotherham
2008 Gloucester
2007 Weston
2006 Harrow
2005 Edmonton
2004 Riyadh
2003 Al-Hasa
2002 Al-Hasa
2001 Al-Hasa
2000 Al-Hasa
1999 Al-Hasa
1998 Riyadh
1997 Khobar
1996 Khobar
1995 Khobar
1994 Onaiza
1993 Enfield
1992 London
1991 Khamis Mushayt
1990 Yate
1989 Yate
1988 Yate
1987 Jubail
1986 Muscat
1985 Yate
1984 Yate
1983 Ballasmar
1982 Jeddah
1981 Bielefeld
1980 Bielefeld
1979 Bielefeld
1978 Ludgershall
1977 Ludgershall
1976 Ludgershall
1975 Hong Kong
1974 Hong Kong
1973 Colchester
1972 Colchester
1971 Paderborn

The Legend of the HOFIT

2010-12-25T12:00:00.001Z

It's been more than a few years now since I first posted this one, but I am able to re-issue it here without alteration:-

The "Hands-On Fixit Techie" has a certain attitude, a state of mind, a particular mind-set. Without arrogance, he is quietly confident in his own abilities. Self-sufficient, he is a survivor in today's technical world. Not feeling a need to go along with the latest fads, he can commune with any machine, new or old. Any tool, anything technical, is useful and can become alive in his hands.

Calmly thinking in terms of a better way, he will always find one. Although often working swiftly and efficiently, he knows that sometimes taking the time to do things properly can make a world of a difference.

Some may consider him a loner. But he can be animated in the company of those he considers worthy. Otherwise he cares little for the expectations of others and finds solace in the elegance often found in machines. In fact, technology, and his work in it, are his real friends. Disdainful of politics and religion, he attains an inner peace and an outer freedom. His mind is simply on a different level. A pilgrim seeking truth and wisdom, perhaps. Internationalist in outlook and freelance by inclination, he is, above all, a practical guy.

Squaring the Circle

2010-12-25T09:53:00.007Z

If you have hope, over despair ... then you can see the next day in.

"It's OK," he said. "Not a problem." He had a warm smile on his face and true compassion in his eyes. He was a good man for its own sake and required nothing in return.

"I wish I had some way to thank you," I said. "I appreciate what you've done."

"Not a problem," he said again. "But if you feel the need to thank me, the next time you see someone in trouble, you help them out. That will pay me back amply."

"Tell them to pay you back the same way, and very soon the world will be a better place."

New Project VIII

2010-12-20T08:00:00.002Z

Since the end of March, work commitments have not allowed me much time for TaskMaster updates. However (and due in the main to issues arising at work) I have added a few data fields here and there, and made corrections to clear bugs as and when these were discovered.

Some minor features have been added. For instance, the Log On/Log Off job timer at the Jobs Records form.

I also added a facility to permit more than one location for a Stock Item at the Parts form. Although that may sound like a minor enhancement, it is quite a significant improvement upon my traditional parts routines.

However, the most significant step forward has been the implementation of a method of updating datafiles between computers at various locations. For example, recent work at a remote PC can be zipped into a file (which I call DataPack.zip), uploaded (or passed across, using a memory stick, or whatever) to the host computer, and unpacked by a routine to update the host datafiles. Once again, it may sound easy, but it required a fair amount of work!

Long Time - No Post

2010-12-08T07:30:00.008Z

It's been over nine months since I last posted here. Since then I have moved from Rotherham. 135 miles south to the Bedfordshire-Hertfordshire border, in order to take up some work at the small market town of Shefford. The move took six trips in "Mighty", my trusty Toyota Carina.

The move afforded me yet another chance to have a good "sort out", and I tried to simplify my stuff once again. I shifted all of my BBC Micro bits and pieces, my Psions, and all related stuff. Most of it went on eBay, but I hung on to the best of it for a while, taking it with me to my new pad in Arlesey. But later on, realising that I was never going to find time to really use (enjoy) any of it, I let it all go to a good home when Mark Haysman came up from London to take it all away. My plan was to concentrate my hobby interests (fiddling about) on the old medical equipment at work!

I occasionally get called to the company's main workshop at Kingswood (on the eastern edge of Bristol) and have also rented a room near there.

New Project VII

2010-03-15T07:50:00.002Z

Once I had completed the Captions routines, I turned my attention to another thing that has interested me for a while:- namely, routines to permit importing of (the so-called, but traditional, and universally used) comma-separated-value (CSV) text data files. This was tricky, but fun!

And lastly, as I was winding things up at Rotherham, I added two more datafiles of note:-

1) Technical Library
2) Tools and Service Resources

New Project VI

2009-09-27T12:00:00.010+01:00

I have been beavering away on this one solidly for two months now.

It's shaped up (turned out) like this:-

1) At the Setup Forms box you get to choose between Default (English), Local and Design captions. In Design mode you see captions on the various forms like:- this_is_a_label. This is so you know which one to look for if you want to change (edit) it.

The intention here being that if a user wanted to develop a set of captions (in Spanish, say), it would be the Local set that would be worked upon, and then (when finished) the setting changed to Local. Note that the Default set may be edited as well (so the possibility for totally "customising" - or screwing-up - the appearance of the program is there). Users at lower levels of access are denied all this fun, sadly!

2) All such as these can now be edited to suit your purposes:-

Form labels
Form (and browser) titles
Log messages
Menu bars
Note-taking messages
Push-button captions
Tool texts (hints) ... etc.

... plus, of course, all of the data (which is - or can be - your own stuff, anyway).

3) Changes may be made at a Captions browser. This is where you need to know which one you're looking for! However, a serious user might just like to go ahead and translate (change, edit ... whatever) the whole lot! Once you've done one or two, it's easy enough to get the hang of.

At the moment, the Captions look-up table (datafile) sits at 1,975 records (with more yet to come ... an accurate count of captions can be seen at the bottom of the printout generated at Forms->1st formatted reports->Default captions), so if anyone feels a need to wade through that lot with a view to translating it all ... well, it shouldn't take too long.

It's probably not as daunting as it sounds, as many of the captions are only one or two short words (and the maximum caption string is 32 characters long). About four days solid work for anyone with language skills, I reckon!

As mentioned before, translating the Help file (350-plus records with text narratives) would be a major tour de force. I may simply "leave as is" (as users at a suitable level of access can edit it anyway) or perhaps add another memo field for users to play with as they see fit.

But at the moment I see no (easy) way to be able to translate (or edit) the formats of the 150-plus preformatted "legacy" reports that the system still retains (in fact, "hand-coding" may be the only route open to me there). So users may simply have to live with those. There are also 70 (at last count) "hand-coded" reports that could be candidates for alternative caption options, but (as anyone reading this can no doubt tell), it all takes time.

If anyone wants to have a look at the system in its current state, feel free to get in touch, and I would be happy to zip up a "beta" distro. I mention this as I notice downloads being ... er, downloaded from this site, but point out that (although it still looks more or less the same at first glance) the program mechanisms have changed quite substantially as a result of all this tweaking and general surgery!

Having said all that ... now it's time for a cup of tea, then back to work!

New Project V

2009-08-16T12:45:00.001+01:00

I have been burning the midnight oil for a couple of weeks and have come to realise that, as I had the code open on the table, as it were, anyway (yes, just like a surgeon), I may as well "go a little further"*.

So (as well as setting up routines to call alternative captions for form titles, labels etc. as already mentioned), I'm also adding look-up tables for hot-key (keystroke combinations) responses according to what the user is doing, which form has focus etc. (previously these were hard-coded into the program), and a routine to be able to step forward (and back again) through "see also" help topics when a help topic is called (up to five ... it could be more, but I reckon five is enough).

"Feature creep"? Well, perhaps. But as the underlying code is already there, it's really "just" a matter of putting in the hours needed to modify (enhance, tweak, develop, whatever) it all. And, once I've cracked this one, I plan (hope) to give it a rest for a while. Inshallah.

OK, so now I'm at the stage where (when in "design mode") I can see form labels (titles, etc.) that look like:- this_is_a_label. All well and good.

Depending upon the Language setting this can show become This is a label or (rather handily) C'est une étiquette or Este es una etiqueta or even This is a kludge when back in normal mode. In other words, it can be whatever you (the user, that is) chooses it to be. Or, more accurately, bothers to change it to!

So that others may not feel left out here, I could have just as easily chosen:-

Das ist ein etikett
Questo è un marchio
Isto é uma etiqueta

... or any other (bad) translation:-

Ez egy olyan címke
To je štítok
Dây là mot nhãn hieu

... et cetera. And please note (no doubt with sincere admiration), how far and to what extent the "PC campaign" has touched us all here in the UK ... it now seems that even I have been affected (infected?)!

But now I am am wondering if it would be better to provide just the two look-up captions:- namely, English and Local (or whatever ... perhaps I'll come up with better handle at some stage). I am reasoning here that each user is unlikely to be in need of more than one set of alternative captions. That way, I can leave the user to do the work (much preferred)! It will also get them "involved", and may even generate some feedback from them!

So, users who prefer different captions can change and edit them to whatever they want. Be it French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Creole, Pidgin, "predictive text techo-babel" ... or whatever. This means that no single "language" is given precedence over another (oh yes, we're all "PC" now)! Er, apart from English, that is ... but the code has to be written in something, and it happens to be English (or, perhaps more accurately, quasi-American "English" computer-speak). But the really good news is that I get to do (far) less work.

Yes ... the more I think about it, this has to be the way forward!

So, en avant!

We are the Pilgrims, master; we shall go
Always a little further: it may be
Beyond the last blue mountain barred with snow,
Across that angry or that glimmering sea,
White on a throne or guarded in a cave
There lives a prophet who can understand
Why men were born: but surely we are brave,
Who take the Golden Road to Samarkand. *

New Project IV

2009-07-31T11:00:00.000+01:00

I'm currently looking at the field labels on the various forms and putting the "hooks" in place to permit captions in any Latin script (exempli gratia, what if someone asks for Italian?).

Not a quick job, then, but because it entails re-visiting almost the entire system, it has already unearthed a few daft bugs ... and no doubt there will be more!

So, inshallah it will all be worthwhile, if only because of that.

Most likely (apart from a few easy ones for the purpose of proving the method), I will leave the various "translations" blank ... and let the users fill them in for themselves. That should keep them quiet for a few days, at least! I have also included a "custom" column, so that users can change labels to any ASCII characters that their little hearts desire! So (for instance), if they don't like the word Equipment, but prefer to use Device (or System, Kit, or Junk ... or whatever), then that will be up to them.

New Project III

2009-07-28T22:00:00.003+01:00

Drew came back with:-

I hear what you're saying about rewriting an application and the time it takes. Accurately estimating the time required for such an undertaking. Even if you double an original estimate, with feature creep and unexpected problems of all sorts you can still end up slipping the release date several times.

Good luck with it and if you post your progress updates, I'll read them with interest.

Meanwhile, I've just done a prototype form where I can switch between English and Spanish (or French, German or Italian) labels. Oh yes, we're all good European Comrades now (NOT)!

Sistema Imprenta anybody?

Yes ... it all takes forever. And users lose interest, patience, and all the rest. Meanwhile, it's a lonely pursuit, best suited to English summers (yes, it's raining again).

And a million little decisions to be made along the way. Like:- would a Spanish-speaking user be au fait with a push-button marked Code Page, or should we try to squeeze in Código pagina? I went for simply Código as there was no space for anything else ... then moved on.*

The real problem is that of the width of field labels and push-buttons. Whilst they may be OK for (sometimes terse) captions in English, they're often not wide enough ... especially for those er, rather long, German words! If we're not careful, what were previously quite nicely crafted forms can end up looking like a Hund's Frühstück!

* I could, of course, have equally well have mentioned Codice pagina abbreviated to Codice ... but anyway, what the Heck do I know about any of that stuff? Way back in school, when the clever (but spotty, I seem to recall) dudes were taking French, s'il vous plaît, I was generally to be found chiseling happily away in the woodwork shop!

New Project II

2009-07-28T18:00:00.000+01:00

A guy called Drew Hodge, out in Canada, has asked:-

Have you considered converting your exiting help source into XML? Because of their inherent separation of content and structure, XML documents are often preferred by human translators, and perhaps by machine translators these days too. Although XML source is UTF-8 by default, you can specify other character encodings if necessary.

I like the sound of your project and would enjoy collaborating with you. I don't have any language skills, but I've recently come back into the Biomed field after a dozen or so years working as a technical writer, a second career for me after starting out in Biomed in the late 70s. During a stint with IBM, I wrote help documentation in XML and prepared it for translation into 13 languages, so that experience might be useful.

What Drew's saying is interesting. I'll bear it in mind (chew it over, or whatever). At the moment I'm thinking in terms of a straight forward look-up table being called each time a form is opened that will populate the labels on the form according to the language setting (as a technical writer, no doubt you'll be groaning at such a long sentence)!

That is, Spanish (say) will call the Spanish labels from a simple .dbf file which can be edited, improved, or otherwise tweaked by the end user. So if a guy out in Mexico, say, doesn't like my choice of a Spanish word on a form, then he can change it to something he's less ashamed of. This is the way I prefer to do most of my stuff ... let the users have reasonable access to the underlying data to use and mould to their own particular (or weird even) requirements.

But yes, help file narratives are a different kettle of fish, as there is a lot of text in there. I haven't given it a great deal of thought as yet, but (off the top of my head) I may just provide my usual English file, plus a blank "page" for my more helpful users to fill in for themselves. In actual fact, users at the highest level of access can edit (or screw up, as they wish) my help file anyway! So I have the option there to "leave as is", as they (architects, usually) say.

In truth, my stuff needs a total re-write in a modern language. But who has time for that? Not to mention that dreaded word "funding"! As you must know, most users haven't got a clue how much work it all takes.

A New Project

2009-07-27T11:15:00.003+01:00

Well ... not really new as such ... more like a continuation of one I made a start on 18 years ago!

One of my more thoughtful "users" has recently enquired about the possibility of translating the famous TaskMaster system into Spanish. Tarea de Maestro? I've had a quick play and reckon I have code already in place that could form the basis of a "look-up table" to translate the field labels that appear on the forms. Basically, I would adapt an existing datafile which is already used to enforce standardised descriptions, correct "typos", and such.

"Eqpt type code" would appear as "Codigo de tipo" if a Country field was set to "ES", for instance. And "Manufacturer" would appear as "Fabricante", and all the rest. The bulk of the work required be in the translation of the Help file, however. I have zero Spanish (or any other language) skills myself, of course, but would need to rely upon an on-line translator. I see a long Summer of work stretching ahead of me (so much, then, for any thoughts about digging out my bucket and spade)!

All this has re-kindled memories of an attempt I made on a (much) earlier version to "translate" technical words in a dBASE database from English to Arabic. Because that needed an Arabic character set, and the program was running under good old DOS back in those days, I had used an old version of Nafitha. But I had to rely upon Arab friends (who were, in actual fact, not all that reliable, especially as they never seemed able to agree upon this word or that), coupled with a fair amount of detective work on my own, to work out my Arabic translations. First I made a list of phonetic spellings (so "maintenance" became "al-seena", for example) then used Nafitha to provide the corresponding Arabic script (right to left, of course). That was a long time ago now (yes, 18 years, as already mentioned), but I reckon it would be easier now with modern tools (and character sets)!

Those dBASE databases were quite useful to me at the time. There were three fields. When in a browse you would see the English word in the left-hand column ("grease", let's say), then in the next column we would have entered the phonetic "Arabic" spelling ("sha-ham")* and in the third (thanks to the magic of Nafitha) we would put in the Arabic script. This was very handy for non-Arabic speakers (like me) as I could pronounce the Arabic word whilst understanding what it meant! Ultimately, my aim was to produce the Arabic billing documents required by our client, automatically from my program (and my data).

Why am I mentioning all this? Well, perhaps the time has come to have another go. English to French, Italian, Spanish ... should be straight forward enough. But what about Polish, Tagalog and Turkish, for example? And what about languages that don't use Latin characters (eg, Arabic, Malayalam, Urdu)? Would a simple phonetic "translation" be any use? At the moment I don't see any easy way for the programming languages that I use to call another character set (Arabic, for example) directly to the screen, but this may well be possible. But at the moment I have to rely upon the extended ASCII character set, and switching between Code Pages if necessary and/or possible (that is, nothing esoteric like Unicode).

So, if anyone has any translation data already available, or indeed would like to collaborate on this Great International Gesture, feel free to shout (crier, gridare, gritar ... whatever)!

I wonder whether HTML is the answer?

* In cases where more than one word was available to correspond to the English, I would always default to the common, or "street" version!

Long Time No See!

2008-10-15T10:00:00.000+01:00

I realize that I haven't been on here for a while. I've been spending a great deal of time working on my TaskMaster equipment maintenance databases. That's both the Windows and the old DOS versions. Trying to get them working properly to a "definitive" status!

I've also spent a bit of money buying up old 1980's 8-bit microcomputers. Now I'm looking forward to devoting some time to "refurbing"!

Possessions: Keep it Simple

2008-07-05T18:00:00.000+01:00

For our purposes, the well-known mothers' scold "Just don't just sit there - do something!" might be better turned into "just don't do something - sit there!"

Look after Number One! The secret of contentment is stripping away all the non-essentials and getting down to the basics in life. Be thankful for every morning that your head rises from the pillow (if indeed you have one) and endeavour to enjoy every day whatever you are doing. It's the little things that really matter. Sometimes less really is more. Just go for it and do as you please.

Not only take the time to sniff the roses, but enjoy the summer one flower at a time! And take a cue from the migrating birds and winter in a warm place if you possibly can.

Simplify your life (and I mean drastically). You are better off without possessions (remember John Lennon's "Imagine"). In actual fact, possessions are a nuisance and it's very true that when you have nothing you have nothing to loose! I remember the anguish I felt in Saudi Arabia about what to do with all my stuff. And this was after years of what most would regard as very frugal living. And at least two major clear-outs in the years before that. At the end I either threw out or gave away many of the "indispensable" things that I had earlier been ready to bin, but then put back again, over and over again. A complete waste of sleeping-time!

And an even worse lesson was to follow once I was back in England, where, 18 months after coming back, my van was smashed open and my collection of tools and test equipment stolen! A curse? Or a blessing (albeit in disguise)?

Get down to the absolute basics in terms of clothes and other personal gear. Live like a soldier. Kip down in a sleeping bag. Limit yourself to two bags for your stuff (in order to travel light). Get your toolkits down to the most efficient minimum. Yes, I know it's a challenge. Rationalise your computer stuff. Throw the rest out or give it away!

Money ... and Work

2008-07-05T17:00:00.000+01:00

Money is very useful. Everything in "modern life" is geared to it, so you need as much of this fine stuff as possible. If you already have a regular private income or have enough stashed away to keep you going for the rest of your days, then you don't really need to carry on reading the rest of this stuff. Just do as you please.

Otherwise, "money should be made first and last." It's nice to be generous. There are stories of Bedu in Arabia literally giving away all they possessed to strangers! Noble perhaps, but not very wise (what happened after the stranger had moved on, one wonders?). It's probably best to be generous only with your time (if that). Or better still, overcome the need to be generous at all (now that's more like it)! Do you really owe anything to anybody else? If you do, then pay your dues, and be done with it!

But contrary to popular myth (but as Huey Lewis correctly sang), "time ain't money" (if you disagree, try buying your groceries with it)!

Although the "alternative economy" advocates a barter-based system of exchange, the rest of the world might not agree just yet. I could add here that I have had some success with this, however, doing technical work in exchange for free lodgings.

Be stingy with your hard-earned cash. Weigh the spending of each and every penny!

Employment
Occupation
Profession - vocation or calling
Vocation
Work

"Work", in the commonly understood sense, may be defined as activity to generate income. Work as little as possible, then. But as much as necessary to cover your needs. What work can an enlightened person do to earn his living? Especially as (and unfortunately), generating income usually involves interaction with others.

In general, when you are in need of funds, you should always "follow the money". Whenever there is a man prepared to pay (ie, when the work is there, and the guy is calling for you, which means that you don't have to go through the ordeal of "selling yourself") - take it on and get it done! As long as by so doing you are not compromising your principles (well, not too much, anyway).

But work honestly and clear the work you are paid to do. There will be time enough for leisure when there is no work available.

When you boil it all down, any kind of work is little better than any other. Working for someone else always involves the tension of the "master-servant" relationship, even in a service environment like being "self-employed" through an agent. The true test is whether you have to follow hours set by someone else! The only way to be free of this tension is to be self-employed and selling something that you produce or offer yourself. No need for a CV when you reach that stage.

On the other hand, your *real* work is what is sometimes referred to as your "life's work". This is what you were born to do. Your true vocation. And nothing to do with "career" and "on-target earnings" and all the rest of that crap. If you have organized things properly, or are just very lucky, your life's work and work to earn your living should be one and the same. This should definately be one of your major aims. Otherwise, your life's work may have to be continued on an as-and-when basis, or wait until you are in a position to retire from earning altogether.

That great sage Henry David Thoreau wisely stated: "If the day and the night are such that you greet them with joy - that is your success." No need, then, for "careers" and such to follow. No need to be in the rat race, or a hamster in the wheel!

Freelance self-employed is the preferred mode. Suitable vocations for the solitary worker include, for example:-

1) Computer programmer
2) Painter (as in artist, not decorator)
3) Writer

... things like that traditionally evoke an image of impoverishment for the majority and financial success but for the few. For instance, poets of yore typically took a vow of poverty and lived in their garrets. Yes, they were just like us! Would they have made more of a contribution beavering away on someone's payroll? Doubtful. Can you name even one labourer or assembly-line worker that history has remembered?

Self-employed tradesmen can probably earn more than poets, but on the other hand are more exposed to the so-called "real world" (and that's a definite down-side):-

a) Electrician
b) Mechanic
c) Plumber
d) Welder etc.

No Muse is Bad Muse

2008-07-05T16:30:00.000+01:00

Sometimes I can search for the muse and find it. Other times I may as well switch off the machine and go to kip! The muse is the poet's inspiration. In Greek and Roman mythology, these were the nine goddesses who inspired creative people to produce work of quality. Poetry, music, writing and other forms of art. Now we can add great hardware and software hacks.

I find that I can sometimes attract one of the nine upon rising from my slumber and, if free of other commitments (which is usually the snag, and one of the reasons that I really need to attain freedom of time), can then really hit the groove to the extent that I have to "find a place to stop" in order to service bodily needs (like having a cup of tea and a sandwich, and visiting the bathroom).

However, I have to be careful, for once interrupted I sometimes "loose the muse" and then that's it for the rest of the day. But sometimes if I'm lucky, and really being smiled down upon, I am given a second chance to pick up the muse after coming back from a run - then the problem becomes finding time to take a shower!

The Move to Rotherham

2008-04-01T12:00:00.005+01:00

Hired a Vivaro van from Burnt Tree in Gloucester and moved my stuff up to Rotherham to effectively move in at S65 2DB. Got back to GL1 at 21:00.

I finally left the flat at Gloucester at 10:30 on Monday 07-Apr-08. I had been there for 290 days. That was 41 weeks.

The Defining Moments of 2007

2007-12-27T09:36:00.001Z

I had just had three days of early starts and long journeys servicing ultrasound units at veterinary surgeries. On the Thursday, I had a 4 o’clock start and a difficult job 130 miles away at Hornsey, followed by an afternoon’s servicing work near Sidcup. Getting away from there just before six in the evening, I didn’t get home 150 miles later until midnight, due to horrendous conditions on the southern leg of the M25. It started raining heavily at Swindon …

... and continued for the best part of the next 24 hours. 20-Jul-07 was the day that the Great Floods came to Gloucestershire. The easy Friday I had been hoping for did not materialise as it was spent in the chaos of rescuing machines and pumping out water at work … followed by an hour bailing out with my bucket back at the flat (it was a basement flat, and how I was spared the flooding that others suffered, I will never know ... but I was lucky that day, for sure)!

This day of trauma was followed by power cuts and ten days without piped water (and having to use bowsers in the street) … but plenty of rain!

Not long afterwards, and following even more damage caused by heavy rain, the owner of the company decided to bring forward the planned move to new premises about four miles away. This meant a daily bus journey for me (plus the occasional jog home). All the disruption (and tensions) caused by the floods helped me to realise that working for someone else was not really for me, and I left the company at the end of August (after only two months). I had tried to be the "utility player", but the unpredictability of the work, the chaotic conditions in the workshop, and the long hours rushing about on the road did not suit me at all (especially as I had been hoping for ten years in a stable job ... it seems that fate had other plans in store)!

TM 0712

2007-12-24T23:00:00.000Z

Enjoyed sending out the latest revision of TaskMaster to the dozen or so of my loyal users around the world. Felt a bit like Santa Claus!

Al Ain in the UAE
Ghana
Kenya
Kuwait
Mexico
Nepal
Novi Sad in Serbia
Oman
Philippines
Uganda
... and a couple in the UK!

Another Blatant Opportunist

2007-12-02T09:43:00.001Z

Is it just me, or does the onset (onslaught?) of Christmas start earlier and earlier each year? My local Tesco’s had the audacity to have the decorations up before Armistice Day! Now that we're actually in December, I posted the following on a biomed website:-

"As someone who doesn’t do Christmas, I once again offer my services to any biomed shed in need of a hand over the festive period. The type of work most appealing is PM etc. made possible by the closure (or partial closure) of operating theatres, and other areas that are difficult to access during other times of the year."

I wonder what response my traditional message will generate this year?

Conquering the World!

2007-10-25T09:47:00.000+01:00

Step by tiny step. Got a message via the ebme forum from a guy in Serbia wanting to try my TaskMaster system. Colin is staying with me this week so I have not been able to crack on quite so much with the latest revision, but this latest request now gives me fresh impetus to get it done!

King of the Canal Paths

2007-10-13T21:00:00.000+01:00

The canal tow-paths of England are great for "flat-land" jogging. I love 'em! I managed to get out at 17:40 this evening. Down the Bristol Road then on to the canal path. It had been closed off due to damage during the "Great Gloucestershire Flood" of a couple of months back. It was open again after Rea Bridge so I went down as far as the "Pilot" at Sellar's Bridge. It's still closed off beyond there. Back up and over Llanthony Bridge, and was back at my flat by 19:00. Here's the bird's-eye view. The canal is the dark green line leading down from the red circle, whilst the brown line snaking through at top-left is the River Severn.

An Indian Summer

2007-10-07T19:29:00.000+01:00

It's been another week of slogging away at my TaskMaster program. Outside it has been mostly exquisitely autumnal, and I was able to get out a couple of times before the sun went down! But mostly it was carrying on at all hours, depending upon when the muse deemed me worthy of assistance (or, at least, inspiration)!

Because I am building on ancient code, some of it going back ten years or more, every time I add an enhancement I have to go back and eek out latent bugs, sometimes dating way back. That's the trouble with having users who haven't bothered to send feedback. I just don't know about the bugs until I trip over them myself. They are, of course, my bugs, seeded at some time or other when I was in a rush, tired, or being just plain stupid. So mea culpa, as they say.

Anyway, must go now. I've had a cup of tea, the bugs are laughing, and there's a whole night ahead! Good (bug) hunting!

The Midnight Commander

2007-10-02T02:20:00.001+01:00

For the last month, I have been at the keyboard for sixteen hours a day (and nights), seven days a week, as I have a few people waiting for the latest issue of my TaskMaster program. I really wanted to have it done by the end of September, but have allowed myself a bit of mission creep, as I have moved it on from being just a facsimile of my old DOS program, towards a much more integrated workplace. I now find that I can use it for my own work all the time I'm at the computer, as it does all I want, plus (rudimentary) linking into other applications, and the web.

As well as the traditional workshop tasks (job reports, PM planning, parts inventory etc.), I have now incorporated my diary and note-taking programs into TaskMaster, together with reasonably extensive reporting and printing facilities.

So now I'd better get on and get it ready for distribution. It looks likes it will take a few more days yet, but I reckon it has to be done!

It may be interesting to note that the screen-shot above was saved using Screen Thief 3.6. The original file was a 1.8 Meg bitmap (.bmp) with excellent resolution (identical to the original screen), but when uploaded and shrunken, it looked lousy! Next I loaded the .bmp into MS Paint and saved it as a .jpg file of 123 K. This also gave poor results when uploaded. I then tried a .gif file of only 69 K, and this gave the best result. That is the one you see above. Not brilliant, but the best possible on the Blogger, it would seem.

TaskMaster is a computer database program constructed as an equipment maintenance management system. It is intended to assist in organizing the work of hospital medical equipment engineering departments and independent repair and maintenance service providers.

Forty Years Ago

2007-09-09T11:06:00.000+01:00

Yes, it's forty years ago now that I went away by train to Arborfield. I was just short of my sixteenth birthday. The picture above is of B Squad of Junior Company, taken a few weeks later once we had got our kit sorted out. I'm seated at the right of the front row, and not best pleased about it all by the look of it. The weird thing is that I can still remember this photo being taken ... how tired I felt, even the all-pervading smells of polish, Brasso and blanco!

The advert. below (found in a Meccano Magazine, for those who remember those) shows what the plan was meant to be. But, no, that smart young sergeant isn't me. Perish the thought! I remained true to my mates, and never advanced beyond Apprentice Tradesman during my time at the Army Apprentices' College. In fact I'm proud to recall that at my Passing-Out Parade three years later, I was the only soldier in the Senior Division without any badges of rank at all (even the Reviewing Officer commented on this)! [I wanted to do this paragraph in yellow, to reflect the Corps colours of red, yellow, and blue, but it doesn't show up too well]

Yes, I'm pleased to say that I served without military distinction, but was still able to excel at what really mattered, which was the REME trade training. That was, after all, why we were there. I even managed to win a prize for my outstanding skills in engineering drawing!

Time to Shed a Tear

2007-09-02T08:42:00.000+01:00

It's two years now since that lousy day when my trusty Rascal van (Jorge) was smashed into at my brother’s place in the woods, and all my tools and test equipment stolen.

The door-way to the right of the picture opens into my Dad’s shed, where as a youngster I had “helped” him to rebuild engines (and all the rest), learned a good deal, and absorbed a fair few good cussings!

When I come to think about it, that place has an almost sacred significance for me.

To have been away so long, and come back again, and to have that happen in such a spot … well, it was like something that Stephen King would write about, wasn’t it?

Spooky. Or Divine Retribution?

Wonder whether Dad can see my blog up there (but, there again, he would already know, wouldn’t he)?

2007-09-01T13:51:00.000+01:00

Focused on Imaging

2007-08-31T21:12:00.000+01:00

I've just finished a couple of months working with ultrasound scanners. It involved refurbishing machines in the workshop, and servicing units at vets around the country.

Unfortunately, some of the time was also spent rescuing expensive machines from six inches of water, dodging collapsing ceiling panels, driving the van and putting up racking (etc.) when the company was forced to move following flooding in Gloucester.

Robinswood Hill

2007-07-29T22:59:00.001+01:00

Gloucester. Up at 07:40. Last night's "Great Storm" did not amount to much. Not even enough to wash my hair! Text to Mum. Got a reply. Did email to Tony Dowman. Did a good session on VTM. Added the VTM_Prnt datafile and associated routines. Went out for a run at 11:40. Up Tuffley Avenue and then a walk up Robinswood Hill. First time up there since 20-Oct-05 when I was in the flat at Barnwood. Chatted with a few people on the way. Ran back. Feeling it a bit on my legs, especially on the outside of my knees. More emails from Tony Dowman. Did an reply. Text from Susan. Replied to that. Then one to Colin. Even got a reply to that one! Carried on with VTM. Did a bit online too. Took a break to wander along to Tesco's later.

The Basement Flat

2007-06-22T01:32:00.001+01:00

In the van at Moreton Valence. That was my 119 th. night in my beloved ORC. Raining! Topped up the phone with £ 20 via the dial 450 routine. Did a few texts. Left the site at 08:55 and went through town to the estate agentsl. Signed some papers and forked out £ 3,631.50 from my HSBC Debit Card. This is for rent for the remainder of this month, six months rent in advance, the £ 150 admin. fee and £ 500 deposit. Got the key to the door and was away by 10:00. Drove around to the flat at GL1 5SN and parked around the back. Made sure I could get in. Checked that power and gas was on. Phoned Npower and spoke to a woman there. They need the gas and elec meter readings. I hadn't yet worked out which boxes were mine, and the rain was bucketing down! Phoned Tracey at SWM to make sure I could get into the Shed. No problem. So left the flat at 11:00 and headed down the M5 and into Kingswood. More rain along the way. Got there at 11:55. 37 miles. Another load of equipment from New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton has appeared in the Shed. Had a cup of tea and a sausage sandwich. Just a bit of drizzle. Got my three trunks into the van, packed with tools and service consumables etc. Once again the ORC was well-loaded. Left the Shed at 13:35 and was back at the flat an hour later. Was able to park on the road in front of the flat and got my stuff inside. Rained most of the time! Got the water heater going. Checked out the USB modem. Only got a 236.8 Kbps signal. Bah! Email from Paul Mount saying he looked forward to seeing me at 09:00 on Monday. Out again at 16:15 and drove up over Painswick Beacon to Jim's. About 8½ miles. Got all of my stuff out of the shed and into the ORC. Only things left are a camping chair, a full 3.9 kg Propane cylinder and my Dandy annuals! Had a cup of tea at the Bungalow and set off with a fully-loaded ORC once again. Got a space in front of the flat again and did some more humping of kit. And still it had to rain! But at least the ORC is at it's lighest ever now. 103 miles today. Tried the Asus and USB modem in the back bedroom and got a 3.6 Mbps connection. So that's the place for that, then! Enjoyed a tin of rice pudding and peaches for my first grub. A busy day today but that's me back in my own place for the first time in the 400 days since leaving 112C Hindes Road on 17-May-06. Me and Tygus have put in a fair few miles, seen a few places, camp-sites and B&B's since then! It's nice to have all my gear back in one place again too. Did texts to Mum and Colin. Kipped down at 23:00.

2007-06-01T15:29:00.000+01:00

In the van at at the C&CC site at Wolverley, just outside Kidderminster. I like it here. Bright but muggy this morning. Got a reply to my email to Ian Roberts about the AK-200's in Ed's Shed. Put Ian in touch with Ed and got a confimation from Ed. Did my "Hospital Design" post on ebme. Went out for a run at 12:30. Down the tow-path to Stourport-on-Severn and back. Still humid and found myself wishing it would rain! Back by 14:00. Got a call from Tony Dowman later moaning about slim pickings from Durbin!

The Caen Hill Flight

2007-05-19T18:32:00.000+01:00

Just back from a run from the camp-site, along the canal tow-path up to the top of the Caen Hill flight of locks. You will not see a sight quite like this anywhere else in England. The last time I was up there (almost exactly seven months ago), one of the locks had been damaged, and was under repair. Today, however, all was well and narrow boats were making their labourious way through. Also in evidence were young Swan and Mallard. Check-out this link.

It's All Gone Crazy!

2007-04-08T15:25:00.000+01:00

On the day that we hear that British service-people (is that the correct PC term?) are likely to be paid six-figure sums for the “stories” of their 13 days in Iran, I’m wondering if anyone out there is about to shell out a few bucks for the story of my 15 years in Saudi Arabia? Just a thought.

2007-01-18T12:04:00.000Z

Rotherham. Realized that a lot of work still needs to be done on FTM and VTM in order to make them useful to the end-user. May have to put together a Tools app for the "advanced user" including MakeCode etc. Better get on with it then! As forecast the weather is getting a bit rough. Did some texts. Noticed that it's six months since I first turned up at Rotherham to visit Grahame Driver at the Hospital. Went out at mid-day and walked along the tow-path into town. Was lucky not to be blown into the canal. I've never seen such waves on a canal before. Very exciting! Did texts to Colin, Jimmy and Mum. Did an hour at the internet café. The ebme website was down. Did a bit on eBay. Had some grub in my usual place and then made my way back through the blustery wind. Garden fences blown across the road. Back at No.91 by 15:00. Reckon I made the right decision in hunkering down for a while. Carried on getting VTM SWM manuals stuff sorted out. Time-consuming but worth doing right.

Just For The Craic!

2006-12-22T19:30:00.000Z

For some time I had felt that TaskMaster had become a bit over-complicated. Whilst entering the list of manuals at Ed Bennett's Shed into one of my old Toshiba T-1910 laptops, I thought a bit about the basic relational database structures actually needed for a simplified system. By this I mean one without "codes", but using simply manufacturer's name, model etc.

For want of a better name, I called this new project NewGo, because, some 15 years since my first dBASE coding of the WorkMaster system at Al-Baha, I was having (yet another) "new go"!

What Happened

2006-09-01T12:00:00.000+01:00

Well, I ended up calling in at Harrow to pick up my tent, and then heading north.

Called in to visit a couple of hospitals where I had corresponded with guys.

Visited my mate Tony at his home in Durham.

Passed by the North East coast of England and then proceeded north of the border into Scotland for the first time.

Enjoyed three weeks (and three thousand miles) around Scotland.

Did some hill-walking, including two ascents of Ben Nevis.

Free As A Bird – Again!

2006-07-15T11:18:00.000+01:00

OK, so I've finished a six-week stint down on the south coast of Devon, and called in at Gloucester to pick up my mail and spend a day with Mum.

But now what? Head into London and sort out some of my stuff in storage?

Or, head north and roam around for a while? Call in and say Hi to a few guys?

I've been told that some people envy me. But sometimes, this being “Free as a Bird” can be a bit demanding. What I really need is a decent project, some work, to get stuck into!

Suggestions anyone?

The Meaning of Success

2006-06-20T07:38:00.000+01:00

"If the day and the night are such that you greet them with joy - that is your success." - Henry David Thoreau

"A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do." - Bob Dylan.

A bit of PM in the South-West of England

2006-06-08T11:21:00.000+01:00

I must say that it’s a nice change to be working in a UK NHS biomed department that has gone to some lengths to do things properly!

They are committed to carrying out properly conducted PM, with well put together inspection sheets.

They also have an impressive range of test equipment.

Another remarkable feature of the department is that, in an effort to effect quality assurance, all job reports are counter-signed by a second technician. Keeps me on my toes, then!

As always, there is room for improvement, but personally speaking, I would have to say that this is the best NHS biomed department I have actually worked in.

Pity really that it’s only for a short term locum assignment!

Torbay Hospital

2006-06-05T08:30:00.000+01:00

Torbay Hospital

Torquay

2006-06-04T23:12:00.000+01:00

Out for a run at 07:00. Over the back to Babbacombe. Plenty of hills and steps! Back at 08:30. Did a bit of sorting out of my black toolbag. Met Phil who is also resident at No.61. Did not have much to say for himself. Later on headed down once more into Union Street to get some dhobi done. Had a nice breakfast. Walked back to the B&B. Did a bit of reading. Texts from Tony Dowman. Wandered up to the hospital at 16:25. Had some grub. Back at the B&B by 17:40.

Rules to Live By

2006-05-15T19:22:00.000+01:00

Remember the old British public schools maxim:-

Never complain
Never explain
Never hurry
Never worry

Free Software!

2006-02-20T13:14:00.000Z

For more years than I care to remember, and certainly over thousands of man-hours, I have enjoyed hacking out equipment maintenance systems. Indeed there have been dark days when this was my only recreation (but we won't dwell on that now)! I have a program that has all the usual features (plus some unusual ones), but is DOS-based and therefore appears a bit dated to modern eyes. It is stand-alone, single user, but has an ability to access multiple data-sets if required. It was coded in FoxPro 2.6, which was (still is) a very powerful database management language in its day. You can get a flavour of my stuff from the screen shots at this website. Anyway, the bottom line is that, as part of my clearing-out process, and to make way for new projects, I am willing to pass on copies of this program to anybody who may find it useful. I can include dummy (example) data. If you want, I can also offer source code (so if you can make your own changes if you have FoxPro yourself). I can send this stuff out as an email attachment. If anyone is interested, get in touch.

I call my program TaskMaster. It carries out all the routines traditionally expected of medical equipment maintenance programs, including job reporting, fault and action coding, parts
stock control etc. and the inter-action between these functions. In addition, the following features may be noted:-

- 99 equipment types in each class
- 999 equipment control numbers for each equipment type
- Access to data-sets in different directories
- Automatic adjustment of PM intervals due to risk factors
- Automatic opening of PM Jobs
- Automatic logging of equipment history events
- Automatic logging of stock parts history events
- Balancing PM workload over a given period
- Beyond-Economic-Repair alert feature
- Easy insertion of repeat stock items into job records
- Equipment control number system
- Equipment life forecasting based on accumulated
maintenance cost and cost of replacement
- Estimated dates for next 11 PM visits
- Job records with up to 8 parts used
- Levels of user access for security
- Organized equipment coding system
- Organized stock numbering system
- Over 80 pre-configured reports
- PM procedure builder facility with 15 task lines
- PM scheduling by eqpt, month due, priority or user
- PM task line-items of up to 60 characters
- Records of parts stock transactions
- Records of previous 20 PM visits
- Risk-oriented PM scheduling scheme
- Up to 100 risk elements in up to 10 risk groupings

More features may be easily added.

2006-02-19T17:51:00.000Z

The TaskMaster for DOS Jobs Records form.

Human Kindness -v- Corporate Greed

2006-01-21T18:38:00.000Z

I recently declined a week’s work at an oil-company hospital in the former Soviet Union. The exercise involved in mulling over this request was useful in framing my general philosophy these days about work in general, and tasks like this in particular. My response went something like this:-

Thank you for giving me an opportunity to deliberate over going out to Kazakhstan.

It has been a useful exercise for me, partly due to my interest in the organization of biomedical engineering services, and, indeed, equipment databases, but also as a chance to consider and re-evaluate my position in case of any future invitation to participate in the type of venture you describe.

Needless to say, twenty years ago, younger and more eager (not to mention more gullible and probably naïve), I would have leapt at it. But that was then, not now. These days I am a grey-bearded pipe-smoker (metaphorically, at least).

So following a good deal of thought over the last couple of days, let me advise you now that I do not plan to make myself available to travel to Tengiz.

You may wonder about my reasons. Well, they are many and complex, and I do not intend to go into them in any great detail here. Suffice to say, however, that for me, the “personal equation” does not balance. I am not greatly motivated by money, but remain much more interested in doing a decent job to my own standards for people in need of help (in a healthcare setting, that is). I doubt that any oil company meets that last criteria, and it sounds like I may not be afforded a chance to meet the former.

Frankly, I have little interest (none at all, actually) in the expectations of your clients, who (if I know anything at all about situations like this - and I probably know more than you may imagine), I would probably find to be hostile in any case. It’s very unlikely that they’re going to be overly impressed with someone like me. There will be people like that out there, believe me, and I shall be a long way from home!

I tend to recoil from situations where I am expected to “make it fit” for purely commercial reasons. My personal modus operandi is diagonally opposed to this, in actual fact, in that I am happy to work for expenses only when the circumstances are right (to me). Generally, I work at low rates of pay at jobs that I enjoy. In situations like that, expectations are easily met, and there is happiness, joy and gratitude all around! A volunteer, then, rather than a mercenary.

No, for me the pros (not the money, but simply another adventure) no way balance the cons in this case (there would appear to be many). I prefer also to act (alone, usually) with as much self-sufficiency as possible, and am not happy to place myself in any situation where I am venturing into the unknown totally dependent on what we may call “the kindness of strangers”. That sounds to me like “foolhardy” - out of control - not my way at all.

One final piece of advice I could offer would have to be, that in order to attract people (mercenaries?) of the required calibre, you might like to think about raising your daily rate. But I stress, that even for an increased amount, I personally would not be willing to travel out to Tengiz!

Hoping that you are able to find others willing to have a go.

The Biomed Boot Camp

2006-01-02T11:34:00.000Z

Motivation flagging somewhat? Are you feeling isolated, and unappreciated? Have you given up caring? Perhaps, then, you need to consider re-charging your batteries by having a go at the “Biomed Boot Camp”! I'm wondering whether there's enough here to lay down the foundations of a book. Topics covered may include (and others may be added by popular request):-

1) How, and when, to be assertive (eg, how to deal with the likes of Nurse Diesel).

2) How to work more-or-less continuously (ie, by pacing yourself and taking short breaks).

3) How, and when, to “go the extra mile”.

4) How to decide when, and how much, goodwill jobs are appropriate.

5) How to adopt, and carry through, the “biomed mind-set”.

6) How to take ownership of each job you accept, and techniques for seeing it through to completion.

7) How to maintain high standards even when working alone, and in isolation.

8) How to instil “pride of ownership” in the hearts and minds of equipment users.

9) How to be into “tech” on a total lifestyle basis.

10) How to maintain the moral high ground when others have already “fled the field”.

11) How to behave ethically in the presence of patients (ie, be human, but sometimes there’s a lot to be said for not saying a lot)!

12) How to be content with earning “just enough to keep going”.

13) How to appear competent even when you have not seen a piece of kit before.

14) How to find the patience to carry on preaching to users the message of good equipment management.

15) How to improvise when the preferred tools and test equipment are not available.

16) How to avoid becoming a victim (eg, of abuse, violence or infection).

17) How to remain humble when you are the most qualified, or experienced, man in the room.

18) How to focus on the sick and needy when you are not feeling so good yourself.

19) How to survive on hospital food.

20) How to repair equipment only with materials available in the local market.

21) How to stay motivated when surrounded by incompetence, rudeness and sheer idiocy.

22) How to prevail in depressing environments.

23) How to maintain high technical standards when confronted by the low quality work or others.

24) How to insist upon removing the covers of every piece of new equipment encountered (ie, in order to have a look inside)!

25) How to avoid being hassled into rushing, whilst still working efficiently and effectively.

26) How to motivate yourself to work out-of-hours when others are goofing off.

27) How to forget your worries by immersing yourself in your work.

The Best Day of 2005

2005-12-31T10:46:00.000Z

Here is my entry for 14th June:-

Merthyr Tydfil. At Mrs.Pugh's site at Grawen Farm. Not cold in the night and slept well. After tea and porridge out at 07:50 and up to the Storey Arms. Into basic jogging kit for another quick go at Pen-y-Fan and Corn Du. Anti-clockwise this time. 08:10-09:15. So that's 1 hour 5 minutes. A bit dissapointed not to break the hour barrier. Difficult to see how I can do better unless I can run up farther! Or follow the new track back down. So that's my eighth trip over Pen-y-Fan these last two weeks. After tea and a bacon roll went back to the Farm for a shower. At 10:50 went the 4 miles into Merthyr Tydfil. Got a haircut. Found an internet place and had a go for an hour. Bought a couple of back-packs from a market stall. Took my stuff back to the van and found a parking ticket stuck to the window! The parking slip had fallen off the dash and into my bag. Went back into town and had a bit of grub. Did not hang about due to the smoke-filled atmosphere! Back at the van wrote a note to the Parking Section of Merthyr Council. Mailed this later. Headed back up to the Storey Arms. This time had a go on the opposite side of the road. Carried the new pack. Up around Fan Fawr and to the trig point beyond. Still windy. Did a bit of map and compass work. 15:10-17:15. About 2 hours. Then headed back into Merthyr. Had to wander around a far amount to find a place for grub. Finally got a couple of sausages and some chips. Not very impressed by Merthyr Tydfil. Better off with Brecon or Abergavenny. Back at Mrs.Pugh's at 19:10. 44 miles in the Rascal today. Text from Mum. She warns of rain tomorrow. Two German motor-cyclists disturbed the peace a bit at about 21:00. But it rained quite heavily during the night, and I almost felt sorry for those guys when I left early the next morning, and headed back up to Monmouth.

Putting in the Hours

2005-12-25T07:53:00.000Z

A message to all biomeds who are working today – Rejoice (you are not alone)!

Not only is today a Sunday, but it is also Christmas Day. The perfect time, then, for catching up with those PM’s up in the Operating Theatres. With only one of the theatres on standby, and with the staff at a minimum, it is one of the few times during the year when access (and a period of time to get on with the work) is not a problem. And this will be the case for the next couple of days.

Of course, the chance to do PM is rarely a problem if you are flexible enough, and are willing and able, to work at weekends, night-time or any other so-called “un-social hours”. If any place out there needs people like that from time to time, better get in touch.

Here in London it is mild out (as far as I can tell down in the bowels of the hospital), with the promise of another cold spell (and, perhaps, some snow) coming up.

Peace on Earth, and Goodwill to All Men? By all means. But not only today. Let’s have it every day of the year.

Thought for the Day

2005-12-04T14:19:00.000Z

It's a nice bright sunny day here in Harrow, N.W. London, and I've jogged in for an hour’s quiet catching up on a few things. Came over Harrow-on-the-Hill and through to our magnificent architectural wonder of a hospital. Now I can at least claim to have been on the “playing fields of Harrow” (if not, as yet, Eton).

I walked through nearby Wealdstone yesterday, where I first learned of the 1952 train disaster. On 8th October 1952, the Perth to Euston express ran a red signal and collided with a stationary commuter train. The locomotive of the express was derailed into the path of a northbound express, causing a second collision. 122 passengers lost their lives. Apparently, this was one of two high-profile incidents in the 1950’s where signals were passed at danger, the other being Lewisham in 1957. Another notable point about the Wealdstone incident, is that it was reported to be the first time that the “triage” system of casualty management was used with civilians in the UK, prioritising cases according to their urgency and expectancy for survival! Sobering stuff.

Looking Forward

2005-12-02T14:23:00.000Z

These days, I can’t shake off the feeling that I’m hanging back waiting for “something big” to happen. This is one of the reasons that I’m happy for the time being just to continue to “keep my hand in” where I am. How many times have I “drawn a veil" over medical equipment work, only to come creeping back under the blanket, as it were? Well, sometimes, I quite enjoy it – and, truth be told, I’m probably too long in the tooth now to make a go at anything else.

However, I hear that Alberta is the place to be – the next oil boom, apparently, with reserves on the Saudi scale of things. They don’t drill, but steam it out of the soil (or sand) near the surface, apparently. I reckon they’ll be having new hospitals and clinics there, to support a rapidly increasing population. Might be a tad cooler than Saudi, though! Yes, Fort McMurray could be the place to be.

In the spirit of “following the money”, perhaps the business model for the “new venture” should be to service clinics in oil and gas industry (...yes, I know that others have/are already done/doing that, but maybe they need a bit of competition)!

Yes, Fort McMurray could well be the place to be. And probably a bit less volatile than Kazakhstan (or even Saudi, and certainly Iraq)! But I've got to get on and do something worthwhile before it's too late - otherwise what else am I to do (...simply grow old in England)?

The Basics

2005-11-19T20:33:00.000Z

Take care not to come to a HALT!

(ie, don't become ...)

Hungry
Angry
Lonely
Tired

...also, live life on your owns terms and don't allow yourself to become a victim!

Inner peace, and outer freedom!

Harrow

2005-10-30T22:35:00.001Z

Awake early and up at 06:00. Out at 08:00 and did a bit on the vans. Oil levels etc. Then out for a run at 08:30. Nice morning. At 45 left feet approx. 100 m jogging paced out the Recreation Ground path at 1,350 m. More or less identical to Pymmes Park (1.4 kms). But Harrow has a couple of slight inclines. Anyway did four laps today. Text from Christine. At 11:00 went out to the laundrette nearby. Cost £ 4.70 as against the usual £ 3.20 in Stroud. Out again at 13:00 and wandered along Hindes Road and into town. Saw a J-reg red Vauxhall Rascal parking up at Tesco's and had a chat with the guy. The van was in good condition with 87,000 miles on the clock. But the bloke was not interested in selling. Had a roast-beef lunch. The shopping centre was busy. Too many people for my liking. Went into the internet café but Hotmail was not working properly. It was also too hot in there so I only stayed for five minutes. Checked out polo shirts in a couple of shops. Bought two Blue Harbour chinos 34" waist and 33" legs for £ 29.50 each from M&S. Also two Blue Harbour khaki shirts for £ 27 each. Charged all £ 113 to my S&F card which expires tomorrow. Called in for stocks at Tesco's. Very crowded there too. Tesco's closes at 16:00 on a Sunday and 22:00 the rest of the week. Back at the flat by 15:30. Did some ironing.

A Word from the Wise

2005-10-12T18:59:00.000+01:00

The world-famous management guru Peter Drücker advises us to "Choose the future, as against the past". But consider the reverse. After all, you know where you are with the past. It is known, and it can be researched.

Be cautioned, though, that another wise man said "You have to be careful with the past. They do things differently there!" (personally, I recommend picking a period that suits you and then living in it).

Barnwood

2005-09-20T22:51:00.000+01:00

Up early and carried on sorting out stuff in the flat. Will bung some of my surplus clothes to the car-boot sale. Text to and from Susan. Out for a run at 09:30. Up Chosen Hill. Went out in Jorge at 11:25 and around to Mum's. Picked up some stuff for the car-boot and checked emails etc. Had some grub with Mum and Den. Then went up to Jim's. Another multimeter and a Bosch electric screwdriver had arrived from eBay. Jim was able to sell his Honda bike yesterday for £ 150 and another £ 25 for the Puch Maxi. Noticed that he didn't offer me any even though I had set up the deal! Sorted out some more gear and loaded up Jorge. Back at the flat by 17:35. Wandered along to Budgens for some stocks later.

Jorge

2005-09-03T08:15:00.000+01:00

Here is Jorge four months later. Broken into in broad daylight and all my tools and test equipment stolen. That's 25 years worth of accumulated gear. Stuff that survived Saudi Arabia has now gone to car-boot sales, no doubt. Might as well have saved myself shipping it all back by dumping it in the desert! Who would think that this sort of thing could happen deep in the woods of Gloucestershire? But, unfortunately, this is how things are in modern Britain!

The Unique Selling Proposition

2005-06-01T15:12:00.000+01:00

Working as a Freelance

As a freelance, you need to be known. You need to be known to be good, and you need to be known for what it is that you’re good at.

As a freelance, your livelihood is dependent upon your ability to seek, obtain and serve clients. And then get paid!

In clearly defining the service you provide (that is, your product), you also state your unique selling proposition.

Your business objective should be to maximise profit by achieving high utilization rates (percentage of chargeable time), charging the maximum the market will bear, whilst minimising expenses and tax liabilities.

The Product or Service

The service I provide (my product) is labour (time, effort and skill) in the repair, maintenance and management of medical equipment.

Quality Product or Service

A quality product or service is one that is totally in accordance with customer or client requirements. It is doing the job that the customer or client wants you to do.

My Unique Selling Proposition

I offer medical equipment repairs, maintenance and management in total accordance with client requirements. Or, put simply:- Quality Biomedical Services!

A Thing of Beauty

2005-05-03T13:02:00.000+01:00

I have recently shifted a load of my old motor-bike books on eBay. This is a picture of one of my favourite engines, the 350 cc AJS 7R. A work of art, surely. And, surprisingly, the book sold rather well!

The Red Rascals

2005-05-01T12:37:00.000+01:00

The first week in May. This is Jorge. Bought through eBay from a guy in Swindon.

2005-04-22T08:00:00.000+01:00

The first red Rascal. Bought from a guy called Peter. Taken early in the morning at Rainhill, Merseyside before the trip back to North London.

2005-04-17T14:30:00.000+01:00

The Kia prepped for sale. It was swapped for the first red Rascal later in the week. This picture was taken in the car park of the North Middlesex Hospital.

The Ten Commandments

2005-04-01T15:49:00.000+01:00

1) Always practice good safety procedures as needed for each job, including knowledge of equipment, wearing protective gear, and being vigilant of contamination, emissions, gases, pressure, and biochemical and electrical hazards.
2) Your tools need maintenance too. Keep them clean, sharp, tight, lubricated and in order. Replace when worn, especially screwdrivers and meter test leads.
3) Use the correct tool for the job, especially special tools such as "Posidrv" screwdrivers, soldering aids and o-ring picks. Use the right spanner for the nut you're working on (that goes for hexagon screws, "Torx", and other "security screws" etc. too). Vice-grip pliers are great tools, but they are not spanners!
4) Always perform a complete performance test to actual user conditions after each repair or PM.
5) Never use deionized water in sterilizers, water baths or incubators. Pure water does not conduct and causes electrolytic corrosion, especially with copper and brass.
6) Listen to user complaints regarding failures. Separate, but don't discount, their idea of cause and effect. Have them explain the symptoms.
7) Keep service manuals updated, and be informed about changes and modifications. Flag new information for quick access, and keep support names and phone numbers handy.
8) Once you have accepted a job, take ownership of it and see it through to completion.
9) Take the time to do each task correctly the first time. Come-backs and re-works make more trouble and cost you more than a late arrival at your next job.
10) Quality parts, dependable service, and rapid turn-around all mean reduced down-time, customer satisfaction and honest profits.

My Last Week at North Mid.

2005-03-31T16:44:00.000+01:00

Did some work on an Arcomed infusion pump, but was unable to complete as it needs a new battery with none in stock. Did an HP PageWriter. Then started on a dropped Kontron Micromon. Plenty of re-bending and Aralditing! Ordered up a part, and then reassembled awaiting spares. Then did an Ohmeda Biox pulse oximeter that has been waiting around far too long. Its power connector was hanging out, but emphasis was on the old S&W defib cart it was mounted on! Did an old Laerdal Suction Unit. Battery pack tested out OK. Finished off with three Porta-Nebs. And finally a Therapy Equipment suction pump started by another tech. So that’s my last of 80 days work at the North Middlesex Hospital. Now clued-up on Arcomeds, if nothing else!

2005-03-17T10:30:00.000Z

Fiat Cinquecento bought through eBay. I find the design of these great little cars very appealing. It goes well too, although the engine is only 900 cc. Another example of “less is more”! It’s now with my daughter and her family.

Coding Plans

2005-03-12T13:06:00.000Z

Thinking about my coding plans now that winter is turning to spring! Rather than butcher FTM to produce an FTM Lite, a better plan would be to concentrate on VTM. VTM runs readily run on Windows 98 platforms and lets the Windows API take care of memory problems! And nobody is going to be interested in FTM anyway, as even the VTM interface already appears dated compared to web-based systems. FTM Lite is an interesting idea but it would be better to start from scratch (using Clipper?), and there may not be enough time for that. So it would be a good idea to bring VTM up to the latest FTM changes and take it from there! So the policy now is to code in Visual FoxPro 7.0 until I get VFP 9.0. FoxPro 2.6 is still good for prototyping, of course.

Noticed that my VFP C20.exe is only a third of the size of the DOS version. And that it generates its own Foxuser too. So that’s good news as well. Seems to hold true for VTM -v- FTM also. I imagine that VTM makes greater use of functions within Windows itself. Also no need to doctor the final .exe with Disk Edit. All good news. Perhaps I will even combine VTM with New Spex.

So, for the time being I will carry on development in Visual FoxPro 7.0 on HDD No.7 in XPC. Perhaps it's time for a name change for TaskMaster and Spex combined. How about dataSpex?

2005-03-11T13:40:00.000Z

The Windows version of C20.exe.

2005-03-04T14:11:00.000Z

Two Arcomeds and a Porta-Neb on the bench.

2005-02-26T14:11:00.000Z

Wisdom from Steve Holmes

2005-02-14T19:10:00.000Z

I was reminded recently about a piece of wisdom I received back in 1992 from CV writer Steve Holmes . It went as follows:-

It's a privilege to have a decent job these days. And in the future we're going to have to do some actual work, for reasonable but not lavish reward, competing with people who couldn't care less about our precious egos.

Clients are looking for nice people, modestly team minded, able and willing to work hard to get things done. You don't have to be interesting or special, just efficient and, above all, willing to do the job they will pay you for.

Many people have numeric and technical ability but very few indeed have high-level language skills and even less the imagination to communicate what the other needs to hear than what they think they want to say!

Steve is still crafting fine CV's. He can be contacted these days at http://cv-masterclass.com

Working For Your (Inner) Self

2005-02-08T19:16:00.000Z

Now, money is very useful. Everything in "modern life" is geared to it. You need as much of this fine stuff as possible. If you already have a regular private income or have enough stashed away to keep you going for the rest of your days, then you don't really need to carry on reading this stuff. Just do as you please.

Otherwise, "money should be made first and last." It's nice to be generous. There are stories of Bedu in Arabia literally giving away all they possessed to strangers! Noble perhaps, but not very wise (what happened after the stranger had moved on, one wonders). It's probably best to be generous only with your time. Or better still, overcome the need to be generous at all! Do you really owe anything to anybody else? And contrary to popular myth (but as Huey Lewis correctly sang), "time ain't money". If you disagree, try buying your groceries with it!

Although the "alternative economy" advocates a barter-based system of exchange, the rest of the world might not agree just yet. Anyway, be stingy with your hard-earned cash. Weigh the spending of each and every penny!

"Work", in the commonly understood sense, may be defined as activity to generate income. Work as little as possible, then, and as much as necessary to cover your needs. What work can an enlightened person do to earn his living? Unfortunately, generating income usually involves interaction with others.

In general, when you are in need of funds, you should always "follow the money". Whenever there is a man prepared to pay (ie, when the work is there, and the guy is calling for you, which means that you don't have to go through the ordeal of "selling yourself") - take it on and do it! As long as by so doing you are not compromising your principles too much.

But work honestly and clear the work you are paid to do. There will be time enough for leisure when there is no work available.

When you boil it all down, any kind of work is little better than any other. Working for someone else always involves the tension of the "master-servant" relationship. Even in a service environment like being "self-employed" through an agent. The true test is whether you have to follow hours set by someone else! The only way to be free of this tension is to be self-employed and selling something that you produce or offer yourself. No need for a CV when you reach that happy state of affairs.

On the other hand, your real work is what is sometimes referred to as your "life's work". This is what you were born to do. Your true vocation. And nothing to do with "career" and "on-target earnings" and all the rest of that 1980's nonsense. If you have organized things properly, or are just very lucky, your life's work and work to earn your living should be one and the same. This should definitely be one of your main aims. Otherwise, your life's work may have to be continued on an as-and-when basis, or wait until you are in a position to retire from earning altogether.

That great sage Henry David Thoreau wisely stated: "If the day and the night are such that you greet them with joy – that is your success." No need, then, for "careers" and such to follow. No need to be in the rat race, or a hamster in the wheel!

Freelance self-employed is the preferred mode. Suitable vocations for the solitary worker include, for example the computer programmer, the painter (as in artist, not decorator), or the writer. These all traditionally evoke an image of impoverishment for the majority and financial success but for the few. For instance, poets of yore typically took a vow of poverty and lived in their garrets. Yes, they were just like us! Would they have made more of a contribution beavering away on someone's payroll? Doubtful. Can you name even one labourer or assembly-line worker that history has remembered?

Self-employed tradesmen (such as the electrician, the mechanic, the plumber etc.) can probably earn more than poets, but on the other hand are more exposed to the stress of the so-called "real world". No, you're better off living simply (cheaply) and "working" only when absolutely necessary, in my humble opinion.

The Legend of the HOFIT

2005-02-05T10:53:00.000Z

Stay Cool!

2005-02-04T19:37:00.000Z

If you do not let the world in, if it seems unchanged, it can cause you no pain. Never let anything bother or surprise you. Be resolved to accept anything and nothing.

Know what you want from life, and if what you want is within reach, take it and be content. - the Hannis maxim.

Let patience be your primary weapon. Do what is needed to get what you want, and then live the sort of life you want to live.

2005-02-01T08:50:00.000Z

Keep the faith. Allow yourself the time to do anything and everything you do well. Or, put another way, if you're not seeking perfection, why carry on experimenting? - advice I gave to a friend in January 1997.

A Labour of Love

2005-01-29T18:42:00.000Z

Ten years on, and TaskMaster is still not finished? Well, it’s all a question of evolution. I have recently changed the format of equipment Control Numbers to improve usability. For example, from ECG-A-01 to ECG-01-001, to increase types from 26 to 99 possibilities, and instances of each type from 99 to 999. Good-bye, then, to Chacko Zard’s original format dating back to 1990.

At present, TM .exe runs only in a late DOS environment (ie, DOS with extended memory etc.). It gives “too many files open” messages if run in a Windows “DOS box”. Now I have to re-visit TaskMaster source code once again to get it to run readily in a “modern environment”. This will mean revision of the LoadFile procedure in FTM.prg and drastic changes in all forms. But it can be done, and it will prolong the usefulness of the original DOS version of TaskMaster.

This all came up again recently when I was emailed by an engineer studying the concept of “Risk-Centred Maintenance”. I sent him a zipped copy of TaskMaster by email attachment, as it contains an implementation of some of the risk-centred maintenance principles, including automatic PM interval adjustment etc.

Once all this has been hacked, I will need to update the Windows version of TaskMaster (written in Visual FoxPro) also. A true labour of love.

The TaskMaster Saga

2005-01-27T16:44:00.000Z

TaskMaster is the name given to a medical equipment maintenance management system project developed over the years by the Greybeard. Initially DOS-based, a Windows version is available for those who insist on following the herd. These days, the DOS version is used mainly for prototyping and demonstrative purposes.

The concepts used in TaskMaster have continued to evolve and unfold on-and-off at various times and places since 1975, when a much younger Greybeard first worked as a biomedical engineer. Since those days he has endeavoured to organize and improve every workshop he has worked in - tried to “do something simple rather than do nothing complicated”.

Firstly, thanks are due to Boboy Legara for introducing dBASE, Alex Barcelona for enthusing about Fox, and Chacko Zard for the original Control Number idea. This was back in 1990 when a system was quickly developed (in dBASE IV) for use on an equipment maintenance contract with the Saudi Ministry of Health. This early effort was later refined a little at Al-Baha, as time permitted, and became known as “WorkMaster”. Although this was a vast improvement on the original, visually at least, it was not taken further as Greybeard “left” the company shortly afterwards!

During 1992, whilst working in North London, the Greybearded one put together a simple and easy-to-use system using WAMPUM, a shareware menu-driven database program. This was called WTM (for WAMPUM TaskMaster), and showed what could be done for only £ 79 (...plus development time). It actually worked well and founded the principles later developed further in TaskMaster (thanks from this period are due to Tony Grimmett. His system was the basis of the simple “Job Status details” feature found within the TaskMaster "Jobs" screen form).

Back in Saudi Arabia in 1993, an improved version of WorkMaster (visually cleaner, with dBASE IV pop-up menus) was put to good use on an O&M contract at another MOH hospital, this time at Unayzah. This was improved further when version 2 of dBASE IV became available at Al-Khobar. From 1995, the style of the program was completely reviewed and was re-written in FoxPro 2.5. The best features from the two earlier styles were combined and to mark this major change.

A paper by Capuano and Koritko, published in the Jan/Feb 1996 issue of “Biomedical Instrumentation and Technology”, described a practical approach to PM activity based upon need and perceived risk of failure (rather than the traditional date-oriented method, which is often wasteful of time and resources). In October 1997, then, the Greybeard incorporated this approach into TaskMaster. Thanks are due to these two Canadian Biomedical Engineers for their contribution.

TaskMaster aims to be simple, robust, intuitive and as practical as it can be. It tries to do the job without fuss or frills. As Theodore Roosevelt once said, “do what you can, with what you have, where you are!” Most of the coding for TaskMaster 1.0 was done in FoxPro 2.5 for DOS. FoxPro 2.6 was used since it became available in the desert in late 1996, and an excellent tool it has been! TaskMaster was declared substantially "finished" at Al-Khobar on 5 August 1996, although a “final” intense session took place during Ramadan (January) 1997. At this stage, it was estimated to have been the result of at least 1,000 hours of coding.

Notwithstanding the above, development of TaskMaster has proceeded occasionally as a “labour of love” and in an ad-hoc manner. The present program hand probably represents its final form as Microsoft has chosen not to continue developing FoxPro for the DOS platform. Greybeard has also carried out TaskMaster experiments in various issues of Visual FoxPro (ie, a Windows implementation) and dBASE 5 for DOS.

This DOS version of the program is offered as “freeware” (or “cheapware” if further involvement is required of the Greybeard, who remains very flexible regarding the availability of source code and re-coding for special projects - everything being negotiable in the normal Saudi way!) He declares that it was TaskMaster (and his other programming projects) that kept him sane during his ten long years of exile in the Magic Kingdom. So TaskMaster has proved its value, if only for that!

TaskMaster 1.0 is the work of the Greybeard, who can be contacted by email at mailto:medelis@hotmail.co.uk

2005-01-26T11:14:00.000Z

The Windows version of the TaskMaster Jobs Records form. Note that the earlier Control Number format is being used.

This is a test!

2005-01-20T16:28:00.000Z

2005-01-15T17:37:00.000Z

Coding in the desert (Al-Hasa 2003). Looks like TaskMaster on the left-hand screen.

Just a Thought

2005-01-14T14:36:00.000Z

Does the bee reminisce about wonderful honey from days gone by?

Discuss!

2005-01-13T19:00:00.000Z

There are two kinds of people in the world - people who annoy me and people I haven't met yet!

Individual Declaration of Independence

2005-01-08T19:34:00.000Z

This "Draft Manifesto" (or something like it) was doing the rounds a few years ago (it's not bad):-

1) Avoid eating anything that comes in a packet.
2) Avoid buying anything that comes in a box.
3) Avoid owning anything that uses "disposable" batteries.
4) Avoid using a car (...walk, bike, or take a bus!).
5) Avoid flying. Jet aircraft are extremely polluting in every sense.
6) Grow your own vegetables, or better still, learn how to farm!
7) Avoid money transactions - use barter! Support the "alternative economy".
8) Refuse to become a victim (...by living life on your own terms).
9) Avoid having a bank account or "credit" cards.
10) Avoid taxation.
11) "Work" as little as possible, as much as necessary.

Justice for the People!

2005-01-06T19:32:00.000Z

Believe in cold and unemotional justice. Believe in the humbling of the guilty by due process of the law.

"Do as be done by. The rest is commentary" ... meaning that an entire body of law (... beginning with the Ten Commandments) can be summarised in these five words.

"Live and let live" is as good a mantra as any.

The Will to Survive is Strong

2005-01-05T19:26:00.000Z

The older you get, the more it seems that the name of the game is to survive as best you can. But, when all else fails, it’s best to break life down into simple tasks and do them one at a time. That's the basics:-

Drinking and eating
Sleeping
Visiting the bathroom

When things are really getting you down, take things from one cup of tea to the next!

It doesn't make sense to live and work in the UK – we’re better off living in a place where the pace and cost of living is more to our taste (…not to mention the weather!).

So what do we want to do? ... :-

Live quietly on our own terms.
Life out our life in peace, ease and comfort, working on the computer, on-line to the rest of the world.
Attain and preserve inner peace and outer freedom.

The Muse is Good News

2005-01-03T19:20:00.000Z

Sometimes I can search for the muse and find it. Other times I may as well switch off the machine and go to kip! The muse is the poet's inspiration. In Greek and Roman mythology, these were the nine goddesses who inspired creative people to produce work of quality. Poetry, music, writing and other forms of art. Now we can add great hardware and software hacks.

I find that I can sometimes attract one of the nine upon rising from my slumber and, if free of other commitments (which is usually the snag, and one of the reasons that I really need to attain freedom of time), can then really hit the groove to the extent that I have to "find a place to stop" in order to service the biosystem (ie, for bodily needs like a cup of tea and a sandwich, and visiting the bathroom).

However, I have to be careful, for once interrupted I sometimes "loose the muse" and then that's it for the rest of the day. But sometimes if I'm lucky, and really being smiled down upon, I am given a second chance to pick one of them up after coming back from a run - then the problem becomes finding time to take a shower!

Keep It Simple!

2005-01-01T19:00:00.000Z

For our purposes, the well-known mothers' scold "Just don't just sit there - do something!" might be better turned into "just don't do something - sit there!"

Look after Number One! The secret of contentment is stripping away all the non-essentials and getting down to the basics in life. Thank the Master (God, or whichever imaginary omnipotent you prefer) for every morning that your head rises from the pillow and endeavour to enjoy every day whatever you are doing. It's the little things that really matter. Sometimes less really is more. Just go for it and do as you please.

Not only take the time to sniff the roses, but enjoy the summer one flower at a time! Alos, take a cue from the migrating birds and winter in a warm place if you possibly can.

Simplify your life (and I mean drastically). You are better off without possessions (remember John Lennon's "Imagine"). In actual fact, possessions are a nuisance and it's very true that when you have nothing you have nothing to loose! I remember the anguish I felt in Saudi Arabia about what to do with all my stuff. And this was after years of what others would regard as very frugal living. And at least two major clear-outs in the years before that. At the end I either threw out or gave away many of the "indispensable" things that I had been ready to bin, but then put back again, over and over again. A complete waste of sleeping-time!

Get down to the absolute basics in terms of clothes and other personal gear. Live like a soldier. Limit yourself to two bags. Get your toolkits down to the most efficient minimum. Yes, I know it's a challenge. Rationalise your computer stuff. Throw the rest out or give it away!

The Best Run(s) of the Year

2004-12-31T21:44:00.000Z

Another year, then. A time for review and renewal. For taking stock. There were two runs that stick in the mind this year:-

On 19-Jan-04 I left Al-Hasa for the last time. I had been to the Al-Sinaiyah to finalise transfer of ownership of my GMC truck. Having done all that I could I left the Sinaiyah at 10:40 and drove back to Riyadh in a hired Renault Clio. The weather was good, and, unusually, there were fluffy white clouds in the blue sky. I stopped at the gas station just before the express-way and went for a pleasant run around the sand dunes. Charging up and down the pristine banks of sand made a nice change from my normal flat routes. Left there at 13:40 and drove on via the Sa'ad road to my hotel in Riyadh. Arrived at 15:00, 313 kms from Al-Hasa Sinaiyah.

Eight months later, on 19-Sep-04 and back in England, I was up at Lydeard Hill car park and out running on the Quantocks by 08:30 on this Sunday morning. It had just rained and with the sun low behind me the view was very clear and bright. My route was out to Halsey Post then back along by Dead Woman's Ditch car park and back to Lydeard Hill. A good run, which took 1½ hours.

Nice Sentiment

2004-12-30T18:33:00.000Z

Here is a piece that I especially liked at page 203 in Jerome Preisler's book "Bio-Strike":-

"It was a feeling that was no less keen today than it had been when [he] was a thirteen-year-old boy pounding together a tree house. The ordered routine of readying his tools and construction materials relaxed him and gave him a chance to organize his thoughts. He enjoyed the direct connection between hands-on effort and outcome, especially when they were for the benefit of someone he loved."

Down With Ads!

2004-11-09T19:36:00.000Z

If we could turn television into a commericial-free zone, we would do without loud and flashy ads that:-

1) Equate possession of expensive products with excitement and fulfilment.
2) Often present sleek new cars as thinly veiled vehicles of exciting thrills.
3) Portray the power to buy as the power to determine one's destiny.
4) Supply young people with an endless array of role models who are fixated on buying, owning and displaying fashionable possessions.
5) Glorify business executives for using the latest computer technologies to show how savvy they are.
6) Correlate the most up-to-date purchases with passionate intensity, charisma and personal depth.
7) Pioneer in the realms of illogic by insisting that people can become uniquely themselves by buying what many others are buying.
8) Convey to viewers that they are only really alive when they are shopping or showing off what they've bought.
9) Perpetuate the notion that people should be preoccupied with what to purchase and how to satiate themselves whilst giving short shrift to deeper values.
10) Treat the appearance of a woman's body as the most important aspect of who she is.
11) Bolster the prevailing media images of gender roles by showing men and women acting in stereotypical ways.
12) Extol as wonderful, in armed forces recruitment ads, the training of earnest young people to operate weaponry to kill other human beings.
13) Desecrate some of the finest rock-and-roll songs of the 1960's and 70's by using them as soundtracks to sell everything from cars to running shoes.
14) Encourage people to spend beyond their means, even if the result is intractable credit-card debt.
15) Reinforce the idea that everyone has, or should have, a price ... by featuring a range of athletes and creative artists who enthusiastically urge us to spend money on commodities that are clearly of minimal importance.
16) Mock people who don't fit in with the crowd because of how they look or what they own.
17) Freeze the frames of television viewing with constant messages that we should keep wanting to buy, buy, buy ... without bothering to ask why.

Television without commercials? It sounds like a dream come true. But such a turn of events would hardly clear the air. After all, the programs would still remain, and they too deserve close scrutiny; many of the same values proclaimed by commercials are implicit on TV shows that fill our homes.

Edmonton

2004-10-25T22:27:00.004+01:00

First day at the Medical Equipment Management Unit at North Middlesex University Hospital. Met the guys. Agreed 22½ hours with Sidki. Working Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Given keys to a locker, front gate and department front door. Started off by sorting out the awaiting repair shelf. Sidki wants me to clear the backlog of Arcomed µVP-5005 volumetric pumps. Pity I did not get around to genning up on these at Taunton. But now's my chance! Took my lunch at the Sterling Restaurant (the hospital canteen). Bought the book "History of North Middlesex Hospital" by Gary Boudier from the Hospital Bookstall shop for £ 10. Went with Colin up to Ward 8 in the Tower to look at a MAC-5000 ECG. Good to met Lou Woodninck from Phoenix Surgical Instruments again after all this time. Last seen at Chase Farm 11½ years ago and still just the same! Later took a Roberts pump with Naeem to Hope Ward. Left at 17:30. Got some stocks on Silver Street. Out for a run at 18:00. Twice around Pymmes Park. This looks like being my new route.

More of the Same

2004-09-07T15:03:00.000+01:00

I believe that there should be no income taxes on the individual person. Governments should (...be as minimal as possible and need only limited revenues anyway, but...) raise their revenues by taxing the big ("fat cat") companies, running lotteries and collecting taxes on luxury items, and if further funds are absolutely necessary, by a tax on all transactions.

Raw information should be free (...why not?). The "fat cats" are hell-bent on turning information into yet another commodity to be traded and make fat profits from (I'm thinkng of the internet here - and at whose expense? the common man, as always).

Mistrust authority and promote de-centralization (...who is it that collects the taxes, puts people in prison, imposes "austerity" measures usually brought about through their own incompetence? Who is it that sends their people to die in (usually futile and immoral) wars? Who is it that rations-out healthcare, usually at a time of life when people need it most - as in the UK's National Health Service?). No prizes for guessing that I'm hinting at central government here.

How about:-

1) The abolition of "nations".
2) The opening-up of all borders to allow (actual) free trade and freedom of travel.
3) Total freedom for everybody and anybody to seek work, residence and happiness anywhere.

Then we would really see both equality and "the magic of the market place" (...supply and demand). A real jungle situation, every one in competition with everybody else but at least on a level playing field this time, with true survival of the fittest coming to the fore! Of course, anything like this would never be allowed to happen.

"From each according to his inclination: to each according to his value" - Realism (according to me).

Compare with:-

"From each according to his contribution: to each according to his need" - Communism (but first attributed to the Shaker Joseph Meacham ... and pre-dating Karl Marx!).

"From each according to his ability: to each according to his work" - Socialism.

"From each according to his ambition: to each well beyond his need!" - Capitalism.

Having said that, I hope that (in the UK at least) Conservatism really means free markets, free trade, freedom of the individual, minimal interference by government, and (hopefully) relatively low taxation. That is why, if I were a voter, I would vote for it every time, on the grounds that it most approaches my ideal of Realism.

After all, if money is the great lubricant of the modern world, all that wealth has to be created somehow. Left-wing governments are always very good at spending the money (raised by taxation of course, or sale of public property or enterprise usually at great loss to the "public"), but in the long run they are not very good at creating the wealth.

Personally, I feel no great desire the carry my fellow man. Beyond the bounds of "Christian charity" let him fend for himself, as I have done. You can forget free hand-outs and welfare cheques if I ever made it to power! That leads only to dependency. The root problems don't really get addressed and the recipient just ends up even more resentful and useless than when he started!

And, of course, all falls to naught if the system breaks down to such an extend that contracts are not honoured, debts are not paid etc. Conservative governments are usually strong in the area of law and order!

Yes, free trade is good (what else are all those billions of people going to do? ... and don't say produce even more babies!). In 1857 Richard Cobden wrote that "free trade is God's diplomacy, and there is no other certain way of uniting people in bonds of peace." I read into that that the popular "modern" view that the British Empire was inherently immoral is actually missing the big picture somewhat. You can't trade very easily with enemies!

Taunton

2004-04-13T23:06:00.001+01:00

Awake early. Left the B&B at 08:40. Wore the "uniform" of short-sleeve shirt and tie for the first time since Chase Farm 11 years ago! No too happy about the tie. Took about 15 minutes to walk to the Medical Electronics workshop. Address is Medical Electronics Dept., Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, Somerset TA1 5DA. Tel: 01823-342-486. Fax: 01823-344-812. Received a package from Mike Green containing time-sheets etc. The workshop core hours are 08:30-17:00 Mon-Thu and 08:30-16:30 Fri. With an hour's lunch break that amounts to a 37 hour week. Actual hours are flexible. Some guys come and leave earlier etc. There are 8 techs in all. Gordon, Ray, Richard and Paul were in today. Circumstances are that first line x-ray but not medical gases stuff is done by "Medical Electronics". Some lab equipment is also done. Eg, centrifuges. But mostly it's the "patient-connected" stuff. About 8,000 items on the Asset Register. SEMS 4.0. Adrian Whatmore called in briefly at 10:30. I was given a key to the workshop. Spent most of the morning cleaning out the toolkit. Then had a go at an Ohmeda Gas Analyzer. So that's me back "hands-on" at last! Took a half-hour lunch break at the canteen with Gordon and Richard. Cost less than £ 4. Then repaired a broken Projection Perimeter forehead band with Richard. Last to leave with Richard at 16:30. Looked at Mike Green's stuff. Signed to opt-out of 48-hour working week. Apparently the Working Time Regulations 1998 provide that the temporary worker shall not work on an assignment with the client in excess of the working week (ie, 48 hours) unless he agrees in writing that this limit should not apply. So I have so agreed. Pity that the Taunton assignment looks like being limited to only 37 hours a week! Also signed a confirmation with Capital regarding the general terms of the assignment. The main one being £ 14.65 per hour. The position is called Medical Engineer MTO3+3*. Also filled in the Gabem application form. Hope this does not drop me in the shit with the tax man - but what choice do I now have?

The Noble Nomad

2004-01-25T19:01:00.001Z

As I leave the Magic Kingdom, after ten contented and peaceful years, I take along with me the romanticised vision of the Bedouin, the nomads of the Arabian desert.

Because he expected so little from life, the Bedu had an inner freedom to come and go as he pleased. He regarded the ties of the settled Arab as unworthy of a man, and carried with him none of the concerns of the settler, such as anxieties over property and the accumulation of wealth (or, for that matter, what was on television that evening!).

2004-01-18T17:53:00.000Z

The TaskMaster for DOS Equipment Types form.

2004-01-17T17:54:00.000Z

The TaskMaster for DOS Parts and Stock Items form.

Lunch at Site

2003-12-22T21:08:00.000Z

The Czech mechanical engineer, the Canadian architect and the British medical equipment guy. The usual lunchtime banter at the site messhall at Al-Hasa (winter 98/99).

A Hacker at Work!

2003-12-16T16:13:00.000Z

The Greybeard hard at it, hacking away at Al-Hasa in 2003.

Jogging Territory

2003-12-11T16:12:00.000Z

Only 6 kms from here to work (that's straight ahead across the desert). I jogged over that territory almost every day for 6 ½ years! Taken from the roof of my bait in Mahasen, in Al-Hasa, Saudi Arabia in 2003.

2003-12-10T11:49:00.000Z

The Consultant's team assembled for fire extinguisher drill at site. Al-Hasa 1997.