Giving It To a Museum
Today I contacted The Centre for Computing History in Haverhill and later they collected some of my boxes of software. They may also take some of my old hardware, like a DecWriter, a very early and powerful HP Vectra and the Artemis 1000 system.
They certainly need help in all forms.
The Price of an Artemis 1000 System in 1984
In going through my papers for possibly the last time, I found this invoice for an Artemis system. Or at least for the hardware required.
A Metier Invoice for an Artemis System
Effectively, my recollection is that this was about the time we sold the company to Lockheed and it was for old-times sake more than anything. I have a feeling I actually bought my old development mchine from the attic. It’s still in my shed now and I suspect it is the only one left!
Doctors Working Alone
This post was suggested by some of the comments to my post about Changing Doctors. But in my experience of doctors in the last couple of years, increasingly specialists are working alone and doing much more of the donkey work themselves.
I’ll give three examples.
- In Hong Kong, I had a consultant speech therapist, wh0 did the X-rays himself to check that I could swallow properly. He even gave me a VHS video of it.
- My cardiologist in Cambridge, did the eectrocardigram on me, himself. Whereas the in most hospitals this is delegated.
- When I had the ENT examination after my episode with A&E, the consultant did everything himself.
I have a feeling that this approach is getting more common, as it obviously is more efficient and the doctor an modify his examination depending on what he finds. There is also no communication problem.
I’ve also been told that INR tests are done by the doctor, at my new surgery, so it’s not just at the consultant level. I’ve also had two specialist x-rays recently, where the radiologist worked alone.
To me it’s seems the way medicine is going for relatively simple procedures and some specialist complicated ones too. Obviously modern medical equipment helps, as in many cases it de-skills the actual examination and lets the doctor do what he does best, the analysis of the problem.
But what are the knock on effects in the number of anciliary staff that aren’t needed? headlines such as nurses made redundant are never good publicity, even if the downside is that there were so many more patients treated.
Holy Smoke!
The new heating system in Norwich Catholic Cathedral is causing people to dial 999 because they see a fire, according to reports on the BBC.
Changing Doctors
When we moved here, getting a doctor took a couple of weeks, as the surgeries were all full. But yesterday, I got a new doctor near to my new house after a couple of phone calls. Incidentally, the one number that dhould have helped me never phoned back.
I’ve told my current GP and she is going to organise a printout of all the relevant details for me, when I go to get my next blood test on the 29th. She aso said that the bulk of the records would be moved by electronic transfer in due course.
So at last we’ve sen some progress in twenty years!
Thowing Away the Past
I’m having big clear out, prior to moving. The skip arrives today and masses of stuff is going in it. At the moment, I’ve got boxes and boxes of rubbish waiting for it.
Do I find moving stressful? Not as stressful as living in this house without being able to drive!
The Kitsch is Here
BBC Breakfast has a piece from the Royal Crown Derby works showing some of the kitsch that is being produced for the wedding next year.
One piece actualy had an entwined W and C on it. She should have stuck to Kate, rather than Catherine.
The only thing to be said for it, is that it gives employment to people and creates a bit of money for the company.
The Anonymous Widower 