The Anonymous Widower

Are The Best Ideas Started In Garages?

The storage of electricity has always been a problem and it’s one that will get worse as we get more renewables like wind-power, that tend to produce electricity at variable times.

So this article on the BBC web site caught my eye. I particularly like this bit.

The technology was originally developed by Peter Dearman, a garage inventor in Hertfordshire, to power vehicles.

Just like Hewlett-Packard, which started in a garage.

What is the most significant fact, is the IMechE have got involved.

This might be one of those ideas that runs and runs.

It has a lot of things going for it.

  1. It’s all technology we have had around for years.
  2. It doesn’t require large amounts of land.
  3. The plants could also be used to say produce liquid carbon dioxide, nitrogen or oxygen, where they are needed, instead of bringing it in by tanker. On the other hand liquid oxygen is dangerous stuff to have around.

I shall be watching this story in the future.

October 2, 2012 Posted by | News | , , , | 2 Comments

My First INR Self Test

I’ve just taken my first INR self-test.  Or should I say successful one, as I tried yesterday and couldn’t get a proper sample onto the machine.

But today, I thought it through and sat at the table with everything on a clean face flannel. I actually used my gammy left hand to take a sample from the right

I recorded a value of 2.2, which is in my target range of 2.0 to 3.0.

The major problem other than getting the sample quick enough was trying to read the manual whilst I was using both hands to do the test.

The Non-Spiral Bound CoaguChek Manual

My father would be fuming now, as he believed after fifty years in the printing business that all instruction manuals should be spiral bound.

I just proved him absolutely right.

Some people might have worried about making yourself bleed. I didn’t as I spent fifty years badly-biting by nails and fingers. Often until they have bled!

It’s generally all stopped now, although my nails aren’t good, but that’s down to the humidity!

October 2, 2012 Posted by | Health | , , , , | 1 Comment

Cameron’s Worst Nightmare

Seeing the performance of the Labour Party today, I wouldn’t think that he would be worried much. Especially, as opinion polls seem to show that the public don’t trust Labour with the economy.

Much of what happens to the economy will happen anyway, as large job creation will be by big companies, who will do it based on their needs. There will also be a lot by the average people, who generally read the economy better than the politicians do, and act when they see gaps.

But what happens across the pond in November, will have a large effect on what happens in this country.

It’s probably true to say, that David Cameron and Barack Obama are very similar, although from different backgrounds.  If Obama should remain US President, then business will be very much as before.

But Mitt Romney, a man who is the most religious US Presidential candidate in some time, would I think create problems for any British Prime Minister, if he got elected.

If for instance, the United States got involved in an Israeli-led attack on Iran, would we be capable of staying out of it.  The majority of the British public would want no part of it, of that there is no doubt.  And I suspect Cameron doesn’t either! But who knows what will happen, if Israel attacked Iran.

This is just one area, where Romney is downright dangerous.

And a world stirred up by Romney, would give a tremendous boost for the opposition in the UK. Especially one, who could play the Hate Romney card with impunity.

Let’s hope the American voters are sensible enough to send Romney packing.

October 2, 2012 Posted by | News | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Who Needs 4G?

I was one of the first users of a mobile phone, many years ago. Today, the BBC are reporting a big meeting about the next generation, 4G

 

But I have not even got onto 3G, just staying with a good old-fashioned phone; a Nokia 6310i, that gives me text messages and calls.

The only thing, it cant do that I need, is put up a skeleton topic on my blog for editing later when I get home. If I needed to, I could tweet from the phone.

 

4G is only a way to get more money out of the gullible.

October 2, 2012 Posted by | News | , | Leave a comment