Can Uncomplicated Pancolonic Diverticular Disease Make My Left Foot Go Red?
In My Unusual Feet, which I wrote in February 2022, I showed this typical picture of my feet.
Note how the left foot is redder than the right.
This prompted me to ask Google AI, the question in the title of this post and I received this answer.
No, uncomplicated pancolonic diverticular disease itself is not likely to cause a red left foot, though it’s possible for pain to radiate to the legs. A red foot would be a symptom of a different issue, and could be related to complications from the diverticular disease, such as sepsis (a severe infection), or another unrelated condition like poor circulation or an infection. It’s important to see a doctor to determine the cause of the red foot and rule out a more serious problem, especially if you have symptoms like fever or severe pain.
As sepsis is mentioned, if it happens again, I’ll see a health professional.
Service Of Dedication For The Faculty Of Medicine And Dentistry At Queen Mary University Of London
I was invited to the Service of Dedication for the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at Queen Mary University of London, which was held on the 16th of October in the Church of Great St. Bartholomew in Smithfield.
These are the pictures I took.
Note.
What Caused The Amazon Web Services Failure?
This article on Reuters is entitled Amazon’s AWS Struggles To Recover After Major Outage Disrupts Apps, Services Worldwide, sums up today’s big news story.
But what went wrong?
I asked Google AI, where BT have their data servers and received this reply.
BT hosts its data servers in various locations across the UK, including London, Birmingham, and Dublin, Ireland, as well as in mainland Europe such as Frankfurt, Germany, and Amsterdam and Nieuwegein, Netherlands. They also have a presence in the United States, with facilities in locations like New Jersey.
Note.
- Nieuwegein is South of Amsterdam.
- There’s almost a direct straight-line route between Dublin and Frantfurt.
- Cambridge would lie on that straight-line route.
- BT’s Research at Martlesham in Suffolk would lie on that straight-line route.
- Is BT’s worldwide network closely monitored from BT Research?
- For more about BT Research read their Wikipedia entry.
- The straight-line route by-passes London.
The network seems comprehensive and well spread-out.
These are my thoughts.
The Value Of Research
I asked Google AI, if there were any spin-out companies from BT Martlesham and received this reply.
Yes, spin-out companies have been formed from BT’s Adastral Park research facility, including Real Time Content (RTC) and iome. Both companies were supported by BT and developed technologies based on research from the Martlesham site, with RTC focusing on personalized video services and iome providing location-based services through mobile internet.
I used to live near to BT’s Research Centre until 1990.
At the time, I was writing Artemis, the project management system and the multi-user version of that software and a BT research computer system used the same Hewlett-Packard hardware and an operating system written by BT at Martlesham.
Because of this connection, I learned a lot about their methods and the breadth of the research being carried out in Suffolk and was generally impressed.
I would suspect that legacy telecom companies like BT, France Telecom and Deutsche Telecom spend a lot of money on research. Do newer companies spend similar amounts?
Having a good research department behind you is an excellent form of insurance!
Will BT Research Have A Reliable 24/7 Power Supply?
Consider.
- By 2030, there will be upwards of 4 GW of offshore wind power along the Suffolk coast.
- Sizewell B will be 22 miles away, pumping out 1.2 GW until at least 2035.
- Sizewell C could be pumping out 3.3 GW from the mid-2030s.
- The 1.8 GW LionLink between Walberswick in Suffolk and The Netherlands could be in operation by 2030.
I am fairly sure that BT Research will have enough power, even if several data centres are built on the Martlesham site.
The Domain Name Res0lution Problem
Consider.
- The root causeof Amazon’s disaster appeared to be problems with its domain name resolution system.
- Executing fast lookup of domain names is critical.
I had a similar problem with the project management system ; Artemis, when I extended it to be one of the first relational databases in the 1980s. So I went to IBM’s library on the South Bank and dug out all their 1950s papers on looking up keys in tables.
In those days, with slower computers, which had smaller amounts of memory, the efficiency of the algorithm was very important and I got a significant improvement in look-up speed, by digging up ideas from the past.
If anybody wants to check out their algorithm with me, I’m always happy to oblige, but at 78 with poor eye-sight I’m probably past coding anything myself.
When I was dealing with BT Research, they would have made sure that something like domain name resolution was given the full research treatment.
My Conclusion
As I don’t have all the data, I will not speculate, but will await Amazon’s conclusion with interest.
NSTA Gives 1.1bn Barrel Boost To North Sea Oil Reserve Estimates
The title of this post, is the same as that of an article on Energy Voice.
As I don’t have access to Energy Voice articles, I asked Google AI what it can tell me of North Sea oil and gas reserves boost and received this answer.
North Sea oil and gas reserves have increased by 1.1 billion barrels, driven by new licensing rounds, with the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) reporting a 31% rise in potential resources. This boost could significantly impact the UK’s energy security and economy by potentially allowing the UK to meet half its oil and gas needs and support jobs. However, this development occurs alongside political debate over new drilling licenses and the UK’s Net Zero targets.
These are my thoughts.
Am I Using AI To Get Round The Paywall?
Some may argue that I am, but then as my tame and pleasureable lawyer has passed on, I shall leave this question to Google’s lawyers.
Although in the 1970s, I will admit to spending hours in libraries finding data and algorithms for the solution of these problems.
- The understanding of the dynamics of the sulphonation reaction, which may have led to a valuable patent.
- The linking between datasets, which may have led to the first relational database.
My searches these days, would be a lot easier with artificial intelligence.
A 31% Rise Is Very Worthwhile
This article in the Telegraph also looks at the NSTA report and these are three paragraphs.
Martin Copeland, the chief financial officer at Serica Energy, a North Sea oil and gas producer, said: “This NSTA report shows that there at least 11 billion barrels of oil and gas which could still be developed in the North Sea.
“This almost meets the amount that the Climate Change Committee says we will need before the net zero target year of 2050 of 13 billion to 15 billion barrels.
“So with the right policy changes and tax regime, the UK could effectively be self-sufficient on the oil and gas it will need and would otherwise have to import.”
The rise must surely be very worthwhile for the UK.
New Chiltern Railways Trains Set To Unlock 10,000 More Seats A Day
The title of this post is the same as that of this press release from Chiltern Railways.
This picture from Chiltern Railways shows the train at Marylebone.
These three paragraphs are from the press release and add more details.
Chiltern Railways today (Tuesday 14 October) showcased for the first time its newest (Mark 5A) trains, set to add 10,000 more seats for customers each weekday from December 2026.
The trains, to be introduced between London to West Midlands from early 2026, will enable Chiltern to deliver more capacity across each of its West Midlands, Aylesbury, and Oxford routes as part of the operator’s efforts to deliver better journeys for customers.
The newest fleet will consist of 13 modern trains set to transform customer journeys during 2026. The trains will replace Chiltern’s oldest carriages, which are nearly 50 years old, with state-of-the-art equivalents, and provide a significant improvement to the on-board experience.
Today, I also received an update from Modern Railways, which was entitled Chiltern Railways Mk 5As To Enter Traffic Early Next Year, and included this delivery schedule.
From December 2026 there will be ten Mk 5A sets in traffic each day, with one ‘hot spare’ and one undergoing maintenance. That leaves one extra set which, CR has suggested, could eventually be pressed into traffic.
I have a few thoughts.
How Do The Trains Compare Physically?
These are basic figures for the two different types of train sets.
- The current Mark 3 are five-car sets of 23 metres coaches, that weigh about 36 tonnes. The driving van trailer is 18.83 metres and 43.7 tonnes
- The future Mark 5A are four-car sets of 22.2 metres coaches, that weigh about 43 tonnes. The driving trailer is 22.37 metres and 43 tonnes.
Lengths and weights of various sets will be as follows.
- Mark 3 – five-car and driving van trailer – 133.83 metres and 223.7 tonnes.
- Mark 5A – four-car and driving trailer – 111.17 metres and 215 tonnes
- Mark 5A – five-car and driving trailer – 155.57 metres and 258 tonnes
Note.
- Chiltern Railways and TransPennine Express use the same Class 68 locomotives.
- The five-car Mark 3 and the four-car Mark 5A sets are quite similar in length and weight
- This could mean that both sets would perform similarly with the same locomotives on the same route.
- I wouldn’t be surprised that the new Platform 4 at Birmingham |Snow Hill station will be able to handle all configurations.
I almost feel that when CAF designed the Mark 5A sets for TransPennine Express, they also had Chiltern in mind as another possible sale.
How Many Trains Would Be Needed To Run Between London Marylebone And Birmingham?
Consider.
- Trains currently run half-hourly on the route between 06:00 to 23:30, which is up to 36 services per day.
- When Platform 4 is operational at Birmingham Snow Hill station, all services could probably stop at both Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill stations.
- A round trip between London Marylebone and Birmingham Snow Hill stations currently takes about five hours.
I’m fairly certain that to run a half-hourly core service would need ten trains.
Could Chiltern Develop Another Network On The Other Side Of Birmingham?
Consider.
- Trains could run twice an hour from 06:00 to 23:30, which is up to 36 services per day.
- When Platform 4 is operational at Birmingham Snow Hill station, all services could probably stop at both Birmingham Moor Street and Birmingham Snow Hill stations.
- Chiltern Railways already run several services a day to Stourbridge Junction.
- Chiltern Railways have run services to Kidderminster station in the past.
- Wrexham & Shropshire used to run locomotive-hauled Mark 3 four-car sets with driving van trailers, as far as Wrexham via Shrewsbury.
It looks to me, that with the right rolling stock configurations, Chiltern’s network can be developed on the other side of Birmingham.
- Destinations could include Stourbridge Junction, Kidderminster, Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton, Chirk, Ruabon and Wrexham General.
- Some services would need longer trains.
Obviously services would only be run if they were viable.
Would It Help Growth In A Town Or Area, If It Had A Rail Connection To London And/Or The Nearest Major City?
I know Lincoln is on the other side of the country, but I asked Google AI if Lincoln’s rail link to London has brought growth to the city and received this answer.
Yes, Lincoln’s rail link to London has brought significant growth by improving tourism, business travel, and student mobility, and is expected to spur further economic benefits through faster journey times and increased services. The direct link has made Lincoln more accessible for visitors and is a key part of the city’s long-term strategy for economic growth and development.
That was fairly definite.
How would that apply to an extended Chiltern Main Line.
- Politicians are always saying growth is important.
- An extended Chiltern Main Line servicewould improve connections of a lot of places to London and Birmingham.
- Shrewsbury is the easiest connection for West Wales.
- Surely a rail connection to a major city, might tempt someone to open a branch or a new factory.
Would a rail service make people feel more included?
Does Injecting Disinfectant Cure Covid?
I wrote this post to test one of Trump’s most famous pieces of advice.
I asked the question of Google AI and received this answer.
No, injecting disinfectant does not cure COVID-19 and is extremely dangerous, potentially lethal. The idea is a harmful myth that was widely debunked by medical and scientific experts during the pandemic.
The language is fairly clear too.
Does Dropping Barometric Pressure Make Your Nose Run?
I’m asking this question as my nose is running and the pressure is dropping for tomorrow’s rain.
Google AI told me this.
Yes, a drop in barometric pressure can make your nose run, as it can cause sensitive nerve endings in your nasal passages to react, leading to swelling of the blood vessels. This can result in congestion, a runny nose, and post-nasal drip.
How it happens: When the atmospheric pressure changes, the pressure in your sinuses no longer matches the pressure outside your body. This difference can trigger a reaction in the nasal passages.
Nasal response: The nasal tissues may swell and sinus drainage ducts can become blocked in an attempt to equalize the pressure. This irritation can lead to symptoms like a runny or stuffy nose.
Other factors: This reaction is often more pronounced when barometric pressure changes are sudden or combined with other weather changes, such as rapid shifts in temperature or humidity.
My left eye is also painful.
I also should note, that a very experiences eye surgeon once told me, that I had the driest eyes he’d ever seen.
Stopping The Irresponsible Parking Of Hire Bikes
This sort of parking of bicycles is becoming a real curse in London.
I have problems outside my house and this morning a hire bike was blocking my entrance for my Ocado delivery.
I believe that as each hire of a bike is known in detail by the hire companies, so they can charge riders, illegal parking of these bikes could be easily enforced.
We would need a law that could be enforced.
Each bike would need to have a clearly-marked serial number and/or QR-Code.
If you see a bike illegally parked, anybody can take a photograph and note the bike’s serial number, which they can then send to a central office by text message, e-mail or even an app.
The central office would then assess if any offence had been committed and if it had, would inform the hire company.
The hire company would charge the hirer, if an offence had been committed and charge them a fee.
The fee could even be split three ways to the hire company, the local authority and the person, who reported the offence.
Iberdrola Looking To Sell 49 Pct Stake In UK Offshore Wind Farm – Report
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on offshoreWIND.biz.
This is the sub-heading.
Iberdrola has begun exploring the sale of 49 per cent of its East Anglia Two offshore wind farm project in the UK, according to a report by the Spanish media outlet Cinco Días citing unnamed sources.
These four paragraphs give more details.
The renewable energy developer has already engaged Bank of America and BBVA as financial advisors to assist with the potential transaction, Cinco Días writes.
Iberdrola’s interest in selling a nearly half stake in East Anglia Two mirrors previous deals in the East Anglia portfolio, where the company has brought in financial partners in two other phases, East Anglia One and East Anglia Three.
The 714 MW East Anglia One offshore wind farm is owned by Iberdrola’s UK arm ScottishPower Renewables and Macquarie’s Green Investment Group (GIG), with Octopus Energy having acquired a 10 per cent stake from GIG this April. East Agnlia One has been in operation since 2021.
In July this year, Iberdrola and UAE clean energy company Masdar announced what the companies said was the largest offshore wind transaction of the decade as they signed an agreement to co-invest in the 1.4 GW East Anglia Three project, currently under construction.
But then being bought and sold is the way of life for an offshore wind farm.
In 2018, I wrote World’s Largest Wind Farm Attracts Huge Backing From Insurance Giant, which contains this extract from the Times says this about the funding of wind farms.
Wind farms throw off “long-term boring, stable cashflows”, Mr. Murphy said, which was perfect to match Aviva policyholders and annuitants, the ultimate backers of the project. Aviva has bought fixed-rate and inflation-linked bonds, issued by the project. While the coupon paid on the 15-year bonds, has not been disclosed, similar risk projects typically pay an interest rate of about 3 per cent pm their bonds. Projects typically are structured at about 30 per cent equity and 70 per cent debt.
Darryl Murphy is Aviva’s head of infrastructure debt. The article also says, that Aviva will have a billion pounds invested in wind farms by the end of the year.
I wonder how long it will be before individual investors can fund their pensions, with a direct investment in a wind farm?
- The wind farm would surely be a better investment if it had an integrated battery to supply power, when the wind didn’t blow.
- It would probably also be a safer investment, if it had been generating electricity for some years.
After all, at the present time, you can invest in batteries through companies like Gresham House and Gore Street.
The Anonymous Widower 