Posts by Nick Condon

LOHAN fizzles forlornly in REHAB

How about fitting the igniter and then pouring in a little fireworks type powder followed by a squirt of silicone to hold all in place? That should ensure a hotter burn to fire the real fuel and if the plug is allowed to harden even a little pressurisation?

LOHAN spaceplane project starting to shape up nicely

Maximum altitude at launch.

Is it not possible to monitor the pressure in the HELIUM filled (presumably standard latex) meteorological balloon and launch on a sudden drop? As the balloon ruptures the pressure will fall by a very small amount but the balloon material will take a while to empty and collapse.

I use solid state pressure sensors in model submarines and with a trivial quantity of electronics they will reliably pick up a very small pressure change.

Such a trigger would provide an automatic abort launch in the event of early balloon failure. If all goes well would launch LOHAN at the absolutely maximum altitude.

May not be worth the risk/complexity but perhaps worth thinking about?

Nick.

Majority of NHSmail accounts are inactive

Useless

I have an account and never use it. I did briefly but the inteface is hopeless - the default is slow and web based - not intuitative at all.

Don't forget most NHS staff were born before computers were commonplace and have no intrinsic computer skills at all. Training is non existent - it is called "trickle down training" - those who can use it teach others in their well motivated and generous free time.

If there is a login problem it permanently shuts you out after three errors - you then have to know who to telephone to ask someone else to reinstate your account. (Nothing on screen as a prompt). If you don't use the account for three months it shuts you out permanently anyway.

Finally because the levels of skill of the users is so low anything that exists is forwarded to everyone who might be remotely involved so anyone who does try to use the service drowns in floods of irrelevant information.

- Needs a change in attitude of the people who run it - a software change and real investment in training on an ongoing basis.

Nick.

Seven per cent of doctors are mad: Official

NHS "Spine" services

I am a GP. No-one in their right minds would trust the Spine system to keep data secure.

There is an illusion that having information about the previous illnesses of patients is crucial. It is useful. In a handful of circumstances it is lifesaving. Mostly it just saves time and makes the job easier.

The driver for the program is to ensure that the NHS can be fragmented - same process as the railways - and micromanaged - same process as Ofstead.

The results will be dismal and we will all regret it in the future.

Nick.