The Retirement Thread

[ColinJ]

Gas boiler/plumber guy came yesterday. He reckons that my combi-boiler fault is probably an iffy rubbery/plastic pipe routing water from the condenser. (I didn't mention to him that I took the front off the boiler myself back in the spring when the fault developed. I wanted to see if I could spot anything, and suspected the same pipe... Don't worry - I wasn't about to mess about doing illegal repairs!) That will be a pretty cheap thing to replace. If it turns out that the problem has NOT been fixed, then we can move on from there.

He will also be fitting a pressure relief valve on the water supply to the house because the pressure from the main is currently stupidly high. If I tried to rinse a mug and turned the tap on too quickly it would knock the mug out of my hand and spray water all over the kitchen! It causes terrible water hammer in the property every time the washing machine cuts the water flow, or after the toilet cistern refills.

His 3rd job is to replace the valve in the radiator in the attic bedroom. It causes horrendous hammer in the heating system when it tries to cut the flow into the radiator. Doctor Google suggested the problem was that somebody had fitted a unidirectional valve the wrong way round and it should be replaced with a bidirectional one. Gas guy said... "somebody fitted a unidirectional valve the wrong way round and it should be replaced with a bidirectional one", which sounds about right!

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

Catching up with the thoughts of Nicola just now, they seem reasonable enough. Pity about the new level 3 areas but when you see the graphs it doesn’t look like she had any choice.
For us the main effect of being in a level 3 Local Authority is that we’re not allowed out of it. That wouldn’t be a problem if we were in the middle of a big rural LA but our LA is City of Edinburgh so it gives us a very limited scope for going for country walks for example. Fortunately for cycling from the house you can go where you like so long as you don’t stop in a neighbouring LA.

 

[Tenkaykev]

My wife and I , we have decided not to have it when we are offered it ( both over 70 now.) We would rather wait until it has been tested fully as we think all those people will be used as guinea pigs for now.

Our Patient support group meet three times a year ( virtually since Covid)
We usually have a guest speaker and coincidentally last year we had an expert give a talk on Clinical Trials, how they work, procedures, ethics etc.
I found it really interesting, the various stages / control groups / ethics etc were explained.
The Covid vaccine trial is double blinded so the people administering and the patients have no idea if they are getting placebo or vaccine.
Once the trial has run its course they " unblind" the results and see if the incidence is lower in the vaccine group than the control group. They use statistical analysis to work out how effective ( or not) the treatment is.
When they do trials with interim analysis they will stop the trial if the effectiveness of the treatment is found to be above a certain threshold, as continuing with the placebo group would be unethical.
They will also stop if there are indications of adverse side effects.

That's the general gist of what I remember from the talk, if the Pfizer vaccine was 90% effective that is outstanding and the trial would be immediately halted.
As ever, don't listen to the twitterati or some random "expert" on Farcebook or the Red tops, do a bit of reading of the NHS or similar trustworthy sources.

 

[ColinJ]

That's the general gist of what I remember from the talk, if the Pfizer vaccine was 90% effective that is outstanding and the trial would be immediately halted.

So far, 94 participants have caught coronavirus, of whom 90% had been given placebo. The trial will continue until there have been 164 cases.

That fits in with what you suggest, except that they will continue just a bit longer.

I did wonder why they have that 'magic number' in mind. They obviously need a big enough number to be statistically valid, but don't want to carry on indefinitely.

 

[Tenkaykev]

So far, 94 participants have caught coronavirus, of whom 90% were given placebo. The trial will continue until there have been 164 cases.

That fits in with what you suggest, except that they will continue just a bit longer.

I did wonder why they have that 'magic number' in mind. They obviously need a big enough number to be statistically valid, but don't want to carry on indefinitely.

Yes that makes sense, I know there's a lot of statistical analysis involved. There's a wonderful podcast "more or less" which digs into the numbers and statistics behind various announcements and news items etc.
It's always an eye opener to see how the data can be "selectively presented" to give a misleading interpretation of the facts.

 

[PaulSB]

It's not so much about protecting the individual, more about protecting the population as a whole.

I agree but do see also see it as both. Think it can put one in a bit of a quandary. By the time I qualify I'll have been following all the precautions for +/- 15 months, at least. I only have a question about the 10% because I'd hate to find I'd wasted those 15 months by dropping my guard because I've been vaccinated.

I will take it if offered.

I'm not a pessimist 😄

 

[gavroche]

I agree but do see also see it as both. Think it can put one in a bit of a quandary. By the time I qualify I'll have been following all the precautions for +/- 15 months, at least. I only have a question about the 10% because I'd hate to find I'd wasted those 15 months by dropping my guard because I've been vaccinated.

I will take it if offered.

I'm not a pessimist 😄

It has nothing to do with being a pessimist but all to do with being a realist. I am an optimist by nature but don't trust governments in times of crisis. No government will be truthful in real hardships and will always distort statistics in order not to panic the public so I will wait a bit until we know for sure how effective the vaccine really is and I hope I won't have to wait too long.

 

[oldwheels]

Good day people. Pretty decent weather here, mild and mainly sunny. I've been for a 47 miler which punctures apart was good. For some reason my pump has begun to double up as a valve extractor - unscrew it and the valve comes out. Weird and needs investigation. Fortunately I carry CO2 as well.

Tested my Stanley Travel mug - still drinkable after 3¾ hours.

Now it's grass cutting, ironing and housework!

That will be a presta valve I assume. I had one tube which did that but tightened it up a bit and seemed to work or is the stem bent and catching perhaps.

 

[rustybolts]

Up early to get to the coop before 9 o’clock with usual unhelpful chat with manager. They refuse to stock oatmeal and I suggested reinstating the shelf in front of the tills to make loading shopping bags easier. Couldn’t care less.
Next stop pharmacy who for first time in months opened promptly at 9 o’clock.
Dreich kind of day with a strong damp wind but decided to go out on trike anyway. Actually rather nice and virtually no traffic. One cycling couple who look like tourists and 2 tourist or recent refugee cars. They drive slowly and cautiously while local vehicles are courteous to me they are boot to the floor mostly.
A pair of swans have appeared probably for the winter and a few buzzards came to check me out as well as a kestrel hovering just beside the road.
The picture gives an idea of conditions. View attachment 557459

as soon as I saw your impressive photograph I hear the Beatles "Long and Winding Road " playing in my head ( a lot of funny things rattle around in my head ) , can almost hear the freewheel clicking

 

[Mo1959]

Time for The Yorkshire Vet

 

[classic33]

Time for The Yorkshire Vet

A bit of a way to travel, or is there summat you're keeping quiet about?

 

[dickyknees]

For some reason my pump has begun to double up as a valve extractor - unscrew it and the valve comes out. Weird and needs investigation.

I have a pump like that. I solved it by buying one of these.
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/stans-no-tubes-core-remover
Also I now try and make sure any new tubes I buy have one piece Presta valves.

 

[screenman]

I went out on the bike for an hour today, it was brilliant.

 

[classic33]

I went out on the bike for an hour today, it was brilliant.

Picture(s) or it never happened!

 

[classic33]

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