Wednesday 21 January 2009

Ringgo result!

I'm happy to report that Ringgo got my PCN cancelled! :)

Tuesday 20 January 2009

Knee progress

I went to see a new surgeon today at the Wimbledon Clinic.

The surgeon I saw was very good and agreed my case was a very difficult one. He has referred me to a consultant physiotherapist who specialises in kneecap overload. I will apparently be getting a 1h session in a couple of weeks, through which I will be given a pretty intensive physio programme that I will have to follow.

He does think that that should help the pain in my knee and return strength to my left leg.

I also had a follow up for the orthotic inserts and had my foot force measured again, and they do appear to be helping my dodgy gait.

So, I have high hopes for the new physio regime. Positive mental attitude!

Ringgo my arse!



Originally uploaded by salimfadhley
Like I said I love technology but it hates me.

I've been using Ringgo for a few months to pay for parking by SMS. Usually I use it when I am travelling for work to London by train. There is a code displayed on the platform which lets you get the parking for a bit cheaper so genuine commuters benefit.

Occasionally when I am out and about I will use the service to pay for my own parking (the charge goes to my personal credit card).

Today I used it when I went to visit Robbie in Chiswick. When I went back to the car there was an attendant giving me a ticket. "But I've used Ringgo", I protested in vain.

Turns out I entered my reg. number wrong. Clever. I was able to show him the payment confirmation on my phone but he had already written the ticket so I have to appeal. I am assuming I will win the appeal, as I did actually pay for the parking.

I should have just paid for a normal ticket. I'm not sure why I didn't. You have to pay extra for the "privilege" of using Ringgo.

My fault, but once again I am getting bitten in the arse by my eagerness to adopt technology. Maybe it's a sign?

LoveHate Technology


I love technology but technology seems to want to kick my arse whenever I get near it.

Take my relationship with TomTom: almost everytime I try to rely on it, it let's me down. I spend ages with back and forth emails to TomTom support trying to get the damn thing to work. Eventually I gave up and told them I wanted to send it back for repair. I'd only used it about 2 dozen times in its lifetime.

TomTom received my SatNav (in Glenrothes!) but then I heard nothing from them again. I asked them the other day what was going on and they replied that they had meant to tell me they were going to charge me for an out-of-warranty repair, but seeing as they had forgotten to they would do it for free. Nice one! Actually, they sent me a brand new unit!. Result! Shame I don't actually have a bike anymore, but I have bought the car adaptor kit for it.

I test it on the way home from work and it is fine. Then when I plug it in to the computer and it says it needs to do an update. Okey-dokey I let it update away, thinking taht with a clean new unit everything will be ok.

Then this morning I have to drive from Oxford to Wimbledon for an appointment about my knee. I decide that this time I can rely on TomTom to guide me there. Except now the damn thing won't turn the GPS on! I drive all the way down the M40 with it unable to find any satellites ("Poor GPS signal. Are you indoors?" No, I'm flippin' not!). Eventually on the M4 I pull into the services, where lovely Anita from WH Smith gives me her name badge to reset the TomTom (from now on I will always carry a paperclip in the car!). After two goes I give up and walk back to the car - lo and behold it gets a lock!

Thankfully it now manages to guide me to the clinic with only 15min to spare.

Then I use it again afterwards and it manages to guide me to Chiswick where I meet Robbie for lunch. Then, when I try to use it to get out of London, it fails again. Cue phone call to Robbie asking if I can pop in to his school to nick a paperclip. I will forever be grateful to the acting urchins on Chiswick for donating a paperclip to me.

Without TomTom I would not have found the clinic, nor Robbie's school. I am now going to have to get back on to TomTom support to report this latest problem, and I am sure they will have me plugging the damn thing in to the computer to roll-back the upgrade. Fantastic!

TomToms should come with a paperclip as standard.

Sunday 18 January 2009

BBC Complaint

I've just sent in this complant to the BBC. I'll post up any reply I get:

There is often a perception that the BBC is too London and England centric, and ignores Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A typical complainant might say that Andy Murray is referred to as British when he wins and Scottish when he loses. I think this type of accusation is generally unfair.

However, there is one area where the BBC shows a lack of understanding and disrespect for the people of Scotland. That is in its coverage of the Scottish Premier League football.

I have got used to the fact that you will only ever seen footage of Rangers and/or Celtic on BBC news programmes. I can just about justify that with these two teams having the largest support in Scotland.

Although the SPL is in general treated like a sideshow, what does particularly annoy me is when you treat the rest of the SPL as if it does not exist.

For example today on Radio 1, I twice heard the newsreader mention that Celtic was playing Aberdeen. Not once did they mention that Motherwell were also playing Dundee United.

To be that shows a complete disrespect to Scotland and Scottish football (granted the quality isn't great!) - the assuption that there are only two teams in Scotland is both insulting and patronising.

I suggest that if you are ever going to mention a Celtic/Rangers game in the SPL, you have the courtesy to mention the rest of the teams playing.