okayThe wheeziness has been down to the delicious air pollution that fills the UK every year between ~2nd and ~9th November. Bloody Bonfire Night. Levels of ozone, particulates, NOx and SOx can increase to more than 800% of their typical levels during the rest of the year. A typical average hourly PM10 concentration (one of the more common measurements used for particulates - basically, particles with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 micrometres) in urban areas is ~25 micrograms per metre cubed. During the first week in November, typically around 8pm on 5th November itself or the nearest Saturday, the concentration will be more like 150-200 micrograms per metre cubed - and in an extreme pollution event caused by certain metereological conditions, it can go up to almost 800 micrograms per metre cubed. People with allergic asthma start to get wheezy at levels of 50 micrograms per metre cubed - so, frankly, wheezing at the moment is not surprising. But there isn't much I can do about it until people stop setting off bloody fireworks and lighting bloody bonfires. </moan>
Got about a million lj entries to write about various things I've been meaning to comment on. Don't think I'll ever get round to some of them (e.g. my thoughts about Frank Bruno and The Sun's coverage of his illness). I still owe you not just a BiCon 2003 writeup, but one for 2002! Ah well.
