I received a happy news from the repair service of manufacturer informing that they succeeded in restoring my old vacuum tube amplifier. A man in charge of repair told me that as spare tubes which I kept were in good condition, he changed every tube to new fresh one except one which I had no spare. He asked me whether to buy a new tube replacing this old one at Akihabra. I agreed with him instantly. He explained that he could select four power tubes of equal performance from a few of Toshiba 6GB8s (for Hi-Fi) which I had. They are the most important units of this amplifier. He will repeat tests a few days. When he find that it works steady, he will back it to me.
Meanwhile Japan failed to shoot up a H2 rocket this afternoon, which is an incarnation of hi-technology. Although I have many things to comment, I keep in silence today thinking the resentments of engineers who engaged in the project.
My grand son in London sent me a following mail:
ENGLAND 15/11/99
Yesterday (14/11/99), as I was reading the Sunday Times newspaper,
I came across a supplement which guided parents on how to choose
the best education for your children and included the list of
top 500 independent schools in the UK. According to the guide,
a greater number of children attend independent schools than ever
before. They are called independent
schools because they operate outside local or central government
control. The so called 'public schools' such as Eaton, Westminster,
Harrow and St. Paul's are included amongst independent schools.
The fees at these schools can range from 1000 pounds to 5000 pounds
per school term.
The schools are ranked by the year's A-level
and GCSE results. A-levels and GCSEs are national exams undertaken
at the age of 18 and 15/16 respectively. However, the number of
A-levels or GCSEs sat by the pupils vary according to each school
and the individual's ability. On average, pupils take 3 A-levels
in any subject they wish to study. Specialization of school subjects
begin early in the UK.
Here is the list of the top 10 independent schools
in the UK in 1999:
1. North London Collegiate School, Edgeware.
2. St. Paul's Girls School, London.
3. Wycombe Abbey School, High Wycombe.
4. Withington Girls' School, Manchester.
5. St. Paul's School, London.(boys)
6. King Edward VI High School for Girls, Birmingham.
7. Westminster School, London.(boys)
8. Winchester College, Winchester.(boys)
9. Perse School for Girls, Cambridge.
10. Old Palace of John Whitgift, Croydon.
Although this trend has been growing in recent
years, the surprising result was that, of the 10 best schools,
7 of them were all girls schools. The top 4
positions were held by all girls school. The top all boys school
was St. Paul's School in 5th place. Clearly, the girls have started
to outstrip the boys
in terms of exam results. The reason for the outcome is unclear
but it is obvious that the boys need to work harder and catch
the girls up or they will fall behind.