Snotty nosed drivers

I just had to post this one because I don't think I have heard anything more ridiculous since the concoction of mistruths lies and betrayal levied towards me and mine by those who sought to wreak havoc with our lives. Something which gladly, or sadly depending on who's side you are on did not happen. In fact we are alive and doing extremely well with more work than we know what to do with. This suits us both because it is the way that it has already been with us. We thrive on work and it is so nice to find like minded people in our sector who respect and appreciate us and are more than happy to syphon a shed load of it our way.

Any way the story.

Well here is some guy (Michael Mancini) who gets caught in a traffic jam. You know what it's like in those cases. Sometimes it gets so boring you begin to wonder what to do with yourself. Should you find something on a different radio station, put a cd in? Maybe get a butty out of the box? In Michael's case he decided to blow his nose, and what did he get for his troubles. Yes you have guessed 3 points and a £60 fine. Now before you get to thinking that he was free wheeling down a hill balancing the steering wheel between his knees whilst honking into his hanky you would be mistaken. Oh no! his vehicle was stationary with the handbrake on. However according to Strathclyde police this meant that he was out of control of his vehicle.



Michael himself thought the whole thing was a wind up at first. But when he told them he was not going to pay the fine he was told pay up or go to court. According to Mr Mancini he is willing to take it all the way, and good for him I say. Have you ever heard anything more ridiculous in your life. I hope it gets to court and gets laughed out of court. I hope the police officers (who clearly do not have enough to do and are worried about hitting their targets) are made the laughing stock of the force. I hope that common sense prevails and this gets squashed. Hope, but with my fingers crossed because this is just one more example of the rampant stupidity and bullying suffered by the decent citizens of this country.



It seems to me some stern words need to be said in Strathclyde cop shop along with timely reminders that if some coppers need a nanny running after them wiping their snotty noses perhaps they would be better suited to working in the world of the primary school teacher, they could make lots of playground friends and influence people with the threat 'I'm gonna tell on you...... GROW UP! GET A LIFE!

The fugitive - Episode three - not quite the end

In an a posting on THES Dr Howard Fredrics explained that a further reason for his exiting the country prior to his court hearing to answer charges of harassment were threats to the life of himself and his wife Lori by an individual who made anti Semitic remarks.

On January 6th 2010 the case heard at the Employment Tribunal was thrown out. The reasons are not widely known although it is highly likely that the case was thrown out on the grounds that it was brought vexatiously in the light of the harassment judgement pass down by Magistrate Judith Jewell.

Postings on THES indicate that there are opinions that Judith Jewell should have declared a conflict of interests and not sat in judgement of this case because of being of the board of governors of Roehampton uni which is partnered with Kingston Uni.

In any case this is one of them most bizarre stories at the opening of a new decade. That an academic, having travelled half way around the world to work in our of our Universities could wind up with a grievance for goodness know what placed against him (for not joining in with mobbing if you read the website www.sirpeterscott.com), is eventually dismissed from his job and then prosecuted for harassment on the strength of a website that brought to the attention of the public and the authorities goings on in Kingston University which surely demand further investigation.



A mans life and that of his family have been ruined purely because some people in academia don’t know how to laugh at themselves. Education has become big business and now the educators have armed themselves with some of the biggest guns in the legal profession and are levying law suits that would make the tobacco industry blush.



The whereabouts of Howard Fredrics are unknown, but I for one wish him all the very best for the future. I would like to think that this case would come so much to the public attention that there is national outcry and that HF is vindicated. However the malaise of apathy that is sweeping this country is unlikely to see this happen. Especially in the current climate where honest educators with integrity are being replaced by hoards of little yes men and women who don’t even know what the words mean and are prepared to tick any box warranted or not all in the name of paying the mortgage.