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FEAST OF ST GEORGE, SHAKESPEARE'S BIRTHDAY, WORLD BOOK DAY
Issue No 287 Friday 23 April 1999
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Editorial correspondence should be sent to InkyText@lancaster.ac.uk
Subscription requests to Inkytext-distribution-request@lists.lancaster.ac.uk
------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
THE FUNERAL OF DR FRANCESCA GIBSON
Francesca's funeral will take place in the RC chapel
of the University Chaplaincy Centre on Monday 26 April
at 9.00 a.m. All are welcome. The service will be followed
by a blessing at the Church of St Mary, Rhyl, and
interment in the town cemetery. Because of the timing of
the service the undertakers have asked that floral
tributes be sent directly to the Chaplaincy Centre.
AGENDA
Minutes, Amendments, Matters arising
1. News: Congratulations, Times Tables, UMAG, Commercial Manager, Ministerial
Visit.
2. Open Letter from Belgrade by Professor Zoran Markovic
3. Small Ads: Accommodation to let and Wanted, Cavern Club, Help with ACCESS,
Travel cot, Cello, suitcases.
4. Readers' Letters: Inclusive language, Kosovo, University crest.
MINUTES, AMENDMENTS, MATTERS ARISING
------------------------------------
Nick Daniels was a Fylde graduate.
W97M/proteced is going round campus.
Dr. Solomons v7.94 will disinfect with the Extra.drv contained in:
http://www.lancs.ac.uk/users/isstrain/a-virus/extra.htm
W97M/proteced has a trigger date of August 31st 1999 - when it will
lock infected Word files with a password. The password is: WM.MALAYSIA
1998
The solution is to ensure v7.94 with the current extra.drv is
installed.
1. NEWS
-------
BEST WISHES TO GEORGINA BROOKS (PhD Biology 1995) AND ANDREW ERRINGTON
(formerly ISS) who are to be married on 1st May in Helmsley, Yorkshire.
After the wedding they will fly out to live in San Jose, California
(where the weather has just turned nice again).
BEST WISHES TO ROBERT SAMUELS (OU, formerly Music) who was involved in
a car accident on 23 March and will not be returning to work for some
time (up to 6 months). He can receive a limited amount of personal
correspondence at home but will not be using email in the near future.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THEATRE STUDIES, listed third in the drama category
of the tables appearing in The Times this week. Also to ENGINEERING
which was listed 7th in the Times table of General Engineering
Departments on Wednesday. They came just below Warwick and above
Leicester, Exeter, Sussex and a number of other well-known places.
BEST WISHES TO BILL CHRISTIAN, Director of Conferences, who is to
retire on 31 May. Bill joined the University in 1986. During his
thirteen years he held responsibility for a number of activities,
including Catering and Residences.
LANCASTER CAME 17TH in the elaborate, but some think statistically
unsound, tables published by the Financial Times on 29th March. In
today's Times Good Universities Guide we come 14th, above Bath, KCL,
Birmingham and Durham, and just below Nottingham, York and Sheffield.
In the group of Provincial Universities we rise from 9th to 6th place.
A NEW POST OF COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR responsible for the combined
functions of Conferences and Catering, has been created following a
detailed external review of both activities. The post has been
advertised in this week's press. Interim management arrangements will
be made pending an appointment to the new post.
JACK CUNNINGHAM MP, cabinet trouble-shooter and Chancellor of the
Duchy of Lancaster, visited the university in the latter capacity on
Tuesday. He attended a meeting with senior university and civic
officials in the VC's office arranged by Lancaster MP Hilton Dawson,
then visited the engineering department, ostensibly to see what we had
done with money gifted by the Duchy (which most had forgotten we ever
received). Some further bounty is confidently expected.
AT WEDNESDAY'S UMAG the VC made a verbal report on the HEFCE Conference.
Other items were to include revised proposals on HEDEC (ongoing), an
update on progress to involve us in Medical Education, Alan Whitaker's
paper on women in management, etc.
LOUGHBOROUGH AUT is proposing to the AUT Council a motion which "notes
a diminution of democracy and concomitant increase in 'managerialism'
within some Universities."
THE VC'S CIRCULAR LETTER to individual members of staff urging them to
accept the 3.5 percent pay award has caused some comment in AUT
circles. A reply is expected.
2. OPEN LETTER FROM BELGRADE By Zoran Markovic
----------------------------------------------
[NOTE: Professor Zoran Markovic is director of the Mathematics
Institute of the Yugoslav Academy of Science. A graduate in
mathematical logic of the University of Pennsylvania he has also taught
at Berkeley. His uncle, Momchilo Markovic, a US Air Force colonel, was
a Yugoslav pilot in April 1941. He later flew for RAF in Egypt, and
then flew 50 missions over Germany for the USAF. The full text of his
letter may be consulted at http://www.mi.sanu.ac.yu/nato/mess5.htm
(Ed.)]
Dear friends,
When we were young, we thought that scientists should be the
conscience of the world. It is in the hope that at least some of this
feeling still exists, that I am writing this letter.
Belgrade is being bombed. Is this the begining of the 21st century?
Why is this being done?
I will not try to give any defense of the Serbs. [...] So let us
assume that everything you read about Serbs is true. But what makes the
situation in Kosovo so different from many other situations all over
the world? How many similar or worse stories have you seen in the last
week, month or year, well or less well reported? Have you heard
anything lately about the human rights of Kurds in Turkey. But Turkey
is not being bombed - instead it is bombing Yugoslavia, together with
its 9 NATO allies.
So, assuming everything you read about Serbs is true, ask yourself
what stupendous and unprecedented thing has Yugoslavia done to make
NATO countries:
1. violate NATO's charter
2. violate the UN charter
3. violate OESCE documents
4. violate their own Constitutions?
Or is it about Serbs and Albanians at all? Is it not maybe about the
precedent. I hope you are aware that as of March 24, 1999 NATO has
established its right to bomb whom-ever and when-ever it deems
necessary, without any regard for international law or legal systems of
its member countries (not to speak about the laws of other, non-member
countries).
[NOTE: that does indeed seem to be the gist of the Prime Minister's
speech in Washington yesterday to celebrate the 50th birthday of NATO.
(Ed.)]
Do you know which people formally made this decision? Did you vote for
any one of them, or can you vote them out of the office? Can the people
of your country have any influence on them? Think about this. Or hope
that NATO will be very prudent in the future and bomb only properly
defamed countries which resist the New World Order.
These questions are, I believe, for everyone. The New World Order has
shown its real face. How do you like it? How will you like to have your
destiny determined by people you cannot vote for (or against)? After
all, Madeleine Albright has openly stated that sovereignty of states is
a thing of the past. Did anyone notice any public consternation over
this remake of Brezhnev's Doctrine of limited sovereignty?
At the end, I would like to make a personal (selfish?) plea. The way
this conflict is developing, I am afraid it can end only with the third
(and final, this time) genocide of Serbs in this century.
On the one hand, one of the main reasons given for bombing was that
NATO had to keep its credibility. As the results of the bombing are
less than zero, it will have to keep bombing even more (remember
American generals in Vietnam:"if only politicians would allow us to use
sufficient force...").
Any reasonable person will say that Serbs have to surrender and accept
American demands. Unfortunately, there is almost no chance for this.
[...]
So what do you do with such nation? Is it ripe for the Final Solution?
Is it not a major obstacle to progres? The Ministry of Truth is on the
verge of proclaiming that only dead Serb is a good Serb (I saw some
statements which are just a step away). If you are not ready to believe
in this, please try to do something to stop this NATO massacre.
Zoran Markovic
Belgrade, March 27-28
P.S.I have been writting this during air raid warning. A few minutes
ago there were several explosions. Yesterday, Yugoslav defense downed
several NATO planes, so as a punishment for this aggressive behavior,
they decided to keep up the attacks all night, with several short
brakes. As a true Serb, I refuse to go to shelter, because I may be
killed but will not be intimidated by these people. This is not all
that brave as it may sound, since up to now they bombed only the
suburbs and I live in the center. I also want to finish this since, I
don't know if and when they may cut us off from the Internet.
3. SMALL ADS
------------
FLAT TO LET (from beginning of May). Recently renovated and furnished,
self-contained, partly furnished, flat in farmhouse close to Quernmore.
Located 3 miles from Lancaster University and Lancaster town centre
(car essential). Accommodation includes, sitting room/breakfast kitchen
(full-fitted), double bedroom/study and bathroom (with shower). Central
heating and hot water inclusive, with option of open coal fire. Rent
290 pounds/month. If interested, please contact (01524) 64910.
---------------
FOR SALE: Solid wood two door, double pine wardrobe with drawer below,
in good condition. Bought new from Lancashire Pine. Offers around
200pounds . Please contact C.Steeples@lancaster.ac.uk, or tel x94695.
--------------
HOUSE FOR SALE - The house is in a Cul-de-sac Location in a very good
area of Bolton-Le-Sands village. It comprises entrance hall,
Cloakroom/wc, Large Lounge and diner, Kitchen, Three bedrooms,
Bathroom/wc, Large Lounge and Diner, nice enclosed garden, garage, Gas
Central heating. Room for extension (subject to planning permission).
69,995 pounds. For more information, please contact:
etlfzai@taz.ericsson.se or 01487 840960 (after 4.00 PM).
-----------
ACCOMMODATION WANTED: Academic and her partner require accommodation
in Lancaster during the Lent term (and possibly even the summer term,
as well), in the year 2000. If you are off somewhere on sabbatical and
are looking for someone to rent your house or flat during the time you
are away, please contact Sara Ahmed, Institute for Women's Studies
(extention 94171, s.ahmed@lancaster.ac.uk).
---------------
"Mixed Up Mongrel" night at the C A V E R N C L U B , Liverpool (yes
as in The Beatles' famous venue) Featuring DJs from CREAM Paul Kane,
Andy Holland and fantastic campus band, "RUBY" plus local Liverpool
bands "World of my Oyster" and "The Maybes". 3 rooms, circus
entertainers, booze promotions, no dress code.
Coach tickets from Bowland Bar 1-2 daily (Coach numbers very
limited). 3 pounds for transport and 3 pounds on the door. Leaves
7.30pm from Chaplaincy Centre. Next Tuesday 27th April (Week 2).
See posters/flyers around campus (Bowland bar for sure) or contact
Marcus Duffy on x94298 or marcus@comp.lancs.ac.uk for further info.
-----------
SEEKING TWO PEOPLE to share a rented house with one other. House is
spacious and ideally located (near shops and about a mile from the
university on the main bus route from town). Telephone (5)93696 or
email c.cassidy@lancaster.ac.uk
-----------------
ITEMS FOR SALE: MOTHERCARE TRAVEL COT: large and secure when open, and
folds into a large sausage-bag, 45 pounds.
THREE-QUARTER SIZE CATHEDRAL CELLO with bow and soft case. Beautiful
tone, top quality, now outgrown. 30 pounds.
2 ENORMOUS SUITCASES. 40pounds each. J.gosling@lancaster.ac.uk or
01524 844166.
--------------
Tutorial help with Access 97 wanted. I'm moving a simple database over
from Works, and need further guidance. Fee to be discussed. Thanks
wallace.heim@virgin.net
-----------------
UNFURNISHED HOUSE TO LET: available immediately. Three-bedroom,
stone-built terrace in Glasson Dock. Quiet, off-road location in the
heart of the village. Newly decorated, carpets and curtains. Open fire
and wood-burning stove; fully-fitted kitchen, and large, tiled
bathroom. Non-smokers only. 420 pcm. Please call Guin on 01255
675653 (after = 6pm), or e-mail guin@essex.ac.uk
----------
4. READERS' LETTERS
-------------------
Unintentional international disenfranchisement? I notice in a recent
VickyText that folk were due to be attending the open day from as far
away as {somewhere far away} (sorry, can't recall) and "Europe".
Well, personally, I feel that the use of the term Europe in this
context is a commonplace misuse these days and is being used to imply
countries on the Western edge of the Eurasian land mass, including its
islands, with the exclusion of the UK, in the same way that the word
"staff", we are told, is supposed to imply academics and not support
staff.
Perhaps "mainland Europe" would have been a more appropriate term?
Have I been unintentionally disenfranchised again without knowing it?
Yours, cheek holding tongue at bay,
Kevin Buckley
Computer Centre
--------------------------
I am not at all suprised that the anonymous defender of Serbia turned
out to be an Israeli scholar. There's been quite a debate in Israel
itself (and within the government) over which way to turn on this
occasion. On the one hand, there is the strong Israeli link to the US,
which is leading the Kosovo operation. But on the other, there is a
strong current of opinion in the country (including members of the
cabinet) that recoils from anything smacking of assisting an ethnic
minority to achieve independence -- especially if that minority is
Muslim, and if it lives in a territory which has at least some basis
for this aim of independence.
Why should this be so? Simply, Kosovo is Palestine 1948 revisited (I
borrow the phrase from the 9 April editorial in *Middle East
International*). Thank goodness this parallel has been noticed at least
in a few parts of the British media. No trace of it in the latest
"Millenium Evening" at the White House, though, where Elie Wiesel, the
Clintons and an elected list of guests discussed the horrors of the
20th century which have been made possible by people 'turning the other
way'. Plenty of other Kosovos, and the much worse Holocaust, were used
as illustrations of the phenomenon. Yet the "re-establihment of the
Jewish people on their ancestral land" was listed by Wiesel as one of
the few examples of positive events on the 'credit' side of this
century.
In dealing with the tragedy of Kosovo, the issue of a return of the
refugees must be addressed as a priority, "if a monumental crime
against humanity is not to go unpunished" (as MEI puts it). This will
be extremely difficult, but we have, in the Palestine issue, the best
possible parallel -- or rather, cautionary tale.
The establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 caused the
displacement of 3/4 of a million of the local (Arab) population
(indeed, 3/4 of the total local population). There is (apart from in
Israeli mythology) no longer any serious question but that this was
largely the result of a conscious policy by the Jewish leadership of
the time. Declassified Israeli documents, as well as a number of
Israeli historians, have confirmed this. To quote the MEI article:
"...the methods used by the Israelis in 1948[/49] to dislodge the
Palestinians were the same as those adopted in recent weeks by Serbian
forces in Kosovo: threats, a massacre here and there, small-arms fire
to speed the flight of the refugees, followed by the immediate
destruction of their homes in order to prevent their return."
Images of burning villages in Kosovo? By the time Israel's current
borders were defined in 1949, 379 Arab villages had been wiped off the
map (data from Israeli sources). The UN, at the time, called for the
return of the refugees and compensation for loss of property. Israel
refused to comply, and the UN "failed to enforce its ruling and so
allowed the hardening of a manifestly unjust situation which has never
to this day been put to rights."
And to end on a final quote from this editorial: "The same thing must
not be allowed to happen in Kosovo. (...) [The refugees] must be given
the opportunity to return (...) and compensated for the damage to their
homes and property. (...) the primary task must be to enable the return
of the refugees. And this needs to be done quickly, preferably under UN
control. In 1948, because the Israelis were allowed to resist the will
of the United Nations, their practice of ethnic cleansing went
unpunished and the Palestinians were condemned to half a century of
misery and deprivation. If the Albanians of Kosovo are not to suffer
the same fate, there is no time to lose."
Gerd Nonneman
Department of Politics & IR
-----------------------------
Nice to have a bit of discussion going on Kosovo. There appear to be
basically five positions.
(1) Pure pacifism. Worthy of respect but ......
[NOTE: 'but' what? (Ed.)]
(2) Wringing one's hands saying how awful it all is but it's nothing
to do with us. This of course is the usual reaction as in Rwanda,
Timor, Kurdistan and lots of other places. Not a position to be proud
of but it would at least be consistent. (Though there's no virtue in
being consistent if you're consistently wrong.)
(3) Continuing to negotiate. No longer really possible but it might
have been before we embarked upon Option (4) below. Though maybe it was
even then no longer an appropriate position given the Serb activities
in Kosovo.
(4) Hurling bombs. Macho, showy, the crowds at home love it, but also
cowardly and pointless. Pragmatically a disaster - it made the ethnic
cleansing even worse and it strengthened Mr M's support within Serbia
in an entirely predictable way. The UN has been badly weakened. Bombing
cock-ups and cover-ups will continue. Bickering within Nato will become
public and increase. Must be a dream come true for Mr M, who has
achieved his aim of de-Albanianising Kosovo and must therefore be
declared the outright winner so far.
(5) Actually doing something about it at ground level. Nato has
hundreds of thousands of soldiers trained and equipped for just this
sort of thing. Why did we bother spending all that money on them if
they're not ever going to do what they've been trained and equipped to
do? If not now, when? They should co-ordinate with the KLA and combine
it with a bit of subversive action in Serbia to bolster up the
anti-Milosevic Serbs (perhaps someone could even assassinate him?).
It'll be messy for a long time but that is now inevitable.
As you may have guessed I prefer option (5) as the least worst. Option
(4) is undoubtedly the most worst.
Mike Wright
(A strong supporter of non-anonymity among Inkytext contributors)
[NOTE: Thank you, but I am fairly convinced that your recommended
method is the perfect recipe for apocalypse in the eastern
Mediterranean. I'll pass over the fact that advocacy of assassination
is probably illegal, and its implementation probably a war-crime,
merely to recall the unfortunate consequences of Gavrilio Princip's
attempt to apply a similar strategy in 1914. (Ed.)]
----------------------------------------
_Pace_ your recent unnamed correspondent, the late P.C. Philip Old
frequently and bitterly described his wheelchair as 'a pram' and would
certainly have taken offence at being informed that 'a wheelchair is
nothing more than a mode of movement'. This illustrates that it is
context and manner rather than a word per se which has importance.
Gerry Steele
Economics
PS I note that the Entry 2000 Undergraduate Prospectus is available in
parts on audio cassette for those 'with visual impairments'. From the
recent university pamphlet I would infer that 'with partial sight' would
have been preferable.
--------------------------
I passed on some of the Inky letters (and your recent Editorial) to my
colleague in Belgrade. He replied:
"Thank you for the enclosed letters. It is always valuable to hear
various opinions on the problem. To keep the picture balanced, you may
suggest to the Editor to examine the articles placed on our web site:
http://www.mi.sanu.ac.yu "
Bob Lewis
ISS
--------------------------------------
Please convey our sadness to Francesca's friends and family. We have
kept in close touch with one of Francesca's carers, and it seems
particularly awful that the marriage could not have been formalized,
though it was surely done in spirit long ago.
And we would like to know whether any memorial scholarship is to be
established.
Bob and Paulette Bliss.
-------------------------
I was very sorry to hear the news about Francesca. My condolences
to her close friends and family.
Andy Errington
---------------------------
As readers of that splendid now-defunct periodical Lancaster Comment
will remember, the regular meetings of the senate of "Armageddon
University" were often livened by remarks attributed to "Argent
Poursuivant Gules", now sadly no longer with us. A chance remark of his
came to mind when I read the university Press Officer's recent circular
instructing us that letterheads must use the standard logo (introduced
at some considerable cost over six years ago), rather than the
university crest as before.
As confirmed to me recently by another distinguished former
administrator, the remark in question concerned an Act of Parliament of
several centuries ago - what we seem to remember him saying is that
once a heraldic grant of Arms has been made, either to an individual or
to a corporation such as the University, then if subsequently that
individual or corporation dares to replace the crest by an unauthorised
substitute, a capital offence has thereby been comitted.
Accordingly it seems fitting to warn any readers whose stationery
sports some substitute for the university crest - if the Lord Lyon King
of Arms finds out that they are following the recent instruction, they
run this dreadful risk of mortal danger..
Hubert Pollock
-------------------------------
May I, as a senior citizen, add a further comment on the use of
inclusive language?
When a previous draft was circulated a few years ago I made some
comments and some of these were heeded. However the patronizing
attitude towards us has survived.
Let us be clear, this is a document for the University community and
the apparent concern is to avoid giving offence to fellow (is this
allowed?) members of the community. So when it comes to discussing the
old _within the University_they are presumably talking about people in
the last decade or so of their careers. This group in apparent need of
protection includes many senior members of the administration, most of
the professoriate as well as some of us in less exalted positions, but
still in reasonably full possession of most of our marbles.
Frankly, I don't think we need it. We can still learn new things and I
have seen greater rigidity of views amongst the young than amongst our
contemporaries. It may be that in another twenty years or so we shall
be in greater need of this sort of consideration, but I doubt it. In
the meantime, the attitude it reflects is unjustified and offensively
patronizing.
Stephen Breuer, senior citizen (according to my railcard)
---------------------------------