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INKYTEXT 317 Part II
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Issue No 317a Thursday 4th November 1999
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Editorial correspondence should be sent to InkyText@lancaster.ac.uk
Subscription requests to Inkytext-distribution-request@lists.lancs.ac.uk
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AGENDA
Part II
New Year Closure announcement confusion
Peter Scott Gallery - Contemporary British Art
4. Readers' Letters: a rich array
5. Small Ads: Dennis the Menace Bike, Go-kart, Teak suite, Red carpet,
House, DVD player, Rowing machine, Psion wotsit, cars, houses, flats,
secondary double-glazing...
LAST NIGHT'S SECURITY ANNOUNCEMENT on the New Year Closure (Dec 31st -
Jan 1st) has caused widespread comment. It presumably was not intended
to refer to flat residents, who often have no other home, and to
overseas students and others with full year tenancies. County, which is
hosting the annual Hogmanay Party for overseas students, is puzzled by
the announcement, as are some members of the Y2K committee. There are
sufficient uninterruptable power supplies for computers if not
air-conditioning in plant rooms and the central systems, web and mail
will keep running during the holiday period. A decision on whether to
close computers down on the night itself wil be taken by the Director
of Computer Services. If power supply failure IS widespread, it is not
really helpful for us simply to export the problem.
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PETER SCOTT GALLERY - CONTEMPORARY BRITISH ART
The NatWest Collection
Don't miss this major selection of works by established living artists
old and young. On till 7th December. Rave reviews in the press.
Everyone will not like some of it, some will not like all of it, but
the exhibition is an astute and comprehensive survey of current trends.
And the glorious abstract expressionism of Albert Irvin reminds us of
how lucky we are to have a number of his prints around the university.
Patronage is now the stuff of boardrooms rather than of princes. Views
may differ on the wisdom of Saatchi and Saatchi or Natwest investing excess
profits in contemporary art. Nonetheless it keeps a market for works
more monumental in scale than the average living room could cope with.
At the official opening Peter Scott himself was present.... A
venerable liberal with a mischievous wit, former chairman of Provincial
Insurance and a living link with John Maynard Keynes. He told me that
the second volume of Oliver Westall's history of the company can't be
published till after his death for reasons of scandal, but he hopes
that American members of the family will agree to its appearance.
4. READERS' LETTERS
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CTI Music, the music wing of the Computers in Teaching Initiative
housed at Lancaster since 1989, comes to a close at the end of the
year. The jokes about millennium compliance have all been made! Whether
or not the scheme that replaces CTI, the Learning and Teaching Support
Network (LTSN), houses its Centre for the Performing Arts at Lancaster,
we shall soon be disposing of some archives of general CTI
publications.
If anyone at Lancaster would like (free) copies of any of the them
(NOTE: List appended in Small Ads) please get in touch with CTI Music
either in person (Music Department, top floor, end of corridor) or by
email (CTImusic@lancaster.ac.uk).
Lisa Whistlecroft
[NOTE: list in small ads]
--------------------------------
OK, Mike Jackson's observation that traffic on Barton Rd with four
car length separation at 35mph copes with more traffic than traffic
moving at 20mph.
Robin McIlveen's clever assertion that the safe separation is based
on a square relationship. 4 car lengths at 20mph 16 at 40mph and 64
at 80mph appears to be based on the energy dissipation requirements
for stopping a car. ie the dispersion of the vehicle Kinetic Energy,
half the Mass times Velocity squared, with the braking energy
dissipation being linear.
The highway code guidelines are based on two parts, a linear thinking
(reaction) distance and a squared term based on a rather inefficient
coefficient of retardation. However. If a line of vehicles are
travelling at a constant velocity, the retardation effects are all in
the same ballpark with the separation is determined by driver reaction
times, which is linear. Now, providing that an immovable object is not
suddenly inserted into the traffic stream, all vehicles should be able
to stop while maintaining their respective stations.
In the scenario of an ideal world, peopled only be academics, traffic
flows could be based on linear separations. The greatest benefit to the
economy would be to have vehicles travelling as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, the real world is neither inhabited totally by
quantitatively adept academics, nor by those such as Robin McIlveen
who's beings assume that the vehicle they are following will suddenly,
and immediately be capable of instant retardation. (Such as hitting the
one in front which hit the one in front etc., without the driver
noticing).
The square law does apply where speed differentials are considered.
However an 80mph differential on catching up someone who is doing 50
means that you are doing 130mph. At these speeds, an empty track becomes
full very quickly indeed and the concept of vehicle separation is
irrelevant.
Having lived for many years in Southern California, traffic does
indeed travel on urban roads at about 20 mph. The roads are straight,
universally wide, and pedestrians rare. Those who do venture onto the
pavement (roadway) do so only at intersections where there are
invariably traffic lights. These lights induce a type of slug flow to
the traffic.
On the freeways however, traffic tends to follow the minimum
separation, strict lane discipline rule. On entering the freeway my 6.5
litres were needed to accelerate from standstill to 50mph in about 100
yds and get into the one car gap which I had identified. My wife
refused to try this with her 3 litre Capri as it was allegedly
underpowered. A visit to New England earlier this year was a
revaluation, in urban environments, the cars stop if a pedestrian
approaches the kerb! (Not Boston, that's more like Manchester!)
Other societies have strict limits where traffic flows approach
saturation, but, like Teutonic Autobahns, allow exuberance in relative
isolation.
Perhaps we can have 20 and 50 limits for congested areas, but a
relaxation for the other areas would not come amiss.
How come that the road taxes were sufficient to build all the
motorways in the 60s and 70s with a smaller traffic and tax base and
now with a lot more vehicles we can no longer afford to build and
maintain them? My full size US rental car cost $5 for half a tank of
gasoline this Spring.
Now. Who is going to support my proposal that Lancashire should secede
from the UK and Euroland to become the newest State of the USA?=20
George Hayhurst.
------------------------------------
The suggestion that the recent application for a drinks licence for
the old Spar building, should be linked by students to the fiasco that
is the Nurse Led Unit, would not be beneficial for the students. While
they share certain similarities ( they are both financially driven, the
lack of consultation in each case and both symbolise the lack of a
general strategic plan for the university which considers other factors
other than purely financial concerns) the Nurse Led Unit shambles has
other far reaching implications.
The need for a premium coffee shop on campus has been highlighted by
amongst others the LUSU equal ops committee of which I am a member.
Religious and cultural differences prevent many students from using the
bars. Many students do not enjoy the traditional bar scene especially
at the weekend where it tends to be survival of the fittest. Are
students to be prohibited from making this new bar part of their bar
crawls on a Friday? Will there be special rules for this bar as regards
customer conduct? Will this new bar make any contribution to the
colleges? As a casual employee of catering I have seen some
improvements in recent months , however the only people to benefit from
this new bar will be those whose primary concern is the balance sheet
and not the welfare of students.
This leads me rather neatly to the Nurse Led Unit. It is my personal
belief and that of many on union council that good faith has been
betrayed and our goodwill abused. Some quick points to illustrate why-
1) The brochure for the NLU was printed before consultation with LUSU was
complete. This gave the entirely accurate impression that LUSUs opinion
was irrelevant.
2) The NLU will not be able to prescribe medicines. It can advise a
patient to take paracetemol but will not be able to give them a
paracetemol.LUSU was assured that the same standard of service ( at
least) would be available.
3) It has been admitted by the administration that this is purely
financially driven.Surely the role of any area of the university
administration is first and foremost the welfare of the the staff and
students.
4) If the Finance office can operate in such a way once there is nothing
to suggest they cannot do it again. What is the point then in the much
vaunted consultative process? Are students misguided or naive to
presume that any good can come of such a procedure?Are we wasting our
time being patronised and talked down to?
Is nobody in University house ready to stand up and be counted on this
issue? Is nobody going to stand up to the bullying tactics and say no?
One way of looking at it for the senior bods in uni. house: would you
be happy to see your son or daughter receive the proposed level of
health care if they went away to university? If your answer is no
please tell somebody- I am sure you will know the right direction to
aim your comments.
Rory Daly
County
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Rosemary Anderson will know full well, assuming she has actually read
the University's harassment literature, that physical contact at work
is not even mentioned, let alone discouraged. It is UNWANTED attention,
physical or not, which members of the campus community are encouraged
and empowered to reject, with the full support of the university.
Lisa Whistlecroft
------------------------------
May I put in a plea for a quiet venue for coffee/tea? George's is
quiet but the coffee is forgettable and their hours are limited.
The only place I know of at the moment where you can buy a really nice
cup of coffee is Cartmel bar and the chances of having a quiet
conversation with a friend or colleague are limited by the blasting of
the juke box. On rare occasions it is quiet in there but one can't
count on it.
I once asked one of the bar staff to turn it down so that we could
have a conversation but this turned out not to be possible because a
customer had put money in the jukebox and was therefore entitled to
hear their choice of music. It had to be at high volume so that they
could hear it from the pool room - the speakers are in the main bar, of
course. I considered offering a bribe to have the machine switched off
for the duration of my visit, but at the going rate of whatever it is
for every 3 minutes this would have made it a very expensive coffee
break.
Call me old-fashioned but I become irritable when the simplest remark
has to be repeated, shouting, 3 times, and your conversational partner
smiles and nods at inappropriate moments. I'm talking about two native
speakers of English here!
Jessica Abrahams
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Can I bring your attention to the Countryside Market that has started up
alongside the Fur & Feather Auction, every Tuesday evening from 6.30pm, at
Lancaster Farmers Auction Mart (which is on Golgotha Brow by Williamson Park,
on the way out of Lancaster towards Hornsea Pottery - as was - for those of you
who have never experienced the thrills of the Fur & Feather). There is plenty
of parking.
The intention is to help the local farmers by opening up direct access
to farm produce and local arts and crafts. It is already thriving, and,
for the next six weeks, stalls will be free to those who want to see if
there is a market for their produce.
If you would like more information you can contact LFAM on (01524)
63308, or just turn up and have a look round.
Monica Lee
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This morning I was foolish enough to arrive after 9am and to try and
park on campus. I could not find a vacant space, so was forced to
squeeze into a space already occupied by another vehicle - a tricky
manoeuvre which I have not perfected, and through which I damaged my
vehicle's paint work on a rusty pole. If this sounds extreme or
unfamiliar to you, then I guess you don't arrive by bicycle! My bike
and I would be grateful for any advice as to how to get the university
to cough up the measly sum required for proper cycle parking.
Sue Holden, sometimes of CSEC
sue.holden@talk21.com
--------------------------------
Sarah Franklin suggested you might know people who would like an
old-fashioned, high breasted bronze turkey for thanksgiving or
Christmas. I have about half a dozen left unasked for. they are
free-flying - I cant claim organic because I dont get special food, but
they dont get antibiotics etc. i even have turkeys who rear their own
chicks!
Thelma Rowell
thelma@ingleton.demon.co.uk Wed Nov 3 11:46 GMT 1999
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5. SMALL ADS
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IDEAL CHRISTMAS PRESENTS. Denis the Menace bike for 4 - 6 year old.
With stabilisers if required. Very good condition although saddle cover
a little torn. 20 pounds. Red go-kart for 3 - 6 year old. Excellent
condition. Adjustable to cope with growing child. With hand brake. 20 pounds.
Contact Terry Wareham (x 92081) or Paul Trowler (x 92879). Or
Lancaster 842803 evenings and weekends.
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LARGE RED CARPET, lightly patterned, 4.7 x 3.7 metres with extensions
into bay and round fireplace, in excellent condition, very clean,
available FREE to anyone who needs it. Would suit student house for
example. Reason for disposal: changing decor. Collect from Brook
Street, central Lancaster. Tel: 32371
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TEAK DISPLAY UNIT:5 ft. Lighted glass unit, drinks cabinet, drawers,
etc, Excellent condition, Bargain at 70 pounds. Tel:01524-421685 or
email (jan111@wildmail.com)
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PROPERTY FOR SALE: Two bedroomed detached bungalow Halton, mainly
double glazed, gas central heating, drive gardens front and rear,
single detached garage with power and light. Nice position. ?79,500 Pam
Wright 01524 811438
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FOR SALE: Concept II Rowing Machine Excellent condition, private use
by one owner, instructions and video, 550 pounds Chris Wright 01524 811438
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LARGE RED CARPET, lightly patterned, 4.7 x 3.7 metres with extensions
into bay and round fireplace, in excellent condition, very clean,
available FREE to anyone who needs it. Would suit student house for
example. Reason for disposal: changing decor. Collect from Brook
Street, central Lancaster. Tel: 32371
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FOR SALE: Panasonic A100 DVD Player. Multiregion DVD (regions
0-3)/CD/VideoCD Player. Dolby Digital output. Ideal for first time DVD
Player. 200UKP ono. (buyer pays postage if outside Lancaster / cannot
collect) Contact: K.Sherratt@lancaster.ac.uk
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WANTED: RELIABLE CLEANER for one Monday, Wednesday, or Friday morning
a week. Must not mind the odd "bomb site" situation or babies. Please
mail martje@blksheep.demon.co.uk or call 01524 39499, (or PRIVATE
Starling on LuBBs, even) with name, phone number and rates.
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CTI MUSIC DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE
TITLE Number of copies
----- ----------------
CTISS File 12 2
CTISS File 13 8
CTISS File 14 7
CTISS File 15 13
CTISS File 16 14
CTISS File 17 16
Active Learning 1 16
Active Learning 2 11
Active Learning 3 18
Active Learning 4 19
Active Learning 5 8
Active Learning 6 5
Active Learning 7 9
Active Learning 8 10
Active Learning 9 4
Annual Report 89/90 2
Annual Report 90/91 15
Annual Report 91/92 27
Annual Report 92/93 2
Annual Report 93/94 2
Annual Report 94/95 4
Annual Report 95/96 8
Mary Dixon: Uptake of IT in HE, a soc sci perspective 3
Beyond Lectures 5
Core Tools for Core Activities 4
HE in 1998 (the Lund Report) 4
IT & Dearing (colloquium report) 5
Computers and Education Vol 19 (CTI special issue) 14
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WANTED TO BUY: A TV and video and A sofa bed, or sofa that would serve
as a bed. Please email if you have either of these, to
c.holland@lancaster.ac.uk
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TRANSCRIBING TAPES Fast, efficient, confidential service. Rates
negotiable. Ring Cheryl Scott on 01524-770227 e-mail:
Andy.Scott@ukgateway.net
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FOR SALE: Pentax ME Super 35 mm SLR camera, 28 mm wide angle lens,
80-205 mm zoom lens 2 x converter, flash unit, various Cokin filters,
rigid carry case. all in excellent condition,only 150.00 pounds
Please contact Barbara Hickson on ext. 93808, email
b.hickson@lancaster.ac.uk, or ring 68234.
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Needed Immediately: Room wanted for a visiting academic, staying for
four weeks from Oct. 25th. If anyone knows anything please contact Rory
O'Connell on ext 92461 or email r.oconnell@lancaster.ac.uk
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Two academic books for sale, both in excellent condition, no
markings. Still like new. Reading Dialogics, Lynne Pearce 7.00 and
Cultural Materialism, Scott Wilson 7.00 Please contact Lora or Simon at
01524-383717.
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H Reg (1990), Red, 5 door, Ford Escort, 1.3cc, FOR SALE. Taxed and
Tested. MOT. Good reliable car. Bargain at 995.00 Contact: Rogerson's
Garage, Tel: 791214.
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Two bikes in excellent condition, 50 each, one suitable for a 5-9 year
old, the other suitable for a 6-12 year old. email
k.beale@lancaster.ac.uk or phone 37858 after 5.30 pm.
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Volkswagen polo, A reg, offers around 300, test until Dec. tax until Feb. good
condition, phone 63437 after 6.00 pm.
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Nissan Vanette, E reg, excellent condition, new engine, 12 months MOT, offers
around 500, tel. 35293 after 5.30 pm or email k.beale@lancaster.ac.uk
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PIANO FOR SALE. Broadwood. Iron frame. French polished mahogany.
1930s. Excellent condition. 1,300. Ring (015242) 41358.
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Psion Series 3a (256K) for sale at £60. Also Apple Mac connection kit
and 256K flash card for above at £15 each. Email
simon@bluecrest-consultancy.co.uk
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ACCOMMODATION OFFERED Large room to let until 31st March 2000, in
beautiful spacious flat with garden, opposite the Castle. To share with
one (or possibly two) others and a cat. No smoking indoors! All usual
facilities. Rent 70 per week all incl except telephone. Contact Jessica
Abrahams tel 92670 or 388207 email j.abrahams@lancaster.ac.uk
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SECONDARY DOUBLE GLAZING in various sizes for sale. Please contact
M.Masci@lancaster.ac.uk.
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HOUSE FOR RENT: End of terrace, Nr. Boys Grammar school/Gregson.
Tucked away in quiet cul-de-sac. Less than 10 mins walk from John
O'Gaunt/Latin Quarter (I'm reliably informed, ahem...). Two bedrooms (1
large, 1 small), lounge, kitchen, bathroom and decent sized cellar -
unfurnished. Landlord would prefer mature student(s)/PG/staff. Rent:
325pcm. Available from 1st December. Having lived there for four years,
I am well placed to answer any questions: x93807 or
mailto:adrian@comp.lancs.ac.uk
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Vauxhall Corsa 1.5 Diesel merit (turquoise), 3 door hatchback, L
reg (1993), 100k miles (but this isn't that much for a diesel!).
Excellent condition for year, well looked after (Full Vauxhall
Service History). Alarmed and Immobilised. Has optional
radio/cassette and rear wash/wipe. Very efficient and reliable
(starts even in Lancaster rain!). 1 years MOT, 6 months Tax. 2,795.
Contact Adrian on x93807, try the mobile: 0973-851473 or E-mail:
mailto:adrian@comp.lancs.ac.uk for more details.
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FORD FIESTA Popular, 'F' reg (silver). Excellent Condition, New M.O.T,
Serviced Regularly. Taxed. ?1200 o.n.o. Contact m.baldwin@lancs.ac.uk
ext 93320.
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TO LET: 3 BEDROOMED COTTAGE Large garden, part furnished, rural
location 3 miles from University, 400 pounds pcm. Contact 752045.
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Environmental Knowledge
Uncertainty, Authority and Responsibility
Centre for the Study of Environmental Change (CSEC)
An ESRC-GEC funded workshop series
Second workshop:1 pm 22nd to 2 pm 23rd November, 1999
INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE
This workshop series will address new challenges in the sphere of
'environmental knowledge', building on fresh understandings emerging from both
academic and public policy worlds. The second workshop will focus on
Indigenous Knowledge, and will combine presentations from Judy Ling Wong (Black
Environment Network), Melissa Leach (IDS), Julian Saurin (Sussex) and Jacquie
McGlade (PML) with discussion sessions. For further information and to book a
place, please contact Jane Hunt, CSEC (j.hunt@lancaster.ac.uk).
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