Academic Freedoms

The story of Hicham Yezza, who was held under terrorism charges for downloading a 'politically sensitive' document at Nottingham Uni for his PhD/magazine research continues... It is so scary...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/18/terrorism.civilliberties

How is everyone today?! It is raining raining here. As per!

I am really tired out today! I want my bed. Our hike yesterday was amazing and completely beautiful. It started in an irritating way (to be calm and understated about it), as we went to get our ticket for the car parking and realised we were 60p short between us but had notes. We went over the road - literally, over the road - to get some change, came back and bought the ticket, and there the car was - clamped. And some red-faced bug*er was taking pictures of it and writing out our ticket. We were *furious*! We had been 5 minutes to get change! He wouldn't take it off and charged us £75! In a tourist car park - easy pickings with ramblers being late off the moors and a bit too relaxed. Apparently we were told that one of us should have stayed with the car. How did he know there were two of us? What if there were only one? Also, the ticket on the car is the same time as my receipt for the (very expensive in the end?!) toffee I bought to get change - and the car parking ticket was 3 minutes later! Three minutes! He was such a vile man. We took his name and photo and are going to appeal but I won't hold my breath. Council traffic wardens have to take a picture of the vehicle and then wait five minutes for the owner to turn up (as they could be off buying a ticket?!) before issuing a fine. But these guys were total cowboys working for a private company. He had clamped numerous other cars while we were getting our change! Busy man! He even said he didn't know how long the car had been there - he just turned up and whacked the clamp on! Cheek. We were very angry when we started our hike! But then the weather closed in sympathetically and our wet, windy and dramatic walk cheered us up (!!). Finally, the sun came out and was just beautiful on all the bracken and heather. Ahhhhh. Then we moved the car from the car-park-of-hell and went for a lovely coffee and piece of cake! Perfect.

I got to play my new computer game over the weekend too!! Hehe, such a child. It is great fun. The one that I bought was broken though! It worked for all of five minutes then stuck and i realised it was unbelievably scratched. After a bit of a sulk DB took me off to blockbusters were I managed to find another one... Hurray! So we played that and I was most pleased.

My Sup emailed me yesterday as well to let me know that he hadn't been able to open my word doc as it was my new fancy word 2007! so he hasn't read it. Actually, I just realised writing that that I think that is the reason I am reluctant to work on it today, in case it is all wrong and need to start again. I may read some books today instead. I am just not feeling very 'writey'. Like I have no real knowledge or brain-energy to write. Does this sound stupid?! There are a couple of books analysing humanitarianism that I wish to re-read in the light of my thoughts for this chapter - I think I will do this for a bit today.

I also need to do my 6mile run today. I am surprisingly tired from my exertions yesterday (7 mile round hike, plus major hills (and views to match!). I will go out though.

I need some brekkers.

I can't get on the forum any more - the new site won't let me sign in. Oh well. End of an era?

x J