Small Pleasures

This may not sound like much, but it means a lot to me. Let me explain. When I was 18 years old I applied to read Geography at the University of Manchester about 10 miles from my home. At the time I had a habit of neglecting to revise for exams (a strategy that seemed to work for me - but I wouldn't advise it. I'm just astoundingly intelligent, and I usually got away with it. Just kidding). The result of this was that my predicted grades at college (based on past performance in mock exams) weren't that hot, and I was rejected.

I ended up getting my degree from Manchester Metropolitan University - popularly known as 'Mickey Mouse' University. Don't get me wrong, I got a good education there. It's just that the University of Manchester had a very good pedigree, and gaining your degree there gives you a certain amount of pride - something that the average Man Met graduate lacks. It's sort of like the difference between attending Cambridge College and attending Harvard.

Anyway, what was my point? Oh yeah. I wrote a post yesterday about the proposed FEC regulations that would outlaw US bloggers from linking to campaign websites, and suggested the alternative that they instead email their posts to bloggers in the UK so we could post them, effectively outsourcing political speech (handily, that was the title of the post). The response from the US was tepid at best. Wizbang's Jay Tea politely declined the offer, preferring instead to allow US bloggers themselves to deal with the problem. Now here's the good part. I emailed Professor Norman Geras, a lecturer in modern political thought (among other subjects) to ask his opinion. And he agreed with my ideas:

I haven't really taken a close interest in the issue,though I suppose I should have; but as far as I can see you're quite right in what you say here.

Where does he lecture?

The Department of Government, University of Manchester.

As I say, it may not sound much, and it will never turn back the clock and get me admitted to MU, but after toiling in the cold cement blocks of MMU for 4 years, dreaming of studying in MU, it feels good to have an MU professor finally say you're right. Well done.

Thanks, Norm.


While you're here, don't forget to help save my job.