Few people would argue when I say many university academics, notably in the humanities, have an inflated view of themselves. There was a time when they were treated with awe but those days are well gone. The financially driven degradation of universities as intellectual institutions into degree factories, issuing degrees and diplomas for every conceivable activity, the majority having no intellectual dimension, were covered in my comic novel “Degrees For Everyone”.

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I’ve written scathingly before about individuals and companies who make substantial charitable donations then pathetically call the media to brag about it. In doing so they plainly have a self-serving motive, be it image promotion, the pursuit of a knighthood, or such-like. They deserve nothing but derision in trying to pass off their payment as altruism.

Ignore Trump’s bravado blustering and lies to his brain-dead supporters, which may provide him comfort, but the courtroom doesn’t work that way.

Well-known Christchurch identity Reg Garters sent me the enclosed set of photos, some I’ve seen before.