Peter.
How long have you been unemployed ?
A summary of my life history follows below.
And why ? - given you have a university degree ?
As you can read below, my political outspokenness has led to me being expelled by small-minded managers of universities, and their decisions enforced by the courts.
I therefore have a record of exclusion from universities which potential employers would tend to look to references for. Therefore the traditional employment as a professional scientist has been blocked by my political outspokenness. So I have to end up doing my science research while unemployed or on the sick and self-publishing the findings of my research.
Peter Dow's LIFE HISTORY
My name is Alastair Peter Dow, known to my friends and family as "Peter".
I am, by education, a scientist. My qualifications are many which I list below chronologically, mentioning some of my other interests, such as social and political activities at the time.
Lornshill Academy, Alloa
1976
Scottish Certificate of Education
English Ordinary A
Geography Ordinary A
Arithmetic Ordinary A
Mathematics Ordinary A
German Ordinary A
Chemistry Ordinary A
Physics Ordinary A
Lornshill Academy Certificate of Distinction
Arithmetic
Maths
Chemistry
Physics
German
1977
Scottish Certificate of Education
English Higher C
Geography Higher B
Mathematics Higher A
Chemistry Higher A
Physics Higher A
Lornshill Academy Certificate of Distinction
First in Mathematics
First in Physics
Outstanding effort in Music
1978
Certificate of Sixth Year Studies
Mathematics II A
Mathematics III A
Chemistry B
Physics C
Lornshill Academy Certificate of Distinction
Mathematics
Chemistry
Lornshill Academy Certificate of Merit
Music
The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music
Clarinet Grade 8
Orchestras & Bands in which I played the clarinet
Lornshill Academy orchestra
Clackmannanshire country orchestra
Clackmannanshire county wind band
The National Wind Band of Scotland
Lornshill Academy Chess Team Captain
The University of Edinburgh
1979
Physics 1A Pass with 1st Class Certificate of Merit
Computer Science 1Ah Pass with 2nd Class Certificate of Merit
Computer Science 1Ch Pass with 2nd Class Certificate of Merit
Mathematics 1C Pass
1980
Physics 2A Pass
Mathematics 2X Pass
Computer Science 2A Pass
1981
Computer Science Hons 3 Pass
1982
Computer Science Hons 4 Degree of Bachelor of Science
2nd Class Honours (Division 2)
Politics
While a student at the University of Edinburgh, I once attended a protest against the Duke of Edinburgh attending the Student President's Ball. On another occasion, I proposed to a General Meeting of the Student's Association that the Duke of Edinburgh should be dismissed from his appointment as Chancellor of the University.
1983
Began postgraduate studies in Micro-electronics but failed the exams.
Elected Science Postgraduate Students Representative
1984-1986
Glasgow College of Nautical Studies
Employment as a Lecturer B in the Department of Computing and Mathematics.
I resigned my employment as a lecturer after 18 months when I found the work had become repetitive, uninspiring and not challenging enough for me and I could not be bothered attending a scheduled teacher-training course for a teaching qualification with a view to doing more of the same work for years to come.
1986-1990
Politics
Labour Party membership. Supported Tony Benn MP for leader of the party.
Served as a public order steward at a public meeting addressed by Tony Benn in Glasgow.
Marched with trade unionists and Labour Party members accompanied with Glasgow Labour Party leaders such as Donald Dewar.
1990-1991
University of Aberdeen
Initially offered a diploma in Information Technology (Medical Physics) but the initial offer was not enthusiastically accepted by myself and eventually the offer of a diploma was withdrawn following disagreements regarding their refusal to allow me any opportunity for re-examination for the Master of Science qualification I had been studying towards.
1992 - 1995
Politics
Legal action by solicitors, acting for University of Aberdeen officials, sought and were granted Sheriff Court interdicts to ban me from parts of Aberdeen University campus. The same solicitors hired a QC and from the Supreme Court in Edinburgh a court gagging order against me was sought and was granted and which was later enforced with contempt of court proceedings to stop my distribution of leaflets criticising my exclusion from the University of Aberdeen.
1997
Politics
Campaigning for "Yes I agree there should be a Scottish parliament" unofficially, even when official campaigning was suspended when Princess Diana was killed in a road crash.
Interviewed on Union Street Aberdeen by Sarah Smith for Channel 5 News.
1999
Politics
Publication of a leaflet in the following terms ...
"1999: A CHALLENGE TO THE SCOTTISH LEGAL ESTABLISHMENT
Ideally, who should tell the unelected judges to "FUCK OFF, YOU JUDGES, YOU MONSTERS" and why, when and how?
Why should the people and the political parties ditch leaders who are seen to be ultra-loyal to the legal establishment? Why do we need to say, for example:
to Donald Dewar (LAB) - a lawyer - "FUCK OFF, DONALD" to Jim Wallace (LIB DEM) - a lawyer - "FUCK OFF, JIM" to David (CON) - a lawyer - "FUCK OFF, DAVID"
McLetchie
(Oops, sorry, the judges and lawyers cannot be told to "FUCK OFF" for legal reasons. So perhaps the above should be read as "GET LOST ..." or "SACK YOU ..")
For nearly three hundred years, the legal leeches, with their rotten cruel courts, have robbed the people of Scotland of their land, their hard-worked for wealth, their freedom of expression and on past occasions, their lives.
Their rotten, robbing courts have smashed down hard on home-grown initiative and ambition, driving many decent people abroad or beating us into silent submission at home. Their rotten robbing courts have caused us to suffer national decline relative to world standards, much tragedy and many missed opportunities.
The courts have allowed us to go quietly, cap in hand, to London or to Brussels but that has not served us particularly well.
Some people have come to resent this imposition but, to date, the people of Scotland have not given priority to gaining a stranglehold around the neck of the legal establishment. It has always been the other way around; the legal establishment has always had a stranglehold on the people."
Etc.
Distributed "1999: A CHALLENGE" leaflet on the street to those attending a Labour Party public meeting and was quickly arrested by officers of Grampian Police using rigid handcuffs causing a very painful injury to my wrists and post-traumatic stress.