David Jones, artist and poet (1895-1974) begins his PREFACE TO THE ANATHEMATA :

'I have made a heap of all that I could find.' (1) So wrote Nennius, or whoever composed the introductory matter to Historia Brittonum. He speaks of an 'inward wound' which was caused by the fear that certain things dear to him 'should be like smoke dissipated'. Further, he says, 'not trusting my own learning, which is none at all, but partly from writings and monuments of the ancient inhabitants of Britain, partly from the annals of the Romans and the chronicles of the sacred fathers, Isidore, Hieronymous, Prosper, Eusebius and from the histories of the Scots and Saxons although our enemies . . . I have lispingly put together this . . . about past transactions, that [this material] might not be trodden under foot'. (2)

(1) The actual words are coacervavi omne quod inveni, and occur in Prologue 2 to the Historia.
(2) Quoted from the translation of Prologue 1. See The Works of Gildas and Nennius, J.A.Giles, London 1841.


16 March 2021

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack : "I'm certain that we'll absolutely look at it."


We recently quoted Scott Stephens (ABC.RN) bewailing 
"...the hyperbolisation of language." He mentioned some examples that annoy him. 

Our pet hyperbolisation hate is the widespread use of 'Absolutely!' and 'Absolutely not!' when 'Yes' and 'No' would suffice. 

Are you concerned about polarisation? Absolutely! 
Are you concerned about extremism? Absolutely!
Are you concerned about the loss of the middle way?

Michael McCormack & Janine Hendry. 

ABC News: Luke Stephenson


So, yesterday, when we heard Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack's response to March4Justice co-organiser Janine Hendry's demand for him to act on the recommendations of the Sexual Harassment National Inquiry Report ... Grrrrr!!

"I'm certain that we'll absolutely look at it."
"I'm certain that we'll absolutely look at it." 
"I'm certain that we will absolutely look at it." 
"I'm certain that we'll absolutely look at it." 
"I'm certain that we'll absolutely look at it." 

Regulars to this blog will know that we 'look at' look at ... a lot.
  
That's about appreciating the visual arts. Our visual arts. The act of looking. The art of looking. It's about seeing, perceiving, conceiving the world into being. About vision and having a vision; our world view and our consequent views. Image, appearance, illusion, all examined. Being conscious, self-aware and empathetic. Having insight and regard for others.

It's not to provide some sincerity-gutted "we'll absolutely look at it" excuse for ignorance and inaction.

That bloke needs to take a good hard look at himself. 
 
- Ed.
Theatre of the Actors of Regard  
 detail
 A Person Looks At A Work Of Art/
 someone looks at something...
  
 LOGOS/HA HA