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Ok, Networkers, I am still - as I suppose you are - trying to come to grips with David Barrow's last report (see post below) on the Andrew Bolt trial. Is this real, surreal, or just a plain old April Fool's Day jollity?
Perhaps because it was thought it was going to be the last day of trial, or just spontaneously, in what could charitably be described as an act of good will, as the parties entered court this morning, Mr Andrew Bolt presented the daughter of the lead applicant Pat Eatock with 9 copies of Gibbon's “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” for her mother and the other 8 named group members. Pat’s daughter said that she thought that her mother was already well across all of that sort of history through her higher degrees, and perhaps so were the others, but if public libraries would take them then Mr Bolt could send them there for the public interest.
Now read the rest of the post.
Anyway, while it is a good story and David has done sterling service as a court reporter this week, I did have to write to him and ask him to confirm the situation. He has just emailed back:
I can assure you
it is an April Fools joke
I imagined, if that helps.
Well, one does have to find some humour in all the surreal absurdity of Bolt and his behaviour. The best thing I can say about Bolt is that he has been careless. If he is as innocent and attentive to bringing out issues of public interest/concern as he purports, then he has been careless in the manner and wording of his published writing and statements. At worst, he is everything that has been said of him in court this week - and probably some more.
Bolt On Trial certainly has many qualities of the Theatre of the Absurd. And some things are so awful that you have to laugh otherwise you would cry - or tear your hair out.
So I hope everyone appreciates your humour David and that it pricks a tension filled balloon of despair.
Hey Miss Eagle
ReplyDeleteThanks for the open thread regarding the trial.
Regarding:
Well, one does have to find some humour in all the surreal absurdity of Bolt and his behaviour.
and
Bolt On Trial certainly has many qualities of the Theatre of the Absurd.
and
So I hope everyone appreciates your humour David and that it pricks a tension filled balloon of despair.
We can all agree, thogh I daresay, for all different reasons. Even Bolt bashing Crikey puts forward the "hope that Bolt wins his case".
http://bit.ly/esVv3J
To use a topical phrase, "toughen up princeses".