Re: AUE in Action [Was: Re: Marie rides again]

Richard Bollard kirjoitti:

> Reinhold (Rey) Aman wrote:

[...]

> >Without digging too much, I've found that he apparently earned
> >a B.A. degree in Mathematics from La Trobe University and works
> >for the Australian National University's "Australian Mathematics
> >Trust," where he is Administrative Officer and "manages entries
> >and publications, interface with schools."

> Just shows how misleading the internet is. Not Maths but Humanities
> (mainly Philosophy). The AMT is at the Uni of Canberra which is not
> the ANU.

Thank you for correcting the erroneous information. As you are in
Canberra, you're in luck: the library of the Australian Defence Force
Academy (on Northcott Drive) has _Maledicta_ vols. 1-10 (3,200 pages of goodies).

[...]

> Why would an "Adminstrative Officer" need qualifications in Math(s)?

I believe it wouldn't hurt to have a degree in Math if one worked for a
"Mathematics Trust" to understand the jargon; but I confess that I have
no idea what a "Mathematics Trust" is or does. Knowing mathematicians'
jargon probably is more helpful in your work than being able to explain
the deep thoughts of Wittgenstein and Schopenhauer; I mean, how many of
your colleagues routinely discuss Heidegger and Husserl during lunch?

> My BA was in no way vocationally inspired. I did it for the love of it
> (well that's my story - they don't pay much for Philosophers out in
> the real world.

I can sympathize. I haven't seen a job offer for Mediaevalists in the
local paper for weeks.

> I could have chosen to become an academic but I think
> I sensed the same world that put you off.)

Good man. This earns you a warm spot in my cold heart.

[...]

> >Now let's quote some anguished English from that female described
> >and defended by Mr. Bollard as "being somewhat (over?) careful in
> >her phrasing."
> >
> >- "Disasters address themselves to class, through the medium of human agency."
> >
> >This is "careful phrasing"? Oh, I see: "The medium of human agency is a
> >concise and accurate way of summarizing the various influences human
> >activities have had on the way an event pans out." (R.B.).
> >
> >Terrific! The carefully phrased "The medium of human agency" (five
> >words) has to be explicated with *14* even more carefully phrased words
> >("the various influences human activities have had on the way an event
> >pans out.")

> There was more context than you have quoted. I was testing a defence
> of Fran's expression based on the fact that it was shorter than my
> paraphrase. My point was that her wording was okay because it packed
> my wordy paraphrase into a tidy five words.

Au contraire, as Inspecteur Javert would say. Your "wordy paraphrase"
is precise, clear, and immediately understandable, whereas the five-word
condensed gibberish made not only me but also others reread it several
times trying to figure out just what the hell it's supposed to mean.

[...]

> I never claimed that her phrasing was always careful.

True, you didn't. As one who has dedicated his life to language, I see
no carefulness in her writing: her high-level-register phrasing is
ostentatious gibberish, and her low-level-register phrasing is
pathetically incompetent.

> You tend to go too often from the particular to the general.

This statement piqued my curiosity. Would you please give an example or
two? (No exact quoting is necessary.)

[...]

> No but I think you set the tone

Are most Australians commaphobes?

> Me, I'm more like Mr. DeBakey.

That's too cryptic for me. You transplant hearts?

~~~ Rey ~~~
.

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