Stickytape
“Stickytape” has always been my word for it, not
“Adhesive Tape”, as enunciated by a better class of user,
never “Durex”, tainted by the protective proclivities
of the English, while “Scotch” mocks highlander thrift
necessitated by English butchery and odious betrayal
by lairds turned overly fond of sheep, “Sellotape”
sounds pallid, and some say “Transparent Tape” but
only pedants insist on “Transparent Adhesive Tape”
which nonetheless lists the qualities making the stuff
ideal for repair of books, a cosmetic procedure where
drifting surfaces are dragged back together and perhaps
more pleasingly aligned, although, as with humans,
the contents still rot and crumble inevitably to dust,
neither book nor being to be judged by its cover.
Many will disagree, but World War III is too great a risk to run by involving ourselves in a distant border conflict
Sep 25 2024
5 mins
To claim Aborigines have the world's oldest continuous culture is to misunderstand the meaning of culture, which continuously changes over time and location. For a culture not to change over time would be a reproach and certainly not a cause for celebration, for it would indicate that there had been no capacity to adapt. Clearly this has not been the case
Aug 20 2024
23 mins
A friend and longtime supporter of Quadrant, Clive James sent us a poem in 2010, which we published in our December issue. Like the Taronga Park Aquarium he recalls in its 'mocked-up sandstone cave' it's not to be forgotten
Aug 16 2024
2 mins