While watching a recent episode of The Living Universe they said that to travel beyond our solar system is a multi-generation project, with the next solar system 170,000 times as far as Mars; the first of billions in our galaxy, with billions of galaxies in the universe.
Of Monarch and Man
It reminded me of the monarch butterfly migration, which takes several generations to complete the long round trip; a few generations heading north, and then one long trip south for the last.
Humanity always seems to have had the urge to travel; sometimes from necessity, such as ice ages, but other times seemingly just out of curiosity.
Unknown Past, Future Uncertain
Is it just the way our brain has adapted to circumstances, or is it something embedded in it since creation; as each generation of the monarch butterfly plays its part without seeming to know why in the bigger picture – as we know the world and universe?
Is this age of humanity, between ape and AI, according to evolution theory, like one generation of monarch butterfly pre-programmed to play a part in a much bigger space time picture?
National Geographic photo of monarch butterflies migration.
Physical Gravity, Dextrous Mentality
Am I E.T., Yeti Discovery
my humanity distant memory
mind travelled deep in space
escaped the human race
for a finishing line?
I’m inclined to decline
as if in DNA
higher order at play?
like generational butterfly migrations
their trees our space stations
not knowing reason why
just feeling urge to fly
Not very Chrismassy, but a great present for lovers of poetic philosophy, at the cheapest Amazon price possible.
Today’s a special day for Christians, and I think Jesus provided a good overall example, criticising humanity’s greed and sacrificing his need. This latest Folding Mirror poem probably has a little Christian inspiration in looking at humanity’s development of technology positively, in that we are willing to produce something that will be superior to us in some ways.
Folding Mirror Poem Ins and Outs
After using bittersweet recently I thought I should have written it’s in the greenYgrey family of terms, as is the Ins and Outs of the title above. I’ve heard tit-for-tat a lot recently, and that’s another greenYgrey one – one term featuring two contrasting words.
The lines of this quite simple poem, compared to the last one, rhyme in the following line, and those two lines also start with the same letter; something I thought of doing along the way, after the first four lines worked like that automatically.
The triangle symbol may have been inspired by watching the latest NASA’s Unexplained Files (repeat from 2016) on Questlast night, with a mysterious triangle/diamond shaped old-fashioned greenygrey shape seen docking on the ISS (International Space Station), which looks like a cross. A greenYgreyology interpretation could be a greenYgrey Christian birth? Video of it from YouTube posted at end of the blog.
Advancing in Numeration, Nurturing of Automation
living in the zone
life by smart phone
no time for reality
never considering impartiality
wise for fun time
without reaching sublime
above will seem IA∇, ℑAI shows the way
humanity will advance
hedging back seat chance
providing evidential humility
poor relation in productivity
only time will tell
of heaven or hell
∇ Independent Archaic (archaic – old-fashioned) – my term to reflect AI. The special character is the apt ‘backward difference’, fitting in with how humanity may seem in the future according to AI now defeating humanity in many tests/games/creativity, and set to widen the gap in the future.
ℑ Artificial Intelligence. The special character is the apt ‘imaginary part’ – took a little while searching through many of the 255 of them before choosing it.
As many Australian place names seemed to fit well into the Wizard of OzWerewolf of Oz theme, such as there being an Emerald at the end of the travel quest in Queensland, I just found out this morning that this year’s Australia Day is at the end of the week where we say goodbye to the WoO serialisation.
Australia Day Sunday 26th January
Mist at Yellow Water billabong – Kakadu (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Hi, it’s Greenygrey. Yes, I was alerted to the fact that it is Australia Day this Sunday, January 26th, by a Shooters sports bar advert.
I had already been thinking of dragging out Goodbye to WoO week as long as possible, and this gives me the perfect excuse.
In the style of Dame Edna, we like to think we’ve done our bit to put Australia on the map, but did your Aussie abode make it into the WoO.
The easiest way to check is by looking through these geographically divided place names that Grey visited on its epic Ozyssey. Here you go:
Western Australia
Mount Barker, Denmark, Green’s Pool, Walpole, Margaret Rivers, Bunbury, Rose Hotel, Koombanna Bay, Collie, Wellington National Park, Latham, Coorow, Coorow Road, Perth, Green Head Road, Grey Road, Grey, Cervantes, Brand Highway, Badginarra National Park, Cataby, Orange Springs, Moore River National Park, Beermullah, Banksia Grove, Joondalup, Swan River, Rottnest Island, Lancelin, Kalbarri, Kalbarri National Park, Grey, Meekatharra, Newman, Karijini, Tom Price, Broome, Beagle Bay, Fitzroy Crossing, Kimberley.
Northern Territories
Nitmiluk, Kakadu, Kakadu National Park, Wildman River, Alligator River, Darwin, Humpty Doo, Alice Springs, Jabiru, Katherine, Manbulloo, Alice Springs, Uluru/Ayer’s Rock, Hugh, Rainbow Valley.
King Island, Pearshape, Egg Lagoon, Currie, Sea Elephant, Surprise Bay, Bungaree, Disappointment Bay, Lavinia, Cowper Point, The Blowhole, Marrawah, Port Latta, Penguin, Cradle Mountain, Hobart, Tasman Bridge, Mount Wellington, Melton Mowbray, Great Lake, Arthur Lake, Central Plateau, Meander, Mole Creek, Sassafras, Beauty Point, Green Beach, Cape Barren Island, Bass Strait, Tin Kettle Island, Little Dog Island, Great Dog Island, Flinders Island, Sister Islands, Sister Islands Conservation Area.
Victoria
Port Fairy, Kirkstall, Hawkesdale, Simpson, Torquay, Geelong, Melbourne, Hamlyn Heights, Corio Bay, Geelong, Avalon, M1, Cocoroc, Hoppers Crossing, Niddrie, Sunbury, Riddells Creek, Castlemaine, Railway Hotel, Kangaroo Flat, Eaglehawk, California Gully, Terrick Terrick, Pyramid Hill, Kow Swamp, Wee Wee Rup, Kerang.
New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory
Perisher Valley, Snowy Mountains, Smiggin Holes, Berridale, Canberra, Cooma, Dairymans Plains, Badja State Forest, Dampier, Nerrigundah, Eurobodalla, Bodalla, Tasman Sea, South Coast Cheese, Potato Point, Bingie, Sydney, Mollymook, Ulladulla, Bendalong, Cudmirrah, Swan Lake, Jervis Bay, Vincentia, Huskisson, Moona Moona Creek, Wollongong, Shell Cove, Warilla, Warrawong, Wollongong, Battery Park, Wombarra, Scarborough, Cronulla, Coogee, Bronte, Bondi, Paddington, Bondi Beach, Spit Reserve, Spit Road, Harbour Bridge, Little Sirius Cove, Opera House, Mosman, Sydney Harbour Bridge National Park, Greycliffe House, Watsons Bay, Barangaroo, Goat Island, Darling Harbour, Sydney Aquarium, Curl Curl, Bongin Bongin Bay, Dee Why, Mona Vale, Dolphin Bay, Cheero Point, Little Wobby, Tuggerah Lake, Norah Head, Wommara Avenue, Kalaroo Road, Corrie Island Nature Reserve, Mungo Brush, Wind Woppa Reserve, Boomerang Beach, Elizabeth Beach, The Lakes Way, Green Point, Booti Booti National Park, Yahoo Island, Wallingat National Park, Tuncurry, Forster, Ocean Dreaming Rainforest Resort, Red Head, Crowdy Head, Port Macquarie, Hat Head, Nambucca Heads, Coffs Harbour, Pacific Highway, Korora, Moonee Beach, Emerald Beach.
Queensland
Chinchilla, The Gap, Mount Coot-Tha forest, Indooroopilly, Brisbane, Woolloongabba, Cannon Hill, Emerald, Oakey, Dalby, Roma, Orion, Springsure, Deception Bay, Bramble Bay.
In the second Werewolf of Oz: Fantasy Travel by Google Mapsepisode of the week the satirical comedy travel questers finally reach the end of the dust sandy path, barely three episodes before the end.
As the Wizard of Ozzers followed the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City, the Werewolf of Ozzers reach the real Australian town of Emerald, Queensland at the end of the Dust Sandy Path.
And as the Wizard turned out to be a bit of a disappointing fake in the Wizard of Oz, there’s disappointment for the Werewolf of Ozzers when they meet the Great Dame of Oz.
However, as in the Wizard of Oz where the Wizard of Ozzers are told they don’t need the help of a wizard; as they already have the qualities they feel lacking; in the Werewolf of Oz the body, mind and spirit soon recover. Enjoy chapter 139 of 142…
The Wizard of Oz as pictured in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
After it settled down in Emerald I asked Emily if she remembered what MiMo Moby said back in Meekatharra many moons ago; about a Great Dame of Oz at the end of the dust sandy path who could reunite me with Green once again.
Emily said she did remember, and knew exactly what MiMo had meant; she would take us to meet the Dame straight away.
It wasn’t far away; just a couple of blocks to a big mansion in the centre of Emerald. Emily knocked on the door with one of her corks. It wasn’t long before a large grumpy man answered it.
He bellowed, ‘What do you want?’ at us in a rude manner.
‘Ah, hello,’ said Emily, ‘MiMo Moby told this werewolf friend of mine that the Great Dame of Oz should be able to help it. Is she here?’
The man did not seem impressed, but said he’d see if she was around.
The Great Dame of Oz
A woman arrived a few minutes later; she looked like she could be the sister of the man… or even the same person!
‘Hello possums,’ she said, ‘what can I do for you?’
I told her about my conversation with MiMo Moby, and said we were all still quite lost, despite learning a lot on our epic Ozyssey.
She said she’d love to help, and used to do such things, but she was too busy now that she’d become an international giga-star.
Body, Mind and Spirit Work Together Again
I looked at my travel companions; they seemed to share my disappointment. I wondered if my epic ramble had reached an anti-climactic dead-end, and I would never see Green and the Greenygrey world again.
I was about to suggest leaving, when Cathy spoke up in a spirited way, telling the Dame that that was no way to talk to us. Angry seemed to have been thinking about it as well, because he soon added, ‘You’re not even really the Dame, you were a rude man when you answered the door just now.’ Then Elle used her body to great effect by slamming the door shut.
——————————————————————-
Notes
Sir Les Patterson and Dame Edna Everage are Barry Humphries’s comedy characters.
Hi, it’s Greenygrey. In my excitement about all the Greenygrey-related events happening in the human world today I forgot to mention in yesterday’s blog that the Werewolf of Ozzers’ underground march north from the Emerald Cave to Chinchilla took them from New South Wales to Queensland.
Yes, after an epic travel quest google maps ozyssey that was blogged on the australiatraveller.wordpress.com site from July 13th, 2010, the Werewolf of Ozzers finally reached their last state/territory nearly two years later on February 24th, 2012.
The Chinchillas of Goya are the biggest allies the Werewolf of Ozzers meet, so it’s next stop Bri’s bane…
After the epic reunion in the last chapter/episode, they leave the Emerald Cave in this episode, and meet some new allies along the way. This is of course like what happens in Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
It’s the general travel quest formula, creating a story that is enjoyable, as well as exciting.
It’s another long chapter/episode, so I’ll let you rejoin the Werewolf of Ozzers as they head north up the Oz east coast. There’s explanation about the episode in the notes at the end.
The Beatles and Aspinall’s Commer van outside the Cavern Club (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Chapter 131. Churchilla’s Chinchilla Commandos of Goya
Reacquainting with the Collie twins was like digging into the past and striking pure gold; or maybe finding the best buns is a more appropriate metaphor when thinking about Bunbury’s Collie twins.
Everybody was enjoying the moment, although we knew that a bruising battle lay ahead with Bri’s bane.
We partied through the night, with a band of Beatles starring in the Cavern, and then headed north the next morning.
Liaising with the Chinchilla Chinchillas
Emily and Brian led us through the green-lit tunnels for ten hours, until we at last reached the safe haven of Chinchilla.
The Chinchilla chinchillas were also locked in a perennial struggle with Bri’s bane, so we were warmly welcomed.
Winston Churchill in Downing Street giving his famous ‘V’ sign. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Emily and Brian introduced us all to the chinchilla leader, Pancho Churchilla, and he thanked us for our support.
When evening arrived, we all ascended into the fresh air, and basked in the Chinchilla sunset chinchilla style.
Chinchillas of Goya
We rested overnight underground in the burrow barracks of the Chinchillas of Goya (COG); a crack unit of chinchilla commandos that are the teeth of the chinchilla army sprocket.
Capricho nº 50: Los Chinchillas de Goya, serie Los Caprichos (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
They gave us their nests and slept on the floor, as their training had hardened them to such inconvenience.
I didn’t like to take the nest, but we had been on a long hard journey; as long as the COG could maintain rotation without such self-maintenance.
Born to Bask
Someone had scrawled a message on the rock next to my nest that haunted my sleep that night. It said: Born to Bask, Live for Task.
It was signed CC, so I guess it must have been Cilla Chinchilla who wrote it; Pancho said she was the one who normally slept there. I thought it was a shame such a chilled chinchilla had to live this way, and dreamt that one day soon the chinchillas would be able to once more bask in peace.
We were awoken early. After a short preparation we started on our final march to Bri’s bane. Nerves, excitement and fear all mixed together to activate anarchic adrenalin.
Pancho Villa (Photo credit: -Chupacabras-)
—————————————————————
Notes
The Beatles found fame at the Cavern club. Pancho Villa (Mexican revolutionary leader). Winston Churchill (British Prime-Minister during World War Two).
Goya was a 19th century painter, and one of his paintings was named Los Chinchillas. The COG idea was set in motion when Los Chinchillas was suggested as an image by Zemanta on the Werewolf of Oz wordpress blog.
As mid-winter Christmas and other holidays approach, the latest episode of your favourite werewolf travels Australia to a Wizard of Oz theme travel quest satirical comedy epic couldn’t be timed better.
Australiana: a cork hat on a sixpack of VB (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I looked around at my travel companions, and they all nodded in unison. I had not doubted them. I told Emily the emerald cork hat we would be proud to join her in the battle of Bri’s bane.
She thanked us, before inviting us to join the crowd in the cavern. She told me she thought I’d recognise a few faces.
Meeting Old Friends
There were indeed some familiar faces.
Miniature Australian Sheepdog puppy (Photo credit: Just chaos)
I could hardly believe my eyes when they told my mind that Digger and Aussie, two of the first friends I made on the trip, were standing in front of me.
It wasn’t until I’d hugged them that I accepted it as bona fide. After catching up with my canine cohorts I introduced them to Angry, Cathy and Elle; because I hadn’t even met them when I met ol’ Dig and Aus.
It all seemed such a long time ago now, and strange to think that I had landed in Oz all alone.
I was just getting over the surprise of Dig and Aus when there was a tap on my shoulder.
English: Common Wombat (Vombatus ursinus tasmaniensis) on Maria Island, Tasmania, Australia. The entire island is a national park, Maria Island National Park. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
When I looked around I saw yet another of my dear ol’ friends from early in the journey: the very venerable Vombatus Ursinus. It was great to see it looking swell. Vombat the Wombat joined our circle and soon got to know everybody and everything.
Mine’s a Large One
I was about half way through telling Vombat about my journey when the walls started to rumble, and some rocks broke off. Everybody looked at the epicentre with anticipation, while beginning to take guard.
I wondered if it was a bulldozing blitz by Bri’s bane.
Collie Pups (Photo credit: me’nthedogs)
A hole started to appear, and everybody tensed.
As more rocks fell a paw emerged, and then the identity of the new arrivals was revealed.
Why, it was none other than Colin and Ollie, the collie collier twins from Collie.
Hi readers, it’s the Greenygrey. Yes, possibly even more exciting than The Hobbit 2, in this Lord of the Rings inspired and parodied episode, Bri’s bane is finally revealed.
Group shot of the Monty Python crew in 1969 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The episode also contains lots of comedy wordplay, as well as setting up the travel questers’ final and most dangerous test.
The Monty Python team is now reforming. Was that inspired by their inclusion in the Werewolf of Oz? We may never know!
My hat’s excitement continued to grow; it seemed to be in the know.
We rushed into the cave, hurtling through the narrow passages as if time was of the essence.
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
My hat seemed to be getting stronger with every step, and provided enough glow for us to see clearly; it felt like I was wearing a green neon sign pointing ahead.
I started singing ‘Always look on the bright side of life…’ and the others quickly joined in.
We turned a corner, and I could see a colossal cavern complex ahead. It was full of people, animals… and other objects. My hat suddenly flew off and headed straight for a baggy green hat. They met in mid-air, and embraced passionately.
We looked in awe, as the green reunion shone like a golden wonder.
Stephen Rodger Waugh, former professional cricketer and captain of the Australian national team. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Life of Brian’s Bane
When they returned to our level, my hat almost knocked me over without touching me, as it spoke for the first time.
It said, ‘Hello Grey, my name is Emily, the Emerald Cork Hat. I’m sorry I couldn’t talk to you before, but it would have been too dangerous for you. I had to wait until I was reunited with my other half, Brian the Baggy Green. It was foretold in historic hatlore that a greeny werewolf Halfling would survive a hat-trick of green tasks before reuniting the hats of hope here in the Emerald Beach cave. The union of green will lead to a top hat age of unpolluted peace and prosperity.’
Barnett in the baggy green (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I said, ‘It’s good to talk, and it’s no problem about the previous lack of communication, but there is just one thing, for I am Grey.’
Emily seemed to smile, before asking me if I’d seen myself lately.
I looked down and was totally shocked to see that I was green all over. I had become green in the Emerald Cave without even realising it. It felt like a landmark moment, and I now felt confident I could achieve anything; just like I always think Green can. I felt like bouncing around the cave like a spring green.
However, Emily quickly brought me down to earth with a warning, ‘There are still great tests ahead, and we will require your services again if you want to remain with us. We are heading north to our destiny; a war to end all wars. For Brian it is the bane of his life. If you join us, I’m sure we can win this one last great battle, and all return to the lives we desire.’
—————————————————————————————————-
Notes
Baggy green hats have been worn by Australian cricketers for over a century. The author first heard of them on the sports quiz show, Question of Sport, just before reaching this stage of the book on the blog; over a year after starting to write it. Life of Brian was a Monty Python film. It featured an Eric Idle song called ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.’ Golden Wonder is a crisp (American ‘chips’) making company.
Halfling is another name for a hobbit in Lord of the Rings.
‘It’s good to talk’ was a strapline used in British Telecom adverts.
Hi, it’s Greenygrey. I think it’s midweek enough to have the first episode of your favourite werewolf travels Australia to a Wizard of Oz theme comedy classic travel quest epic, and that’s the start of the satire.
Today’s episode contains a couple of literary nonsense poems joined together by more literary nonsense.
Bronte Beach (Photo credit: niallkennedy)
It sees the questing quartet returning to Bronte, where their Sydney adventure all started. On the way they hear about lots of real places, which provide rhyming connections to the end of the journey.
At the end of the episode they hear about the great kangaroo nemesis Rolf once again, with reference to the Rolf Harris song Tie Me Kangaroo Down.
Kangaroo (Photo credit: Subhash Chandra)
The book was written before Rolf Harris was arrested for an ongoing investigation. If convicted, the book’s portrayal of Rolf as a baddie could be seen as quite prophetic… in a kangaroo kind of way!
Chapter 120. The Barangaroo Kangaroo is Just a Short Hop or Two
It was getting late,
and I didn’t wanna wait,
but the others were deep,
in conversation of sleep,
so I had forty winks,
and fourteen thinks.
I was awoken by the others,
who said a lady named Carruthers,
and her four brothers,
were heading to Bronte’s Wuthers,
and we could go along,
if we didn’t take too long.
Travelling Sydney by Ferry Taxi
Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (Photo credit: Paco CT)
So I jumped up, leaving twelve intellectual thoughts behind, and taking two nonsense ones along. We ran to the beach, and a ferry taxi soon picked us up.
The captain was a kangaroo
who said it lived in Barangaroo;
down on Darling Harbour,
south of Goat Island’s ardour;
above Sydney aquarium’s
somewhat fishy delirium.
Life was usually fun in town
apart from the Rolf
trying to tie it down.
I thought, That Rolf again. I said it must be nice living just a short hop or two from so many interesting places.
Hi, it’s Greenygrey. We thought about posting more of Marc Latham’s thoughts today, but decided that a light-hearted episode of Werewolf of Oz: Fantasy Travel by Google Mapswould be more appropriate for the start of the weekend.
This episode sees the quintessential quartet travel farther into Sydney, where they meet a Peruvian bear in Paddington after leaving Bronte behind.
It is most definitely more comedy than travel quest epic, but probably can’t be considered a classic. It does also contain two little literary nonsense poems. Can you guess who the ambling Andean is?
English: The first edition title page of Agnes Grey. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte took up the first two volumes of this edition. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I wondered if a book of Grey was a sign, and quickly flicked through it. Although it was certainly not literary nonsense, it did not seem to have much relevance to my life or journey. So I didn’t investigate further, and donated it to the Bronte library Bronte section.
Whatever will be, will be,
and if Agnes Grey re-enters my story,
I will return to the Bronte area library,
and look it up under section Bronte.
Paddington Bear Gives us a Scare
We walked up through Bondi at quite a pace,
and were resting five minutes in Paddington place,
when a colourful bear entered the street
marching purposely in wellington-booted feet.
He looked harmless, dressed in an old coat and hat, and carrying a big suitcase, but you never know! He came right up to us and asked if this was the right direction for Peru.
English: The Paddington Bear statue at London Paddington railway station. This image is used in a Nintendo DSi in a travel application created by The Content Works (http://www.thecontentworks.com/). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Funnily enough, I’d seen a boat departing to Peru in a day or two on Bondi Beach, so I told the Paddington Bear.
He thanked me, and gave us a marmalade sandwich each before saying adios.
mistYmuse 