Of Chameleons, Stage magic, Pantomime (and Kids)!
Caution – a twiddle follows. Fascinating morning; there I was, trying not to do too much damage to an antique, attempting a delicate, tricky bit of legerdemain: trying to finesse in a carefully matched 'stick' into the existing without leaving a trace of repair. – BOOM! - the stable doors bang open and in troop four urchins at cobbed throttle. “Can we use your computer please”? Barked at the big dog, (he don't like 'surprises' at nap time) to be still before there was a child knocked over, recovered my 'cool', picked up the dropped insert and asked “Why” trying to sound 'gruff and scary' (never works – alas). No way known to mankind are four young hooligans going to use my gear; nope, not happening. But how to refuse? I agreed for the princely sum of a slice of Carrot cake to 'assist' their inquiry (smoking verboten). They were fascinated with Chameleons and so our journey began – HERE – with trusty 'Wiki'. Of course, many of the words used needed to not only be explained but put in a way the 'kids' could grasp. I worked for my Carrot cake let me tell you. Indulge me; there will be a point – eventually.
Camouflage; deception, led to illusion and of course, the arts of deception. As it happened, I had at my disposal a visual aid to explain much of their 'puzzlement'. We left the screen and trooped back to the workbench (careful not to wake those 'napping'). “See here” Say's I – (pointing to the damaged area of the antique) now, look at the colours, the grain pattern and this piece of wood (show the insert) see how they match; here I am creating an 'illusion' if I can fit this without anyone seeing how I've done it; the 'illusion' is complete. They got that. “So” pipes up one bright spark - “it's like a magic trick”. “Indeed it is” Say's I 'and performing magic' is a very old thing, like your Chameleon it uses a 'trick' to fool the eye and the senses, has been doing so for millions of years”. Well, that got 'em thinking – for kids of all ages love 'magic' shows and 'pantomimes'. So, we returned to my 'box' and researched 'magic' and pantomime until (mercifully) they were collected and peace was restored to my work shop. I stuck my 'bit' into the mass, it fitted well enough and declared early 'Beer o'clock' just as P7 ambled in (I do not believe in coincidence).
Aye, ramble over – near enough – except, Ale, smoke and good company set us to chatting. The Chameleon can be traced from the Middle Paleocene (about 58.7–61.7 MYA (million years ago); the art of camouflage exemplar. Stage and 'close up' magic has been fooling folks since the cave. “It is one of the oldest performing arts in the world”. “Pantomime has a long theatrical history in Western culture dating back to the era of classical theatre”.
Well, It all set us two to wondering – did our Australian 'aviation agencies' morph or were they transmogrified into the present day iteration? P7 thinks not. He believes there is a 'strain' of human nature which, quite naturally, uses camouflage, 'magic' and Pantomime as part of their 'way' to exist in this world. Certainly any 'hard core' research clearly identifies the arts of these creatures; and their habits, as clearly belonging to the crowd who live, and thrive within a created bubble of self protection, mastering the arcane arts of the Chameleon, the street magician and the pantomime.
For myself, I am not quite convinced; despite the abundant evidence. The most telling argument against P7's is the number of 'good men and true' who venture into the 'Bubble world' with good intentions, excellent qualifications and first class intentions who simply 'leave' – refusing, as a matter of self esteem, to be any part of a deception, sleight of hand or pantomime.
Should any government, with any sort of integrity and the 'best' interests of this wide brown land at heart, really want to know why they are funding a pantomime, peppered with 'smoke and mirrors', rich in the arts of theatre and deception; then all they need do is call back the 'honourable' men and ask them to 'please explain' and grant immunity to those who can, will and do tell the tale of 'the way things really are'. Righteous government should do this, if only to understand why some of the 'best' are not at the table. It may just shock the conscience of a few of the political class, at least those who disdain camouflage, deception and stage manged 'theatre'.
Aye well; 'twas but a ramble, my twiddle to put thought into words and easily dismissed for that which it is. That cat – I wonder if they can sense 'history' it sleeps in the chest I am restoring and wakes as if returning from far, far away, however: the rest are hungry and I'd best crack on, the Moon is waning Gibbous this night, perhaps we shall go a' roving, the dogs, myself, the blessed quiet of the night sky and a smoke to keep us company. Ah!
“Drink wine and look at the moon
and think of all the civilisations
the moon has seen passing by.” (Omar Khayyam).
Selah..
Caution – a twiddle follows. Fascinating morning; there I was, trying not to do too much damage to an antique, attempting a delicate, tricky bit of legerdemain: trying to finesse in a carefully matched 'stick' into the existing without leaving a trace of repair. – BOOM! - the stable doors bang open and in troop four urchins at cobbed throttle. “Can we use your computer please”? Barked at the big dog, (he don't like 'surprises' at nap time) to be still before there was a child knocked over, recovered my 'cool', picked up the dropped insert and asked “Why” trying to sound 'gruff and scary' (never works – alas). No way known to mankind are four young hooligans going to use my gear; nope, not happening. But how to refuse? I agreed for the princely sum of a slice of Carrot cake to 'assist' their inquiry (smoking verboten). They were fascinated with Chameleons and so our journey began – HERE – with trusty 'Wiki'. Of course, many of the words used needed to not only be explained but put in a way the 'kids' could grasp. I worked for my Carrot cake let me tell you. Indulge me; there will be a point – eventually.
Camouflage; deception, led to illusion and of course, the arts of deception. As it happened, I had at my disposal a visual aid to explain much of their 'puzzlement'. We left the screen and trooped back to the workbench (careful not to wake those 'napping'). “See here” Say's I – (pointing to the damaged area of the antique) now, look at the colours, the grain pattern and this piece of wood (show the insert) see how they match; here I am creating an 'illusion' if I can fit this without anyone seeing how I've done it; the 'illusion' is complete. They got that. “So” pipes up one bright spark - “it's like a magic trick”. “Indeed it is” Say's I 'and performing magic' is a very old thing, like your Chameleon it uses a 'trick' to fool the eye and the senses, has been doing so for millions of years”. Well, that got 'em thinking – for kids of all ages love 'magic' shows and 'pantomimes'. So, we returned to my 'box' and researched 'magic' and pantomime until (mercifully) they were collected and peace was restored to my work shop. I stuck my 'bit' into the mass, it fitted well enough and declared early 'Beer o'clock' just as P7 ambled in (I do not believe in coincidence).
Aye, ramble over – near enough – except, Ale, smoke and good company set us to chatting. The Chameleon can be traced from the Middle Paleocene (about 58.7–61.7 MYA (million years ago); the art of camouflage exemplar. Stage and 'close up' magic has been fooling folks since the cave. “It is one of the oldest performing arts in the world”. “Pantomime has a long theatrical history in Western culture dating back to the era of classical theatre”.
Well, It all set us two to wondering – did our Australian 'aviation agencies' morph or were they transmogrified into the present day iteration? P7 thinks not. He believes there is a 'strain' of human nature which, quite naturally, uses camouflage, 'magic' and Pantomime as part of their 'way' to exist in this world. Certainly any 'hard core' research clearly identifies the arts of these creatures; and their habits, as clearly belonging to the crowd who live, and thrive within a created bubble of self protection, mastering the arcane arts of the Chameleon, the street magician and the pantomime.
For myself, I am not quite convinced; despite the abundant evidence. The most telling argument against P7's is the number of 'good men and true' who venture into the 'Bubble world' with good intentions, excellent qualifications and first class intentions who simply 'leave' – refusing, as a matter of self esteem, to be any part of a deception, sleight of hand or pantomime.
Should any government, with any sort of integrity and the 'best' interests of this wide brown land at heart, really want to know why they are funding a pantomime, peppered with 'smoke and mirrors', rich in the arts of theatre and deception; then all they need do is call back the 'honourable' men and ask them to 'please explain' and grant immunity to those who can, will and do tell the tale of 'the way things really are'. Righteous government should do this, if only to understand why some of the 'best' are not at the table. It may just shock the conscience of a few of the political class, at least those who disdain camouflage, deception and stage manged 'theatre'.
Aye well; 'twas but a ramble, my twiddle to put thought into words and easily dismissed for that which it is. That cat – I wonder if they can sense 'history' it sleeps in the chest I am restoring and wakes as if returning from far, far away, however: the rest are hungry and I'd best crack on, the Moon is waning Gibbous this night, perhaps we shall go a' roving, the dogs, myself, the blessed quiet of the night sky and a smoke to keep us company. Ah!
“Drink wine and look at the moon
and think of all the civilisations
the moon has seen passing by.” (Omar Khayyam).
Selah..