TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 1 Pages 32 to 39 - Garry’s Report on Election day, Saturday May 18, 2019. Pages 39 & 40 – Basenjis Tail Piece.

The Rhubarb Triangle From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rhubarb sculpture in Wakefield. Still in Century Gothic Produced by Garry Dalrymple as a contribution to the June 2019 ANZAPA mailing Postal Address: Garry Dalrymple, 1 Eulabah Avenue, EARLWOOD NSW 2206. Home phone No. 02-9718-5827 (better after 7 pm) Email; [email protected]

Page 1 – This Index Pages 1 to 3 – The Rhubarb Triangle Page 3 – May / June Issue Editorial Pages 3 to 6 – Hurstville ‘Discovery’ Writers Group Meeting, Feb. 5, 2019 Page 6 to 22 – SF&F Meeting Notes In 2005 Wakefield council erected a Pages 6 to 8 - Concord Library SF&F sculpture depicting a rhubarb plant in Meeting, Feb 4, 2019, ‘Leviathan Holmfield Park Wakefield. Wakes,’ by James A. Corey Pages 8 to 11 – Better Read than Dead Bookshop’s, SF&F meeting, Feb 5, 2019, ‘Kindred’ by Octavia Butler and ‘Rosewater,’ by Tade Thompson Pages 11 to 15 – Concord Library SF&F Book Club, ‘Frankenstein, or the new Prometheus’ by Mary Shelley, 1831 ed. Pages 15 to 18 – Sydney Futurian meeting of April 12, 2019, Conspiracies in Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories. Pages 19 to 22 - Sydney Futurian This Carlton village sign celebrates its link meeting of May 17, 2019, Your first with Rhubarb experiences of Science Fiction. The Rhubarb Triangle (also alliteratively Pages 22 to 32 – Traveller’s Tales, the known as the Tusky Triangle, from the events of May 1 to 27, 2019. Yorkshire word for rhubarb) is a 9-square-

1 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 2 mile (23 km2) triangle in West Yorkshire, crimson in colour with a smooth texture. England between Wakefield, Morley and Traditionally, the pickers pull the stalks in Rothwell famous for producing early forced candlelight as any exposure to strong light rhubarb. It includes Kirkhamgate, East will stop the growth. By the end of March Ardsley, Stanley, Lofthouse and Carlton. The the harvest is over and the root stock is Rhubarb Triangle was originally much bigger, totally exhausted and composted. covering an area between Leeds, Bradford History and Wakefield. From the first decade of the Growing and forcing rhubarb was originally 20th century to 1939 the rhubarb industry done by many hundreds of small farmers, expanded and at its peak covered an area smallholders and market gardeners. 2 of about 30 square miles (78 km ). In later years some growers expanded and Rhubarb is a native of Siberia and thrives in owned many thousands of roots and the wet cold winters in Yorkshire. extensive forcing sheds. West Yorkshire once produced 90% of the In the late 19th century early forced world's winter forced rhubarb from the rhubarb was sent to Spitalfields and Covent forcing sheds that were common across the Garden markets in London in time for fields there. Christmas and was sent to Paris for the In February 2010, Yorkshire Forced Rhubarb French market. was awarded Protected Designation of A special express train carrying rhubarb was Origin (PDO) status by the European run by the Great Northern Railway Commission’s Protected Food Name Company from Ardsley station every scheme after being recommended by weekday night during the forced rhubarb Department for Environment, Food and Rural season from Christmas until Easter. Up to 200 Affairs (Defra). tons of rhubarb sent by up to 200 growers Cultivation was carried daily at the peak of production The cultivation method for forced rhubarb before 1939. was developed in the early 1800s. In 1962, a rail strike caused the growers to The fields were fertilized with large quantities look for alternative transport and the of horse manure and 'night soil' from the service ended shortly after. nearby urban areas and Woollen waste from Rhubarb became less popular after the "mungo and shoddy" mills. Second World War when more exotic fruits The rhubarb plants spend two years out in the became more available. fields without being harvested. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the While in the fields the plants store energy name "rhubarb triangle" to a 1965 textbook from the sun in their roots as carbohydrates. mentioning pre-war trains rhubarb specials The roots are subjected to frost before being that ran from the West Riding rhubarb moved into sheds in November where they triangle to London and it was mentioned in are kept in complete darkness. In the sheds the Guardian newspaper in 1986. the plants begin to grow in the warmth and the stored carbohydrate in the roots is EU recognition of Yorkshire transformed into glucose resulting in forced Forced Rhubarb rhubarb's sour-sweet flavour. Twelve farmers who farm within the The sheds are long low buildings which are Rhubarb Triangle applied to have the name heated; originally with coal, which was "Yorkshire forced rhubarb" added to the list plentiful and relatively cheap in the area, but of foods and drinks that have their names this has been replaced by diesel. legally protected by the European Forced rhubarb grown in the sheds is Commission's Protected Food Name tenderer than that grown outdoors in scheme. The application was successful summer. Without daylight the rhubarb leaves and the farmers in the Rhubarb Triangle are a green-yellow colour, and the stalks, were awarded Protected Designation of measuring around 2 feet (61 cm), are Origin status (PDO) in February 2010. Food

2 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 3 protected status accesses European funding feet for 7 and a half hours, during an to promote the product and legal backing election day effort stretching from 7 am to against other products made outside the 6.30 pm, something that I doubt I could area using the name. have done two years ago when my mass Other protected names include Stilton was peaked at my 150 kg. cheese, Champagne and Parma Ham. At the time of writing, as a result of the Leeds Central MP, Hilary Benn, was involved activity I’m feeling pretty good and looking in the Defra campaign to win protected forward to breaking the 130 kg barrier, and status. proceeding further on to a two figure target Culture mass, and City to Surf participation, Wakefield Council holds an annual Rhubarb someday. Festival in February, celebrating the area's As an event, it is worth recording some links and promoting the surviving rhubarb impressions of this year’s Federal Election industry. A Farmers' Market, cookery day, not for the change in government or demonstrations, walks and tours of the the popular mood, but as a type of event forcing sheds are among the attractions. that is likely to change its appearance in Rhubarb growing and the 'Rhubarb Express' the near future. For example, the mobile are featured in Wakefield Museum. phone is replacing the party issued ‘How-to- Vote’ card in influencing the choices of wavering voter’s, and most importantly, the number of voters NOT voting on Election day, through Pre-poll and Postal voting, which this year was at a record number, A May/June Editorial Four and a half million out of 16 million enrolled voters, was at an unprecedented This issue, thematically borrowing from the high level, and this level is more likely to Foxes, is going to be heavy on Rhubarb, of Increase than Decrease at future Australian the Political and of the Vegetable kind. Elections, meaning? I do not know, As a Rhubarb grower of recent standing, I probably more voting based on unverified have always been interested in the on-line or TV presented ‘facts’, and more mysterious technique of ‘Forcing,’ of my ‘Spin’ than soberly interpreted policies Yorkshire ancestors, but in researching it supported by appealing to recognizable recently, I discovered that the technique traditional interest groups. What’s it all involves an Ethical issue, to a practicing leading to, an electoral Zombie Photo-Breatharian, i.e. should food plants, Apocalypse? Dunno, I’m just reporting it, like animals raised for human food, have as I saw it, on the day, at Sydney Town Hall. ‘Rights’ and if so, isn’t the technique of I would be interested to hear how you ‘Forcing,’ by the denial of sunlight to a plant experience it on the day, if / when you a bit cruel? As a public service, in this issue voted near your place. I make available to you some Wikipedia Garry P Dalrymple – May 23, 2019. sourced facts on this issue and I invite you to focus your attention to this important but Notes from the Tuesday February 5, neglected issue common to both Veganism 2019, Hurstville Writer’s group, and Vegetarianism. meeting in Hurstville Public Library’s Of the Political Rhubarb content of this issue, you may read how I spent a day out recently, Mary Gilmore (Georges River on Election day, Saturday May, 18, 2019, Council), 12.30 - 2.30 pm or later. during which time I spoke to (literally) From pages 06 & 07, Grey Foolscap Rough Notes book, Present were, twelve people, 8F and 4M. hundreds of people and observed some interesting things, which I choose to share Intro – I write this report, from my notes and with you. Personally, it was a day of my memories, both of which are liable to triumph. I stood up and was active on my transmission faults and denial of service

3 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 4 incidents. As an assessment of what I saw / House (Meeter and Greeter of visitors at understood to be the meeting. I make the meetings) – Hospitality Officer (The bringer distinction between ‘Good for Me’, and the of the all-important Tea, Coffee and possibility of ‘Good for You,’ rather than a Biscuits!) Publicity and Communications general ‘Good’ or ‘Bad.’ The event was Officer (Mainly contacting the Sutherland effectively and well run, but you are free to Shire Leader, the local newspaper about read between the lines, that this meeting the groups meetings and events.) was not really my glass of tea. In spite of this large looking committee, it really does seem that the Facilitator does This meeting, which was their first for the 2019, most of the heavy lifting, with the other featured an AGM, which fortuitously office holders as less hands on helpers. disclosed some details about the operation of the group, saving me having to ask. The Ordinary Meeting – Following the During 2018 the group published (in an A4 AGM, their meeting included; Writing News format) ‘Eat our Words,’ a collection of (competitions, courses and conferences), writing featuring memoir, poetry, recipes and a brief writing lesson presentation, a possibly even some Fiction, which was partly workshop writing exercise and finally a funded by grant money. Two of the ‘bring and discuss your homework’ session. members of this group launched / published, This last item was for works on a topic that or self-published two works, and several had been agreed to at a previous meeting members had some of their work included in News and discussion - Some of the items other Writers group’s publications. Their discussed included; the group is financially overall funding also included some secure, having a $5K bank balance, which Community Activities funding ($2800), in is equal to about five years of membership addition to membership subscriptions (a bit receipts? over twenty members), which covered the There was discussion of membership cost of using their meeting room. The turnover, total membership number not group’s activities last year included a writing greatly affected, with some of last year’s competition that resulted in the publication members having resigned, mainly due to of ‘Eat our Words,’ conducting Writing residential re-location. Workshops for large numbers of children, as One of last year’s members has started a well as its members presenting and Writers Group at (of all places) EARLWOOD. participating in local Writers events, events As he had judged last year’s open to the which did not seem to attract much interest public Writing competition, in his absence, from the general public except from those it will be run entirely in-house this year. who were already members of the The Writer’s Workshop day at the Carss Park, constituent Writers’ groups. was criticised for its lack of ‘walk-in trade’ The Biscuit issue – The Hospitality officer, a and its failure to engage the general public. non-biscuit eater, asked the meeting for Patt Craney at the local Radio Station guidance on what types of biscuits he should 2NBC, is running a series of Wednesday be buying to bring to meetings. Discussion meetings on Radio Presentations ahead of was intense, and partisan. International Woman’s, when the station will

So, what are they interested in writing? broadcast Y chromosome free! Well by last year’s poll of members, they are I introduced my news, of the ALIA Short Story mainly interested in writing Memoirs and competition (via a copy of a Lithgow paper supplied by Stephen Bingle). Poetry. Writing Fiction of any sort seems not to be high on their collective agenda. Workshop bits of the meeting

The Committee; Facilitator (and Grant The theme for this year is ‘Dreams – Courage Wrangler) Admin Secretary – Minutes and Confidence.’ A green A5 sheet was Secretary – Treasurer – Newsletter Editor handed out, with a meditation on how (mainly for Competitions news) Front of some writers’ dreams have affected their

4 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 5 Writing on one side and some general Writing advice on its flipside. A Tim Winton story, published in a weekend newspaper supplement magazine, was read This is what I wrote ahead of this meeting. from, for inspiration. It was an unconscious mind assisted short The final act of this was to form groups to story, which rather conveniently fitted the read and discuss the homework, which only pre-selected theme of the day of today’s three of the group had in fact prepared in meeting. advance. Written for the A.L.I.A. Flash Fiction Generally, I would say that this workshop Competition of February, 2019. part of the meeting was more focussed on techniques of writing than ideas, lots of focus Love found among the shelves #1 on Words, but not so much on Sentences As he handed back his books, which were carrying ideas. only the second and third he had ever So, What are they interested in writing? borrowed as an adult, he thought how this Well by last year’s poll of members, they are library must be full of a special kind of love, mainly interested in writing Memoirs and a love deeper and moving than that found Poetry. Writing Fiction of any sort seems not among the Romance and Historical to be high on their collective agenda. Romance shelves. As his books were checked in and then re- – If you are Comments and conclusions shelved, to where the books are marked interested in a local non-genre writing group, with a red and yellow, faux Saturn sticker, focussed on Memoir and Poetry, then this he mused that most SF readers knew the could be the group for you. real colours of Saturn. I think this is not a group that I could regularly attend, as I think it fair to say that each issue In his mind he rolled around the taste of a of my TBS&E contains a fair bit of Memoir (too once unfamiliar word, ‘Science Fiction,’ much?) and as for Poetry, I’d rather say what and he though it tasted damned good. I mean clearly and at length than try to Surely these books, he reflected, with their constrain what I hope to get across into a joining of the imagination to the promise of specific word format. all possible outcomes, must be a lovechild My work may be imperfect, but I’d much grand parented by imagination, literary prefer to move on to writing substantial and style, Science and the logic of Non Fiction. publishable genre fiction than spend much Looking to the shelf of analogue SF books, more time on the ‘Written by many, Read by with its Author’s unfamiliar and sometimes rather few, enjoyed by …’ Worthy end of even alien sounding names, running from non-professional writing. Aldiss to Zelazny. As for Freecon purposes, I think that few of He wondered at all the vividly alien worlds, this group’s members would / could with differently gendered cultures, the past contribute to, or be remotely interested in and future times, what universes of alien participating in Freecons or short SF&F writing puzzles soluble only to reason, were competitions, so in future I will only notify this contained in the books of that single narrow group, out of politeness, but without any shelf? Current Word count – 200. expectation of subsequent participation. It is the people _that do not_ join this group, who are attracted to join, ‘try then die,’ who A Revised version might be interested in what a Freecon has to Love found among the shelves #2 offer. © Garry Dalrymple, February 6, 2019. As he passed his library books back over the

counter, only the second and third he had

ever borrowed as an adult, he thought that

this library must be full of a special kind of

5 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 6 love, a love deeper and more moving than Dream / Unconscious mind process. that found on the Romance shelves. His I went to bed with an idea of what I wanted books were checked in, and then replaced to say in a story, but the problem was, what on the shelf where all the books wore red and could you say in a way that would fit into a yellow, faux Saturn stickers. He mused that 200 word box? I ‘slept on it,’ and in the Science Fiction readers did know what morning I sat down and wrote it out, ‘Love Saturn’s real colours were. found among the shelves #1,’ knowing pretty much what I wanted to say / length In his mind he rolled around the taste of the etc., which originally emerged to a length once unfamiliar word ‘Science Fiction.’ And of about 220 words, and over an hour and he thought that it tasted pretty damned a half, before I had to leave (11.30 am), for good. Surely these stories, drawn from the the 12.30 to 2.30 pm Hurstville Writer’s Group deepest spring of the imagination, with the meeting, it then went through several re- promise of all possible rational outcomes, writes and edits until a 200 word format was must surely be the lovechild grand parented achieved. After reading #1 to the meeting, by Creativity, Literary style, Science and the it was self-evident that several parts of it logic of Non Fiction. were ‘wrong.’ #2 is the result of these notes Looking now to the Science Fiction shelf, on Tuesday and a Wednesday morning re- where even its Author’s names, running from write, and trimmed to fit the 200 word box. Aldiss to Zelazny, seemed unfamiliar and a bit alien, he wondered how all these stories of alien worlds, of differently gendered cultures, of future times and alien puzzles soluble only to reason, could be stored on such a narrow shelf? Current Word count – 199.

Comment - I have occasionally used images from my dreams into my stories, as a starting point, but very rarely can my dreams be transcribed into stories, because Dreams are The Concord Public Library SF&F rarely in the form of linear stories, which make Discussion Group meeting of sense when subject to a dawn re-telling. Monday, February, 2019, 2 to 4 pm,

Dreams or the unconscious mind I have Book; ’Leviathan Awakes’, frequently used for problem solving. My by James A. Corey (US). Grandfather frequently explained that many Present were – 12 people, 4 M & 8 F. of his solutions to mechanical problems, From Rough notes, Pages 3 to 5, for publication in which had been on his mind during the days TBS&E #83, June 2019. and nights before, would frequently be News solved by middle of the night images. Changes – In future, the person who Most Mormons believe that Dreams can be recommended the book will be asked to a form of personal and individual religious lead off the discussion of the book. message, with a messages intended as There will be a January 24 meeting of the guidance exclusively to the dreamer, while Inner West Readers Meet up group to the dreams to heads of families may be discuss Frank Herbert’s Dune. Jamie, a guidance applicable to a family, the dream member of our group is part of a collective of a Bishop as guidance for his congregation trying to get a SF&F based Blog up. They or ‘Stake,’ and the same dream experienced are taking it to the May, Sydney Blog by multiple Bishops, would then make it festival. available as spiritual guidance to the entire Mormon community. Introduction – During the discussion of this book, the subsequent books in the series The short story above came through a

6 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 7 were frequently mentioned, as was the TV One reader gave the book two hours of series, ‘Expanse.’ reading, and then gave up on it. So much so that this account cannot be Not such a good read for Fantasy readers simply a review of the book and how it was though as it really was a space opera, a received by our readers, as many reader’s drama between people, taking place in a understanding of the book’s faults were technology defined arena. In reading, at ‘fixed’ by information from these other times the two writer’s separate contributions sources, so if you pick up the book to read, in are very noticeable as the two characters isolation, then the following account may not are from different cultures. match your e reader experience. One reader did not like it, as the Languages About the Book and Slang current among the inhabitants of Its writing - The storyline started as a back this book were improbable, such as the story prepared for a proposed computer prevalence of Vietnamese terms in a Space game that failed to proceed. The book was culture’s Language. He also had doubts then written up from the leftovers. about the Medical ‘Facts’ present in the Why? A bit of Science but not a lot, the story story rolls along. This book was written by two Didn’t like the attempts at realism, with the Authors, one a first time Author and the other superfast engine and then the ‘Vomit an established one, they wrote alternating Zombies,’ it contained weirder crap than chapters then they consulted and reviewed what he was comfortable reading. Nit each other’s work to avoid inconsistencies in picking about the story ensued, possibly the behaviour of the book’s characters and focussed on the Alien Spacecraft, as a new anachronisms, so the book is of the form of a weapon and the blowing up of a Moon to single story with the viewpoint alternating erase evidence of the object’s arrival, a between two main characters. real stealthy move, guaranteed not to be Nevertheless, there were Seams and faults noticed? The Proto-molecules takeover of visible between the chapters of the book a space station is a Big Thing in the story – that were written by the two different writers. The disease is propagated as a germ warfare research project on the Space The focus of the book, adventures in space, Station’s inhabitants (what could possibly encouraged one reader to google research go wrong with this?). Asteroid dropping? the astronomical realities of Asteroidal Not a big deal, in the absence of a thick space. atmosphere destruction would be The Concept and Characters are pretty localised. There were plenty of ideas and good, a race for control of an alien artefact images in the book, but not all of them and its technology, the writing style is at times made any sense or practicality. A nice memorable. Rollicking read – liked the prologue. Two Some reader’s High Expectations were met, thirds of the way through this book, a he enjoyed it as a Hard SF story and for the resolution seemed at hand, but then more Science that was present issues came up requiring to be worked Faults and Complaints - Didn’t like – the through until a conclusion could be occasional trips backward in time to reached, later. The mass migration of introduce important (or trivial) plot elements. Criminals leaving the Asteroid Ceres was a Another fault was that it gave the impressions clue. The languages of the book, of the Asteroids as fixed locations in two intending to be inclusive, merely reflect the dimensional space, rather than the more exclusively USAsian centric, local melting complex realities imposed by moving rocks pot focus. and Celestial mechanics which at times The Alien has parallels to the psychopathy placed ‘close’ asteroids on the other side of of the Corporation, in its interest in the the Solar System. The consequently long proto-molecule. A fan / reader of the travel times between story locations just series suggested that the alien molecule seem to have been glossed over.

7 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 8 could be an artificial intelligence. It has a Deviation – one reader had been to see goal which it is single-mindedly carrying out. the new Aqua-man movie, on a very hot Some liked the book as a Space Opera, if it day recently, but only for the Air has some Science as well as some plot, it is conditioning. possibly a psychological story of the conflict Supplementary P.S. – Roger’s point of between Optimistic and Pessimistic outlooks, view. Because it is set in the near future projected onto a larger canvas. rather than the far future it doesn’t strain the A reader enjoyed the story’s World Building, imagination. There is an immense amount without too deep a science interest, which of Backstory, available, developed for the was aided by seeing the TV show first. Game. The Characters - One reader did not like The writer aimed to deliver flawed having the character Holden as the characters in pursuit of their personal apparent centre of the universe, around desires, not the hard to identify with omni- whom all things apparently happened. He competent, larger-than-life characters of also keeps doing some really stupid things. most big adventure stories, to show how The character of Miller got on one reader’s these characters would adapt to problems nerves passing in and out of her good books and personal reversals. The intent was to – Holden was a bit hard to believe. The focus on the evils of the corporation, but the Detective character polarised readers. villain of the piece is an omniscient and There was some discussion over whether the intelligent virus. It is written the way it is Belters (Asteroid dwellers) were intended to because the writer feels that SF Writing has represent an oppressed segment of the been set back by ‘Classic’ SF writing styles population, i.e. an underclass in the absence (GD - rather ignoring most ‘new wave’ SF of racism. since the late 60s to the present?) Expanse, the TV series - Andrew said that preventing SF from reaching a broader, watching the DVD of the TV series was mainstream audience. The Science in the helpful, as descriptions in the book were at story is knowingly incorrect, but is still times minimal. The books many faults are plausible as near future discoveries, for papered over or resolved by the details example, the Epstein Drive which evolved present in ‘Expanse,’ which were not in the out of a need to dispose of on board heat book. The TV series ‘Expanse,’ uses book excess. © Garry Dalrymple, Feb. 28, 2019. one and two of this series. The Tuesday February 5, 2019, SF&F The Second Book - Book two is apparently more Political and a better read than the first Book club meeting held at the Better one. Book two did explain some Read than Dead bookshop’s (265 inexplicable plot strands left unresolved from King St. Newtown), on ‘Kindred,’ by Book one, as well as adding Martian humans Octavia Butler (US Dec’d) and to the story. The TV series ‘Expanse,’ uses ‘Rosewater,’ by Tade Thompson, book one and two of this series. From pages 07 to 10, Grey Foolscap Rough Notes book The Other books in the series Present were, twenty people, 14F and 6M. The Other Six books do not always ‘fit’ the For this meeting, after the Hurstville Writer’s mood of the other books. This series of Group, after visiting my mum at the nursing books is reportedly now up to number 8. home, after going to the SMSA to borrow a One reader who had had access to all seven book (for next month’s Concord Library (then available) books watched ‘Expanse,’ SF&F Book club meeting), two hot then re-read this book, finding it a deeper chocolates and a very interesting chat experience. about post WW 2 Selective High Schools, I Conclusions – It seems to have been caught a bus and arrived at the bookshop enjoyed, and there was some interest in at about 6.15 pm. borrowing the DVD of the TV series as well, or On this occasion I had brought along a instead of? bottle of Shiraz, (from Hurstville) which was

8 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 9 to be the third bottle of the meeting, to be too bad, but if you had no escape available to be shared among twenty the and you knew you had no escape from people present! It was appreciated. these situations, then how might you feel On this occasion, the first 2019 meeting of this then, no matter how light the leash? group there were the, to be expected, re- K. is considered to speak honestly about acquainting conversations, not quite to the how bad things were for African Americans level of ‘Hatching, Matching and in the 1970s, but later Author interviews Despatching’ style gossip, but close. reveal that she frequently toned things The first question of the meeting, which was down, coz reading how bad it really was asked several times, as, just like in that scene would alienate potential readers. This is in from the Hobbit, the members of tonight’s a country that has made ‘progress’, by company just kept coming through the door, replacing occasional lynchings with fairly filling the room. Greatly. frequent gun deaths via ‘Death by Cop,’ So, why two books this month? The reason incidents occurring to unarmed African why, as explained by meeting organiser Americans. Mischa, was that both of these books were If current day white people were dropped written by Writers of Colour, US Dec’d and UK back in time, under the pressures to / Nigerian, and they featured similar themes. conform and the struggle to survive under The rise of interest / commercial support for new conditions, how many would continue the contemporary ‘Afro-Futurism’ SF&F sub- to espouse their present day and ‘Liberal’ genre, has allowed for the re-print of Values, against the prevailing mores? ‘Kindred,’ one of Octavia Butler’s 1970s era About ‘Rosewater’ - ‘Rosewater,’ is a story books, putting it on the shop’s shelves and of the future, where Africa was able to making it available for this group. develop along the lines of its own traditions, With the number of people present (more rather than having to deal with the than at any 2018 meeting apparently), and consequences of Western colonisation. the conversation constantly switching There is African style witchcraft and psychic between ‘Kindred’ (K.) and ‘Rosewater’ (R.), stuff, as routine and community accepted, it was very difficult to follow the flow of talk something which the aliens are trying to and to record meaningful notes, so please crush. do forgive it if I attribute K. events to R. and Then the Aliens arrive, and everything vice a versa. changes. The Aliens major pre-occupation About ‘Kindred’ - The Nazis and Stalin’s seems to be to identify and eliminate all the Soviet Union, Governments of population human ‘sensitives’ they can find. suppression, did study the American Slave Some Features in ‘Rosewater’; era (and Eugenics) for ideas on the -The Non-Anglosphere, Lagos based management of their ethnic and racial perspective was refreshing, if at times minorities who were prioritised for special puzzling due to unfamiliarity. treatment. -In R. Black on Black prejudice is treated, The book ‘Genesis,’ is a closer parallel to and Homophobia persists within the ‘Rosewater’ than ‘Kindred,’ but this book is otherwise ’liberated’ community. not currently in Print? In K. an old lady’s -R. is refreshing in that contrary to the usual memories are overlaid on a character’s Campbellian Monomyth, in that the thief mind. declines to be redeemed by the offer of Was there any sympathy for the Main being able to play the Hero and ‘Save the Character Rupert? No, not really, he’s just Earth, when offered this role. Points for story an over privileged white guy, who is telling integrity rather than for a fantasy fairy corrupted by the undeserved power he has tale story ending conformity. over others. -in R. readers had mixed views on whether Kevin’s perspective, for a guy who could the Alien’s arrival was in the form of a threat leave when he wanted to, things didn’t seem or a form of salvation? I.e. the partially alien

9 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 10 converted humans had advantages. This -Some partisans for R. claimed this was particularly problematic as the several because the story is a lot more optimistic, aliens present were not following a single drawing on images of an Africa that is free agenda on the Earth invasion issue. of Western economic dominance and able -As a SF book, R. is quite good at the Sci-Fi to go its own way, commercially and images and vocab. More experienced SF culturally, but R. is very emotionally draining, readers will notice many incidences of SF despite the generally optimistic mood of name dropping, especially Philip K. Dick Afrofuturism. references, and other fan-boy excesses. -Contrarily, R. was not so convincing, in -In R. the American cities are all walled depicting a future Nigeria without physical communities, under domes, a continuation infrastructure improvements over time. Too of Trumpian migration policies? conservative about the likely general rising - In R. was the Main Character ‘cool’ or just tide of economic improvement the architect of many memorable messy -in R. The theft of a child’s deeply loved situations left in his wake? Was he an Anti- Transformer Toy is a real low act, but there hero who goes on a character building was speculation that the thief is motivated ‘journey’ to end up as a better different / attracted to the Value to owner of the character at the end, at the cost of story items he chooses to steal. continuity? Nope, the M. C. is an Amoral - The major fault of this book is the failure to character rather than a hero, anti or not. define the alien, and the alien on alien -in R. the death of the Girl Friend, was relationship, as they seem to be speaking in mentioned, was this an avoidable event, or several voices, and at cross purposes. was it intended as a reflection on the level of - R. is better as an introduction to a series Nobility / Detachment that is required on than a standalone book, i.e., if you have receiving extraordinary Powers and using decided to commit to reading the whole 7 them responsibly. or 8 book set, before starting to read the first one. Some Faults in ‘Rosewater’; -One reader’s reaction to this book was to - Was not so convincing, in depicting a future demand a re-write so that the events of the Nigeria with physical infrastructure story flow in an easier to understand way. improvements NOT occurring over time. It -In R. Government Agencies excuses some was too conservative about the likely of the writer’s excesses, the recruitment of consequences of a general rising tide of the main character into a network, and his economic improvement over time. subsequent search for the Bicycle Girl, is -The multiple timelines (three?) in R. were very something that non-SF readers will find confusing to some readers, leading to some comfortably familiar, before the story leaps reader confusion over Who said / say that off into SF-ness. But, the interrogation when? Why couldn’t the story have been sequence, is conducted in a very brusque, told in one chronological sweep? There was emotional and unprofessional manner. speculation that the reason why this was so, - Some of the Women readers present said is that things that have already occurred in that it took them a long time to realise that earlier books will be revealed d in the series the Main Character they were reading later books, as important plot turning points about was in fact Male. At this point an of those books. Cynicism was expressed at explosion of side conversations erupted, all the idea that you would have to buy and no doubt vivid and relevant, but alas, all this read the whole series of books in order to wisdom is lost, as it took place beyond the understand exactly what had happened in hearing and the note taking ability of your the first book? humble Boswell de jure. -R. really should have been Edited Down into - R. is a book from the literary universe where a form more sympathetic to the reader, but stories are populated by under developed this is the Author’s First book and it is in truth non-male characters. the set-up book for an extended series.

10 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 11 -In R. the leapfrogging, multiple timelines in incidents involving the gun deaths of this book violate causality, as we read of unarmed African-Americans seeming to characters doing things, ahead of the events have replaced them as a frequent cause of that caused them to need to do these things, premature death? or done the necessary training to allow him The Apartheid era in South Africa was to be able to do these things. mentioned / compared and contrasted to the events in both books. Comparisons of ‘Rosewater’ & ‘Kindred’ All who allow it to exist without fighting it, are K. Is Butler Better? It would seem so, from complicit in Discrimination, i.e., we are all comments made at various times. Butler’s aware of the treatment of Saudi women, writing is short and to the point. Each word but what have YOU done about it recently? measured and exactly placed, while Some readers preferred R. to K. because its Consequences – Given the memorable story line was a lot more optimistic in style. nature of some of the events referred to in K. features a number of very beautiful and R., one person was moved to Google complex relationships between its events of recent African history. characters, R. less so. Comments and Conclusions – OK, having Were there any memorable characters in sat in on the very animated discussion of both books that readers liked? Nope, some these two books (which was an extremely were more memorable in their contributions trying note taking effort), both of them to a story that was more ‘character building’ sound to interesting enough to make me experience than enjoyable. want to try to locate copies to read, In K. the Sci-Fi is incidental, the necessary sometime. I think I may already have a innovation to allow the telling of stories about copy of Kindred, out in the Garage. I think Racism to an audience. On this, subsequent it unfortunate that so much of this meeting Author interviews reveal that Butler was devoted to ‘Rosewater,’ at the _understated_ the brutality of the historical expense of consideration of ‘Kindred.’ reality, in order not to alienate readers, in any Next meeting’s Tuesday March 4, 2019, case, most of the worst incidents take place Book choice – ‘The City in the Middle of the ‘off stage,’ out of sight of the reader Night,’ by Charlie Jane Anders. In R., Tade Thompson is a black writer, writing © Garry Dalrymple, February 6, 2019. SF, while Octavia Butler’s writing style is minimalist in descriptive style, while The Concord Public Library SF&F Thompson enjoys providing full and more SF Discussion Group meeting of literate descriptions of scenes in his stories. Butler’s writing is tight, not needing editing, Monday, May 06, 2019, 2 to 4 pm, while Thompson’s writing really could be on ; ’Frankenstein or the modern made much more reader friendly by being Prometheus, by Mary Shelley UK edited _down_. For example, R. is a time Dec’d. travel story without a How? and Why? Of how this came about. Present were – 17 people, 8 M & 9 F. From rough notes, Grey Foolscap 2019 Book, Pages 43 to 45, for publication in TBS&E #8379,of June 2019. Deviation from discussion about the books – A discussion of attitudes to Racism in News the present Day, mainly focussed on the Jamie’s Podcasting collective will launch / controversy over the on-line release of the premier their Sci-Fi (Audio only) Podcast Virginia Governor’s Blackface and Clan ‘Nim’s Nebulous Notions,’ on June 2, at a robes Medical School year book photos, the location that is currently T.B.A., but is likely to Governor’s inconvenience, and the public be the 107 Project at Redfern. The story reaction to it. The ‘Progress’ in Black/White follows a conspiracy theory addict who relations in the US, i.e. while public lynchings picks up on some unusual signals, and then, are now infrequent, with ‘Death by Cop,’ over 12 episodes, investigates. The

11 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 12 program will be released over a number of Shelly, Lord Byron et al., who were really platforms, and all episodes will be available, a self-centred empathy lacking and simultaneously. uncaring lot of dickheads. Comic Con-versation, 2019, Early July, a In this vision, ‘Nature,’ plays the part of Graphic novels event with Writers and Artists, Ghod, an internal theology of Victor the is to be held at a number of public libraries, Father, the Creature the Son and Nature as will take place during the first two weeks of the Holy Ghost / Grandparent figure etc., July, during the NSW school holidays. This Some readers were struck by the struggle year, the promotion and presentation of between the Creature and Victor, the these events is likely to be uneven, as there is created Vs the Creator. The story includes no one overall coordinator of these activities, a lot of terms and ideas that were then just a herd of Library cats, organising library ‘Cutting edge,’ concepts, but which have by library, so you may need to contact your now become part of modern life. This is local library to see if they are participating possibly a first SF novel, possibly, as fictional this year, rather than waiting to hear about novels of the era were largely fanciful stories the whole program. I.e. the future will be of travels to distant lands, while Europe had happening, but it might not be well Romance novels. advertised in your municipality. It is a book written by a teenager, and a teenage girl at that, with all the dwelling on Talking about the book feelings and relationships, and Well, Frankenstein’s Monster, you know the examinations of the meaning of life and story, seen the movies etc.? Nup, this is the approaching adult hood, where Adult book and it is Waaaay different. First of all, hood is the taking of responsibility for the the story starts with a forty page set up, consequences of your actions. This is novel before we meet Victor Frankenstein or catch of Post partem depression, a story propelled sight of his Creature (and it is going to be by the horror of Mary’s dream at the Villa ‘Creature,’ rather than ‘Monster’ from here Deo data, of Mary’s stillborn child brought on in) where we are introduced to a Captain back to life. Walton, who is off on a jaunt with a boat to Victor spends 9 months on his act of try and achieve lasting fame, as the creation / reproduction, and expects to be discoverer of the fabled North West Passage. greatly congratulated for this feat, He picks up Victor Frankenstein, and the something that most Women can achieve book is what Captain Walton writes to his with only brief male input. sister, based on what Victor Frankenstein tells One reader didn’t like Victor at all, him, of his creation and subsequent events. preferred to take the Creature’s side in the The whole of the creation of the creature is story, noting the fatherly rejection that disposed of by a single paragraph. What Victor offered his creation, one look – Yuk, does happen in this book is a lot more not pretty, then total rejection. Victor’s involved than the movies would have you self-centredness has him describing believe, and it would really help if you had Elizabeth’s death as blow against him. read John Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost,’ and the The repetitive explanations about ‘Nature’ Prometheus Myth beforehand. Forget all in the book put one reader off ‘Nature.’ your movie clichés, the book is very different Victor was in his twenties or thirties during from all that, but you can see scenes from the book, the creature was only two or the book within some of the movies. three years old, Victor never acts like a Reasons for the choice – The changes in grown up, but the Creature shows very the 1831 re-written version of the 1818 considerable character growth AND he is original, attempt to paint Victor Frankenstein continually learning and adapting to the in a slightly better light, as a person swept up new situation as he goes on. in events that were beyond his control. Everything we know about what This book is a bit of a dig at the then happened, is triple filtered, what Victor fashionably modern ‘Romantics’, Percy imagines of the Creature’s motives and

12 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 13 actions, told to Captain Walton, and then anytime left over to DO anything? One what he chooses to write to his sister, in a reader really didn’t like the book, and she letter that must have killed lots of squids, just wrote extensive notes to explain why. Firstly for the ink! there was the archaic and convoluted The language was very rich in description, language (was Mary Shelley paid by the exhaustingly so for some readers, but typical word, mused another reader?), There were of an age without pictures on TV or in mixed opinions among those who newspapers, where there were few succeeded in reading this book to the end, illustrations and images in the reader’s mind, some were and others were not bothered so that everything had to be described, in by the frequent and long winded words So an attempt None of the Men descriptions, particularly in the first third of encountered in the book were really very the book (initially published as three nice, except of course for Victor’s Father. volumes, and not the more familiar 31 Stylistically, this is a Writer’s early work, for chapters) and the endless dwelling on the example, the three speaking parts in the narrator’s feelings and reactions to being in book, seem to be spoken in the same the presence of ‘Nature,’ something that ‘voice,’ in spite of their very different the Romantic Poets, of Shelley’s era characters and backgrounds (personally, I practically invented. For example, the rather wished that Mary had the help of frequent use of Ice imagery in the Alps or at Ernest Hemingway to re-write this book – high latitudes, highlights that Victor and the down). Creature have a very cold relationship. Victor is written as if he is one of the Some of this was unavoidable, as the story Romantics is carried through three narrator’s voices, Overall, the book reads as a short story (of but all three voices are practically the Movie essentials) well-padded out with indistinguishable, Captain Walton, Victor long ‘I’ve been to Switzerland and I’m going Frankenstein and even the self-taught to write about it,’ (Did Mary Shelley hoon Creature, improbably speak in cultured around the streets of London in a carriage eloquent upper class privileged voices, bearing ‘I’ve been to Berne and Geneva’ which tend to be dismissive and patronising stickers?) and frequent interludes as paens to of the lower classes. The extensive first the joys of Nature. Victor was up himself, an section of the book, serving only to get over privileged, selfish, self-centred, spoiled Captain Walton to the Ice, is boring, until brat, drawn just like the Romantics that Mary Victor opens up and gives his version of that knew so well? the Creature has to say about his life and Everything in the book is filtered by (self) education. perceptions, the Creature told Victor, Victor One reader, who had read it twenty years told Captain Walton and Captain Walton earlier, found it much easier going on a re- wrote it down to tell his sister in an envelope read, although the language was still busting letter. So, whether the Creature difficult, but was struck by how much of the really did go off and Die, after killing Victor story is a set of nesting narratives, and how Frankenstein and burning his body (like on important the various letters were to the the ICE?) is conjecture, as the Creature has story. Another reader commented on the learned how to lie? There is little sympathy sense of suspense of the book, as at the by Victor for ‘ordinary’ people, who are not beginning, with the Icefield rescue scenes, as attractive as their social ‘betters’ in this we know where it is going to end, but we book. The only decent man among them read on to find out the events leading up to seems to be Victor’s Father. that scene. The Language – This book is full of One reader really wanted to enjoy it, The descriptive passages and very heavy Great Book, but had to hit the ‘eject’ button language about feelings, such that it begs over the difficult language. One reader the question of the people of the times, that asked, was Mary Shelley paid by the word? they said it, but having said it, did they have

13 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 14 It reminded one reader of his school set text classes, except for the Autodidactic reading experiences, where some issues of a Creature? book (Milton’s Paradise Lost) were too The process by which the Creature is made, sensitive to be discussed in class, at a a nine month project, is dealt with in a single Religious school, and this book really needed paragraph of the 200 plus page book, i.e. a familiarity with the myth of Prometheus, to this is the true thread of Science Fiction, it is be fully comprehended. not the method of the innovation that The Creature - When Victor makes the matters, it is the consequences of the creature he is only in his early twenties and innovation, for the resulting Creature and he reads like a very immature person, the Victor et al., and the ‘I’m not going to tell Creature, with only two years on the clock you how, lest you try this at home yourself,’ learns maturity very rapidly and becoming is a neat way of avoiding the pitfall of using an adult, arguably soon surpasses his creator, anachronistic ‘Science’ to explain the emotionally who never seems to grow up. process. The parental care received by Victor is well Why didn’t Victor make his Creature a Girl described, while the Creature’s parenting is friend without the one part necessary for a blank, picked up only observationally reproduction? The Creature is more than through a hole in a wall? an animated human corpse, it is assembled The Creature emerges as the Victim of from unstated animal and human parts, Victor’s lack of care after the act of creation. and Victor’s intent is to create something of Mary’s Villa Deo Data nightmare, of a Beauty, but his perceptions change after it revenant still born baby, is the image and the is animated. Victor gives no consideration initial horror that propels the story. After an to the consequences of his act of Creation encounter with his Creation, Victor realizes (otherwise there would be no book?) being that the Creature was more than his match, hubris driven and blind to the something he could not control, and his consequences. Thoughts on Victor et al. – reaction was – to run away. No one in the book reads as a sympathetic character, Victor or the Creature. Victor is For a SF novel, the Scientists are not treated actually a wastrel and much sympathy for particularly well, being not as smart as Victor Victor and Elizabeth was lost over their role Frankenstein, he describes them as ‘ugly’. in the undeserved death of the servant girl. Why did Victor spend nine months making Victor goes on to treat his fiancé, Elizabeth the Creature? For Companionship, possibly, (a much better person than Victor) without or more likely for the glory of it, to become much care for her wellbeing. Ghod-like, but without any thought as to the The incomplete Edward Scissorhands, was consequences of his action. We are not a more sympathetic and innocent creation told where the creature’s Brain came from. than Shelley’s Creature. The Female Creature was created for the Creature’s companionship, companionship Comments and Conclusions – A lot of being a frequently repeated need of the Victor Frankenstein’s anxieties would have men of the book. Was she rational, or only been relieved, if only he had read friar ‘feminine brained’, as at the time a free Mendel’s work on heredity, I.e. the thinking woman might be more Monsterous Creature, made up from purloined parts, than the Creature, and even more of a could not breed true. This book reads, in problem for the bourgoise minded Victor? part, as a reply to John Milton’s ‘Paradise A theme of the book. Frequently Lost’ and makes a bit more sense if you encountered is that poor people are dumb read this first before starting on Mary and ugly, while ‘noble’ people are attractive Shelley’s book. When this book was first and intelligent, to the point that Education published, 1818, there was nothing else like could effect a make-over of physical it around, most speculative fiction of the era appearance of the children of the business being farfetched tales of travels to far off imaginary lands, and Europe mostly an

14 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 15 unknown land to English readers during the her own name or looked up her on-line years between the French Revolution and namesakes (why?). the defeat of Napoleon. DW – Is currently reading ‘God’s Dice‘, by That this is a very early Science Fiction story Andrew S. Swan, which is a multiverse story, is unquestionable, but this does not mean where five versions of the same person, in that it stands the test of time as a Great different realities are in communication. Science Fiction story. The story revolves around the consequences of Points of Departure and Notes from the Sydney Futurian Alternate time lines, i.e. worlds in which JFK SF&F Discussion meeting, Friday was never elected US President, President April 12, 2019. Topic; Conspiracies Richard Nixon invades South America. It is six different but connected stories, and the in SF stories. reader is challenged by trying to identify From Rough Foolscap Meeting Notes Pages 40 to 47 which of these realities is ‘ours’, only slightly Present were – Stephen Bingle*, Garry changed. Dean has also been reading ‘Estoria,’ by Ron Stark, from Game of Dalrymple, Diane Fox, and Dean Wheatley. Thrones, Which is a story about John Astor, Apologies were received from John Fox. who is sent on an expedition to the US West *Stephen Bingle and his responses were Coast to Claim Oregon (and Washington collected on Saturday. State?) for the US. This expedition is a rival Our Recent reading; to that of the much more successful Lewis SB – Is currently reading and enjoying ‘Her and Clark expedition (1824?), but this Majesty the King,’ which is about the life and expedition was a disaster, nearly a text times of Queen Hatsepshut and is one of book example of entirely foreseeable several books from the ‘Ramesses‘, series outcomes from poor management and written by the French (presumably) writer choice of personnel. Every bad decision Pierre Jac. These are crime / thriller type possible was made, everything went wrong, stories set in the days of ancient Egypt. And that more competent decision making I hear the whispers on the sunset winds off the could have avoided. The expedition western desert, carried with the immortal ended with a revenge massacre by the sands from the mouths of opened and local Indians, with the last surviving deserted tombs baking under Ra the eternal expeditioner blowing up the expedition ship sun, How true to life? Stephen is also reading (and the victorious Indians) and its powder part 3 of ‘The Walrus Trilogy,’ by Horoce, and magazine. A classic Fail, Fail story. The a James Patterson book (Dunno which, family line of John Astor ended, with the they’re all the same arn’t they?) death of a last John Astor on the HMS GD – Is currently reading ‘The Demolished Titanic, in 1912.

Man‘, by Alfred Bester, a 1953 story about committing a murder, and getting away with News it in a future where mind readers are The Crime Writer Phillip Kerr is dead, but his employed everywhere. For mind readers, final unfinished Bernie Gunther book has read Social Media? Since last month’s been completed by his son / wife. meeting I have read the following; ‘How The Sydney Writer’s Festival, April 29 to May Bright the Vision’ by Clifford Simak (US), ‘Lost 5 - is an almost completely SF&F free zone Tombs of Egypt’ (by someone) ‘Red Moon’ (Why?) even though it’s theme is ‘Lie to by Kim Stanley Robinson (US), ‘Murder in me,’ which seems to me to include all types Mississippi’ by J. Saffran (Aust.), ‘Manhattan of Fiction? in Reverse’ by Peter F. Hamilton (UK). Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been DF – Is currently reading ‘The second ‘IQ arrested in London, looking like an untidy book of Ignorance‘, based on the research Gandalf, for breaching Harry Harrison’s behind the production of the TV quiz show. copy-right on ‘The Stainless Steel Rat’ and She claims never to have google searched other issues, and US President Trump has

15 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 16 tweeted? about the discovery of the Illuminatus Science – A Black hole photographed, errr and an amusing exploration of their system not really, a false colour image made up by of secret rule. On the Other hand, there is combining lots of Radio Astronomy data the religion of Scientology, as authored by from many sources. It actually shows the L. Ron Hubbard and its latter day prophet excited matter of the region around a black David Miscavage, where there is a hole. I.e. it’s not a ‘real’ image at all, and Conspiracy as a Religious Truth, about Lord Black Holes, being Black, DO NOT Xenu and his activities, and a rather leaky photograph in visible light, at all, ever! - Page conspiracy to keep this knowledge a 22, SMH, 12 April 2019. secret, and conspiracies to suppress any The April Brian Walls report – Emails to regret public knowledge of these conspiracies. that he cannot attend, due to his work Actually, all Religions, controlling a set of commitments on Fridays and Wednesdays ‘wisdom’ to be passed on to the faithful, in a Galaxy Far Far away. He offers that a probably accrete conspiracy elements, as Professor of Space Junk (real name?) was knowledge is power etc. and Ghod’s talking at Gleebooks on Wednesday last, secrets can’t be questioned? but I guessed you know what that is all In Fantasy, there is almost always a about. He also has a decent collection conspiracy that the hero must resist or of stuff for donation towards the next overcome in order to return the world to its Sydney Freecon. ‘proper’ state, with conspirators using items As for tonight’s topic, he says - There are too secretly to wield power, or conspiring to many to bring up specific examples, with so keep the rightful heir out of his / her many spy and techno thrillers out there. It inheritance? is hard to posit one that is not about a Can you write a Fantasy story without a conspiracy of some sort. My guess is that conspiracy? tonight there will be a lot to talk about, ‘Project Blue Book,’ a science Fictionalised particularly on President Trump's proposed version of the real UFO investigation, is US Space Force! - Yours, Brian Walls currently playing on Free to Air TV. Based on a true story, i.e., it’s all true, except for Discussion of the Topic; the bits that aren’t. The program adds a Conspiracies in SF stories. fair bit of ‘The X Files’ DNA to the real book I think it uncontroversial to say that as all / report, and possibly borrows from the Science Fiction involves the discovery and much earlier ‘Dark Skies’ series (starred then the consequences for the character of Voyager’s 7 of 9 actress) The Truth is Out that discovery, that there can be a lot of SF There, I mean Waaaay Out there, over the stories that involve a conspiracy, i.e. where horizon and hiding among the hills of the discovery is a thing or a technical dramatization. A conspiracy in itself, to innovation, it may be something that others distract attention from what the report are already aware of and conspiring to keep really found? secret for their own advantage? In some The whole Right wing nut job conspiracy cases, the conspiracy IS the innovation – I.e. universe, responsible for the ascendency of Robert Heinlein’s All you Zombies, the President Donald Trump, and numerous acts conspiracy is that the baby is the young of multi-fatality gun terrorism, are the result woman / Mother, the Father and the old of ‘Based on no facts’ conspiracies. Some man. In another Heinlein story, the Chinese of the foundation myths of such an tolerance of Religion, after their conquest of alternate universe of ‘fake news,’ (like the America (VERY unlikely I think) is the means UFO industry) can be traced to an original by which a liberation movement (with Science Fiction source, i.e. bad SF sold by Genocidal Germ Warfare not being too far a unsuccessful would be SF writers as ‘real step) under the cloak of being a Religion, is experiences’ to pulp magazines. able to organise and fight back. ‘The Her Majesty the Queen of Australia (and Illuminatus Trilogy’, by Anton Wilson, is a story family) are apparently all shape changing

16 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 17 Lizards according to David Icks (there goes conspiracy that they are killing what his MBE!). Investigation of the issue, when their high tech gear tells then are aliens. he says ‘Lizards,’ does he really means the In Philip K. Dick’s ‘The Minority Report,’ there ‘Jews’, has revealed that David Icks really is a conspiracy to cover up that the does mean Shape Changing Lizards and ‘infallible’ Precogs, able to anticipate and unlike many of his followers, he is NOT an anti- predict the perpetrators of future crimes, Semite. are in fact NOT infallible, just a system that Anti-Semitism, is a very popular flavour in can be rigged, by those in power for their most conspiracies. Let’s just mention the own ends. In the TV series ‘Brain Dead,’ a early Alt-reality SF story, ‘The Protocols of the meteorite opens to release cherry blossom Elders of Zion,’ (Czarist Russian Government loving, brain burrowing alien insects who copyright, lapsed) and move on, as take over the US Senate and House of Reps, Antisemitism, while arguably Science during a period when the US Government is Fictional (Dark Fantasy?) is too large a field to closed due to a budget impasse. An initial cover in one evening. Every James Bond infestation can be repelled by vigorous love movie features a villain, who is working away making. Only a few know the truth, they at some sort of Conspiracy, towards personal battle to make the truth known and to fight Wealth or Global power, with a strong the alien invasion. tendency to explain everything just before In ‘I Zombie,’ a cute lady pathologist gets a attempting to put James Bond to death in an scratch and an infection that turns her into unnecessarily ‘creative’ way. a brain eating Zombie, sort of, in that by In the story arcs of ‘Babylon 5’, there are eating a brain sample (any!) she gets to re- multiple conspiracies, the Shadows and the live the deceased’s last few minutes of life. Vorlons are not what they seem, The Minbari Very convenient for Crime solving, not so and the Humans are genetically linked by a convenient for her love life. Eventually, she conspiracy and the missing Babylon 4. The discovers that her infection was the result of Vorlons have implanted in humanity their a corporate research program that has image, as Angels, as the good guys in any been covered up, Zombification as a side galactic conflict situation. Psycorp are effect for a new product being a bad thing, running their own conspiracy / monopoly of corporate wise, apparently. This was the mind reading powers. series gave rise to the expression ‘ZILF?’ In the locally produced SBS series, ‘Danger 5,’ In ‘Capricorn One,’ the sequel to the long a group of mismatched agents, there is a running Stanley Kubrick produced ‘Apollo new conspiracy for them to fight each Moon Landings’ series (allegedly), it’s a episode, including the Nazi Dinosaurs one landing on Mars that is being faked. The (where have we heard that before?), and conspiracy being that the powers that be every situation is resolved by an order to ‘Kill thought that it would be cheaper to stage Hitler!’ a faked Mars Landing that fails, rather than In the TV series ‘The Expanse,’ the issue is the attempt a real Mars Landing mission. conspiracy to monopolise the advantages of The SBS series ‘Hunting for Hitler,’ which augmenting humans with Alien technology / repeats the immortal line ‘Hitler NEVER died’ biology. The Mystery being whether the (i.e., not in 1945 in Berlin, not ever, an eternal discovered artefact is an AI or an alien life Fuehrer apparently) each episode, features form. conspiracy on conspiracy, about Hitler’s In the Movie, ‘The Fifth wave,’ after humanity post WW2 journey to South America, by suffers a wave of catastrophic events are several means simultaneously, and his brought about by an alien invasion, the fifth frequent movements and appearances, all one is that the aliens, disguised as people, to based on ‘’we say so,’ interpretations of raise up an army of compliant human now unclassified FBI documents. Real children, from the refugee camps, to arm Alternate Reality stuff! them and set them on exterminating Mel Gibson – If you want some good Sci-Fi surviving human resistance, under the conspiracies, just log on to the Mel Gibson

17 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 18 Universe. result of a ‘Red Flu’ outbreak that kills ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ and its recent millions and sends the uninfected survivors sequel, ‘The Trump Presidency’ both involve into hiding. There are some immunes, and a conspiracy and the manipulation of a they rather like the idea of taking over what person who afterwards rises to power in the is left of the world, and so they are actively US system of government. How will it end? suppressing attempts to distribute the See the TV series ‘The Hand Maid’s Tale.’ ‘cure’. There are also the Russians, who it In the Movie and subsequent TV series, seems funded the development of the ‘Stargate SG1,’ the eel like, parasitical Go úld disease as a weapon, but didn’t get round rule humanity, in the guise of ancient Ghods, to also finding a cure before it was released. using technology that they borrowed from Killing a couple of Billion people doesn’t an earlier race. matter, as long as Russia gets some respect In ‘The Fugitive’, the aliens are among us, In the TV series ‘The Orville,’ the blue eyed their fingers do not work quite right, and the Kaylon emissary android ‘Isaac,’ is part of a only man that knows the truth is a fugitive, general Kaylon conspiracy, where under framed for a murder and on the run, looking the guise of friendship, he is tasked with for a one armed man. The Aliens have evaluating the humans, ahead of their conspired to make an outlaw of him, to wiping out of all organic life, as they feel cover up their conspiracy to take over the that it is inferior to their cybernetic form. world, or perhaps, just to quietly live among Deviation – Discussing the fall of Troy, we us? resolved that a Clown Car, with its infinite In ‘Logan’s Run,’ the conspiracy is that re- capacity, while less heroic, might have birth occurs through death on the carousel been an easier alternative to building that at the age of 30. Outside their shopping great big Trojan horse. mall type world, the rest of the world has had and has recovered from a nuclear war, or This Month’s New ‘Science Fiction’ books similar catastrophe. at the Sydney Mechanics School of Arts In the British TV series ‘The Prisoner,’ (not the Library, level 2, 280 Pitt Street Sydney ($15 Australian Women’s Prison series) who was for full membership, $10 for a reader’s free, who was in charge, what and why were ticket) include; all up for discussion, as was why the ‘The Defiant Heir’ by Melissa Caruso, Fan.? conspiracy to keep the Prisoners in was ‘The long way to a small angry planet’ by needed. Becky Chambers, SF? The series ‘V,’ featuring disguised rat eating ‘The Binding’ by Bridget Collins, Fantasy? alien lizards (where have we heard this ‘In the Drowning Deep’ by Mira Grant, F? before?) want to take our Planet for the water, or something. They approach us in Notes from the Sydney Futurian the guise of friendship, but they have a plan, SF&F Discussion meeting of Friday a war on Science and a prophecy! In the Harry Harrison story ‘Make Room, May 17, 2019. Topic; Your First Make Room,’ which was made into the memories or impressions of SF. movie ‘Soylent Green,’ the persistent From Foolscap Rough Meeting Notes Pages 46 to 48 detective in a very crowded and food short Present were – Garry Dalrymple, Diane world (understated issue, that contraception Fox, Anne Rankins and Dean Wheatley. is illegal in this world) is investigating a murder Apologies were received from Stephen which leads him to a conspiracy to suppress Bingle and John Fox. - *Stephen Bingle was the truth, that ‘Soylent Green is People,’ i.e. away on active service, prior to tomorrow’s the new wonder food is made from the Federal Election day. - *John Fox is ‘laid processed bodies of the dead (no Statue of up,’ with back pain restricting his ability to Liberty in this movie). get out and about, by public transport or by In ‘The Last ship’, the crew of the Nathan car. James is a last operational US Navy ship, as a

18 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 19 water canoe river ride into Hill Billy terror Our Recent reading; of ‘Deliverance,’ but from the viewpoint of GD – Has just finished reading the 1831 an improbable collection of sensitive, version of ‘Frankenstein, or the Modern cultured and entirely misunderstood rural Prometheus‘, by Mary Woolstoncraft Shelley Americans, who find them beset by an influx (UK Dec’d), I didn’t like it, it was soooo slow a of crass Bogan city folk. It takes itself read. It was rainforest thick with nature Waaaay too seriously, dwelling over much references and ‘feelings’ type internal on the internal dialogue of these Log Jam dialogue and Arctic poor in action. The story Latte Philosophers, and not helped by the contained within the book is very different in fact that it was very hard at times to figure scenes and emphasis from the story that is so out which Hillbilly’s thoughts were being well known from the various movie avatars. described. He is also re-reading McLean’s See my May 2019, Concord Library SF&F Book ‘Drakes,’ the first of the Burning Man series discussion meeting notes for more details. of books which consists of , ‘Drakes’, After this, I have started reading the Hugo ‘Burning Man’, ‘Dominion’ and award winning ‘Babel 17,’ by Sam Delaney ‘Damnation,’ which involves the (US), which I’m expecting to be much more Adventures of a Magician who uses the to my liking. services of a captive Demon, mostly as a DF – Is currently reading ‘The Book of hitman. Forgotten Authors‘, which describes some once famous, but now almost forgotten News writers, some very much deservedly so. SF Fandom News – This year marks the There are plans for the Foxes to visit America, 400th anniversary of the birth of Cyrano de but this is pending John’s ability to travel. Bergerac, (1619 – 1655), an early SF pioneer AR – Has just finished reading Kim Stanley due to his story, ‘Voyage to the Moon.’ Robinson’s ‘Red Moon‘, but found it to be The bounty. Perhaps he should be the unsatisfying, as it was mostly a political Thriller Primary Ghost of Honour at this year’s Late set on the Moon, with very little SF-nal July and November Sydney Freecons? goodness in it. Rather unlikely to read the Garry is trying to build a Media Book of sequel, ‘Blue Moon.’ Freecon useful media contacts. ‘Crucible,’ by James Rollin, is a Thriller with Lawson’s DVD shop, a Sydney SF Fannish sufficient grasp of real and emerging institution, is closing, the end of an era. technology to be readable as Science The following SF&F Discussion topics Fiction. The story involves a Girl who creates an AI, which goes through a process of were chosen for future 2019 / 2020 growth as the AI develops Free Will and Self Sydney Futurian meetings;

Confidence. Ann has attended the James June 21, 2019 - Dogs and other Pets Cameron Exhibition, featuring the Australian (including Humans as Alien’s Pets) in made ‘pencil’ shaped submersible, the final SF&F Stories stage of a series of three prototypes. His July 19, 2019 - Things I’ve learned from passion for the sea has resulted in a number of aquatic movies, also the conspicuously Science Fiction. Fish Free movies like; ‘Terminator,’ and ‘Battle August 16, 2019 - Anachronistic things in beyond Space’, the ‘The Magnificent Seven’ Science Fiction stories. ‘tribute’ movie. September 20, 2019 - Steam Punk Ann has missed seeing both the Plasticised Science Fiction Stories. human bodies exhibition created by the October 18, 2019 - Evil Robots in Science weird Dutch guy, and the Ailita Battle bot Fiction Stories. movie. November 15, 2019 - Science Fiction DW – Is currently reading ‘The River‘, by Peter Stories overtaken by progress. Heller, also the Author of ‘Dog Star.’ December 20, 2019 - Horror in Science This book is sort of like a reply to the white-

19 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 20 Fiction Stories. Science News - NASA releases images January 17, 2020 – Your Best and Worst from the Cassini probe which reveal that SF&F of 2019 Saturn’s satellite Phoebe is composed from February 21, 2020 - Remakes and Sequels different ices (Deuterium ratios) than its that worked. fellow moons. This suggests that it was a wanderer from beyond the Solar System Sci-Fi TV News – Currently screening on that was gravitationally trapped in the past. Free to air locally are, a number of new A first verified Non-Siberian Denisovan programs, alternate History series, that seem fragment has been identified, sourced from to be inspired by the success of Philip K. Tibet. Denisovan DNA is present among Dick’s ‘The Man in the High Castle.’ They many living South East Asian and Pacific include; ‘SS GB,’ an alternate History series Island people, and it may explain Nepalese based on the book of the same name, the adaptations to high altitude life, or not. No German’s defeated England, before they one knows what a typical live Denisovan turned on their ally, the Soviet Union. The looked like. fate of the King of England is in the balance, More is now known about Magnetic Stars, between the British Resistance, the German objects with magnetic field strengths of ten Army and the SS / Gestapo. In ’Project Blue to the Fifteen Gauss (Earth’s Magnetic field Book’, we are offered a rather Science is half a Gauss, a fridge magnet, 100 Gauss) fictionalized version of the UFO investigation, the source of Fast Radio Bursts, which lots of ‘The X Files,’ story DNA splashed over deliver in milli-seconds about as much pages of the book. ‘Timeless,’ like the 1960s energy as a Million stars, previously thought ‘The Time Tunnel,’ involves a Time Travelling to be caused by Black Holes or Neutron team attempting to stop meddling in the stars colliding . It seems that All Neutron accepted time line, with a stolen time stars are magnetic stars, at first, while they machine involved, dare we mention ‘Time eventually slow down to become Neutron after Time?’ all the usual historical points of Stars. The Privately funded Israeli Moon departure known to American Popular Lander has failed, it reached the Moon, but culture will be visited, will they try to kill Hitler, didn’t work after this. or to prevent this attempt to ‘improve’ past A new 15 metre Moon crater has been history? identified, from a meteor impact that was The UK series, ‘Trust Me’, while not SF, is visible during a recent Lunar Eclipse. disturbing the Force, as it features a Nurse impersonating a Doctor, the same actress Discussion of the Topic; Your First most recently playing The Doctor, as the first Impressions and Experiences of Female incarnation of Dr Who (or perhaps Science Fiction and Fantasy. she’s just a Time Nurse impersonating a Time This rather slight topic, turned out to be Lord?) nearly as disturbing as Captain Kirk’s quite rewarding, as participants listed and pick-up lines. explained their early SF&F encounters. Two Re-appearing are ‘Sliders,’ a 1990s low points emerged, that at one time it WAS concept, low budget Sci-Fi series, with a possible to have a first encounter with the Scooby Gang, ‘sliding’ between various relatively hard to find Literary, Movie or TV alternate realities. Other returning series genre, while people born since the arrival of include ‘Flash’ and ‘Dr Who.’ Like the poor, Dr Who, Star Trek or Star Wars, being Futurama, Star Trek Next Gen and Voyager, immersed in Sci-Fi as part of Popular Culture will always be with us? background noise, may not be able to A new Star Trek TV series, ‘Star Trek Destiny,’ identify a Before and After Science Fiction will feature John Luc Piccard, ten years after Consciousness. The second recurring point, his retirement from Starfleet / the Enterprise. which may not occur to the general public Sci-Fi Movie News – A J.R.R. Tolkien that dismissively assumes that ‘All SF&F / Sci- Biographical Movie will be out soon. Fi is the same thing,’ is that we could identify a point when we could recognise that there

20 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 21 was ‘Science Fiction’ and there was wars in 1977, he bought the sound track ‘Fantasy,’ and usually Could choose to but was disappointed that it was more appreciate both genres for their very ‘instrumental’ than the movie. His TV different intrinsic qualities and to tell what viewing included ‘My Favourite Martian.’ parts of a Sci-Fi Movie or TV series was His first exposure to SF books were through Science Fiction and what owed more to ‘Scholastic Book’ editions. He was later Fantasy. disappointed to discover that these had been abridged, to avoid all ‘troubling’ Ann’s first experiences of SF was through TV themes and issues, real stinky, skid mark series, viewing ‘Dr Who’, ‘Lost in Space’, ‘Star bastardisations of the originals. He recalls Trek’, ‘My Favourite Martian’, ‘Time Tunnel’, reading ‘A Splinter in a Mind’s Eye,’ by Alan ‘Land of the Giants’ and ‘Voyage to the Dean Foster, which was ‘crap.’ His first Bottom of the Sea’ (the wet pre-cursor to Star Fantasy reading came via Comics / Trek, with a futuristic Atomic submarine Graphic Novels, where he discovered instead of a Space Ship?) and the two Dr Michael Moorcock’s Grey Mouser and Who movies. Her first SF book was ‘Last Star similar stories. He transitioned from Fantasy Ship from Earth’, by John Boyd, another early to Steam Punk SF, when he realized that SF book that she remembers was ‘The ‘Fantasy,’ and ‘Science Fiction’ were two Conurb and the Country,’ about a society different things. His first interest in where two very different local cultures Astronomy grew from growing up during emerge and have to learn how to live the Halley’s Comet (1985) season. together. She also bought and read SF magazines, like Analogue and Asimov’s, Garry’s first memorable Science Fiction when they were available, while her first reading was through acquiring Fantasy book was ‘The Prince in Waiting’, ‘Ragnarock,’ ‘The Twilight of the Vilp,’ by which was about a Middle Aged Prince Ableman and Edgar Rice Burrough’s various growing up, in waiting for his eventual role as Barsoom titles, and H. Beam Piper’s ‘Little a King. Fuzzies.’ Each was in its own way an ‘only possible in Science Fiction’ thoughtfull kind Diane’s first experiences of SF was gathering of story. I acquired these books through around the family wireless to listen to Radio Summer Holiday Junk shop gleanings, I serials of space adventures like ‘Speed King, didn’t realise it at the time, but these shops King of Space’ (imagine Voyager’s ‘Captain were filled with the effects of the WW1 Proton’ but on radio). Her first SF paperback veterans that were passing on during the would have been John Wyndham’s ‘The late 1960s and early 1970s (i.e. Pre- Chrysalids’, and a series of SF stories, Author Starwars). In Ragnarok, a group of space and title forgotten, which featured a story liner passengers caught up in an interstellar which she does remember, of a first landing Human Vs Alien war, and are stranded on a on Venus being threatened by rapacious harsh world where the Aliens expect them Cytherian Mushrooms / vegetation tying the to to die. They do not, they survive and ship to the ground, which only relent when a they organise, pooling Knowledge, in order spaceman’s stinky hair product is jettisoned, to rise up from their Planet of exile, capture causing the plant life to back off. This same an Alien ship and return to the fight. In the theme re-appeared in the forgettable post ‘The Twilight of the Vilp,’ a SF Writer is having ‘The X-Files,’ David Duchovny movie trouble stopping his imagination running ‘Evolution.’ Her introduction to Fantasy, and away from him, before he can write down an awareness of its differences from SF, a saleable story, he writes of an ancient and arrived in the form of the religiously wise Alien race, whose entire species allegorical C.S. Lewis ‘Out of the Silent reproductive capacity is lost due to a Planet,’ where Earth, was the ‘Silent Planet’, human’s accident, and the Aliens do as a result of our Prayers not being heard. nothing, other than to accept the Dean’s introduction to SF was through Star inevitable that their race is now inevitably

21 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 22 going to die out, at some point in the future. carrying in a very big bag of The adventures on Barsoom were far more Refundables. Spent the AM packing the attractive and imagination inspiring than load, and went off to read the 412 bus stop rival Cowboy and Indian type adventures, timetable. I met the other local gary, who the power of the Eighth Ray indeed, and H. was installing a new gate doorbell / Beam Piper’s ‘Little Fuzzy’ stories were communicator, as recently some Electricity delightful, charmingly cute aliens, with a real and Water meter readers, who unable to scientific mystery. And yes, I still do have gain entry to the premises, to read the these books fifty years after their initial meters, and had instead ‘estimated’ him, acquisition. I watched TV too, more Dr Who resulting in huge and incorrect bills. He than Star Trek, initially, but also all the other seemed to accept my advice that voting TV shows (Then in Black and White), before I for One Nation, might result in the one could read. At High School, my initial nation you would prefer NOT to live in. I discovery of Isaac Asimov’s stories was briefly offered him some bananas, but he too is a side tracked by Mrs Shattock, the School banana refusenik, having Type 2 Diabetes, librarian, she referred me to ‘Other Russian and not being very active, the bananary Writers,’ like Dostoyevsky, but I did linger on goodness is too much for him. As a fellow Alexandre Solsenytzen’s series of books for Garry and a fellow ‘Type Twoer’ I suggested some little while. He read Comics, UFO that he should get a dog, for the exercise books and even (1955 era) Encyclopedias options and he explained that his last dog, before he found that Science Fiction was an 80 kg mastiff, had cost him towards ten ‘The Thing.’ He has been interested in thousand in vet bills! So I left a small bunch Astronomy from an early age, a child of the of bananas for his family, as I later caught a Apollo to Voyager generation and has been midday 412 ($3.66) into town, to Addison a visitor to Sydney Observatory since 1978. Rd. then waited for a 428 ($2.20) to take me This Month NO new Science Fiction or along Addison Rd. Clearly, this time I didn’t Fantasy Books were bought by the Sydney get the expected ‘Transfer’ discount. Mechanics School of Arts Library But there I delivered 7.8 kg of bananas (About one was 1 SF&F E-Book and 1 Audio book. half of my available stock?), and there was a bloke on hand, at the Food Pantry, bothering the staff and customers with a video camera. He was shooting footage for a promotional web documentary I guess, and he wanted to interview me, and we restaged the Donation / handover with the manager, so Garry Dalrymple, blow-in Banana grower from the far off Mount Basenjis in the Wolli Valley (Yes, he offered, so I fed him a more interesting line), might now be ‘World Famous,’ in some parts of Marrickville and the net – go have a look. Then I went off to try to cash in some refundables at the Trash ATM. It was slow going for a while, as half the portals were off line, being full or faulty. My May 1 to 27, 2019 turn came and I managed to clear my Matters of Gravity – Mass 132.2 Kg. aluminium cans and I was half way through Wednesday May 1 - Mass 132.2 Kg. my tetra packs before the ‘Full’ sign went Major concern of the day – up for non-glass items. To wait out the time Mayday Mayday Mayday! Getting a heap until the bloke with the truck came to fix of my bananas to the Food Pantry, as things, I went back to the Food Pantry, payload on an Opal card trip subsidised by fifteen minutes before they shut up shop

22 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 23 and I bought some grocery items, all for $14 shopping trolly with my Trash ATM rejects, (or 28 points). my packaging and my grocery items. On I bought; a pack of Sausages (4 points) (4 the way out, I went to Reverse Garbage, points), two 1.25L bottles of Orange soft drink, where they had some nice things (4 points), four cans of Mountain Dew (4 (Glassware and barrels of ‘Join the Team T- points), two blocks of Chocolate (4 points), shirts’ in S and M sizes) but I successfully three packs of Black Currant jelly crystals (3 resisted the consumerist urge, except to buy points), a 750 ml bottle of Apple & Black a dozen very useful, large fold back clips, current cordial (3 points), Four 200 ml tubs of for $1. cream (2 points), two boxes of crisp bread I met Kate Alway again. I’d met her in the sheets (2 points), one 2L bottle of Vanilla Food Pantry, we have a common Custard (1 point) and a 1 L bottle of milk (1 experience of John August. Her VW, point). Beatrix was unwell. The bloke with the After this, back to the Trash ATM, coz my roadside service truck said – ‘It’s the shopping trolly was still full of plastic bottles carburettor.’ The long term plan for and I had about nine kilos of groceries that Beatrix, when the motor finally snuffs it, is to needed to go into it. go electric, engine out, batteries and wheel hub motors in. So out onto Addison Rd. A list of Refundables cashed in, Wednesday and shy of 4 pm, Chinese food seemed a May 1, 2019, at Marrickville Trash ATM. good idea, so $9 for Chicken something or Type of refundable No. $ Amt. other and special Fried rice for tea. A bit Aluminium cans 216 21.60 knee sore, I decided on a return by 428 Plastic bottles 40 4.00 ($2.20) and 412 ($1.46) busses rather than Tetra packs 18 1.80 the kilometre long hike to the 423 (Enmore Glass Bottle (found on way) 1 0.10 Park stop) and from the 423 (TAB stop) to Total payout (in coupons) $27.50 home. At home, at 4 pm, there is a letter (This emptied about seven milk crates.) from my Superannuation provider, I hope

As I left the Food Pantry, the bloke and the it’s good news. No Walkies tonight, I was refundables collecting truck were there and too tired / footsore. I was through fairly soon, but there was an old Blood 8.45 am – 7.3, 6.15 pm – 5.7. bloke, rather slow moving and possibly Thursday May 2 - Mass 133.1 Kg. cognitively challenged. He had a heap of Major concern of the day – Cleared plastic sacks, about ten times as much stuff newspapers and sent off a letter to the as I had brought, each bag a mixture of glass editor and a Column 8 contribution. bottles, plastic bottles and Aluminium cans, Blood 8.15 am – 6.6, 6.45 pm – 6.4. and, standing in front of the only functioning Friday May 3 - Mass 132.6 Kg. glass bottle portal he was slowly sorting them Major concern of the day – Yes we have a and occasionally finding and putting in a winner! A 2019 Sydney Morning Herald letter glass bottle. This was going Real Slow, and to the editor credit, about selling airspace there was now a line-up of people who ONLY above my hat. Wrote three, but only sent had Glass Bottles with them, who were being off two more letters to the Editor, Notin seriously delayed by him. As I had finished, I service Busses. I have started to go through suggested to him that he might move aside, my address book ‘carding’ the SF&F Writers to put his plastic and aluminium cans through therein. Time to take Rusty for Walkies the machine and let some of the others with tonight, a good haul for me. glass bottles ‘play through,’ or even to just Blood 8.35 am – 6.9, 6.25 pm – 4.8. step aside and complete his sorting. It Saturday May 4 - Mass 131.5 Kg. didn’t get through, he wasn’t hostile, my Rainfall overnight = 8 mm. words just didn’t seem to register with him at Major concern of the day – Getting Stephen all, empathy chip on the blink? So after this set up to use the phone, then dealing with I went off to sit down and re-pack my the deluge of local papers that inevitably

23 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 24 follow in his wake. Did some outdoors I caught a 410 (in a Red bus) to Campsie tidying. Blood 8.30 am – 6.8, 6.00 pm – 6.6. and then a 412 home. These last two trips Sunday May 5 - Mass 132.3 Kg. were both free, counting as transfers. Major concern of the day – Out of both pills At Campsie, there was nothing much for and blood glucose test strips as of now, so a me in the Campsie station Tardis, apart from trip to Campsie will be necessary, another a Piers Anthony (a one-time Basenjis owner) leg to the usual Sunday trip to the Bexley Fantasy, so I went up the road, to a discount North Servo to cash in some Glass and Plastic chemist barn, where I was ‘slugged’ $49 bottles, which I did, see below. (rather than the NDIS card qualified $20 A look at the back corner Banana glade, something, for blood glucose test strips, as reveals that the green bananas growing NDIS cards now have to be renewed every there have been got at by bats presumably, SIX MONTHS, presumably there were too so no great expectations of a harvest from many cripples choosing to opting out of the this source. On the way to the bus stop I had lifestyle (Sarcasm implied here), so this found a Concession Opal card, with a name morning it was $15 in, and about $160 out, on it, might look up the phone book to see if making for another expensive day. this would be a walk-the-dog drop off. At the I did find a red five cent piece after getting bus stop, it has been usurped by two guys off the 412, but that is hardly a ‘material’ and their trucks. They were fixing the recompense for the day’s expenses. intersection traffic lights (they were alright at Walking through the Campsie Rotary 11.30 pm last night). Probably an early Sunday market today, it was very ‘Blade morning bus they said, or, more likely a big Runner-ish’, being Ramadan when most of truck with trailers turning the William St. to our Middle Eastern Community Bexley Rd. corner a too tightly I thought. demographic during daylight were at I caught a 420 bus to Bexley North ($2.20). home, lying low. Today I was out at 10.30 am, and home by 12.15 pm, and as I Type of refundable No. $ Amt. started to write this up, the sky gets darker, Glass Bottles 50 5.00 stormier by 1 pm, so, it was better not to Plastic bottles 100 10.00 have gone on to Marrickville today. Happy Total, in cash $15.00 Ramadan everybody, not much chance of (This emptied out about 8 milk crates) seeing the new crescent moon through the While unloading the bottles, on the servo’s clouds tonight. rear apron, I saw a kerb side junk heap. After Blood There was no am reading today, as I collecting my $15, and with plenty of space had run out of test strips, it would have been in my shopping trolley, I went to have a closer a good one though. 8.30 pm – 5.7. look. The most interesting finds were two Monday May 6 - Mass 131.1 Kg. heavy duty metal under-the-car drip trays, Major concern of the day – Getting to which will also suit the basenjis sleeping Concord Library for the SF&F Book club crates. I also picked up some big (chipped) meeting. We talked for two hours, three porcelain food bowls, which will do nicely as packed pages of notes, about Mary pot plant water reservoirs, much more so that Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein, or the Modern the sun degrading plastic ice cream Prometheus,’ a bit of a record. I spent 9 am containers I’m now using. These are all to 12.30 writing up a recent Sydney Futurian things that I will find useful, they add to my meeting of far shorter length of notes, so this lifestyle, but are things I probably wouldn’t might be an all day job! buy at retail prices. I raise a metaphorical I was out at 1 pm, on a 1.08 pm, 410 bus to glass to serendipity. the library ($3.66), which took about forty Going around the corner, to the Shaw St. minutes to reach the library’s stop. After the Newsagent, I spend $20 (spare one) and $50, meeting finished at 4 pm, I considered my on toping up my Opal cards, which were next step, I have a long backlog of meeting both down to less than $2.20. notes to write up, and there are supposed

24 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 25 to be some Meteors happening tonight Galilean dream was defeated by A, all (between 3 am and dawn / twilight) so I ruled Glasses lenses have an offset focal path, out going to the Observatory tonight, as it and B, all such lenses are now Plastic, rather would have been a 5 pm to 10 pm than Glass. The thing about a Galilean commitment, plus another morning’s work Telescope, Convex Objective lens, writing up the notes, so I took a 410 bus back Concave eyepiece lens (used in opera to Burwood ($2.20) for some Woolworths glasses mostly) is that it gives an Erect grocery shopping, $48.70, three containers image, rather than the Convex, Convex (two meals) of Lemon / Honey Chicken and lensed Astronomical telescope which gives Special Fries Rice $12, and Fish pieces and an inverted (and sometimes left to Right) Potato scallops for tea $7.20. Tried, but image, so, then I went off in search of a the found nothing of compelling interest at St. Shaver Shop, where I bought a $24 electric Vinnies Burwood, but I did a bit of shelf toothbrush, for Mother’s Mother’s day arranging, putting separated books by the present. Caught a M91 (free, a transfer) to same Author together in the one spot. I Ferndale, where I told Mother that it was wonder whether this action would be Christmas, with the Flowers, the Apple Pie classified as a Sin of Pride, an act of and the electric toothbrush gifts. She Penance, or just a little barely submerged replied that she thought that was unlikely Sheldon Cooper style OCD on day release? (good). Unpacked and demonstrated the So, another 410 home ($3.66, where’s my toothbrush for her. I discovered that she transfer discount?), and I was home at 6 pm. did not have enough strength in her right Walkies for Rusty, two encounters with thumb to depress the button (Bad) but she Deliveroo type bike couriers, why? – It’s could do it with her left hand. I filled her in Ramadan – A bonus season for late night, on the usual domestic highlights and took home delivered food, as our Muslim Brothers my leave just before 4 pm. On this in Christ stay up late, eating between Sunset occasion, I thought that a Dominos Pizza and Sunrise, for a moon. Rather annoyingly, might be nice, so I bought in $21.70, and I discovered that I have lost today’s, largely was to a degree suckered in. I.e. they had unread morning newspaper. I went to bed a 50% more for $3 deal on, so I upgraded thinking that I had a bit of a cold starting up, two $5.35 Ham and Cheese Pizzas (of with a sore throat and sniffles. It could have course I I had the Pineapple chunks waiting been a reaction to all the stinky Winter-time at home) to $8.35 pizzas ($16.70) but if I had wood smoke, of an infection headed off by ignored the special offer and just got three last year’s vaccination, anyway, I didn’t get $5.35 ($16.05) the result would have been up and go out to spot Meteors. And then in the same. Clearly this ‘discount’ really only the morning, it was gone. kicks in at higher priced pizzas. Anyway, Blood 7.50 am – 7.5, 7.05 pm – 5.6. three future meals sorted. I waited for a Tuesday May 7 - Mass 131.3 Kg. M91 bus back to Hurstville ($2.20). After Major concern of the day – Getting to see getting off I walked past the new paved Mother, I picked some flowers from the park, more a Devil’s Playground for High garden, the yellow gerberas seem to be School student’s illicit assignations, and an holding up much better than the reds, and outdoor smoker’s feature, in spite of the are very much larger – dunno why. On the multicultural No Smoking / Spitting signs. No way to the bus stop I looked in at the chubby chicks with their afternoon high Clemton Park Cake shop, where I bought calorific solace, with Ramadan, I expect Mother a small apple pie, having it cut in that Macca’s afterschool, pre-teatime quarters in the shop, $3.80, then a 410 ride to school kids snacking revenue is taking a Hurstville, where I paid a phone bill, $55.35 serious hit (McNasties, Building a Bigger and noticing a Spec savers shop in the Mall, Australia, Diabetically). On the 410 bus I had a chat there to one of the staff about home from Hurstville ($1.46), a boot string, the possibilities of using prescription glasses Ramadan moon was very visible, as was the lenses for a Galilean Telescope, but the Moon’s dark sectors, lit up by earthshine.

25 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 26 So, home at 6 pm once more. Warmed a whole setup was like what you see at a Pizza, added the Pineapple, yum yum! Put Scientology office – A well-presented, but one and a third into freezer bags for another customer free space, with under occupied day. The $5 savoury Chicken balls, a dozen staff longing for prospects. The question I rabbit poo sized pieces, failed to impress me did not ask, as I didn’t want to take the much. Late night Walkies for Rusty and shine off their day, having a real live Green Bin night adventures for me. And so customer come in etc., was – How much to virtuous (but not virtual) rest once more. did this office and related promotions cost Blood 8.50 am – 6.5, 6.00 pm – 5.7. and how does this multibillion dollar project, Wednesday May 8 - Mass 131.4 Kg. (I think) with smaller trains, and more people Major concern of the day – Getting out of standing up standing, dumping them into bed! Late start this morning, slept in to 9 am, already crowded transport hubs, actually so all of today’s plans have to change. improve – Oh that’s right, it’s Union Free / Spent the AM mostly writing up the last two Driverless and in chunks that are more easily days. Yellow wonderland! Most banana privatised than the greater Sydney rail bunches are showing yellow, this morning’s System. The official reason usually given is breakfast bananas while still showing some that these smaller trains will load and green, were all perfectly ripe to eat. Now unload just a bit faster, allowing for more comes the dilemma, eat the best or the worst scheduled services per hour (if you can get looking ones first? For future reference, some on one!). Not convinced, Qui bono? / most hands should go into bottom of the Who is making money out of this? fridge cold storage after cutting off the plant, So off to St Vinnies, where I bought two to spread out the fruit availability season? books for $4, then $1.50 for some flat bread, NB. This AM blood score was after eating two and $9.95 for six boneless chicken pieces. small bananas for breakfast Then, via a 445 bus (Free) I was off to Blood 10.30 am – 8.2, 7.10 pm – 6.5. Staples, where for $22.50, I stocked up on ; Thursday May 9 - Mass 131.3 Kg. three 2L long life milk cartons, $6, Two Giant Major concern of the day – Getting to Sausage Rolls, $4.50, two 2L bottles of milk Campsie, to see the doctor about the blood $4.00, four tins of pensioner dog food , $2.80, test results and to get a new NDIS form a Frozen Beef Lasagne, $4.00, two packets signed. Out at 11 am, Stephen dropped by of hotdog rolls and two packets of at 8 am this morning, dumping more papers wholegrain muffins (both six packs) $1.00, on me. I gave him some (still green) two cans of soft drink, $1.00, one tin of bananas for his friend Jacko. Italian Baked beans, $1, two six packs of I caught a 420 bus to Campsie, ($2.20) driven fruitless _Addition_ buns (Definitely NOT Hot by a slightly confused driver, as he was Crossed Buns, after Easter and in the middle stopping at all the 412 bus stops. of Ramadan!), $0.50, and again, No luck at the Campsie Medical centre, my somewhere in there was an inexplicable doctor wasn’t there today, try Saturday, 8 discount – dunno why. And then I had the am to 2 pm was suggested. I went to visit most interesting conversation of the day’s the Metro propaganda Community outing. She had been being given the Consultation suite on Beamish Street. It’s a newbies tour as I was wandering around the shopfront exercise for the new Metro trains, shop looking for my items, and she was at for which they are ripping out the existing the cash register ahead of me, only just services. The place was very well set up, it getting her items into her shopping trolly. had big maps (excluding any other public While doing this, she was muttering regrets transport options), displays, multi-lingual shiny that she had been filling her trolley up with leaflets, couloring in sheets for the kiddies shopping from elsewhere, full retail prices, and even a meeting room, for hosting before coming to Staples. I met her again community non-sultation events. That at the bus stop, she would need to catch morning I was the only visitor, and while I was the first of two busses to get home, and we there, there were two staff present. The discussed things. She had figured out how

26 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 27 to live well enough on the age pension, and I walked around the South and West then she had to take on the care of her sides of the garage, with the toenail clipper, disabled 14 year old Grandson, which was cutting off unwanted opportunistic plant causing a real need to make further life. I cut the bottom off one of the 10 litre economies, as NDIS funding was not helping water bottles, that Stephen dumped on me, enough, which was why she was at Staples to make a reservoir for a potted plant (a today. She said that she had long ago Banana shoot), and I constructed a breeze gotten into the habit of disregarding ‘Best By’ excluding sun shelter for Rusty. Wrote up dates. She too, is living with type two Thursday before lunch. Walkies for Rusty Diabetes, and it’s related costs. tonight. Blood 7.45 am – 6.2, 8.10 pm – 5.6. Life shouldn’t have to be this hard? Saturday May 11 - Mass 130.6 Kg. As I had helped her unto the bus, by lifting Major concern of the day – Getting to the her trolley onto the vestibule of the bus, I Doctor – I was out at 11 am, caught a 420 knew that her load was a fair bit heavier than bus to Campsie ($2.20). There were no mine. For her this was a frugal essential, for books of interest in the Campsie Station me, an opportune saving / lifestyle choice? Tardis. Dr Jhingran tells me that I am well, And so it goes. from the test results and my general A 473 bus ride (free) to Clemton Park Shops, appearance, but he is not so well, which is and a walk up the hill and home at 1 pm. why I haven’t been able to see him for NB. There is an expectation that the Budget some time. My fasting Blood sugar levels ‘Surplus,’ plus tax cuts, projected by the are trending down, towards the ‘Normal’ current Scomo Liberal government, and due level. I stuck around for a Flu Vax, ‘sometime soon, all going well’ is predicated weighing, girth and Blood Pressure test (154 on a multi-billion dollar under spend on the immediately after the flu Vax, but shortly NDIS scheme, for disability support funding. after – 124). I bought some lamb bones Later, I worked on the Media book I’m as ‘shut up’ bribes for Rusty when I go out, building from the Newspaper emails that $5.15 for a bit over a Kilo. The arrival of a Stephen is spamming the Universe with (Must 412 bus ($2.20) cut off my plans to linger speak to him about that!). I did try to watch through St Vinnies. I noted that Oranges some TV, but it seems that my DVR has and Bananas, which I have growing at decided NOT to record the programs that I home, are a now a couple of dollars a kilo, hit ‘record’ on. Passing strange, and adding to my Gross Suburban Product? possibly time to buy another, presumably Blood 9.25 am – 7.0, 8.20 pm – 6.1. equally short lived one. I hope that these Sunday May 12 - Mass 130.8 Kg. appliance makers are NOT involved in Major concern of the day – Going to building the new ideal Android bodies that Canton Noodles for Mother’s day, on offer we will all soon be uploading into! were dishes that were partly noodle based, Real Late night Walkies tonight, we went out so I’m not convinced that this restaurant well after 11 pm, and came home at half- wasn’t named after all the good rice based past midnight. The streets were quiet, but names were already taken. I left home at one bloke waiting at a bus stop was singing 10.30 am, a long wait for a bus to Bexley Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ and it North Station ($1.10), then a train to carried a Looong way. I went out with low Riverwood ($1.49). What is going on here? expectations, but, a lucky strike and I came That was a $2.20 bus trip, so has my Opal home with a full bag! You gotta love those card transmuted to a concessional one at building site slobs, every workday they keep its last recharge? No, it was a Discount that dropping refundables. wasn’t a discount, i.e. after Eight trips, you Blood 9.05 am – 7.0, 9.30 pm – 6.5. travel half price. As it happened, my Friday May 10 - Mass 130.8 Kg. movements this week did add up to eight, Major concern of the day – Definitely an at but this turned out NOT to be a discount, as home day, spending some time preparing it was $1.49 on the train back and $0.20 for for a spamming event of my own?

27 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 28 the bus, so the ‘Discount’ cost more than the engagement with this program is the capped Sunday $2.71. And so it goes. mental exercise of trying to identify the Today I took along a shopping trolley (~1500 ‘real’ historical UFO cases, from within the to 2,000 ea) plastic bottle caps, for Alex’s ‘Science Fictionalized’ story line. I find that school use, and my recent medical reports the retelling has a lot of alien DNA from ‘The for Janene, resulting in a ‘Second Opinion’ X Files’ and ‘The Twilight Zone.’ No Walkies agreeing with the first, that I’m progressing tonight, having done enough walking well. Graeme, Alex’s Father is doing well with today. Nearly Half a Moon tonight, Jupiter his investments (good on him) and I learned was high and bright, I must try for a Eulabah that one of my Mormon relatives featured in Ave. Star night this year, after the election. the ‘Meet the Christians,’ TV program, where Blood am – oops missed, 6.45 pm – 5.4. she felt excluded by the rest of the Xians as a Monday May 13 - Mass 131.1 Kg. result of their view that Joseph Smith, Salt Major concern of the day – Not much done, Lake City, Utah, and all that is beyond their apart from writing up yesterday Stephen ecumenical horizons. But, ‘Good Men’ dropped by at 5 pm. Started sending out among the churchgoing, is a lament ‘Hail Mary’ email, after Walkies for Rusty. common to the ladies of all congregations. Blood 8.50 am, 7.8, 6.40 pm, 6.1. Mother was more with us and decisive over Tuesday May 14 - Mass 131.5 Kg. dish choices than I had expected. Only $40 Major concern of the day – I was up till 2.45 for Mother and myself. Life in the Fast Lane at sending out my last campaign emails. Most Riverwood - After the lunch, I wandered off of the morning was spent sorting through to the Aldis, which was waaaay back in the newspapers. Stephen dropped by to local shopping mall. Riverwood is an collect newspapers leaving me with 515 interesting spot for people spotting. There HTVs (I counted them) plus some vote ‘1’ are Renters and Homeowners sides of the type Democrat corflutes. Found quite a railway line, and there is also a vast ‘suburb’ lot tonight, out for 90 minutes doing the (1,000 letterboxes?) of Social housing, usual night route, including five dozen, still in meaning that there are more frail and plastic Coffee Cups, good for Freecon! disabled people about than you might Blood 8.40 am – 7.2, 7.40 pm – 7.4. expect. Wednesday May 15 - Mass 131.8 Kg. A notable result of this is that Riverwood Major concern of the day – Spent a whole pedestrians have to look out for the ‘fast hour removing the caps and neck rings lane,’ i.e. as you walk along the footpath from last night’s treasures. I started writing there are a surprising number of people up the Concord Library meeting notes from whizzing around on their mobility scooters. Frankenstein. Time for Walkies for Rusty There are also ‘our’ and ‘their’s’ clubs on tonight, found an unlocked bin, so this either side of the railway line. There are large turned the night around. and well frequented Salvoes and St Vinnies Blood 9.45 am – 8.0, 9.00 pm – 6.7. shops next door but one. They are notably Thursday May 16 - Mass 132.0 Kg. short of the shiny behind the cashier items. It Major concern of the day – Finished writing would be interesting to see if the donated up Frankenstein notes, started on more. items in these shops do in fact come from the Blood 8.20 am – 6.7, 7.30 pm – 8.0. ‘Shire’ side of the railway line and sell to the Friday May 17 - Mass 131.9 Kg. Bankstown side. Major concern of the day – Sydney Futurians While shopping at Aldis, I was briefly joined by night, prepared a list of possible rest of 2019 Alex and Janene, fortunately this was before Discussion Topic choices. A trip into town, I added the gummy bears to my shopping, so I planned to returning a SMSA Library $49.75. A bit of a wait for a train ($1.49) and book, getting to the Sydney Futurian a 420 bus ($0.20) and I was home by 3.30 pm. meeting and doing some pre-election After 5 pm, Stephen dropped by, with more things. Left home mid-afternoon, a bus to Newspapers. Later I had a ‘Project Blue Campsie ($2.20), nothing of interest in the Book,’ binge viewing session. Most of of my Tardis, caught a train to Town Hall ($1.08)

28 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 29 and spent an hour or two at the SMSA library, - Mass 132.6 Kg. downing three cups of Hot Chocolate (gotta Major concern of the day – Getting to Town keep the stat up?). Hall, standing around all day, then voting, NO new Science Fiction Books this month at which I did, 9 am to 4.30 pm, with only a few the Library, according to the Newsletter (1 knee resting sit down or ‘pit stop’ breaks to Ebook and 1 Audio book though). I did find the Railway station’s toilet. one Discarded book of interest, about I was out of the house a bit before 8 am, a Mawson and the Antarctic, by Canberra bit later than I had planned, so, from the bus Spec Fiction (and Science) Writer Craig stop, I saw the first of the day’s let’s-get-it- Cormack. Hope to get it signed! While I out-of-the-way voters straggling up to the was there, Dianne Fox dropped by, on her school. To go into town, it is usually a bit monthly round of Galleries and book / DVD cheaper and a bit quicker to catch a bus shops (Lawson’s is closing). I got Diane to (410, 412, 420 or 473) to Campsie then to pick some topics for June to December 2019 catch a train into town ($2.20 plus $1.08 Sydney Futurian meetings. etc.,) rather than the slightly more Bug Bar – If I said Bug Bar to you, you might convenient one stage one hour plus bus think of William S. Burroughs? If I offered you ride (412 or 423) all the way into town bugs to eat (unless you were a Ferenghi) ($4.71). So I caught a Bus to Campsie would it induce you to buy a magazine? No? ($2.20), then a train to Sydenham, as the Well, ‘The Economist’ had a little stand on the Bankstown line trains were NOT running all Town Hall Station concourse offering a ‘bug the way through to the city, necessitating a bar*’ crunchy content inside to interest change of trains, and I arrived at Town Hall people in their ongoing Sustainable Future in time to hear the 9 am chimes of the town coverage. Passing Strange, but attention hall clock. I started handing out Democrat getting. How-to-votes and, as you do, I spoke to Until 5 pm, I tried to keep reading the 1831 various to fellow hander outers, and fielded edition of ‘Frankenstein, or the New occasional ‘The Australian Democrats?’ Prometheus,’ by Mary Shelley, but in the end, inquiries under the eyes of the Town Hall’s I reached about page 200 of 215 and called ‘Men in Black’, who were there to minimise ‘Time’ on it, handing it back and leaving for damage to building and surrounds. I UTS, on a bus ($2.20). After the Futurian noticed that around the Town hall were meeting (four people and three Rats sighted) several bait traps, presumably this is to keep I went across the road to Woolworths for down the ‘Rats in the Ranks’ on City of some grocery shopping $??.?? And then to Sydney Council? As the entrance was on McNasties, where I Bought Eight of their $2.50 the Southwest side of the Town Hall, we burgers (marked down to $1 each) on the were in shade all day, so no sunblock basis that this was 2 or three meals (plus dried needed! Generally, it was quite a civilised fruit, bananas and nuts) sorted, and at only day. I finished up at 4.30, in time for a last $1 each, it was probably hurting them more toilet ‘pit stop’ for the day and with just commercially than it was hurting me health enough time to catch a 412 bus home, at wise for this once a month indulgence. I 4.45 pm ($4.71), in time to vote before polls caught a later than usual bus, a 412, ($4.71) closed at 6 pm – which I managed, just. which got me home just on 11 pm. Checking The sun set during the bus trip, and a full-ish out the Clemton Park Public School fences moon rising, reddened by bush burn off and set up my two Democrat corflutes, smoke haze could be seen, when the bus facing each other, in ‘conversation’ up momentarily faced South on the way out of Eulabah Ave. and across Bexley Rd. Then to the City. It was fully dark when I arrived at bed, to sleep the sleep of the virtuous and the Clemton Park School gate, AEC staff the just, until a 6 am Election Day wake up. were out with torches etc., and the school *The ‘bug bar’ was a Peppermint Cricket Bar. fences had already been stripped of Blood 9.00 am – 7.8, 11.00 pm – 7.3. political banners and corflutes before I Saturday May 18, Federal Election Day arrived – with the exception of my one

29 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 30 ‘Vote 1 Australian Democrat’ corflute, which with plywood, are still up on the roadside had kept the bastards honest Midnight to 6 poles, held up by roofing screws, that will pm, when I took it down and took it home. need a hex drill bit to shift? A bit tired, rather sore in the knees, but overall I still have the two (unlooked at) weekend quite a rewarding day. I made up a big bowl papers to work through, the election news of Spaghetti and meat sauce (Can of isn’t too promising, I would have preferred a tomato soup, 200 grams of mince and 200 change of government, but it seems likely grams of dry Spaghetti) ate most of it, that its PM ScoMo again, with some slight watched the ABC post-election coverage ‘editing’ of his crew, perhaps we will win for a bit, seats being tentatively awarded Eurovision this year, instead? given the vast number of cast before the Walkies for Rusty tonight? election votes that would only be counted Blood 8.10 am – 7.4, 11.30 pm – 6.6. After the votes on the day, for the house of reps. were opened up and tallied on the Monday May 20 - Mass 131.5 Kg. night, with the Senate votes to be counted Major concern of the day – A day of after this. In the face of this uncertainty, I movement, I mowed the back lawn, Rusty’s decided on an early night, instead of Bathroom, I cleared half of the driveway, watching To Be Confirmed speculation lifting four metres of root mat and plants into about seats being ‘Won’ or ‘Lost’ on these the Green bin, the ants were swarming at incomplete available figures. And so it goes. multiple locations, all under a smoke Blood 7.30 am – 7.2, 6.15 pm – 6.7. bronzed sunset. Later, the full-ish Moon Sunday May 19 - Mass 132.6 Kg. passed Jupiter at about a three degree or Major concern of the day – Dealing with the 4 or 5 diameter separation. election aftermath, papers collected and a Walkies for Rusty, and good haul for me. report to write. Stephen phoned in, with his Blood 8.10 am – 7.4, 6.50 pm – 5.8. election-day report, some interesting points Tuesday May 21 - Mass 131.3 Kg. raised. By 11 am I was ready to go to the Major concern of the day – Wrote up an Bexley North Servo to cash in some Glass and Stephen’s Election day encounter into a Plastic bottles, $2.20 there, $0.00 back. Basenjis Tail piece, and sent an email to Hugh and Alex about Woolworths Type of refundable No. $ Amt. earn&learn promotional stickers. Under a Glass Bottles 55 5.50 full-ish moon rising, struggling to be seen thru Plastic bottles 80 8.00 smoke haze and clouds, I reduced Total, in cash $13.50 environmental pollution by taking down (This emptied out about 7 milk crates, some abandoned Australian Conservative cleared out my big bottles collection.) Corflutes. I see that a pair of Linda Burney’s are still roofing nail attached to the At Bexley North Woolworths I buy $%%% worth roadside posts. I seem to have a swollen of Grocerie and collect a very generous and infected thumb, way up under the nail, string of School Funding stickers. I bought now how did that happen? Walkies for Eight Round Bread Rolls for $3, before seeing Rusty and Green bin night for plant matter! that they also had knot rolls. While out and Blood 9.10 am – 7.8, 8.00 pm – 6.3. about I could see that Liberal and Australian Wednesday May 22 - Mass 131.1 Kg. Conservative (Romulan Faction) the Major concern of the day – Wrote up the candidate’s corflutes are still hanging on, May Sydney Futurian meeting and I cleared uncollected, perhaps they will disappear in a few newspapers. Agriculturally, I cleared the night tonight. Liberal Candidates away some of the dying / yellowed Banana around here tend to be one-shot wonders, leaves, to allow clearer sunlight cradle snatched from the Private School opportunities for the rest. I obtained the boys of the Sydney University Liberal (actually NSW, SA and Vic Senate vote figures, just very conservative) Club, so they are rarely the group totals and probably not the final collected after an election. Some of the counts at this stage, postals and possibly Linda Burney, Labor member, ones, backed

30 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 31 some out of area figures to be added later. getting a Pizza with extra Pineapple on Plans to visit Mother today … lapsed. it, and while ‘last man on Earth’ thoughts Blood 8.25 am – 8.2, 8.45 pm – 5.8. might be depressing, a slice of pineapple IS Thursday May 23 - Mass 130.8 Kg. Major something to look forward to. So I loaded concern of the day – Many, including: Visiting up $20 worth of refundables (Big bag and a Mother, Rhubarb, Loyalty Card, Cashing in full shopping trolley, clearing 8 milk crates) on Refundables, Night Shirts, New Glasses, and went out at 2 pm.

Pineapple Rings and Herrings in Tomato My refundables score for today was; Sauce, and a dead Duck – Given the Type of refundable No. $ Amt. possibilities of the Opal card for allowing Plastic Bottles 170 17.00 journeys interrupted by stops, I imagined that Glass bottles 23 2.30 I Could bus down to the Bexley North Servo Total, in cash $19.30 with a load of Refundables, cash them in, A 410 bus ($2.20), for the single long stop to and then continue on to see Mother, a no- Bexley North, and at the servo I came up additional cost weekday away mission seven plastic bottles short (the infamy of it), instead of the usual Sunday $2.20 trip there so I only got $19.30, then back on to and back. I tried this this afternoon. another, nicely timed 410 bus to Hurstville I started my day, after reading the paper, at ($1.46), as the trip is usually a $3.68 charge, the computer, looking up ‘Night Shirts’, the the stratagem had worked. At a Hurstville slightly archaic (Think of the nocturnally and Newsagent, $50 put on the Opal card, and spectre-ly interrupted Ebenezer Scrooge) but a M91 (free) to the nursing home. more comfortable alternative to the gift of Approaching, I could see that Mother’s two the Raj, the cotton pyjamas ‘suit’. outdoor pot plants had been watered – I found that they were available on line, by good – but on arrival at Mother’s room, it mail order, but also from Lowes, hopefully was like the Marie Celeste (the early Conan from their many local suburban stores. Doyle story), Lights on but no body home – Then, as an aspiring Rhubarb Wine maker, I bad. So I put in the flowers, and then looked up ‘Rhubarb Forcing’ and I found awaited the return of bus trip at 3.30 pm, that it was a peculiarly West Yorkshire but Mum was not on this. Alarming? No, practise, the details of which you might find Mother had been taken to the Dentist by elsewhere in this issue of TBS&E. Ruth, a $500 and less much scenic trip than It was interesting, but not entirely helpful to the $15 bus trip. Spending my inheritance my plans for greater Rhubarb production, is what it is! but I DO have a cabinet in the garage that As I had on hand some money intended for might do the trick, for a small experiment. some new glasses (at Specsavers, two pairs Looking up an email and using the phone, I for $150 etc.,) I was able to re-imburse Ruth had a nice Astronomy conversation with on the spot, and we had a chat to Mum someone at the Woolworths Loyalty Card. before leaving before 4 pm, as the window My replacement card, is as they say, in the of opportunity to visit Specsavers closed as mail. Reviewing the Woolworths special I stood waiting 40 minutes for an ‘every ten offer emails disclosed that 432g cans of Dole minutes’ bus service, until a 943 bus, tail Pineapple slices were now on offer for $1. gated by a N91 bus finally showed up, for a Given that I had voted under a full moon, $2.20 trip back to Hurstville, via the scenic giving a ‘1’ to the local Fred Nile (Think Jerry route. On the way to this bus stop I passed Falwell or Mary Whitehouse) candidate, all the house beside the servo that had been signs that point to a Zombie Apocalypse previously festooned by the election being upon us soon (see the composition of corflutes of Mr Gambian, the ALP the new Australian Senate) so I thought it Candidate of this Parish. None there today, best to lay in some stocks. Now, while the except for the one fixed in concrete based chances of a Zombie Apocalypse may seem bill board. slight, it is reassuring to know that if one does At the Hurstville vulgardrome, I shopped at occur, I need not be caught out while Aldi $51.70 (including a dozen Herrings in

31 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 32 Tomato sauce) and then to Woolworths for Hurstville, under the watch of Jupiter, I only $14.00, but I earned a spectacular caught a 410 bus home ($1.46), arriving looking score of earn&learn stickers, as the home at about 6 pm, to notice a cryptic tins of pineapple slices, 10 each, each sign warning me about a dead duck in the carried bonus points and stickers. toilet. Which was later clarified by Stephen About the stickers, I asked three staff phoning me to explain that while he had members what the exact benefit to schools visited Rusty in my absence (leaving each sticker represented, but no-one at the Newspapers for me and some second hand shop knew. Now Dole Pineapples do come food for Rusty), he had used the outdoor with a story, and it isn’t a particularly nice toilet, during which he had dropped a one. Dole owns much of the productive bottle of ‘Toilet Duck,’ which had shattered land on Hawaii, and they only grow and spread slippery stuff all over the floor. Pineapples for export, so the Islanders not No worries, vale one toilet duck I guess. only have been alienated off their traditional Walkies tonight for Rusty, where we ran into lands (by the children of the American a group of young people, the girls were all Missionaries that took over this once British quite taken by Rusty, and competed for his Protectorate) but they have to pay Import fickle attention, but he was more interested Prices for most food items. In-store, trying in sniffing bins, how quaint. not to be noticed was a young bloke with a strap on display tray offering … they turned Garry’s Report on the Federal out to be hand heaters. Moderated Iron Election day, of Saturday, oxidation generating heat (I leave you to May 18, 2019. look up how energetic this reaction can be), with activated carbon to soak up the An Index to this report hydrogen, neat stuff, but potentially bomb A - General worthy in quantity in the wrong hands. The packaging fine print of this item read – B - At Clemton Park, on Friday Night, Not for Diabetics. Momentarily detaching before Election day the bloke from his mobile phone and social C - At Sydney Town Hall media feed life support, I tried to console him D - So, Who was there, the Parties? that at least he was not promoting the The Australian Democrats adjacent product display, which would have The Science Party required him to offer his ’Big Orange Balls’ to Kerryn Phelps, Ind. for Wentworth strangers, for there was an end of the aisle The Animal Justice Party Darrell Lea (the Gay brother of the US Sara Lea founder?) confectionary stand, which is The Sustainable Australia Party the first sign of them that I have seen since The Independents for Climate Action the collapse of their distinctive chain of The Liberal Party shops. I bought some, out of curiosity, they The Labor Party were only $2 a packet, presumably on The Greens special and they turned out to be oversized, The Flux Party thin coated Jaffas. They were not bad, but The Liberal Democrats Party they are not something I plan to buy on a The Australian Conservatives Party regular basis, due to blood sugar level The Christian Democrats (Fred’s Party) considerations etc., So, out of the mall and Jim Molan’s Friend awaiting a bus home, pineapple slice And Some Others dreaming (Hawaii Toast for lunch, Ham, cheese and Pineapple slices, toasted, yum, E – My Significant Events of the day. Burgers with pineapple slices, yum), as what F - HTV avoidance techniques meal isn’t improved by a slice of Pineapple G - Who was Not There? on the side? As the silken cloak of mistress night gently draped the back streets of H - Some People, behaving badly?

32 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 33 I - At Clemton Park Public School on voters and the HTV handers out. Saturday, Election Day Seriously, Logan’s Run style. The voters J - Stephen Bingle, at Leura Public were as you might expect, mostly Saturday day shift Workers and Shoppers. The School homeless, the other inner city constituents A - General – Due to my involvement with were not present and voting in great the Australian Democrats, my ‘Election Day’ numbers, I guess they have other survival started a bit before Saturday, and will concerns. continue on for some time, until I can get Physically, the action was contained in the seat by seat polling booth results for the NSW space between the Town Hall and the Senate voting to analyse. Anglican Cathedral. The polling place was the lower Town Hall, with entry halfway B - At Clemton Park, on Friday Night down the side of the building and down I got home from the Sydney Futurian meeting some stairs to the Lower Town Hall. The exit just on 11 pm. Walking back from the 412 was on the opposite, Druitt Street side of the bus stop, 50 metres away from the South East building. Clemton Park School gate, I could see that A HTV offering reception funnel formed, almost every metre of school fence was lining both sides of a with a 50 metre long covered by single use plastic sheet ‘Vote corridor leading to the lower Town Hall’s Labor’ stuff. The arrogance of it made, and ‘down the steps’ entrance and magic the profligate waste of it, made it real easy chalked line, a threshold beyond which for me to decide Nup, gunna have to Vampire like, persons bearing political livery preference Liberal before Labor this time. were not allowed to cross. There was however a single one metre gap A Town Hall guard / Man in Black was between two of the five metre long Labor stationed at all times behind the reception sheets, enough for my single ‘Vote 1 funnel, in front of a set of steps leading to Democrat’ corflute. It happened to be the Upper Town Hall, to block entry, but this visible from Eulabah Ave., a side street off only attracted some voters to this entrance, Bexley Road, which is much used on Election seeing it as a way to avoid the reception day for voter parking. funnel. This was also promoted, by the That night l prepared my election day rig, Australian Conservative taking the Non which was a double sided Democrats T-shirt Conservative approach by placing his and a Wraparound (two A4 sheets) for my stand up corflute in the middle of the path hat, i.e. in standing in the HTV offering line, I through the funnel, causing a deviated represented a two metre high striking, Easter stream of voters, some of which ended up Island-like ‘They is here’ visual reinforcement in the ‘rough,’ and having to pick their way to voters. Counting the HTVs left in the through the tank trap like maze of stood up plastic pockets that I had attached to the corflutes that were behind the HTV offerers. two Democrat corflutes revealed that about half a dozen had been taken during the day. Off to the Cathedral side of the square, We will have to see if the results of my efforts there was a sausage sizzle operation, a at Clemton Park Public School eclipsed those fund raiser on behalf of the Cathedral of Stephen at Leura Public School AND draw School (housed in the high rise office block some conclusions for future elections. behind the Cathedral), which was still C - At Sydney Town Hall – Arriving at the serving up ‘Democracy Sausages’ after I Sydney Town Hall, via a security fence maze left at 4.30 pm. At various points during the created by the ongoing Tram installations, I day one of their BBQ masters was even was struck by two things, the Laura Palmer prone to breaking out into song! (wrapped in Plastic) unity ticket, both major My other Heroes of the day were those who parties had plastic poster sheet covered ‘Stand and Watch,’ the Black suited Town every available surface, to deny others Hall Security People, who were on site visibility, and the relative youth of both the before and after voting opened and closed

33 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 34 for the night, which is a lot of more standing Lavender tones, directed no around than I was up for. preferences and its reverse side listed her D - So, Who was there? aims and achievements over her brief (This is from my recollections aided by the tenure. At the end of the day, they gave HTV material I collected on the day) me one of their shirts to take home, a size The Australian Democrats – Me and Mayo XXXL, so if in a Harry Potter Universe I had been their house elf, they had set me free. M. I handed out 200 HTVs over the 7 and a During the day they also offered me Fruit half hours, Mayo, who was away for some and Baked Goods! I spent a lot of time time looking at other nearby polling booths, talking to one of their number, a Very nice fielding phone calls and so forth, but she did Glebe resident (What, Not a Coastal stay on, after I had left, so she may have person?), who is trying to earn a living using handed out about 100 or so on the day. her Mind. Umm, interesting concept. She Preferentially I offered them towards older even had a sense of humour, an app that people, but during the day there were a few most young people don’t seem to have, so younger people who searched out a I suggested to her that she should aim to Democrat HTV, and were glad to see us target the voters wearing board shorts, i.e. there. There were a few ‘What are the coastal Wentworth voters, she replied that Democrats, are they a new party?’ she kept confusing the Cadbury Purple questions, and the traditional ‘When are you tabard wearing A.E.C. workers (For the going to apologise for the GST,’ … errr both colour of the Suffragettes?), for her own Labor and the Liberals agreed to it, we were side’s polling booth workers. So I will the party that moderated its harsher edges remember her forever, whenever I see and negotiated some compensations for it. Cadbury Purple, wear the T-shirt close to my There was also one curious interviewer, heart, or suffer a twinge of knee pain. mobile phone in hand, who I think wanted to put us (Mayo and I) on the spot with an The Animal Justice Party – One or two of interrogation about ‘Energy.’ We both gave them during the day. I spent some time in him rather more detailed answers, what for conversation with one of then, a Senate us was ‘General Knowledge’ current among candidate AND a Phd student (Space members of a forty year old Environmental Science!). He disclosed some interesting Party, than the General Ignorance he was details, such as that his party had chosen perhaps expecting. Unfortunately there are twelve priority seats to stand in, based on a lot of ‘App-fed’ young people whose on Pet Ownership Statistics (I’d like to see line Trivia knowledge is very high, but their those). When I said to him that very few background General Knowledge is so poor people would disagree with his party’s as to cripple their understanding of many premise, that cruelty to animals is a bad important issues. thing, that should be prevented, but that for The Science Party – He, the one of him, most people are going to put this issue ahead of Work, Life, Death and Taxes type showed up at 1.35 pm, and there was only issues to vote 1 for you. He replied that the one of him, the lead NSW Senate they were aware of this and there were Candidate. These people gave us a vote internal discussions as to whether their ‘2,’ by the back of their HTV, they also cause could better be served by espouse a raft of Australian Democrat advocating their cause within a party that compatible policies. He also features a bit could offer parliamentary representation, later in my report. rather than continuing to get one of their Kerryn Phelps Independent for Wentworth number elected as a single issue party – Were very Nice People, Three of them representative. At one point, some other during the day, they had limited objectives, people, with Dead Sheep placards did as they were trying to round up a few out of show up and hung around us for some time area votes for the nearby seat of Wentworth. (The animal Cruelty Party?), purpose Their A4 sized HTV, in Cadbury Purple and unclear. To me, he distanced himself from

34 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 35 the consequences of their too seem to want to re-organise Politics confrontational activities. He seemed like a along Borg lines, with elected reasonable bloke. representatives acting as Drones directed Sustainable Australia Party - Just the one of by the will of an online constituent them, present most of the day, armed with a collective mind. low carbon footprint, small A6 sized HTV. A nice thought, but I’ve seen this done on The Independents for Climate Action – several Sci-Fi shows (The Orville and even There was one bloke, arrived very late in the Original Star Trek) and it just does not end day, they gave him a too small T-Shirt to well, with the current Angels of best wear, which made look like he had suffered intentions usually swamped by Trolls of the from a recent Global Warming induced lowest common denominator. Their Growth Spurt. His HTV A6 sized HTV did have colourful A5 HTV gives an outline of their a parties and policies guide on the back, party’s philosophy, but not much else. they had to invent a new policy to make The Liberal Democrats – A veritable aging themselves the party with the Most (by boy band / gang of young men, Laddish, number) Sustainable policies, and to put the possibly Private School boys all, No Women Greens ahead of the Australian Democrats. among them, their mantra was ‘Why Pay Liberal – A blue Haze of Volunteers, almost Taxes?’ Why indeed! I did speak to their all young, rather more bodies than they NSW Secretary / Membership bloke. They needed. I did see the local Liberals Head had at times a Rugby team of blokes on Girl candidate. Tiny and Teenage? But was hand, their mantra ‘Why pay Taxes.’ she a Huffenpuff or a Slithereen? Her HTV I had a reasonably long conversation with was perhaps more explicitly Conservative their NSW Membership Secretary. It seems than Jim Molan’s. They also offered a that in their Post Leyjonhelm phase i.e. Whole of NSW single sided A3 listing seats without a sitting member, they are having and detailing Liberal preference choices, party Registration difficulties now that they giving no party attributions to show any light need to document their membership on who their preference sharing deals numbers with correct and verifiable Name involved. and Address details, which is to be Labour - A Red Haze of Volunteers, almost all expected among a group of people young, rather more bodies than they attracted to the banner of a Laisse Fair needed. They had a HTV listing Senate and ‘Libertarian’ Party? Also, post Leyjonhelm, all lower house seat preference, without there has been a mood shift and a party attributions. considerable amount of membership Both of these major parties seemed rather turnover among the Liberal Democrats, as short of non-Anglo faces, compared to the ‘his’ people have left, raising all sorts of stream of voters present. Their conversations possibilities, including perhaps a personal or were exclusively same colour. corporate turn to more ‘Liberal’ or The Greens – Mostly Young People, a fair ‘Democratic’ positions? They had a HTV and an A6 policy flyer, with few of them, is Green-ism something that a policies scoresheet on the back, all Green most people out grow, or do they send older ticks for them, mostly red crosses for others, Greens off to labour camps, when they start Aust. Democrat Free, of course, don’t want to develop age related Bourgeoisie an _informed_ political debate. tendencies? Their HTV did list the other Sydney Candidates Party affiliations, their The Christian Democrats (Fred’s Party) – Senate preferences were disclosed as mostly It is unkind to be age-ist but … well, the few ‘Left,’ with some party policies on the back. people they had present looked rather old The Flux Party – One bloke, all day, in a T- and pew worn, but always hopeful, but they were seemingly oblivious to the reality shirt easily confused with that of the Science that even next to the Sydney Moore Party. Very colourful HTV, but I do not think College’s Pharasaical style fortress against he gave many away during the day. They all forms of kinder, gentler and more

35 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 36 accepting modes of Christ like living, that were having a demo today, on the steps most of the ‘Young People’ (the under fifties) of Town Hall, Direct Political action and so simply do not share the CDP’s pre- forth. I did try to talk to them about occupation with judgmentalism on the pursuing their goals through multiple presumed lifestyle ‘sins’ of other people. If political parties, but Confrontational Direct you engaged them in conversation, you did Action and Storming the barriers to social so at the risk of a one way conversation process by massed political action seemed about the sins of the world, and other moral to be their preferred solution. I do not think darkness, with not much space for God’s that they understood that people other Love on their political platform. At least than Left Activists could share their though they had posters of what looked like concerns on important social issues, so their Fred’s grand-daughter to support on the chances of success, for their worthy day? Oh you mean that’s his Second Wife? objective would seem to be self-limiting? Their HTV featured their party’s Tolerances What I did NOT tell them was that on one and intolerances. occasion, some years back, responding to Jim Molan’s Friend – Was one old bloke, the claim that ‘If white people died in Prison who spent most of the day standing at the same rate there would be an uproar,’ friendless, like an old bloke on a school time so someone did actually look into Deaths in bus, waiting for the private school oiks to give Custody, applying the indigenous ‘rate’ to him a seat. He was mostly ignored by the Non-Indigenous prison population numbers younger voters and pointedly so by the and discovered that this predicted 206 massed Liberal group think collective. His deaths over the period of the indigenous HTV was vote ‘1’ Jim Molan, then the rest of deaths. But, the actual number of Non- the liberals, leading on to Clive Palmer, Fred’s Indigenous Deaths in custody was – 208, Party and a ‘12’ for the Liberal Democrats, and No Public Outrage at all. Clearly, all much as you would expect for a Liberal on Deaths in Custody are a great concern, but that party’s Conservative (Dark?) side, but the Campaigners would probably get more aimed at rounding up possible preferences bang for a buck if they worked for reducing from some fellow conservatives. Aboriginal rates of Incarceration AND on All The Australian Conservatives – there were deaths in custody, especially as some dead a few about, one or two all day, they prisoners are only identified as being seemed new to the game, (see above), and indigenous, only After they had died. not susceptible to well-intentioned advice on Tram work – At times there was building conduct or reasoned argument. noise wafting down to us, on the HTV HTV, curiously not collected. reception funnel, making it difficult to be Some Others – We shared the space around heard or to offer a HTV. the Town Hall and the Cathedral with a E – My Significant Events of the day Sausage Sizzle and the Caravan booking office for The Comedy Festival, which Doing the Democrat thing – There was a finished on Sunday, the day after the Liberal stand up corflute that ended up in election (when many of us really could do the middle of the walkway through the HTV with a laugh?). reception funnel. It was in the Voter’s way, The Royal Banking Commission (?) Some- it upset the Labor people, it upset the Greens. What was to be done? The how I picked up a flyer from them, about Democrats, acting on this progressive Superannuation issues, no candidates, but consensus decisively moved it back out of an interesting Public outreach initiative. the voter stream, no repercussions, a Indigenous Deaths in Custody – I met two balance of reason and common sense Very young people who were (briefly) triumphing over the eternal Right / Left handing out a voters’ guide and a leaflet political divide. about today’s rally and an Art Gallery Photographers – In the morning there were Installation about Deaths in Custody. They quite a few photographers about, mostly

36 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 37 Asian tourists I would think, most beaming paper with ‘How-to-Vote’ (A HTV) by with smiles and photographing this (to them) party faithful, or relatives of the candidate, unusual Australian Festival of Political the official intention is to let you know the Diversity without social disorder or the need preferences that the party behind the for State approval. At one point, while I was hander outer suggests as like-minded and in conversation with the Science Party guy, a hence deserving of your ‘2’, ‘3’ and ‘’4’ woman came and photographed us, votes. Realistically, these do not change claiming ‘What a wonderful picture of two voters intentions in a Road to Damascus sort Conservative Australians we made!’ of a way, but they do show that you are We both protested, ‘But We Ain’t No There and Around for voters, and Conservatives!’ Me in my Aust. Democrat T- consequently you will pick up some ‘At least shirt, Him in his Science Party jumper, but for they showed up’ votes over the other her, the proof was that we were standing, parties that were not so represented. Really bracketing an Australian Conservative it’s ‘Nudge’ politics rather than ‘Push corflute, which was behind, her foreground, Politics.’ During Australian elections, some and being ignored by everyone but the ‘snowflake’ voters, who are confronted by photographer – passing strange. the idea that they are actually ‘Forced’ to Yes I was photographed / filmed several give a damn about their country’s other times, you do wonder what these will governance. Actually they are ‘Forced’ to be captioned as by the Chinese Security ATTEND and get their name marked off. forces, or ASIO files. What they do with their ballot really is up to Dressing up – Most people come as they are them, vote, not vote, vote informal, or to to vote, it being a weekend and all that, but vote ‘dick and balls,’ by putting a choice some people do show up very fashionably comments on the otherwise pristine ballot dressed (Why on a Weekend?) and others en paper. route for elsewhere, like for a full drag Some HTV Avoidance techniques Chinese Wedding, show up in almost observed today included; These are all Cosplay finery. I did see some SeaOrg level ‘alternatives’ to just saying ‘Thank you but Scientologists, from their Castlereagh St. no,’ and passing on, or just walking by with bunker around the corner, in full ‘Naval’ a smile and a negating wave offered in the uniform and ratings work uniforms, so, even direction of your offered HTV. In Australia Scientologists vote at Sydney Town Hall. HTV offerers do not bite, we do not follow Democracy tourism? - At one point, up the you home, or fire bomb your car if you HTV reception funnel a large group formed, refuse our HTV or even if you vote for the voices from within a tight bunch. What was Wrong party. If you must avoid a polling this, an organised Democracy tourism place on Election Day, like our Vampire group? A guided tour to see the dangerous Community, you also may apply to vote by Political animals in their native habitat, post, where there are no HTV offerers without bars or glass between you and these between you and the letterbox. creatures of the political Wilderness? Nup, Hands in pockets – Sorry, I’ve got no it was an organised Saturday morning hands, so I really just can’t take your HTV. Cathedral tour, but it had many of us going Mobile Phone to Ear – Can’t you see that there for a minute. I’m on a really important call now, so you I very nearly got a passing American tourist, are Really So Rude to try to offer me a HTV entangled in our reception funnel, to go in at the Moment. and vote ‘Democrat’, before he was Sunglasses and headphones – I can’t see rescued by his wife and they wandered off in you or hear you, so I can’t possibly take a search of Darling Harbour. HTV from you. This is an expansion of the

F - HTV avoidance techniques – (Mostly phone user (above) but it is less aggressive. for our overseas readers) At most Australian The Dead Eyed Stare - Looking straight elections you may be offered a piece of ahead, striding down the HTV offerer’s line,

37 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 38 avoiding any eye contact with the HTV (other than the Laura Palmer tributes) offerers at all, face set in a fixed sneer of seen or experienced today. No sunburn abject contempt for those that believe in either, I must do this again next year. See stuff. These are voters who have made up the Australian Conservatives bit. their minds, if they have them to make up, During the day I occupied many spots on feel free to speculate whether their political the HTV reception funnel, like penguins in convictions are stronger than their the cold, there is a natural instinct to personalities, or as bitter and twisted as their migration to what seems to be a more facial expressions at the thought of any form advantageous also, you pick your spot to of required public involvement, like voting. stand, and you do unconsciously step out of I’m a Crazy person and I’ve already made up line to offer a HTV if the voter seems likely to my Mind who I’m voting for – Sorry, I was accept one off you, occasionally leaving confusing a voter with one of the more you standing mid-stream and a bit self- extreme party’s HTV hander outers, this conscious. One of the more stationary HTV occasionally happens if you stand up in the offerers was a lady in an electric wheel sun all day, without a hat. chair, and we had conversation. Electric The Mobile Phone Zombie walk – walking Wheelchairs always interest me, because towards the polling place, with your eyes they are / should be the cutting edge of fixed on the small screen, as if it offers the true Electric transport, more car like than electric meaning of life, the Universe and Everything. bike in solving human plus battery mass And the best HTV avoidance effort of the day issues. The Self Drive car technology is an was – a bloke dragging two suitcases on indulgence, its application to Wheel chair wheels to the booth, No hands free, I mean I and other immobility sufferers could be life know there is Formal and Informal voting, but changing independent human Mobility do you really need two suitcases for a really does matter, i.e. if you are dependent wardrobe change before voting? on others, then you can’t get up and Conversely – During the day you do see around to participate in what life offers? people who you really do think you have This lady’s wheel chair had ‘Stand up’ seen once or twice before, going down the capacity, i.e. she could use it to raise herself HTV reception line. After all, for many from a seated position to reach people, Election day is the one day of the Supermarket shelves without help, and it’s year that most people experience the most range would allow her to drive herself from number of people who are really pleased to her home in Newtown to Town Hall and see them, briefly. Or, it just might be that home again (20 kms?), so she was they are wearing a frequently sold and independent of Taxis or scheduled Disabled popular T-Shirt design. accessible busses, which was a Great Plus. G - Who was Not There? So I was greatly surprised when an Angry Conspicuously absent from both Town Hall Green, from the other side of the HTV and Clemton Park were; No sign whatsoever reception funnel came across to me to of One Nation or Clive Palmer’s UAP, and its confronted me and demanding that I back many daylight averse Candidates. I heard off, stop crowding her party colleague reports that Clive had hired some back because she is immobile and that I should packers to give out HTVs at some booths, 100 stand well away, all this was spoken Over hired, two turned up etc., I just hope that the lady in the wheel chair. they were all paid in Cash, up front, before I stated that I apologised if I had in fact the gig, coz there’s currently a loooong given any offence, but as I had not heard queue of people to get money out of Clive. any protest from the lady in question, who I regarded as being able to speak her own H - Some People, behaving badly mind, I had assumed that no such offence It must be said, that it was a very civilised day had been taken. The Angry Green did not out, with no major acts of political bastardry accept this ‘defence.’ Later on, the lady

38 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 39 in the chair said to me that she was used to many locals had voted before election this sort of patronising ‘taking strong offence day. Acceptances of HTVs was down on on behalf of others’ behaviour, and that she previous years, but many people did bring didn’t at all mind my proximity, or my their HTVs back for re-use. Also, a lot of conversation. We also agreed that today, people were using their mobile phones to this one day of the year, her disability, which look up details that would previously be required her to offer HTVs while seated, was given by HTVs. On Sunday Morning he was an advantage. Tired, to the extent of cancelling his plans to attend this month’s Dr Who event at Club I - At Clemton Park Public School on Burwood. Saturday, Election Day A brief exit poll conversation with an AEC Basenjis Tail Piece for May 2019 official revealed that only Labor, Liberal and While the path to true happiness is a path Greens supporters had shown up at Clemton that is best walked alongside a Basenjis or Park School today. I did spot a Clive Palmer two, there are times in the course of newspaper advertisement (Right place for it) ordinary life, when you meet ordinary in the polling booth bin, brought in as a HTV people and for a brief time, unexpectedly (or as a How Not To Vote?) but that was all the mirror cracks and you see into the deep there was to be seen from the ‘minors’ today and personal abyss of other people’s Who I voted for – Ummm this was a bit of a suffering, people whose demeanour gives problem here, ethically, as the Barton ticket no hint to the unique trauma that they have was as attractive as a hat full of arseholes. had to live with. The Basenjis tail piece During the previous week, in Campsie (in the for this June 2019, ‘Election Issue’ issue of seat of Watson, but no adjoining seat of TBS&E comes not from my experiences with Holmes though) I had seen ‘Science Party’ Rusty, but on this occasion from those of my corflutes so I had assumed that there would Friend Stephen Bingle. As you may know, also be a Science candidate on the Barton a Basenjis’ tail coils and uncoils, responding ticket, but here it was it was five to 6 pm and to mood and circumstances, and like this, there wasn’t, so who to vote ‘1’ for, to this Basenjis tale is not straight forward. potentially gift them a dollar of electoral Stephen had such an experience recently, funding if they get 4% of the vote in this while he was spending Election day in the electorate? Labor – After the Laura Palmer Blue Mountains handing out How-to-Votes fixation, Nup, Liberal – No not really, cards for the Australian Democrats, a place One Nation – Please No, Clive Palmer’s UAP – where many people vote with their dogs, Hell no, Not until you pay your workers their and perhaps some dogs do vote. As you full entitlements – The Greens – No, I really do, from time to time, over a long and don’t think so, so the winner was, in the least arduous day, standing and offering voters worst on the day political handicap stakes – the HTV’s containing the advice of your The CDP, and Fred Nile’s endorsed party, you do, between rushes of voters candidate, with fingers crossed that given tend to engage your fellow HTV the distraction of One Nation and Clive handerouters in conversation as the voters Palmer’s UAP, he won’t reach 4 % and qualify continually streaming past you on their way, for electoral funding. in a hurry towards their personal moment of J - Stephen Bingle, at Leura Public Democratic choice, rarely stop to pass the School – Rising at 1.30 am, and negotiating day or to engage you in profound or other conversation. the network of late night and pre-dawn Nightrider busses and train services, he was So, his admissions as to having enjoyed at Leura Public school by 8.15 am, which is a Basenjis Lifestyle experiences, and his biggish booth in the Blue Mountains comments on another HTV Handerouterer electorate, but there were relatively few re-appearing with her dog, in order to voters were passing through today, as so corner more votes from that voting

39 TBS&E Number 83 – May 2019 40 demographic, created a brief opening in the matrix of human to human empathy, enough for one fellow HTV handerouterer to open up and disclose two peculiarly American tragedies that had graphically disfigured her life.

Are we talking about Gun Deaths? No. Are we talking about Alien Abduction and probing scenarios, the presumed fate of so many of the conspicuously absent Clive Palmer supporters and Candidates on this day? No. Are we talking about loathsome personal ‘Gross Encounters of the Third Kind,’ with the current POTUS, Donald J. Trump? Fortunately, No. But it was much worse than you might imagine, and a very more peculiarly North American experience, as she disclosed that her Sister had indeed married a Klansman, that’s to say, the K.K.K., Robes, Hoods, Burning Crosses and outdoor Lynching Page 1 – This Index weekends in the Family, but this was just the Pages 1 to 3 – The Rhubarb Triangle entre for her main course of existential Page 3 – May / June Issue Editorial suffering, as she had also lived with a Basenjis, Pages 3 to 6 – Hurstville ‘Discovery’ until it was killed and eaten by a Mountain Writers Group Meeting, February 5, 2019 Lion or Cougar (I mean the big cat, not an Page 6 to 22 – SF&F Meeting Notes Pages amorously generous but predatory mature 6 to 8 - Concord Library SF&F Meeting, woman). February 4, 2019, ‘Leviathan Wakes,’ by I ask you, how can people go on and live James A. Corey (US) apparently normal lives under the crushing Pages 8 to 11 – Better Read than Dead weight of two such intense personal tragedies? Bookshop’s, SF&F meeting, February 5, 2019, ‘Kindred’ by Octavia Butler and Well, I guess you _Could_ buy another ‘Rosewater,’ by Tade Thompson Basenjis, and douse it liberally with extra Pages 11 to 15 – Concord Library SF&F strength cat repellent, or you could just set Book Club, ‘Frankenstein, or the new out to cross the sea of your troubles and seek Prometheus’ by Mary Shelley, 1831 ed. refuge in Australia, the sails of your ship filled with the whispering winds of remorse about Pages 15 to 18 – Sydney Futurian events better left behind you, and then try to meeting of April 12, 2019, Conspiracies in avoid settling in an area reputed to be Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories. haunted by the cryptid Penrith Panther, or by Pages 19 to 22 - Sydney Futurian ‘hoodie’ wearing hoons of the pointed and meeting of May 17, 2019, Your first eye hole variety? experiences of Science Fiction. One Nation supporters were conspicuously Pages 22 to 32 – Traveller’s Tales, absent from this polling booth on Election My events of May 1 to 27, 2019. day, perhaps we may have the ‘Black’ Pages 32 to 39 - Garry’s Report on Penrith Panther to thank for this small Electionday, Saturday May 18, 2019. blessing? © Garry Dalrymple, 21 May, 2019. Pages 39 & 40 – Basenjis Tail Piece.

© Garry Dalrymple, 27 May, 2019.

40