The Monkey and the Maiden

Update: it turned out that the 'helping strand' (Pastafarianism, or whatever IDer is driving this silliness) hadn't quite finished: I felt that there needed to be a bit more interaction between M & M. So, in the spirit of 'tinker' tinker', I've made some changes, as indicated)

I have what could be best described as 'clathrate trouble': a rich diet of information from Worldchanging and social speculation from David Brin has caused my subconscious to begin bubbling in a manner reminiscent of a warming Siberian peat bog (it's the methane).

What sparked this was an article on hybrid vehicles and how people are tweaking and improving their toys to improve mileage (solar powered Priuses?). Simultaneously, I was following Brin's discussion of the 'culture war' and observations of how mature outlooks can harness both sides of the conservative/progressive divide to produce a better outcome

The two influences have led to this outgassing:

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The Monkey and the Maiden

Tinker, tinker, clever monkey!
Sprung from brow? Yer gunna flunkee!

Poor, full formed, and girt, Athena
tried to change: you shoulda seen her!

Maid to monkey: 'Where'd *you* come from?'
'Never thought: I'll ask around some!'

Monk to maid: 'Hey! Don't you know all?'
Asking questions? Horrors! Downfall!!

Athena's since got much, much freer:
admits to error thrice a year!

And monkey? Now he's built his cart,
can see a better place to start!

- Tony Fisk