Latest news with #lizard
ABC News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Arnhem Land's Bulman School turns traditional stories into songs
In the school yard at Bulman in the Northern Territory's central Arnhem Land, a group of boys are practising drums and clapping sticks while a barramundi cooks over coals nearby. They are preparing to unveil their latest song, based on a Dreamtime story that explains why goannas have patterns on their backs but lizards do not. Chadmus Redford, 10, said the goanna and lizard agreed to paint each other. The lizard was a skilled artist and did a good job, but in return the careless goanna made a mess of the lizard. "The lizard is going to get very angry and he's going to chase the goanna," Chadmus explained. The song is the latest output from the isolated school with fewer than 100 students. It has now recorded and produced more than a dozen songs using the two Indigenous languages of the region, Dalabon and Rembarrnga. The community has been bagging gongs at national music awards, including the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) awards and National Indigenous Media Awards (NIMAs). But more importantly, the work is passing on stories and providing a bridge in language between kids and their elders. Randall Campion is a senior Rembarrnga man and a keeper of songs for ceremonies. He started working with the Bulman School as a language teacher, but his role quickly changed. "The kids wanted me to sing," Mr Campion said. "I'm the last traditional songman here at Bulman community for funerals, smoking ceremonies and welcoming ceremonies. "Music educates. Land, environment, animal," he said. Many of the songs are creation stories about animals. Malnganarra tells of how bats take shelter inside the rainbow serpent, known as Bolung in parts of the Top End, before coming out at night to eat flowers in the trees. Others, like Strongbala Wei, are about the responsibility of caring for country. The students all take part in singing, playing instruments and acting out scenes in music videos. Musician and producer Steve Lane has been working with the school to make their recordings, on behalf of a non-profit called The Song Room. "Some of the old people … have a big list of stories that they would really like told through song and shared with the kids," he said. "And they're pretty keen to tell them in their languages as well." Working in languages such as Dalabon with relatively few fluent speakers poses unique challenges. Sometimes a vital elder is out of town, so pronunciations have to be figured out over the phone. Australian linguist Nicholas Evans, who codified the Dalabon dictionary, has also been on speed dial. Many of the kids at the school have parents, aunties and uncles who are Dalabon or Rembarrnga speakers who are keen for the next generation to learn more of their traditional languages. Mr Lane said he had seen the kids grow in confidence. Some kids who may not always settle well in maths or English classes have come out of their shells in the studio too. "It's something that those people, those kids in particular, that's what they've been waiting for — that opportunity," Mr Lane said At this weekend's National Indigenous Media Awards, the school added yet another trophy to its growing cabinet. "They've had a good run," Mr Lane said. "It's a lovely thing to be in a community with a collective spirit of 'we can win this stuff, we're as good as everyone else'."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How Pixar is behind the 'Lizard' meme taking over social media
If you've been wondering why a cartoon lizard, smacking a smart phone for emojis of a lizard while a Siri-type voice says "lizard" each time the lizard in question hits said emoji, is everywhere, you have Pixar to thank. The "lizard" meme has taken over social media in the past couple of weeks, as a post-credit teaser on Pixar's recent Elio actually introduced the world to this smart phone-using, lizard emoji-loving... lizard. The lizard is apparently named "Tom," and he's a character in next spring's new film Hoppers. The quick post-credit scene on Elio gave audiences a brief glimpse at Hoppers' "Tom" to get everyone excited for this new Pixar reptile. The new film, set for release on March 6, 2026, centers on a technology that allows a teenager to transfer her brain into a fake animal to communicate with real animals... just like in Avatar. The trailer pokes fun at that similarity and promises a really funny journey that probes how animals actually talk to each other. We're now sure how this lizard will factor into the film's plot, but we do know that the "lizard" meme probably isn't going anywhere any time soon. Lizard, lizard, lizard, lizard, lizard. Lizard? Lizard. This article originally appeared on For The Win: What is the lizard meme from? Meet the new Pixar character
Yahoo
05-08-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Wayward Webster lizard captured after weekslong search
A homecoming in Webster on Monday after a wayward lizard was finally found by wildlife experts. 'Goose,' a missing water monitor lizard was captured a few days ago when authorities got a call from a resident walking through Douglas State Forest. The resident spotted the five-foot-long reptile and snapped a photo of him. An animal rescue group raced to the scene, setting up baited traps with hard-boiled eggs, raw chicken, and other treats. Naturally, Goose couldn't resist and wandered into the trap. He was captured and reported to be in good health, thus ending the Goose chase. Goose is now in the custody of the Rainforest Reptile Shows. He'll be heading to the vet for a full exam and checkup on Tuesday. 'He's oh-so curious and starting to feel more comfortable around people again,' the reptile rescue business said. 'We're excited to see his progress and share it with everyone!' Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Move over, Lacoste: Goose the reptile on the run now emblazoned on T-shirt in Webster
WEBSTER — Water monitor hysteria, on a good note, has gripped this community. T-shirts are hot off the presses to show off what is Webster's most-famous attraction at the moment. That's Goose, the 5-foot-long water monitor with sharp teeth that escaped from its owner two weeks ago and remained on the lam as of Thursday, July 31. Drop by Pete's Tire & Oil on Main Street and Debi Bohenko will be happy to sell you one of the T-shirts from one of the boxes stuffed with them for $20 each. Bohenko, a lifelong Webster resident, changes tires at the shop, and she showed off the shirts along with owner Peter Bannister, another Webster lifer. More: Goose, the 5-foot lizard that escaped from Webster home, spotted in Douglas Since the news broke of Goose slithering out of its owner's home in Webster on Thursday, July 17, good-natured memes and humerous comments have flooded social media about the elongated lizard. Bohenko knew she had to get in on the light-hearted action, so she designed a Goose T-shirt with Dave Labbs, another Webster native who owns the Airbrush Shack in Thompson, Connecticut. 'I didn't think many people would buy it,' said Bohenko, who had some grease and dirt marks on her arms and legs, which comes with the territory from a day's work of changing tires at Pete's. Her assumption proved wrong, because the shirts are selling fast. Bohenko has rung up 75 sales so far, and she's on her second shipment to meet rising customer demand. 'I'll sell them as long as people keep asking for them,' she said, with sales transacted at Pete's and on her personal Facebook page. One of the shirts is displayed in Pete's waiting room while customers wait for their cars. It was taped to the wall with a small sign that advertised the $20 price tag along with a handwritten marketing enticement: Grab Some Webster Memorabilia!! Customer Zachary Campbell sat near the sign and thinks the whole Goose phenomenon is 'kind of funny, and scary at the same time because there's a giant lizard running around." Customer Nahla Kenal hadn't heard about Goose until she was asked about the reptile. "It's the first time I'm hearing about it,' she said, adding with a smile, 'If I saw it, I would run away as far as I can.' There have been two reported sightings of Goose since it escaped. One in Douglas on Wednesday, July 30, but when authorities arrived, the lizard was gone, according to the Massachusetts Environmental Police. The second was on Friday, July 25, in the area of Little Pond in Thompson, Connecticut, but again Goose, who is black with white scars on its back, was gone when authorities arrived. That pond is several miles southwest of Blueberry Lane in Webster, where the reptile slithered out of a second-story window, according to reports. Its owner didn't have a license to have it as a pet, according to reports, and several hours passed before it was reported missing, a development that authorities have said made finding Goose more difficult. Webster animal control officer Desiree Roussin wasn't immediately available to comment on the latest regarding Goose's possible whereabouts. She has told the Telegram and Gazette that it will be 'extremely difficult' to catch Goose if it's spotted, because it will likely scoot away if anyone gets close to it. Roussin worries the lizard could die when the weather turns cold, because water monitors generally don't survive in those conditions. Authorities stress if anyone sees Goose, call police immediately and don't try to catch it because it could lash out. As for the T-shirt, there's an original image of a lizard on the front with a tagline in a large, bold font that reads The 'Goose' is on the LOOSE. The back displays more fun, including, "You Fish On Your Side, I'll Fish On My Side, Goose Will Fish Wherever He Wants!" Bohenko explained that phrase is a play on the English translation of the extremely lengthy Native American name for Webster Lake, a 45-letter moniker — Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg — that some believe is the longest name of a place in the world. "Don't get Goosed" is another printed phrase on the shirt. 'I hope that one sticks,' said Bannister. 'It's all for fun. It's the most fun Webster has had in 100 years.' It was time for Bohenko and Bannister to get back to work fixing cars, but Bannister couldn't refrain from speculating about where Goose could be. 'He's looking for a water mate in Webster Lake. We'll have a whole bunch of Gooses next year.' Bohenko didn't let that joke end the interview. She quipped, 'My daughter water-skis, and we don't need something taking a bite out of one of her skis.' Contact Henry Schwan at Follow him on X: @henrytelegram This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Goose the reptile on the run now emblazoned on T-shirt in Webster Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
02-08-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Where is Goose? 5-foot lizard from Webster still on the lam after sighting in Connecticut
(This story has been updated with additional information.) A 5-foot long water monitor that escaped from a home in Webster more than a week ago remains on the loose after it was spotted last week in Connecticut. Water monitors are a type of lizard with sharp teeth and this one named Goose that is black with white scars on its back was last seen around Little Pond in Thompson, Connecticut, according to a Facebook post Friday, July 25 by that town's animal control officer. More: In Webster, a 5-foot lizard is on the loose and is the talk of the town Little Pond is several miles southwest of Blueberry Lane in Webster, where the reptile went missing Thursday, July 17. Thompson animal control hasn't received any calls about sightings since the one around Little Pond, said Amy St. Onge, a member of Thompson's Board of Selectman. 'I really hope we can capture it for its own safety and protection,' she said. Webster Animal Control officer Desiree Roussin isn't surprised Goose was seen in Connecticut. She believes it crossed Webster Lake and scampered through some woods before reaching Little Pond. "It definitely could have traveled that far," said Roussin. It's the only reported sighting of Goose since he went missing and when the call came in that Goose had been spotted in Connecticut, Webster police arrived in a half hour, but the reptile was gone. Roussin believes it could be further into Connecticut or possibly back at Webster Lake. The chances of catching Goose are better, said Roussin, if it's during the day and she's on her work shift. Ultimately, she said, it's going to be "extremely difficult" to capture the lizard because, in the best case, she needs to be there when it's spotted. Even then, said Roussin, it's not a sure thing because Goose will likely scoot away when anyone approaches and he blends in well with the surroundings. Plus, he's a good traveler. "I'm hoping he doesn't die out in winter. I'm hoping we can get him, but I think it's going to be difficult," she said. The reptile's owner didn't have a license for the pet and reports said it slithered out of the owner's second-floor window. Several hours passed before it was reported missing, a lapse that authorities said made finding the reptile more difficult. Water monitors prefer warm weather and Roussin has said it's important to find Goose before winter because he likely wouldn't survive cold weather. Authorities stress anyone who sees Goose should call authorities immediately and not try to capture it — leave that task to the experts. Water monitors are generally not a threat to humans and pets, but can lash out if they feel threatened. Contact Henry Schwan at Follow him on X: @henrytelegram This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Water monitor Goose still missing after escape from Webster, MA Solve the daily Crossword
