[prompt: 'bonus' 26/4/2019]

"Yep. An evolution revolution, that's what." Joe made himself comfy on the bar stool, took a great slurp of his beer and continued."Thing is, according to the experts, it took thousands or more years -give or take a few centuries - for Man to stand up—"

"For himself?" Joe hadn't been aware of the lurker, leaning forward from the bar stool reserved for Baz. This one's ears were fairly flapping like Dumbo the elephant's, eager as...

With a deep sigh, Joe continued as if this interloper was nought but a pesky fly. "... stand upright. And now, today's silly little buggers are gonna go and wreck it all. Check out their sitting time - viewing TV and DVDs, on computers and laptops and unreality games and the like. No wonder so many must have eye-pads."

George nodded sympathetically as both he and the lurker waited for more.

Another brief slurp or three, and then - "... and while we're talking about eyes and pads and pods and stuff, there's another thing. Their vision's gonna be cactus, right? Gonna come from over-use and abuse of giant screen TV and then, before you can say Ned Kelly, pixilated photos on minuscule mobile phone screens—"

"Yer mean cell phones?" The lurker just HAD to interrupt again. "That's wot THEY call 'em."

Joe made his most expressive [and truth be told, theatrical] eye rolls and George groaned softly as he pulled the tap for yet another beer for Joe. He recognised an honest thirst when he saw one.

And while Joe wrapped his mouth around this latest coldie, the lurker couldn't resist another comment. He was far enough down inebriation avenue not to see the impatient glances between Joe and George.

"Only ones gettin' a bonus from this lot will be them 'hoptician' guys. They'll strike the bloody jackpot, they will. For sure." And he nodded self-righteously to himself, looking proud of his masterful knowledge.

Despite his aggro at this interloper, Joe had to smile. If you closed your eyes, you'd reckon Baz was here already, he was thinking.

He peered over his burly shoulder at the lurker to make sure, his smile changing into a withering look when he saw the same old, same old interloper, and turned back to George, saying quietly, in a somewhat mysterious fashion, "... and they're not the only ones," he said. "Come closer, there's more..."

And Joe proceeded to enlighten George about the anticipated dwindling level of hearing due to an auditory overload of highly volatile volume levels of music - from home, car, dance venues, rock concerts, parties, earphones.... Joe shook his head slowly from side to side, his face a picture of deadly despair.

"Oh-h-h those deafening decibels! I mean, it's OK to be mother-deaf sometimes - have selective hearing at others, or even be tone deaf. Those can't be helped too much. We all know the saying, 'Use it or Lose it'...but to 'Choose to Lose It'? Bloody unimaginable—"

A bit of a scuffle had broken out, right alongside Joe. It was Baz. He'd arrived at last and sent the lurker on his way in no uncertain fashion.

"G'dday," he said with a grin from ear to ear, as though no-one else could guess he'd arrived at the best part of the last day of his working week. " 'Ave I missed anythin' much?"

"Only the best bit, fellow-me-lad. Get a coupla pig's ears down you and I'll catch you up on my John Dory."

[Could there be a third and final part hovering in the wings?

Well-ll-ll... there is that best bit to come, hey?]