And Now, Some Music...

Every time I hear a Guns N' Roses song, I hate Axel Rose some more.

Exactly one new record in 17 years, Chinese Democracy, recoded without Izzy or Slash, two of the better guitar wizards (eat your liver, "Beck", you arrogant, self-aggrandized, overrated studio hack).

Axl has an incredible voice, beautiful even, which could transform anydamnthing into a classic. There's that line in the bible - don't hide your light under a bushel. Axl's talent is so huge, so bright, only he can hide it, and starve the world.

Why Axel, and not Sting? (Or, as Joe Walsh called him, "Stink".)

Have you checked out Neko Case yet? If not why not? Plan to live forever? If so, Neko Case will make every day worth living. If you only try one, make it "Deep Red Bells". If that voice doesn't move you, you have too much in common with Lot's wife. (The Morton girl.) Or, in the words from the beginning of Big Audio Dynamite's "E=MC (squared)", "I don't like music all that much".

Do you need software to use mathematical notation like "upshift 2", for quantity squared? Thank goodness that's all I have to worry about. Oh yeah, and Google's new image search has made it next to impossible to pirate "Public Image" photos for this blog, or to download quality porn.

There is a bird watcher's term - G.I.S.S. - General Impression of Size and Shape (much better than my Get It Straight, Stupid), pronounced, of course, jizz, and introduced to me by Luke Dempsy in the book A Supremely Bad Idea. The book is really funny and informative, he an a couple flying and driving about to various noted bird destinations.

Jizz is developed with familiarity, and is why you don't confuse, for instance, a red wing blackbird with a crow, or either with a turkey vulture. It's done without thought, and doesn't work at all for, say, a crow and a raven. It is helpful when driving to note an American kestrel, which are nearly the same size as mourning doves, but the shoulders, head and neck are enough to tell you whether to slow.

I have been wearing something black every day for several weeks now, as I haven't seen a belted kingfisher in some time. Yesterday I was on the highway (don't like it) and was looking for color in what was probably an indigo bunting. They sit vertically erect, and the small size completes the jizz, but the color is both conformation and endlessly beautiful.

Instantly what for me is the most distinctive silhouette in the bird world appeared just next to the bunting: belted kingfisher. Strong jizz. There was a ditch fifty yards on, but this was the furthest I had ever seen a kingfisher from water.

My birthday is coming up. Rather than send me wishes, please pray or send best wishes or keep in your thoughts my great nephew, who couldn't wait to set the world straight, and is spending some time in the Infant ICU, while his body catches up with his ambitions.

Thank you.