People leave magazines in my building's laundry room and I found two copies of Audubon. Of course I was excited to discover that one of the articles was on the black-capped chickadee's song variations. Apparently, on Martha's Vineyard, the chickadee's call comes in three variations, when across the entire rest of the country, it only comes in one. The bird scholar was describing the birds as having different dialects, and I couldn't help but thing of human language controversies. It was interesting, though, and oooh! do I want to play with some chickadees.

You can hear the song variations at www.magazine.audubon.org/birdsongs

I also read articles about sandhill cranes, Pale Male and Lola, the hawk celebres of NYC, salamanders, and this cool birding/environmental program at the Riker's Island prison. The articles are really well written; you can feel that author's investment in the subject.

I also scored recent copies of Marie Claire and Elle. I've never read Elle, so I'm curious...Marie Claire is sort of cool because it always includes easily digestable articles on social issues; this one included articles on Pakistani women (who get thrown in jail when they are raped and whose girls are left to die during catastrophes if no women are available to help rescue them--10 schoolgirls died during a fire at their school. Firefighters were there, but then the religious zealot showed up and beat the girls BACK INTO the fire--this was in Saudi Arabia, though) and the birth control/abortion controversy in South Dakota (this 71 year old lady flies daily to SD from MN to perform the abortions!). Of course it has celebrity coverage and fashion spreads, too.

I also read a bit of American Airlines' magazine. I didn't know what it was when I picked it up; it's quite well done for an airline mag. Amanda Peet was on the cover and she was talking about her perfect evening and it just made me sick. I am not so much into glamour, but I don't think I've ever really been pampered in my life, truly pampered (clearly, I'm not alone here!). But to read about her perfect martinis, Italian food, the warm pool outdoors, music, her lover. Man! I also learned that Oslo is one of the most expensive cities in the world but you can ski for free. And I got in a history lesson too--in 1966 the Miranda Rights act passed, the Beach Boys released Pet Sounds, and John Lennon made that comment about the Beatles being more popular than God!

I really spent the whole day doing my own thing. I really disliked being around people this weekend, except on Friday--Riverhorse was fun, but fuck that Grand Marnier liquor. I am NEVER doing a shot of that stuff again. The Shriner ceremonial was okay. They were being rude during the speakers and the lining up. There was a cute young Shriner I kept looking at, and then he started looking, and I was going to talk to him, and I tried to smile. It didn't work. But then I thought, my mom never wants to go to a Shriner event again--what if I met this guy and we clicked? Then it'd be all about the Shriners for both of us! Of course, that's just my way of excusing my lameness. I am dreaming of someone who doesn't exist, I think, like Paul. I'm IN LOVE with someone who doesn't exist...or at least someone who probably wouldn't be attracted to me, here in macho Milwaukee....