Occasionally, I like to flip through a catalogue or two and hum a little bit at the things advertised. Mostly the things I ogle at are books and fountain pens and little gadgets that cater to different study habits. You may not think there are many different obsessive ways people can study, but I own a set of highlighting pencils, two book stands, a pair of amiable fountain pens, a leather portfolio-like-folder, and little paper-thin copper page-holders that fit right over your page so you don't have to dog-ear them or lose post-it notes.

But I digress. Or, rather, I was going to digress onto a different point, but I am semi-mental and sentimental about studying. So, scrolling up . . . In a Bas Bleu catalogue (http://www.basbleu.com), I read a blurb from one of the books, about "birding". Not in the sense of "giving someone the --" but in the sense of "admiring, identifying, arguing about, or even just noticing" the little flying squeaky things that inhabit our celestial ethers. Interesting concept in itself, because it means that I book.

In my experience, I've heard several unorthodox ways of identifying birds. One, nestled in the aforementioned blurb, is made up of two classifications: "duck" and "non-duck". This system is of the ultimate practical ability and I applaud it but for the fact that I like to think I can differentiate between an emu and a penguin. In a dark alley it is perfectly possible to distinguish a duck from a penguin, but maybe this is not so between an emu and a penguin. At any rate, I still think the system valuable.

Another system, used by one of my Environmental Studies lecturers, is the same as Mary Poppins' (or so she claimed): all birds are nondiscriminatingly referred to as "sparrers". Admirable in the age of Political Correctness, I must say.

Walking up the stairs just now (put water on for tea), I wondered at Beethoven's "Andante Con Moto" having vocals. However, I think it is merely that the Little One next door has just been put down for his nap and is appealing the decision loudly.

*hums on this*