Bird update

Based on events of the last five minutes, I can definitely verify that Stupid the Thunkbird is either female or gay. Given that most cases of homosexual behavior in wild birds are generally among waterfowl, greyleg (greylag? I forget which) geese being the most famous example, I am more inclined to believe that Stupid is female. Besides, she went to all the trouble of building a nest, and from what I understand male birds don't generally do that unless they're courting. I haven't seen any other robin with a blackened beak tip sitting on the nest, so I can only assume she built it for herself.

I went outside to examine the nest yesterday; she's been busy, and she's used everything she found, I think. There's a strip of dot-matrix paper edge (with the holes in it) woven in with the sticks and all the rest. Beginning to think that the thunking wasn't a threat display so much as an attempt to get at what looked to her like an ideal nesting site. She seems to have settled for the one in the real world, as she's still around but has not attempted to fly at the window today.

Eggs presumably have not yet been laid, as she has only sat on the nest for a few minutes at a time yesterday and today. I do not intend to examine the nest further as I do not wish to disturb her, but it is perhaps 5-6 feet from my window at most, so I should be able to get a decent view as things progress. Will let you know what comes up.

....

Caped Crusader Saves the Day in English Town
Tue May 6, 2003 10:07 AM ET
LONDON (Reuters) - A masked and caped do-gooder has been sweeping through an English town, performing good deeds and scattering terrified bad guys, a local newspaper reported.

The Kent and Sussex Courier said Friday it had received letters from "stunned residents" of the town of Tunbridge Wells, southeast of London, who saw the man in a brown mask and cape scare off hooligans and return a woman's dropped purse...

Masked Politician Arrives for Work
Tue May 6, 2003 10:02 AM ET
TOKYO (Reuters) - Defying critics who called it "indecent," a Japanese wrestler-turned-politician turned up for his first day at work on Tuesday sporting a vividly patterned mask.

Formerly a wrestler known as "The Great Sasuke," Masanori Murakawa won fame -- and a seat in a local assembly in northern Japan -- wearing a similar mask...

This can't be pinned on X2; nobody bothers with masks in X-Men, really. I've got this terrible urge to check and see if anyone's seen Super Barrio consulting with the Rand Corporation lately or something.

*bounce bounce*

My Netflix subscription started this week. Today my first movie arrived: Hitman, starring Jet Li. Seventh Curse is next on the list, if the 'ready to ship' email is to be believed. Hero Beyond the Boundary of Time is third. I forget what else I put in the queue, but daayum - this is a lot easier than angsting over whether or not to buy stuff on eBay because I couldn't find a Blockbuster willing to rent it to me. And, given my willingness to buy movies only to see them once, then resell them on eBay, probably cheaper.

I don't have school tonight. I think after I work on my knitting for a while I'll watch Jet commit serious mayhem. God bless the Postal Service!