Hard tack…
Scientists have tended to note Hartshorne’s hypothesis but have not always taken it seriously —
it harkens back to Darwin’s presumption of an avian aesthetic and would be too hard to quantify…
But Kroodsma believes that Hartshorne is right in one crucial sense:
It is not the total number of song types that create complexity,
but the contrast between one phrase and the next…
Variability must be perceived as it goes along,
and its constant presence must indicate some evolutionary advantage…
Hartshorne,
as a believer in a God who manifests Himself in our world through the eternal unfolding of life,
heard something else in the song of birds that he was not afraid to bring up:
BLISS…
— in WHY BIRDS SING, a journey into the mystery of bird song by David Rothenberg
Less than,
a fortnight ago,
I experienced,
a dream,
in which,
I found myself,
in front,
of a series,
of Viking barbeques,
where I was taking,
outdoor grilling,
to a whole,
new level,
in the locker room,
of The Vancouver Canucks…
I hummed along,
to the sizzle,
of my own,
drum sticks,
when suddenly,
Coach V,
stepped out,
of the darkness…
He was totally,
decked out,
with the tongs,
the fork,
the timer,
the head lamp,
and a standard,
bib apron,
like a kitchen,
cowboy…
He asked me,
Are you sure,
you know,
what you’re doing???
and I felt,
my confidence,
waver,
like a candle,
in the win,
as he removed,
my rib eyes,
and replaced them,
with his own…
It’s a challenge,
not to take things,
personally,
to think they’re pervasive,
and/or permanent,
when you’re working through,
the release of,
a belief system,
and the patterned behaviour,
of undermining…
And it certainly cuts,
both ways…
Yesterday,
I heard a clinician,
tell a story,
about a participant,
and how he’s on,
his own program…
And I saw how,
the man’s face,
dropped,
when his wife echoed,
with a look,
that killed…
We’ve all seen,
the t-shirt,
that says,
Marriage is a relationship,
in which,
one person is right,
and the other,
is the husband,
and by now,
we all should know,
that this way,
of dis-honouring vows,
to love,
and to cherish,
each other,
is a crocodile,
done deed…
And we all,
at this day,
and age,
should certainly know,
a lot better…
Last Thursday,
Little Gem,
left me,
a voice mail,
full of excitement,
and the news,
I finally have,
something I’ve,
always wanted…
When I called,
to discover,
what the big deal,
was all about,
she told me,
I was at Children’s Hospital,
and I have a cast…
When I asked her,
if she was okay,
she said,
Don’t worry Mama,
it’ll be just fine,
in a week or so..
This is only,
a clean fracture…
Canuck'd 