In the final hours of preparing today’s article, I discovered my resource material had been removed from the web, having violated ‘Rule 6’, whatever that is. As I was feeding Valentine, my goffin cockatoo, I struggled to come up with a quick replacement.
I recalled a crime from some time ago in Dallas. Normally, I would tell the story myself, but a YouTuber called Mr Ballen has told it in an entertaining way I would find hard to beat. Here is his short presentation:
Clever storytelling, huh! Valentine is not a brave soul, but to be fair he’s had all sorts of visitors– opossums, raccoons, an indigo snake, a hawk (quiet and respectful), a huge owl (terrifying), a sphinx cat (slept next to Valentine), an armadillo (curious), and lots and lots of squirrels (eyeing his food).
For years, he sat between my wrists when I worked on my computer. Unlike TV’s Baretta’s Fred, he eschews the footlights, preferring to quietly contemplate Greek philosophers. He loves music, zoning out to baroque classics or dancing to rock and rap. I know… no accounting for taste.
And he loves women. That’s fairly common among birds. Hypotheses suggest they’re attracted to higher pitched voices, colorful dress, and the glitter of jewelry. But Valentine also likes my friend Steve. Like I said, no accounting for taste.
Actually, if something happens to me, he goes to Steve. Valentine is thirty-something and should outlive me. And that’s today’s story.
When Rule 6 was invoked
ReplyDeleteLeigh's original plan was smoked;
For lack of a better word,
Lundin gave Rule 6 the bird.