CROW CONCERN
I like crows. A lot. Indeed, in the pathological cartoon anthropomorphism of the late Edward Barker, I am one. (See logo top right.) I am also well aware that crows may well be more intelligent than many in the current President’s cabinet, but, at risk of going Alfred Hitchcock on you, they do seem to be massing. Yesterday’s Cryptique came to me before I heard the report that Auburn, NY had a population of 23,000 humans and 68,000 crows. I know that crows now rule on my street. I saw they held considerable sway over the rooftops of Tokyo, and would be interested to heard crow counts from Manhattan and London. But now I find they have established a veritable beachhead in Auburn, I have to wonder, especially as Auburn doesn’t seem to like it.

"The city tells NEWS 10NBC the crow problem is getting worse and now a federal agency is involved. Members of the U.S Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services are using handheld lasers, pyrotechnics and loud noise all aimed to disrupt the crows' sleeping habits. The U.S.D.A. hopes that these efforts will eventually drive the crows to the countryside. We want them not to be harmed, but to just push themselves out into the county where they belong."
Full story...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6818818/
I am not so sure that angry, sleep deprived crows are a terribly good idea.

CRYPTIQUE – Is it a bird, is it a plane?

SO WHAT’S THE SPEED OF DARK?
Watching some of the eulogies for Johnny Carson last night, my mind wandered (never a big Carson fan) to wondering why I hadn’t seen comedian Stephen Wright in long time. So I ran a search and came up with all manner of good stuff, as in...

"I have a switch in my apartment that doesn't do anything. Every once in a while I turn it on and off. One day I got a call from a guy in France who said, "Cut it out!"

"Hermits have no peer pressure."

"I spilled Spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone."

"Why in a country of free speech, are there phone bills?"
Many more at...
http://www.notso.com/wright.htm
And Wright’s website...
http://www.stevenwright.com/a_word/index.shtml

AND
Check new stuff at http://hipspinster.blogspot.com

The secret word is Black