My inquiries into the world of portable digital audio recording have returned odd results. Either you are led to birdwatching sites like this one from Cornell or freaky eavesdropping surveillance guy sites. With my interest in the dangers of surveillance, this is no idle thing but you would think that finding the modern equivalent of a cassette deck to mess around with would not be a big deal. . By the way, I don't mind the first charge, that of birder, as I have a life list of 116 from 1994 to 1998. Heck, I saw a Bufflehead on the day before my 32nd birthday. I know. I kept notes.

I may just end up getting a decent tape recorder and a decent mike and convert it to digital on the new Dell. ADD rather than DDD for you early CD buyers out there.

I am, it appears, not alone. This hipster's doing it in Chicago.