[MustardMan]

Hi everyone,
I'm James, owned by two dogs and two cats, and have been doing some homework looking for my first bird. I've already spent plenty of time thinking about keeping the bird safe from my other pets and know the whole spiel about time to be spent with a bird, cleaning, etc etc etc. What I'm hoping to gather by joining up and asking questions here is more information to compare a few birds and decide which would be best for me. Let me tell you a bit about my situation so you have an idea what my needs are...

I work full time, so a bird that requires constant attention is right out. I need something that will be able to entertain itself while I'm away at work, but is still outgoing enough to enjoy spending time with me when I come home in the evening and take it out of its cage. This rules out the big macaws for sure.
I also don't want to encourage any predatory thoughts from my cats - even though they won't be allowed access to the bird, I'd sleep a lot better knowing there's not a little "eat me" sign hanging over the bird. For that reason, I've eliminated from consideration any of the smallish birds like budgies.
I similarly have to rule out any bird that's prone to feather dust, like a cockatoo, african grey, or cockatiel, because I suffer from pretty severe allergies.
I'm intrigued by amazons, and have met some really outgoing birds at the pet store, but everything I've read about their mood swings and horomonal agression has me pretty scared of them. Perhaps there are some types of amazons that are calmer and more suited to my environment, but I'm not holding my breath. I also live in a townhome, so I'm pretty worried about the noise one of these bad boys can produce. I've ruled out most of the conures for similar worries about noise.

So, here are the few birds I'm thinking about at the moment...

Mini macaws - I've met a few Hahn's and they are like little clowns. They are goofy, cuddly, and just plain fun. The information about them online seems a bit conflicted, so I'm not sure how well a Hahn's would cope with being kept alone in a cage while I'm at work. The yellow collared is also a beautiful bird, and what I've read about their temperament puts them in a similar category as a Hahn's. I'd love to meet a few yellow collared and see them for myself.

Poicephalus - Most are too small for my tastes, but the Jardine's is pretty interesting. They earn high marks for their reputation as quiet and somewhat independent. I've read they can be sort of stubborn and nippy. I haven't had a chance to meet any of these yet

Alexandrine parakeets - I met one of these at a pet store today, and he was a really sweet bird. Not nearly as cuddly as the Hahn's, but everything I've read seems to indicate that they are pretty independent and able to entertain themselves with a few good toys. This is reassuring for when I'd be away at work. Again, reports are very conflicting on their noise level - some say they are great quiet birds and others say they tend to be loud. Either way I don't expect them to be on the level of the conures.

I'd love to hear everybody's thoughts on these various species - which are best at entertaining themselves? Which is the best talker? Which is the most amusing, goofy pet? There are a lot of different factors to weigh, and I want to make sure I get the perfect bird for my lifestyle. I'm sure there are other birds out there that also fit my needs, so if you're familiar with any, I'm all ears! I look forward to hearing everyone's opinions.