The Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, thought to have been extinct for over 50 years, has been located in Arkansas. Luckily it was discovered on land that is already federally protected, and they managed to keep it secret until further protections were in place. I just hope there are enough surviving individuals to keep the species viable in the long term.
Big Woods Conservation Partnership. Great logo - looks almost like Charles Harper. Could it be?
I don't really understand why people hate jury duty, especially here in Multnomah County. OK, so the $10 doesn't really go far to compensate for a lost day of work, but it's the one chance that we all get, as citizens, to participate in a really meaningful way in our democracy. And at the courthouse downtown they have WiFi in the jury room, nice new leather chairs, and Scrabble. Last time I got called up I took Aristophanes' The Frogs, ha ha. This time I just brought my iPod and needlepoint. Actually another needlepointer in the room, she had her scissors confiscated at the security screen, I knew better and cut my threads at home.
I got called three times, screened twice and didn't make the cut, and on the third there was a plea deal before we even got started. So again I didn't actually get to serve. The lawyers were all like 25, and I swear one of them was in a band I saw play a few times, and another used to ride my bus. I was half-way hoping I'd run into a college friend who's now a public defender. And I got to have lunch at my favorite Indian place that I never get to go to anymore. They actually remembered me, even though it's been almost two years since I was a regular.