[NormsRevenge]

A stuffed male ivory billed woodpecker, is shown in this Monday, May 2, 2005 file photo taken in the main lobby at the New York State Museum in Albany, N.Y. The museum is uncertain about the date or place of acquision of this artifact or the female ivory billed woodpecker, which is also on display. Until recently the last sighting of the bird was in 1944. (AP Photo/Jim McKnight)

[Old Professer]

Ironies nested within ironies; the government's petard hard up against the ivoried bill of a lowly will o the wisp playing cheshire cat in the America's heartland, fairy tales created before our very eyes.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Well, now we know what the agenda was behing the mysterious rediscovery of the Ivory Billed Woodpecker.

[spectre]

Hey now..I've been to Brinkley Arkansas, and even the locals there aren't convinced the bird actually exists: According to Wikipedia

"Brinkley is located near the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge, where in February 2004 the ivory-billed woodpecker was purportedly rediscovered after having thought to be extinct for over 60 years.

Brinkley has attempted to capitalize on its good fortune of being the largest city near the Refuge and the rediscovery of the woodpecker:

A billboard on eastbound Interstate 40 proclaims Brinkley as "The Home of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker"

One motel has changed its name to "The Ivory-Billed Inn"

A local resident has opened a shop, "The Ivory-Billed Nest", devoted exclusively to ivory-billed paraphernalia.

One local barbershop offers an "ivory-billed" haircut (a variation of the mohawk complete with red tinting)

Gene's Restaurant and Barbeque, a popular local restaurant, offers an "ivory-billed burger" and an "ivory-billed salad" on its menu; in addition, two of the initial rediscoverers of the ivory-billed woodpecker have written a children's book which mentions Gene's.

In addition to the ivory-billed sightings, since July 2005 at least two confirmed reports of bald eagle nests have been found in the Monroe County area.

Further, the swamps of the Cache River are believed to contain among the oldest cypress trees in the United States.

Brinkley opened a convention center in 1996 which can seat up to 600 people; in February 2006 the center hosted a conference commemorating the second anniversary of the ivory-billed woodpecker's rediscovery.

Now, I've seen some great examples of the Cypress Wood for sale at Flea markets there. Really cool..

sw