-- The IB Woodpecker Helps Avoid a Depression --

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Changing subjects, for a moment....

The role of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker in saving America from financial collapse! :-):

This article tells of the pressures on finance guru Henry Paulson (a birdwatcher no less) at the peak of America's credit crunch and financial crisis. But here's the pertinent passage:

"During infrequent interludes of downtime, Paulson tried to relax by going bird-watching -- while travelling on government business, he sometimes found a few hours at foreign summits to go off in seek of a glimpse of the local avian species. But even birds weren't enough to take his mind off work during the week of Bear Stearns' collapse. Paulson writes that he and his wife took an evening off to go and see "The Lord God Bird", a documentary about the ivory-billed woodpecker, at the National Geographic Society. As he struggled to make small talk with environmental movie enthusiasts, Paulson was scolded by his wife for discourtesy."

And this article quotes directly from Paulson's memoir:

"That evening Wendy and I went to the National Geographic Society to see The Lord God Bird, a terrific documentary on the ivory-billed woodpecker, a bird so spectacular it made people say Lord God!! Normally, I would have enjoyed this immensely, but I was preoccupied with Bear Stearns. Every time one of our friends from the environmental community came over, I would look right through them. Wendy got really upset with me.

“I understand that you’re under pressure,” she said, “but that’s no excuse for not being courteous to people.”
“I am being courteous to everyone,” I protested.
“You aren’t saying anything to them except ‘Hi.’” I apologized, adding, “I’m worried about the world falling apart!”

Never underestimate the reach of the Lord God Bird into the halls of power.
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