JPG Magazine: MsB

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Escape and the critically endangered Ethiopian Wolf


I'm tired.  The world as it is, shackled to my ankle, has a direct connection to this condition.  no more news, or maybe just a little bit. (?) I've picked up  the latest book written about Lucy.  "Lucy's Legacy  the Quest for Human Origins".  as I read paleontology speak written for non-majors, I notice I really don't know much about Ethiopia, well the famine comes to mind.  And I wonder.  DC Johanson, the author, mentions political unrest occasionally making his digs hard to do, and the government occasionally booting them out of the country.  


So, I look Ethiopia up, the famine is over by the way, but the atrocity's that country has been thru and continues to go through startle me.  I listen to the news, how did I miss all this.  The country borders on Somalia, that should be a clue.  But thats not my point.  I'm really amazed how Mr Johanson can be so focused.  His book is about Lucy and all the questions that have come of that unearthing discovery.  Focus.  My point.  

No mention, at least not so far, of the 6 critically endangered species, the 4 endangered species, and the 25 vulnerable species, that have been created do to the political unrest or other wise known as War with all it's heinousness. Geez, I thought I should still be eating everything on my plate because children are starving there.  It would seem Ethiopia hasn't been newsworthy since. 

But thats not the upshot of the book.  Maybe it speaks to a more informed audience.  What ever.  I'm impressed by the mans focus on his passion.  Directed.  He does tell a story of bureaucratic hoops but mostly of his love for the bones and the break thru advances in DNA research to back his thesis.  And in turn he passes on to me a step out of my self and away from the ball and chain I have obsessed on recently.  Between the news and my health, both get in the way of living lighter.  Lucy, much like Lucy the cat, helps relieve me of the burdons I bestow on my being.  Priceless.

2 comments:

Changedit said...

Hey MsB, fishy here :)

msb said...

hi ms Fishy