Sunday, May 27, 2007

So Much for the Promise Land

Earlier this week, scientists confirmed that in the winter of 2001 a hammerhead shark in an Omaha zoo gave birth to another shark with no sign of a male parent. While the process known as parthenogenesis may at first be seen as a sort of biological miracle (or, for the believer as a modern-day virgin birth), it is noted that these "miracles" occur only when a species is under threat and being held in captivity. More on that here:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/05/23/MNGABPVLB31.DTL

As for Nebraska, I had a student from there once, and I wanted to love her for that reason alone. Sadly, New York grabbed her up by the skin of her neck and made her its own before I really got a chance to know her.

The only other thing I can say about the Cornhusker state is that when my mom and I lived on Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota we used to drive over to Nebraska for milk shakes and bowling: it seemed a sort of Promise Land--all big sky, shiny lanes and cold, creamy treats. I haven't been back in over twenty years.

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