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In my building at work...dummies. 

August Musings

August is nearly over and I haven't issued a single rant, reasonable or otherwise.  So here are a few things at the top of my discussion list:

• I refuse to watch any political convention.  Self-serving garbage.  If you like the guy/party you're already on board; if you hate him you won't listen to anything he says anyway.   And he won't say much different than what he's said in his stump speech 900 times already.  (If he does, the press will report it endlessly, anyway.)  Go do something useful instead.
• USADA, Lance, move on already.  Water under the bridge.  (I have plenty to say on this, actually, but it accomplishes nothing, so...onward.)
• I'm still trying to figure out at work why other people doing nothing winds up being my problem.  Of course I've been working on that since 1984.
• I really, really want people to stay out of "my" space on airplanes.  You don't get my armrest or my foot space.  Seriously.
• The Miami airport still bites, but if you have to arrive there from abroad, be on a non-US carrier.  When you hit passport control, almost nobody goes to the US Citizen line.
• That said, if I had a choice between TAM and American, I'd pick American, even at the cost of a longer passport control line.
• Universal Sports, when are you going HD?  C'mon already.
• Tombstone sucks.
• So do recreational shooters in Hunter Canyon.

The Need for Approval

I'm continually baffled in US Government Land why *sooooooo* many people insist that they have to have "approval authority" on just about everything, yet they won't lift a finger to do anything that actually constitutes an approval.  We make it easy for them...go to this web page, click this button, voila, you're done.  But no!  That's too hard!  They'd rather just pretend they are in The Music Man (that's a musical / movie, for you young 'uns) using the "think method" of approvals.  You know, maybe they're walking to the bathroom, and mid-belch (or worse) they think idly to themselves, "I approve", and magically that thought should float through the universe and psychically into the minds of the people waiting for the approvals.

But you know guys, it doesn't work that way.

Here's a thought.  How about we let you play the evil Archbishop in Pillars of the Earth? Take a couple of minutes, put on a nice looking robe thing and a skullcap or whatever you prefer, wave your arms in the air, and do the equivalent of his te absolvo - you know, just do a blanket approval of all transgressions, er, I mean work requests, past and future.   Do it in front of *me*, and I'll duly note it in the Department of Rubber Stamps that you always approve, and you won't ever be bothered again.  Really.

I think this could work.

And before you're done playing Archbishop, please go back to your room and flagellate yourself with some nasty looking cat o'nine tails thing, just for me.

Truth in advertising...not

Watching the latest spate of political advertising for a very short-term replacement for Gabrielle Giffords in the House of Representatives, it seems to me that few people trying to win an argument even try to tell the truth any more.  They just throw out a bunch of crap to see what will stick.  And unfortunately, a lot of crap sticks, because a lot of people are too stupid to discern fact from fiction, they just believe whatever they are told and then start repeating it loudly and indignantly every chance they get.

So if the concept works for politicians (especially those in the party to which I do not belong), hey, it can work for me.  Here are bunch of things I'm just going to start repeating, all truthful (or truthfully my opinions, as far as you know) to people and via posting on facebook, to see how many people will just pass it on without any thought.

• A zombie ate the face off a homeless guy in Florida.
• Tombstone is a crappy little town with a dusty lot for a fake OK Corral who seems to think they and they alone own federal land.
• Polish people would like to visit the US but they do wonder why the potatoes are bad here.
• Jesse Kelly is a big fat liar.
• There is no good Serb ever lived.  (I'm quoting someone.)
• UCLA sucks.
• Jesse Kelly thinks oil is a renewable resource.
• Tombstone thinks they are in danger of burning down if they can't rape the Huachuca Mountains.  Burning down what?  The fake fence around your fake OK Corral?
• Just because in theory you can fire off your ammo in a national forest doesn't mean you should.  There *are* still rules to be obeyed.
• States don't get to trump federal law.
• Cities don't get to trump state and federal law.
• But perhaps I can pass laws around my own house and trump 'em all.
• Rattlesnakes are your friends.
• The 5-second rule is bogus, but if you want to eat off of your floor, go ahead.
• Coal is NOT clean.
• The ability of any one politician to lower gasoline prices is nil.  Beats me why they some keep claiming they can do it.  Probably because a lot of people are dumb enough to believe it.  (You think our gas prices are high?  Visit Europe.)
• Counting on getting my social security benefits some day is like, to steal a quote from a friend, getting shade from an ocotillo.  You'd be wise not to count on it, then it will be a happy day when you actually get something.
• If you hate the Affordable Health Care Act (and I know, most of you won't recognize it by that name), then I hope you have no pre-existing conditions, don't plan on changing jobs, and have no adult children who could benefit from staying on your plan until they are 26.  (I know, it's easier to advocate throwing the whole thing out than to actually think about what you'd want changed.)
• Global warming is real.
• People who are all for personal freedoms and not wanting the government to tell them what to do, that's fine, but recognize then that you don't get to tell ME what to do.

Letter to the Forest Service re: Hunter Canyon

To: Ms Kathleen Nelson

Acting District Ranger

Coronado National Forest

5990 S. Highway 92

Hereford, AZ  85615

Cc: Mr. Jim Upchurch, Forest Supervisor, Coronado National Forest, 300 W Congress, Tucson AZ 85701

Ms Nelson:

I am writing to you as a Hereford AZ resident with deep concerns about the target shooting that takes place in Hunter and Ash Canyons in the Huachuca Mountains.

As you know, de facto shooting ranges have been established in the canyons; in Hunter Canyon this is approximately ¼ mile up the road.  These areas have become gathering places for many recreational shooters in the Sierra Vista/Hereford/Palominas area.

When my husband and I first moved here in late 2001, we never heard any gunfire.  In the last several years it has been increasing to the point that it now occurs on a daily basis, and is more lengthy and intense on the weekends.  For example, this past Saturday and Sunday both, the shooting began before 7:00 AM, and went on throughout the day until after 6:00 PM.  Some of the shooting was very rapid, sounding to my ear like semi-automatic or automatic weapons.

According to Forest Service regulations, shooting is allowed on National Forest System Land providing:

• It does not create a public hazard or serve as a direct threat to public safety.
• It does not damage or destroy natural features such as plants, historic features or property.
• It does not create litter; refuse accumulation and abandoned personal property.
• It does not violate an existing restriction or closure.

I believe the shooting in the canyons violates the first three bullets:

• The noise from the gunfire is a public nuisance and hazard; and given the number of residences in the area on both sides of Hwy 92, poses a direct threat to public safety.
• The shooting is demonstrably damaging and destroying native plants, most notably emory and Arizona white oaks (and given the tree losses from the Monument Fire in June 2011, I believe the Forest Service should be protecting the trees that are left!); see photo below.
• Litter and refuse is accumulating at these sites, not to mention the ever-increasing amount of lead from the ammunition, potentially endangering wildlife and water sources.

An article appeared in the Sierra Vista Herald newspaper several weeks ago, detailing the litter and lead problems and the damage being done to the trees.  The Forest Service has posted signs requesting persons pick up their trash, but has done little else to mitigate the damage to the trees, the accumulating lead, or the noise situation.

While I am approaching this issue as a concerned area resident, I’d also like to point out that the Huachucas are visited by many tourists each year for the outstanding birding, hiking, and mountain biking.   It doesn’t seem reasonable to me that a subset of persons could ruin the recreational opportunities for the larger base of residents and visitors.  Driving away the visitors has potential economic impact to the greater Sierra Vista area.  Everyone has a different idea of "recreation" but the bottom line is that the gun enthusiasts can go somewhere else (a range), while that can't be said for the birders/hikers/bikers who want to enjoy these mountains and canyons.

In closing, I strongly believe that this situation is intolerable.  Given the shooting in these areas is in violation of the Forest Service’s own guidelines, I believe that immediate measures need to be taken to eliminate this activity from the canyons, and that it is incumbent upon you as the Acting District Ranger to manage the effort. 

My neighbors and friends in the area look forward to hearing of planned actions.