Well, da Slapster got da ok from jhitesma to place him as moderator in this forum temporarily for da time bein. Thanks a bunch jhitesma. Your insight, personality, and intelligence gonna be slapptacious in here.

Oh man, what have I gotten myself into

But the Slapster sounded so upset on the phone that I just couldn't say no to him.

I'll do my best to stay impartial and keep out of things but I will occasionally seed the conversation when I think of something appropriate.

I do hope that everyone can keep an open mind and keep things civil. The idea of having to edit anything by anyone really turns me off and I just hope you all can understand that.

Slappy is still searching for someone with a wider background in ecology and environmentalism to take over as permanant moderator so if anyone has any suggestions please offer them up!

Later tonight (when I get back from South Park night at a friends house ) I'll try and post a little bit of background info about me and my feelings towards the environment just to start things out on a level ground.

I just hope we all can learn a lot from this forum and keep an open mind about things we may not have explored very much in the past. And as long as we can stick to the topics and not just call each other names I don't think that will be very hard.

I've written back and forth to Slap and told him I have a friend who is a BLM ranger and teaches conservation of natural resources at a college, I will ask him if he night consider moderating, if Jhitesma does't mind or I can wait till you give moderatin a try?

Congrats Jason, I hope they treat you better then the last two moderators here.

Less than a week and already on are 3rd moderator.

Way to go Jason! I always figured I'd see your name with moderator under it on some board. Glad it's ours.

Thanks for the support so far guys!

Zim, I don't mind at all and really would MUCH rather see someone like that filling this position! Slappy knows that I am only here temporarially until someone who deals with the biology, geology, geography and all the other good things about the desert on a daily basis can take over.

But I did at one time consider myself an environmentalist but never really liked the name because of the wackos that came along with it. I still hold a deep interest in science and the exploration of the planet that supports us and think more people can learn to appreciate it through education and experience. The two really go together.

Once you experience the desert up close and personal most of the people I've met really do want to know more about it. I'm no different myself. I may not have been living in the desert very long but I've asked a lot of questions and gotten a lot of answers and I don't mind sharing what I've learned.

The dunes give a desert experience unlike any other imaginable. The feeling of solitude is immense when as far as the eye can see there isn't a track. The silence of not hearing another creature or vehicle. The barren sands streatching as far as you can see. It's what I picture in my mind when I think "desert". It's the image that I moved here to find because it was burned in my mind even though I had never seen it.

And when I finally did get to see it and experience it for myself the first time....

Well, I'm here now aren't I

Congrats jhitesma

I think you will receive support from everyone, I know you put a lot of effort into your research and answers.

Lori my wife has a bachelers in forestry and a minor in agronomy and a masters in plant and soil science. She would have to start reading the board though. I think the background doesn't matter it is the person jhit is a great choice good at research a degree is just a piece of paper.

Doc

Congrats Jason!

TIMMaY!!!

CONGRADS jhitesma, DON'T LET THEM GET TOO TOUGH ON YOU, THEY CAN BE PRETTY MEAN AT TIMES. LOL

Right on! Congrats! Now this forum can serve a purpose other than just a place to b!tch slap one another!!

congrats and please post your personal mail address so I can send you a pipe bomb just kidding[ ]

Dude! Dude! Sweet!