Mind stirring

Got to steal away this morning for a wee bit to hear a friend who just finished a PhD in anthropology, and who, in her own words, was explaining what she's been doing for the past ten years. The idea behind her research was to look at the Staircase/Escalante National Monument in Utah, a Clinton-proclaimed area of 1.9 million acres; this fiat was laid on the area unannounced in 1996, which caused quite a ruckus among the locals. My friend's focus was on the democratic processes which should be followed by both sides of this huge issue of public land use. I hope she is able to publish it as a book. It would be sobering information for people, especially those who have been living off public lands and are deluded in thinking their ranching lifestyle is some kind of inalienable right; that strain of humans wouldn't attend, though.
Gorgeous day and fun evening visit to the sushi joint.