7:45 AM - Morning. (LiveJournal Post)

I dream a lot.

I used to write down my dreams every night. And I remembered even more of them when I did. I have books and books of them written down. With everything going on, it seems that waking up to write down my dreams is just too much effort, so I don't remember as many. But I still dream.

I think that my dreams mean something, though sometimes it seems that they are nothing more than my brain making up for the fact that I don't watch movies. Not that I am EVER able to figure out what they mean.

Anyway, I had a dream last night. A frivolous dream, I thought, until I told Stephen about it this morning. He said it wasn't a very good dream. It didn't seem that bad to me, but I guess that would depend on your perspective. You see, I have A LOT of nightmares. Wake Up Screaming nightmares. Nightmares that are sticky and I can feel and remember them hours later. Nightmares during which I cry in my sleep.

I have nightmares so bad that while I was with Stephen in England, one night he slapped me awake, and it was wonderful. I needed and wanted him to. Because it got me out of it.

Ok, so last nights dream, as told to Stephen this morning:

Amy: I was taking a class and the final exam was to go out and be the first one back with a newsworthy story...
Amy: and there were hundreds of people in the class
Amy: so a mad rush to get out of the building
Amy: so many people that I`was having to climb down the sides of the stairwell
Amy: and you met me at the bottom.
Amy: we walked in the parking lot, and I thought about doing a story on the bumper stickers of the cars in the parking lot, and hypothesising presidential election results based on political bumper stickers
Amy: when a guy from the class drove his car into a crowd of people, then jumped out and ran into the building to write a story on it.
Amy: and i was in such shock. i couldn't make the phone work. so you dialed 911 for me.
Amy: and it jumped ahead
Amy: and the guy apparently had a son, whom we adopted.
Amy: who hated us, and the dream ended with the three of us outside talking about how his dad would never get out of prison
Stephen: not that great a dream
Amy: and him plotting to kill us and attempt a prison break.
Stephen: eek
Amy: it was like a cliff hanger movie.


The guy had driven his car through a chain link fence and into a huge crowd of people, killing as many as he could. There was blood and screaming and all kinds of mayhem. And he jumped out of his car and left it there in the midst of all the destruction and death and ran in to write about his newsworthy story.

At the end, when the son is plotting to kill us, the three of us are standing beside a well. He has a piece of foam core board and an X-acto knife and is cutting a shape out of the interior of the foam core board while he is questioning Stephen and I about his father. I thought it was going to be a person shape at first, but it ended up being a very sloppy giant X.


Spending time with you the other day, Christine, made me stop to ponder the fact that there was a well. But I still have no clue what it means.

In Which Amy Gets Excited... (Myspace Blog)

So...

Wormhole had their CD release party last night. I was oh so flattered to hear from Travis, begging me sweetly to go, saying that I was missed. Aww... so of course I said I'd go. (Have any of you tried to stand your ground against a crying, begging Travis? No? Well, let me tell you... it's not easy to do. I just cave. It's the puppy-dog eyes, I think...)

It was fun, it was late, I was tired. But I bought a CD, had it signed for hija (who was mad about it being an over 21 show) and brought it home. I looked at it, but I was tired, so I just fell into bed.

This morning, however, I pack up the CD to listen to in my car. And took a moment to read the thank you's to see who I knew (its kind of exciting to think that I know some of the people being talked about. :) You understand, I'm sure.)

Reading, reading, reading... Wait! is that MY name? Holy smokes, it /is/ my name! My name is on the thank yous?! OH MY GOD!!!!

I felt like I was in the second grade talent show and my three little pigs skit had just won first prize. Again. I did a dance. I swear, I did. In my car. MY NAME WAS ON THE THANK YOUS!!! HAHAHAHA!!!

I don't feel like I am an important enough person in the life of this band to have deserved it. They are my friends, I support them because I love them. And their wives, with whom I enjoy spending time. As Chris says, "not a groupie - family."

Wow. I'm overwhelmed and humbled.

I really love all of you. And am quite proud of your accomplishments. And the CD is awesome. So awesome that my cars' CD player didn't want to give it back. Greedy CD player. Mine.

Mi compadres y amigos, soy agradecido. Gracias. Te amo. Todos.

In Which Amy Answers Chris H. ... (Myspace Blog)

Chris H. posted this. We should ALL answer and get some great dialogue going. I, too, am REALLY INTERESTED to know what you think.

I challenge you…

"Here's the deal. I'm sick and tired of all the useless garbage that people normally ask you in those online surveys. I'm interested in what you really THINK. I have ten questions for you. They will require more thought that the ones you're probably used to seeing on MySpace, but they are worthwhile subjects and well worth the time spent thinking about them. My aim is not to judge you by your answers, nor to filter out those people who don't think the same way I do. I just feel that the free and open expression of ideas is a wonderful thing. And I am REALLY INTERESTED in what you have to say about these particular ideas."

1.)Q. Are you for the right to choose, or the right to life, or some other view when it comes to abortion? Please explain.

1.)A. I believe that each person should have the right to choose to terminate a first trimester pregnancy. While I, personally, do not think that I could abort any pregnancy, I do not believe that I have the right to impose my belief onto others. Each unwanted pregnancy that comes to term is an unwanted child. Until a foetus is viable on its' own, then I do not believe that child has a 'right to life'. Once a foetus is viable (which gets to be earlier and earlier) then I believe they gain rights. I do see the need for exceptions to this, so in addition I have to state that I believe there must be some room for flexibility in regards to rape, incest, and determination of significant foetal damage.

2.)Q. Are you for immediate withdrawal from Iraq, or a timetable for withdraw, or indefinite continued military presence (i.e. Germany after WW2), or some other alternative? Please explain.

2.)A. I do not believe that the Iraq war was one that we should have started to begin with. That being said, I think it would be irresponsible of us to wade into the pot, make a mess, then not stick around to clean it up. We must come up with a workable timetable for withdrawal that ties up our loose ends, sets up the Iraqi people to be fairly self sufficient, and gets troops out of there as soon as possible. I believe we are poised to see another Vietnam if we are not careful.

3.)Q. Do you believe religious topics should be free game for public school teachers, or that prayer should be allowed in public school, or that religion should be kept out of public school altogether, or some compromise? Please explain.

3.)A. In Amy's perfect world, each faith would be comfortable enough in its own skin to be looked at critically. Each teacher would be conscientious about doing their work and determined to present all faiths for review. Each student would be willing to have an open mind and look outside their comfort zone without defensiveness. But we don't live in Amy's perfect world. Therefore I believe that there should be a very strict (even more strict than what the US has now) separation between religion and school. If you can't present them ALL, then you should not present ANY. *Until the day that there is true separation of church and state, I will fight for a student's right to have the same rights for their faith that children raised Christian do, i.e. wear religious jewellery, form student groups, offer prayers, refrain from the pledge of allegiance, etc.*

4.)Q. Do you believe that the presidential election should be determined by the popular vote as in a true democracy, or that the electorate was created for a reason which is still valid today and should remain our standard for selecting the president, or some other alternative? Please explain.

4.)A. Let me explain the origin of the electoral college… it was designed by rich white men to keep rich white men in power. It minimizes the impact of individual vote, because the founding fathers were not interested in freedom for all, but keeping power to the few that they deemed worthy. (In other words, wealthy, educated, land owning White men.) I believe that the electoral college should be done away with and each vote should count equally. (And I have to point out that we do not live in a truly democratic society, but a capitalistic one, the differences betwixt the two are great, and they are perpendicular to each other.)

5.)Q. Do you support the death penalty fully, do you think it should be eliminated altogether, or some middle ground? Please explain.

5.)A. I am strongly against the Death Penalty. This was another, previous post (2 January, 2007, if you are interested.)

6.)Q. Do you support euthanasia (often referred to as the right to die or assisted suicide), do you think that anyone who helps someone commit suicide should go to jail (including doctors), or some other alternative? Please explain.

6.)A. I DO support an individual's right to die with dignity and in a way they choose. THIS must be a future post. I have a lot to say about it.

7.)Q. Do you think that gays/lesbians should be allowed to marry, or that there should be some alternative other than marriage, or that marriage should be constitutionally defined as being between a man and a woman, or some other view? Please explain.

7.)A. I believe that anything less than full marriage rights for gay, lesbian, and transgender persons is discrimination. None of that should matter in regards to LEGAL marriage. I could give a hoot what each church chooses to define as marriage in their faith, and believe they should be allowed to grant or refuse religious marriage to their hearts content. However, legal marriage should be no different; no matter the colour, creed, race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. of the people involved.

8.)Q. Do you think that all firearms should be made illegal except to trained law enforcement or government agencies, or that new and stricter gun ownership laws should be enacted, or that current laws are enough if they are enforced properly, or that current laws are too strict, or that the right to bear arms is a fundamental constitutional right and that everyone should own one as soon as they can be taught to pull a trigger, or some other view or combination of views? Please explain.

8.)A. This is a hard one for me to describe. I am not really sure where I stand. Perhaps partly because I am not sure what the current gun laws say. (Shame on me.) But here is what I /do/ believe. Guns are not toys. Guns should not be toys. Children should not have toys guns that look real EVER. Toys like this should not even be sold. Children should not be exposed to guns, because guns do not solve problems. The more people have guns the less likely they are to try to find a different solution to a problem, the quicker they are to resort to violence. Violence begets violence and someone has to be the one to stop the cycle. Police officers and other law enforcement agencies should have guns, but the only other reason to own a gun is to hunt. (But only if you eat what you kill.) Ok, you all can shout it together… HIPPIE. I know.

9.)Q. Do you think that the U.S. should close its border to all immigration, or that immigration laws should remain as is as long as they are enforced, or that sneaking into this country is a crime and all illegal aliens should be prosecuted and/or deported, or some other view? Please explain.

9.)A. Yet again, another difficult to answer question. And I'm not sure. So I'll think more and post later.

10.)Q. Do you think certain drugs should be legalized in the US, or that marihuana is OK for medical use only, or that the drug laws should be more strictly enforced as is, or that newer and stricter anti-drug laws should be established, or some other view? Please explain.

10.)A. Here is what I think should be done. All drugs (including cigarettes and alcohol) should be made legal for CONSENTING ADULTS (age to be negotiated, but at least 21) in private or designated areas. (Not public places where those who do not consent are open to second hand exposure.) The government should take control of the manufacture and distribution of said drugs, and all drug paraphernalia. Items essential to safe use (such as sterile hypodermics and graphic literature on the dosage and results of said drug use) should be provided without stigma and free of charge, and disposed of in the same manner. Drugs should be /heavily/ taxed. Resulting taxes should be used to promote recovery programs, provide socialized health care, and to pump money into law enforcement. There should be a complete restructuring of the drug laws, which should provide EXTREMELY stiff penalties for ANYONE who provides any drug to minors or non-consenting adults, who expose children to conditions of drug use, etc. The penalties should be so stiff as to have no second chances and no chance of parole. The goal is to make it so easy to get and the penalties so stiff that no one in their right mind would think about providing to minors. Adults, in my opinion, have infinite right to fuck up their own bodies, up until they begin to harm others.

Let me point out that there is NEVER one answer for every situation. There are always exceptions. I can think of many just for the 10 questions above. Plus, my views are mutable things, as I am very willing to look at things from different perspectives. If you see it different and want to tell me so, fine. I'll listen and think about what you have said. If there is undisputable logic, your views may change mine. Know, however, that I won't criticize your ideas. I am a dynamic thinker, and to stagnate is to die. By extension, I trust that I will be offered the same freedom to express myself without criticism.

In which Amy Wants to be a Geologist... (long w/ pics) (Myspace Blog)

So this is the story of our geology field trip. I have decided that I want to be a geologist when I grow up. My daddy, the-geologist-who-has-been-stuck-on-sides-of-moutains-and-called-ME-for-help, will be SO freaking proud of me.



This is me. Yes. In my AWESOME Earth friendly Recycled-Plastic-Bag hat. I am playing Geologist. Notice the backpack for holding random rocks (strapped over the chest like any REAL geologist) and the groovey Hippie-chick plaid shorts. Almost as cool as golfing attire. But not quite.



This is Erika. We have Geology together, and we study together. Today she is playing Photographer/Filmographer. She is AWESOME at it too, by the way. Notice her Many-Pockets-for-Holding-Rocks Geologist pants. She likes rocks with one direction of cleavage. This makes her Uber-Geocool. Or something like that.

We went to Lucero Arroyo, an arroyo just off I-10 at Radium Springs. When you get there and look, you don't think that there will be anything to see, but you trek down into quite a significant sized arroyo. It is just inside NMSU land, and they prosecute tresspassers, so if you decide to go and see for yourself, make sure you don't get caught.

The first stop on our mile hike is this particular arroyo cliff.



Notice the two different colours of rock? The purple on the bottom is called Palm Park formation, and it is about 50 million years old. The top is called Camp Rice formation, and it is only about 5 million. I want to live to be 5 million...



The bedding of the Palm Park formation is angled about 45 degrees from horizontal, while the bedding of the Camp Rice formation is horizontal.



This is a nice example of an Angular Unconformity, since there is no explanation what happened in the 45 million years between the 2 types of rock. Plus the colours are pretty.

Next stop: This cute little gentle knoll of rock.



This is called an anticline. It is a little frown shaped formation. Had it been smile shaped, it would have been called a syncline. But it's not, so it's not. So there.

Notice how the rocks in this little outcropping are lining up with each other? No? Well, they are.



This is called imbrication, and it is an indication that the rocks were originally placed here by strong currents of moving water. The direction of the imbrication tells the direction in which the current moved. In this case, from the left to the right of the screen.


Here is an example of a lahar, a volcanic debris flow.



This particular lahar is a part of the Palm Park formation (it's purple) and is made of andesite. Geology Guy says that this means there must have been a volcano here.

Yah, like he knows stuff. Sheesh.


Now we start to see a new rock formation. It is yellow and chunky and is called the Abo formation.



It is actually the oldest of the rock formations we see, having had 290 million happy returns. There is a fault between the Abo and Palm Park formations. This video will show you. And yes, that is the wind. Really.



Ok, so everyone repeat after me... Normal faults are produced by extension.

In case you are lost, here is a diagram...



This is Geology Guy straddling the fault. Purple Palm Park formation on the right, yellow Abo formation on the left. I wonder if I would get to straddle faults if I were a geologist...



A bit later on, we see quite a bit of siltstone (And I figured out what it was, yay me!) with fossil imprints of plants. Here is one, kept large for you to see the fern fossil in it.



This is an example of jointing, rocks that crack and expand without additional movement. It almost looks like a puzzle. Erika and I tried to pry some up to take with us, but to no avail. It just wasn't coming.




Now we are almost to the end of the mile hike, and we discover fossiliferous limestone. There were amazing fossils in this, worthy of a few pics.







Notice that all the fossils are marine? As a Geologist-for-a-day, I can tell you that that MEANS SOMETHING.

Geology Guy said that marine=ocean.


In the end, this is what we figure out. In the Early Permian, there was a completely different set of mountains that have since eroded away, along with an ocean that rose and fell with the change in the ice caps. We had rivers and lots of fern type thingies and marine creatures. The REAL geologists drew up a map, just to make it easier to understand. Notice the detail and professional quality artistry.



Along the way, we saw things like mud cracks and burrows of little mud-dwelling creatures, leading Erika to record this video of my questioning Ms. Huff about the differences between two rocks with different burrows.



I even SOUND like a Geologist!

We also saw a horney toad. I like horney toads, having forced them to spit blood out of their eyes at me as a child, so I am leaving his picture large. No, we did not mess with him. Poor thing has probably never seen so many giants in his life, plus they are an ENDANGERED SPECIES. Yes, for reals. Yes, you should feel guilty for torturing the poor things. Go wash the horney toad blood off your hands now.



(Hija saw this picture and said, "Oh, look at him!! He's so horney!!" *sighs*)

And finally, the part that Erika said just proves that I am meant to be a geologist. We are walking back. There is a small fault sticking a foot or two out of the ground. I jump up on it...



and shout "It's not MY fault!"

I thought I said the funniest thing in the world. So did Ms. Huff. We rolled on the floor laughing. It WAS funny, dammit! Erika, however, just smirked and said it was geologist humour.

If I had known that all it took was stuffing a backpack full of random rocks and being funny, I would have become a geologist it a long time ago.