A Photo from Field Camp

One more week of field camp! I am currently sitting in the computer lab making a preliminary map of my assigned area, and took some time to stitch a panorama of one of the coolest geologic views I have ever seen. On Friday, my friend Sally and I hiked up the northwest ridge of Goddard Canyon in the Beaverhead Mountains of Idaho with Dr. Little, which was a rare opportunity since the entrance to this canyon is on private property and we were lucky enough to get in contact with the owner of the farm and get permission to drive his road. Even the professors hadn't gotten to hike this ridge before, and when we got to the top and looked northwest into the next canyon over we got an incredible view of some intensely folded layers of rock, and we think we may well have discovered a new thrust fault no one has ever mapped before! While it's likely that only my fellow geologists will appreciate what all this means, I think everyone can appreciate this view (right-click to get the full-sized version in a new window):

There is more coming, once this class is over in a week and a half and I have more time!

Independence Day 2009

Well, it's been a month since I've posted here, and lots has happened, but I've been way too busy to post about it. I've had a post half-written about beards for a few weeks now, but no time to finish it. There's more to say about my internship, and pictures of Pennsylvania to post, several movies and some books to review, lots of political goings-on I want to opine about, and many general updates to... update. Also, I'm nearly done with field camp, and that means I have several hundred photos to go through so I can post the best ones here. I am so super behind! This will all come soon. This post is mostly to say it's coming soon, and to say something quick about one of my favorite holidays.

I've decided Independence Day is much more fun when your country isn't in the process of being taken over by a tyrant. I'm looking forward to a new Independence Day, when America wakes up and realizes that when the President can fire the CEO of a major corporation just because, we are not living in a free country any more. When Benjamin Franklin was asked what kind of government our founding fathers had managed to set up, his reply was "A Republic, if you can keep it." We kept it for over 200 years, but we are selling it now for corporate bailouts, "free" health care, and to shrink our carbon footprint to solve a problem that doesn't exist. While much of Europe is shifting toward more conservative government, America is quickly becoming one of the most socialist nations in the world. Independence Day is much more enjoyable when you don't have to be afraid of your government, or when the head of your government at least has a single shred of pride in his own country instead of aggressively touring the world and apologizing for our greatness. It makes me sick.

On a brighter note, while I couldn't afford any fireworks myself on account of all my money is gone because of cars trouble, Kate and I managed to meet up with some old friends and watch the fireworks show in Idaho Falls this year, which is so much better than the show in Rexburg. That was fun. Also, the Mustangs flew overhead during Rexburg's lame parade, so I got to see them again.

Okay, now back to packing for field camp. Two weeks left!