These are fotos of 26 diffeen words we had to find a visual interpretation for.  

 National Parks Service

Terms of use, http://photo.itc.nps.gov/storage/images/help.html#anchor10 

I went to the US Government Photos and Multimedia site. The site is reatively easy to use. There is a list of different departments you can click on and explore. I went to the National Parks Service site. That site was easy to use as well,  it was another list. I choose to look at the Assateague Island National Seashore(MD) gallery. Not all of the photographs were excellent but they did show many sides of our national parks. The use  of the photos was well explained, but it's not very hard to explain.  All credit goes to the  National Parks Service. You are free to use any pictures unless you are using them to portray the Parks service as endorsing any person, product or thing. 

This is a depiction of me in four of my pictures. 

I am never quite organized, and never all together.

But thats ok if I was I would be worried.

I am an observer.

I am not the center of attention and that's how I like it.

I notice the little things and sometimes they drive me crazy.

Detail oriented and a perfectionist until the end. 

I am always in a hurry.

Even when I have time to spare, I am always looking ahead.

 

    Archaeologists claim to have found ash from the famous Mt. Vesuvius eruption in 79AD in Greece. The eruption covered both Pompeii and Herculaneum and was so violent it spewed ash that reached Lake Mygdonia about 400 miles away. The layer of ash was as deep as 3 meters in some areas, however it is not certain that this is ash from Vesuvius.

It was not immediately clear by what means Fytikas(head scientist) had established that the layer of ash and rock near Lake Mygdonia came from Vesuvius and that it dated back to 79AD.

Ash from Vesuvius found in Greece | News from Campania and Molise

    This is a short reflection I wrote about a small, seemingly insignificant personal experience. That was representative of a larger problem. I wrote about an anti-war slogan I saw in Italy. For those of you who don't know, Belusconi was the italian persident and ally of Bush, who sent Italian troops into Iraq.

 

Monday, October 22, President Bush asked Congress for $196 billion to pay for the wars in Iraq, Afganistan as well as new national security programs. The extra money would be used to cover the costs of new armoured vehicles and the higher operation costs in Iraq. Just last week Democrats lacked the votes to override Bush's veto of an expansion of CHIP, children's health insurance program, that cost about $35 billion.

“It’s amazing to me that the president expects to be taken seriously when he says we cannot afford $20 billion in investments in education, health, law enforcement and science, which will make this country stronger over the long term,” Mr. Obey said in a statement. “But he doesn’t blink an eye at asking to borrow $200 billion for a policy in Iraq that leaves us six months from now exactly where we were six months ago.”

- David R. Obey

Bush’s Request for Wars Increases to $196 Billion - New York Times

    As of today the national debt is $9,063,023,429,333.88. Some other fun facts: Each of the U.S.'s 303,405,035 citizens has a share of the debt that totals $29,871.04 and the National debt has increased an average of $1.4 billion per day since September 2006 (http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/). Why isn't anyone concerned? How can Mr. Bush, in good conscience, deny a medical care bill for children and ask for more money so he can continue to occupy a country halfway around the world. We seriously need to get our priorities straight. During the Vietnam War hundreds of thousands of people protested and made their opinions heard. Where are they now? We are so desensitized that we just accept the war and what the administration has to say. Am I the only one who finds that disturbing?

    The Salt Lake Tribune reports that 3 tourists from Utah were robbed while on vacation in Atlanta. The crooks stole a wallet and a cell phone and one shot was fired into the tourists rental car, shattering a window. The suspects were quickly located and apprenhended because they used the stolen cell phone. Only one of the tourists was taken to the hospital for 'minor cut' caused by broken glass, the other two recieved no injuries.

They are suspects in a series of pedestrian robberies.

Salt Lake Tribune - 3 tourists from Utah robbed in Atlanta

    My question is why is this even in the news? Do we really need to know every time something bad happens to anyone anywhere? It seems that nowdays top stories aren't political, national or even state issues its the latest grueome murder or violent kidnapping. Based on the news you would think that America is the most dangerous place around. Maybe it is, I don't know. This coverage is creating a climate of fear in our country, turning a simple robbery, which was probably terrifing for those involved, into news. Is there really nothing more important happening out there? What happened to the bigger picture?

  Italian scientists at Turin's le Molinette research hospital announced that they are "on the verge" of discovering a fragment of DNA that causes migraines and other serious headaches. Migraines and sever headaches are the fifth most prevalent neurological ailment. The research was conducted in conjunction with American scientists, who provided state of the art DNA test equipment not readily available in Turin. This discovery could also prove that migraines are hereditary.

“The gene we are homing in on is found on a single chromosome,” Pinessi said.

Italians ‘close’ to migraine find-- Italy Magazine

    This is potentially an amazing discovery. The ability to cure migraines and other dabilitating headaches will change millions of lives worldwide.

    Tuesday September 25, the township of Riverside, NJ repealed legislation that made it illegal to knowingly rent housing to or employ illegal immigrants. As a result of the law hundreds perhaps thousands of recent immigrants fled the township. Along with these immigrants went the problems that led town lawmakers to create such legislation, over crowding, traffic and noise. What they left behind is a business district boarded up, corner shops, barber shops and restaurants whose main clientele were said immigrants suffered and some even closed.

“I don’t think people knew there would be such an economic burden,” said Mayor George Conard, who voted for the original ordinance. “A lot of people did not look three years out.”

Towns Rethink Laws Against Illegal Immigrants - New York Times

   I think illegal immigration is illegal for a reason. It does create problems such as those experienced in Riverside, N.J. It is also naive to think we can make some laws and send all these immigrants back to their native countries, because the truth is they have become a large part of our economy. They support many businesses and constitute a percentage of the work force. America is a melting pot, and everyone should be welcome, but there are steps. Granted these steps are extremely rigorous and often shut out people leaving them with the choice to immigrate illegally or continue in their native country. I can some what understand people in this situation but I also think that when you immigrate to a new country you should be a positive contributing member of society.