iPhoto Name Project

I am on working the iPhoto name project in computers. Last week I found images on the internet that I'm using to form the letters in my name. Yesterday I took some pictures at my house, and today I picked out the music and edited things. Hopefully, everything will be finished by tomorrow! I had trouble finding a "G," and I brought the wrong cord to attach my digital camera to the computer, but other than that, things have gone pretty smoothly. A lot of the images represent things that I like. For example, an ice cream cone is used for the letter "I," and the Eiffel Tower forms an "A." I will also include pictures of me, my family, and my friends.

Astronomy

The Colliding Spiral Galaxies of Arp 271
Credit & Copyright: Gemini Observatory, GMOS-South, NSF

Explanation: What will become of these galaxies? Spiral galaxies NGC 5426 and NGC 5427 are passing dangerously close to each other, but each is likely to survive this collision. Most frequently when galaxies collide, a large galaxy eats a much smaller galaxy. In this case, however, the two galaxies are quite similar, each being a sprawling spiral with expansive arms and a compact core. As the galaxies advance over the next tens of millions of years, their component stars are unlikely to collide, although new stars will form in the bunching of gas caused by gravitational tides. Close inspection of the above imagetaken by the 8-meter Gemini-South Telescope in Chile shows a bridge of material momentarily connecting the two giants. Known collectively as Arp 271, the interacting pair spans about 130,000 light years and lies about 90 million light-years away toward the constellation of Virgo. Quite possibly, our Milky Way Galaxy will undergo a similar collision with the neighboring Andromeda Galaxy in about five billion years.

Nemiroff, Robert, and Jerry Bonnell. Astronomy Picture of the Day. 19 Feb. 2009
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This picture was taken on my birthday in 2008. It caught my eye because it is so unique

and beautiful. I love the view of the stars and spiral galaxies. The two galaxies are passing

very close to each other. Although the galaxies shown in the picture are relatively small

and most likely will not collide, galaxy collisions can occur. This picture captures my

amazement and wonder for the world. It is truly amazing to me how vast the universe is.

We are merely tiny people compared to the never-ending sky that we live under.

Sometimes, especially when I am stressed, I love to just look up at the

millions of stars in the sky. It's like looking up to heaven.

Michael Phelps / A-Rod

I was really sad when I heard that Michael Phelps was caught using drugs. He is an amazing swimmer, and I, along with many others, looked up to him as a role model. It is also disappointing to hear that the baseball player Alex Rodriguez used steroids to enhance his performance. The Media, of course, has a right to report these stories; after all, it is their job. There are many ways for athletes to "let loose" and celebrate without using drugs. Since the use of performance enhancing drugs is illegal, professional athletes are obviously not entitled to use them. People like Michael Phelps and A-Rod must make responsible, healthy decisions to create a positive public image for themselves. Hopefully the negative attention they are getting will help them learn from their mistakes and make better choices in the future.

Jimmy John's Bread

I am very happy because I recently learned that Jimmy John's sells day-old bread for only fifty cents! Today, Hannah, Julie, Emily, and I went to Jimmy John's convenient location for a loaf of bread after running. It was extremely delicious, and I couldn't even tell it was a day old. Plus, it was very refreshing to fill up on carbohydrates after a long day's practice. The experience was so great that we will most likely make it a track tradition. Thank you, Jimmy John's, for the amazing and low-priced loaf of bread. It was great and made my day!

Housing Crisis

I don't know very much about the recent housing crisis; at least, I didn't until I read about it. Foreclosure, the process in which the lender of a mortgage reclaims property because the borrower has not payed the mortgage, is at an all-time high in America. This housing crisis occured because many people were attracted to loans and invested too much money in houses. As adjustable rates increased, homeowners were burdened with high mortgage payments. I think that the government should be a part of helping people keep there homes because it isn't homeowners' fault that payments increased. If my house was going to be taken by a bank, I would want the government to help support me.