How Cool is This?

Just in case you are not one of those who keep up with such, Google Earth has been improving their free product, and there are some very nice features available. You do have to execute a new download, but it doesn't take too long. They have added significant underwater mapping, which not only looks awesome when hovering over the ocean, but gives you something to look at when you duck below the surface. They also snuck in star maps with embedded imagery of galaxies, nebulae and such from the Hubble telescope. Pretty cool. The Google Maps street view images can be selected from within Google Earth as well. Now, if we can get them to update the surface photos again..........

While you are there, check out the ship-breaking shores of Alang, India for a thought provoking view of how some Third World inhabitants are getting by.

Several evenings ago, Papa came by for dinner, still reasonably spry at 82. I hooked up the lap-top to the big screen, and we spent an hour or so taking the Grand Tour courtesy of Google Earth. Papa liked it, and although he owns a PC, he is not its master. Got me to thinking about the process by which we keep up with our technology. 'You snooze , you lose' has never been truer. The eight year old is growing up with all this, and if we manage not to burn down or drown the planet, she will see stuff the like of which I have not dreamed. Exciting/scary.