Design . Build . Learn . Repeat

Last night a heavy thunderstorm passed over us and headed out to sea. About half an hour later, I walked outside to see the southern sky filled with flashes of light. The massive electric storm was playing out almost silently over the Gulf of Mexico. It was one of the most spectacular displays I have ever seen, with electricity sparking in every direction in ways I have never seen before.

I took a couple videos with my camera. This clip is a collection of all the lightning strikes over a period of two minutes, edited together and slowed down:

Electric Storm over the Gulf from Vincent on Vimeo.

Found via Jonathan Carroll:

STATION
by Li-Young Lee

Your attention please.
Train number 9, The Northern Zephyr,
destined for River’s End, is now boarding.

All ticketed passengers
please proceed to the gate marked Evening

Your attention please. Train number 7,
Leaves Blown By, bound for The Color of Thinking
and Renovated Time, is now departing.
All ticketed passengers may board
behind my eyes.

Your attention please. Train number 4, The Twentieth Century,
has joined The Wind Undisguised to become The Written Word.

Those who never heard their names
may inquire at the uneven margin of the story
or else consult the ivy
lying awake under our open window.

Your attention please, The Music,
arriving out of hidden ground
and endlessly beginning, is now the flower,
now the fruit, now our cup and cheer
under branches more ancient
than our grandmother’s hair.

Passengers with memories of the sea
may board leisurely at any unmarked gate.

Fateful members of the foam may proceed to azalea.

Your attention please.
Under falling petals, never think about home.
Seeing begins in the dark.
Listening stills us.
Yesterday has gone
ahead to meet you.

And the place in a book a man stops reading
is the place a girl escaped
through her mother’s garden.

And between paired notes of the owl,
a boy disappeared. Search for him
goes on in the growing shadow of the clock.

And the face behind the clock’s face
is not his father’s face.

And the hands behind the clock’s hands
are not his mother’s hands.

All light-bearing tears may be exchanged
for the accomplished wine.

Your attention please. Train number 66,
Unbidden Song, soon to be
the full heart’s quiet, takes no passengers.

Please leave your baggage with the attendant
at the window marked Your Name Sprung from Hiding.

An intrepid perfume is waging our rescue.

You may board at either end of Childhood.

I am having way too much fun with this. There is actually a hidden flight simulator built into Google Earth, giving you the ability to fly above a reasonably accurate representation of the Earth. If you already have Google Earth, hit Option + + A (Ctrl + Alt + A on Windows) to bring up the flight simulator. You can start from any location that you are currently viewing or from a number of airports. You can also choose your plane, either an F-16 or a more sensible, but still easy-to-crash, SR-22 prop plane. The controls are fairly straightforward but a little tricky to master.

Here I am plummeting towards the Golden Gate Bridge:

This is a pretty fascinating game — simple, sure, but I think the ability to see real-world topography and scenery makes up for that. I’ve managed to waste quite a bit of time flying from place to place, checking out Blacksburg, Biloxi, France, and all the other destinations. Navigating is the tricky part, but if you bring up the sidebar you get an on-screen compass as well as the ability to turn on all the usual Google Earth place names, roads, and so forth. Enjoy!