Venus Express Sends Home Picture of the South Pole of Venus

As I look at a picture of the South Pole of Venus, I am amazed at how the Internet has opened up the world to us. We take it for granted, but..it has brought us all closer together and more information into our homes than was ever before possible.

This is not the first probe to circle Venus and send home pictures, but that was back in the late 1980s and the pictures weren't as readily accessible as they are now. So as a probe circles a planet that is millions of miles away, we can sit here on Earth and see the pictures it is taking. That is just AWESOME!

What else does the internet do for us? It allows us to instantly talk with friends and business people around the world. It allows us to research any topic or question that comes to mind. It allows access to news from all over the world (making local papers and evening news shows just about obsolete...at least from a news perspective). When was the last time an Encyclopedia Salesman called your house? The Internet allows us to see live views from all over the world and beyond! And then there are conveniences (online shopping is a biggie, which will probably increase as people try to conserve gasoline).

We truly live in amazing times. And while it is easy to become discouraged about people's actions, wars, things that are wrong with our world, be sure to step back and take a look at where we are! We have come a long way, baby! Not all good, but we have to decide whether our cups are going to be half empty or half full!