A new car!

On Thursday my parents got a new car. No longer do we have our Volkswagen New Beetle. My parents traded it in for a 2004 Chevy Impala. It seems good in every way: good size, lots of space (you can fit lots of bodies in the trunk!) and (presumably) safe. I haven't actually ridden in it yet, though. Maybe tomorrow.

I just have to get used to saying "im-PAL-uh" (with "pal" as in "you're my best pal") instead of "im-PAWL-ah," which is how I would say it otherwise. I'm under the impression that the former pronunciation is correct, for the car, at least (but Answers.com tells me I'm right).

It'll probably be the car I learn to drive in. Oh, the future memories...

Google Maps is making a splash across the Internet for the ability to view color satellite photos of lots of places. (It's not new, people!) I was reading this article about interesting things found in satellite images when I wondered what my school looked like from overhead. I went to Google Maps and found an interesting view. The photo was taken while the new campus was being constructed, circa 2003. It was apparently on the afternoon of a school day, as buses can be seen on the track. Here, have a look.

In the photo, the third floor of the new school building hasn't been built yet; the very large art room (just above D Building) is currently connected to the rest of the school by a wing on the third floor that extends out to it.

Of the buildings I've labeled in red, only the gyms (and the portables, I think) remain. The rest were demolished last summer. They're currently building a parking lot there (or expanding the existing one, if you look at it that way). The "School District Offices or Something" and A Building are not part of the school, so they're still hangin'.

Anyway, I thought that was pretty interesting. I guess Google Maps is cool after all.

Cool video: An a cappella group called Redefined sings and acts to a medley of old Nintendo theme songs [embedded MOV file with sound]. Very funny and impressive, considering that the Super Mario Bros. theme song is very hard to sing (and is accordingly one of the most butchered melodies in the history of music). Be sure to watch as well as listen. These guys are great!