Tag Galaxy

Here is a cool application I came across this weekend via a colleague's recommendation. Tag Galaxy uses tags to develop its own “tag-o-verse” using a planet metaphor. Type in a tag you’re interested in and, using the tags people have used when loading their Flickr photos, Tag Galaxy will instantly assemble a system of planets that represent those tags. Click on a planet to zoom in and browse photos. (Make sure you're using a good version of Flash.)

Here's a tag galaxy I created by using the tags recipes, chocolate, and cookies:


And here's another using coffee, cup, café, and latte (no cappuccino?):


You can rotate your galaxy or zoom in on specific pictures. I love the visual representation of concepts and ideas, and it also allows users to browse the multitude of photos already posted on Flickr.

Blogs away!

For all you fellow bloggers out there, here is some humour to brighten your day. :-)

Have you ever felt like this? I certainly have ...



Sometimes you can't help wondering if anyone reads your blog, and maybe pointless, incessant barking would have the same effect ...

For those of you feeling a bit overwhelmed (or overzealous) within the blogosphere ...

And for those of you who are parents (or teachers), this may depict your frustration ...

All images used without permission. If any of these are yours, let me know and I'll credit you or remove it.

Inspiration

I came across this site recently. Depending on your mood, you can spend a lot of time getting lost in Pravsworld. There are quotes, tips, advice, images, and inspiration for all walks of life. Very New Age-ish, here is a sample from the site. Click on the image for a bigger version you can actually read. This one is about believing in yourself:

© Pravs World & Its Photographers

Well, speaking of being in the mood, QuoteXite is another site with quotes for every occasion. Some are famous; others are lesser known. They also have a range of poems, stories, wallpapers, and online cards. Here's a sample of a story, which I quite like. Again, click on the image for a readable version. This is called The Trouble Tree:


Finally, because it seems to be one of those days, Friendhugs has a whole range of things all about, well, friendship. Quotes, cards, poems, messages, wallpapers, songs, notes ... check them out. Some are very cutesy-pie, but I suppose that's to be expected on sites like this. Browse and be inspired!

A change is as good as a break

Apparently, a change is as good as a break. I'm not entirely convinced. However, I'm all for variety; when it comes to online stuff, I'm easily amused and have a short attention span. I used to change my computer's wallpaper daily, having downloaded a whole selection from various websites. Now I find that my Mac laptop will do it automatically every hour. All I have to do is tell it where to look!

Last week, I copied all my images from my PC onto my Mac and set it up on an hourly cycle. Images I forgot I even had are now rotating and giving me daily variety. So where did I get them all from? Two sites that are free to use and have a huge range are wallpapers.com (just make sure you include the 's' - without it, you'll get wallpaper of the original kind), and wallpapers.org (again, remember the 's'). They both do screen savers, too, as well as a range of animated wallpaper, but that just drives me nuts.

Here's a small version of a new one I've downloaded and absolutely love: