Tagmaps

TagMaps - World Explorer

Here is something new and fun from Yahoo.

Tagmaps combines the Yahoo map with Flikr photos so that as you look at the map you find tags for the ares on the map and by holding your mouse over those tags images from the area appear in a window to the right. Then you can look more closely at those pictures by clicking them and look at the photo collections of the photographers.

It's pretty neat!

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Tagmap View

Can't we all just get along?

ACLU Objects to Praying Marines Hoax

I'm normal.

I work with people who are politically opposite from me and I respect them, deeply.

I receive e-mails from them that are, I believe, their genuine feelings sent to persuade me that my end of the political spectrum is wrong and theirs is right.

The link above is a link I found after receiving the e-mail the link's webpage describes from a co-worker. The page "de-bunks" the content of the e-mail, I found the link with a simple search on Google of the words: marines bowing aclu, this link was the top listing in the search.

What disturbs me is not the idea that the ACLU would oppose prayer on federal property, the fact is it has no such opposition.

What disturbs me is that my friend would rather believe that my "liberal" leanings would want to stop prayers by folks in their own space and time, ever, and that my friend would not look more closely himself at the information he spreads to others. I believe it is important, now more than ever that we all look closely at the information from which we make our life's decisions. We live in a crowded planet and misinformation is expensive.

I do not oppose prayer, like my friend I consider myself Christian, I try to be like Christ in my life. I believe that God made me, but like *ALL* humans I am imperfect and so I must respect that I do not have all the right thoughts and answers and others who seem unlike me, who are not Christian (or liberal) are not *ALL* wrong. And if they are atheist or simply different than me I will respect their desire to *NOT* have to pray as I do. God made them too.

Even the most objectionable, God made them.

So I am here humbly offering to my co-worker and anyone else interested in reading this that we all take an extra breath before we pull the trigger against anyone from "the other side". Are we that certain that we are "right"? Is there a chance the opposition has merit? Is it conceivable that we may not have all the needed information before we become condemning?

Remember that extra breath.

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Get out of Cell Phone contracts?

CellSwapper Solves A Very Annoying Problem

What an idea!

I *HATE* cell phone companies. The whole Reagan revolution meant the downfall of customer service and cell phones debut in the same period led the way in customer NO-service.

A major part of the NO-service was the inclusion of terrible contracts for long time periods with exorbitantly high cancellation fees. So along comes this site, CellSwapper, which tries to mate folks trying to leave a contract with others looking to get into one.

There are many reasons to change services, poor coverage, poor sound, etc. can mean you want to change but if you are stuck, this just may be the way to go.

Have a look. Here's hoping you don't find it necessary, but most likely... well, good luck.

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Yugma.com Beta

Yugma : Web conferencing, Online Meetings, Free Web Conferencing, Free Online Meetings, Web Conferencing on MAC, Online Meetings for MAC

I just came across this today and I am really thrilled!

I posted recently about Virtual Networking (VNC) and a one to one ability to operate a remote machine over the Internet with Crossloop.com but this is more for presentations or collaboration but would be great for support as well.

Installing it means downloading some Java and registering an e-mail address to identify you and that's pretty much it. It requires a relatively new Windows or Mac operating system, I have not had success running it on my Ubuntu Linux machine I believe because it doesn't use the most up to date Java but it could be something else.

Once running you get a chat window for communicating and a phone number listing if you want to conference call though it would be a long distance call for most folks.

The program seemed quite well made to me, it runs much as GoToMeeting.com does but without some of the bells and whistles they give for their $50/month service. Yugma.com is flat out *FREE* for up to 10 connections and just $10/month to go up to 20 users and added features of taking control of a remote computer and having hard disk storage online for folks. The free version does allow passing the presenter abilities around amount those connected.

All in all this is a GREAT find and I hope their business goes far.

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