Searching #77: Images

This module kind of frustrated me. AllFreeClipArt was not very helpful, I spent most of my time just trying to find a single image, I got things that were relevent to the subject matter but never the actual subject I was looking for. I lost count after clicking so many times.

I prefer the usage of Flickr, it has so much content and the user interface is easy to use. I even found a very talented photographer, a Houston Native. Meet TinyAlice. She has some very nice pictures on Flickr.

I visited FreePhotoBank.com and found some ok pictures. I didn't like that I had to click on advanced search in order to type in what I wanted. I suppose if you had a very very general idea of what kind of picture you wanted, food for example, then this website would be for you. However you would have to pay a price for it and it had a limitation on how many times you could use it. That doesn't seem too Free to me. I think I will use another site instead.

I have used the clipart program available to HCPL staff in the past and have found it very helpful. At Aldine Library, I am in charge of the Recycling Program so I make quite a few flyers and this has a plethora of images that I can use.

This image will work perfectly for one of my recycling program flyers!



Image credit: © 2009 Jupiterimages Corp.

Searching #76: Sound Effects

Different animal sounds for your enjoyment from Findsounds.com

ELEPHANT

CHICKEN

Mallard Ducks

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These are from Simply the best sounds

Joey from Friends. Copyright: Warner Bros.

who doesnt know this song?
Fur elise

an unmistakable voice...Ace Ventura.
Copyright: Warner Bros.

Searching #75: Google and Beyond

1) I did three searches on Blindsearch. I searched myself, purple cala lillies, and my sister's hair salon. The results were shocking. I am an avid google user, I use it at least 3 times a day I'm sure, yet none of the engines I chose were google. That was very surprising. So Google did not fair very well at all, Bing came out first, then yahoo, then google. However this does not change my opinion of google, I have had better success rates in the past with Google rather than others. I will continue to be a GOOGLER. :)

2) Google is ranked number 1 on Hitwise. Yahoo was its closest competitor and it surpassed it by 58%. I guess I am part of the majority who use Google.

3)One of the features that I love about Google is Igoogle. This homepage is so useful. I have all my frequently needed information all in one place alongside my favorite search engine. I checked out the google advanced search options and found something useful. Google allows you to limit date ranges. You can also change the preferences to match your needs. I really prefer google because the information I get is clear and easy to read and sort through and I feel the ads are not as intrusive as you would find on others.

All in all - I'm a GOOGLER!

Pets #74: Social Petworking

I signed up for animalattraction.com and created a profile for Snowball, Lady, and myself. Snowball is a 3 year old pekingese and Lady is a 5 year old English Bull Terrier.

The registration process was rather easy, it was very easy to navigate and understand.

After creating the profile and uploading a picture of Snowball and Lady. I did a search for members with Pekingese dogs. Pekingese aren't found very often in Houston and I thought it would be nice to find someone else who has one. Unfortunately only 2 results came back, but I know there are more than that, they just may not have signed up with the site yet. I think this site needs to be more in the public eyes on other pet forums in order for it to gain more users. There is a photo contest that I will probably join, I have various pictures to choose from. Snowball does not like cameras but when I catch him off guard, it is priceless.

I like the fact that it donates money for every time that I log in.
Another thing I foudn useful is that it provides pet information all in one place or it will at least provide referrals. All in all I look forward to finding more pet owners like me.

Pets #73: Losing a Friend

I have lost a few pets over the years (due to accident, old age and sickness). As I mentioned before, my family has had many pets majority of my life. And I think since we (my family) have dealt with that loss at an early age we are somewhat desensitized to that. I still get very sad when any pet passes but I can see how some people may have trouble dealing with that. But then again, when you are older you have a greater concept of death so those coping abilities may change as well.

1. I did a search for dealing with loss of pet. The first one I found was petloss.net
After reading over some of the tips, I can see it does provide useful information to any grieving petowner. I am not sure if it it well known, the web page needs some polishing up but it does give plenty of useful information. I like that it has a "Guide to Support Groups, Counselors & Pet Cemeteries" as well. I also found the Humane Society of the United States.
This is a well known organization so I would definitely recommend them to others.
My family also watch Cesar Millan (the dog whisperer) and tend to use tips from him when dealing with our pets. He has a page on his website that also provides insight on loss of a pet. The last two sites I would definitely recommend, they have credible backgrounds and speak with years of experience.

Pets #72: Pet Health Online

My results are:

Snowball's DogAge is 21.9!

That's 7.9 years younger than the average DogAge for Snowball's breed.

DogAge is the biological age of your dog, measured in people years. Your dog is lucky to have such a good caretaker. You can make your dog even younger by checking out the details of your results below.

I know Snowball could probably get better care and be even younger if I can fit in more activities and take him to the vet more often for checkups. He is kept very safe clean and happy. We notice a dramatic change in his behavior after we moved into the new house. He seems much happier and much more calm. He has more space to run around in and a big yard to run around in.

Pets #71: Finding a Pet

I took the pet picker test and got "cat". I personally do not like cats at all. I am a dog person so maybe it's more of a general analysis of my lifestyle. I have always loved dogs, my family has always had a some point in my life.

My husband and I have been actively looking for a dog to adopt. We have a conflict in the size of dog that we would like. He prefers a larger breed, ones that range about 50 to 70 pounds. I prefer the medium to small breeds, 30 pounds and under. So it is hard to find a happy medium. We have been using petfinder and have found several pets we have shown interest in. However, we are in the process of moving into a new house so the adoption will have to wait. We also already have a dog, a 3 year old pekingese; his name is Snowball. We have to find a dog that will be compatible with our furball and would be suitable for our household size. We have a relatively big back yard that our pets can romp around in and the neighborhood is very pet friendly.

We hope to find a pet that can become part of our family in the near future.