September 4, 2007
Forward, from backward
…listen
…about the music
Laughable, to some.
Well it had to happen sometime: a slip of the typing finger and whoops! Lots of code I had written to create my semi-custom blog layout… gone. There’s that familiar feeling of one’s heart leaping up one’s esophagus (a tight squeeze, for most), the quickening pulse, the self-anger (I can’t friggin’ believe I just did that ), the denial (surely the information I idiotically deleted is lurking somewhere), the disappointing realization that nope, it’s not lurking anywhere, and finally, at least in my case, the sudden turnaround of thought to, ok this is actually a good thing because it was time to try a new look anyway.
At least, that’s what I try to fool myself into believing.
So here we go, after more hours of editing code than I had planned to do at 4am this morning: New Look Number One. Good enough until I get bored and need to procrastinate some more on my composing, at which point New Look Number Two could show up at any time without warning. In fact, had blog-surfers been visiting my URL in the wee hours of the morning today, they might have been amused at rapid-fire changing of skins for Notes from the Kelp, as I tried on 30 or 40 different looks much in the way a woman might desperately fling clothes from her closet when she can’t find the right thing to wear.
I’m not sure how this blog will eventually dress up, but at least for now it’s clothed enough to go out in public. Now it’s on to some music writing, since I’ve just written enough code for a decent intermezzo.
David Ocker said,
September 5, 2007 @ 2:11 am
Beware. That way lies madness. Editing the code behind your blog is an unending, unrewarding, incomprehensible project. Having just revisited that particular lunacy on my own blog – which I’ve cobbled together from bits and pieces and trials and errors – I can honestly advise you to just go with what works. Presumably someone else, far more patient and geeky, has figured how to make the stock layout look correct in IE5, Mozilla 3.2 and Safari 19.43 – not to mention Opera (which fortunately doesn’t sing). All you are supposed to do is add content.
A wise person takes his own advice. Not me! I’ve been thinking that it would look good if I added just a wee little bit more 3D edging to one element of my blog. Maybe I’ll go do that now.
Ooh, and sorry to hear about losing the code. Been there. Done that. Recreating it usually takes less time (in my experience) but it’s not as rewarding.
Alex Shapiro said,
September 5, 2007 @ 9:04 am
There may be others more patient, but possibly not more geeky.
I was extremely fortunate: I only lost layout code, not content. Coulda been a lot worse. But these little digi-seismic events are very good for shaking up one’s initiative to backup. Beep… beep….beep… (the sounds of me backing up).
Still waiting on that 3-D, David! Will you send your devoted readers and fans those groovy glasses? Although, I’m not convinced I want to see your recent posts on torture in 3-D. Our government leaders should, however, so you’d be doing a pubic I mean public service.
🙂
David Ocker said,
September 5, 2007 @ 12:09 pm
Uhh – not that kind of 3d – just little shaded borders around boxes that give the impression of the slightest bit of elevation or depression. It’s more fund if you do the same thing with drugs.
Backup – I assume your blog is on your own server, but mine is hosted by Google/Blogspot They do it for free out of the goodness of their heart. Do I trust them? (No.) So I have a complete blog backup on my harddrive. Converting it to some other location would take months of geek Sundays however. Someday someone will show an interest I keep telling myself.
Paul H. Muller said,
September 6, 2007 @ 2:13 pm
I’ve always thought your photos and music were the main thing. What you have now looks OK, but it is a bit… green.
Is the rainforest finally getting to you up there?
Alex Shapiro said,
September 6, 2007 @ 3:32 pm
Not the rainforest, but the algae. I am kelp infused….
🙂
Doug Palmer said,
September 9, 2007 @ 8:26 am
It’s not that it is green. It’s the particular shade.
Anyone who has ever explored the Qlympic peninsula knows that heaven is green.
Alex Shapiro said,
September 9, 2007 @ 9:39 am
Ok guys… I need your help. What I’m finding, no surprise, is that this particular shade of green looks quite different on a variety of monitors. On some, it leans toward an ocher-beige (not my favorite) and on others it’s a richer one more evocative of either the rain forest or the kelp, depending on whether you’re wearing hiking boots or a snorkel.
If you happen to read this, chime in on what hue you’re seeing. And what controlled substances might be assisting your vision…. 🙂