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2009/01/20
Those of you not reading through RSS will notice a new look here today - I had a new logo crafted by the nice folks at Men With Pens. They are the same folks who did the graphics for my ebooks. Easy to work with, reasonable prices, what else can I say?
I could say that I'm very happy to have a more professional look, and that's true. I could say that there are some nooks and crannies here that still need attention and that's also true.
This is a light day. I plan to watch the inauguration and I have to help someone set up a VPN and then transfer some data for someone else but that's about it.
It's kind of a celebratory day. I make no secret of the fact that I am happy to see George Bush go - I think he damaged this country in many ways and the effects of his actions will last for decades - some may last for centuries. I'd like to believe the incoming administration will make important changes, but realistically I doubt it: dirty politics, greed and self-interest will hamper even the best of intentions. So while I'm happy to see Obama in office, I don't have great hopes for change.
As someone nearing retirement, my biggest fear is that this mess will be dealt with in the obvious way: let inflation loose and damn the consequences. That will put the burden on the weak: the old, the poor, the handicapped. Personally, I don't dare retire now: it's too risky.
Anyway, whatever your politics, we all know that we have a mess. We'll argue over how to fix it and with luck maybe some of it actually will get fixed. Or not: things can still get worse.
Let's hope for the better.
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Tue Jan 20 19:09:31 2009: Subject: BrettLegree
http://6weeks.ca
I like the new banner - very nice indeed. It really stands out.
I also tend to view these changeovers the way you do - while there is excitement, it is important for people to realize that Mr. Obama cannot do this on his own, and there is a lot of cruft that will stand in his way.
To get out of a mess like the one we (I say we, because Canada is experiencing grief as well), everyone - *everyone* - must make sacrifices.
But as you well know, some people - usually those with influence - are not willing to sacrifice anything, and may in fact cause more trouble.
I suppose that people like you and I can just do the best we can, maybe help out other folks as we go along, keep reminding people that we all have to pitch in as this won't fix itself.
If I have any concerns, it is that a lot of people will lose the fire from today once their favourite TV show is back on the air...
Tue Jan 20 20:39:04 2009: Subject: TonyLawrence
Interetsing: I have a problem with this on some older posts (2000 time frame). It's related to z-index (which I need) - if I take it out, no problem.
Firefox doesn't show the logo at all on (for example) http://aplawrence.com/Unixart/deep-backup.html
Opera shows part of it, as does Safari. IE7 shows no logo; IE8 also shows nothing.
Obviously my pages were different then but the header file that has the logo is common - I am trying to figure out what causes this.. fascinating!
Tue Jan 20 21:08:12 2009: Subject: BigDumbDinosaur
http://bcstechnology.net
I don't see any logo. am running SeaMonkey 1.1.13.
Also, it seems as though the font size has shrunk. I find myself having to use Ctrl+ to enlarge the font to a more readable size. Maybe it's just old age catching up with me.
It's kind of a celebratory day. I make no secret of the fact that I am happy to see George Bush go - I think he damaged this country in many ways and the effects of his actions will last for decades - some may last for centuries.
True enough, although the mortgage mess wasn't his doing (thank Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Alan Greenspan, along with a healthy dollop of greed, for making it all possible). Otherwise, Bush's departure was timely, to put it mildly. Now, the big question is can the new administration get things turned around?
Tue Jan 20 21:15:06 2009: Subject: JamesChartrandMenwithPens
http://www.menwithpens.ca
Well, I have to say that watching your site evolve slowly over the past couple of weeks in small, incremental ways has been a real blast. The changes, while very discreet and in keeping with your desire not to bling it up too much, have really made your site look great, Tony.
I can find my way around now. It's not so stark and white. The feeling is friendlier. (Sorry). It doesn't look so choppy or confusing anymore. So the congrats go to you, definitely!
As for Obama, may I just say that I feel that for the next four years, I will no longer have to worry about a nuclear war, and I will be able to feel supportive of his goals and ambitions.
Tue Jan 20 21:23:03 2009: Subject: BrettLegree
http://6weeks.ca
@James,
Growing up next to a nuclear research site, I studied nuclear weapons and nuclear war a bit. Once I did that, I no longer feared it, no matter who was in power. I figured it very unlikely to happen, and if it did, we'd all be so screwed anyway, it wasn't worth my time worrying about it :)
(Just to make my point, the Russians declassified some documents a few years back concerning targets and yields. The site where I work was to be hit with three 400 kT warheads... yeah, 1.2 MT total yield ought to remodel the place nicely!)
Oh, BTW - nice job on the logo :)
Tue Jan 20 21:27:48 2009: Subject: TonyLawrence
Font size is a bitch, frankly. I refuse to put in code to readjust size for IE users so I just make it a little smaller for everyone else.. a fricking compromise because I figure those not dumb enough to run IE know how to increase the size if they need to. Looking around, a lot of other sites even make it smaller, so my choice isn't unusual.
But if it really is annoying, I'll do the browser testing..
The logo thing is really, really odd - I assume you do see it on the new posts and just not on the old like the example I gave?
Tue Jan 20 21:30:20 2009: Subject: TonyLawrence
@james
Well, I've just been following your suggestions so it is NOT me. It's ALL YOUR FAULT, as I told you before :-)
Isn't that logo thing weird? I love a good puzzle..
Tue Jan 20 21:40:55 2009: Subject: JamesChartrandMenwithPens
http://www.menwithpens.ca
@ Tony - I can't be held responsible for anything said before noon or after 1. And I break for lunch.
@ Brett - I studied Environmental Science for two years (heh, didn't know that, eh?) and I learned more about pollution and nuclear dangers than I'd ever like to know.
Tue Jan 20 21:41:52 2009: Subject: TonyLawrence
Well, I found the problem - I was using a different yui-grid design then - still not sure WHY but I can fix it quickly anyway..
Tue Jan 20 22:08:22 2009: Subject: BrettLegree
http://6weeks.ca
@James,
I'm not surprised. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that within my group of friends (on- and offline) the variety of knowledge is almost infinite.
Many of the problems we have with nuclear waste are "self-inflicted" due to short-sighted paranoia concerning proliferation. We have the technology to build reactors with close to 100 percent burn-up (i.e. very low level, short lived waste) but we're not doing it.
Someday we'll wake up.
(guess that's off-topic kind of like at Kelly's blog eh?)
Tue Jan 20 22:14:49 2009: Subject: TonyLawrence
@Brett: never concern yourself about being "off topic" here. If your comment really belongs somewhere else, I'll just copy it there too.. never an issue!
Tue Jan 20 22:16:09 2009: Subject: BrettLegree
http://6weeks.ca
Somehow I knew you'd say that - alright, we carry on then!
Wed Jan 21 00:41:30 2009: Subject: TonyLawrence
Somebody with Firefox 2 just reported that the logo is invisible.. I was momentarily thinking of doing something to fix that but no.. they should upgrade or go on missing things. It's not like the logo is critical..
Wed Jan 21 00:44:22 2009: Subject: JamesChartrandMenwithPens
http://www.menwithpens.ca
Firefox 3.0.5 here, looks beauteous.
Wed Jan 21 11:13:44 2009: Subject: NickBarron
Looks good on Safari 3. I am enjoying seeing these little changes, good job Tony.
Well in the UK we are watching the change of presidency with great interest in the hope it will be positive, America's image has been in better shape here.
Wed Jan 21 11:25:00 2009: Subject: TonyLawrence
America's image wasn't in good shape here, either.
Some people got very upset with Michelle Obama when she said she was "proud of America for the first time in her adult life", but I sure understood what she meant. I was 21 when Nixon was elected - nothing to be proud of there, and corrupt politics just continued on from there. I was no fan of Reagan or really any of them - Obama was the first time I felt I was voting FOR someone rather than against someone else.
Of course I temper that with realism: Congress is still packed with the same old rapacious, self serving SOB's so even if Obama's policies are the right ones, Congress will fill them with pork and try to pervert every bill to their own interests. If by some miracle we still get progress, I'll be overjoyed.
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