My Exercise In Futility

It’s been awhile since I’ve given the blog a face lift. I had some spare time on my hands, and I’ve learned a few tricks, so I figured I would engage in the overhaul this weekend – and so here it is. It’s still a work in progress, but I am far enough along that I am confident about rolling out the design so far. Of course it’s merely a WordPress template change, but it’s still important to give the page a good look.

Let me point out a few of the changes for you:

1. I’ve reduced (significantly) the number of different categories that I will write about. You can see links to the categories at the top of the page. Clicking on a category will display postings only from that category, the most recent on top. The home page will simply list all posting, also with the most recent on top.
2. I finally decided to go with a ‘tag cloud.’ I will have to go back and tag some of the older postings and make sure I put a few tags in my new postings.
3. I am trying to incorporate a section about “What I’m Watching and Listening To” section. Right now I am using the code provided by My iTunes, but it seems rather outdated. I have made many other purchases since Paula Abdul’s “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow,” so I’m not sure that this will be the final revision regarding the “What I’m…” section.
4. Tweets – I still want you guys to see what I’m tweeting about. I spent hours searching for the perfect Tweet widget only to find out that Twitter provides the code I am using here. I found it buried deep in an article on a non-Twitter site. I’m surprised I hadn’t seen it before, whether on the Twitter site or through Google – but in all honesty, how often do I actually use the Twitter site. I have countless ways to tweet without using the site.
5. I removed some of the advertising. It will eventually make it’s way back on the page, just in a less obtrusive manner. I want to work on the overall aesthetics and content placement first, then worry about where to fit the advertising – not vice versa. Plus, I’ve only made a whopping $10 in the four years I’ve been blogging, so it’s not like I’m missing out.
6. Fuel the Futility – I’ve renamed the DONATE button, and I put it in the lower right corner. Don’t forget it’s there – feel free to donate if you find my stories, videos, or adventures funny enough. I could always use the money for another caramel macchiato!

There will be some additional, more subtle changes over the next week or so. For now, I hope the change isn’t too shocking and that you’ll come back often and leave comments.