Once again, I would like to apologize for all of those wonderful people whose blogs I usually visit. The month is almost over and I'm almost back to a normal schedule. Despite the regular posts you see appearing here, I'm not actually near a computer for about 5-6 hours a day now, which is really annoying. Come Monday, things will be more back to normal, and I should be annoying visiting you all once again!

But probably not this weekend, since the Stormreach Head Start Event starts Friday. What? You didn't know I was a geek gamer, too?

Posted by: Ogre at 06:01 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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1 Why doesn't the fact that you are a "geek gamer" and beyond that a D&D gamer NOT surpise me? After all, you live in a cave, so what else is there to do, unless you wired it for power to have a TV (although you do use a PC, so that suggests power, of some sort at least).

Posted by: Smoke Eater at February 22, 2006 08:02 PM (5LGKd)

2 That explains it

Posted by: Lockjaw the Ogre at February 22, 2006 08:19 PM (mAhn3)

3 Methane gas power, Smokey. Methane gas.

Posted by: Ogre at February 22, 2006 08:26 PM (2IrwV)

4 I'm getting weirdness, where a future post is pinging blogrolling, and does it again when it gets posted. Strange. How's the D&D game going?

Posted by: William Teach at February 23, 2006 02:40 AM (V5vwb)

5 Yea an while ure at it..make a pitstop at mine huh huh huh?..lolz

Posted by: Angel at February 23, 2006 03:29 AM (8n9BB)

6 Teach, my future posts don't ping anything right. And Angel, yours shall certainly be at the top of the list each day!

Posted by: Ogre at February 23, 2006 11:05 AM (2IrwV)

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I think I'm going to have to make what appears to me to be a minor change, but may affect you, the good reader. Currently, this site actually appears with two completely different layouts. There is the wide, light-green, 3 column layout (triad) that has the flag on the pole, the yellow text menu on the left, and the ice border along the top.

There is also the "Drainpipe" layout -- with a dark green background for the text, the steel tile background, and a drainpipe leading from one post to the next.

As the site is currently set up, you do not get to select the layout -- it is chosen for you depending on the width of your screen. If your screen is too narrow to effectively display the triad 3-column layout, you are redirected to the drainpipe layout. If you view this site with the same size browser, it's likely you've never seen the difference.

However, as I make small adjustments and changes, I update the triad site, and the drainpipe layout doesn't get updated -- so I'm going to have to do something. I'm thinking of just cutting out the code that does the redirect -- but that would mean if you have a narrow browser, you're either going to have to scroll right, or the layout will be odd.

I'm considering making a new layout for the narrow browsers. If I do that this time, I'm going to have to make the whole site modular so that I can display all the items I add and change on both layouts. Of course, that makes even more of a challenge, because I have to take ALL the items I want to display and figure out where to put them on both a wide layout AND a narrow layout.

What this means to you, the good reader (and thank you so much for stopping by) is that over this weekend you might see some odd layouts as I experiment with different layouts and designs.

Does anyone use that left menu on the wide screen layout (the Site Navigation links to the left)?

Posted by: Ogre at 08:04 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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1 To be honest, I don't use any of your menus/sidebars. I just want you to create a template that doesn't take 5-10 minutes to load.

Posted by: Contagion at February 10, 2006 09:56 PM (e8b4J)

2 The only place this one is slow is the blogrolling section -- and it intentionally loads last so you can read the main posts while (if) you're waiting! Now get a high speed connection, and you won't have these problems...

Posted by: Ogre at February 10, 2006 10:38 PM (+Gl1m)

3 Hey! That's with a T1 line. Slowest loading blog in the 'sphere!

Posted by: Contagion at February 10, 2006 11:18 PM (e8b4J)

4 Bah. It's your imagination! I'm using a cable modem, and not counting the Blogrolls, it's 4 seconds, tops...at least it is for me. Maybe I'll have to look at what I can do to speed it up...

Posted by: Ogre at February 10, 2006 11:39 PM (+Gl1m)

5 I have a wide screen - when I happen on you in FireFox, I get the light green. When I'm in IE, which I happen to prefer, I get the drainpipe. I don't know if that's helpful or not. I've always kinda LIKED the drainpipe.

Posted by: Peter Porcupine at February 11, 2006 07:56 PM (GtwbP)

6 Thanks -- I think the drainpipe only shows up with a narrow screen -- do you still get it when your browser is maximized in IE? Thanks! I liked the drainpipe, too -- there's some really neat technical stuff behind it -- if you look closely, you'll notice the transition from one entry to the next is random...but it's a really slow-loading setup, so I need to make that faster.

Posted by: Ogre at February 11, 2006 09:38 PM (+Gl1m)

7 "Slowest loading blog in the 'sphere!" Apparently *someone* never goes to IMAO :-) My suggestion for narrowing is just have the right sidebar appear directly underneath the left sidebar, but otherwise keep the design unchanged. Anyway, any time I go to a site that's too wide, I just center the slider so that I can read the center column content and just scroll through the posts. I rarely look at sidebar content.

Posted by: Harvey at February 16, 2006 03:59 AM (ubhj8)

8 And I wonder how many people do that -- completely ignore sidebar stuff. I bet most people who read a lot of blogs do, but the "new" folks probably read every inch...thanks for that input...

Posted by: Ogre at February 16, 2006 11:01 AM (2IrwV)

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I'd like to take just a moment to apologize for the lack of visits to other fine blogs by Ogre. Normally, I have a rather large list of blogs that I visit daily because I have no life they're fun and interesting to read. One day (maybe tomorrow) I'll get that blogroll code on the right more organized to reflect the ones I read.

However, in the meantime, while all you suckers good subjects citizens gender-neutral people are working hard this week, Ogre's been away in Florida, ignoring the news, politics, and pretty much everything. Don't be jealous -- he worked for many years "up the ladder" to earn this position and vacation time.

He'll be back this evening to attempt to catch up on email and blog stuff. Starting next week, regular visits to everywhere else in the blogosphere should start back up, but perhaps with a more limited schedule, as punishment a reward for taking this time off, the workload will be slightly higher, meaning less time for playing.

Posted by: Ogre at 08:04 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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1 Happy New Year my friend!

Posted by: oddybobo at December 30, 2005 10:12 PM (6Gm0j)

2 Thank you, Oddy!

Posted by: Ogre at December 30, 2005 10:48 PM (s2+Ck)

3 Yes, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Posted by: Seth at December 31, 2005 01:08 AM (1oHTa)

4 Ah, we had missed the piquant scent of dead meat from your club on our site, Mr. Ogre - glad to know you'll soon be entertaining us again! M

Posted by: Peter Porcupine at December 31, 2005 04:51 AM (BUvm0)

5 Thanks, Peter... I think...

Posted by: Ogre at December 31, 2005 01:24 PM (s2+Ck)

6 So close and yet so far. Can't believe you made it to Florida but not South Florida. Hope you had a great holiday/vacation and a happy new year.

Posted by: vw bug at December 31, 2005 02:50 PM (t+Bvy)

7 Way too short...and way too cold for Florida. 30 degrees? In Florida? Geez. Sorry I missed you!

Posted by: Ogre at December 31, 2005 02:58 PM (s2+Ck)

8 Hey, Ogre! So you were down in my home state, eh? Yeah, I think the cold is what has kept at least one of the four in our family sick for the entire month of December! I'm so looking forward to summer again ;-) - but if all goes as planned, we're going to check out the final day of the ICE exhibit going on at the Gaylord Palms in Orlando tomorrow - maybe I'll have a *cool* picture or two to add to my blog. Anyway, I'm with you on lack of reading lately - seems with all the sickness my brain just hasn't been working at full capacity!

Posted by: Left Brain Female at January 01, 2006 08:31 PM (6krEN)

9 One of these days I need to take an east coast tour -- of bloggers.

Posted by: Ogre at January 02, 2006 12:26 AM (s2+Ck)

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Ogre's not here again. This time he's headed south to allegedly warmer climes, down to Florida. Once again, don't recoil in fear nor run away -- there will be fresh posts each and every day he's gone. In fact, you likely wouldn't even notice he's missing -- except for the lack or responses to comments.

So come back daily as there's a whole week's worth of commentary on and about news, especially news about the North Carolina government and their actions. And don't worry, he'll respond to all comments (and email) upon his return this weekend.

Thanks for stopping by!

Posted by: Ogre at 05:05 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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1 Geeze, I didn't even get to start a comment party since I was gone AND busy.

Posted by: vw bug at December 29, 2005 02:35 AM (t+Bvy)

2 That's OK, with the delayed posting, I'm relatively safe from comment parties happening here...

Posted by: Ogre at December 30, 2005 09:23 PM (s2+Ck)

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Ogre's Not Here.

By the time you read this (unless it's nighttime) Ogre should be looking like this:

And hopefully NOT like this:

Don't worry, it's only for a couple days...and good stuff will still be getting posted here while he's gone, so don't go away (just don't expect responses to comments for a few days). And don't worry, Contagion, no quest blogger here, just Ogre's posts throughout!

Posted by: Ogre at 11:07 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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Sorry for the lack of good, shiny stuff to look at this weekend -- I'm off skiing. Wheeeee!

Posted by: Ogre at 05:05 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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Did you notice?

Posted by: Ogre at 10:56 AM | Comments (12) | Add Comment
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1 Yes - and I like it. As cool as the other one is - it was very hard for me to read. This, this works perfectly for me. And I do realize it is alllll about me. Right? *grin*

Posted by: Tammi at November 30, 2005 12:24 PM (xNIYr)

2 Beautiful!

Posted by: Jo at November 30, 2005 12:25 PM (xlos6)

3 Yes, Tammi, it's ALWAYS all about you! Thanks, Jo!

Posted by: Ogre at November 30, 2005 12:28 PM (/k+l4)

4 I guess with the new formats I will have to change my computer again. I get a "change the resolution on your monitor" error.

Posted by: Travel Italy at November 30, 2005 02:03 PM (SoNKe)

5 The green and the blue are very... who am I kidding. I'm color blind anyway.

Posted by: Contagion at November 30, 2005 03:01 PM (e8b4J)

6 Sorry about that, Travel Italy -- the last layout was made for 800x600 monitors, but this new one is just plain too wide to fit on those. I put the redirect to the old layout in there so people who wanted to continue to read would be able to without a strange (and mashed) layout.

Posted by: Ogre at November 30, 2005 03:02 PM (/k+l4)

7 Well how'd you know they were green and blue then? (Actually, I did consider color blindness when designing this layout. That's one of the big reasons the text is black on white. The only place I think color blind people might have a little trouble is the blogroll section on the right, as it's a bit of blue on blue).

Posted by: Ogre at November 30, 2005 03:05 PM (/k+l4)

8 Open wider? I have to open wider? Geeze, who do you think you are??? An ogre? I thought only my dentist would ask me that. GRIN. Looks very festive. Nice.

Posted by: VW Bug at November 30, 2005 04:12 PM (Xl/Yt)

9 Open. Say Ah. Say AH. Say ARRGGGH. Thanks.

Posted by: Ogre at November 30, 2005 04:16 PM (/k+l4)

10 Looks good. I like it.

Posted by: joated at December 01, 2005 04:19 AM (6krEN)

11 yeah i like it, makes the page load easier, and makes it so that it dosent slow my machine down any more.

Posted by: chris at December 01, 2005 06:26 AM (ZvsM5)

12 Thanks joated. And glad to hear that, Chris, I was going for quicker load time on this one -- and now the slowest loading part (the blogrolls) are last to load on the far right.

Posted by: Ogre at December 04, 2005 10:45 PM (uSCkp)

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Today I'll be working on the site layout and the new design. Things may fluctuate during the day, especially in the late afternoon, as I'll be cooking out around and after lunchtime.

Please excuse any weirdness that you might see today. It will be all fixed today and you'll see a completely new layout by late tonight or tomorrow morning!

Posted by: Ogre at 05:01 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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For any who tried to visit earlier today, I apologize. The site was down yesterday afternoon, some of the night, and most of the day today. It seems there was some catastrophic disk failures, but all appears to be ok now. Normal blogging will resume soon, and I still plan on hosting the Tarheel Tavern this weekend, so be sure and send your submissions along!

Posted by: Ogre at 05:18 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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1 I blame Bush

Posted by: William Teach at August 24, 2005 06:38 PM (Pzlrt)

2 I'm pretty sure I saw a news report that did blame Bush.

Posted by: Ogre at August 24, 2005 08:34 PM (L0IGK)

3 I thought it was Karl Rove.

Posted by: tomslick at August 25, 2005 07:55 AM (xNjHI)

4 You mean they're different people now? Did you see this past week's American Dad TV show? I happened upon it and it had Karl Rove as death incarnate (robes, sickle, etc.).

Posted by: Ogre at August 25, 2005 08:59 AM (/k+l4)

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It's August.

Oh, sorry, did you already realize that? Apparently, I did not. There was no new blog layout for August, and it's mainly that I just didn't notice that August was here!

Actually, I've been working on quite the layout, and it's coming along very nicely. It's going to be a bit different (again), but navigation-wise, not so much layout-wise. It's about 80% done, so another week or so, and it should appear.

That is all.

Posted by: Ogre at 05:09 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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1 The wood in the particular post and the steel wall in the main blog drives me nuts.

Posted by: vw bug at August 12, 2005 07:04 PM (yJkEY)

2 Sorry about that, it's part of the conversion process. I'm experimenting with making the permalink post pages completely integrated with the main page so there's no difference. The new design is going to have that wood design as a background, so it sort of slipped in during testing. Don't worry, you'll get to see lots of wood design soon!

Posted by: Ogre at August 12, 2005 07:08 PM (L0IGK)

3 Whoo hooo, Change! I love change!!! Let's see what Harvey thinks. It'll probably drive him out of his tree.

Posted by: Bou at August 13, 2005 11:29 PM (5JHEt)

4 It will certainly drive Harvey nuts because he'll have to click to read things. It's the idea we discussed a month or so ago (the book), and it's looking really good so far...just a couple more things to get working!

Posted by: Ogre at August 14, 2005 08:44 AM (L0IGK)

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So, how does everyone like the new layout? Oh. Yes, you're right, there was no change in the layout this month. Sorry, it's not coming soon, either.

The next layout I'm working on is relatively complex. I'm experimenting with quite a few features that will work behind the scenes, so don't worry, it won't be a diagonal layout or anything. It will be a pretty different layout, however.

The idea is to have a relatively informative "above the fold" section. From there, there will be links and teasers to articles. I know Harvey won't like it, at least at first, because it is going to be designed to make you click some, not just scroll. But it should be very user-friendly, unlike the horizontal layout.

I'm setting it up based on cookies and larger screen layouts. If you're one of the 15% viewing with 800x600 monitor settings, sorry, you're not getting the fancy stuff. I'm going to set up an auto-detect that will send small screen viewers to a different layout. I'm also considering having very primitive logins (optional, of course) and a few other features that "remember" your visits.

The big thing that will make a difference will be cookies and computers. I'm wondering how many people visit this site from more than one computer? I can only track cookies on a computer-basis, so if you visit from home and work, the cookies idea won't work, but logins might. So...

How many people visit this site from different computers -- and if so, would you be opposed to a login to remember your readings?

Posted by: Ogre at 12:00 PM | Comments (16) | Add Comment
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1 I visit from different computers, but would not necessarily be opposed to logins, assuming my browser remembers my login info so I don't have to keep typing it in. I am lazy, afterall.

Posted by: oddybobo at August 01, 2005 01:27 PM (6Gm0j)

2 It would certainly be a very simplistic logon -- probably without a password -- and you'd only end up typing it once on each machine.

Posted by: Ogre at August 01, 2005 01:32 PM (/k+l4)

3 I use typically, only one machine... but I delete my cookies pretty frequently. So, I'll have to continually reinput my data. No sweat really. If it's a big pain in the neck, I'll let you know.

Posted by: Bou at August 01, 2005 02:29 PM (5JHEt)

4 This layout is really good. I like how the comments just drop down without opening a new window. No problem with the login idea here.

Posted by: Tomslick at August 01, 2005 02:34 PM (xNjHI)

5 What I'm working on would use the cookies primarily to track which posts are new since your last visit, which ones you've read, and perhaps even which ones you'd commented upon.

Posted by: Ogre at August 01, 2005 02:48 PM (L0IGK)

6 And I'm not sure if the comments are going to stay in place with the new layout, Tomslick. I'm experimenting with some ideas to allow people to log in and have custom options like having comments open in place or not, but I'm not sure that's going to make it to the final version. But since you like it this way, I'll be sure to keep that in mind as it develops.

Posted by: Ogre at August 01, 2005 02:53 PM (L0IGK)

7 I mostly only read from work and even then mostly in Thunderbird via RSS. Will that have an affect on things?

Posted by: Echo Zoe at August 01, 2005 02:57 PM (K+h36)

8 It's much better Ogre!

Posted by: Michael Churchill at August 01, 2005 03:32 PM (eqaaP)

9 No, the RSS feeds won't change much. I might play with them a bit, and it will look different when you load the entire page in the reader, but that's it, Echo. Thanks, Michael!

Posted by: Ogre at August 01, 2005 03:33 PM (L0IGK)

10 I'm always up for a change. Bring it on! I have 3 different computers I might use to browse your site, but no biggie.

Posted by: VW Bug at August 01, 2005 04:12 PM (dkZJv)

11 3 computers? What are you, a computer geek or something?

Posted by: Ogre at August 01, 2005 04:26 PM (L0IGK)

12 AAAAAAAAAH! Not extended entries! NOOOOOOOOO! Anyway, I'm a single-machine surfer, so the cookie thing won't bug me too much.

Posted by: Harvey at August 01, 2005 04:28 PM (ubhj8)

13 The content matters more to me than the layout, but since the content is nearly always excellent, I'm more than happy to play 'layout roulette'. I usually use Safari/Mac, but I'm willing to check it out on Linux/Firefox and XP/Exploder. I'm curious now!

Posted by: MarkT at August 01, 2005 04:33 PM (l/pMD)

14 Yup, that's it Harvey -- your worst nightmare: ALL Extended entries! No click-y = no read-y. Thanks, Mark, for the kind words. I'm going for all platforms capability...and I can't test Safari as I don't have access to a Mac (but those mini-macs sure are tempting with their $499 price tag)...

Posted by: Ogre at August 01, 2005 05:14 PM (L0IGK)

15 You're going to give us a plethora of choices on things, aren't you? It's going to be like the going to get your eyes checked... "Which is clearer... this or this. Now.. this or this?" and on and on it goes... Bah! I'm dichotomous. Make sure you give me yes no choices! I don't use my brain anymore! I have KIDS!

Posted by: Bou at August 02, 2005 03:46 PM (5JHEt)

16 It depends on how well I can get the php session variables working and how long I can effectively store them on your system. And heck, let the kids choose!

Posted by: Ogre at August 02, 2005 04:16 PM (L0IGK)

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I'm working on the next layout that will appear for this blog. I know that there are still about 20% of the readers of the blog that view using 800x600 settings on their monitor. I usually use 1280x1024. I know there are many blogs that simply do not fit on an 800x600 screen -- they are too wide and you have to scroll horizontally to see all the blog.

I hate having to make the blog fit in only 800x600 when there really is so much extra space out there. I'm seriously considering making 2 different designs, one for people with the 800x600 layout and one for people with larger screens. For you who use 800x600, do you care? Does it matter to you that you have to scroll horizontally on some blogs? Would you tend to visit a place less or do you avoid blogs that are too wide to fit on your screen? Do you just accept the fact that you are using a small screen and you expect to scroll horizontally often?

Thank you for your input.

Posted by: Ogre at 02:48 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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Thanks, Pambie!

For those who hadn't noticed, the Ogre at the top of the page had some rough edges, and Pambie was so annoyed by it that she just had to take the time to smooth off his rough edges. Thanks so much!

I had put that on my list. Of course, the list was started on Monday morning after being nearly completely unplugged from everything computer-related for two entire weeks. I've almost finished cleaning out my various email boxes and now am starting work on the final moving parts with the new design. Heck, I even lost my evil Glennn quote in the redesign! Yikes!

Posted by: Ogre at 03:07 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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1 While you are cleaning out that email, approve the blogad of mine that is awaiting your approval.

Posted by: Jay at July 06, 2005 03:36 PM (2FcUc)

2 From what I understand, loosing an Evil Glen quote is suppose to be a bad thing!! But then I haven't yet figured out Evil Glen -- he keeps changing rugs on his head so I miss him going down the hall.

Posted by: Jo at July 06, 2005 09:30 PM (+zmkP)

3 I wonder if evil Glennn himself removed the quote...

Posted by: Ogre at July 06, 2005 09:35 PM (qV2zb)

4 Does you friend who did the Ogre do other stuff? If so can you have them email me, theco@hotpop.com

Posted by: TheCO at July 06, 2005 09:42 PM (HKu2A)

5 Does she DO other stuff? Well, I suppose she does...depends on what "stuff" is, eh? Seriously, though, you can head over and visit her (and contact her) at http://www.pamibe.com/.

Posted by: Ogre at July 07, 2005 05:21 AM (qV2zb)

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Well here it is! The long-awaited (ok, maybe not) new layout and design. What do you think?

If you cannot read anything due to colors and contrast, please let me know right away. It should be very similar in both IE and Firefox, despite a few different tricks in play.

However, it seems that while I was gone, the original Ogre was stolen, so I had to find a replacement. How's that guy at the top for a replacement?

Also, thank you very much to all who came, read my various ramblings over the past two weeks, and kept at least some life to the blog (especially comments)! I'll be posting more about the vacation over the next week or 5 -- very interesting and quite non-uneventful.

This layout's not quite perfected, I'll be porting over a few other changes, including blogrolls, archive pages and the like over the next couple days. The main page will stay generally like this for now. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

Posted by: Ogre at 02:31 PM | Comments (18) | Add Comment
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1 I love the new design and the ogre, it is a beautifully done site. In some places the fonts could be a little brighter, but that is my taste, they are very readable. Except for the real tiny link a the top of the page, I have no idea what it says. But those are little things, and I think that it simply awesome, and the content of course is always special. Keep up the good work. Blessings Always Gregory Nashif The Nashif Report

Posted by: Gregory Nashif at July 04, 2005 06:51 PM (hRWw7)

2 Thanks for the very kind comments! The tiny words at the upper corner (I've upped their size slightly) indicate the site location for those who view the site in a frame. I wondered about the brightness of the main font -- I really wanted to use some sort of drainpipe, green-goo, sewage background, but there's no color that works with very high contrast. I hoped the black was readable enough, but I'm sure I'll find out if it's not soon!

Posted by: Ogre at July 04, 2005 07:00 PM (lZf6y)

3 Is it just me or is this vertical again? I find it easy to read.

Posted by: VW Bug at July 04, 2005 07:39 PM (zTMeN)

4 Turn your monitor on it's side and you can pretend it's the old way...

Posted by: Ogre at July 04, 2005 07:40 PM (lZf6y)

5 Wow. That's one heck of an underbite you have there! ;-) I like the new design. Very nice! New blog showcase goes up within the next 90 min.

Posted by: Boudicca at July 04, 2005 11:49 PM (GiCv7)

6 I love it!!

Posted by: Oddybobo at July 05, 2005 09:37 AM (6Gm0j)

7 Great design. Strangely disorientating to be vertical again...I feel quite dizzy.

Posted by: Sally at July 05, 2005 09:52 AM (crWt/)

8 Now if I can just get through these 200+ emails that seem to have piled up in my absence...

Posted by: Ogre at July 05, 2005 10:32 AM (/k+l4)

9 I like it!

Posted by: Susie at July 05, 2005 12:07 PM (PWYyH)

10 I like it! And the new Ogre at the top, mmmmmm sexy!

Posted by: Machelle at July 05, 2005 01:15 PM (ZAyoW)

11 Someone kidnapped your guy? Shame Shame .. .like the new look, sure is easier to read .. a little on the dark side, but I can read everything. And then again it could be this stupid monitor here at work :O Oops, work blogging, gotta go!

Posted by: Jo at July 05, 2005 01:28 PM (eY7Ar)

12 Thanks all for the very kind words! Much better response than the last change... I'm going to stay with this one for at least a month, maybe more. I've got some really neat ideas for the next change, but they're going to be technically complex, so it may take me a couple months to work out. But never fear, it WILL have a high focus on readability (and won't be horizontal...)

Posted by: Ogre at July 05, 2005 01:59 PM (/k+l4)

13 Well, you want honesty, yes? I think the layout is great, just less professional than before. I have an issue with the left sidebar though, it overlaps the link you have for the frames - and it disappears, maybe it's something on my end? But the contrast is great, and the center "main content" bar sort of resembles the drainpipe image you were talking about wanting...

Posted by: Erin Monahan at July 05, 2005 04:53 PM (0Ea9a)

14 Absolute honesty, yes, thank you Erin! Less professional? Sure, I can see that. I was going a bit more for fun this time. I think the next one will be pretty darn professional-looking, but it is going to be... different. The left sidebar disappears? I've not seen that happen in any of my testing. What browser are you using? If it's IE and one of the external links hangs, it may wait for the external link to finish before redrawing the whole side...?

Posted by: Ogre at July 05, 2005 05:17 PM (qV2zb)

15 I likey!

Posted by: Sissy at July 05, 2005 06:29 PM (uXS+O)

16 it's there until I try to click on anything, then POOF. I'm sure it's something on my end - maybe my settings or my firewall? I have no idea, I'm not much of a pc specialist. I do use IE... let me play a while, my husband uses Firefox, I'll see how his acts. Probably it's my computer having a blonde moment

Posted by: Erin Monahan at July 05, 2005 11:23 PM (0Ea9a)

17 I like the new design, but... The green background in the main column doesn't contrast quite enough with the black type. My suggestion would be to either lighten it up more, or maybe change the font to something larger or bolder.

Posted by: Harvey at July 06, 2005 11:48 AM (ubhj8)

18 I've wondered about that contrast, too, but there's no better color. The background is so...well... "off," that white or yellow blend in even more than black...and bold? Maybe I'll try that for awhile, but I think that looks too "in your face..." I dunno. Thanks for the feedback!

Posted by: Ogre at July 06, 2005 02:05 PM (/k+l4)

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Ah, a new month, a new design.

What do you mean, nothing's changed?

Ok, you're right.

The new month has arrived, but the blog layout is just the same as it's been all month long. I am truly sorry for those who absolutely cannot stand this layout. However, for those who aren't regular readers, The Ogre is off on vacation. Yes, this post was written weeks ago!

So the new layout is ready, but although I could find a way to have posts appear magically while I'm gone, I couldn't find a way to automatically change the layout for the new month. Well, that's not entirely true -- I'm sure I COULD find a way to make that happen, but then I wouldn't be around to watch everyone's reaction -- or to make minor repairs to anything that didn't work just right.

I'll tell you the new layout is named the "drainpipe" layout. It's vertical again, I don't think I'll try this horizontal layout -- it is abnormal and violates many design rules. The new layout IS ready, and it will be in place as soon as I return, in the next few days or so. In fact, one way you'll be able to tell I've returned is that the layout will change. It will probably be July 4th or 5th.

And Boudicca's been helping me make plans for the blog layout change that should show up in August...

Posted by: Ogre at 10:10 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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As you read this, I have started the drive on my vacation. Yes, gentle readers, I will be absent from you for a period of about two weeks. I know some of you will likely be depressed and lost. Others of you will already be planning parties of excitement. But never fear, it will be almost as if I am still here!

Thanks to the wizardry of Pixy Misa, I can write posts and have them automatically posted to the blog at any time and date I desire. So, over the past week, I've been working frantically, trying to write timely posts that would not be out of date in a week, in preparation for my vacation.

So, for the next couple weeks, you will see posts appear as always, but I won't be around to watch them Feel free to comment on them and talk amongst yourselves. I'll be back about July 5th or 6th. If you've got something that I absolutely MUST see...tough. You can email me through the link over there on the left, but I won't get it until I return -- for most of the time I'm gone, I'll have no access to electricity, much less the internet. And during this time I declare myself 100% immune to all tagging by any and all memes!

The posting will be a little lighter, simply because there's no way I could type that much quality stuff two weeks in advance. If anyone wants to submit any of my posts to carnivals for me, if you think they apply, feel free to, I won't mind at all!

As usual, each weekday morning, a post should appear regarding North Carolina State government from a conservative point of view. I think I've got enough good material up to have at least one other post appear each day, so keep coming back and see what's here. I might even have a made-up Alliance assignment slipped in...

I will read all your comments when I can...but again, that's unlikely before July 5th or 6th. So cross your fingers, hope I did this all right, and enjoy the automated posting for the next couple weeks. I'll apologize in advance for not responding to your comments right away.

And for those wondering where I'm going, I'll be in Williamsburg, VA for a week, then up to New Hampshire and hopefully a trip to Acadia National Park in Maine for a few (dozen) cases of fresh Blueberry Beer.

Have fun and try not to wreck the place!

And one final note for those who are tired of the horizontal scrolling -- one of the first things I'll do when I return is switch the layout over to the new layout, currently titled the "Drainpipe" layout...

Posted by: Ogre at 12:15 PM | Comments (8) | Add Comment
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I have noticed that some people are not seeing the blog as it should be. Of course, if you don't know what it's SUPPOSED to look like, you don't know if you're seeing it correctly. Here is a screenshot of what the page should look like to you:

(click to view larger) more...

Posted by: Ogre at 11:53 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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The first reviews are trickling in regarding the new site design. I have to say it's really about what I expected. A few people really like it, some think it's real neat, and others absolutely hate it.

I've done a bit of high-level educational research (doctoral-level at a research institution) regarding human-computer interaction, especially as it relates to the internet. The biggest thing related to design and the internet (and computers) is user expectations.

When viewing a blog, you, the good reader, EXPECT to be able to read from top-to-bottom and scroll down. When you're confronted with something else, your natural reaction is to rebel. more...

Posted by: Ogre at 10:34 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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1 I love it! Welcome to Mu.Nu. I should be up shortly as well

Posted by: Oddybobo at June 03, 2005 10:39 AM (6Gm0j)

2 I like the horizontal thing, it's fine, but the wallpaper and color scheme seems to be making me somewhat queeeeasy.

Posted by: Oorgo at June 03, 2005 01:48 PM (lM0qs)

3 Yes! Now if I can just get someone to lose their lunch, I'll consider myself a success! No, I'm kidding. I was just trying to go with a bunch of blues this month, since last month was green. Then the left side I was working on a cave, but that just didn't work out, so I got left with the cavewall and nothing else.

Posted by: Ogre at June 03, 2005 02:02 PM (/k+l4)

4 I don't know why I've not had a problem with it. It's like reading a book... kind of like flipping a page. I'm bummed you're changing it back.

Posted by: Boudicca at June 03, 2005 11:02 PM (z7nbM)

5 Well it's pretty definite that it will stay this way for the month of June. After that, we'll see. Some people like it a lot, but there's a lot of strong dislike for it, too. I'll wait and see until the end of the month and see if people adjust to it at all.

Posted by: Ogre at June 04, 2005 08:16 AM (YgrHs)

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For those who are technically-inclined (you geeks know who you are) who are interested in how this blog was done, I'll include some notes here and answer any question about how it was done here as well.

First note to make -- this is no longer a Blogspot Blog. There's no way I could do this with Blogspot that I can think of. The reason is that this formatting and layout rely primarily on large amounts of php (and javascript).

For those less technically inclined, I'll mention that php is a server-side processor, while javascript is client-side. What this means is that when you request a web page, some of the work is done on the server, before the page gets sent to you (the php stuff), while some work is done by your browser, after you receive the page (the javascript). more...

Posted by: Ogre at 07:50 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Well, this is it! This is the first horizontal blog design that I've seen. It may not be the first horizontal blog ever, but I haven't seen it done before. So, sort of like those who climb mountains because they are there, I just had to try and make this, just to see if I could.

Some credit has to go to Dave Shea and Molly Holzschlag -- the authors of The Zen of CSS design -- that's where my idea first came from.

It was challenging, it was fun, and I hope you enjoy reading from left-to-right for just a little while.

For more about this setup and layout, see the next post -- it's over there to the right, instead of just below here.

Posted by: Ogre at 12:40 PM | Comments (10) | Add Comment
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1 How cool is this? I may actually like this more...

Posted by: Boudicca at June 02, 2005 11:16 PM (z7nbM)

2 *Urp* Seasick. {cleaning keyboard} {cleaning up chair} {washing hands} No really, Ogre, this is very cool! Almost as if another dimension has been added to blogging... OK, call it a half-dimension. I'm working out the ergonomic implications such as discriminate use of the mouse scroll wheel (chum bucket near by). N.B.: Don't take that as an insult, bud! It's me with the problem here. I'm getting used to it already! This is new territory, be darn proud! :-)

Posted by: The MaryHunter at June 04, 2005 12:46 PM (SRaIZ)

3 Yes, we have cookies! My goal has been reached! Thanks for the comments -- I've been trying and trying to find a way to interpret the scroll mouse to go sideways, but I simply cannot find a way to do it!

Posted by: Ogre at June 04, 2005 12:50 PM (YgrHs)

4 Cool... just like the olden days of using microfiche. ..like visiting the amusement park ride that spins and the floor drops out. *grin* nicely done.

Posted by: cin at June 06, 2005 11:44 AM (oj+Z/)

5 Thanks, cin, now don't look down while you're scrolling right...

Posted by: Ogre at June 06, 2005 11:56 AM (/k+l4)

6 OK, this is just, well...hmmm...let's just say "It's wide" and leave it at that.

Posted by: Jeff H at June 06, 2005 11:07 PM (Bz06/)

7 Hey, are you calling me fat?

Posted by: Ogre at June 07, 2005 05:37 AM (YgrHs)

8 It really is cool! Now, can you do diagonal?

Posted by: That 1 Guy at June 07, 2005 07:59 AM (b7JDn)

9 Diagonal. Hmmm... Now that one really WILL be a challenge!

Posted by: Ogre at June 07, 2005 08:59 AM (/k+l4)

10 Nice! What a cool and seemingly original idea! I kinda like it... you got any donuts here?

Posted by: Kari Holtz at June 07, 2005 02:14 PM (C5kJN)

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