Archive for May, 2004

Styling

Monday, May 31st, 2004

One of the things I didn’t like about MoveableType was that it required a lot of tweaking to get change how the page looked. There were no real styles that I could just drop on and modify to my liking. Okay, there were, but it was always more difficult then I wanted. With WordPress, it’s a different story. I just have to change one file (wp-layout.css) and I can completely revamp my entire site. So, after spending 1/2 a day tweaking, I have redeployed my site with a new look. In reality, I borrowed form two different styles, available at alexking.org. I took elements from Zen and merged them onto the three column layout, Dots. I added a picture of me as a kid, cuz it has that “awww” feel to it. Overall I’m happy with the site. Now I just have to tackle my gallery to make it look better.

WordPress

Sunday, May 30th, 2004

I’m switching blogging systems. I’ve been using Moveable Type for a couple of years, and while it’s a fine tool, it’s just so complicated. If I wanted to learn it’s nuences, I would have to spend a huge amount of time in the code, time I don’t have. And given that MoveableType has evolved in to a 3.0 release, it seems an appropriate time to break away from it to something else. So, after doing some research, I’ve decided to use WordPress as a replacement. Its install is Mac simple, simply edit one file and then upload them to your server and you are set to run the configuration script. With a minimal amount of effort, I imported all of my MoveableType entries. Gotta love when things just work. Now I just have to find a spell checker that will work with the system.

Of course, I probably wouldn’t have known about WordPress if it hadn’t been for the uproar that followed the license changes with the release of MoveableType 3.0. A quick search of the web results in dozens of people switching from MT to WordPress, some for financial reasons, other’s on purely moral ground. Personally, the change in license doesn’t affect me. I run two blogs, both personal to me, so I fall within the personal license aggreement. I understand the protest around the changes, but I also understand why a company would want to make money off of their efforts. Ultimatly it’s what you want from the tool and what is offered. For me, I wouldn’t pay for a blogging tool (although I did deonate to MT’s development), because it’s not a need in my life, as is evident by the fact that it’s been almost a month since my last post. So, I’ll stick with WordPress for a while. Who knows, it may prove better.

Ingredients

Sunday, May 30th, 2004

I am a massive proponent of food labeling, mostly because of the diet I follow. I want to know what is in the foods I consume. Fortunately, with the exception of whole beans (and possibly the devil fruit kiwi), I’m allergy free when it comes to food. I believe that there should be stricter labeling laws to ensure that people can know exactly what they are eating that way studies like the one pointed out in this article will not be as needed.