I've got this compulsion to keep both columns the same length, so one day a reader might find a post down on the bottom of the page, see it gone the next day (IF they return) and then find it back the day after that.
As the month goes by and the archive list in the right column gets longer, I usually have to keep changing the number of posts on the page to equalize the length. A long post will make the total number of posts smaller and more small posts makes it larger.
I don't think that particular obsession is particularly weird...I simply want to keep the page looking better...but what might be weird is that this tune goes through my head sometimes when I'm changing the blog.
Even It Up - Heart
Now I'll have to go change the number of posts again.
I've got to "even it up".
March 25, 2009
Even It Up
March 18, 2009
Freaky Favicon
Quite a few hits on this blog come from image searches, such as the following:
Sometimes it's easy to see...as above...what the post was, but sometimes the Feedjit widget just shows someone came to this site from the Google image search. The result sometimes does not show what they were looking for and I have to click on the link in the frame from the Google image search to see what graphic they were wanting to see.
I noticed something unusual the other day when I clicked on the link; usually the favicon (the tiny image in front of the URL in the address window) will show the Picassa favicon:
But the following photo had a favicon that was the photo!
This is going to bother me until I figure it out.
I'm thinking of adding a favicon to this blog, BTW, but most images are not very clear when reduced to 16x16.
March 13, 2009
4,550,285
That's this blog's ranking on Alexa.
That's the bad news.
The good news?
It was five million and sumpthin' a year ago.
At this rate, we'll be #1 in about ten years.
EDIT: Just checked and we've dropped to 4,787,069. At that rate, this blog will be in ten millionth place in ten years.
March 5, 2009
Must Be Inflation
The good news:
This blog is worth more than it used to be.
The bad news:
It's still not worth much.
Maybe I can get a bailout.
February 28, 2009
Cast Away Crowd Coming; Contest Commences
Just noticed where TNT.tv is airing "Cast Away" tonight at 7p.m. (CST). That will most likely mean a modest surge in this blog's traffic from Google, AOL or other search engines for "cast away farmhouse" or "cast away intersection location".
Who would have ever thought this blog would be at the top of ANY listing on the 'net?
To celebrate, ToTG is offering one free chance in our *"Free Gas for a Month" contest to the person who guesses closest to the total number of hits. (from "Cast Away" searches only)
*Details to be announced
Original post was in November '08.
Welcome to the latest batch of Cast Away fans!
February 24, 2009
January 18, 2009
Coney Island heaven in Pampa
Story on ConnectAmarillo.com
I have a photo of the "Queen of the Coney" (Linda) somewhere on this computer but can't find it.
I've known Linda for years and years; the first time I met her was at a garage sale I had back in the mid-80's. I had a couple of old bikes for sale and she was looking for bikes for her two little girls who had had theirs stolen that week. My bikes were in pretty shabby shape and weren't what she wanted, but I offered to give them to her because I felt so bad for her kiddos.
Two other stories in this blog about the Coney:
Hey Mister!
and
Blueberries With Wings
December 26, 2008
Scandinavian Invasion
Sounds like a Nordic version of an "Up With People" cover group, or some drink made with schnapps, doesn't it?
No, it's the dozen or so hits on this blog today from Norway and Sweden. They're following a link I left at the Cast Away msg. boards in the IMDB site.
The movie must've been on the tube over there. Searches for the Arrington Ranch House used in the film have this blog on the first page, depending upon the terms used, but the intersection post is nearly always at the top or in the top three.
paltry
From the Word of the Day:
paltry \PAWL-tree\, adjective:
1. almost worthless; trifling
2. of no worth; contemptible, despicable
1. describes this blog
2. describes politicians
There's an older post Zach is Back where I mentioned paltry.
December 9, 2008
December 8, 2008
Who'd a Thunk It?
I don't think this is anything to do with MY writing, but because of the sometimes uncommon words in the Word of the Day feed.
November 26, 2008
Speaking Clock
UPDATE: Apologies to anyone who came to this post and expected to find a speaking clock. Google did away with most file storage a while back, so the links no longer work. I forgot where I found the original files and script or I'd link to it. Sorry.
I had also altered one of the pages I had made with some sound files I had recorded of an online British friend I had at the time; I had her record all the little snippets "It's" "one", "two", etc. along with "o'clock" and "AM" and "PM". It was a lot of work but pretty cool. I made a start page w/ weather and news modules and had that script embedded in it.
Anyway, sorry the files are gone. I'm sure I still have them somewhere on this computer and could zip them up and send them to anyone if they wanted...and asked nicely. My email address is on a graphic in the right-hand nav bar.
I'd forgotten I had some Google Page space and after running across the link in Favorites, was delighted to find out it could "host" some files for this site. I was thinking of using it for my calendar images and for a few other applications, but discovered they were going to discontinue it.
It still works for the time being, so check out this Speaking Clock script and page made with files I had forgotten I had. (some troubles with it, might need to refresh the page after entering)I didn't like the original voice on the files that came with the script, so I made my own using a Text to Speech site that had different languages and accents.
I've always been fond of how most British women talk, so I made files in that accent.
There's nothing else on the page, but was thinking of adding to here as an "iframe" with a clock, but face it, most folks will look at the clock on their computer for the time.
I'm sure that it would piss people off, too. I can dig that. I don't go often, but there's another Texas blog that has a loud "YEEHAW!" when I enter. I'm always forgetting it's there and not prepared for the sound through my headphones.
I still like it as something to add to a "home-made" home page. It could serve a purpose, too, like a countdown because the script can be altered to have it repeat as often as you like.
Using a mike and the voice recorder on your computer, you could have your voice or any other person's for the clock.
(and would be willing to sit through an hour or more of recording "One", "Two", etc., all the way to "fifty-nine", as well as "The Time is" and "AM" and "PM")
Dunno if the script is buggy or if it's Google and their file hosting servers, but it sometimes skips "The Time is" and just blurts out the number. Oh well.
UK Female Voice Speaking Clock
November 25, 2008
Weatherlet
Pampa, TX (79065) Weather Forecast
Nifty weather gadget for WordPress, Blogspot, Typepad, Facebook and quite a few other blogs and web pages.
November 18, 2008
Love Leaving Links?
You can leave links, however. Here's the code, but you'll need to take out the periods after the carets. <. & <./>
(being code, it won't show up on the WYSIWYG editor the blog author has to post with)
<.ahref="URL OF LINK">NAME OR DESCRIPTION OF SITE<./a>
Like this:
November 17, 2008
Fresh Feedjit Feature!
Feedjit has a new feature (yes, "new", but "fresh" is better for alliteration) that shows what readers from a particular area are reading. Since my ISP is based out of Amarillo, it shows the Amarillo hits.
Cool.
October 31, 2008
October 30, 2008
Horrible Tattoos
Horrible Tattoos has long been on my favorites list, even before I started this blog. The owner of the site hasn't kept up the posting pace as he did in the past, but recently has added some new pics of horrible tattoos.
Be sure and peruse the archives! (There are over 600 pics) You will alternate between horror and laughter and all the time wondering "What the hell were these people thinking?".
October 27, 2008
October 22, 2008
Michael Yon Widget
A fantastic source of war news. His website is well-worth the time spent reading and the photos are both stirring and stunning. Yon is a most respected war journalist/blogger.
I also have the RSS feed on my ISP home page.
October 14, 2008
Quotes for your Site or Blog
I have the Quotations Page website feed on my Excite start page and saw where they are now offering up the code to include it in websites or blogs.
Go to their codes page and choose the daily or motivational quote feed, the one quote or four quotes feed javascripts, the code for their search engine search box, or the daily XML (RSS) quotation feeds
