Third Time’s the Charm!
It’s hard to believe it’s been two years since my last post. The time seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. In that time there have been a lot of changes in both my personal and professional life. My plan is to share some of the highlights in future posts but first a little preview.
Since my last post I made the transition to eating organic and locally grown foods, married a wonderful woman, conceived a child, and finally spent some quality time with my daughter. I also had a great group of kids help me get an environmental science club started and got involved in a special advanced placement program through the University of Virginia.
I’m finally settling into summer mode so look for more in the coming weeks. That’s a promise!
A New Cleaner Look
The latest version of Fathom the Unknown is the result of wanting something even more simple and cleaner looking. Some of the best blogs I have read are also the most basic with no fancy themes to draw your attention away from the content. Although, some of the newer themes popping up around the web are appealing. They boast elaborate collage-like backgrounds and hand drawn accents that make it look like you’re viewing some sort of scrapbook. I know I’m not ready for that yet so I went with basic for my approach.
The first thing I did was upgrade to WordPress 2.5.1 and strip it down to the basic installation. Then, I wrote the basic templates using minimal css. Essentially, I created a simple sandbox theme. I started playing around with the code and css then added some of the things that I liked from previous themes. What I ended up with was a patchwork of white background with black and blue text that loaded in the blink of an eye. With the header being a vital part of any website, the basic text version just wasn’t enough. I created an image header that was simple yet enough to provide a small touch of professionalism. There are only three images in the entire theme, one for the header and two for the background of the sidebar menus. Once I found the look I wanted, I installed the desired plugins and edited them to fit into the new theme.
The final product is a theme that I couldn’t be happier with using on this website. It was much easier than I thought it would be thanks to an article I found on Deziner Folio about developing a WordPress theme from scratch. It really simplified everything and allowed me to do it the way I wanted. I hope everyone likes the new cleaner look.
I’m Back, Again!
Well, it’s been a while since my last entry and a lot has happened. Too much, in fact, to try and catch everyone up on. Let’s just say that I’m glad summer is here and I have two months off to recuperate. I’m starting my vacation by redesigning this website. Sorry, but it’s one of the things I like to do when I need to relax and clear my head.I’ll talk more about the redesign in a future entry. Right now, I just wanted to let everyone know I was still alive and that I’ll be writing again, regularly I hope.
Wednesday Words
The use of words is a powerful tool that, when used correctly, can provoke thought and lead to understanding.
"We stand now where two roads diverge. The road we have long been traveling is deceptively easy, a smooth superhighway on which we progress with great speed, but at its end lies disaster. The other fork of the road — the one less traveled by — offers our last, our only chance to reach a destination that assures the preservation of the earth."
Monday Night Mudfest
Okay, so I’m a fan of the Miami Dolphins. I have been my whole life and still proud to admit it despite the season we’re having this year. I expected tonight’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers to be a massacre but it’s turned into a mudfest. Neither team has been able to do much on offense and it’s still been a fun game to watch. I never thought I would be enjoying a game that has been for nearly four quarters but I am. On the bright side, we’re not losing but then again we’re not winning either. Beck is doing okay at quaterback but we still can’t get anything going. It’s a good thing our defense is holding it’s own. On the not so bright side, injuries are killing us again. Williams came back from his suspension and is hurt already. Then, Chatman tried to play and got hurt again. We can’t seem to catch a break.
Oh well, another dagger through the heart. We lost on a field goal with 17 seconds left in the game. First pick in the 2008 draft!
