17 November, 2006

Where angels fear to tread.

Well, not fear precisely. More like "expect no good to come from the treading"—but in the end, It Is Done.

Here's what I've learned from my Blogger-to-Beta-Test-Blogger migration experience:
  1. The actual migration process went smoothly. It took several minutes, but when I logged on to my new [low growl] Google account and checked out the results, I was relieved to find that my modified "classic" template had made the trip. Even better, my blog still displayed. The only obvious difference was the appearance of Blogger's navigation bar ("Click 'Next' to visit a porn site, or enter a search term to not find a term you know appears multiple times in your blog!").
  2. In my sidebar, I've included a Blogger image linked to the Blogger dashboard for my convenience. I only had to update the URL to point to the beta test Blogger site and viola! Sorted.
  3. As I type this post, I see the new "Labels for this post" field just begging to have some descriptive categories entered. Someone more organised, like Eric could probably explain why this sort of thing is useful, but my "classic" template doesn't support labels, and I'm unlikely to go to the bother of converting it to use the new JSP tags that beta test Blogger touts as being the second coming of Bill Gates. Putting aside the additional overhead of having to download a Gordian knot of JavaScript poo with every page, how random would I be if I started slapping categories on everything I post? (Hint: methinks "not very")
  4. Google is considerate in not requiring your life and credit histories or even a blood sample in exchange for the required Google account. That's good news. It's not even that big a deal creating a new e-mail address for each profile I need prefer to create in order to keep my more-or-less anonymous blogs separate from the ones on which my Secret Identity is obvious. What gets up my neck is that it's reasonably obvious from Blogger's FAQ that the whole point is to force us into Google's system. There, they hope to entice us to use the various Me Too services they've added to compete with Yahoo! Going public and having a board of directors can't be a lot of fun.
  5. Ah well... it's still FREE.

Foo and Turtle conversation #1

Foo: Ow! Why are you pulling my arm hairs?
Turtle: I didn't think it was attached.
Foo: It's an arm hair. Why wouldn't you think it was attached?
Turtle: It's white. I thought it was one of Bitsy's.
Foo: I suppose you think this one's Bitsy's too. [plucks at white hair on arm] Oh.
Turtle: See, old man?
Foo: Silence, impudent strumpet.

Foo and Turtle conversation #2

Foo: I'm kind of weirded out today.
Turtle: Weirded out? Why?
Foo: I don't know if it's because this temporary crown was killing me or what, but I was having some really bad dreams last night.
Turtle: Like what?
Foo: Well, in one you started levitating... floating about five feet off the floor. I told you to stop, and for once you listened right away. You fell on the floor, caught your leg funny, and broke your ankle so badly that some of the small bones fell out through a tear in the skin. I was freaking out, running around trying to find a zip-loc baggie to put the bones in before rushing you to the hospital.
Turtle: My leg's fine. See?
Foo: Yeah, well... no levitating, okay?
Turtle: I'll try to restrain myself.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

For the record...anyone reading this...I did NOT call him an old man. I really did think it was one of our cat's hairs that had stuck to his arm. Give a girl a break, man. Go to your cave!

Anne said...

So Turtle is admitting to pulling your arm hairs. What's with the hairs that grow out of the top of men's noses - like rhino horns?

Bret said...

So far, I like the beta -- I flipped over to it earlier this week as well, and haven't had any of those annoying "You didn't want us to ACTUALLY publish this lousy post, did you?" issues. And I do like the revamped interface a bit more.

And as you note, the price is pretty reasonable.

Bill said...

Wait! You have a cat hair in your nose.

Hold still...don't move...I'll get it...

Jenn said...

your post should be Where Angels Shouldn't Levitate.

also:
"click next to visit a porn site.."

EWWWWWWW, I know! You only do THAT once.

Gwynne said...

Okay, I think I can tell you where the Ziploc baggies in your dream came from. Beyond that, you're on your own. And don't be surprised if some form of levitation is featured on Dave Barry's blog. Just sayin.' ;-)

Foo said...

Turtle: Did so.

Anne: Beats me. Could be it's to match the wild sasquatch eyebrows.

Bret: Yes, I've had migrations go a lot less smoothly.

Bill: On, or in? If the latter, that's probably not the cat's, and it's time to get out the special trimmers again.

Emma: It's not that I'm averse to the sight of a nekkid woman, but the bloody viruses you can get from stumbling into one of those sites unawares are murder.

Susie: Your homework assignment is to go look up the meaning of the word disingenuous. But for the record, I'd gladly abdicate, if only the headaches would go away.

Gwynne: I think Dave Barry's hilarious, but I have to admit that I've never visited his blog and have no idea why I should be expecting to find a riff on levitation there. Are you saying that Dave's been stealing material from me again?

Gwynne said...

Oh Foo, you must visit Dave Barry's blog. I wouldn't put it past him to steal material from you. ;-)

Tink said...

The second conversation had me crying. Small bones falling out of a tear in her skin?! Isn't there some culture that claims to see into the future by throwing bones? You didn't happen to dream of any numbers too did you? I'm thinking of playing the lotto tonight.

Tink said...

I should probably clarify. I was crying because I was laughing so hard. Not boohooing.

Anonymous said...

so, theoretically it means "false humility", so there you go, i did my homework....and you spelled it wrong

Anonymous said...

LOL
made you look!!!

Lou said...

You two kids certainly have some interesting conversations and dreams...
And hey FOo - must have been some good medication when you got that crown...care to share?
and Turtle - he is right - levitating would probably win you an audition (if not a part) in Excorcist V - LOL

Foo said...

Lou: Dang, now why didn't I think of Miracle? That probably would have worked better in the documentary genre than the one I picked, and it's an awesome movie (which Turtle bought for me a couple Christmases ago).

Medication? They must do things differently in your neck of the woods, because I didn't get any drugs along with my temporary crown. I've been sucking down handfuls of aspirin, however. Mostly on days when I haven't been on vacation. My job and the commute apparently drive me to clenching my teeth. I just didn't realise it before.

And to heck with the movie auditions. Just think how useful the ability to levitate would be for getting up and down stairs (and on/off tour buses when visiting Carribean islands).

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