6/25/2008
Still here
Your correspondent has been posting lightly lately because things have been a bit stressful and uncertain in his life lately. His employer, The Daytona Beach News-Journal, just laid off 99 of his friends and co-workers. Yes, this is happening all over and times are bad in the industry but that doesn't make it easier.
Since the N-J announced that it's up for sale, people outside the business talk about to your correspondent as though he has a sick relative. As in, "Oh, and how is your Aunt Martha? I heard about her and am so sorry to hear about it ... though, well, with the way she drank and all, I can't say anybody's not entirely surprised."
Hard times all around. Thanks to those who wrote to ask.
+ Almost 1,000 newspaper workers laid off around the country this week.
Since the N-J announced that it's up for sale, people outside the business talk about to your correspondent as though he has a sick relative. As in, "Oh, and how is your Aunt Martha? I heard about her and am so sorry to hear about it ... though, well, with the way she drank and all, I can't say anybody's not entirely surprised."
Hard times all around. Thanks to those who wrote to ask.
+ Almost 1,000 newspaper workers laid off around the country this week.
Labels: flablog, Media, World's Most Famous Beach
6/16/2008
summertime
Your correspondent has found himself lately slowed down by the heat of summer and is taking things easier; thus, the lighter postings. (Plus there was that thing with replacing the garbage disposal.) But do not worry, the postings will start up again as election season heats up and as he sheds his usual reticence to shamelessly plug his book which will released by UPF in only 82 days. (Also available here and here.)
Labels: flablog
5/04/2008
Book link is up!
The moment has come at last! Amazon has put up a pre-order link for my upcoming book, Sandspurs: Notes from a Coastal Columnist. (Don't ask me why there's no cover picture yet.)Sadly, the book will not be available from the fine folks at Univ. Press of Fla. until Sept. 7. But if you pre-order it, you get an extra 5 percent off and enjoy a smug feeling of inner coolness by joining the tiny band of cognoscente who own a copy before hardly anybody has heard of it. And don't go lending it out, either. Those people never return your books. Make them buy their own damn copy.
Right now, it's selling on Amazon for the absurdly low price of $16.47, hardback.
Labels: flablog, floridalia, Media, World's Most Famous Beach
4/10/2008
Changes a'coming
By now some Flabloggers have noticed the story about how the newspaper where I work is for sale. I wish I could elaborate, but I truly don't know much of anything. This is, of course, the latest chapter in the Cox v. N-J litigation which has been going on almost four years now. (Follow the whole sad saga here.)
And be sure to scroll through all the venomous and resentful comments at the end of the story so you can bask in the glee with which a community celebrates the loss of an independent voice, starting with the very first post. It's the professional equivalent of being able to watch people dance on your grave. Ain't the Web and comment culture wonderful?
One of the good things about a locally-owned newspaper is that decisions can be made informally and with a minimum of committees and fuss. Thus, it was OK with everyone in 2001 for a columnist to do one of these new "blog" things out on his own. Whether any new owners think the same way is something we can't know. Frankly, I rather doubt it. So enjoy Flablog while you can.
And be sure to scroll through all the venomous and resentful comments at the end of the story so you can bask in the glee with which a community celebrates the loss of an independent voice, starting with the very first post. It's the professional equivalent of being able to watch people dance on your grave. Ain't the Web and comment culture wonderful?
One of the good things about a locally-owned newspaper is that decisions can be made informally and with a minimum of committees and fuss. Thus, it was OK with everyone in 2001 for a columnist to do one of these new "blog" things out on his own. Whether any new owners think the same way is something we can't know. Frankly, I rather doubt it. So enjoy Flablog while you can.
4/02/2008
Beta Man
I'm not a beta kind of guy. A lot of Version 1.0 stuff out there really should still be in beta testing, so I usually put off upgrading. I made an exception with Firefox and tried the new Firefox 3 beta, and my, oh my, is it an improvement. It's way, way faster than v. 2 and appears to be slightly less of a memory hog. (Plus, the Scrabulous board loads in a blink.)
Yeah, yeah, a number of my themes, plug-ins and add-ons don't work. But I really don't need them all and they'll reappear in time. Things are moving now. Oh thank, you, Mozilla folks, and fie on you Web designers -- like the Gannett template people -- who won't accommodate us Firefoxers, a group that makes up almost a third of Flablog readers.
(Well, OK, this version can't handle PDFs without freezing up, but other than that ...)
Yeah, yeah, a number of my themes, plug-ins and add-ons don't work. But I really don't need them all and they'll reappear in time. Things are moving now. Oh thank, you, Mozilla folks, and fie on you Web designers -- like the Gannett template people -- who won't accommodate us Firefoxers, a group that makes up almost a third of Flablog readers.
(Well, OK, this version can't handle PDFs without freezing up, but other than that ...)
3/30/2008
Blog listed!
Flablog is has made Chris Cillizza's Best of the State Politics Blogs list. Along with longtime faves Naked Politics, The Buzz and FLApolitics.
We are quietly proud.
We are quietly proud.
2/28/2008
Hello? Anyone there?
So what's with the lack of postings here? Is this just another of those blogs that got left behind by its bored author? No. Just a little time off. Expect lightish posting for a few weeks.
Labels: flablog
12/22/2007
Holidays
Look for light posting over the next two weeks. It's almost Christmas. I'm behind on everything. Both kids are home from school.Off to the right is my favorite native Christmas plant, the East Palatka holly. This one grows in the parking lot where I work. It developed some kind of crud last year and didn't look so good, but seems to have pulled through another year. I'll take that as an inspiring Christmas story.
Hope you are already enjoying your holidays. I'll be back and running soon.
Labels: flablog
11/11/2007
Easy read
11/07/2007
Slowdown
So what's happening with Flablog? Just one or two posts a week if that. Is this becoming one of those dead blogs whose bloated backposts litter the world's servers?
Oh, nothing like that. Just going through a low posting period. Lots of projects going on. Holidays coming up. House repair and refurbishing. I'm supposed to speak in front of people. A serious game of Scrabulous happening on my Facebook page. Bike weather is here. And I am working at my Real Job. Just general life stuff.
We'll be back to speed in no time.
Oh, nothing like that. Just going through a low posting period. Lots of projects going on. Holidays coming up. House repair and refurbishing. I'm supposed to speak in front of people. A serious game of Scrabulous happening on my Facebook page. Bike weather is here. And I am working at my Real Job. Just general life stuff.
We'll be back to speed in no time.
Labels: flablog
9/12/2007
Politico profiles Flablog
The good folks at The Politco have been running a series, called BlogJam, about blogs and bloggers around the country. Today, BlogJam profiles this blog.
I am quietly proud.
I am quietly proud.
8/19/2007
Back to work
Back in Florida after some vacation time in New England. I'm better about ultrasummer and August in Florida than most, but I was immediately functioning way better in a place that was 10 degrees cooler.Back to posting soon.
Labels: flablog
8/07/2007
August
Back-to-school sales tax holiday or not, I intend to honor August in the traditional manner. It's still the summer and that means slacking off. Expect slow and erratic posting for the rest of the month. That's just how it's going to be.Labels: flablog
7/04/2007
Flablog Vault of Memory
More discerning Flabloggers have noted for some time that the archives here are iffy. Recent months don't work; everything before last winter does.
Well, we strive for excellence as long as it doesn't cost us anything, so at last, this is fixed. Go ahead, live in the past and enjoy the newly renovated Vault of Memory.
Well, we strive for excellence as long as it doesn't cost us anything, so at last, this is fixed. Go ahead, live in the past and enjoy the newly renovated Vault of Memory.
Labels: flablog
6/11/2007
Simplifying
Yes, Flabloggers, the time has come to simplify the site. The old layout, so ably done by my son, was groaning under the weight of small changes and tweaks. This one is just an ol' Blogger generic template, reminiscent of the original Flablog. It's an interim change until I come up with something better.
It has the benefits of better legibility and it's able to use some Bloggers more recent bells and whistles.
This displays best in Firefox. (Which is good since 42 percent of the people reading this use Firefox.)The left table is far too wide in Explorer 7 and I'm still figuring out why. The left table is too wide in Explorer 7 and I'm working on it. My, that browser is crotchety. (Which is bad because 49 percent of you are still tied to MS Explorer.)
And all of this wasted effort for most of you because most if you read this as a feed and don't care how I lay this out.
It has the benefits of better legibility and it's able to use some Bloggers more recent bells and whistles.
This displays best in Firefox. (Which is good since 42 percent of the people reading this use Firefox.)
And all of this wasted effort for most of you because most if you read this as a feed and don't care how I lay this out.
Update: OK, it seems to be fixed in IE 7.0. So far, it looks best in Safari.
Labels: flablog
5/11/2007
State-by-state bloggery
Stateline.org is a wonderful stop for the state-level policy wonk. And, what's more, they have a good list of state political blogs from around the country, listed by state. Yes, FlaBlog is included. I am quietly proud.
2/01/2007
Slow season
Regular Flabloggers will notice that postings trailed off over the holidays and have not picked up since.
No, the site is not being discontinued. There's just been a lot of life stuff, special projects and home repair going on. (I have a 70s-era home, and have been doing minor plumbing and electrical work.)
Things will pick up soon enough and the session will be here before you know it.
No, the site is not being discontinued. There's just been a lot of life stuff, special projects and home repair going on. (I have a 70s-era home, and have been doing minor plumbing and electrical work.)
Things will pick up soon enough and the session will be here before you know it.
Labels: flablog
12/23/2006
Holidays
Slow posting over the next week. Because it's Christmas and I sorta have a life.
(East Palataka Holly. Photo: Lane)
Labels: flablog
11/14/2006
Housekeeping
Moved Flablog over to the new Blogger beta. It's had mixed reviews but I'm generally happy with it. Main problems: Archives and "Blog This!" tool no longer work. If anything else isn't functioning this week, blame them. The word verification works sometimes, sometimes not seems to have been fixed.
This week also marks the fifth year blogoversary of Flablog!
It started Nov. 16, 2001 with this post.
There is a redesign in the works, but we'll see.
This week also marks the fifth year blogoversary of Flablog!
It started Nov. 16, 2001 with this post.
There is a redesign in the works, but we'll see.
Labels: flablog
10/31/2006
Fixed
Flablog was down for a bit due to server problems. Plus, Blogger has been acting funny lately. But if you can see this, then everything is OK.
Meanwhile, welcome to readers from the The Thicket, a blog that covers politics at the state legislature level all around the country. I go by there often. Flablog was recently added to its blogroll. We are quietly proud.
Meanwhile, welcome to readers from the The Thicket, a blog that covers politics at the state legislature level all around the country. I go by there often. Flablog was recently added to its blogroll. We are quietly proud.
Labels: flablog
