Baby's First Internet is an amusing illustrated online book. Hint: It's not really for babies.

Okay, I haven't really looked at the new template system in MT since we upgraded a couple months back. My old template still works (obviously). Tonight I had a look, because I've set up MT for the website of the friend I mentioned. Youch. I mean, I "get it", more or less. It's now all modular. I certainly understand the concept of modular design, but there are a LOT of modules. At least they're all in one place, unlike some systems (like shopping carts), but, still, this is a big learning curve.

However, as mentioned, I intend to redesign this blog in the forseeable future, so doing her blog will at least give me some grounding... Honestly, I think I'm going to end up doing a hybrid of the modules and traditional template. I seriously cannot be bothered to customize a bazillion individual modules. Bleah.

I'm going to do a complete overhaul on this blog. I haven't decided what I'm going to do to it. The cute unicorn caricature self-portrait is on my personal pages and will remain there, but this blog is due to get done over. I'm thinking something multi-coloured and abstract, with a funky edge, but who knows what it will end up being. Hell, I might even turn comments back on. Woot.

That being said, I've been extremely absorbed with doing a website for a friend of mine who runs a quite unique business. She's using the pink and navy blue fairy design that was once on Zoë's website, and I'm getting her set up with content and so forth. I'm doing pretty well with it, but, man, I am RUSTY in some things. Like, say, rollover menus. I haven't done one of those in ages, but I did one this time (because it looks so cool with the design), and I'd forgotten how fiddly it is to do.

I'm also trying to figure out how to get Blogger to cooperate with uploading stuff to her website, rather than hosting on Blogspot. I had it working, and then her host put in the CNAME as recommended by Blogger (at least, if I understood the instructions that's what they recommend), and then it didn't work... Argh. Also, Blogger requires you to have a full on domain or sub-domain in order to upload stuff. WTF? They can't deal with directories? You can FTP into any directory structure you want, but you have to have an actual domain, I don't get it. Anyway, it's proving to be a huge pain in the neck. I really like the Blogger interface and it's very easy to use and straightforward, but if I can't make it work, I'm going to install Movable Type for her (she's got a super fantastic hosting package, so it's no problem to install anything she needs).

I'm also find the blogger template system to be... Well, let's just say it's been many, many years since I made a custom Blogger template fully from scratch, and there have been a lot of changes since I did it. Like I said, I may end up just installing Movable Type and leaving it at that. At least I'm more or less familiar with the MT template system, having used it for a while.

Of course, I say that now, but the last time I did a redesign on this blog, I was pulling out my hair trying to get the template to work because they'd made changes since the last time I'd done a template, so, well, it may be a really good thing that I have a lot of hair...

I love JibJab.

I took a test to assess my "Signature Strengths", offered by the University of Pennsylvania. You have to sign up to the site, but there are lots of tests, and it's kind of interesting. Here are my top five personality strengths. I'm not surprised, other than to have seen that Spirituality actually ended up sixth, but then, most of the questions had more to do with religion than spirituality, and I'm not very religious (but I'm highly spiritual).

Your Top Strength
Honesty, authenticity, and genuineness
You are an honest person, not only by speaking the truth but by living your life in a genuine and authentic way. You are down to earth and without pretense; you are a "real" person.

Your Second Strength
Humor and playfulness
You like to laugh and tease. Bringing smiles to other people is important to you. You try to see the light side of all situations.

Your Third Strength
Love of learning
You love learning new things, whether in a class or on your own. You have always loved school, reading, and museums-anywhere and everywhere there is an opportunity to learn.

Your Fourth Strength
Curiosity and interest in the world
You are curious about everything. You are always asking questions, and you find all subjects and topics fascinating. You like exploration and discovery.

Your Fifth Strength
Appreciation of beauty and excellence
You notice and appreciate beauty, excellence, and/or skilled performance in all domains of life, from nature to art to mathematics to science to everyday experience.

Now, I admit, I could have actually fudged the test results if I'd wanted to. I'm pretty smart, and I could tell where a lot of the questions were leading, so to speak. And some of the questions were stupidly worded, such as, "I can't imagine lying or cheating," which is just dumb. Of course I can imagine it. Duh. I just don't do it...

Anyway, there are a lot of interesting tests there. How much use they'd be to you, I can't say, but if you've got some time to kill and you enjoy doing psychological personality assessment tests, go around to the Authentic Happiness Test Center on the University of Pennsylvania website and check it out.

For some reason, Andrew and I both found this entertaining. Hmmm....

(Yes, I'm still having fun with writing bizarre and amusing headlines.)

What do you think of that great entry title, eh? I think I'm getting the hang of how to write great headlines... Anyway...

Today we have some new birds in the tree outside my office. I've seen all sorts of birds out there, including magpies and cockatoos and Crimson Rosellas and King Parrots, but today, new ones: Eastern Rosellas (note: these are not the same as Crimson Rosellas, which are primarily red and blue; Eastern Rosellas are multi-coloured, but not to be confused with Rainbow Lorikeets).

*happy sigh* Life is good. There are Eastern Rosellas in the tree!

The redhead looked around
For Herself
Worthy to be noticed
she deserves this
The age of miracles is not past
You won't beleive the gold I found!