New Year, New Template, New Home, & A Whole New Life

Making changes to a blogsite theme is rather challenging and a laborious mission, at least for an unknowledgeable site designer and a neophyte blogger like me. I consider the undertaking very similar to moving towards a new house or completing desirable renovations, where you need to contemplate and plan effectively the objectives or modifications you need to embark on. This will include, for example, color blending, images and widgets that have been perfectly implemented in the previous design. These are just among the few major items you need to keep in mind when deciding to alter your blog theme, whether you want these stuff retained or completely replace them with new ones is going to be a key assessment for you. Believe me, there are a lot more of bits and pieces you need to guard around along the process. You see, the route is rather tricky and tough.

During the period I was researching for ways on how to make the shift painless, I chanced upon an article from Beta Blogger for Dummies appropriately dubbed as Keep Widgets and Change Layout Template. You can decide to follow the instructions here or you can opt to execute the “hard way” as briefly mentioned above, that is if you think the former is fairly complicated to accomplish.

Since it is New Year, I decided to migrate to a new theme in order to give my site a new flavor and taste. I would say that one of the reasons also is because I have posted previously a directory of free blogger templates where one can choose a theme to use in a Blogger blogsite. I just felt I needed to spearhead the recommendations I made and present my site as one of the working examples of the templates available from those I enumerated.

I stumbled upon this gorgeous Minyx template from B-Themes. It is one of the first Web 2.0 layouts for Word Press that caught my attention. As you can see, it is now wonderfully re-crafted and made available for Blogger. Probably you are wondering why this site was not included in the list I gave. Well, based on my parting tone in that post, I would update the list in the event that I would uncover new and interesting sites and once friends & visitors would discover other potential pages providing the same services of which they can recommend or let me know. That is, in fact, what I would do as soon as I have collected “enough” number of references to include in the list. Yes! You need to monitor the regular update, for that matter. For now, it is going to be number one in my additional references.

In other words, New Year, new template, new home, and a whole “new life” for my blogsite!

There you go. I hope you do like the template I am using now for my blogsite.

Happy New Year!

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Free Blogger Template Directory

For those who are new (like me) to blogging and for those who are unhappy with the current design of their site layout, I have compiled a list of reference where you can find various Blogger templates to choose from. This list will help you decide which of the various selections of templates is most appropriate for your blog. It may not represent a complete list of available sites offering free themes but it merits a visit for those who easily get tired hunting for the perfect blog template for Blogger.

Here goes the list…

1. Blogger Template Directory. The blog author has personally tested all the templates provided in this site. The directory has about 29 categories to choose from and offers screenshot preview for each one. According to him, he only selects and presents those blogger templates that he considers to be the best free templates for blogging. You will also find in this page the designers and what are the featured templates plus you can contribute your own design if you happen to be a Blogger template designer.

2. Blogger Templates. This site has a collection of cool templates from the classic HTML format to the modern XML platform. Oh, Yes! You will also find free complimentary widgets for your template from this source.

3. Gecko and Fly. It has a nice list of well designed Blogger templates. Most are designs imported in from Word Press. The designs are primarily for HTML Blogger platform but the site owner entertains contribution from designers using the new XML Blogger format.

4. Suckmylolly. There are about 40 (as of this post) selections available for download. The entries are categorized either by themes or colors. The themes are very lively and interesting than the traditional or generic types. If you don’t find the one you desire, however, you can freely request for a customized theme according to your specifications for a reasonable fee.

5. Free Templates. Some of the cool three and two column templates are accessible on this site. Nyoba, which is one of the most popular templates, has 3 variants as of today.

6. Cool Template. Aside from the many bubbly templates available in the archive, this site also provides various instructions on how to start your own template design.

7. Blogspot Templates. This reference offers different looking templates. If you are into something more thematic, this is very appropriate for you. The templates follow themes like Yoga, Harry Potter, Desperate Housewives, Tour De France, Pink Flowers, Cityscapes taken from various places, and a lot more. You need to have a Photobucket account to host the photos as per recommendation of the author/designer.

8. Jackbook. Has a gallery dedicated primarily for Blogger templates. Some are modified templates from the classic Blogger while the rests are extracted from Word Press and recoded to work for Blogger. The author is very friendly and spends time understanding the problem of those who patronize his work. And, YES!, don't forget to say TGIF because new template day on Jackbook is Friday.

9. Blogger Templates by Caz. For those who are interested on highly graphical and photo art templates, this is the best site for you. Be aware, though, that all the templates here only work with classic Blogger interface.

10. Template Panic. This is another very nice source for three column templates. Some standard two column Blogger templates are converted and made available for three column format.

11. Pannasmontata Templates. Provides a collection of different kinds of blogger templates. All templates are created using notepad for HTML and CSS codes, Photoshop and Expression for graphics. They are tested on Internet Explorer 6/7, Mozilla Firefox 1.x, Safari and Opera and are best optimized with 800 x 600 minimum resolution or higher

12. Noipo. The source features a collection for both text-based and graphical templates enthusiasts.

13. Giselejaquenod. This is the best spot for “girly” and journal oriented templates.

14. Bloggertemplates. You can choose from the 35 template selections available to date. The themes range from technology, office, celebrity, movie, recipe, floral and a lot more.

15. Final Sense. Hosts a collection of high quality templates for Blogger. I strongly recommend that you visit the popular themes category to get a glimpse of what are the most likable across all categories available in the site.

There you have it folks…

I hope you have found the appropriate template for your blog from the list above.

If you know any other link offering free blogger templates, I will be very happy if you can advise me. I may update this list or make a new post for the second version of the directory.

What do you think?

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Group Chatting in Gmail's GTalk?

Yes! Recently, Google has included a new feature to their Gmail webmail service. Gmail now wires in a "Group Chat" capability inside the email client via GTalk. The newly added goody lets you chat with many friends at once in a single window, a feature very much present and have been very useful in Yahoo group chatting long time ago. One thing unique in the application, though, is that anyone involved in the chat can invite any other member to the group chat. There is also no limit to the number of people you can chat with. Moreover, enhanced emoticons have also been added to make the chatting experience more bubbly and lively.

To initiate a group chat, click "Group chat" from the "Options" tab in the lower left corner of the chat interface when chatting. Enter the names of the people you want to add, and, bingo, you are in your very own chat room. All the familiar features such as chat archiving and taking the chat off the record still work as well.

According to gmailblog writer Sergey Solyanik, these features only work with the latest version of Gmail, which they are still rolling out to IE6, international and Google Apps users.

Although people always expect a lot of things from Google whenever they launch a new product, these new features seem to be “million miles” behind when compared to Yahoo’s YM and other popular chat applications. However, as they say, better late than never.

For a Gmail fanatic like me, I find this development rather totally disappointing. Primarily because I am looking for unique features or breakthrough applications in chatting which other contenders, like YM and MSN Messenger, have not yet implemented.

I don’t know. Maybe I was just craving for too much.

What do you think?

Do you like these new GTalk chatting features?

Did you find this post useful? If so, you might want to subscribe to my RSS feeds so that you will be automatically alerted once a new post comes around.

Happy weekend!

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Are You Ready for Gmail v2.0?

Nearly 44 months ago since Gmail first surfaced online. I got my free account roughly 38 months ago, though. Throughout this period, this blockbuster webmail application has remained in beta-testing status. Recently, however (sometime late October or early November this year), I have been receiving feeds that, finally, Google is gearing to release Gmail v2.0, although I hardly recall if there was ever a launch for v1.0. Nevertheless, it is still something to look forward to for passionate Gmailers like myself.

So, what are the reported new features then?

I found a comprehensive review about this release from googlesystem blogsite. After reading this review, I went on to see if my account is already active with all the features that have been mentioned.

So far, I am convinced that it loads faster than the “previous version”, although I still find some slower performance each time I get to load the inbox interface. Once the interface is loaded, however, it simply works like a charm for the pre-fetched emails and other known new features.

The best new feature IMHO is the integration of IM networks (with option to select from Gtalk, AIM, Yahoo, MSN, ICQ, & Jabber). I haven’t tried it, though, but since it is clearly visible in the new Contact Manager module, I guess it is going to be one of the new killer applications Gmail v2.0 would be very popular about.

What is my general impression?

Google has made important changes in its Newer version of Gmail, but its too early to provide general comment/s on its performance.

Now, are you ready to switch? Go ahead and load your mail interface and see for yourself if you are one of the privileged few who can start playing around with Gmail v2.0.

Tips:

1. You have the new version if you can see a link to an "older version" at the top of the page (as shown in the image below), which means you can enjoy the new features: mail pre-fetching, updated contact manager and other small updates.
   
2. If you don’t see the "magic word" in tip #1 try loading this link: https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2
   

What do you think?

If you find this post useful, kindly leave your comment/s and rate the entry.

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Some Cosmetic Enhancements for Stitches™

While on a short "Halloween" vacation, I tried spending my free time toiling around on some cosmetic improvements for my blogsite. The last time I added some goodies was when I posted the Cool Rating Widget. That wasn’t ages ago, though. But I personally and generally like CHANGES; therefore, do not be surprised if "continuous enhancements" will always be one of the dynamic activities of this blog.

Among the new enhancements that I recently implemented here were:

Peek-A-Boo View: I thought of finding a way to make it easy for my readers to go through all my recent posts within the main page of my blog. This is because if the entry is too long (more than 2 or 3 paragraphs), the viewers will find it very hard to quickly locate the topic of interest to them since they need to scroll down a lot. The solution to this, of course, is to show only the summary rather than the entire article in every post. In this way regular and irregular visitors alike can choose which of the recent posts appeal to them the most.

In Peek-A-Boo View the main page will show only post summaries and when you click "Read More", the full post appears in the main page itself. It is also possible for the reader to go back to the summary mode by clicking the "Summary only..." link with which they can collapse the post back to summary.

I managed to find this "post-enhancing" hack from Ramani and Hans. They collaboratively worked on the codes and made them available on their sites.

Social Bookmarking Widget: Social bookmarking, according to Wikipedia, is a way for internet users to store, organize, share and search bookmarks of web pages. Social bookmarking, likewise, allows you to suggest something worthy of note to people who share your interests.

Maintaining your bookmarks on a host site allows you to access your favorite websites from anywhere. This makes your bookmarks reachable and always backed-up no matter which computer you use.

Why is this widget important?

If people find the posts you wrote in your blog useful and informative they may want to share it with others. Making it easy for them to recommend and share may bring tremendous visit or steady flow of traffic in your site. Therefore, it makes sense that a widget to bookmark articles in your blog comes in very handy. By bringing in a social bookmarking widget in you site, your visitors can conveniently click on it to submit your site to their favorite Social Bookmarking networks.

I found a solution to this using the hack created by Hans. It is relatively easy to implement and looks very cool and bubbly at the foot of every post. For a working example, you can view the footer of this post.

Tag/Label Cloud Widget: A tag cloud (or weighted list in visual design) is a visual depiction of content tags used on a website. Tags are typically listed alphabetically, and tag frequency is shown with font size or color. ^[1] Thus both finding a tag by alphabet and by popularity is possible. The tags are usually hyperlinks that lead to a collection of items that are associated with that tag.

The advantage of using Tag/Label Clouds is that it takes up a whole lot less vertical space than the default label/category list in Blogger, especially when you have a lot of labels to show. You can also vary the colors & font sizes of the "clouds" according to the number of post in each label/category to make your presentation more enticing.

The codes I used for my label cloud were from phydeaux3. The implementation instructions are very easy to understand. All you have to do is visit his site and follow the procedures very carefully.

There you have it all folks!

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Famous Sunset at Manila Bay

One of Manila's most enduring charms is the beautiful and marvelous sunset across Manila Bay. The bay is the best natural harbor in Eastern Asia and one of the finest in the world. The city of Manila is on the eastern shore of the bay, and on the southeast is the city of Cavite. The entrance to Manila Bay is divided by the island of Corregidor into two channels. The sunset, which the bay is famous for, is best viewed along the city’s main Promenade in Roxas Boulevard, across the Rajah Sulayman Park and the historic Malate Church. One could also go to Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Complex or SM Mall of Asia to enjoy this captivating sundown in a different perspective.

Along with the splendid “old world” ambiance of Malate District, lovers, families, tourists and passers by will surely have a great time appreciating this iconic attraction of Manila. It is for this reason that I normally would recommend to my foreign visitors to spare a piece of their hectic schedules and give the sunset at the bay a moment, for them to experience the invigorating reward it brings. In order for me to convince them, though, that the sunset at the bay is worth a visit, I would try to stir their curiosity by telling them that the sight serves as a very appropriate backdrop to enjoy tranquility at times they need it most. And true enough, none of my guests, so far, has left the place, after having seen the magnificent sunset, with disappointment in their hearts and thoughts.

I had the pleasure of capturing the sunset at the bay in one of my photographic endeavors and I am posting it here for your viewing delight.

I don’t know if you will agree with me, but I do not know anyone who doesn't adore sunsets! ... enjoy this absolutely picturesque sunset only seen here in Manila Bay! ...

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The 4th English Translation of Noli Me Tangere

To date the novel Noli Me Tangere, which was originally written by our beloved national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal (1861-1896), has four translations in the English language.

Rizal finished the Noli in 1887, and published 2,000 copies in Berlin. Many thousands more have since circulated, in the original Spanish, and in translations into German, French, Chinese, English, Filipino, and other Philippine languages. The best known translations in English are those by Charles Derbyshire (1912) and Leon Ma. Guerrero (1961). From the inside front flap of Noli Me Tangere, translated by Ma. Soledad Lacson-Locsin, edited by Raul L. Locsin, Bookmark, 1996. Cover art by Felix Mago Miguel.

The book summary for the 1927 edition of Derbyshire’s (Noli Me Tangere/The Social Cancer: Charles Derbyshire English Translation) translation published by Philippine Education Company is found at Filipiniana.Net.

Ma. Soledad Lacson-Locsin of Talisay, Negros Occidental was 86 years old when she accepted the invitation to translate Noli Me Tangere into English. She passed away in 1995 after completing the translation. Raul L. Locsin, her son, editor and publisher of Business World, edited the translation, attempting to preserve in English the cadence and color of Spanish. This third English version of the novel is noted as the most authoritative and faithful translation to date. From the back cover of Noli Me Tangere, translated by Ma. Soledad Lacson-Locsin, edited by Raul L. Locsin, University of Hawaii Press, 1997. Cover design by Santos Barbasa.

The fourth and current translation is by Harold Augenbraum - Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) - published by Penguin Classics in 2006. This new translation includes an extensive introduction and notes that draw on a wealth of Rizal scholarship. This is the first work of Filipino literature to be published in Penguin Classics. It is also the first instance that the said publishing company released a Southeast Asian book under its well-known banner.

Below are the book description and the first review that I managed to find from the Penguin Group Site while googling around.

“In more than a century since its appearance, José Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere has become widely known as the great novel of the Philippines. A passionate love story set against the ugly political backdrop of repression, torture, and murder, “The Noli,” as it is called in the Philippines, was the first major artistic manifestation of Asian resistance to European colonialism, and Rizal became a guiding conscience—and martyr—for the revolution that would subsequently rise up in the Spanish province.”

"A beautiful new translation... Rizal's rich, moving novel...[is] perhaps the most important novel in Philippine literature." —Jessica Hagedorn

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Cinematherapy:Is Watching Movies Beneficial to Your Mental Health?

Have you ever had a moment, at least once, asking yourself why you need to view movies from time to time? Well, maybe the major common denominator is people watch movies because they want to break free from their daily taxing routines, either alone or in group with friends, workmates, loved ones, or family members. Yes, watching movies is very rewarding because it is absolutely entertaining. In fact, it is not only entertaining but mentally therapeutic as well since it helps individuals maintain a psychological balance.

Just how does movie watching keep the human brain maintain mental equilibrium?

It becomes mentally therapeutic because it combats emotional imbalance by awakening both sides of the emotion. Remember? Laughter is the Best Medicine… We always associate a feeling of relief from negative emotions when we expose ourselves to films with comic plots. And for this reason we get to unconsciously and unknowingly trigger our positive emotion and overcome temporarily or completely the negative emotion prior to watching the film. What about movies with sad themes? Yes, they are also therapeutic for they provide avenues for people to cry which definitely permit them along the process to release excessive or transient negative mental detour, even if the scene or scenes which caused them to cry has nothing to do with their current negative feelings.

This momentary indulgence will, likewise, temporarily help people to forget their existing emotional conditions, may it be good or bad. In most cases the movies they watch will aid them depart from the real world by immersing themselves in the story line, circumstances or even with the characters. By further consenting themselves they can also at one point personally relate to the situation. Sometimes even locations where the film was shot allow viewers to travel in places they have never been, and that is unquestionably gratifying.

In all these processes we find ourselves eventually getting completely involved and we count every movie we watch as part of our learning routines. And as time goes by, these learning progressions become permanently part of our life experiences.

In today’s information age, psychotherapists are using films as therapeutic and counseling tools and technically call this emerging discipline cinematherapy. In the article The Process of Cinematherapy as a Therapeutic Intervention, Tyson, Foster, and Jones explained the process of executing cinematherapy and is cited at the cinematheraphy website which I came across with while developing this post. The site also pointed out that cinematherapy has many applications.

It can be used with individuals or with a group, and the movies used may address one issue or several. Therapists or counselors may assign a client or clients to watch an entire movie or a vignette from a movie. But, what may be the most effective way of using Cinematherapy is to watch a vignette with the client or group and then discuss afterwards.

History also suggests that cinematherapy, though relatively new, traced its roots from ancient Greek. This was eloquently elaborated in the article written by Cindy Jones at the History & Theory page of the same site.

Another article supporting the benefits of cinematheraphy was written by R. M. Dubuc. It discusses about how watching movies can improve mental health.

Finally, Dr. Gary Solomon, a Portland mental health therapist, author of “The Motion Picture Prescription: Watch This Movie and Call Me in the Morning.”... writes, "If you watch just one movie a week for the next two years, imagine the personal growth and recovery you could enjoy."


Afterthought: The next time you watch a movie don’t think that you are just giving yourself a break. Consider it as a therapeutic indulgence and an inexpensive investment to keep you sane.

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