Chronic Listaholic

Seriously, why are you being so difficult?

I can’t find one damn reason for you to be putting big fat spaces under the images I place in my lists (which I will be doing A. LOT.). You are being a VERY BAD TEMPLATE, and it’s starting to piss me off. After all we’ve been through, do you really need to pull this petty shit?

Just a reminder that I DO have another template I’m working on. You could be replaced. Yes, it’s in German, but I’m halfway through translating it, bitch, so STFU.

Oh, bollocks. I’m going to bed. You will, like an unwelcome house guest, still be here tomorrow.

I’m-on-top-tonight-whether-Bret-likes-it-or-not-because-by-God-
I’m-mastering-SOMETHING kisses,
SJ

[UPDATE 8/17: It turns out this is a BROWSER issue. I finally happened to visit Chronic Listaholic via Internet Explorer [insert projectile spew], and the text wraps perfectly. Furthermore, most of the older lists I imported from Blogger display correctly. Interesting. So, WordPress, which sometimes promotes Firefox as the browser of choice, includes in their DEFAULT TEMPLATE basic coding which only works in IE. What is up with that shit?]

[tags]WordPress, templates, Templates Behaving Badly[/tags]

1. Mikey. Possibly the sweetest human being in existence, Mikey doesn’t dwell on his own burdens. Instead, he is all about making the world a happier, more loving place. He makes me want to be a better person, to reject the negative and embrace the joy of life.
2. Belinda. I am in awe of how this woman remains upbeat while suffering unspeakably. Although her blog has made me weep more than once, I am compelled to keep reading. And she has given me greater understanding about my sister, another victim of endometriosis.
3. Kevin. A prime example of what dedication to your craft can accomplish. In the past year, Kapgar has progressed from a little-known blog with few regular readers to a daily addiction for hundreds, solely because of Kevin’s talent and commitment to excellence.
4. Suze. One of the most entertaining writers to grace the blogiverse, this gifted Canadian motivates and inspires me. There’s nothing like reading well-crafted writing to give you an itch to craft some of your own.
5. Miss Snark. What every aspiring writer needs: Ruthless advice from someone on the inside. I’ve learned more about the process of becoming published from Miss Snark than all the Writer’s Digest books I ever bought put together.
6. Kim. An architecture student currently studying in Rome, Kim’s blog allows me to experience a lifestyle I wouldn’t have had the courage to try myself. Whether she’s homesick, struggling with the cultural differences or relating her adventures at the cat sanctuary, Kim shares her life with openness and warmth.
7. Dave2. Since my early days as a blogger, Dave2 has been my staunchest supporter. He is usually the first to post a comment, has offered valuable advice and given me an example to strive toward. Because as I once told him, when my blog grows up, it wants to be just like Blogography.
8. Karl. Another example of how blogging success will find you, even when you’re not looking for it, when you remain true to your inner voice and allow your personality to shine through. I doubt anyone has been more surprised than Karl himself to see him rocket to blog-crush status. Is there anything sexier than the combo of wit and intelligence?
9. Bec. A charming young Brit, Bec’s chatty blog feeds my Anglophile cravings while reminding me that even the most humdrum daily events can be presented in an entertaining, readworthy way.
10. Russ. One of my “recess” blogs, The Shade Replied prods me to step away from the computer, grab my camera and head outside. It’s also a constant tickler that I want to start posting some of my own photos on The Write Coast.

Related column: Blogging’s blessing: the kindness of strangers

1. 86 Tips? I am IN LOVE with this blog. It was infatuation at first sight (it’s so damn CUTE!), obsession at first read (it’s as addictive as chocolate-coated Valium). If I could only read one blog the rest of my life, this would be it. Link
2. BoingBoing. News of, by and for the weird. I keep this as my home page, so I get a fresh serving of eccentrivia daily. Link
3. MB’s Blogasm. A blog-lover’s blog! MB blogs about blogs she’s discovered — sometimes good, sometimes not. A wonderful way to discover new reading material! Link
4. PostSecret. What if someone invited people to write their darkest secrets on a postcard and mail it to them, and then published them in a blog format? You know what? They DID. Link
5. Overheard In New York. Actual snippets of convo overheard around the ethnolific city of New York. Hilarious, offensive, incredible — often all at the same time. Link
6. Blogography. I like Dave. If I actually knew Dave, we’d hang out. Anybody that can make their anonymous life entertaining enough that I want to read about it regularly is a truly gifted writer. Link
7. FlickrBlog. I never get tired of looking at wonderful pictures. The folks at Flickr post a selection of their faves on their blog every day, along with a few words detailing the 5 Ws. Link
8. Microfamous. There are days when Kelly says EXACTLY what I’m feeling. There are days when I can’t relate at all. Always an enjoyable read, either way. Link
9. Bathroom Reading. Another good place to discover new blogs (he’s got a pretty thorough critiquing system), plus the occasional peek through the blinds into his personal life. Link
10. WILWHEATONDOTNET. He acts, he writes, he BLOGS! A highly entertaining, often moving glimpse into the life of a scarily brilliant man. And fellow lover of cats. Link

Pardon me while I pat myself on the back!

1. It looks like my hand-written lists. I’m constantly making lists on a junior legal pad, with a black Pilot Fineliner. Now (assuming you have the Comic Sans font) my online lists look the same as the originals! Minus the scribbles, margin doodles and unrelated notes to myself.
2. I did it all by myself! Having just finished creating my very first website completely from scratch, I now know enough to customize the Blogger templates. Or thoroughly screw them up — except I didn’t.
3. It’s completely unique. Since I created both the heading and the background myself, I know nobody else out there in Blogland has the same “look” as Chronic Listaholic.
4. I learned even more about HTML. I’ve never taken a class; I’m completely self-taught in both reading and scripting HTML. And man, the more you do, the more you learn! Especially if you are adamant about what you want to achieve. You keep fooling with the coding until you get it.
5. It feeds my omniscientiasism. I think there may now actually be something I know more about than Randy (unless he proves me wrong). Oh wait, I forgot about childbirth. Got him beat there, too!
6. It’s simple. Nothing fancy or foo-foo, just a clever, simple concept. I like simple — except when it comes to men.
7. It got me out of cooking dinner. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE to cook! But now and then, it’s nice to have a night off. Because I was deeply engrossed in this project last night, Bret made dinner: pork chops, mashed “taters” and his superb gravy, with mixed veggies in butter. And he served me, too — wouldn’t even let me get my own water. Eat your hearts out, girls!
8. Bret says I’m the smartest woman he’s ever known. Yeah, he says that all the time, but it’s still nice to hear.
9. Everybody else LOVES it. Well, the two other people who have seen me building it, that is. But so far, it’s unanimous! :>)
10. It gave me fodder for yet another list! And one can never have enough lists, can one?