But ... but ... where is the Giant Leering Evil Les headshot we’ve all come to know and love?

I’m still puzzling how to work that in there. The header graphic can be expanded, but I’ve got a big head and that would make it huge. I might try sticking something just above the two columns on the right though.

Like I said, a work in progress.

It is preferable to this layout.  Implement as soon as possible, please.

1) While I like that layout, I’ve been finding it easier to read the current boring layout due to it being dark text on a light background.  Any chance of that staying or being an option?

2) Are you running some version of Vista there or just a clever windows theme?

Looking good, black background with white text doesn’t strain the eyes nearly as much as the reverse which gives me headaches with glare. I wonder if I can customise Word to be like that?

Blue and black go well because for some reason it doesn’t seem to glare as much as other combinations with black, I don’t know why that is

Recent comments welcome back More in view too

It would be interesting if the les picture could be interacted with, kind of like “create your own zwinky” only with a more evil theme such as “help les perform surgery on ____” and you get to see the result and be creative with improvised tools from around the home like powerdrills, screwdrivers, bleach.

I agree, dark text on light background is better, but I also prefer that layout over the old one.

I suggest keeping the menu’s on the left like the old theme.

Oh, don’t forget about your ignore feature....

The WIP theme in the picture looks awesome.  I agree with Consi, implement ASAP.

I’m still puzzling how to work that in there. The header graphic can be expanded, but I’ve got a big head and that would make it huge. I might try sticking something just above the two columns on the right though.

I like that idea a lot.

ToThe President of the United States
Reality or disaster is a question this 100% disabled Veteran’s asking?  I saw a VA Psy yesterday.  In less than 30 minutes this Dr. wanted me to try taken a drug to allow me to sleep better and ease my anxiety.  The NH Government takes my freedom for 6 months as a terrorist before dropping the bogus charges.  A judge fines me over 20 thousand with no charges or trial.  NH has my VA medical stopped to get me to stop my free speech about this Madbury NH family that I volunteer help. (there should be a law to prevent any government agency from using a veteran health to stop free speech) I write the governor to ask why and I am put back in jail fined 5 thousand plus expenses.  NH state police enter my home to scare me to stop.  The NH state police scare my wife in public at her work place twice.  My wife now wants a divorce.  NH governor lynch sells me time to talk, takes my money and refuses.  The courts order me to see a court approved Psy.  The Psy report states “the United States would be a better place with more citizens like Mr. Macdonald”.  The NH newspapers and government censor my platform from the public when I ran for state office in 06.  I have no memory of life prior to 74, from a traumatic brain injury that I received just after boot camp.  During the Vietnam conflict I was injured twice more in separate combat support missions, I killed the enemy with a bayonet, I watched men die, I did 8 convoys as American Advisor, I crash landed in a c-117, I came back to a world that I had absolute no memory of.  The Marine Corps dropped me off into a society that I did not belong.
The NH courts and government fail.  The Madbury selectmen use government power to run people that they do not like out of town.  The NH courts and government violate the constitution to shut me up.  I served our country.  I live in constant pain but refuse medication because reality is hard enough for me to understand.  I wish that I had died before coming back to round eyed country.  This VA Dr. is a nice person, but to use medication to make me accept reality is a disaster in NH that I can not live with.  Good kids are becoming veterans with their lives so people that never served can silence this Marine.  My country comes first, my family second and my self last.  I struggled since I woke up in a military hospital with no memory.  I struggled to adjust to learn to live in a society with out killing.  I learned to live with in the law.  I learned the Constitution was here to protect the citizens against government abuse.  I volunteer over 1000hr/yr to ease my guilt for coming back.  I accept the fact that the NH state police may shoot me as the NY police did to the groom they did not like.
When our government would rather drug a veteran before stopping government officials and judges from violating the constitution (drugs to accept reality are not the solution) taken my life would be better.
I thank the Veterans that served in our military.  I thank the veterans whom gave their lives for the United States.  We live in a nation where censorship is illegal just for this reason.  E-mail NH governor and
Peter Macdonald Sgt USMC Semper Fi
465 Packersfalls rd Lee NH 03824
603-659-6217

Move to England
Seriously it’s a peaceful place, why feel patriotic about a country that betrayed you? It’s not as if you’ve joined the taliban

You shouldn’t feel guilty about coming back, just extra pleased that you served at all, similarly don’t feel like you shouldn’t take mediciene when it’s widely available (or at least I assume more in the civie world)

Peter, what the hell does your comment have to do with the topic of this entry? Absolutely nothing, that’s what. I’m half inclined to delete it for being completely out of place.

Looks great, Les.

I really look forward to the old SEB coming back; This version has no personality.

One thing I don’t understand is how people can say dark print on a light background is easier to read. I have to struggle to read the site now and find the old way of light on dark much easier to read.

As it is now I find it necessary to highlight the whole page which makes the background dark and the letters white.

I like the work in progress very much. Thanks for your hard work Les and may it be available soon. It puts the lotion on the skin…

The only thing I really miss is the ‘most recent comment’ links.  It’s nice to be able to follow hot topics without having to subscribe and get hundreds of emails.  Oh- and the random links were always fun.

I’ll be going with the dark background with light text to start, but will probably see if I can’t whip up a reversed version that can be toggled to for those who prefer it.

First I need to finish what I’ve got so far.

I don’t particularly like the links ‘n shit on the right side. It just seems awkward.

@Brock: The current bland theme isn’t a good example of dark on light, as this is really grey text on light background.  That makes it more of a light on light kind of scenario.  However many people find proper dark on light easier to read as it’s more like the books/papers/whatever we’re used to reading offline.

The sidebars being on the right was just something to make it a bit more different than the last theme. I could always put them on the left if more people prefer that.

So we have one vote for putting the sidebar on the left. Any others?

Recent batshit crazy posters that atheists: Don and Peter.  Warms my heart, just warms my heart.  To make my comment on topic, will there be a batshit crazy hall of shame?

Someone mentioned that they thought the sidebars should be on the left so I did a quick modification to the CSS to put them on the left so you guys could check it out. Click here to see this alternate version and then tell me what you think.

I think it looks odd with the menu tabs right above it, but it might look better once I figure out how to wedge a picture in there.

[Update:] I’ve re-uploaded the pic with a graphic above the two columns to give an idea of what that would look like. It’s not necessarily the picture I would use, but I like it.

I vote for RIGHT.

Switch things up a bit give us something new.  That and I tend to use the sidebars very little, so I would rather have it off to the side. 

I guess that sounds weird but I seem to use the left side of the screen more than the right.  Since the Windows start menu is over there and such.  And because of this I focus on the left side of the screen more than the right.

@Brock: The current bland theme isn’t a good example of dark on light, as this is really gray text on light background.  That makes it more of a light on light kind of scenario.

True, Manzabar, but I wasn’t sure if the letters might be black to Les. You never know what another person is perceiving.

To view interesting ways that colors and shades can be perceived differently than they really are, check out the 2nd and 3rd entries on this page.

I like the layout overall, Les. Couple of comments from my perspective; first, the letters all seem really small. I assume you have your desktop set at a higher resolution than the 1024x768 that I keep mine at. How does it look at different sizes? I do like the sidebars on the left, but I could easily adjust to either side. Not so sure about the 2 sidebars being side by side. Have you tried reducing the picture to half size and stacking the sidebars?

Consi: Don and Peter

I have a strange suspicion that they are one and the same person. True, Peter is about ten times more coherent than Don ever was, but the similarities are nonetheless uncanny.

Back to the topic at hand, I eagerly await the arrival of a format other than this one.

KPG, for the screen shots I set my desktop resolution really high so more of the layout would show up. The fonts are only that small if you’re at 1600x1200. It should like fine at 1024x768 and it’s mostly fine at 800x600, though that’s a real tight fit as the sidebars eat up half the screen at that size.

If I’m going to stack the sidebars I may as well eliminate one of them and have just one as I did previously. My thought with two of them was to put more info within reach without having to scroll halfway down the page. Plus it looked different. I can always just make it a single sidebar if that’s what people prefer.

So far that’s three votes for sidebars on the left and one for the sidebars on the right.