New look and a couple of new pages

Okay, I’ve revamped the site and will probably continue tweaking it for a while.

I also want to call attention to the somewhat updated “Comment Policy,” and the new page called “Damning Evidence,” which is a work in progress. It’s a page of pieces from my archives that are basically research based and not anecdotal as much of my blog is. I have only worked about 1/6 of the way through my posts so it’s got a lot more stuff that will appear on it.

These are both tabs you can find at the top of the page under the header.

Most of the tabs are works in progress that I add to as I the blog grows so that not all is lost in the archives. That being said a large amount does still get lost in the archives and if you’re ever real bored browsing through old stuff might come up with some good stuff.

I’ve also added a submissions policy for anyone who would like to contribute to the blog.

Also the Social Network is now being advertised up there as well.

39 thoughts on “New look and a couple of new pages”

  3. guys,
    I appreciate your both going to all this trouble and I’ll remember this thread is here, but I totally can’t deal with it right now…

    my brain is soooo fried…if and when I need the info I’ll get my husband to look at all you’ve both said…

    for now I’m not making any of these changes….

    and if I do at some point besides getting minor pointers from Daniel, I will be doing it myself and may want your opinions at that time.
    thanks.

  4. Andy,

    Maybe we are getting terms confused here – she is not talking about moving the site (as in to a new service) – rather just adding a domain pointer.

    If her domain is added to wordpress.com, and is sets as primary, she still will not lose the search engine ranking of the other addresses because the other address will still be active.

    V

  5. Van, yes I see in that situation, it would completely eliminate this existing address. As I said, for Gianna not to lose traffic, this address would have to stay intact.

    If that’s her intention, to just MOVE this site, then yes, all incoming links and what’s indexed in search engines would be destroyed.

    It’s possible, because it’s all done through the wordpress dashboard, that redirects would be automatic. I mean, it wouldn’t be very difficult for the developers to write an .htaccess file (or use some other method) on the fly during a move, since every page is going to the same address. But whether or not they’ve actually done it is another story.

    And the only reason i suggest the possibility is that when I’ve made pages on my wordpress site, then deleted them a month later, recreating them as regular posts, the redirect was automagic. I was pleasantly surprised. It was pretty intuitive really. For instance, I had a page mentaldimensions.wordpress.com/mount-solation but created a post for it, so the URL is now mentaldimensions.wordpress.com/2005/05/31/mount-solation/

    Just now I tried the short version, the latter, and it redirected to the former. I didn’t have to do anything.

    Anyways, it might be worth checking with wp customer service to see if redirects are automagically created during a move.

    Another option, not quite as much fun, is set up a redirect at your domain to point to this blog. Then you can give out the link to beyondmeds.com and it will always lead here. Not much point to that but for word-of-mouth convenience though.

    But I see the domain is hosted on wordpress servers. I hope that comes with REAL access, through ftp, otherwise one doesn’t have much control over her domain or its management.

    Once registered, you can switch hosting at any time, in case you didn’t know that, Gianna.

    Instead of moving it, you could set up a URL frame, if you can manage your domain properly, you could set that up without affecting this one at all.

    With URL Frame, after you type in your domain name the page resolves to the destination web page but your domain name stays in the browser. This can give you added branding perception for your domain name.

  6. Andy, while you are right – in theory -it will play with her internal linking in this case as she is simply talking about using the domain feature on wordpress.com, not switching services and recreating the structure. If one uses that service, wordpress.com automatically addresses that for you.

    So, if the original domain was http://bipolarblast.wordpress.com/2009/03/24/new-look-and-a-couple-of-new-pages/ but one adds a domain, the both http://bipolarblast.wordpress.com/2009/03/24/new-look-and-a-couple-of-new-pages/ and mydomain.com/2009/03/24/new-look-and-a-couple-of-new-pages/ are active and automatically point to the same source.

    wordpress.com simply uses mydomain as the primary naming system.

  7. I’m using Firefox 3.07 for Linux, and when I first came to your site after the new design, it goes off to the right, so I needed to scroll to the right using the horizontal scroll bar at the bottom.

    But hitting twice decreases the font size so it all appears, taking away the horizontal scroll bar. But most of the text is too small to read comfortably. I would have to expand it again. I can live with it, as long as no one else has the same problem.

    I can email you a couple screen shots if you ask. Many of the links on right are normal size. But the post text, and comment text is too small, and other stuff, like the text below the COPYRIGHT heading, and the text below the award graphics.

    1. ah…you Linux, folk…there aren’t too many of you…but you are hard-core aren’t you??

      no one else has reported problems, so I’m gonna have to ask you to deal!!

      sorry. and sorry to all you Linux people…my cousin who I deeply love is one of you!

  8. Love the new look, and also the video in the more recent post. I’ve been looking at new templates myself, but haven’t taken the action steps yet. Now I’m inspired! Thrilled that you’ll be starting your new Work on April 1; your new employer is very wise and very fortunate. How many different ways can I say that your dedication and breadth of insight, experience, and information are truly astounding! It’s awesome that you’re getting the attention (and financial renumeration!) that you so richly deserve. Every day, you help people to change their lives for the better. Don’t ever forget it…

  9. Marian,
    I started with blogger and switched to wordpress…you can export your blogger blog onto wordpress…and then take all the time in the world figuring it out while continuing to publish on blogger.

    that’s what I did…I took about a month to learn wordpress…it is harder, but it’s just a learning curve…and there is so much more you can do with the wordpress blog…

    there are also some cons…you can’t use javascript for example…you may not know what that is, but it’s possible you’re using it on blogger and don’t even know it and when you switch to wordpress you discover there are certain things you can’t do…and it’s a bummer…

    but overall, I’m much happier with wordpress.

  10. NICE! This could make me want to change to wordpress. But I’ve heard a lot about that the html-stuff is somewhat more complicated in wordpress than in blogspot. And I don’t even now, what people actually mean by that, when they talk about it. Sooo, I guess, I stay away from wordpress, at least until I’ve figured…

    Arianna: if you have the chance, don’t start after a three-months-pause and get on a horse once a week or so for an entire hour at the time. It’s murderous for anyone above 25. Start with ten minutes, and increase the “dosage” slowly, day by day.

  12. I didn’t have a chance to hit the office today, was under the weather.

    I’ll send you an email tomorrow morning about the domain. I have a few questions / thoughts.

  13. Gianna,

    I’m ENFJ, but have a tendency to be INFJ as well (kinda on the cusp).
    My wife is INFP – so we’re not too far apart – both intuitive, and both feelers….

    I love the Myers Briggs – When I had my own rehab consultant business, I used to give the test to each person I worked with – It was so helpful for them – to understand themselves, and how they related to their spouses, people they worked with….

    It’s so non-threatening – no right or wrong way to be….Just helping understand who we are.

    Duane

  14. Yes, we did it as a workshop for a workplace. Very helpful. If you surround yourself with INTPs, by selecting a career in science, you will get along fine – 95% of the scientific staff was INTP. But then, you can never quite figure out why it doesn’t work out with other people. In essence, INTP and I believe INFP, also, are 3% of the general population, and, so, Aha! *I* am the oddball and therefore I am the one who has to make the effort! Yes, great insights for me, too!

    Best,
    Ari

  15. my husband is ISTJ…talk about totally opposite! and I’m very far on the feeling scale…

    I’m not far into the introverted scale though and my husband is…anyway…we’ve ventured way off topic here!!

    I love Myers Briggs…found it incredibly helpful!

  16. Hey, Gianna,

    Yup. Thinker. My husband and I are total opposites except for the T. Then it also depends upon how far you are into any one aspect, for example, I scored pretty close to a F, but only a few questions pushed me into T. When I think about things up front, it’s almost always thinking. When I give things broader consideration, that’s where the F part comes in, for me.

    INTP – usual occupation – scientists, lawyers. Example – Albert Einstein.

    INFP (as I recall) – idealists – Example: Martin Luther King Jr., JFK, Gandhi

    My science supervisor was an INFP, and so is my current lifecoach. Scientists look so down on INFP, he asked me to keep that information private but he was a great scientist – very sharp, very smart! I do not look down on INFP, because I am only a bit off of the INFP, and only a few questions.

    And indeedy, though I know like all people, Albert Einstein had some personal failings, but is possibly #1 for me as far as people who I admire.

    Best,
    Ari

  17. Ari,
    we’re actually similar in most of the Myer’s Briggs…I’m INFP…we differ only on the F/T spectrum…but I imagine it is the “thinking” part of you that makes you a scientist!! The “feeling” part of me that makes me a people person and someone who has always worked in the helping professions…

  18. thanks everyone,
    Susan,
    I’ll look forward to your comments…
    Ari,
    try magnesium for the muscle stuff…mag citrate for starters…if that causes loose stools then you can try mag glycinate…

    sorry, no data on this off the top of my head…but I use a lot of mag and do have a ton of anecdotal stories on the mag helping a whole lot…

    also, while I do have some scientific articles documenting some of this stuff, it’s really not the focus of the blog simply because I don’t have a scientific mind, but I do have some stuff…and I will continue to add to it.

    1. Hi, Gianna,

      I had my first riding lesson in 3 months. I believe that I am going to die! I wonder what I’m doing there sometime, when a gaggle of young girls walks in for lessons after me, average age of 12 whe I can hardly walk! LOL. But, there are older ladies there, a few at 60, even.

      Am taking some magnesium already but not citrate or glycinate. Willing to try anything at this point! At this point, even though I know the dangers, occasionally take a celebrex! So, we’re talking desperate, here! You know, when I quit exercising and especially riding, I feel a lot better, and no muscle pain! I’m bringing this on myself. Will be 47 on Friday, oh, tomorrow. Sigh. . . .

      You don’t have a scientific mind! Good for you! A scientific mind is a paranoid mind! LOL. Also having Meyer’s Brigg INTP, very interesting. Apparently we drive everyone who is not an INTP nuts, due to the level of detail we like to think at.

      Best,
      Ari

  19. Go, Gianna, Go!

    Greatly appreciated by former scientists! Anecdotal evidence is great, but when I see actual scientific documents, it really gets my interest!

    I particularly love any clinical studies related to alternative modalities and anything related to fMRI.

    For example, my pdoct told me that lack of vitamin D can cause muscle soreness. She said that you have to take 800mgs. So, I increased my vitamin D. But I have never actually seen a study related to this, nor did I find much of a difference in the soreness of my muscles. Come to think of it, I don’t notice much difference between the time that I don’t take massive doses of fish oil (like part of our recovery from the tornado) and later, when I started taking fish oil again (about 3 months ago).

    I’d love to see the data!

    Best,
    Ari

  20. Gianna,
    The new format looks really nice. I need to spend more time looking at your new sections and reading some of the material you’ve updated, but it’s 2:30 a.m., and I’m pooped. I’m learning Photo Elements, and it’s a big learning curve for me. Anyway, just want to say, “I like it.”

    I tried reading your two newest posts, both of which look very interesting. Unfortunately, all my brain cells aren’t working tonight and I need some more smarts before I comment. But I’ll be back tomorrow.

    Susan

  21. oops,
    didn’t see your 2nd comment – so a dandellion it is.

    so the mystery is over – oh well, we have plenty of other mysteries to talk about – on your blog, and on your network!

    duane

  22. Yeah,

    I think you’re right…It must be some kind of similar plant – but not a dandellion….

    Was a forestry major many moons ago, and studied botany along the way as well….but, it’s been a while – not sure what it is, but it is a very nice photo.

    Maybe it’s best left a mystery – like so much of what we discuss on this site….more questions than answers many times….especially in matters of the spirit.

    Duane

    Duane

  23. Gianna,

    It may be a dandellion….mmm…

    Our youngest, Brian picked up a dandellion when he was five, blew on it and made a wish….

    “What’d you wish for?” I asked him.
    “A baby brother,” he said.

    When we got back home, he told his mom….and she and I laughed….(We had decided one was enough)…..

    As fate would have it, his “wish” came true.

    Duane

  24. thanks Van…my husband is concerned it mighty mess up my internal links?? I don’t know what to do…

    I really really want to lose the bipolarblast…

    it’s truly a remnant from a different era.

    1. Yeah, it would mess up your internal links. FROM your own domain you can direct individual pages to a new URL (using an .htaccess file), but there’s no such option with wordpress. The best you could do is make your new domain prominent on your blog, embed an RSS feed from your new domain onto this blog. Actually that wouldn’t be too bad. You’d keep your page rank, and any visitors who are truly interested will click to go to your domain and any new posts that display through the RSS feed. Regulars would bookmark your new domain. You wouldn’t really lose any traffic as long as you kept this site as it is, which I’m sure you planned to do anyway.

      1. I have no clue what the heck you’re talking about Andy!! Perhaps another day when I can think more clearly??

        I’m actually taking a taper break as I have visitors of all sorts coming the first three weeks of April…

        Hoping I’ll feel better as a result…want to enjoy my company.

        Friends from all over the country are visiting! I hope I can handle it!

        1. Yup, just ask me when you’re ready. And maybe next time I can slow down when I write and I’ll type in human-speak.

          But maybe it’d be a good idea to keep a copy of what I wrote to get your husband’s opinion.

  25. Ok,

    I’ve tried the site with Chrome/Firefox/IE on Vista and XP, no problems that I’ve been able to see. The browser versions were the latest. I will see if I can track down older versions of the browser tomorrow.

    I was wondering what happened with the domain name. If you still need, I’m here!

  27. thanks for the comments on the new look…I’m actually quite pleased with it myself!!

    Duane,
    I don’t actually know what the picture is…the first version had a picture I’d chosen from Jushua Tree—a park in the California desert where I had one of my most memorable camping trips of my life…

    but I wasn’t totally happy with it and so Daniel picked a few more photos I might like and this was one of them…I don’t know where he got it…it looks like something like dandelions though but not actually dandelions, but something of the same variety of plant part used to spread seeds in the wind, no?

  30. Got in late last night – exhausted from a long trip.
    Opened your site to read a bit (like I often do)…

    What?
    Thought I had opened the wrong blog, and almost logged off.

    I like this new look!
    I really like it!!!

    It’s easy to read, and the layout is really nice.

    What’s the blog header photo?

    Duane

  31. I’ve seen it in Safari and Firefox on a Mac…would love to get feedback about PC’s…thanks!!

    and I may bite the bullet now and lose my ranking all over the place and finally change the URL to beyondmeds.com!!

    1. Your CSS validates
      http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/validator?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarblast.wordpress.com%2F&profile=none&usermedium=all&warning=1&lang=en

      But not your html (76 errors). http://validator.w3.org/check?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fbipolarblast.wordpress.com%2F&charset=(detect+automatically)&doctype=Inline&group=0

      These validation tools are at W3C QA Toolbox

      Don’t panic over it; my site has 9 errors, and I’d wager most sites on the Internet don’t validate 100% either.

  32. I like the look, very nice. I’ll take a look at it in IE and Firefox (just to version check) for you tomorrow when I get to the office. I doubt there are any issues, but just to make sure.

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