Saturday, December 25, 2004 - Merry Christmas! While doing some snooping around on the computer, I found a whole pile of files that should have gotten more attention ages ago. One such filewas submitted to a few print media outlets back in 2002, only to warrant rejection slips being sent back. Sigh.
The file was saved, though, and I've added it to Half Baked as "Commission Revision." I trust you will enjoy.
Wednesday, November 10, 2004 - It's 12:54 A.M., tomorrow is a work day and I just got home. Not only do I have an excuse, but also undisputable and bullet-proof justification for such reckless burning the candle at both ends: Aurora Borealis was blazing away in the northwestern skies tonight. After twenty some odd years of haphazardly trying to catch this natural light show (from Connecticut, no less), tonight was the night of The Gift, and I'm still reeling in the awe of it all.
There's an essay on this event to follow, so check this update page.
Saturday, September 25, 2004 - Added Cold Days - Old Ways to the Half-Baked menu area, or arena. It's a pitiful attempt at poetry and a perfect example of why I avoid that particular form of writing. The piece is a recently unearthed relic from a long-forgotten MicroSoft Word file.
There's also an addition to the Open Letters area: this one to a friend who shall remain anonymous, though certain visitors to this website will figure it out.
Friday, September 24, 2004 - Another Friday, another new QUOTE for the moment. Do I see a pattern developing here? I had better start writing again before this website devolves into a collection of clever quotes of others ...
Friday, September 17, 2004 - Once again, for lack of more ambitious additions or changes, there's a new QUOTE for the moment on the opening page, in case you missed it in your rush to check What's New.
Monday, August 30, 2004 - Finally uploaded the first version of faves. It's a list of links and descriptions of sites I like. Surf's up!
Thursday, August 26, 2004 - Added an Open Letter to John Kerry, which asks a question that nobody else dares to ask.
Monday, August 23, 2004 - After moving A View From The Fringe from Tripod to Charter, switching to Mozilla and redesigning the main page and sub-pages to a new format, I thought all was well with the website. But what I didn't realize was how poorly these changes looked on Microsoft Internet Explorer - that is, until on a whim I checked out the site in an Explorer window. Yikes!
So I toggled into OCD mode. The most logical solution, though not simple, was to bite the bullet and learn a little about CSS; a task I've been putting off for a long time. After a couple of hours of study and a few days of editing HTML in brief windows of opportunity, the main and sub-pages have been done over so as to look the same on current Mozilla, Netscape and Explorer browser platforms.
Hopefully these changes will allow me to concentrate on finishing an essay or two and crank out some new stuff.
I have no idea how these changes affect how the site looks on Mac machines. I should probably care, but I don't. Mac users can send me hate e-mail.
Tuesday, August 3, 2004 - My delivery route duties have been postponed for 24-hours, so I had some time to add two new items to Overheard, Observed, or Otherwise Witnessed. Enjoy! It's quite possible that the essay hinted about yesterday will make it to the website later today, so keep an eye on WHAT'S NEW.
Monday, August 2, 2004 - A brand spanking new essay and additions to Overheard, Observed, or Otherwise Witnessed are in the works. I'm off on a delivery route for the next two days, so there very well be more to report when I return. Please stay tuned!
Friday, July 23, 2004 - For lack of more ambitious additions or changes, there's a new QUOTE for the moment on the opening page, in case you missed it in your rush to check What's New.
Thursday, July 15, 2004 - added two new rants to the Open Letters area. They are addressed to:
Wednesday, July 7, 2004 - Updated Overheard, Observed, or Otherwise Witnessed page.
Tuesday, June 29, 2004 - additions, revisions and updates:
Monday, June 28, 2004 - Updated Overheard, Observed, or Otherwise Witnessed page.
Sunday, June 27, 2004 - Made a minor tweak to the main page.
Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - Added a new page called QUOTES to the main menu. Impetus, you ask? Okay, if you insist ...
After listening to part two of NPR's Terry Gross interviewing Neil Young, something Young said struck a resonant chord deep within my soul. Though printed transcriptions of the program are available, the price of this service, as well as the insanity and anxiety that would precede the delivery thereof, ruled out going that route (I'm frugal and not very patient). So I maniacally started transcribing that particular portion of the interview. I was, as Young so aptly put it, commited to The Muse.
It then occured to me that changing the "QUOTE of the moment" on the site's opening page would affectively flush a perfectly wonderful Joseph Heller quote down the ole digital toilet. That would be unacceptable, so the only reasonable thing to do would be build a new page to collect these quotes. I trust this new page will someday be of use to you and you'll find something you like.
Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - Made some minor tweaks and edits to main and "What is" pages. There are a couple of essay-based tricks up my sleeve, though they need quite a bit more work. Stay "tuned" ...
Saturday, March 20, 2004 - Many moons have passed since I wrote to a radio personality, let alone a famous one. I was just a 10-year old kid back in the early 60s when I apprehensively penned a letter to then King of Hartford radio, Joey Reynolds. Some time later a neighborhood friend excitedly proclaimed she had heard Joey read my letter over the air the previous night - a night that I hadn't been listening. Sigh. So I was left to vicariously bask in this fleeting fame through Debby Vencenzo describing my letter to some curious kids who had overheard her "broadcast."
Today, 40 some odd years later, I was again compelled to write to a radio personality: this time Howard Stern. I've decided to share this correspondence with visitors to this site.You can reach it by the Open Letters menu, which has a brief intro, or go directly to the letter to Howard Stern.
Friday, March 19, 2004 - Check out Overseen, Overheard, or Otherwise Witnessed for sightings of peculiar wording on health facility signage and some thoughts on automatic braking systems in cars. That's about it for now. It occurs to me that I've got far too many irons in the fire.
Saturday, February 21, 2004 - Several pages have been updated utilizing the new design scheme. This page, of course, has been changed, http://www.chriswhitley.com/download/Chris_Whitley_Soft_Dangerous_Shores.ogg along with "What is ...", "Who is ...", "Open Letters", "Essays", and "Radio Matters." You can check these all out from the main menu. I trust you find these easier on the eyes than the old design.
Sunday, February 15, 2004 - I'm not quite sure what came over me. Perhaps it was visiting some sites with ultra-stripped down HTML code that did it. There's a very raw, core beauty to The Basics, especially so in these days of websites obscenely bloated with gratuitous graphical splash. Sometimes less is more, so I trust you've found the site's opening page to your liking. If not, oh well. Either way, you can e-mail me your feelings on the matter.
Thursday, January 29, 2004 - There are three additions to the Radio Matters page. These consist of a few tales from the radio adventures of WA1MBK as an AM Renegade. Thanks to the AM Press/Exchange for making these available, as my hardcopies have long since headed west.
Monday, January 26, 2004 - The standard issue flu vaccine for 2003-2004 doesn't protect against the common cold, which is what I've fallen prey to. There were three killer projects I wanted to work on and publish, though this bug has different plans.
Until I'm back up to speed, those projects are on hold. Two hours up then back to bed for two hours is getting boring fast. Either the bug will pick up and leave or I'll be so fed up with it that I'll just bully myself into acting like I feel well. I'll stop crying now.
Saturday afternoon, January 17, 2004 - Enough is quite enough! 90-95 percent of the files are now moved, so I've edited in the re-direct script to the Tripod home page. If you're reading this, you've either been re-directed or accessed the site by the new address.
If you've been re-directed, you may want to update your "bookmarks" or "favorites" list to reflect the new host of A View From The Fringe
Either way you've arrived here, thanks! And enjoy!
Reports of any broken links that very well may have crept into the site as a result of the move will be greatly appreciated.
Saturday morning, January 17, 2004 - Holy crow! A recent push helped by building up some HTML template files has resulted in 90% of the website's files being edited and published on charter.net! The days of Lycos/Tripod "hosting" A View From The Fringe are coming to a close. If you're as sick of the Lycos/Tripod pop-up hell as I am, this is good news, indeed. Not to worry: the Fringe home page will be reconfigured as a "redirect" page, in case you forget to bookmark the website's new URL.
If you want to check out the "new" website, click here. The pages have ALL been trimmed down as far as HTML code, so they should load quite faster, not to mention be rid of those annoying pop-ups and in-page ads. I'd be interested in hearing what you think. Email addy: alienjeff AT charter DOT net
Oh yes, please e-mail me should you find any broken links or other foul-ups that may have crept into the site as a result of the move. Thanks!