Well, in Firefox, Windows XP it rocks. Looks good in IE as well.

832 comments. Wow!

Nice update. How does Abbye feel about being upstaged by the squirrel?

OK, Jim, you get to stay on the blogroll. ;-) Thanks for the feedback regarding the other browsers. I was guessing the layout would render fine; there's nothing to it but some standards-grade HTML and CSS, with a dash Javascript thrown in for good measure.

Thanks Rob. And I'm trying to keep Abbye away from the internet; what she doesn't know won't hurt her.

Here I go, jeopardizing my place on the blogroll, but the teal....oooh, the teal! My eyes. (Well,that and I can just barely read the lime green writing on the teal. So far I know I'm not color blind.)

I really like the squirrel, tho. (And that picture of Abbye - cause I think that's actually the same upholstery as is on my mom's couch, which I really like as well.)

Otherwise I really like it.

Nah, I'll cut you some slack on the colors. That a highly subjective thing. Plus, I'm certainly not a graphics design expert (and I AM a bit colorblind, myself). The saving grace is that most people won't even notice the header after about the second visit...and if it's so bad they don't want to come back after the first one, we probably wouldn't have gotten along anyway. ;-)

Love the squirrel! Also love the font that you are using for the headings in the side bar (ie random Abbye pics). What is it?

I have to say that I am not a huge fan of the teal either but on the other hand, it fits in well with the squirrel.

All in all, a good design!

Love the header...but didn't realize how much a fire ant looks like a squirrel skeleton, until now. ;-)

At great personal peril, I would like to see you retain the current color scheme of black and khaki (or maybe dark gray and khaki)...honestly, just the other day I was just thinking about how it is subtle but sophisticated. The teal is just too...trite? I like the graphite colored graph paper of the background though. Maybe if you just tone down the teal? Maybe lavender. ;-)

It all looks good in IE. I like the handwriting fonts too.

It looks good Eric. Being an old hunter, the background for the squirrel would look most natural to me if it were actually leaves and sky blue but it's all up to you. The important item is the CONTENT. Perhaps you could put a button somewhere near the text adjustment buttons (which is very cool by the way) we older folk appreciate the thoughtfulness of that inclusion. That will allow us to switch quickly to English and that way, your need for Latin will be quenched also.

The display is very good in Firefox or IE6. I use Firefox most of the time. We would still read your Blog if it was produced in stone with a chisel.

Looks good, although I don't care for the teal either. The squirrel is a neat touch.

I was going to add an 833rd comment but it wouldn't let me. ;)

I'll chime back again and ditto the "like the fonts" comments - I had meant to mention that - esp. the sidebar fonts (handwriting-esque).

You're a brave, brave man for soliciting opinions. I intend fully to change my design and then just let people deal with it. ;)

OK, let me see if I understand what you guys are telling me: you'd like the teal much better if it was a different color. ;-)

Only an idiot or a jerk solicits feedback from those he respects and then proceeds to ignore it, and even though I can be both more often than I care to admit, you've given me cause to reconsider the color scheme. Stay tuned!

Oh, the font is called "Lefty Casual," and it's intended to replicate left-handed cursive, appropriate since I, myself, am of the lefty persuasion when it comes to handwriting.

Stephen, I had to draw the line somewhere. 833 comments is simply too much, you know?

Clarence, I'm glad you like the text-switcher buttons. One thing I've used my blog for is to experiment with technology before trying it out on my clients' sites. I've got a need for this style switcher script on a couple of websites that need special accessibility features, and the Gazette redesign seems like the perfect way to try it out before putting it on someone else's site.

It also may provide the answer to the color scheme issue. ;-)

I like the font for the headings. I like the squirrel. Love Abbye (like who wouldn't?). I like the reading options, too. Good move.

I suckered into trying to look at the comments, too.

Then I laughed. Ya got me with that one!

I don't see any teal. Did you already change it, Eric? I see sort of a lavender blue color for the highlighted text and a limey green color in the handwriting font on the right-hand side. Am I color blind?

Nancy, you're not going crazy...or color-blind! I updated the layout last night to make the teal option #3 in the "change skin" menu near the top of the page. I just didn't take the time to announce the change.

Ok, like the tan. Like the dark purply-blackish-blueish color (indigo? is that the word I'm looking for?) And did you darken up the teal? Cause, um, well...it's not so bad either. (Maybe it's the flourescent lights in my office sucking out my brain that makes it look better if you didn't change it.)

And how fun to be able to switch to the one we like best. That's service, I tell ya!

As a blog officianado I will have to warn you that your audience will shift (and probably diminish) if you continue to post in Latin.

Ah, there is something very soothing about the black and tan, but I also like the teal better now...did you darken it a little?

It looks great!

Eh, I like a good black and tan now and then. But I dug the teal. Now I miss it.

I'll still read your blog though, even if you did cave.

The Latin is very readable.
:-)

OK, you tealish fence-sitters...you're either messin' with my mind, or -- and I suspect this is more likely -- you're now looking at the layout on your OFFICE computer's monitor and -- voila! -- you now understand the main reason I don't usually obsess too much over colors. You just never know how a given color is going to look on a given monitor.

Because, the fact is, the teal layout is EXACTLY the same as before. I didn't touch it...I just moved it to option #3 in the skins menu (which, Jim, you apparently didn't notice).

OK, carry on.

Uh, I just realized that I fibbed the teensiest bit above when I said I hadn't changed the teal layout. I just noticed that the grid background is no more, replaced instead with a solid dark gray color. I'm sure this contributed to a different perception of the teal. Interesting.

Okay, that's better. I still think you caved by relegating it to option 3.

3?

3!!

:-P

You can call me MISTER Spelunker! (You talk a brave game, but I don't see you defying Gwynne and Beth too much.)

True dat...different monitor. Figures my office monitor would subdue everything. I'm surprised it doesn't present everything in tonal grays. I liked the gray grid though.

Frankly, I didn't mean to drop the grid, and I didn't even know it was gone until, um, 3:32 p.m. today. I'll put it back up as soon as I can devote the time to it.

Mr. Spelunker,

As you are no doubt aware, I know better than to defy a woman.

Sincerely,

Mr. B. Game