Photos
Toronto photos 2
Oct 25, 2019Years ago my wife and I were in Vegas and had a chance to see Elton John… and missed it. This year, when I realized he was playing in Toronto on the night of our 20th anniversary, I bought tickets as a surprise birthday gift and we planned a short trip around the concert.
We arrived in the late afternoon earlier this week, took the airport train to Union Station and the subway to our hotel, then went down to Polson Pier to catch the sunset. We had dinner and explored the Distillery District before checking out Jurassic Park for the Raptors game — too late, they had already closed it off — and settling for beers at the sports bar next door to watch the end of the game.
The next day we did a bike tour of the city. On the way to meet the guide, we wandered down a street to look at the trees and a woman said hi as she walked by. Realizing we were tourists, she stopped and told us that she had been friends with Jane Jacobs, who lived just a block away. There’s a sign outside her old house.
The bike tour was a great way to see a bunch of Toronto. Murals, CN Tower, trains at Roundhouse Park, sculptures at Ireland Park, the university, and several neighborhoods. We stopped for hot chocolate and then back on our own visited a couple libraries including the Sherlock Holmes room at the Toronto Reference Library.
Dinner in Little India and then the streetcar back for the concert. We loved it. Even with just a couple days we really got a lot out of visiting the city. Looking forward to coming back one day.
This is one of the most unique Airbnbs I’ve stayed at. Also beautiful inside. Near Round Top, Texas.
Testing
Mar 20, 2019An excellent improvement to Micro.blog was announced last month. The addition of custom templates via the implementation of the Hugo framework makes hosted blogs endlessly customizable.1 The easiest way to get started is to clone an existing theme from an account’s design page and use the existing structure to change just about every detail of a hosted blog. It’s really quite remarkable how much control @manton has added by switching the build engine to Hugo.
Hugo Templates
I’ve been reading through the Hugo docs in my spare time this last month and I’ve made a few notes along the way which I thought I would share. First, here’s a list of the template file names used by the average Hugo theme:
static/css or static/assets/css: the folder where the CSS file for a theme will be found. This is where most (if not all) customizations are made.
layouts/list.archivehtml.html: the page to make adjustments to the blog archive.
layouts/_default/baseof.html: provides the main structure of every page served by a blog.
layouts/post/single.html: provides the layout for every post.
layouts/_default/single.html: provides a backup layout to load when layouts/post/single.html fails or doesn’t apply.
layouts/post/summary.html: provides the layout for the individual posts listed on a blog’s front page.
layouts/index.html: provides the pagination structure of the front page.
layouts/_default/list.html: builds the front page of a blog based on an index of the individual posts’ summaries.
Get to Theming
It’s not hard to clone an existing theme and personalize just about every aspect of it. In the account page, Navigate to Posts then Design and Edit Custom Themes. From there clicking on New Theme will prompt you for a URL of a Hugo Github repo to clone. Micro.blog themes can be found here. If you want to be more adventurous you can clone any Hugo theme and follow the instructions from this video by Manton.
From here it’s just a matter of digging into the CSS file to make your blog look any way you like. I used the Arabica because it’s very simple and I really like the pop up footnotes2 which are implemented through Javascript that’s beyond my knowledge but I don’t need to know because it’s built into the theme.
Basic changes to CSS can make a big difference in the overall look of any site. Start with text adjustments like font, colors, size. You can chose a Google font, copy one line of code to your partials/head.html file. The Google fonts site walks you through the process but the link looks something like this <link href=\"[fonts.googleapis.com/css](https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=FONT+NAME)\" rel=\"stylesheet\">. Once you put the link into your head file, set the font for the body tag or headings in your CSS file. In Arabica a Google font is already loaded so all you have to do is change the name of the font linked and change the CSS file accordingly.
Next you can make the font color lighter for ease of reading or pick something colorful just so you can remake a late 90’s Geocities look. Change the sizes of the Headings (h1, h2... h6 tags) to your liking. Or change the style of your header to make it smaller and left aligned. Here are some CSS selectors in Arabica to get you started:
.blog-title: class for the main title of your blog. Mine is uncrtn blog.
.blog-description: class for the link to your Micro.blog timeline.
.nav: class for pages linked in the header.
.post: class for the body of a post.
.site-footer: class to edit your blog footer.
Some Marfa Additions
Lastly, as part of my ongoing theme edit I copied some stuff over from the Marfa theme into my Arabica based theme.
Search Field
For a Marfa-style DuckDuckGo search insert this code into the CSS file:
#search input.field {
width: 600px;
height: 2rem;
font-size: 0.777rem;
font-weight: 300;
padding-left: 1rem;
border: 1px solid #eee;
margin: 1rem auto;
border-radius: 9px;
-webkit-appearance: none;
}
And add this to the layouts/partials/footer.html file:
<form method=\"get\" id=\"search\" action=\"[duckduckgo.com](https://duckduckgo.com/)\">
<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"sites\" value=\"%20%22/%22%20%7C%20absURL%20\"/>
<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"k8\" value=\"#444444\"/>
<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"k9\" value=\"#ee4792\"/>
<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"kt\" value=\"h\"/>
<input class=\"field\" type=\"text\" name=\"q\" maxlength=\"255\" placeholder=\"Search…\"/>
<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Search\" style=\"display: none;\" />
</form>
Micro.blog timeline link
For a Marfa like avatar and timeline link at the bottom of your posts add this to your CSS file:
#post-meta {
font-size: 13px;
font-weight: bold;
line-height: 1.5;
border-top: 1px solid #eee;
padding-top: 40px;
padding-bottom: 40px;
margin-top: 60px;
border-bottom: 1px solid #eee;
display: block;
}
#post-meta div span {
color: #212121;
font-weight: 500;
display: block;
}
#post-meta a {
color: #000;
}
#post-meta img.avatar {
height: 36px;
width: 36px;
float: left;
margin-right: 15px;
margin-top: 0;
border-radius: 50%;
}
Then add this to your /layouts/post/single.html file:
<section id=\"post-meta\" class=\"clearfix\">
<a href=\"/\">
<img class=\"u-photo avatar\" src=\"%20.Site.Author.avatar%20\">
<div>
<span class=\"p-author h-card dark\">%20.Site.Author.name%20</span>
<span><a href=\"[micro.blog/%20.Site....](https://micro.blog/%20.Site.Author.username%20)\">@%20.Site.Author.username%20</a></span>
</div>
</a>
</section>
Anyway, those are just some of the changes I’ve made so far. As always, feel free to correct me if I’ve done some thing wrong and if you have any questions be sure to ask.
First time at Capital Factory?
Feb 22, 2019First time at Capital Factory? Look for these doors tomorrow inside the building lobby. You can still register for IndieWebCamp here. $5 or free when you blog about the event!
Why attend IndieWebCamp
Feb 21, 2019This weekend is IndieWebCamp Austin, an event for bloggers, web developers, designers, and anyone who wants to create something for their own web site, or to build tools based on IndieWeb standards. You can register here. After my first IndieWebCamp, I wrote:
There’s nothing like meeting in person with other members of the community. I know this from attending Apple developer conferences, but the weekend in Austin only underscored that I should be more active in the larger web community as well.
It’s invaluable to chat with someone in person. This year, we’ll have IndieWeb co-founders Tantek Çelik and Aaron Parecki back in Austin. I’m looking forward to hearing how the IndieWeb has moved forward in the last year.
The first day of IndieWebCamp is for introductions and sessions. Topics for sessions are based on what attendees want to hear about, so the planning is done with sticky notes that can be rearranged to find a schedule that works for everyone. This is a photo I took from IndieWebCamp in 2017.
I look at IndieWebCamp as a way to take a break from the day-to-day routine and get inspired again — to improve my own web site or discover a new part of Micro.blog to work on. As I was talking about with Daniel on the latest Core Intuition, because the 2nd day of IndieWebCamp is a hack day, it’s also a great environment to work on something you’ve had trouble finishing… or starting! There are other people around to help answer questions, and a nice block of time to focus on one thing.
If you’re in the Austin area, hope to see you there on Saturday! You can learn more here.
Started the day with JuiceLand. Love these silly prints on the wall.
Feb 20, 2019Started the day with JuiceLand. Love these silly prints on the wall.
Got to see a few things in Fort Worth with family over the weekend.
Feb 19, 2019Got to see a few things in Fort Worth with family over the weekend. Great to have some time to explore instead of just driving through.
Username auto-complete and Dark Mode for Mojave
Jan 21, 2019We released another major update to Micro.blog for macOS today: version 1.5. Here are the changes:
- Added support for Dark Mode on macOS Mojave.
- Added username auto-complete when composing a new post.
- Fixed crash when posting photos without accessibility text.
- Fixed crash if a photo could not be opened in a new window.
- Fixed incorrect width/height when posting photos to an external blog.
You can choose “Check for Updates” in the app or download the latest version here.
We’ve been playing Catan this weekend.
Jan 6, 2019We’ve been playing Catan this weekend. I love the design and how balanced the game feels. Nice way to spend some time as the holiday break winds down for the kids.
Walked by this abandoned toy store the other night.
Dec 31, 2018Walked by this abandoned toy store the other night. I guess they keep the lights on long after the place is empty and the letters removed.
Zilker tree. Another fun year at the Trail of Lights. 🎄
Dec 24, 2018Zilker tree. Another fun year at the Trail of Lights. 🎄
Icro 1.2
Dec 11, 2018Icro is a beautiful third-party iPhone app for Micro.blog. Version 1.2 just shipped this week with new icons and other improvements. Here are a couple of screenshots from the updated Discover tab:
You can download Icro from the App Store.
Portland Trip
Sep 2, 20182018-06-25
Walking through the park.
2018-06-26
Morning keynote at IndieWeb Summit and then meetup after the first day.
2018-06-28
My Airbnb was perfect. One block away was a great coffee shop. Also a shot here over the bridge.
From the loop around Lake Charles, Louisiana on the drive home.
Jun 24, 2018From the loop around Lake Charles, Louisiana on the drive home.
Road trip today. Crossing over some train tracks out in the country.
Jun 22, 2018Road trip today. Crossing over some train tracks out in the country.
On campus this morning. Texas Memorial Museum poking up through the trees.
Jun 16, 2018On campus this morning. Texas Memorial Museum poking up through the trees.
WWDC 2018 wrap-up
Jun 14, 2018I realized after flying back home that this was likely my 20th trip out to San Jose and San Francisco for WWDC. I certainly loved the early years, as well as the height of WWDC in San Francisco as the community was growing, but I’ve found the no-stress compromise of the last few years without a conference ticket to be some of the most enjoyable and productive.
This year I arrived Saturday before lunch. Jean MacDonald and I used this extra day for Micro.blog planning, and to walk around the conference area looking for a good spot for the meetup. In the evening, a bunch of us met up at Santa Clara Valley Brewing.
Sunday morning I was up early, got some coffee and breakfast while working at Voltaire Coffee House, then drove up to San Francisco. I had rented a car for what has become a pre-WWDC tradition for me the last several years: having lunch out at the Presidio in San Francisco and catching the latest exhibit at the Walt Disney Family Museum. I picked up Jon Hays at SFO along the way, and we also stopped for the view from Twin Peaks on the way back.
It was great to catch up with people at sjMacIndie on Sunday night. Jon and I left a little early to watch the second half of game 2 of the NBA finals from a bar around the corner. I wore my Tim Duncan t-shirt.
Monday morning was keynote watching at AltConf. While I was initially underwhelmed by the keynote, the announcements have been growing on me throughout the week. Apple’s strategy with Siri still isn’t what I’d like to see, but it’s significant progress. We go into this more on the latest Core Intuition. Overall a pretty good conference. I’ll be watching the Mac App Store improvements too.
Hopefully by next year I’ll remember that finding a place downtown for dinner late at night requires a little planning. Nevertheless, had a great time talking with friends and meeting new folks over dinner or drinks for the nights I was in San Jose. This year even featured a random trip to In-N-Out for burgers.
I really enjoyed both the live recordings I went to: Accidental Tech Podcast and The Talk Show. Unfortunately I had to leave Wednesday so missed the Relay show. I have a bunch of podcasts to catch up on.
The highlight of my week was the 2nd annual Micro.blog WWDC meetup. It means a lot to see the support from the community. Micro.blog continues to get better every day, and I’m looking forward to meeting even more users next year. Thanks again to everyone joined us at the meetup, and to Jeff Watkins for the group photo!
Back online after taking some time off to camp at Colorado Bend State Park last night.
Jun 13, 2018Back online after taking some time off to camp at Colorado Bend State Park last night. Great hike down to the waterfall this morning.
Micro.blog meetup details for tomorrow
Jun 4, 2018The 2nd annual WWDC Micro.blog meetup will be Tuesday at 12:30pm outside Grace Deli & Cafe. If you’re attending WWDC this week, grab a to-go box lunch and meet us there, or you can get a sandwich or wrap first from the cafe.
It’s less than a block from the convention center: 303 Almaden Blvd. View the location in Google Maps or Apple Maps.
If you were at the 1st meetup last year, it’s just on the front side of the building from where we met last year. We’ll have some more Micro.blog stickers and would love to show off the new beta version of Sunlit or talk to anyone who is currently using Micro.blog or interested in learning more about indie microblogging.
Hope to see you there! Thanks for all your support.
Glen Keane drawings at the Walt Disney Family Museum.
Jun 3, 2018Glen Keane drawings at the Walt Disney Family Museum.
Cold brew and a breakfast bagel at Voltaire Coffee House.
Jun 3, 2018Cold brew and a breakfast bagel at Voltaire Coffee House.
