Playing – and Song for a Sunday

After four and a half years, it felt like time for a little face-lift.   I have made myself a Blog Header for the first time! I hope you like it – the pictures I chose felt appropriate, and the paper-background is actually from a page of A Fairy Leapt Upon My Knee – the copy I own signed by David Garnett!   That’s the same paper that forms my new background.  I have waved goodbye to my dots… for now, at least.

(Comment facilities back to normal, after all that kerfuffle, so I hope it works.  Or works as well as anyone else suffering the vagaries of Blogger, that is!  As always, if you have problems, let me know…)

Enough of that – let’s have a song, shall we?  To be honest, I’m running out of unusual artists to feature… so you might well have come across Aimee Mann before, but ‘Wise Up’ is too beautiful a song to ignore.  Over to you, Aimee:

All previous Sunday Songs here.

28 thoughts on “Playing – and Song for a Sunday

  • November 27, 2011 at 1:14 am
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    Looks Great, Simon!! Love it – and didn't really care for the dots anyway. But, I do love the new format – especially the header (photos).

    2nd try! Using my usual google ID & 2nd attempt (to get a word verification), I then got this mssg.:

    "We're sorry, but we were unable to complete your request.
    The following errors were found:
    Input error: Memcache value is null for FormRestoration "

    But, I will try again with open ID or Name/url – though I don't have a url, I have used that one before.

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  • November 27, 2011 at 1:15 am
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    Thanks Nancy! I wonder what that Memcache value thing could mean… I hope it's not to do with new layout…

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  • November 27, 2011 at 2:59 am
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    Hello Simon,
    Very much like your new look – fresh, clear, a good header!

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  • November 27, 2011 at 9:06 am
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    Checkout the amazing Bellatrix and the Boxettes. You won't believe the "lip bass" she can produce! On MCS post yesterday.

    I like the look too but, as you know, we come for the content more than the wrapping!

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  • November 27, 2011 at 9:36 am
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    I love the new look – all of it! Very clean and less distracting than the dots. Haven't heard Aimee Mann for ages, great song.

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  • November 27, 2011 at 11:06 am
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    I do really like the new look, very fresh faced and the header is spot on, very you.

    This is back to the old comments which still takes a couple of goes but at least I can still see what other people have said. So thats a bonus.

    I used to be on blogger but switched because anyone who wasn't on blogger seemed to be having a nightmare commenting, yet of course the reason is blogger want everyone to join blogger and have accounts.

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  • November 27, 2011 at 11:52 am
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    I agree, the new look is lovely, well done Simon!

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  • November 27, 2011 at 12:32 pm
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    Great new look Simon!! I love the header. Nice and fresh and clean without being flashy!

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  • November 27, 2011 at 1:56 pm
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    Oh, very smart. Especially the header which I would have know as you even without the words Stuck in a Book! I like it very much.

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  • November 27, 2011 at 2:07 pm
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    I like the new look and am especially glad you kept the sketch of your own handsome self. Aimee Mann is a long time favorite. Have you seen the film Magnolia? The writer/director wrote it around her music.

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  • November 27, 2011 at 3:23 pm
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    I love the new header, Simon! I'm bored with mine and considering a new theme for the new year. I'm artistically challenged but you've inspired me and given me hope!

    Enjoy what remains of your Sunday…

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  • November 27, 2011 at 4:12 pm
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    I love the new header, Simon. And the new layout is clean and easy to read.

    Re: ongoing comment problems (and one reason why I rarely leave comments here, even though I read all your blog posts) ever thought of switching to WordPress??

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  • November 27, 2011 at 6:29 pm
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    Great header, Simon – I really like the new design.

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  • November 27, 2011 at 8:23 pm
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    Hi Simon,

    I work in IT at a university with a bunch of young guys who live and breathe this stuff. You probably have tons of resources to figure this out — bet you have it licked before I can get an answer — but, I did send out an email with the memcache error to see if one of them knows what it means.

    kimbofo mentioned wordpress. I read somewhere that wordpress is more secure than blogspot. I believe it has to do with whether 3rd party javascript scripts (such as librarything uses) are allowed.

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  • November 27, 2011 at 9:40 pm
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    Love the new look. The header really suits and the parchment background looks like a book journal page. Nice work!

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  • November 27, 2011 at 10:06 pm
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    The decorators have done a lovely job – it looks like you and it looks fresh and new at the same time. Very clever!

    And now I have to rifle through the cd cabinet to find out which album Wise up was on.

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  • November 27, 2011 at 11:20 pm
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    Ooh! I love it, especially the header. I liked the dots, but I think that this is a fine improvement!

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  • November 28, 2011 at 12:55 pm
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    Deborah – thank you very much!

    Harriet – it certainly took me a while, but I'm pleased with the result :)

    Peter – quite so, it helped me to remind myself of that when I was in torments over changes!

    Spangle thank you so much :)

    Annabel – thank you very much! I appreciate that. And this is the only Aimee Mann album I have (soundtrack to Magnolia) – must look out for more.

    Simon S – yeah, I gave up on the comment changes – every couple of years I give it another go, it seems! Blogger has many advantages, but also seems very unfriendly to non-Blogger users…

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  • November 28, 2011 at 12:57 pm
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    Helen – thank you so much, I appreciate that!

    Rachel – aww, thanks! I always admire your layouts, so was hoping for your approval :) For the same reason, was delighted about your comment on my cemetery post – because you're so good at those sorts of posts.

    Catherine – thank you! And I'm pleased that I've formed my online identity so that those pictures matched it – they really are very 'me', aren't they!

    Ellen – haha, yes, the sketch was going nowhere! I haven't seen the film Magnolia, although that is the album on which I have Wise Up. What other albums should I look out for?

    ABS – thank you so much :)

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  • November 28, 2011 at 12:59 pm
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    Laura – thank you! I do find it oddly scary, making changes like this, but it is fun too. I love the simplicity of your current look, but will always come and say lovely things about any changes you make!

    Kim – thanks :) And yes, I have thought about WordPress, even to the extent of registering there… (and I use it for a book group website) but I do prefer the behind-the-scenes of Blogger. It's a quandary! I am attached to Blogger now, so will just have to wait for them to improve…

    David – thank you, I appreciate that!

    LaurenAnne – thanks :D

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  • November 28, 2011 at 1:03 pm
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    Margaret – that's very kind of you! I'm not tech savvy myself – when I make changes in the HTML here, I find tutorials online that make it all very simple. And I make sure to save templates beforehand! I don't know what 3rd party javascript scripts are, but if it means I wouldn't be able to have LibraryThing, that would be sad!

    Susan – thank you! I was hoping it looked like a journal rather than one of those awful 80s photobooth backgrounds… I do love that it is the paper from my beloved book, too.

    Jane – aww, thank you – I am glad it's still obviously 'me', I didn't want to lose my identity. Wise Up was on the Magnolia soundtrack, but I don't know if it's anywhere else as well…

    Dan – thank you, kind sir!

    Mary – lucky I can hide behind my graphics – you now know that I am not remotely glamorous in the flesh!

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  • November 30, 2011 at 7:47 pm
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    I really, really love the new look. It is more cheerful somehow, more welcoming. Good job!

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  • December 2, 2011 at 5:24 pm
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    Nan – thank you! It does feel warmer, doesn't it? I'm very pleased :)

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