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For the record

Don’t you hate it when bloggers post about the most recent tweak they made to their color scheme or their home page graphic? It’s kind of like looking at pictures of other people’s babies — a bit grotesque. Since you can’t tell them that, the only consolation is the thought that they might look back at that visage in a few years — the distorted head with the fur rubbed off both sides, baby acne surrounding the chinless grimace at bottom center — and say: “Yikes! Did they all really believe she was beautiful?”

Nevertheless… Old baby pic

New baby pic

Comments 13

  1. Randy Alexander wrote:

    It’s a little 淡, but It’s growing on me. Very readable.

    Posted 17 Dec 2008 at 11:44 am
  2. syz wrote:

    a little 淡, but it’s growing on me. Very readable

    Translation:
    “Wow, look at that baby! Yeah — wow. I’m sure baby is veeery smart!”

    Posted 17 Dec 2008 at 10:39 pm
  3. Dea Podhajsky wrote:

    I like it. It is cleaner and more graphically pleasing. The new info is on the left which is where those of us who read English start reading.

    I have noticed an increase in posting. Any reason?

    Posted 17 Dec 2008 at 10:51 pm
  4. dveej wrote:

    Your baby is now even easier to read. Wo xihuan.

    Posted 18 Dec 2008 at 2:01 am
  5. Alan wrote:

    This baby will die.

    (Looks good for now, however)

    Posted 18 Dec 2008 at 3:48 am
  6. syz wrote:

    Hi Dea: I’ve been trying to apply a plunger to my mental backlog, which might explain the nature of what’s coming out…

    dveej: zhēn hǎo. I think you were the one who inspired me to abandon the first white-type-on-black theme, which almost no one remembers and which was truly nánkàn, not to mention unreadable. (But too bad we don’t have a pic to remember it by, or at least to set fire to during dark rituals)

    Alan: wow, you’re either the evil witch in the fairy tale, or i’m missing the joke. Glad it’s working for you in some fashion, though.

    Posted 18 Dec 2008 at 9:47 am
  7. Jason S wrote:

    Definitely better. Much easier on the eyes.

    Posted 18 Dec 2008 at 11:45 am
  8. Alan wrote:

    Syz

    It’s Lu Xun joke.

    Posted 19 Dec 2008 at 2:47 am
  9. syz wrote:

    Alan — cool, but way too sophisticated for this near illiterate. If you make it back and wouldn’t mind explaining, I’d be much obliged.

    Posted 19 Dec 2008 at 8:46 pm
  10. Alan wrote:

    Syz,

    Sorry, not trying to be cryptic or anything. It’s from Lu’s snippet On Expressing an Opinion

    Chinese here http://cq.focus.cn/msgview/40279/23953662.html
    立论

    　　我梦见自己正在小学校的讲堂上预备作文，向老师请教立论的方法。
    　　“难！”老师从眼镜圈外斜射出眼光来，看着我，说。“我告诉你一件事——

    　　“一家人家生了一个男孩，合家高兴透顶了。满月的时候，抱出来给客人看，
    ——大概自然是想得一点好兆头。
    　　“一个说：‘这孩子将来要发财的。’他于是得到一番感谢。
    　　“一个说：‘这孩子将来是要死的。’他于是得到一顿大家合力的痛打。
    　　“说要死的必然，说富贵的许谎。但说谎的得好报，说必然的遭打。你……”

    　　“我愿意既不说谎，也不遭打。那么，老师，我得怎么说呢？”
    　　“那么，你得说：‘啊呀！这孩子呵！您瞧！那么……。阿唷！哈哈！Heh e！
    he，he he he he！’”

    　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 一九二五年七月八日。

    ON EXPRESSING AN OPINION:

    I dreamed I was in the classroom of a primary school preparing to write an essay, and asked the teacher how to express an opinion.

    “That’s hard!” glancing sideways at me over his glasses, he said: “Let me tell you a story -

    “When a son is born to a family, the whole household is delighted. When he is one month old they carry him out to display him to the guests — usually expecting some compliments, of course.

    “One says: ‘This child will be rich. ‘ Then he is heartily thanked.

    “One says: ‘This child will be an official. ‘ Then some compliments are made him in return.

    “One says: ‘This child will die. ‘ Then he- is thoroughly beaten by the whole family.

    “That the child will die is inevitable, while to say that he will be rich or a high official may be a lie. Yet the lie is rewarded, whereas the statement of the inevitable gains a beating. You. ..”

    “I don’t want to tell lies, sir, neither do I want to be beaten. So what should I say!”

    “In that case, say: ‘Aha! Just look at this child! My word…. Oh, my! Oho! Hehe! He, hehehehehe!’ ”

    translation from here

    http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/core9/phalsall/texts/luxun.html

    Posted 19 Dec 2008 at 10:01 pm
  11. syz wrote:

    Alan, that is hilarious.

    And extremely relevant, given my “homely child” insinuations.

    And I’m honored that you thought I might know the reference :^)

    And now I’m thinking that if Lu Xun is that good (I’ve only tangentially read some of his thoughts on hanzi), I really should be inspired in my personal Mandarin literacy campaign.

    And so thanks for the inspiration!

    Posted 19 Dec 2008 at 10:26 pm
  12. Albert wrote:

    My only request would be that the links stand out more. That would make this baby truly “official” looking.

    Posted 02 Feb 2009 at 9:30 am
  13. syz wrote:

    OK, Albert, I’ve changed the links. I was feeling like they were a little too subtle too, but thought maybe that was just my undeveloped aesthetic sense. Let me know if this seems too subtle/garish

    Posted 03 Feb 2009 at 4:12 am