The slightly more eagle-eyed amongst you (and by jimminy, you’d have to have bionic as opposed to eagle eyes) might notice a few differences.

Then again, some of you might not notice a damn thing.

I tried playing around with one or two templates but couldn’t get them to work nicely in internet explorer and firefox. So, I went with the wider version of what I’d been using.

I’m also installing and upgrading quite a few plugins, and that means I expect one or two things to do some funny things. (That’s funny peculiar rather than funny ha ha.)

Anyway, if there’s anything you think could be added or changed whilst I’m at it, please let me know.

BASTARD…..

I thought Wordpress 2.1 was supposed to have a bloody autosave feature? My luck.

Anyway, as I was saying, before I rudely interrupted myself by accidently clicking on the back button: apologies to anybody getting some weird posts in their feed over the weekend. I upgraded to the newest version of Wordpress on Saturday and all of a sudden my email posting feature starting working. I can’t really remember setting it up as I’ve never used it. Or, to be more precise, it never worked. So, I’ve turned it off only to be buzzed every five minutes by wp-mail error emails.

The issue of upgrading was kind of forced on me once things started going awry after installing that mobile plugin. I noticed that Google was indexing and showing the mobile version over this version of the blog and, more worryingly, I noticed that the preview post feature in the backend was showing the mobile layout of the blog – even after uninstalling it.

After reckoning to find a solution, I plumped for an upgrade.

I’ve held off upgrading for a while because I’m a bit of a fantastico fan lazy bastard and my fantastico files had long disappeared a few servers shift ago. I stumbled across some post (that I know can’t stumble across for the life of me) that explained how to sort that specific problem out (future post?) and foolhardily(?) set about waving new brooms like a crack-cranked caretaker.

I’m pleasantly surprised how well everything is working, but that’s not an excuse for me not to piss about for the next couple of days sorting out a new template and upgrading/installing new plugins.

Is it wrong for me to get a buzz out of this crap?

Oh I crack myself up, I really do.

With the aid of this awfully easy plugin to implement, you can now point your mobile/cell/psp/bacon butty browser to The Tinbasher and get a passable reworked version of it on your phone.

In other words, it doesn’t take an eon to load. Plus, when it does load it doesn’t look like it’s been in a car crash.

I don’t want you thinking I’ve done this to be part of an expanding mobile web or to make it easier for you to view this blog whilst travelling home from work.

Absolutely not.

It’s just that we’re in the middle of a cold snap over here and I’d rather not stick my head out from under the duvet.

Here’s to bone-idle blogging.

UPDATE: There’s a bit of trouble at the mill, so I think I might just wait until I upgrade to the latest version of WP to sort it all out. There’s no point breaking it twice is there?

Happy New Year lads and lasses.

Is it a sign of being something of a joyless old gimmer when you see in the New Year sober with some Cherry Garcia and a can of herbal iced tea? (Just typing it makes me realise how gay I sound!) But, we had been on something of a bender the night previously and Steph isn’t renowned for her ability to consume booze two days on the bounce. (If in doubt, blame the wife. )

Anyway, probably best to do that reflections-on-a-year-just-gone cobblers that we’re all prone to do round this here time.

BUTLER SHEETMETAL LTD
2006 was the year of ‘full capacity’. Not only was it ‘all hands to the pump’ but ‘more hands to the pump’. It’s fairly safe to say that last year was the busiest since time began and the addition of another fully skilled tinbasher in John and matt’s cousin Phil meant a slight change of emphasis on who does what and when. John now has more time to deal with clients and Matt has more time to price jobs. Everything is all that more efficient and reactions times are all that much faster. If only we could work on Craig’s inability to quaff ale without ending up in a police cell sans mobile phone. Will 2007 be a year of expansion, consoliditaion or anal retention?

TINPOT ALLEY
For a little sideline that promotes Butler Sheetmetal’s more creative side, Tinpot Alley has managed to establish itself quite nicely in 2006. We’ve managed the transition from an all-conquering uberlord of all things stainless steel planter related to a custom fabrication solution fairly easily. Not that it was a planned transition, mind you. It was simply one of those things that evolved from customer requirements. I’ve also managed to find some suitable fabricators over this side of the pond – in fact, I’ve had offers from fabricators from Canada to Mexico and most of the states inbetween. Given the appropriate attention, I have a feeling in my water that 2007 could be a good year.

PERSONALLY
2006 was the year I finally emigrated to America. Do be careful what you wish for.

BLOGGING
2006 was the year I ceased to give a crap about blogging as a phenomenon. I’ve had my fill of meddling marketers, jumped-up journos and flaky consultants getting themselves embrolied in teacup storms over bugger all and complaining about blogging being a bit of a lonely profession. I’ll happily concede that Butler Sheetmetal’s growth has been due to its online presence and that blogging drives that online presence, but, from a business overview, it’s nothing but a cog in a machine. I’ve whored myself out been asked to consult on a few projects for others this past year and it’s something I really don’t see myself doing more of in 2007. I know The Tinbasher has been worse for my attentions elsewhere and I’m just going to stick to what I know, so to speak. After all, I do have a responsibilty to ensure that business keeps rolling in.

Then again, if the money’s right.

There I was in a state of pre-Christmas wind-down (I have no idea what excuse I have for the rest of the year) and I thought I’d do something festive in a sheet metal stylee. It didn’t take me long to punch the words ‘stanless steel christmas‘ into Google and it didn’t take too long for Google to reciprocate with the following.

Imagine my unbridled giddiness as I eagerly clicked on the above Ebay link to catch a glimpse of a 1940’s Stainless Steel Christmas Tree.

Should I really have been that surprised to find out it was n’owt but a bit of silver tinsel. The bastards.

Don’t get me wrong, it looks as if it’s in splendid condition, but that’s not the point.

Even the bloody box describes it as stainless aluminium (or aluminum as the septics like to call it – lazy, illiterate buffoons).

I would’ve bought it had it been kosher. I’m hardly being a cheapskate by claiming I could do something similar with a few wire coat hangers and a raid of the cut-price christmas section at my local Drugmart.

My Christmas is ruined.