Grid Focus for Blogsome Users

Blogs, Blogsome Themes, Wordpress Themes | Comments (7)

By MAJOR TOM | April 8, 2009

I was strolling through web design sites just about yesterday, searching for new and latest Wordpress theme designs; maybe some recent releases would interest me and make me decide to modify or completely alter the ultra-excellent Original News Theme that I am suiting up for now.

To be sure, the batch of new releases is mostly sharp and becoming more and more sophisticated than ever before. But somehow, I couldn’t decide on what theme design that suits me for now. Maybe later.

Along the way, I came back to Grid Focus, the globally-popular Wordpress theme designed by our very own compatriot Derek Punzalan, and truth to be told, it remains among the most enigmatic theme design that is available out there; ultimately world-class and extremely unique and extraordinary.

Do not be fooled by its simplicity. This is where its exquisiteness lies. Grid Focus is just an awesome design that way that there’s no surprise how it becomes staple in every list of best Wordpress design of all time.

See this screenshot.

 

For a demo of the site, please click here.

For Blogsome users, I have decided to port it and the zip file could be downloaded here. Enjoy.

Introducing The Soul Sheik

Personal and Family, Blogs | Comments (11)

By MAJOR TOM | August 24, 2008

Let me take this opportunity to introduce a new blogger who is my bestfriend in real-life. Of course, I was the one who had egged him to blog.

Introducing “The Soul Shiek” as Tony R wants himself to be referred to in the netsphere and I am pretty glad that he is slowly and gradually finding the essence and wisdom of blogging, like I did about four years ago, when I started blogging.

By this time, I am a bit amazed of how he could be a very good blogger. The potential is there and the writing style has a distinct finesse to it that if The Soul Sheik decides to become a full-pledged blogger, he’d be a very good one.

Check out his site and read the very deep, insightful and thought-provoking “Welcome to the desert…” post and “Ember”, a very lyrical poem of love, lost and longing.

Note: By the way, I was the one who also did his template design necessities that I was able to put into his site the links that I had in my own blog. I hope the links---without prior permission---wouldn’t be such a major caused for concern for those who are linked in the new site “The Soul Sheik”. Please inform me if it'd ever be a concern.

Most Comprehensive Listing Of Wordpress Themes And Some Helpful Tips

Blogs, Wordpress Themes | Comments (12)

By MAJOR TOM | June 5, 2007

Bloggers with exclusively hosted domains mostly use Wordpress as the platform for its designs as well as content management. Rarely other modules—like Serepindity or Movable Type—get utilized. Aside from being an open source package, Wordpress secures to its users a wide array of design choices, far more varied and numerous than the others.

And often, bloggers resort almost automatically to Wordpress whenever they find the need to change their look and feel. I have observe that most bloggers modify or revise their themes every now and then, fascinating their viewers with fresh new sights and views, sometime coming to us like a radiant and full blooming of a beauteous flower, suddenly opening up before our eyes and then be awed by it. This is perhaps why I get excited whenever I see new designs being exhibited by some bloggers I often visit. It’s pure entertainment, I must say. Even I---despite that my website is not hosted exclusively---often resorts to Wordpress for my design needs, tweaking original codes to fit into the Blogsome module I am now using.

On the one hand, I feel that somehow, remodeling or redesigning weblogs---especially too often for comfort, like I do somehow---could unnecessarily turn-off readers away as the site’s look and feel get revised all the time, and somehow this would negatively affect frequent readers, for being taken out of sort---having been used so much to older designs and then to be suddenly be staring at a new set of structures and figures on the screen and quip silently in mind, “This seems to be not anymore the blog that I had become fond of yesterday..” and then decide not to visit it as often as possible. This is what I think the downside of redesigning.

But other than that, experimenting with other looks and theme becomes a positive activity to me, like creating is such an addictive activity---just like power as that famous adage states.

Now I have gone over to Blogosquare and read about this very informative and helpful post that offers tips in choosing or selecting the kind of Wordpress designs for you. Hans over there discusses quite effectively on the factors that one must consider when deciding to change themes. I know that most of us are already aware of the common issues like IE and Mozilla compatibility, fast or slow loading designs, easy-to-decipher codings but I feel that it is still necessary to be reminded by these elements of web designs. And for newbies, these tips would absolutely come in handy.

And besides, Hans had enumerated there a list of sites where some of the best Wordpress themes could be found---those that are not even in the theme viewer---and I found most especially robust is the list from Writerspace, where the gallery includes designs by local bloggers Derek Punzalan and Bryan Veloso, both having gained sharp reputation for their web designs not only here in our country, but also elsewhere. Also included in that list is a modified Simpla design by Jorge Cosgayon whose blog Far From Neutral Notions has just won the Best Blog Design award in the recently concluded Philippine Blog Award.

If you are browsing for that new Wordpress look you have in mind, this Blogsquare post is the opne for you---ultimately helpful and very comprehensive list of very good designs.

Get the comprehensive Wordpress Themes listing HERE

Dreamy Theme For Blogsome

Philippine Politics, Blogs, Blogsome Themes, Wordpress Themes | Comments (1)

By MAJOR TOM | April 26, 2007

This is an open source web design template that actually looked like it sounded, Dreamy is as dreamy as can be and it is like upon a very deep sleep that is both comforting and delicious.

For those who love simple white backgrounds and aiming to display a lot of photos online, this is the design for you. See this screenshot:

If you are a Blogsome blogger, download the codes here and follow instructions carefully. Download Now.

This is the demo site of Dreamy from the Open Web Design site.

Thinking Blog Award

Profiles, Blogs | Comments (24)

By MAJOR TOM | March 17, 2007

I just receive an award just recently and it's a very exclusive title since the giver is someone that I patronize so much for her writings, with her blog presenting significant issues that truly concerns the world today, like conflicts in Africa, the AIDS menace, spread of modern diseases, today's feminism as well as many other topics like third world economy especially in the African continent. Ipanema had named me to be one among five blogs that she decided to be a thinking blog and I am so greatfully honored for that. I said to her that being on her list felt like winning the Oscars all by itself and although stated in a humorly fashion, it was in fact so close to the truth since I don't usually get noticed or reffered to like this; and for one, we don't get this kind of awards everyday and it becomes all the more significant that the reverence comes from a colleague I kno, she who is a thinking blogger herself. So to ipanema, thank you very much for this award. For this, I get to display this button on my site.

Now it's my turn to name five blogsites or bloggers that I reckon to be a Thinking Blog and they are:

1. Inside The Mind of A Singl Guy---In the entertainment world, many says that it is so much harder to make people laugh than to make them cry. But in the blog world, sngl writes hilarious jottings of factual circumstances without any hint of difficulty, like humor runs in his veins and it's undepletable, perhaps like fossil fuel underneath the hot arabian desert. Inside for me is a thinking blog because it captures everyday issues and turns it into a morsel of delectable posts that is easily readable but tells so much about what's wrong or what's right about a particular issue.

2. The Warped Zone---If I remember very well, Buffwings have never posted even a single posts that merely relays some passing things. I have such kind of posts once in a while; not very many but I think I had some posts that relates to no specific significant issue or issues in the past, those that merely connote a passing and temporary thing or occurence. We all do that once in a while. But in The Warped Zone, BW is so consistent with coming up with posts that tackles a singular issue, provoking thought and deepening insights. For that alone, it becomes a major feat for BW.

3. Wish You Were Here---Eric should have been writing for a daily for a long time now since his postings are often mind-opening especially his take on history which detail and intricacy is unparalled in the blogosphere and starkly reminds the reader of the special writing prowess of Ambeth Ocampo, the columnist from Philippine Daily Inquirer. For this, Wish You Were Here is for certain a Thinking Blog.

4. Under The Canopy---Ipanama had already garnered this Thinking Blog award twice already and it's not difficult to see why her blog often becomes distinguished by her avid readers. I for one agree with that reverence to her 100% percent and as I stated above, Ipanema discusses issues that are very significant globally today and that makes her blog special and unique since nowhere else can you find that amount of focus to such issues and topics---at least not here in our sphere.

5. Ang Anino Ni Abaniko---Niko as he is fondly called by his close readership is statistician and we know that people who knows their math are surely smart enough to be part of a rocket making project. Niko's blog is a Thinking Blog because for me he writes with a lot of confidence and becomes master of his own creation, like the combination of humor and sarcasm in his writings is an art form by themselves.

Like the 'meeting bloggers' meme, it becomes very hard for one to realize that one might forget to mention some important bloggers, those that should have been in the list, but for reason of forgetfulness, they weren't. And in this meme (this is also a kind of meme by the way), it makes me doubly wary since I only have to name five bloggers whom I decide to be Thinking Bloggers. If I could have gone on with the list.

So to sngl, BW, eric, ipanema and Niko; congratulations for you have been awarded the Thinking Blog Award by The Citizen On Mars blogsite and you all deserved it to be sure.

PressRow Theme For Blogsome

Blogs | Comments (3)

By MAJOR TOM | February 4, 2007

I have been experimenting a lot about template designs for the past weeks and had been trying different look and feel to suit my needs. Also, this form of activity allows me something to focus on in moments when I feel the urge for creativity is so keen. It may be a little disturbing to see this site’s design being modifies every now and then so I hope you’d pardon me for the inconvenience.

I’ve got some inquiries about blogsome template design from some readers especially from similar Blogsome users and I thought maybe I could share this PressRow theme which I have ported manually to the proper Blogsome specifications.

PressRow is a very simple white theme design that had been constructed by Chris Pearson, a very prolific designer of Wordpress themes and whose blog Pearsonified is a finalist in the 2007 Bloggy Award for “Best Designed Weblog” category. It is the epitome of the minimalist look----a trendy design that has caught some sector of the web recently.

For those Blogsome user who feel like PressRow is the theme of the moment, you can download the zip file at this link.

See demo here.

Just copy and paste the codes in the proper modules---Main Page, Site Stylesheet, and Post---respectively. The Comments section may not be modified anymore. After that, just upload the images and make the necessary adjustments according to your personal preferences.

Blogsome Themes

Blogs, Blogsome Themes, Wordpress Themes | Comments (24)

By MAJOR TOM | January 1, 2007

 

 

Three Column Pressrow by Catatau!

This is a modification of the very famous Pressrow theme by Chris Pearson. Over there in Brazil, my blog friend Catatau! Had made some stunning modification that Pressrow has just gained such newfound stylishness, akin to the Thesis theme that could be had for free. So I ask Catatau! if we can get it onboard as part of this site’s gallery of ported Wordpress themes. And Catatau! responded in the affirmative. So the rest should be history…in the making. Pressrow-Catatau---as I deem to title it---retains the simplicity of its master design, pure white and dainty, so soothing to the eyes, like a virginal seashore of some ancient land. It seems I’ve been pre-occupied with empires and lost kingdom nowadays, most probably it’s because of me being too immersed in the subjects I teach in the University this semester, one of them being Asian Civilization or History 102, and it is such a riveting class that me and my students have thoroughly delved into the abyss and mysteries of lands long forgotten, from Mesopotamia to Mohenjo-Daro, through the windy Silk Road in Ancient China and among the majestic Hindu temples in Southeast Asia. Back to the ported design, Blogsome bloggers could download it here. For a demo, please visit this site.

Quick Press for Blogsome

It’s one of those nights that my mind is just about somewhere and I need some focus. In order to do this, I spent the night doing something that I like to do best when I am feeling this way --- Porting Wordpress themes into the Blogsome module. Tonight, I have decided to port Quick Press Wordpress Theme. I have been eyeing it for sometime now and had almost decided to use it for my own site, if not only for the reason that I felt that it’s main style direction is similar to one of those that I have already use before. But I like it a lot. It has all the simplicity that I always crave for and the neatness on its façade, making reading all the more beneficial to the blog reader. I liked the way its fonts protrude from the ultra-white background; so serene and yet so clear to the eyes, like leafing thru a favorite magazine I must say. The boxed image on the right upper portion catches the eye like a fresh sunshine on a happy morning. And you bet it could be also useful for a beneficial Google Adsense spot, as the blogger wish or not wish to. Bottles in crisp colors --- the particular picture is just wondrous, like an explosion of sunlight. Of course, you could opt to change that if you desire to. The header is sprayed with a generous hue of blue, just the kind of depth and tint that I looked for in the color blue. Perhaps, it’s not a coincidence that I have a great interest in Quick Press for blue is my most favorite color. Perhaps, now you’d understand why most of the designs I used on my site has a heavy sprinkling of blue in it, blue headers, blue pictures or blue fonts. Blue as a color they say, is the masculine color. To be male and chap, one must wear something blue and love the color. Guys shouldn’t say “pink” or “puschia” when asked what color does he prefer the most or else he’d be seen with a doubting eye. He should say “blue”. That’s how it all began, why “blue” had become the color of choice for me. It started from a question, you know, those fancy autographs that were so in trend so many years ago. When I was a very young adolescent in elementary school, a very beautiful schoolmate one day approached me and requested me to have an entry in her autograph book. I was a relatively shy lad at that time that I never knew what to say as I blushed so clearly upon being approached by a very beautiful schoolmate. She was from the other section in the sixth grade but I had always pondered how beautiful she was every time I caught her passing. I often thought then that her looks was so neat and lively that she didn’t belong in a public school like we where I was then. There was a favorite fruit questionnaire and I answered “Banana”. I was conscious that she might think of me as an ape for that. Then there was the favorite actors question and to be cool and swell about it, I answered “Robe Lowe and Phoboe Cates”, and that’s to be hollywoodish on that level. My favorite gemstone was “Ruby” even though I haven’t had any. That I remember too well. I think I remember that very particular moment so well now for the main reason that I was so conscious and blushing to be near a very beautiful schoolmate and that didn’t happen so often in the past. And so there was the favorite color part and frankly speaking, I never had any at that time. So I thought for some seconds and decided to write “blue” just to get on with it. And from that day on, I promised myself to love the color “blue”, to have blue shirts and blue sandals, and blue shoes, and blue shorts, blue hats, blue ribbons, blue notebooks and now that I am fully grown up, blue website designs. Or else, I’d be a liar. Download the QUICK PRESS for BLOGSOME Zip. See a quick DEMO here. For the Wordpress whole pack, download here.

White Space For Blogsome

I have decided to port Brian Garner’s excellent minimalist Wordpress template called White Space into the Blogsome module since it is one of the simplest 3-Column design that I have worked on so far. Therefore, Blogsome users would find it easy to install and would encounter no possible hitches in its implementation in their blogs. The first time I looked at it, I never knew it was absolutely plaintext in structure. There are no images involved in the design yet it looked like it is a template designed with all the pomposity involved, with all the curves and the shadows, the bold headers in eye-catching colors. Maybe it’s the cool gray tagline that is just under the headers that make White Space look like a very finesse design---despite that it’s all fonts and colors; no images whatsoever. Maybe Mr. Brian Garner is not only a superlative Wordpress theme designer, but also a magician at that. He was able to make plaintext look so deceivingly advanced. It’s a very rare ability I am sure. For Blogsome users, please download the files here. See this demo site. For the full Wordpress design files, please visit this page.

The Citizen On Mars Blue 1 Theme

I have a dream. This is not really huge or fantastic. Like dreaming of having a grand bungalow or a Lamborghini. On the contrary, it is highly doable. I dream that one day I’d be able to build a world famous Wordpress theme. How do I achieve it? By practice of course and creating this very simple but elegant Blogsome theme. This is the CITIZEN ON MARS Blue 1 theme---for Blogsome users, it is readily available for use. I am still trying to figure out how to convert it into a Wordpress theme if it becomes good enough. In designing this template, I have imagined what design elements were I always looking for when thinking for my own blog site. I had always liked very white pages and very catchy headers and main titles. And I like columns in it, like famous information sites around the web. This theme that I have designed could easily be customizable for it does not contain many images, merely buttons for bullets and color shadings that can be modified anytime. For Blogsome users, please download the zip file HERE. Check out the live demo site.

Lust WP Theme For Blogsome

I have some problem with its theme name but for certain, I have no such acrimony for how it looks in its entirety. This “LUST” Wordpress theme is so neat and remarkably clean that despite the liveliness of its very red headers, it remains soothing to the readers’ eyes upon initial browsing. I have decided to port “LUST” into Blogsome since most of those who downloaded my ported templates prefer mostly clean and easy to read designs, with lots of spaces for images in their posts. Mostly, Blogsome users who delve on technology stuff prefer these characteristics in a template mold and this latest addition to my portfolio of ported designs is dedicated to them. Besides, newbie Blogsome users would surely find it’s simplicity and modernity so appealing and therefore not be stuck with out-moded default WP themes available in the Blogsome Themes section---most of them still WP version 1.1. Wit this very simple-to-install design, I hope more and more newbie bloggers out there would find Blogsome as the suitable blog for them. Check out this live demo. For Blogsome users, please download the files HERE. For pure Wordpress users, please visit this page on WPDESIGNER.

Blue Zinfander Wordpress Theme For Blogsome

This is the ultra-neat 3-Column Blue Zinfander Theme by the prolific designer/blogger Brian Garner. It is especially created for magazine type blogsites and may as well be so suitable for a personal site. This theme synergizes the newspaper-look and the very personal feel some bloggers look for. It's simplicity is matchless and minimalism is its one great virtue. It's grand and huge header font declares easily and elegantly the blog title and first-time readers won't waste precious time in recognizing such. For Blogsome users, download the files here. For the complete Wordpress files, please visit this site. See demo site and find out for yourself how it really look and feel like.

The Marki Theme For Blogsome

This is the Marki Theme by ikram-zidane and it's remarkably modern and polished. It is truly a css work of art and genius lies behind it. The dark theme does not make the whole look so tight and gloomy like most designs based on the black color but is even delightful with a creamy vanilla header. Here's a screenshot of it:
This is the theme which I am presently using. I have been tinkering with other Wordpress designs and mostly they do not work well in both IE and Mozilla so it just discard them. But the Marki Theme has no similar problem whatsoever. So if you are a Blogsome user, you can use this theme now by downloading the codes that I have especially rearranged for Blogsome. Download it now. If you are purely a Wordpress user, you can visit this page for its files.

MY JOURNAL WORDPRESS THEME FOR BLOGSOME

Hans of Blogsquare---the sharp guy who invented this theme---stated that at one time, it had been downloaded 60 times a day. Now that's pretty superflous and yet that's true. Quite amazing feat for a wordpress theme that is not much talked about, unlike some other more popular ones. Considering how neat (as a blogger friend had once described it) and so fluid it is, it would not be so surprising that this MyJournal-Ethereal theme is briskly downloaded. See this screenshot: Fluidity is the most apt term for it. And simplicity too. And it might simply be the one of the best, if not the best white minimalist theme available on the open source market. See the DEMO site here. For Blogsome users---DOWNLOAD the files here. For pure Wordpress codes, visit this site.

UPSTART BLOGGER WORDPRESS THEME FOR BLOGSOME

UPSTART BLOGGER has such an identifiable and sharp theme name and for that it earns what to me as a very unique yet simple Wordpress design template. Despite the fact that it reminds me so much of the elegant Pressrow theme by Chris Pearson, Upstart has its own individual beauty that shines so wide that at first glance, I fell in love with it. See the screenshot. This could one reason why I am thinking of using this theme for my own site if I feel like changing this Marki Theme that I am now using. If you are an information blog or one that has full of facts and infos that need to be put to the fore---putting more importance on substance than form---then Upstart Blogger theme is the right one for you. It is neat. It is white. It is clear like water. Please see for yourself and visit this DEMO site. Take the codes for Blogsome here. If you are purely a Wordpress user, get the codes here.

Dreamy Theme For Blogsome

This is an open source web design template that actually looked like it sounded, Dreamy is as dreamy as can be and it is like upon a very deep sleep that is both comforting and delicious. For those who love simple white backgrounds and aiming to display a lot of photos online, this is the design for you. See tiny screenshot:

If you are a Blogsome blogger, download the codes here and follow instructions carefully. Download Now. This is the demo site of Dreamy from the Open Web Design site.

Sakura Wordpress Theme For Blogsome

This is a very feminine and trendy design. It is meant to be fun and exciting. It connotes an honest personality and evokes a wondrous sentiment---like the flowers on its headers. See screenshot:

Download the Blogsome files HERE. See the demo. Wordpress files can be dowloaded on this site.

Bright Side Of Life Wordpress Theme For Blogsome

Here's a white Wordpress theme that I have been eyeing for quite a while now if not for my recent decision and fancy for black mode themes like Marki above. It is very professional looking and so pleasant to the eye and any reader would have an easy and relaxing visit to one's blog site. One look at it gives the initial impression that the site is well-built and maintains very serious and important content. That's the idea, a very intelligent design for an intelligent site. Here's a screenshot.

I have made the codes especially for Blogsome. Dowload it here.

If you are a pure Wordpress user, you can download the site here.

VIDAYAL WORDPRESS THEME FOR BLOGSOME

Vidayal is a Wordpress Theme that is so suited for a personal blog where the ambience of its general facade is soothing to the senses like a Hindu kingdom from the ancient years. There's serenity in its look and the header picture has such effect---calmness and harmony. It has a distinct simplicity that I like the most and it's never pretentious like some blog themes designed for personal sites. Here's a screenshot:

For Blogsome users, you can download the files HERE. For pure Wordpress users, get the files here.

PressRow Theme For Blogsome

I have been experimenting a lot about template designs for the past weeks and had been trying different look and feel to suit my needs. Also, this form of activity allows me something to focus on in moments when I feel the urge for creativity is so keen. It may be a little disturbing to see this site’s design being modifies every now and then so I hope you’d pardon me for the inconvenience. I’ve got some inquiries about template design from some readers especially from similar Blogsome users and I thought maybe I could share this PressRow theme which I have ported manually to the proper Blogsome specifications. PressRow is a very simple white theme design that had been constructed by Chris Pearson, a very prolific designer of Wordpress themes and whose blog Pearsonified is a finalist in the 2007 Bloggy Award for “Best Designed Weblog” category. It is the epitome of the minimalist look----a trendy design that has caught some sector of the web recently. Here's a screenshot.

For those Blogsome user who feel like PressRow is the theme of the moment, you can download the zip file at this link. See demo here. Just copy and paste the codes in the proper modules---Main Page, Site Stylesheet, and Post---respectively. The Comments section may not be modified anymore. After that, just upload the images and make the necessary adjustments according to your personal preferences.

Blogsome Template Sourcing

Blogsome templates are relatively limited compared to other popular free blogging platforms like Blogger and new users may be greatly discouraged by this fact. Yet, customizability of Blogsome Wordpress templates (as offered in the themes section) is very satisfactory and if you are already adept at tweaking codes from your Blogger blogs, then you would be so surprised to find out that there’s so much more you can do with the old Kubrick or WP Default than you ever thought initially. With patience and unbending determination, you could just get that right look and right feel for your Blogsome blogs. With this, you could browse almost all Wordpress templates design available out there---even the WP 2.0 versions---and port them by tweaking your Blogsome index and style codes. Of course, you won’t be able to do this at once. You have to have some practice on the codes. Other Blogsome template design resources includes this cool site named It’s All Beta and there you’ll be able to browse original templates for your Blogsome sites. These designs can also be customized and susceptible to redesign. In fact, using the templates here as a root design structure makes redesigning easier than using a Blogsome offered WP template. Now if you are already so adept in HTML codes and has been tweaking such for some time now, maybe you can port some open-source designs from OSWD. At least about 60% of the template designs found there can be converted into a Blogsome template. Don’t try importing designs from this site if you are not yet fairly knowledgeable on code tweakings. Maybe later, when the right time will come. So in summary, Blogsome templates could be found on these sites:

1. The Blogsome Default WP Templates

2 It’s All Beta

3. OSWD (needs a fair knowledge on HTML)

If you have any query about installation of Wordpress Themes or open source designs into the Blogsome module, you can email me at: bigtimethomas@yahoo.com. . I'll do what I can to help.