Crank up the volume.

Amazing Grace Techno – Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

Yes, again.

And I really say that with just a bit of reluctance. I actually liked the old design, but I had begun to notice some things about it that you kind readers were far too polite to mention.

It was just a little bright. I didn’t really think so at first, but over time I noticed that it seemed to be just a bit glaring on the eyes. Or, maybe it was just a case of my eyes starting to get a little weaker than last year.

It really didn’t matter – the change was inevitable. The old theme I had built the site upon had outlived its usefulness. And I really did like that theme (yes, that was me sighing).

With the advances that WordPress (that’s the publishing platform this site is built upon) has made over the past few months, the old theme just couldn’t keep up. So, I opted to pick up a newer version built on the same framework, one that is up to date and much more likely to stay current with all the features that WordPress has.

Here’s hoping you like the new look – I tried to retain the essence of what was here before. At the same time, I felt that some changes in the color scheme (or the lack thereof) were definitely in order.

My primary aim was to make the site a little friendlier on the eyes without going overboard on the colors.

The other benefit is that I can now continue tweaking here and there to take full advantage of all the new features in WordPress. Nothing too striking or severe from a reader standpoint – although the new threaded comment feature  really is pretty neat.

Overall, you’ll notice a few things that are just a bit different and there are a few little bells and whistles scattered about that weren’t there before.

These changes should make for a better experience for both of us.