Add Floating Social Media Sharing Buttons To Blogger

The Floating Social Media Sharing is a very popular widget on all the top blogs and this is one of the ways to increase the number of times your posts get shared on Twitter, Facebook and other social networks.

This floating social bar has the following options: Facebook Like, StumbleUpon, Twitter Share, Digg This, Google+ and each of them comes with a live counter. You can add more sharing buttons or social bookmarking icons later if you want.

How to add the scrolling social bookmarking bar

Step 1. Log in to your Blogger Dashboard, select your blog and go to Layout 

Step 2. Click on Add A Gadget link

Step 3. From the pop-up window, scroll down and select HTML/Javascript 

Step 4. Copy the code below and paste it inside the empty box.

Step 5. Save the gadget.

The code to copy-paste (updated!):

<style type="text/css">
#social-buttons {
position:fixed;
bottom:15%; 
margin-left:-721px;
float:left;
border-radius:5px;
-moz-border-radius:5px;
-webkit-border-radius:5px;
background-color:#fff;
padding:0 0 2px 0;
z-index:10;
}
#social-buttons .button-share {
float:left;
clear:both;
margin:5px 5px 0 2px;
}
</style>
<div id='social-buttons' title="Get this from helplogger.blogspot.com">
<div class='button-share' id='like' style='margin-left:7px;'>
<div id="fb-root"></div>
<script>(function(d, s, id) {
  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
  js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1";
  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script>
<div class="fb-like" data-send="false" data-layout="box_count" data-width="40" data-show-faces="false"></div>
</div>
<br /><div class='sbutton' style="margin-left: 2px;" ><a class='twitter-share-button' data-count='vertical' data-via='Helplogger' expr:data-counturl='data:blog.url' href='http://twitter.com/share' rel='nofollow'>Tweet</a><script src='http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js'; type='text/javascript'></script>
<br />
<div class='button-share' style="margin-left: 3px;" id='su'>
<script src="http://www.stumbleupon.com/hostedbadge.php?s=5"></script>
</div>
<div class='button-share' id='digg' style='margin-left:3px;width:48px'>
<script src='http://widgets.digg.com/buttons.js' type='text/javascript'></script>
<a class="DiggThisButton DiggMedium"></a>
</div>
<div class='button-share' style='margin-left:3px;' id='gplusone'>
<script type="text/javascript" src="https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js"></script>
<g:plusone size="tall"></g:plusone>
</div>
<div style="clear: both;font-size: 9px;text-align:center;">Get <a style="color: #3399BB;" href="http://helplogger.blogspot.com/">widget</a></div></div></div>

Customization:

• Vertical alignment - Change the 15% value of bottom. The code positions the social bar relative to the bottom of your browser window. To fix the distance even when window is resized, specify the value in px (pixels) instead of %.

• Horizontal alignment - Change the -721px value from margin-left. Negative value pushes the button to the left of the main blog column, positive value pushes it to the right. Increase or decrease the value based on your needs.

• Twitter setting - Replace Helplogger with your Twitter username

• Replacing and removing buttons - You can replace existing buttons with your own. Each button is represented by this code:

<div class='sbutton'> BUTTON CODE HERE </div>

Enjoy!!! :)

Create A Rollover Image Effect (change image on mouseover)

The Rollover effect is one in which an image web object changes (swaps itself) on mouse over to another web object (called rollovers) and reverts back to the original image on mouse out. Rollover images are preloaded into the page when it is loading, this ensures that the rollovers are displayed quickly. The onMouseOver and onMouseOut attributes of the link tag are used to make this functional.

Demo:  Place your mouse over the image below to see its rollover effect

Making Rollover Effect Image

You have the following code:

<a href="URL ADDRESS"><img src="URL OF THE FIRST IMAGE GOES HERE" onmouseover="this.src='URL OF THE SECOND IMAGE GOES HERE'" onmouseout="this.src='URL OF THE FIRST IMAGE GOES HERE'" /></a>

Change the colored texts as it follows:

1. URL ADDRESS

This is the address where somebody will be sent when clicks on the image.
Example, my blog address: http://www.helplogger.blogspot.com

2. URL OF THE FIRST IMAGE GOES HERE

Replace the orange text (two times) with the URL address of the image which will appear before you hover over it.

3. URL OF THE SECOND IMAGE GOES HERE
Replace the text in blue with the url of  the image that will appear when the cursor hovers over it.

Now you can paste your image inside a blog gadget, going to Layout > click on Add a Gadget link (right side) > Select HTML/JavaScript from the pop-up window, then add it to your sidebar.

You can also add it inside your post by going to New Post > Switch to HTML tab and then paste the code in the empty box.

That's it. Enjoy ;)

Smith Rock State Park

Smith Rock State Park is famously known as the birthplace of modern sport climbing in America. It has so many climbing routes that over 1,000 of them are bolted. It's also a stunningly beautiful area that offers a lot of hiking and biking trails. The cliffs have the look of sandstone but are composed mostly of compressed ash carved out by the Crooked River.

Smith Rock State Park is a spectacular rugged valley carved out by the Crooked River.

We went on a loop hike that climbs up over impressive cliffs and down the backside around the base of a freestanding pillar called Monkey Face. From a certain angle it vaguely resembles a monkeys head. We decided to do it so the hardest part came first. That worked out well, keeping us in the shade during the hot ascent and allowing us to enjoy an awesome smoke enhanced sunset on the way down the other side.

On the ascent to the top you will have to walk through a lot of switchbacks.

Coming up over the top of the cliffs you are rewarded with a completely different view.

This is as close as i could get to the top of Monkey Face.

The view north, and downstream.

A more proper view of Monkey Face. The cliffs on the other side of the valley had some very nice properties and homes.

We found a baby rattlesnake here. There were horses hiding in the shade in the meadows on the right. They started to run around and play when the sprinklers turned on shortly before sunset. They are visible in the header picture.

We startled some Mule Deer who were walking down the trail at dusk.

Walking along the last stretch to complete our loop around the big cliff. It was feeling very nice at this point.

After sunset you could see the cloud of smoke from some of the forest fires.

What does it mean to be a Huey?

Front cover

The Hueys in The new jumper is Oliver Jeffers' latest picturebook, and by the title it looks like there's going to be a whole series of them - and the back cover confirms it, "An irresistible new series from award-winning picture book creator, Oliver Jeffers." 

The Hueys ... I remember seeing the blob-like creatures on Jeffers' website, on some design work he had up there, but I went back today and they are gone.  They are great little characters, which is amazing when they are just blobby, bouncing-beanie-kind-of-things with stick legs and arms.  Their penis-like noses hang between two dots for eyes and not all of them have mouths. Yet they are as full of expression as anything. Jeffers has pulled a biggie this time. Here's the promo film, which is up on Youtube.

Simple, no minimal, is probably the best word to describe what Jeffers has done in creating the Hueys.  They are simple little creatures, black and white, making a black and white kind of book.  There are none of those lovely watercoloured pages like in Lost and found or the collaged creations found in The INCREDIBLE book eating boy, but the insertion of a powdery blue page or a delicate pastel green remind me of The great paper caper, which  uses these colours, as does Stuck!  But this minimalism works really well.  

Front endpapers

When we open the book (I have the hard back edition, and it's still not available in paperback) we are presented with five Hueys, parading across the front endpapers. 

Copyright and title pages

The title page omits the orange from the front cover, cleverly emphasizing the dullness that monotony and black and whiteness can bring to life. Even the blobs are bored saying, "bla bla blabity bla" "mm hmm" ... 

I was surprised, when I turned the page, that Jeffers' characteristic hand written font didn't continue into the body of the book ... it does as we'll see later, but as the Huey voices. That's kind of nice.  So this (is it Times Roman?) font represents that voice over we heard on the Youtube video, like the nice man's voice we hear on children's programmes; a matter of fact sort of BBC-kind-of-voice, can you hear it?

Opening 1

My photos aren't good, but you can just make out that the recto page is beige. First one Huey, then two, the beige background accentuating their minimal form and sameness. Then turn the  page again and ...

Opening 2

It's confirmed, "There were many, many of them..." and they are all the same.  They all look the same, think the same (they all think about drinking tea!) and they do the same things (hang up pictures!), that is until our special Huey "- Rupert was his name -" made himself a jumper. 

Opening 5

Here's where the orange returns, bright, in fact quite stark against the muted pastel and white.  A slashing dash of colour and Rupert looks the bee's knees, though "Not everyone agreed with his taste..."  Look at how a simple line across the nose makes a Huey look uncertain, or just moving the willy nose across makes a Huey look secretive. And Rupert is whistling away, very proud of his new jumper. Keep looking at those Hueys faces.  

Opening 6

These Hueys just don't understand Rupert, the thing that united the Hueys was their sameness.   Rupert found his freind Gillespie, who "thought being different was interesting." So he knitted a jumper for himself, just like Rupert's. 

Opening 8

Now Gillespie was different too, and Rupert didn't look quite "so strange anymore".  Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, and soon lots of Hueys were making jumpers so they could be different too. 

Opening 11

And before you know it, each and every Huey was different. The message being given to everyone makes a mockery of their being different! "Do you like our new jumpers?"  Is this Huey speaking to the rest of the Hueys or is he asking us, the reader? 

Then thank goodness for Rupert, who, true to form, made a mind blowing decision...

Opening 12

He decided to wear a hat! Look at Gillespie's face! "And that changed everything ..." But that's not the end, turn over to see the back endpapers, please!

Back endpapers

Wow the Hueys have gone wild!  Don't they look good?  

So is this picturebook for little kids?  Yes, I htink it would work nicely with early primary, but it would also be a wonderful starting point for discussion with a group of teens or young adults.  If taken at a deeper philosophical level we are looking at how we see identity; just how unique are we and what are the consequences of our actions?  Are we leaders or followers?  Just how important is it to be different and who decides what's different anyway? Oooh!  This simple little book is loaded! 

What's more, these Huey guys are going to be all the rage (mark my words!). You can already make your own Huey here, and there are fun activity sheets here.  Primary children will love these, and so will you, it's such fun!  Here's my Huey ...

From http://www.makeyourownhuey.com/

The Hueys are being marketed, like no other Oliver Jeffers character yet. There'll be Huey t-shirts and Huey mugs.  Watch out! The Hueys are here!

Shruthi Hassan in saree..

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What does Polly Wally like to eat?

Time for tea Polly Wally is a fun picturebook by Kali Stileman.  It's wacky and silly and perfect for 4 and 5 year olds. Stileman uses a sort of collage technique, cut shapes and scribbles to create lots of textures, in particular Polly Wally herself (himself?) who is a very busy blob of paint strokes.  Polly Wally is a bird, can you see the yellow beak and skinny legs?  What do you think she likes for tea? She's peering at a line of busy ants marching across the bottom of the cover...

The half title page shows a row of coloured birds on the grass, the title a contrasting grey above them.

Half title page

There's also a clue here about Polly Wally's tea, can you guess what it is? A nice bright pair of endpapers greet us as we open the book further ...

Endpapers

Stileman is a designer and these look a little like her wrapping paper designs! The copyright and title pages give us a couple more clues about Polly Wally's tea...

Copyright and title page

Opening 1

Sure enough as soon as we turn the page again we see Polly Wally with her knees knocking, she really is hungry.  Super large font to emphasize just how hungry Polly Wally really is.  Those front cover ants have managed to climb the tree and there's that butterfly again, and the seven-eyed spider we've seen a couple of times already (keep up!)

Opening 2

Ohh goodness, that's Jemima Giraffe!  Jemima likes "luscious lip-smacking leaves ... try some."  Umm, what do you think?  Will Polly Wally like the leaves? (NB the stick insect at Polly Wally's feet).

Opening 3

"Yum!" said the giraffe. "Yuck!" said Polly Wally!  Nope that's not what she likes to eat for tea. Look at her eyes!   Our story is set up, children know that whatever comes next will proceed in a similar fashion.  Polly Wally will try to eat the offered food and won't like it! There's lots of repetition... "I'm hungry" ... "I eat ..." "Try some." Yum!" said ... "Yuck!" said Polly Wally!  That's good as children get to grips quickly with those chunks of language and love helping tell the story with you.  The repetitive format of exclaiming hunger, being offered food and not liking it is also supportive and children can confidently guess what will happen next.
So, Polly Wally meets Xanthe Zebra, who likes sweet green grass, Eleanor elephant who eats lots of fabulous fruit, Colin crocodile who just agrees that he's hungry too... oops, fly off Polly Wally! Finally, Mavis monkey who eats nobbly nuts.  
But, it's not as simple as that because on each spread children notice the mini beasts scattered around, a worm in the grass, a stripy caterpillar ...

Opening 7

Can you see him on the verso page?  On other spreads there's a fat beetle climbing a tree and that seven-eyed spider hangs alongside Mavis Monkey.  And Polly Wally is almost always being watched from a not too far distance by a pert little red bird...

Opening 10

Can you see her in the verso page? When we turn to opening 11 we realise it must be Polly Wally's mummy, who's "come home with ..."

Opening 11

Close up of recto page

If we pull the flaps we'll see she's been cleverly collecting all those beasties for Polly Wally's tea.  "A wiggly worm, a tickly stick insect, a big shiny black spider, a speedy spider,a nd a creepy crawling caterpillar."  

Opening 12

It's our turn to go "Yuck!" now!  YUCK! How could you Polly Wally? It's good hearing/seeing the children making the connection between all the different insects when they see them under the leaves, and of course upon returning to the picturebook they are careful to look for the different creepy crawly beasties, knowing they will turn up on the penultimate spread.  And of course we can have a nice discussion about what we like eating for tea.  
An extra is that this particular edition, a paperback one, has lovely thick pages, so it's nice and robust and will take quite a lot of battering in the library!  
I'd like to thank Random House for sending me a copy of Time for Tea Polly Wally - greatly appreciated and well used already!