I know you’ve all been wondering why you feel so listless, unsatisfied and downright lethargic these last few weeks. You’ve wondered why colours are less vibrant, booze less boozy, music less musical, boobs less boobacious and tastes less, umm, tasty. Well, don’t worry your pretty little head about it any longer – 1537 is back!
I’ve basically been sorting out my Google issues for the last couple of weeks, ever since they identified me as a ‘diabolical spam merchant’ at the beginning of March I have been fighting my corner, getting things appealed, reviewed, rejected and objected to. It has been, until today, a depressingly Kafka-esque experience dealing with Google, you can’t actually speak to anyone and so most of my problem has centred around trying to work out how and why I have been singled out and struck off their sites index, how can you fix something for someone who won’t tell you precisely what’s wrong? Joseph Heller would have been proud of that one!
I didn’t feel like writing at all, was really rather worried that everything I’d built up here at 1537 was going to waste – the last thing on earth I wanted to do was to set up an alternative blog*, I just wanted this one back, running properly and visible to the adoring masses. But try as I might, it was just like screaming at a wall**. Hell, I was even reduced to reading books, mountain walking, spending time with my kids and, I’m not proud of this one, listening to records without trying to think of something slightly amusing to write about them.
However, thanks totally to a particularly helpful Googlian angel called Ashley, their ‘manual action’ (don’t ask!) was removed and now folks who may for some reason wish to have their lives enhanced by, say, a jokey yet fawning review of King Khan & BBQ Show can do so once more. Ever one to carpe the living shite out of the diem, I have also profoundly changed my layout for the first time since I opened up shop here on WordPress – have a look on a PC, if you don’t mind doing so, to get the full effect, I love it.
Take it away Brian!
646 Down (still).
PS: Spotted by my mum and I in Liverpool:
*1536? 1539? Fifteen3Seven? Cheap Watches and Penis Extensions Here – Good Prices! <- Damn you spam!!
**someone should write a song about it.
Since I’d already sent you kind regards through Cerebro I never posted salutations here. But since I’m here I might as well leave something. The new layout is swanky. I’m digging it.
Thank you – it was a big thing for me changing the layout – I’m a three column kinda blogger and there aren’t too many of them around (especially for free).
I think the site’s got a really nice flow to it. And I actually find it a little easier to read. Maybe it’s just the white backdrop that appeals to my android mind.
Thank you – it takes a little longer to load, so I stress that people may not witness the full glory (that is the sort of thing I worry about).
Yeah, well me too. So you’re not alone. But it’s a slick look. Worth the extra three second wait.
Welcome back! Glad the evil Googlebot has been defeated.
Like the new layout, too. Mucho.
Thanks J. I’m obsessed with the layout, I love the big feature photograph.
I concur; it is crackin’. The big photo is a most excellent feature. Who needs text when you have a big photo, amaright?
*reports 1537 to Google as spam, changes own layout*
Welcome back! I have been feeling a little green behind the gills lately and thanks to you I now know why!
Cheers Ian, consider yourself cured.
Bloody algorithm…
I’m sure he’s currently rotting in some dark, dark corner of the interwebs…
Bloody good show for pulling through, as well. The fresh layout looks damn fine. Also: whether it’s about ‘Live Poo bins’ or obscure Macedonian garage psychedelia, I always enjoy your posts 😉
– F
Thank you Mr Freddo, rather kind of you.
Cheers to helpful Googlian Angelic Ashley!
Absolutely!
Welcome back, man! The new site is a doozy. It sounds like you’ve been through the ringer but glad you’re back on track. I will call for Ashley when I have my own ‘issues’…
Thanks Matt – 6 weeks of angst and heartache; it was like the late 80s indie scene inside my head.
Oh blimey, it was that bad…
And thank you!
I, for one, welcome the return of our Lego overlord. I’m glad you got the Google thing straightened out. Don’t know what you were up to that you weren’t telling us, nudgenudgewinkwink, but hey at least you’re back! We’ve missed you and your punchy comments!
The new layout is cool, although I was gonna say I’m kinda glad the old one is gone because it took forever for it to load, for me, so I’d be typing a comment and then the screen would jump as a new picture finally loaded and I would have to find the coment bubble again. I just commented in the Reader, except if I needed to go more than one comment deep in a thread I’d have to go to your site proper (an issue never resolved on this end, on everyone’s sites) and I’d get the jumping thing. Mostly I’d just set your site to load and go get a coffee… So then I went to check out the new one and it took forever to load! Haha. Actually, it just sat there, a big chunk of white space at the top. I noticed the scroll bar and scrolled down and found the posts, but I assume there’s supposed to be something at the top? I’ll try again.
Others will say they have no problem with your site. They’ll say it’s just me. It probably is!
Welcome back, Dude! Shame you didn’t make a new blog number while you were at it, though. Instead of 1537 it, what now, 18,963? 🙂
Thanks fella.
The slowness is due to the pictures, give the new theme a little while and the white space will be full of beautiful 1537 art.
My blog really should be called 1867 now … Shhhh!
I pissed off an algorithm apparently.
Haha I am here to comment and it still does the pic-loading jumping thing as I try to comment! Time to go get a coffee…
An algorithm, eh? Gotta always give it up for that great, great rithm.
I hear you may have gone to a concert since I was last around these parts?
Yeah, just a wee club gig by a little known band. Not a big deal, just one of the best shows I’ve ever seen!
https://keepsmealive.wordpress.com/2016/04/04/iron-maiden-2016-04-03/
https://keepsmealive.wordpress.com/2016/04/05/iron-maiden-2016-04-03-the-videos/
WELCOME BACK!
So I guess my question now is, what DID you do to get black listed???
Thanks Mike! It seems like I managed to offend an algorithm- it’s girlfriend probably fancied me loads, I’m betting.
Damned maths and numbers. Apparently you pissed off the Computer Gods. Time to play your Sabbath albums in pennance.
I will offer up a sacred to the Great ZX81 Spectrum.
Damnit ‘sacrifice ‘, not ‘sacred’!
Autocarrot.
Mwah-ha-ha!
Missed you, Grand Poo-bin of the hinternet. I wonder what they really keep in there? I would say the script to the new StarWars film – but that would have to go in the dead poo bin.
Have a nice day – and listen to some Meatraffle.
Aww thanks Mr Beat. I’m quite into Fat White Family now, thanks to you.
That’s a very good thing to hear. Keeping my girl in work!
Thanks to your recommendation.
Bloody hell, the lego spam thing is back. Honestly, how many times do I have to report this site to Google?!
Ouch! Why spam? Why couldn’t it be something more vegetarian friendly?
Ummm… Are you a Tofubot?
My blog spreads Tofuware.
Shhh… Google might hear you. Or worse yet… Ask Jeeves! You don’t want to get struck off that!
No, you cross Jeeves once and you’re dead to him.
Next time? (Shudders)
Im pretty sure the poo was free to take, I hope so anyway since I helped myself.
Can I say that I thought the Star Wars film was very average yet? Or do I need to go back into hiding?
Next time tell Google if they don’t stop their ‘manual action’ stuff they’ll go blind.
In Canada we have a company called Enterprise Rent A Car. I guess they rent Live Poo over there. We prefer our rental cars to run.
Glad to see you are back. Perhaps Google wanted the Star Wars fans a chance to hear about the movie coming out on video, and not be bombarded about the newest 1537 escapade.
Seen any good films? Had a haircut?
Good to have you back, dude. Like the new look; very clean, very prof, very 2016.
Funnily enough I’ve just watched the first two Godfather films with my son, so yes – haircut, no need!
Thanks Bruce – I think the new 1537 site will come to be one of the defining cultural features of 2016.
I don’t want to go through all that again, it was thoroughly demoralising.
I bet. It’s hard enough to keep creativity, time and enthusiasm all pulling in the same direction as it is. I’m sure many new visitors will be drawn into the 1537 web, sorry, world.
Especially if you feature Live poo regularly.
Sounds like the worst double live LP ever, doesn’t it?