
Well I don't know how to specifically insert a block yet. But this is what I did as a temporary hack. I am not using the center-right or center-left block areas at all.
So I did the following to sort of accomplish what I want. I assign a block I want to custom insert to the center-right alignment. I then copy the following out of the theme.html file:
<{foreach item=block from=$xoops_crblocks}>
<{include file="/theme_blockcenter_r.html" }>
<{/foreach}>
I can now place that code ANYWHERE (as far as I know) in the site.
In the main theme I erase the above code, because I don't want that block showing up as part of the entire site theme - just where ever I assign that code now.