Month: January 1970

I noticed that Mark was a writer from the beginning by simply checking out his about me area. Then it hit me… I am going to be writing a review for a writer… I immediately did not feel like I was qualified to do this. Being the computer geek that I am, my written ways are not always best. Please forgive me if I botch this, but keep in mind our differences.

The site was pleasing to the eye and was not your typical blogger site. It is a book. A non-traditional book, he calls it a blook. It is a tale of his past being recapped in today’s society. He has visited many of the places in recent years that he had many years ago and tells about the recap. All from the onsite of Bertha (Bertha is the bus that took them for their trip).

This weblog takes you through a period of his life in the ‘70s. him and his friends traveled for a destination. They might not have known exactly where they were going, or why they were going there, but it is the trip that made it worthwhile. He takes you through the exciting times and the ugly times… He also throws in a couple of technical updates, which update the reader on something he left out or forgot about.

The “Blook” is very intriguing and pulls you into to reading through the posts in chronological order as he has them laid out down the right hand side of the blog. You begin reading and it appears that you are reading about a flashback… Then you get a few more posts in and realize what you are reading.

The design is simple and elegant, and fits the tone of the blook.

I would conclude by simply stating that Mark is a writer and is very good at what he does. This blog is simply a narrative of his travels in his younger days recapped through older eyes. I enjoyed the site and feel that everyone should take a stroll over and read awhile. He has some very loyal readers who check back frequently to read the latest chapter of his blook. They leave their comments and beg for more. I rate this blog as a 4.25.
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I must admit that going into this site, I first had some doubts. I’m not much of a person for the 70s, since they were before my time, and the farthest back I can associate with is the early 80s. Then when I arrived, the header was overlapping the layout so that it was slightly more difficult to read. The gray, off-centered title just doesn’t exactly strike my liking.

The entries are something else. They’re all about reminiscence to a former decade, and they successfully paint a picture of what his life was like back in 1975. If it were something I had any interest in at all, these entries would be bringing me back to my own memories from that time. But, alas, I can’t relate, as they are all before my time. I sincerely wish I could be drawn in, but that’s simply not the case.

The design, while not flashy or exquisite, it’s unique, but in a good way. It looks like a piece of paper placed onto a hardwood table, or a desk. This is a nice touch, and something you don’t see as much lately. It definitely plays in with the nostalgia-themed writing being done.

This blog is based on (and refers to a few times) a book written by the same author, which would probably appeal to the people who like the blog itself. Or, if you’ve read and enjoyed the book, perhaps it’s time to look at the site beside it.

All in all, this is far from a bad weblog, but it lacks what it takes to draw in a younger audience (which doesn’t really seem to be the goal in the first place). If you are old enough to have been alive in the 70s, it’s definitely worth the trip back in time. If you aren’t, you aren’t going to get too much from it and should probably pass it up.NULL

One thing is very obvious when you visit Easier Said Than Done for the first time. PINK (with a hint of green). Stereotypically I expected a blog full of kittens, makeup and other girly things (hey, I’m a guy). I was wrong.

Pausing to put the pink in place I started reading. The blog covers a variety of topics, all of which it handles with intelligence and some passion but above all honesty. Whether discussing the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, where her future is headed, or even just a quick update on her weekend, Nichole writes in a very friendly and readable way showing maturity beyond her years. Posts are well constructed, and where applicable she offers a few links to pertinent sites, always a welcome addition to a blog post.

The layout of the site is fairly typical, with a sidebar of links on the left, and the design of the site is nicely themed without being distracting. Even the Google Ads at the top of the pages are subtle, allowing the content to retain focus. The only suggestion I would have would be to remove the slight gap between the post title and the post itself (they seem a little disjointed at present), but it’s a minor quibble. Ohh and I mentioned the PINK, right?

Aside from the usual blog features, there is little else on the site – although she has just launched her own forum which I hope won’t stop her from writing for her blog.

Overall the one thing that makes this blog worth a visit is the content. It may not be anything earth-shattering but at least it’s well written and should appeal to most people.NULL

The first thing that I noticed as I arrived to The Other blog was the layout. Usually, it’s not the first thing I notice, and if it is, that’s bad. This blog was quite the contrary. Just on the basis of the warm brown hues of the background, I was compelled to read more. That’s when I looked at the header. “The Other Blog: …of coming to terms and coming out.” This, of course, could only mean one thing, and I was interested. Having several gay and lesbian friends, and being bisexual myself, I knew right away that this was a blog that was going to interest me.

As I read the sidebar (first, as is my habit when I visit blogs: read the static content before the transitional), I learned some things about the author. She’s 26, bisexual, and lives in Europe with her fiance and two cats. She’s mostly in the closet still, which is why this is “The Other Blog” and not “The Main Blog”. I know that some of the people close to me would probably be a little awkward if they knew my situation, so I can relate to what she’s dealing with. The sidebar directs me to read the older posts, and as I do, I realize more and more how much I can relate with her blog. Post after post, sounding incredibly familiar and understandable. I’m hooked.

The content is deep. The posts are long and plentiful, and quite descript. She assigns nicknames to the people involved in her story as it churns, as to protect their anonymity. (The explanation of each person is explained in her sidebar.) Brilliantly detailed and drawn together quite well, I felt myself getting fully attached to many of the posts.

Overall, this is a very good blog. I wouldn’t suggest everyone read it, because I know there are several close-minded people in the world who look down on this sort of “decision”, but for anyone who is wise enough to look past the normal and see into an area that often goes unexplored (for fear of ridicule), this blog is an absolute must. If you’re against bisexuality you’re obviously not going to like it, since that’s the whole point of the blog. I myself will most likely be making several return visits.NULL

When I first arrived at this site, I was slightly disappointed. The post on top was about what changes had been made to the blog, the design was very basic, and there were a lot of different plug-ins and links in the sidebar, which isn’t necessarily a good thing.

However, the blog owner (stressqueen) has quite a few posts, and they’re actually pretty interesting. As I clicked around and looked at some of her favorite posts, some confused me, some amused me, and some gave me further insight into the woman behind the blog.

The design is, as I stated earlier, pretty basic. However, it doesn’t really take anything away from the writing. Sometimes a basic layout is just what you need in order to balance long posts and lots of links (which this blog has).

As far as extras go, there are a lot of links, some in her posts and many more in her sidebar. A lot of them point to different places in her blog, while quite a bit of them point to different sites. These sites range from sites linking to her to blogs she reads, as well as some different blog tool programs she belongs to.

Overall, this site isn’t bad, by a long shot. It’s not the greatest blog there ever was, but it’s definitely worth checking out, and you might even want to add it to your lists. There’s nothing entirely exciting about it; however, for this blog, I wouldn’t change a thing. It all seems to fit, and that’s really what’s important.NULL