Month: September 2002

Do some shopping, find out about when crustless Iron Kids bread is arriving at a store near you, what marathons are gonna be on tv next week … this is what you can find here at “Almost Ripe.”

Currently, there are not a lot of posts here, however from what was available to view, I think I got a pretty good idea and feel for the site.

“Almost Ripe” is ran by Ed Kaiser who is also the creator of GooShopping, a place you can go to if you’re in search of toys or memorabilia from movies, new and old tv shows and cartoons. In addition, he has “Almost Ripe” which is geared towards those with the same interests. The blog contains links to things going on and news regarding television, toys or anything “news worthy” related to the topics at hand. Like when your local Weinerschnitzel is giving away free chili dogs or when a new movie’s in the works.

The layout is a Blogger template which is okay. However, I think it could use a different layout, maybe something a little sleeker would work nice and be a little cleaner looking. But it currently is fine.


I think this site is at a good start and will definitely be going strong in a few months. It’s a good topic to have a blog about and it’s great for those who are into collecting toys and memorabilia.Almost Ripe

Almost Ripe is a blog about “Cartoons, TV Shows, Movies, Superheroes, Toys” and then some. It has a straightforward design that’s easy on the eyes and appropriately organized. Immediately, I clicked with the blog for I recognized the first game reviewed so I dug a little deeper, enjoying each little discovery as I found it. All manner of things pop culture are present here in this blog, from children’s music (go Wiggles!) to cult television classics.

Featuring a calendar of entertainment events available throughout the US (i.e., tours, movies, etc.), the site averages 5-6 entries each week. Since the site mostly focused on entertainment news, the majority of the posts are fairly short with embedded links to resources throughout the Internet; this is very useful if one wants to learn more about any given topic! There’s also an internal search engine, although when I searched for the latest entry, I wasn’t able to find it. Powered by Blogger, Almost Ripe features pop-up comments and links to individual entries. The blog’s writer, Ed Kaiser, is accessible via email.Almost Ripe

My first glance at Jerrykindall.com was of a pleasant looking site with plenty of information, links, and goodies to read. At first it was a bit overwhelming, linkage on both sides of the blog made the site look a little crowded, but then again I’ve always been one to think more is always better then less. I was looking forward to this one.

The blog itself is good reading, but I can understand if many of you don’t feel as enthusiastic as I do seeing as most of the blog is computer related, though not all, and I found it quite interesting to read. Each post is filled with links as references, I like that, it helps provide a bit of background depth as to what Jerry is talking about. It’s not a terribly personal weblog, though I don’t think that takes anything away from the blog, reading about every single detail of a person’s life usually isn’t attractive reading. The writing style is good, but that’s not totally surprising as I saw the author does have plenty of writing experience, and reading each post was fluid.

The design of the site is nice, its nothing special, but it does the job and does it quite well. It doesn’t distract, though as I mentioned above, there is a little too much information on the one page. Nice sized fonts, a well-selected colour scheme, and simple (if not perhaps overdone) navigation make Jerrykindall.com a pleasurable browsing experience. Archives are stored away tidily and the option to open outside links in a new browser just gives it a nice touch. Design wise, I couldn’t fault it, top work.

There are quite a few goodies on the site, a bio gives a very in-depth look at Jerry and his life, pictures, and links to other relevant sites make it quite jam packed. Comments and a direct link to each posting are also very attractive.

All up I feel like shaking the author’s hand and saying well done. Jeyykindall.com is a fine site with plenty to offer especially if you like all things computers. I give the old boy two thumbs up and a 4 out of 5.
JerryKindall.com

Macaroni, macaroni, who’s got the macaroni? Lane McFadden’s site is definitely a good read. He claims that he is not really a geek, but that he just plays one on the Internet. Since he was a child, Lane has always had a fascination with computer technology. So he writes. Why he then chose to go to Law School is beyond me, but this career choice of his does us good for now. The many words he carefully pens in his daily blog entries are entertaining as well as provocative.

Lane the future famous lawyer has a good handle on down-to-earth kind of activities and he writes in a clear and very readable style. And there is much to read, including some really interesting long entries which you can discover on your own. His use of CSS and PHP adds that nice extra touch to his site. I especially liked his use of random quotes and pictures at the top left of each page. Since the beginning of his blogging days, Lane has gone through a number of style changes which one notices when looking through his archives. I found this a slight distraction (one wonders why he doesn’t take the time to make a single unified theme with his CSS expertise). However, he has settled down as of late and does a good job entertaining us.

On his blog there is also a discussion forum where fellow Bloggers can exchange words of wisdom, archives going back to August 2001, and a link gallery of his favorite blogs and humorous sites. You can even get to know him better by looking through his extensive photo gallery.

So why does Lane refer to his blog as Macaroni? Beats me. I did a search on his site and found only two occurrences of macaroni: “I spend that much in a year on Kraft macaroni and cheese…” (Review of the book ‘Coming into the Country’) and “Today I had macaroni and cheese…” (Monday, April 01, 2002). He probably did that on purpose to confuse posh obnoxious blog reviewers like me. When he reads that I even did a search for macaroni, he will most likely chuckle quietly to himself and feel good about it.

Some day Lane will grow up and finish off the Law School exams in style, allowing him legally to sue others like you and me. Until that time we are relatively safe and can enjoy his work in the comfort of our own homes connected to the Internet. I recommend this site for everyone of all walks of blogging life.Macaroni

I read the intro as instructed at the start of the blog and saw that Wil was in Star Trek. On no, I thought, not a trekkie blog. He promised not that at all, so I read on…. if all else failed there were plenty of links there!!

I was captured right away! This guy is not adverse to poking fun at himself, and came across as being really down to earth! Not what I had expected!! He details the pains of his latest auditions but not in such a way that he came across as bragging. He tells it in such a way that you cannot help but wish Wil luck especially as he had to give up his family break to go to them. He has a passion for PlayStation too and in search of the perfect memory card! He is normal!

I liked the use of the blue menu bars at the sides so you can see the main content way from the links and stuff. There are alot of links that made me feel alittle daunted at first. The design is all Wil’s work, and he has taught himself so as not too have a lame site like other “celebs”! He aimed for a personal site and I think he has achieved this.

The links giving history of Wil is good and makes this the personal site that he aimed for. He also has a page for questions sent in by fans, and it makes for interesting reading, and again makes you feel closer to him. You can find out all you ever wanted to know about Wil here and maybe a few things that would surprise you.

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this site. He does not come across as a celeb, just as a down to earth bloke, like the rest of us, trying to find a way to keep his head above water. I really enjoyed this blog and laughed at him and along with him. I think that anyone that is a Star Trek or Wil fan will be in their element here, or you could be like me, totally oblivious to it all and just enjoy the stories. I may have to beam myself back!! (Sorry Wil, just couldn’t resist it!!)

WIL WHEATON DOT NET