The Weblog Review

When I first loaded up this blog, I was impressed with the clean-cut design. The various shades of grey and blue blended in well with the overall site design, which is simple and easy to navigate. I must admit, however, that I was initially surprised by the number of categories that were available to tour. Frankly, I didn’t know where to start.

This hesitation quickly ended when I went through a few of the categories and realized that each is essentially a collection of various links that the author found interesting or intriguing. I found this to be unique to the site in that as you went through the diferent links, you began to form a picture of the author in your mind. As for my picture, I saw a photography-loving, computer-oriented, google-loving person. The site focuses on a broad range of categories, but I found the largest collection of links in the photography and computer-security related areas.

The author’s posts generally consist of articles from other sources, but the blogging is punctuated by occasional messages in specific categories, such as ‘rambling’ or ‘announcements’. I liked how the front page consisted of potpourri of articles from different sections of the site. The gallery is also an interesting part of the site with some very well taken pictures. I would have liked to have seen more of the author – perhaps an about page.

All in all, Lucpher.com is a site I would recommend to those who share the same interests as the author – namely computers in general, web design, and google. Speaking of google, the blog has one of the most detailed collections of links ABOUT Google that I’ve ever seen – an interesting page that I would take a look at when you visit this site. lucpher.com

In my humble opinion, Winnie the Pooh and friends don’t exactly mesh well with Jim Morrison – not at all. But at Steve’s Thoughtful Spot, apparently they do. Just like in the tales of Pooh and his thoughtful spot, the main logo for Steve’s Thoughtful Spot features Pooh at the top of the page. Directly underneath and to the left is a picture of Jim Morrison. Pooh and Morrison are both legendary in their own respects, so perhaps that’s the common bond there.



There’s an awesome “About Steve” section, which can be found by clicking on the link right below Jim Morrison. It’s very thorough and probably one of the more entertaining bits of biographical information I’ve read on a weblog.

Based on strictly content, this weblog is wonderful. Steve had me laughing in every single post. There’s nothing you have to “get” to understand his humor. He’s just flat-out a funny guy. He writes well, and he’s got a terrific way of throwing additional comments into his stories that make you laugh and make the anecdotes seem so real.



Steve makes you laugh with random quotes he’s chosen to put in between posts every so often. And he makes your brain work WHILE you’re laughing when he touches on topics like the dominance of the RIAA or the comparison of bodily excrements to different colors in a Crayola 64 box. It’s REALLY funny stuff here.

Steve’s humor won me over immensely with this weblog, and I have no doubt any reader’s reaction will be that of laughter and sometimes side aches and tears from laughing so hard. Definitely check this one out.

Steve’s Thoughtful Spot

“Sven’s Empire Confidential” is fairly new to the blogging world, though after reading it, I can see it becoming a great blog in the near future.

The site is written by Sven who after I read through the whole site that was available to me, am still unsure who exactly who he is, but that’s fine.

His posts range from tidbits about music to politics, to “rants out loud” as he says. He has categorized his posts on the side bar, which is convenient if there are certain things, which you are specifically interested in. Some posts I found specifically interesting to read, such as one entitled “Interesting Perspective” where he addresses his feelings regarding the blogging community. I also enjoyed the though-provoking quotes he sometimes posts.

One thing I particularly liked about his posts is that he incorporates writing from other sites he reads. Not only does it help to promote other blogs that may go unnoticed, but he also elaborates further from the excerpts to express his own views about the subject at hand.

The layout’s pretty simple. The only graphic is an image in the upper left-hand corner of a waterfall set against a plain, black background. The sidebar contains links to recent posts, other blogs and recent comments posted on his site.

In summary, I enjoyed reading this site and I give it a rating of 3.
Sven’s Empire Confidential

I’m such a big fan of the names of weblogs. That’s usually the key factor that drags me into checking one out, and “Urban Scrawl” just had that catchy, must-see flair for me. After entering it, I noticed that this was a site I’d reviewed only months before and at that time was going by “Demon Blog”. “Urban Scrawl” fits this site much better.

There were very nice resource links to other website that have some extremely helpful tools for the rest of us involved so heavily in webpage or weblog design. And once again, I spent entirely too much time digging around in the games section of the site. I spent a good two hours playing Pac Man, Yahtzee, Tetris, and Mini-golf, so that portion of the site is yet another reason to stick this in your bookmarked sites.

Since the past review, it seems like the good things are still there – the random quotes between each entry, the extensive informational link about the author and the site, definitely the links to the uber-addictive games.

Marcus is a great story teller and because of this gift, it makes each of his weblog entries enjoyable to read. While they may be several paragraphs long at times, they read very quickly and quite conversational. Posting, as of late, has become a little sporadic, but every weblog goes through those stages.

The design of the site is completely the opposite of what it was before. In the previous review, Marcus used black and white to make his design statement. Now, thanks in part to the opening graphic on the site, you’re met with white text on a black graph-type background that gives it a very sleek appearance.

Urban Scrawl was a good site before, and it’s a better site now. The more I read, the more I like. That, at least to me, convinces me that this is a weblog worth coming back to over and over.

Urban Scrawl

A standard Blogger template was the first thing I noticed at Toast and Coffee. Standard templates always give me the first impression that a weblog’s going to be nothing but just that – standard. Toast and Coffee? Not so standard.




Claire’s logic behind putting an outside link in each of her entries is probably the best one I’ve ever seen: “That way, even if *I* don’t have anything to say, I could at least make a link to somewhere where someone *does* have something to say.” I can’t think of a better way to justify doing that!

Fashion, travel, music, plans for future technological advances – what can’t you find to read about with your “Toast and Coffee” every morning? Claire can entertain you quite well, and surely keep your attention with this clever weblog that’s genuinely about her life. From descriptions of the environment surrounding the author to little quips about warning labels on health care products, Claire kept my attention through the entire five months this weblog has been in existence.

The aforementioned layout, while just a regular template, is one of the better ones that can be chosen from. Like many other standard templates, it works well with the site. Colors, navigation, read-ability – it all works well together.

Of course, I would have loved to found an “about” section where I could have learned more about Claire. I found our author to be quite the entertaining individual and would have enjoyed reading what that natural flair for entertainment can be attributed to.

I would visit the site again just to see what else Claire is up to, or what else is being posted from the current “reception area” that’s being used as some office space right now. I’d highly suggest dropping by and hanging around for a few days – to the weblog, not necessarily Claire’s new apartment. I have a really good feeling you’ll like it there.

Toast and Coffee