The Weblog Review

When I first entered into this site I was pleased with what I saw, a nicely laid out piece of work that was appealing to the eye and not cluttered. The menu system is nicely placed up the top and out of the way while the blog itself runs neatly through the size of the browser window with a link column, alphabetically placed on the left. I rubbed my hands with glee thinking how sweet it will be to review this site, Fireballs & Tsunami.



I then read the blog and found myself scratching my head to make sense out of it all, not that it was hard to read or poorly written, its just that it seemed a little too vague, as if I wasn’t sure what exactly was going on. I decided that to be fair it was only possible to really give an accurate review was to hit the archive section, perhaps it would enlighten me how I was suppose to interpret the latest posts. After reading through it again I understood that the weblog was pretty much focused around the pictures taken by the author Jennifer and when I say pictures I mean a truckload of pictures. If anything it gave an interesting twist on weblogs, and I actually really enjoyed going through all the posts to date. Everything from a picture of Jennifer’s study books to an interesting tree, each picture told a different thought or story, something I hadn’t come across on the net before.



I did however find myself wondering how slow this site would take to load without my T1 connection? Any site with numerous pictures and images will always be pleasant to someone with a respectable internet connection, however to the average user with a dial up they become some what of a waste of time. Archiving between posts more often would probably be the way to go here, breaking up large downloading time into small fragments would make everyone a lot happier. Having a link back to the weblog once you go somewhere else on the site would have been nice, though I did find it on the image of the author, a bit hidden away for my liking, but no big deal.



The site has plenty to offer, film reviews, concert information, a stack load of links and yes, even some jokes, its more then enough to keep you stuck to the screen for a decent while. With plenty of pictures to scroll through its more than likely this weblog will be more appealing then your average Joe blog site, though perhaps sometimes it can be a tad over done.



To sum it up there really isn’t too much wrong with Fireballs & Tsunami, its interesting to read and really puts a different spin on weblogs in general. I personal urge any weblog fan to have a look and see if this style is something you either love or hate, I personally found it refreshing and give it the big thumbs up. I give Fireball & Tsunami a hearty 3.5 out of 5. Top notch stuff.

fireballs & tsunami by Jennifer Piston

When I chose to review this site and saw that it was a “Blogspot” site, I expected it to be about average — in all honesty, sort of like my own site. Yeah, I play around with design and I update pretty often, but I always figured the best Weblogs belonged to those who owned their own domain names. Wrong!



“life as it happens” stuck out right away because its design was clean, catchy, and it made you want to read further. Besides the title, the first text you see is a quote: “On the Web, everyone is famous to fifteen people,” attributed to Dave Weinberger. I liked that right away — and I knew then that I wasn’t reading a blog written by someone who hoped for everlasting Internet fame.



The content of “life as it happens” is good. It’s easy to follow, it’s not written to sound like someone trying to be “deep,” which is a personal pet peeve of mine, and it’s exactly what it proclaims to be — life, as it happens. The entries are spiced up with titles and small icons (I especially liked the entry titled “Caught in a trap,” with a tiny bleach bottle leading it off, that went on to talk about drain problems in the sink). The author, Rodney Breen, an “Irishman living in the UK” as he describes himself, is witty without trying too hard, and a really great piece of writing is his “Infrequently Asked Questions,” in which he involves himself in a somewhat trivial but no less informative discourse. Finally, according to Rod himself, the purpose of the journal is just to write, to entertain and to have fun — and I see every evidence that Mr. Breen has done just that.



Simply put, there are no problems at all with the design of “life as it happens” — at least not that I saw. Everything ties together well, the design helps the content without going too far and distracting from it, and all of the links not only work, but include some description beyond the title, so that you’re not floating in link never-never-land, which is a feature I certainly appreciate.



One great added feature appears under “Why write this?” in which the author answers the above question. He gives a list of tips for Bloggers, and he sums it up with what I consider the most important advice of all — have fun. There’s no sense blogging when your only purpose is to start a flame war, and Rod obviously realizes that. He wants to have fun, and he encourages others to do the same.



A second great feature is his journal, which is separate from his weblog and contains longer pieces he’s written. It’s great — the pieces are insightful and well-written, and breaking them out into a separate section not only gives them the recognition they deserve but allows his blog to flow as a series of short but still interesting posts that “go together” much better without the longer discourses woven in.



A final treat is the online novel, “Hurdy Gurdy,” which I wish he’d finish. It may not be the Great American Novel, but it’s honest and full of the same clear writing that marks “life as it happens.”



This site certainly is worth visiting; although there are no revolutionary or even particularly exciting events discussed, there is something to appeal to everyone over about 16. If nothing else, look to it as an idea of what a blog can be — simple, not too complicated, but all the better for it.life as it happens

This is the group blog section of a
site for self-titled “Alt-Rock-Worship-
Emo-Punk” band Dead Yet Living.

The main logo changes every time
you visit the site, and clicking on it
takes you to a site that somehow
relates to the picture. This is a clever
if not entirely useful feature, but I did
learn a lot about historic cow-milking
machines(?).

The layout is simple and easy to
read; black text on a white
background. A picture of the writer
accompanies each post, which is
always a nice feature, I think. As is
the extensive “Staff Profiles” section,
where you can learn a lot more about
all of the staff at Dead Yet Living. As
an example of a group blog well
executed, this really is very good.

The posters basically write about
their lives, with a focus on how they
are affected by their religion.
Because Dead yet Living are a
Christian band, and they never let
you forget it. If phrases like “praise
the Lord” and “growing closer to
God” make you want to go out and
nail someone to a cross, avoid this
site at all costs. Otherwise, it is
eminently readable and enjoyable.
Especially, I would assume, for
fellow Christians or those interested
in religious discussion.

I couldn’t finish this review without
mentioning the band’s music. I
followed the link to their page at
mp3.com and checked out the first
three songs. The style reminded me
very much of early mxpx or blink182
(think cheshire cat). If this is your
bag, and you don’t mind the constant
biblical references, then check out
Dead Yet Living: “Rockin’ out for
God’s glory”.Dead Yet Living

Ben Domenech Online is the kind of site I surf the web for: it has information, entertainment, and an interesting perspective. It is a regular on my surf list and I highly recommend you check it out.


Ben is a bit of a “young Turk” on the web. Despite being a college student at William and Mary, Ben manages to write articles for a variety of web publications ranging from the National Review to Boundless and the New York Press. What is interesting about Ben’s writing is the wide range of subjects encountered. He deals with politics (Ben is very knowledgeable about politics, from local Virginia issues to national policy debates), religion and faith, culture, sports, comics, online journalism, technology, and whatever else interests him. This is not just some “wunderkind” playing journalist but an interesting and sharp mind raising and discussing issues. He comes at most issues from a conservative perspective but is not easy to pigeonhole. He is not one simply to let off steam with a stream of invective or to use ad hominum attacks to justify his position. When he raises serious issues he takes them seriously. He does, however, often simply note good material and where to find it. This is a classic blog: useful links with enough personal comments and opinion to give it a unique flavor and perspective.


The site has many of the common side links which list Ben’s bio, published articles, etc. But an indication that Ben is above average is the link “procrastinate.” This link will allow you to play the classic arcade game Asteroids – or UFO attack if you prefer which may not raise your productivity but is a heck of a lot of fun when work or school seems unattractive. Ben also has a long list of other great blogs humorously categorized by movie titles. He also provides a good list of online media sources for reference. The site design is clean and readable and all of the links function properly (although the “journal” link seems stale).


In summary, if you are interested in popular culture, current events, politics, etc. or just enjoy a fresh perspective from a young but intelligent writer check out Ben Domemech online.Ben Domenech Online

So you see, there is this Teddy Bear, yes you heard me right, that stuffed animal we all love and cherish. This cute adorable Teddy Bear gets sent all over the place, in fact it is now making its way across the world as I pen these very words of wisdom. You see, Teddy started out from way far away in Scarborough England, and he has made a perilous journey across the Atlantic Ocean to Ohio, Oregon, Texas. He is now resting for a time in Vermont. Teddy is coming and going.



On the weblog you can see proof of these travels in the form of lots of pictures. There is Teddy sitting down, there he is wearing a cute straw hat, and there he is again with Winnie the Pooh in has lap! Teddy is very photogenic for a stuffed animal. There are even more of these kinds of action photos for your pleasure. In various poses and positions, very cute. That is, if you are really into Teddy Bears you might like this site. This weblog is part of a webring dedicated to postal workers all over the world. Let’s reward these hard working folks by sending them Teddy Bears.



If you find this confusing because you speak another language, no problem, just click on one of the links to get the site translated into German, Portuguese, French or Spanish. If your mother tongue is something else, do not worry because more than likely you understand the universal Teddy Bear language. For each hotspot in the world, there is a link that brings up a short report about his adventures there with more pictures as proof. There is even a map of the world showing where Teddy has been.



Would you like to have a Teddy Bear sent to you? If so, then you can sign yourself up on a list, but you have to be a postal worker. Sorry to let you down, but those are the rules. Believe it or not, there are already no less than ten enthusiastic people out their just dying to get their hands on this cuddly little furry creature, take pictures of him.



I was letdown a little that there wasn’t more to read about, something deeper. Triggered by the pictures, I was hoping that there was some more depth, witticism or whatever. But I do not believe that that was the purpose of this place. I was easily bored, but that is because my interests lie elsewhere. Maybe I am just limited.



For a weblog you could say this provides an original idea. There is potential, but as far as weblog entries are concerned, and the actual content, there is not that much new and exciting. Sorry if I am offending all you Teddy Bear lovers out there. That is the farthest thing from my mind right now. But I feel you could even go so far as to say this is a little boring. Unless of course you like Teddy Bears, like them alot. If not then I am afraid this weblog is not for you. Maybe in a year or two when Teddy Bear has traversed the Earth more, collected a long list of exotic places, crisscrossing the world, the weblog will be more impressive.Isabella’s Teddy’s Travels.