The Weblog Review

Without getting into anything but asthetics, I just want to say, “Thank goodness for a decent looking blog!” Now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, I feel the need to say that my initial reaction to this blog is a sigh of relief. Now, don’t read too much into that statement, because that says nothing for content, which is what these reviews are based on, however, it helps to be able to look at a computer screen for a decent amount of time without getting a headache.

Starting with the archives I come across the reason why the blog was started in the first place. I must admit, it’s one of the most unique reasons by far. I’m glad that it worked out for the author, but you’ll have to read to know what I’m talking about. The entries that I was lucky enough to read are filled with bouts of humor and loads of interest. I found myself reading entry after entry before I realized that so much time had passed and I had a review to write. Though I might want to warn you, the items I found interesting might not be interesting to the masses. That doesn’t mean that it’s not interesting. There are entries that are short, but sweet, leading the reader to the original article. There are others with a commentary that eventually lead up to the original article. The author of the site is extremely funny when the subject calls for funny, and serious when the subject matter calls for serious. This blog is very well written and could easily attract a wide variety of readers.

The design is good. The design is very good. It’s functional, readable, and adjustable for people who might think the font is too small (or too big). The black with the greys and white are easy on the eyes, easy to read, and overall the design helps make the reading a pleasant experience. There are a lot of little things that are slowly becoming part of the norm in blogging, but help make the experience a little bit more pleasant.

Overall this blog is a good read, and an interesting find. I honestly enjoyed my experience at xequa, and the author’s humor, but it might not be what other people are looking for in a blog. You don’t read a lot of personal experiences, however you get the author’s take on various subjects. It’s a good read, without a doubt, but may not be everyone’s cup of tea. I, however, enjoyed it.x e q u a

My first impressions of “Life’s Like This” were very good indeed. She has a nice Movable Type blog and one of those cool template changing gizmos which all the young and fashionable bloggers seem to have nowadays. There were three templates on offer at the time I visited, though it seems like she has just removed a Christmassy one too. All the templates are self-designed, which I thought was impressive, though I did find the pink one a little difficult to read and it was a shame the skinning feature didn’t extend to the archives as well. Still, can’t have everything, I don’t suppose.

The sidebar was full of the usual gubbins found on blogs- blogroll, webrings, an archive calendar and one of those chatboard doohickeys. Also to be found were 100 (and 1) things about me, an “About Me” post and various other things which made it very easy to find out about the author.

So being so impressed with the site design, I moved on to the content, endeavouring to find out whether life really is “like this”. Now without making too many broad sweeping statements, blogging seems to come hard to some people, they have to work at it and never seem to get in to a flow with things somehow. On the other hand, there are people like Tanya where it all comes seems to come very naturally – her posts are never forced or laboured. Her style is witty and personable and her posts are written with an audience in mind- a good example of this can be found here. This made the whole thing a pleasure to read (and to review!)

There are a lot of posts crammed in to the four months of archives too, with two overall themes – personal posts about her kids and husband and links to stuff she found interesting whilst surfing. With the personal posts, we are really let in to her world in glorious detail, the good times and bad with photos to enhance things. I really felt I became part of her life and kids in the time I spent here. For this reason, she has, in a short time, built up quite a community of bloggers who read and comment on her site and who she frequently links to. She even had an “open mic” for a day or two, where anyone was free to add their own entry to the blog- a brave move I thought!

The outside links posts are nearly all “self contained” i.e. there is enough information in the post itself to “get the point”, without having to go off and read the link itself. This is always helpful as links often go out of date quickly, especially news links. There is a fair variety too- witty and funny news stories, quizzes, “character profile” type things and stuff going on at other blogs. I also particularly liked the blog walk she went on- I have not seen that idea before and thought it was great.

Like I say, Tanya is a pro blogger, if ever there was such a term. Anyone starting out who wants to know what the format can offer could do a lot worse than go and take a look and be inspired. I suppose ultimately, anyone who isn’t interested in family life or the overall zeitgeist of the blog may not enjoy it here, but I still say this is a top notch blog nevertheless.
Life’s Like This

This is a very new blog, only active since September 2004. The description reads, “Tuntutuliak is a native Eskimo village in S.W. Alaska. I moved here to teach after four years at Sulzberger Middle School in Philadelphia. I set up this blog just for fun.” Written by David Miller, this blog is a whole new world for the vast majority of us—and also to him. And it’s a wonderful world.

Mr. Miller has recently purchased a digital camera and has posted some absolutely beautiful photos from outside his living room window and other scenes of life in “Tunt.” Even the photos of the Tunt Dump are enchanting. It’s all so crisp and scenic and, of course, his eye for photography is excellent and that makes a difference as well.

Be sure to check out his After the First Week post of things he has learned or noticed after living there only one week. It will truly take you to another place (and it makes you realize how for-granted we take our indoor plumbing systems).

If I were David, I would take advantage of the blogger Spell Check feature because, as a teacher, he shouldn’t be misspelling words like “appriciate.” This is a minor concern, but something I felt should be addressed.

I hope that he continues to post regularly to his blog because it is simply fascinating to look at his new environment from the outside. I can’t wait to see what turns his life in Alaska takes via his posts and also his photos. As one Anonymous poster said, “Most blogs leave me feeling alone. This one doesn’t.” Well said.
To Philly, From Alaska, w/love

Wow. This is going to be fun.

Our Blogger, David Miller is just beginning his adventure as a school teacher in a remote area of Alaska.
His first entry was August 30th and if you go there now, you can catch up and get in on the ground floor of what might become a wonderful place to visit on the net.

This is a Blogspot template with a pale blue background. The two column layout is free of distractions and is already loaded with wonderful images of the town of Tuntutuliak where David will be living and teaching. He has links to pertinent information about teaching in Alaska and the demographics of same. Though one or two of the links were not working at the time of my review.

The writing style is personable and informative without sounding like a travelogue. We took a trip to the dump on the boardwalks that serve as roads through the tundra, and learned that one of the local stores has a slurpy machine and is planning on selling hot dogs soon. That is the extent of the fast food in Tuntutuliak. I am on the edge of my seat to find out more about this place and our author’s experiences. It isn’t often that we are able to get an up close and personal look into such an unusual place. Would that we all had such a rich source of material to blog about!

School has just begun and he is getting to know his students and their parents. He has also attended a computer teacher conference with several other small schools in the district via computer link up. We get a wonderful description of the food that was served at a community potluck, including Eskimo ice cream, whose base ingredient is Crisco shortening. And he has sampled a local tobacco concoction called Iq’mik which was an eye opener for him to say the least.

Since this blog is so new, it’s hard to tell what direction our author will take. Isolation seems to be a major factor in the high teacher turnover in Alaska, perhaps this blog will help him stay connected, and by the number of comments already posted, it’s possible he will have his hands full responding to them. I am giving this site a rating of 4, only because it is so new. It has the potential to become a real stand out blog. Time will tell. As soon as I post this review, I will be adding his blog to my favorites and checking back to see how our fearless author is faring in the tundra of Alaska far, far away.

To Philly, From Alaska, w/love

A-manda Dot Net is an easy-going blog that greets you with a picture of the author (she has one of those faces you cannot help but like) and a Moveable Type template which is a simple white design with black fonts and a nice header.

She has the ever-so-appreciated “about” section, which I personally enjoyed. Manda, the author, manages to give you a humorous impression of herself, what her blog is all about and her current life situation. Her passions include letterboxing and geocaching, she lives with “Baldy” her boyfriend and she just strikes you as that really agreeable type of person. The one who always makes you feel at ease.

She has been blogging since January of this year and her posts are well worth a read. Manda describes random situations like her letterboxing trips, her past addiction to the net, her current hair-style and the way some women’s hips sway when they walk. Her style is amusing, her spelling, accurate (even though she wants a spell checker for entries) and her ideas flow freely, managing to lure the reader into wanting more.

I enjoyed this blog. Whatever daily happenings Manda should post of, they’re sure to make for good reading. This blog is a must to all of those wanting a light-hearted, humorous blog to entertain them.
a-manda [dot net]