The Weblog Review

First I want to say that I love when people give their opinions and are not afraid to speak their mind. That’s what I got out of reading “Queerly Canadian”. A blog written by Jen who is a lesbian from Canada.

When I first approached her blog, I really didn’t know what to expect. After the page finished loading, I was greeted with your basic, standard blog, but with a touch of color added.But it was A very nice lay-out and very easy to read. Jen has a 2 column page with her entries posted in the center and her links , archives, ect. on the right hand side. She also has an “About Me ” page which I like to see because it tells you a bit more about the author.She has a couple of pics on the right hand side as well.

I started to read her main page, and as I continued to read, I thought to myself, “damn” Jen sounds a lot like me.On her first post on the main page, she was ranting about a woman she had heard/seen on a video who was basically degrading homosexuality.From what I gathered from Jen’s entry, if she doesn’t like an opinion, she will let you know it.She will stand up for what she believes in. As I started digging through her archives, I saw the other side of Jen. She talks about her daughter and the funny things that she says at times for a 5 year old. Those entries brought a smile to my face. On one of her entries , she has a lot of quizzes, which can be really fun.I did notice that she did have a couple of broken links in her archives, but nothing major.

Jen also has a love for music and actually plays guitar. She is a big fan of the “Idigo Girls”. I really enjoyed reading her entries.After you get so far into them, you feel as if you know the real person. If you’ve ever read her entries, you will know what 1 am talking about.

So to sum this all up, I think Jen is a potentially good writer. You can basically understand where she is coming from. Her blog is a good one to visit.Queerly Canadian

Despite the use of various shades of green I found the design of this site instantly appealing, technically speaking it should not work, but there is nothing offensive here. It’s easy on the eye, clear to read and above all quite appealing. There is a brief introduction to the author in the right hand menu, which is continued in more details on this page. I found both interesting and enlightening, and feel they prepared me well for what I would find in the weblog itself.

Guppy Child is a well established weblog, having been in existence since May 2001. The first few posts are as enlightening as the site / author biography – in particular that the site is that of a teen still in high school. But this is no ordinary teen, there is no typical teen lingo here – in fact quite the contrary, what a reader will find here are well written thought out entries which in the main would appeal to a wider audience than the typical teen blog. Sidhe writes very well in fact, and I quickly find myself scanning through her archives with varying levels of interest. I enjoyed her style tremendously, on occasion she writes so well you feel almost as though you are an observer watching the events of her life play out. To say I am impressed by what I read here is an understatement, this is a weblog with real potential for the future.

A straightforward two column template in green with no real design problems. It’s easy on the eye, clear enough to read and navigate, and is individually tailored to suit both it’s author and the content. OK, so green may not be to everyone’s tastes and technically it shouldn’t work as well as it does, but I find the effect quite appealing.

Guppy Child may technically be a teen blog but I firmly believe that it has a much wider appeal than a mere teen audience. Sidhe writes well, her posts are frequently enlightening and eye opening, encompassing the very best of personal journaling online. All in all this is a must read for anyone who appreciates a well written life blog, who is willing to look beyond her age and actually read what she has to say. A glimmer of hope in teen weblogs, a definite 5.0Guppychild.com

Oh boy. Another blog with a cliche name like “All Grown Up?” I wasn’t looking forward to reading this one. However, it was a pleasant surprise. This blog is written by a mom of 5 boys (I know. She’s already a saint in my eyes with just those four words “Mom of 5 boys.” Egad.) It is a pretty blog with a gorgeous black and white photo in the sidebar, a good typeface and nice color scheme. I’m still wondering if she took the photo or if it is her…

It’s a relatively new blog (4 months old at this address, but she used to have a blogspot address/blog which is listed in her sidebar.) Somehow, along the way she got on some spam lists of Free Online Casinos and Free Poker sites, etc. She is inundated with posts from these places. At first, while looking through her archives, I noticed her comments numbered 30, sometimes even more than 40 comments. This is impressive to say the least. Until I went to read them, only to find them to be spammers ‘quotes of wisdom.’ I don’t see how this doesn’t drive her completely insane–especially since she says she is a born again Christian. (I didn’t think Born Agains would take to the gambling stuff too well.)

Her writing is peppered with humor but is pretty standard, personal blogging fare. You can find out some other interesting stuff about her when reading her “100 Things About Me” section. For example she homeschools her boys (again with the saint thing), used to live in Las Vegas, and likes car racing. I enjoyed her 100 Things list a bit more than her posts, honestly. But over all this blog is worth a visit.

All Grown Up?

Ubermondo is a somewhat very confusing site although a very nice looking one. I liked the graphics they chose. The description of the site reads, “The freshest news. The smartest asses.” You have to dig (and dig some more) to find the “Us” in the About Us section. That section starts off with something called a ‘Karma Generator’ (huh?) and then a section on “Banners” with some more confusing prose. Man, I was at a loss. I have no idea what any of this is about. But I kept on trying…

The site is run and “owned by Jennifer and Dieter Randolph, the web’s answer to Jennifer and Jonathan Hart.” This is their wording (from the FAQ—at last! A bit of information to go on!) and refers to the television show “Hart to Hart,” starring Stefanie Powers and Robert Wagner. Funny. They also post this explanation: “ubermondo.com is the geek piazza. No matter who you are, you’re a geek about something… If you’re passionate about something, you’re a geek. Welcome home.” Okay. The site has only been around since August 2004. I’m wondering if it has been confusing people since then?

The site allows anyone who ‘joins’ to post whatever comment or links they’d like, thus adding to the confusion (at least on my part). During the two hours I spent there, other than the 2 owners, I saw very few other people who posted. The site has won 2 awards for things like “best designed or most original site.” I suddenly felt like the most unhip person on the planet the more I read this site.

There is no cohesive subject matter—one minute the post is tongue-in-cheek about the actor Corey Feldman, the next it’s a post about a bald guy’s club in Beijing. And, okay, a ‘humor’ site doesn’t need cohesive subject matter, but it needs cohesion somewhere. Therefore, I suppose after much reading and clicking and head scratching that Ubermondo is designed to be a bulletin board for anyone who wants to post things they find interesting or humorous. (Correct me if I’m wrong, but couldn’t you get your own blog to do that?)

So if you want to read random news clips found at other sites and then posted to this one with some occasional dry humor, this is the place for you.
ubermondo.com/

Miniature wargaming. I have dabbled with this in the past and have always been vaguely interested, but not quite enough to become fully obsessed. The civil war battle in Twin Peaks nearly did it for me; maybe this blog can. I get to the site and it’s… golf. The name was a misnomer. I’m not sure if my first impressions were those of disappointment or not. Golf’s not so bad.

The design is straightforward. Very green, like the greens themselves I guess. There are two side panels chock a block with links. Golf links. There are the usual archives, a calendar that chips you from post to post. A list of recent posts and comments and a list of post categories which I like. There is also a tip jar, where through the use of Pay Pal and the Amazon honour system, you can fund this golf-athon. I didn’t.

There is an about me section which introduces Mr Retzer and nothing much more except to note another interest, miniature wargaming. Perhaps there is another web log out there devoted to such. However back to the subject at hand, Mr Retzer wishes to become a gizmodo of golf… a Svengali perhaps? So how does he fare?

There is a comments facility, a good use of pictures and links from the posts to articles and helpful tips and advice. He makes an extensive use of the BBC Golf and PGAtour.com sites.

The archives only date back to March this year but I get the feeling the author has been writing a tad longer than that. He covers a wide spectrum of the golfing universe in his posts. He hits the greens, bunkers, fairway and rough in a hotchpotch of golfing related subject areas. His writing style is uncomplicated and effective.

He regales us with tales of his own experience of both playing and preparing for the game. He wants to score under eighty. Good luck to you sir. He also avails us of news and reviews of new, good value and innovative golfing products. There has been an ongoing Saturday serial where he posts a chapter from a golfing related book. At the moment we are being treated to P G Wodehouse. Not entirely to my taste and I do prefer to read books for long passages.

We are also kept up to date with latest major championships news and the trials and tribulations of some of the world’s more famous players. He champions the case of John Daly, a fellow traveller, which I applaud whole heartedly. Some of the historic links don’t work as the links he uses move on to the current tournament.

On the whole I think the author is playing off a good handicap. I enjoyed my unexpected foray into the world of golf. It is a well written and well presented web log. Golfing enthusiasts will love it. A four out of five.

Miniature Wargaming