Month: January 1970

You will have to excuse me… my head is spinning. I have just spent a good solid hour (or was it two?) at MOM & Pop Culture. I think I need a beer. And I don’t even drink.

The page opens to a colorful repeating photo of our Mom and her kids. It’s cheerful, it’s cute. But what unfolds in the pages of this site will boggle your blog world. The page sports my least favorite three column layout. It is well organized but contains a dizzying array of links. Excess linkage is one of my pet peeves. But I know I may be in the minority here.

I have yet to encounter such an overachieving blogger in all my (admittedly short) weblog reviewing career. There is an About page which includes this statement: “I am a freelance writer and independent filmmaker and a mother of two (Olivia and Jared) and married to Mike for almost ten years. I live and work in suburban, New Jersey”, Then there is a list of “100 things about me” that I read in full.

I dived into the deep end of the blog and began reading the most recent posts. Our author writes on a variety of things that pique her interest. And she has many interests let me tell you! She writes often and at length. Her writing style is witty and irreverent and she gets her point across…. whether it is about Shrek II or Move On.org.

In one entry she describes herself, tongue in cheek thusly:

“Official Representative for Blogging Feminist Parents Obsessed with Pop Culture.”

She writes articles for at least two webzines that I found.(There may be more). “Literary Mama”, and “The Imperfect Parent”. She has a link to her filmaking web site “Olive Jar Films”. And if this was not enough, she is editor and publisher of her own webzine, “The Philosophical Mother”.

If you are looking for a feminist and liberal view of the world, this is your destination blog.
One has to admire this much creative energy. Although to be honest, I found the overabundance of linkage and information a bit overpowering. But being the more subtle type myself, I cannot speak for the general public.

Check it out and see what you think.

MOM & Pop Culture

MOM & Pop Culture. Here’s hoping that’s popular music and not another family blog. I got to the site and my hopes are dashed. It is another parenthood web log. But maybe with a difference; this mom has a life. She is a writer and a filmmaker, so with a lighter heart I plunge into the subject matter at hand.

The site looks cool. It has a nice banner and a good colour scheme with easy to read text. The banner acts as a home page icon which is helpful when travelling around the site. There are left and right hand panels with the perfunctory about me, contact, links to other related blogs, women film sites, recent post and comments, archives and her writing. There is a link to another web site she runs… The Philosophical Mother.

The web log has archives from December 2003 although she has been blogging in a previous incarnation since May 2003. There is a comments facility which is well used and links throughout her posts. Some didn’t function initially, but on rechecking most checked out okay. They open in the same window; I prefer it the other way.

Lizbeth, ‘tis she that authors this blog, is thirty something, married ten years and the mommie of a female eight and a male five. There is also a canine who has been christened Elvis.

Her writing is excellent. I like her style and her posts are interestingly laid out and the pace and depth of her prose leads to an enjoying read. Despite my misgivings the content of her posts is varied enough to prove interesting. Its not all mewling and puking and the chores of parenthood. Indeed she often manages to lift the chronicling of the path of parenthood from the usual tedious drudgery. It bodes well for The Philosophical Mother.

Her film making and the emotions tied up in the process thereof are well worth a read. Indeed I intend to bookmark the site and return from time to time to follow this process through.

She also comments on a variety of hot topics and trivia. She often has a reasonably argued point of view. I rarely agreed with her but that makes for engaging reading. Us lone male parents kinda get a little miffed at the whole “wonderful mother womb” thing.

I was particularly fond of her piece on the ending of the Sex and the City TV show, some stereotypes of motherhood and a whiny self pitying take on “why its so awful that girls have to pee the way they do.” Why do folk always blame others?

On the downside I can’t abide the “parenting is so…” angle or the “New York is so…” angle and the “as an artist I should contribute to the 9/11 thing” angle. Why do some people think their experience of bringing up children and loving their home town is so unique and priceless? Let the dead bury the dead.

Also let Bob, Britney and Courtney alone. If he wants to flog underwear, she wants to get fat and she wants to be mental; let them be and anyone who likes Harry Potter… well.

I enjoyed this review. The blog is well written, varied and interesting. Lizbeth engaged and enraged and had me agreeing with her on one or two occasions. I will be popping back to keep up to date with her film making. A deserved four out of five.MOM & Pop Culture

Before even opening this site the title intrigued me, if only because the word “MOM” was capitalized while the word “pop” was not. Then I opened it.

Woh! Holy bright colors Batman!! Who threw up the neon? I expected to find a lot of political, social, and worldly events deeply discussed in a blog that appears to be controlled by an author who experienced the 50’s or 60’s. Let’s just say I was interested, yet afraid, to find out what this bright bomb held for my viewing eyes.

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. I usually avoid “political” type blogs. I would rather decipher the skid marks on underwear, but this lady has a way with words. She makes even the most mundane and boring political event bring out a chuckle in even the most anti-political types (like me.) She even made some sense out of a few things that were perplexing to me, as far as the political fields are concerned.

This woman has a way with words. In one breath you’re likely to get a whiff of political action, current events, and family life. This woman covers it all with a humor that is low key, yet apparent.

She is a freelance writer, an independent film maker, and a mother of two. Yes, she does have stories to tell and a unique way of getting them across. This blog doesn’t settle on one topic, or fall into one category. The author appears to let her writing take her wherever it chooses and both she and the reader seem to benefit from this course of action.

The design fails to do the written word justice, but I think the written word takes precedence above and beyond all else in all matters pertaining to blogging. The header isn’t exactly centered, but oh well. I like the personal touch of the pictures at the top and the colors do wake you up. The site is easy to navigate and it’s not too cluttered. The design is mediocre at best, but the writing more than makes up for it.

There aren’t a lot of bells or whistles, but again, I think the main focal point of this blog is the writing. There is a very informative “About Me” section that didn’t bore me to tears, gave me some much needed background on the author, and gave me a good starting point. She does tend to spice things up with the periodical graphic, which is a nice touch.

All in all, this blog isn’t much to look at visually, but once you dive into what the author is saying, the rest doesn’t really matter. This MOM really dishes the pop culture, and then some. You don’t have to be a wife and mother to “get” this blog, but it would definitely help. Although there are many facets to this woman’s life, it is apparent that she is first a wife and a mother and then everything else. However, there is so much to be found and so much ground covered that there is something for everyone here. It may not become a daily read, but you’re sure to get a laugh or two out of the deal.

MOM & Pop Culture

For some reason, I found myself smiling upon entering Shok’s blog. It could be that the “about” section in his sidebar is funny or that he earnestly discloses the purpose of his blog with a quote from the Big Kahuna, whatever the reason, I got a good feeling from this first impression.

The template is a standard blogspot template, blue-beige, nothing fancy, but easy on the eyes. His sidebar is crammed with add-ons, such as java script calendars, tic-tac-toe games, buttons, links to articles from several magazines, a calculator, etc. He has so many add-ons; it does get a little confusing.

Shok is a middle-aged man of the Christian faith (an ex-pastor), married with kids. His “about” section lists a series of his personal tastes, hobbies and other information, which on a blog, is always appreciated. The way Shok describes himself is witty and really does make you warm up to him. Especially after reading some of his early posts from May 2003. He tells us of his pastoring years, the effect this had on his family, the loss of a friend due to ministry pressure and where he’s at now. These early posts are earnest and touching. There’s also a highlight where he speaks of Jesus’ ethnicity which is very amusing, I must say this post is one of the best I’ve read anywhere on the Internet so far.

The rest of his posts, range from personal experiences to quotes to one-liners, to recipes, to articles he’s read or just headlines, to pictures, etc., etc. There is no pattern I could find in the way he posted or the topics he deals with; however this doesn’t stop the blog from being interesting.

Shok is at his best when he speaks of his life, his views on religion or when he posts a good quote or two. Some of the other posts that deal with headlines (and only that) or a posted image but no real information as to what the image entails, are a bit obscure in comparison.

Overall, I like this blog. I like the fact that Shok is a man of principles and I appreciate his earnesty. He’s one of those bloggers you cannot help but like. If he could get the sidebar rearranged and post on those subjects where he’s at his best, then it would be one very good blog. For the time being, I will add Shok to my list of favorites and see what’s up with him every once in a while.

Shok the German … Schoch

The title didn’t have me brimming with enthusiasm for this review. Predictable. I then got to the site and it was pink. Oh dear. The welcome statement didn’t indicate that my first impressions were at all wrong. “For those looking for something deep and meaningful, you may want to look elsewhere.” Help.

But hold on you highbrow snob, be objective here.

As well as being pink the design just really doesn’t do it for me. The blog is in the www.deardiary.net format. The first one I have come across and I hope the last. I didn’t get on with it at all well. It just doesn’t look right – whatever right may or may not be, this ain’t it.

The first entry was December 2001 but the archives (index) only allow you to get to August 2003. There is an extended upper panel which allows you to move around the site. I found this journeying difficult and cumbersome. There was also a left side panel with some links to a dictionary, a translator and some drums corps bits and pieces. There are links to her brother’s and sister in law’s sites which are also using this deardiary thing. Allimom and I come from very different mystical spheres…

There are links and a comments facility which you can “show” or “hide”. This is used often and folk appear to be engaged in allimom’s world.

So to the posts. Was I gonna be surprised? Unfortunately no. Allimom writes about her world as a wife and mother. Domesticity and errand running. The trials and tribulations of bringing up three kids with ADHD. Attention deficit disorder in which hyperactivity is present. Blimey… I have an opinion here which I’m gonna skip right over. Hubby was and is (?) a soldier and well behaved (in a moral sense) drunk. He is also a genius…

“Son, what happened last night?”

“Well Dad, you came home after 3 A.M., drunk and delirious. You broke some furniture, puked in the hallway, and gave yourself a black eye when you stumbled into the door.”

Confused, Joe asks, “So, why is everything in order and so clean, and breakfast is on the table waiting for me?”

“Oh, that”, his son replies. “Mom dragged you to the bedroom, and when she tried to take your pants off, you said, “Lady, leave me alone, I’m married.”

The posts really do nothing more than catalogue life in the nuclear family and how that might make a girl feel. Mostly it causes her to threaten to reach for duct tape to stifle her children further than the medication she gives them does. Her brother, father and chocolate also come in the picture from time to time. Brother is a gun lover. Sheeks ;(

The final indignity for me is the constant haunting presence of Mr Wolverine Van Helsing smiling above a row of well built fireman and a couple of Dalmatians. Every page??? Why??? I know certain women have this thing for a “famous hunk.” What does this fantasy do for their mental health?

I am gonna give the site one and a half out of five because she does write well and it does seem to hold some interest for fellow travellers of the “being a mum and having a family” thing. Warning: if you’re not one for hanging over the back fence detailing the minutia of your life steer clear – my pink half of the drainpipe separates me from you…A Day In The Life