Month: January 1970

The ‘Ktraveldan Network’ is a brand-new blog, started just two weeks ago by the author, Kim. It’s presented in a simple, two-column layout, with text on a solid blue background. There aren’t many bells or whistles visible — at first glance, the site gives the impression that the author is still fleshing things out.

For more information about Kim and the ‘Ktraveldan Network’, I took a look at the first post, from May 13. From that entry, I learned that Kim is an ‘obsessive’ and prolific writer, working towards getting her work published. Kim also explains that she’s currently a nurse (but likes writing better!), has been writing and journaling offline for over thirty years, and is thrilled to be expanding her audience via the weblog medium. It’s an appropriate intro to Kim’s thoughts and style, if a bit hectic.

Most of Kim’s posts take the form of a story or essay; they range from funny anecdotes to creative fiction to poignant personal recollections. The entries are sizable, and the sheer volume of words contributed in the site’s two weeks of existence is impressive — it’s easy to see that Kim isn’t kidding about writing ‘constantly… and without ceasing’!

As mentioned earlier, there are few features or extras evident on the ‘Ktraveldan Network’ site, apart from lists to previous posts and the archives. Kim lists her email address, but there’s no other way to interact with the author or share thoughts about the content — no comments, trackbacks, message boards, or guestbook here. For a site packed so full with the author’s ideas and thought-provoking stories, interactive options seem like a natural addition. My guess is that Kim simply hasn’t gotten around to such features yet — she’s recently tried out audio posting, so more innovations may be on the way soon.

All in all, I think the ‘Ktraveldan Network’ shows a lot of promise. Kim certainly has the stories — and the enthusiasm — to keep the content fresh and build an appreciative audience. It’s also seems, though, that this weblog is a work in progress at the moment — Kim has found her ‘voice’ through many years of writing, but may not have yet worked out how to get the most from her work in this medium. I’ll be interested to see the direction this site takes in the coming monthes; for now, I give the ‘Ktraveldan Network’ a 3 out of 5.Ktraveldan Network

My first impression of the site was of a competent simple, professional effort. It has white text on a blue background with yellow titles. It looked good. The design was very simple. The name doesn’t suggest much and is not explained anywhere. There are a couple of blog related adverts and a simple previous posts side bar including an archive list. The list of previous posts ran by name and in posted order until you hit one then the archive list is lost and what appeared to be a randomly generated post list appears. This is guess work. I couldn’t really work out what was going on. The link to the latest post didn’t work from this menu despite several attempts at trying.

Kim sets out her agenda in her first post and it makes sense to use her words.
“(She will} attempt to enact essays, stories, speeches, quasi-plays, jokes, profundity, Creative Lyin’ Writin’, photo’s, seriouso observations, MP3’s, and general, overall stuff.”

The site is new, starting on 23 May 2004. The posting is prodigious however. She has posted over 27,000 words in one short week over several posts a day.

She has pretty much kept to her initial list plus some. Homework, amusing anecdotes about her work at a hospital and visits to the dentist and the gym, a eulogy, a patronising view on being homeless, her sons’ attempts at driving and a mix up over Jesus’ real name. Yeshua I believe. I like her punchy and at times vernacular writing style. There are some spelling mistakes, but hey. There was also an audio post which worked well.

She sounds like she is having a lot of fun getting this site together and it is still very much a new venture.

There are no links within posts or the use of a comments facility.

I have to be careful in summing up here as she is very much into the Right to Bear Arms and I don’t think she is referring to a disputed access way to a public house. She has posted a lot in the first week and a lot are long posts. Although a great deal of it is enjoyable, there is no end of words to wade through. I’m not sure I would have bothered if I hadn’t been reviewing the site as much as I enjoyed reading some of it. So my advice would be slow down…. However I think she is interesting enough and skilled enough to make an interesting web log here. I’d give it a 2.5 out of 5 for starters with the impression that things will get better over time.

Ktraveldan Network

Oh dear, a Blogspot template. Really boring. It is dark blue with white lettering. Which is moderately easy to read, but frankly I found the darkness starting to get on my nerves already. But this is a creative writing blog, so I tell myself,it’s not surprising that there is no eye candy.

So okay, who’s the author? Why is the author writing? What’s this blog all about? I found no such answers readily at hand. After I got over my annoyance of having to jump into the deep end of the pool, with nary a hint of where I was or what I was about to experience, I began to read the entries. The first ones I encountered were disjointed and confusing copies of emails to a friend. But as I dug deeper, the storyteller emerged.

The majority of the entries are humorous, and broad humor at that. While fairly well written, there were often sudden leaps that left me thinking, “Did I miss something?” and having to backtrack. Some well-placed punctuation would help this problem in a few instances, but in most, I would say, a willingness to settle down and tell the story without rushing to the next punch line, (Of which there are many, and lots of them are very funny, don’t get me wrong) A little more attention to detail would be a very good thing. I also noticed a tendency to end the story abruptly. A few more final sentences to tie up loose ends would have kept me from ‘readers freefall’.

After reaching the end of the home page, I went back to the top to look at the “Previous Posts” list to see if I had missed anything. When I clicked on a title I was taken to that post, but then a new list of titles appeared on the right of the page that I had not visited. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t care for the way this site is organized. Ease of navigation is big in my book.

I finally stumbled, by accident on what I think is the inaugural post of May 13, 2004. Oh how I wish I had read this first! In it she describes her compulsion to write and desire to share said writings. There is a very amusing imaginary dialog with friends and family members about her starting her blog. It would have been perfect to BEGIN with this post. One thing that we should remember as bloggers, is that if someone stumbles upon your blog while browsing around, you only have a few minutes at most to let them know what the heck is going on at your place. And convince them it’s worth their while to stay and have a look around.

Overall, after recovering from my initial snit, I enjoyed my visit. The quality of the stories varies quite a bit, but I think Kim has a certain storytelling gift. And I will leave you with what was my favorite tale. “Jesus Is On The Bedpan in 306” May 20, 2004. Read it. But I can’t tell you how to GET to it. Just keep clicking on the Previous Posts until it comes up in the menu! I think it’s worth the click and hunt!

Ktraveldan Network

On warning from our beloved leader, Brent, that this was a very adult blog, I immediately went to go and have a look.

I’ll get the preliminaries out of the way first. The look of the blog is very average and is a basic blogspot layout that someone has just hap-hazardly thrown together. The writing (when it occurs) is very immature, childish almost, which is ironic because the introduction to the blog is as follows:

I Started My Own Pay ADULT Site: mikeyandmandy.com, as a Mature not old, Married, and PUBLISHED EROTIC WRITER and with a DESIGN/BRAIN CREATIVE/SUCCESSFUL ARTIST. Strap on the Seat Belts, Puke Bags, Open your Pants, Get it Out, whatever. This is a long, strange, virtua-ride. A dirty little tale, too. Ready Master? Mistress? Whatever?

Riiight. That was written by a published writer, folks. It left me wondering, to be perfectly honest.



Mandy, who I assume is the writer of the blog, gives us fair warning that it’s an adult blog and I suppose it is… if you’re a teenager who is playing hooky from school and can sneak a peek at such things on the computer since mommy isn’t home to tell you off. This reviewer found nothing adult in the blog at all – adult meaning nothing that a mature-minded person who is looking for something naughty to read or look at – which isn’t to say that there’s no naughty bits to be found here. There are. But they’re stupid and not worth the time it takes to download them all.



As you can tell, my first and following impressions of the blog weren’t good ones. I know sex. I know blogs about sex, and I have seen some absolutely exquisite blogs combining sex and blogging (written by other people in the erotica business or by working girls). This blog does not even come close to the quality of those, or at least the quality that any adult would find stimulating (either physically or mentally).



Mandy says in her second entry:

Okay, no bullshit. Nothing about me or this blog is bullshit, well maybe some things. But I’m not gonna misrepresent shit to you guys. Lying is getting worse than horrible these days. The Bush People. PR from stars. Even the manufacturing of Jenna Jameson.
It’s horrible AND boring. Bland. Have you seen the lastest action movie?

There’s a little adage that comes to mind after reading the above, and it goes along the lines of stones and glass houses.

I personally found the blog inane (or, in Mandy’s own words, “bullshit”). I love adult material, and it takes a lot to offend me but rather than being offended or even titillated by the images found on the site. I was bored to tears and wondering why I had wasted my time.

It’s a pity really, because Mandy’s sex life could have been something pretty good, however in order to fix this blog, there needs to be some serious scrapping and starting over from scratch.
Mandy’s Sex Life

Ahh yes. Porn. (pRon)… I didn’t know what to expect when I read ‘Mandy’s Sex Life’ was up for review. I generally don’t associate porn with ‘writing‘ – especially good writing. I was surprised to enjoy most of the adult oriented, crude but intelligent, open, honest and insightful thoughts about sex that Mandy has shared.

The blog is basic looking esthetically with a simple straight forward layout. It is very average in appearance, but this is a blog about ‘sex, smut, raunch, eros’ so the focus is clearly elsewhere. There are quite a few links to site similar to hers, and of course, there are a slew of dirty pictures. Unfortunately, the writing that initially impressed me with this blog is rather spartan and sporadic. The blog is rather new and there are more pictures than text. Mandy shares bits and pieces but seems more inclined to toss a picture up instead of writing a description about her various sexual exploits. Which is a shame, because I’m sure surfers to this site want to read and see what goes on behind the scenes. Blog readers generally like to read and see what is going on…Especially since when she does write, it is well written and engaging copy.

Clearly as an adult site, the mature content isn’t for everyone one: viewer discretion is advised. Mandy has an interesting take on the porn industry claiming, ‘Okay, no bullsh*t. Nothing about me or this blog is bullsh*t, well maybe some things. But I’m not gonna misrepresent sh*t to you guys.’

Mandy’s Sex Life has had an interesting start with her fresh open perspective on sex. I wonder what direction she will take her fiery sexual passion; one way would be to become a reader…
Mandy’s Sex Life