Author: admin

Cheshire Cat Correspondence… That is an interesting name for a blog. First thoughts are some sort of old news paper type feel for it as I remember in history class a lot of old news papers being called _____ Correspondence.

My initial thoughts were not that far off surprisingly. The weblog is filled with reviews of old publications, facts of the old, and other things similar. Of course there are the random Sim City and The Sims posts which livened it up a bit.

For me, it took a while to actually figure out what was going on with the weblog. This is something that could easily be resolved with an about section: specifically about the goal of the site. After nearly three months worth of posts I finally got the point; to inform us about things from our past. The weblog, for the most part, is one big history lesson.

The design of the site is a blogger template, specifically the colored boxes one. I hate this template. No one ever seems to utilize the template fully, and it is way to popular. The design does not complement the site at all, which is a downer. I don’t mind when people use templates because we all cannot be designers, but please chose a template that works with the site, and not against it.

That said about the design, we have the blog. I am giving this blog 2.5 out of 5 for a couple reasons. 1. I did not understand the site when I first visited. 2. There was no about section to help me get the blog. 3. The template chosen really does not help the blog at all. However, the good part about the blog is it is original. I have yet to see any other site that goes through as much detail and history about publications, let alone history in general. If you like history and facts and that sort of thing, this is your gold mine. For me, it was not.
Cheshire Cat Correspondence

Who hasn’t seemed to have eBayFEVER at some point in their life? I know I have. The author’s got the fever for the flavor of eBay, and he’s not afraid to throw all of his tips, pointers, and advice into the public eye.

eBayFEVER.com is best described on its “about” link that can be found on the sidebar menu: it’s an “eBay themed BLOG with the intent of covering interesting eBay news items, unique auctions and serve as a educational tool for people to learn about the scams being carried out on eBay”. Reading through the site, I found that it was exactly as the description made it out to be.

The site layout is adequate as far as functionality and ease of navigation is concerned. There are several tools and links splashed all about – a search area for items on eBay, different links to affiliates the author is signed up through, and some features auctions on the main splash page. The site is still relatively new, having only been archived since the beginning of June, but it’s certainly off to a helpful and good start.

The author does a great job of explaining each link or news article he provides us with, knowing that some more detailed explanation might need to be provided in order for the average web surfer to completely understand the topic at hand. The articles are very well written, and easy to understand. The author’s in depth experience of using eBay – both buying and selling – gives him a wonderful amount of credibility and know-how when it comes to his writing. His knack of putting multiple paragraphs together without sounding like he’s rambling is greatly appreciated. It’s just an all-around, easy to read site.

This site is both helpful towards those involved in eBay or thinking about throwing their hat into the online auction ring, and also to those that just like to keep abreast on the news of all the different dot com businesses out there. I can see this site being added to any list of bookmarks that might belong to someone who plans on hitting it big on eBay.eBayFEVER.com

I had no clue what to expect with this blog before I read it. My best guess is that it is a personal blog with some flair and what have you. That is mostly true.

The blog is short. Very short. Posts go all the way back to the end of May and there aren’t any for the current month. He talks mainly about what is going on with him, and doesn’t link to anything outside in his blog.

On the better side of the blog is the rest of the site. There is an active forum which you can partake in, a download section, and pictures. Nothing really stands out in this section as a must see, but it is better than the weblog itself.

The design of the blog is just your one column layout with a horizontal navigation bar at the top. The only good part of the design is the original graphic at the top of the site.

I am not exactly sure what is going on with this site. It hasn’t been updated in a long time, and the posts are very few and far between. An interesting thing to note is that he posts his stats and has stats all the way back to February, but the blog started in May. If the author decides to really put forth the time and energy for blogging, I will gladly re-review this site. Until then, it gets the low score of 1.5 for not doing much of anything.
extulas.com

Want a spiritual journey mixed with hearts and blessings and flowers and beauty and philosophy? Then this blog is for you. This is a very new blog with barely enough entries for a proper review but… I felt I had a strong feel for the direction Indigo is heading rather quickly.

The site is pretty standard in appearance and has the occasional photo tossed in. It functions like a standard blog site and has commenting options. (Which didn’t appear to be getting much play…) 🙁

It was an interesting read. A different perspective than I would normally read (or would choose to read). Indigo is spiritual, philosophical and has some interesting opinions, such as these:

I couldn’t resist this one (since it mentions us bitter bloggers):

Yet I spend hours surfing to find one single blog that has something positive to say. I believe in pragmatic optimism. Experience has taught me that when forced to make a choice with imperfect information the more optimistic choice will usually lead to better outcomes. That is the choice that spurs me to action and doesn’t let me give up until I achieve my objective.

Whine, whine, whine. Why don’t the pessimists get up off their butts (and buts) and go do something? What, are they waiting for someone else to improve the situation and save the world? Well if someone does, it will definitely be an optimist.

Waxes on life:

What do you need to feel good about your life, not by the world’s standards, but by your own? Who did you choose human life so that you might become? Enjoying your life depends absolutely on being who you came to be and doing what you choose to do from the deepest point of your self.

Comments on poor old Dubya:

“Just let me say I can’t even bear to look at my current president. Whenever he comes on TV I have to change the station.”

On Bullfrogs (or Sleep takers in this case):

“On a personal note, I am happy to report that I hunted down the bullfrogs that have been keeping me awake at night. I caught one with a net and relocated him to a creek about 150 yards away. Since frogs don’t move more than 50 yards from where they are born in their lifetimes, he will likely never come back. I chased two others, but they escaped into the thickest part of the garden. Fine – they didn’t make noise all night at least and I got the first full night of sleep in almost a week.

Let this be a word to city folk. Frogs are only a pleasant nighttime serenade when they are at least 100 yards away. When they are in a pond in front of a glass wall to your house they are TORTURE.”

Overall a decent blog. Not my cup of tea personally, but certainly warrants a look by the more spiritual among us. “ I am sure of my purpose, and watch attentively as God unfolds it. The mission is to be lived, not accomplished. And I am ready to live it.” You go!
Indigo Ocean

From the beginning of reading Indigo Ocean, you get the impression of the blogger as one that is very spiritually minded. While this is present throughout her writing, you certainly never get beat on the head with it.

The design itself was simple. Not too loud or obnoxious, but certainly not a place to go for eye candy. It’s seems to be more of a personal blog, that’s opening up her world for the rest of us to view, if we choose. The blog has only been around for about a month or so, so there wasn’t much in the way of archives. Though from what I read, the feel of this blog is one that will give you insight into the writer’s personal feelings – not in such a way that she preaches – but the more you read, the more you’ll certainly begin to learn about the person you’re reading about.

Overall, I thought it was a good blog. It’s the type of place you’d visit if you want to more about the reader’s trip to Bali (visit the site, click on the e-book link) or if you find yourself wandering and wanting to check out what other people are doing. Its not however, the kind of personal site with long, ranting babblings on the world at large. It’s more reserved and dignified than that.

I rated a 2, because while there was nothing “bad” about it, I didn’t find anything particularly exciting about the site. Of course, this is no reflection on the site or the author itself. But as a casual reader, I saw little to keep me there, other than the fact that I was reading to do a review.
Indigo Ocean