Author: admin

I checked in to Originalism to be greeted by a fairly smart looking blog. There were two, (yes, TWO!) title bar pictures, which threw me a bit, but they were nice pictures so I let it go and moved on. There is also a close up of the author staring out of the screen halfway down the side bar, which is a little unnerving to say the least.

This is a “Modblog” blog which is a system I have never come across before, so I am not sure how much of the site’s appearance to credit to the author and how much to the system itself. Having said that, the author is a programmer, so I figure he has done a lot of the work himself. Either way, the site looks great- has a nice colour scheme and the already referred to title pictures. There is also a photo album to be had, a memo board message type thing, a poll in the sidebar and various other bumph, which is presumably supplied as standard. My only gripe with the way the site is put together is that the archives can only be scrolled through 10 entries at a time. As the author only started blogging in July, it currently takes 30 seconds to find the beginning of the blog, but in time this could become a major pain in the arse. Also, the “About Me” page is not very revealing, but I could see the humour behind the terse information supplied.

With regards to the content, I can only really comment on the entries going back to 11th August as I became rather engrossed in what was written up until this point and I need to go to bed sometime tonight. It is safe to deduce from this that here is a prolific blogger, whose the entries are often quite verbose. Most entries are laced with photographs – some taken by the author, which are always tasteful and brighten things up somewhat. The writing style is one of those effortless, witty, intelligent styles which I seem to come across more and more in blogging and is absolutely made for casual browsing and having a laugh. Posts are pretty much along the lines of some personal stories, witty observations and random pop-philosophy. Some made me laugh out loud, some made me think, but to be honest there isn’t much of huge weight or depth here, beyond opinions for the sake of opinions. In fact halfway through I was left with a vague gnawing feeling of “what’s the point?” Yeah I know we are talking about blogs here and if we start requesting that they have a point in order to get a respectable review score then we may as well all pack up and go home. However, this blog seems more pointless than most somehow, beyond having a bit of a laugh and seeing a few pretty pics.

I would have given this blog a lower score befitting of the category “3.5 – Site is above average. Has a few perks, nothing too interesting that you can’t find elsewhere” but I bumped it up a notch because the author seems like a nice bloke, his entries are all of an affable nature and there is little to be offended by here. Not sure if it will hold the interest of many people outside of his blogging community though for long periods of time.
Originalism

When I first heard the title “The Transplant”, I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to touch this blog to be honest. Call me crazy, paranoid, etc., but when I hear the word “transplant”, the first thing I think of is the transplant of human organs. With that being said, I have a very weak stomach and I wasn’t sure if I would be seeing photo’s of that type of thing on this blog.

But don’t let the title fool you. To my relief, the author is just a person writing about such things as books, movies, neighbors, etc.

“The Transplant”, is still a very fresh site from what I gather. The archives only date back to June 21, 2004. The months seem to be filled with a lot of posts, but still I was kind of surprised to realize that it didn’t take me all that long to read the entire blog. Well at least, not as long as I had expected. The reason for that is probably because a lot of the posts consisted of one and two liners.

The posts consists of various topics as stated earlier in this review. It is basically nothing that you can’t find on any other blog/website. I know very little about the author except that the author is from “Seattle”, and that the blog is basically a hobby. I arrived at that conclusion when the author wrote the following in the “About Me” section.

In other words, I have not a single reason for a website, aside from reading to myself my very own words. Fodder for the ego. My very own hyperreal self. (***Pats on the back.****)

I just couldn’t feel the entries (so to speak). The blog just wasn’t for me. I went straight through the blog. There were some posts I even read a second time, basically to see if they could peak my interest. But it just didn’t happen.

The design of the page is very clean . It has a 3 column lay-out with the posts in the middle and links on both sides. It really has a fresh look to it. On the right hand side, he has links of books with a photo of each one and the title written below the photo. He has done the same for music cd’s he enjoyed. In my opinion, I thought this was a nice touch. Even though I did not enjoy the entries like I hoped I would, the writing was very neat and very easy to read. He also has links in the middle of several of his posts.

In conclusion with the review,I liked the design more than the entries. Maybe what I thought was boring, others may find interesting. Everyone has different taste, and their own opinion.The Transplant

On first glance, this blog looks like a whole lot of fun. The colors are eye appealing and not your typical blog-fare, which is nice to see. I really enjoy the banner, the term “originalism” and the other sayings incorporated into the design. I get a feeling I’m going to be hit with politics due to the first entry, but I’m hoping there is more to read than that. This site appears to have it all. There’s a poll, the obligatory linking, and a photo gallery. It also appears as if the author, Jeremy, incorporates graphics into his entries on a consistent basis. On first glance, this blog looks like it has it all, I’m just hoping part of that includes decent writing to go along with a great looking site.

This man writes beautifully. He is philosophical and humorous in the same breath. He uses compound words and complex sentences. He takes a situation at looks at it from many different angles. You can almost see the thought process go through his mind as you read his words. Jeremy leads you through his current events as well as dives into some of the more interesting aspects of his childhood. Chewy milk? Ewww. Now how many blogs can describe milk so dead on that it churns your stomach? Not only that, but the man used the word “colloquially” and he used it in the right context! He not only writes smart, but I have a feeling he IS smart!

Jeremy Neal makes you think with some of his entries, laugh with others, and wonder where he’ll take you next. Maybe it will be to the store where they will not allow him to park his car because it isn’t “good enough”, maybe on one of the cub scout excursions that he experienced as a child, or maybe he’ll just stare into the mirror and explain to you what he sees. With this blog, anything is possible.

This blog is interesting, well written, and comical. There is a wide expanse of topics touched upon and never a lack of philosophical speak to get your mind thinking. I was afraid to find nothing more than political gibberish and I was ecstatic to find such a wide range of subject matter. Religion. Genealogy. Memories. Life on the job. An eclectic work history. Geography. About the only thing you won’t find in this blog is any specifics in relation to his relations. He rarely mentions his two children and it took me nearly two weeks worth of entries to realize that this fellow blogger is his wife. Maybe I’m slow. If the man can write such moving pieces on his beliefs and his thoughts, I can only imagine what he could do with stories regarding his family.

The design fits this author’s writing perfectly. Both components are unique, interesting, and eye catching. I found no missing or broken links, but it was a bit of a challenge to find the archived entries, due to the fact that I’ve never even heard of ModBlog, much less attempted to navigate one of its blogs. Other than my ineptitude, this blog has it all without overdoing it and drawing attention away from the entry text.

This is a great blog for anyone with the need to dive straight into another person’s head. I admire the way he dissects the world around him and brings you along on his thought process. Jeremy is a thinker and he makes you think right along with him. I’m beginning to believe this is why there is so little “personal” content included in his posts. He writes about what he thinks, not necessarily how he feels. This blog is full of insightful and intelligent material, not to mention humor at it’s best. I highly recommend this blog and will be coming back to check up on Jeremy every now and then!

Originalism

This was my first time viewing a Modblog journal. I have to say Modblog has many interesting features, some of which were a little confusing to master, for one used to Moveable Type and Blogspot. Anyway, regarding the layout and design, I must say this is one good-looking blog. The template is one of the nicest I’ve come across in a long time. It’s beige, easy on the eyes and the header boasts two very nice pics. I enjoyed the blog description: “More improbable than unique.” Which goes well with the blog title. The “conceived in the summer of love” remark is also a nice touch. A good blog description usually makes an instant connection with the reader, as was the case with me. Cheers on that one.

Originalism has a right-hand side bar with plenty of things to browse over, I had to take my time seeing and understanding all of them and the Modblog dynamics to get to the links. There are links to the authors profile (less information than the about page, oh well…), a channel (seemed like a tag box to me), a picture gallery, a poll and other blog links.

Since the blog is new, created in August of 2004, there aren’t many entries to discover the exact substance of the blog. But from what I’ve read so far, Jeremy, the author has a lot to say. And he says it well. Good writing abilities there and a little of the ever-so-appreciated British tongue in cheek, as well. Jeremy’s posts range from political views to personal experiences and personal philosophy and pictures which he, himself takes. It all makes for worthwhile reading. He has some interesting thoughts and I found myself smiling with some of his remarks. His pictures are lovely, I actually felt like stealing a couple; and the blog seems to go well with readers.

Even though this is a new blog, I’d like to rate it highly, for it’s full of good possibilities. This is one blog to keep in mind for the future.
Originalism

Elisa’s Place is a Modblog. This is the second one I’ve actually browsed through and it’s still a little difficult to understand Modblog link dynamics (like the archive for instance). Oh well…

Elisa’s starts out with a very simple black and white template. She has a nice picture of herself in the header (no blog description though), which saves the blog from visual boredom (as it usually happens with a white background color and black font). But the template is still a lot better than some I’ve seen on Blogspot for instance. The side bar has the typical Modblog options: a full profile, pic gallery, chatter box, a poll and links.

Elisa is 32, married with children. The blog deals with her life and basically whatever she chooses to rant about. It is basically the opinions and daily happenings of her life in word. She may not be an accomplished writer in the sense of oozing verbal greatness in each and every one of her posts, but she is articulate and knows how to deliver. I enjoyed reading her on matters so diverse as men vs. women, cute anecdotes involving her children, and ranting that will put a smile on your face.

Elisa’s Place is a good blog title. For it is after all her place. She sounds like a nice individual with a good life. I think those blog readers seeking to identify with the daily joys; rants, trials and tribulation of smart woman will enjoy her. I did.

Elisla’s Place