Category: Uncategorized

I wasn’t quite sure how to go about interpreting this site since it’s not as straightforward as most blogs are, though I did find myself enjoy reading it.

The blog was interesting to read. The author takes snippets from different written sources ranging from the Bible, to unknown writers to more familiar writers such as Steinbeck and William Blake. You’ll also find historical references here which were neat to read since it’s not something you tend to read in blogs. Once in a while you’ll find pictures which usually refer to text, like a picture that fits a poem and so on. The site seems to be gear towards those who are well read and educated.

The layout itself is pretty simple, nothing fancy. The font could be a little bigger though. The graphics when begin to search through the archives change at the top which for some reason threw me off about where I was on the site. It might help if there was a link to the main page.

Over all, it’s a pretty good site and a nice read.
bhikku

Wow. Where to begin with this site? How about with what I didn’t do for it. I didn’t read the other reviews already written on this site for fear of it influencing my rating or judgment of it. I did take a sneak peak at the ratings however just to see who reviewed it, and what they thought of it. But of course, since it was already reviewed, she posted that info on her site.

So what did I find here at Bumptious? I found a funny site with lots of direct and indirect humor. For the most part I laughed at what was being said, but then other times I wasn’t as “tickled” shall we say as other times. But I quickly solved the question of why the other reviewers found the site extremely funny, and I only laughed at parts – because I am male, and the author of the site is female.

Yes, sometimes that makes all the difference. I couldn’t relate near as well as the other reviewers could for that reason. So with solving that little problem I read on.

Ok, so we got some funny stuff, what else is there to read here? Some personal posts, some posts about the government, some about movies and actors and all that other stuff. It is a fairly “general” (I say that very loosely) blog, with the exception that it is funny.

The design of the site has to be a blogger template, which works. However, I would like to see a Bumptiously design to reflect the words the author writes. Also, she likes to bolden certain phrases to really grab my attention, or to enforce a thought which I liked. But design, there isn’t anything here since it is a template.

Over all the site is very well done, and enjoyable. If you want a good laugh, head on over. And if you are female and want a good laugh, you really should take a look. So go check out Bumptiously and have yourself a good laugh.
Bumptious

With a name like Green Fairy, I expected this site to be green. Instead, it’s a calming blue with stars. This journal is anything but calm, however. The writer of Green Fairy is not afraid to tackle controversial issues. Like her or hate her [her link to her hate mail proves that many do], she’s always got an opinion and something thoughtful to say.

The writing at Green Fairy is captivating and thought provoking, and often abrasive. Every once in a while I get the feeling the writer is intentionally trying to get reaction. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but just something noticeable. Overall, this is good writing and an interesting look at the world through someone else’s eyes. Not all posts are about world news – some are just about the writer’s daily life. Regardless of the topic, the entries are always entertaining with excellent links.

The layout doesn’t exactly grab the reader’s attention, but it also doesn’t detract from the writing. It’s a perfectly functional design. Almost all the links work and I didn’t encounter any real problems. I did notice that some of the older graphic links are broken.

Green Fairy doesn’t really have a lot of extras, but it doesn’t really need them. There is an About Me page that isn’t overly informative. There are Forums and a Guestbook. With Green Fairy’s often contentious entries, it might be a good idea to install some commenting entries for specific entries. I would imagine that there could be a lot of great debates going on in her entries, although the Forums serve the same purpose.

Green Fairy is a good read. The writer is opinionated and not afraid of laying it all out for everyone to read. I recommend Green Fairy, and plan to become a regular reader.

green fairy dot com

This is certainly one good blog for true runners worth their salt everywhere. Runners looking for up close and personal information about their hobby as well as those enthusiastic sporters kind looking to find out what a verbose colleague has to say about running in his very own words. Unfortunately, there are not that many blogs out there dedicated to sport, especially the art of running, so this is a refreshing change of pace. It is all about the wonderful sport of running and more, about all aspects related to it in one way or another. Good design, attractive setup with colors that match, balanced entries with just enough information in the sidebars to distract one only very slightly from the main core of the matter: running, running and more running. As the author of this blog says: “don’t walk away from your problems, running is quicker.” He is right, right on the mark. On your mark, get set, go!

You see here alot about running, but not everything. As a self-proclaimed “general manager specialist” of his very own Running Shop, this is what one would expect. Even the normal entries have a tinge of running mania to them, each written in the tone of someone whose life centers around running. For example: overcoming hardships, waiting in anticipation, pulling a muscle in the buttock, hating it when not being able to run for one reason or another. There are also entries covering interesting subjects like what he thinks is the purpose of running, why people do that to themselves, the good ideas you come up with when running, and when running takes the back seat due to aggravating injuries. Yet the bothersome injuries must be overcome in the end in order to continue on the road to success.

Especially original is the so-called “Pain of the Month” link which as the name implies gives schematic information about some ache or injury that can afflict runners everywhere. The priformis muscle gets pulled, trigger points scintillating pain, and the good old sciatic nerve which gets pinched the wrong way. Ouch. Good and educational stuff here. Other running-related links are few but worth the visit, the picture gallery is incomplete, and the inspirational picture is a little too small to get inspired about (wouldn’t it be nice to make it click-able and zoom it?).

While this is a relatively new blog which just started in October of this year, I have the impression that it is has potential and will be growing soon. All the runners I have ever known have been very enthusiastic about their sport, just like this runner turned blogger. While the hit count is still relatively small, I expect that once the real runners out there get a taste of this site they will come running in droves. This is a good blog which needs to grow, with the determination of a long-distance marathon runner. This blog gets an above-average rating from me, but could do with some improvements as it grows and becomes more and more successful. Blogging is one long marathon.runnerblog

Ever wondered what the true definition of a weblog “untamed” might be? Had the idea that you knew everything there was to know about emotional pain? Think you have even the slightest idea what inflicting self harm actually means and what it feels like? Cutting into the mind and heart is one thing, but what about physically cutting up yourself knowing it is bad and finding it extremely difficult to resist an unexplainable urge? If these questions tickle your curiosity and you are really serious about exploring this somewhat morbid realm any further, then you have come to the right place. Just sit down, have a seat and prepare yourself for this blog. One warning though. Some of the graphic pictures as well as occasional detailed text might be too disturbing for the light at heart. So only tread here with both of your feet firmly on the ground and with an open mind. I hope this warning has made you even more curious.

The author seems at first glance to be a typical young man from the north of Wales. He views himself as the product of a wrecked home, living at home still with his one remaining parent. His many entries center around feeling good and then feeling worse (eg. depressed) and then feeling better again. The day in the life type stuff one usually finds on the Internet, but with a somewhat more personal and unusual variation of the theme. In his own words, “this site has been created to reflect my day to day life, and allow me to express my own thoughts on the things that happen.” Depression is a reoccurring theme, but the author tackles this morbid feeling with the help of the written word. Some of the entries can get pretty heavy and emotional, but that’s alright. Isn’t that one of the main reasons blogs were invented in the first place?

To quote, here are a few typical fragments I have picked out: silently screaming from the house, feeling worse alone than with people, Zinger tower burger and chips, faceless crowds, being cynical and paranoid, feeling good after a long night’s sleep, eating the entire jar of pickled eggs last night, ad infinitum. These provide the essence of this atypical diary on the web.

Through the modest picture gallery and an interactive video of him “nattering away” one gets a better feeling for who this person really is and what he is trying to communicate to us. Check out the short biography for more information. Also as an experienced programmer, he shows off his hidden talent through a free offering of various Basic, C/C++ and Java programs and games he has developed and designed himself. This is an interesting balance which you can tell puts sparkle in his eyes. Not bad, not bad at all.

If I were to judge this site merely on its element of shock, then it certainly would deserve the highest possible score. What with its frank and open discussion, soul searching passages. But at times it does get a bit too dark and cynical, even for so-called objective reviewers like myself. While the design is well thought out, the dark colors falling on the black background tend to weight on you after a while. Yes, it is fascinating and addictive reading, and I feel that because of this it deserves a rating of above-average.

Despite the author’s claim that you only have a 1-in-a-500,000 chance of hitting his site, hopefully this review has triggered your curiosity just enough to check it out for yourself, and thereby uppin the odds somewhat. “Stay awhile, you were meant to come here. It’s fate.”Untamed