Review 645

The initial view with the large Blogger banner at the top covering the site design was a turn off. Pay the $12 and have it removed. The stick figure theme

and the horse .gifs made me expect to be reading a teen category weblog. Since I didn’t find an “about me” type of entry, I went back to May of 2001 and found an entry about washing her car, so I know she’s at least 16.



The weblog seems to have no purpose other than to list entries that Nikki thinks are funny that she has gotten from other places and people or that cause her stress or anger, or pertain to her favorite sports team, or her horse riding or school activities. I found nothing that interested me, but I’m not the intended audience.



The design of the index page is pleasant, but the link pages appear to be from an old site with a different design for her entries titled “Soul Creations” and “My Dream Blog”. I’m not sure if “Soul Creations” are her creations of poetry, or someone else’s. There is no credit line, so I assume they are her writings. Some were very good, some mediocre, and some just teen angst. As for “My Dream Blog”, she doesn’t appear to dream often, as the last entry was over a month ago.



Her entry for “Song of the Moment” didn’t load, or my new Dell is out of whack. The “Mood Indicator” is unnecessary and detracts from the site, as does the animated horse.gif and the sports.gif.



This weblog mainly appeals to teens, but her poetry is worth a look, in my opinion. The site design could use some work to make the pages more cohesive and flow better.Punk Rock Princess

Review 693

I should preface this review by saying that I don’t like anime and I don’t understand the fascination with it. This site, written by a Japanese university student, is all about anime.



With that said, I think people who are interested in anime will love this site. Entries in her guestbook (those in English, anyway) say that people think she’s doing a great job with the site. Besides her weblog, which discusses anime shows and music at great length, she’s worked up a database of anime songs and song lyrics as well as anime photos. I found the guestbook the most interesting part of the site. At least it gave me a clue that the “people” she talks about in her entries are anime characters.



I do like the color scheme and the fresh, clean-looking layout, although she could use some kind of header.



There’s very little on this site for people not interested in anime. As I said earlier, people who do like anime will probably be interested in visiting this site. For those who don’t have a interest in anime, it’s not worth the trip.

Little Diary

Review 707

College students fall into one of two categories so far, or so I’ve observed. They’re either smart and interesting to read, or shallow and writing solely about this party, that party, this football game, etc. Paul Cole at “Gaynor’s Passion” has done the amazing; he’s done both. He’s made reading about concerts and parties and football games interesting, which for a person that was born without the “sports gene” (me) is quite a feat, indeed.



His “about” page, an integral part of any blog, is difficult to find, but it is there (you just have to look a bit). His archives section started in August, when he first started college. I found myself reading through his past entries, enjoying his take on being “in high school, except without the parents.” The design is very basic, but there is no need for anything wild and exciting to bring you back for more. The writing is solid, the intellect intact, and observations sincere. Clear and concise writing style makes for easy digestion. I’d recommend this to anyone desiring a look into a freshman’s life at college, or just interested in a young man’s burgeoning life.

Gaynor’s Passion

Review 729

It would be nice to be able to actually read the weblog being reviewed. At Syphid Corp, this proves nearly impossible.



The tone on tone, silver on white layout at Syphid Corp is striking but tremendously hard on the eyes. The reader must strain to read almost every post and the posts, themselves, may not be of interest to anyone outside of this group weblog’s membership. Anime seems to be the major topic of discussion at Syphid Corp and it appears that the members are creating their own Anime story from the ground up, working on characterizations, plot and the like. This, in and of itself, seems a noble venture; but, it does not necessarily make for an interesting read for the casual weblog reader. Entries which focus on topics such as current events and the state of the Internet are much more enjoyable. However, Syphid Corp is the group weblog of a larger venture (whose homepage is currently under construction) and, as such, it displays and focuses upon the primary interests of the group’s members.



The layout of Syphid Corp’s weblog is attractive and elegant, yet the posts are extremely difficult to read due to the lack of contrast between the font and content area background. Links are kept to a side menu area and all appear to be in working order. The inclusion of the URLs and/or email addresses of the weblog’s members is both a practical and welcome addition to the layout.



Assuredly, there is a niche for the Syphid Corp weblog, perhaps among those interested in creating Anime. But, for the casual reader, there is very little here to explore, understand or greatly enjoy.





syphid corp

Review 774

Self-deprecating humor at it’s finest, Ugly Fat Kid is a weblog/comedy routine which should not be missed. Readers who enjoy the little oddities of life will assuredly enjoy reading the adventures of a guy who purports to staple cheese wedges together for no apparent reason.



Solidly written — the Ugly Fat Kid’s grammar and composition is near flawless — and completely engaging, entries here vary in length and topic. The author’s style of writing is such that the reader becomes engrossed in the author’s escapades and may begin to wonder if there is any truth to these adventures. Some recent explorations include developing a mechanical theory of facial tissue dispensing, an attempt to flush a bowling ball down a toilet, and determining the merits of Styrofoam mattresses. Bizarre, indeed; terribly amusing, nonetheless.



The layout of Ugly Fat Kid is a sliced melange of brown and black with photo graphics (presumably of the author), and the layout renders equally well in MSIE and NS 6.1. Internal links are kept to a side menu area with a graphical interface and links lead to other equally interesting facets of the author’s site. Archives are not complete; those currently available date only from November 2001 to present. Readers who become hooked on the Ugly Fat Kid’s writing will certainly wish to read more, perhaps as much as possible, of the author’s writings. It is recommended that Ugly Fat Kid’s author archive all of his entries, as many will want to read them.



Ugly Fat Kid is a gem of a weblog which shouldn’t be missed by blog readers. Here, one can obtain a daily dose of eccentricity which will assuredly provoke a chuckle and sustain a smile.



ugly fat kid