Category: Uncategorized

When I read the title “Jim Abroad” I knew exactly what this blog was going to be. It was going to be about Jim and his travels outside of the US. Why he was traveling, and where he was traveling to, I had no clue, but I knew this was one of those blogs about his traveling.

When I got to the page, I knew I was right in my assumption of what the blog was going to be about. The design of the site has a “poloroid” picture of a building in Spain and the logo Jim Abroad has a plane in it. Outside of the header the site is using a two column layout with the left column being used for navigation. I was pleasently surprised that he has kept his side bar to a minimum to allow his posts to shine.

The posts are lengthy recaps of what/where he is. Jim is traveling all over most of Europe though he is staying mostly in Spain. Some stories will make you laugh, others will leave you wanting more and some I could have done with out. As I was reading the blog I was wanting to know why he was traveling. There was a bit on the navigation about his first trip ever, but nothing about why he was traveling. Then I found the about Jim and all was made well.

This blog took a little bit to get into, but once I did I couldn’t stop reading it. To clarify I have been to this blog about 5 times in the past week and it wasn’t until about the 3rd time that the site really clicked with me. I suggest randomly reading the posts as it doesn’t really matter which order you catch up on them in. This is a good travel site and I look forward to see where Jim goes next.
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Casino Pulp is a blog geared towards those who enjoy table games such as Baccarat and Poker. The layout of the site is a standard blogger template with archive pages that make it easy to get around to the historical content. The site isn’t very flashy or thrilling, with a very simple and straightforward stick figure card player adorning the top banner.

Several of the articles are in Spanish, which made reading impossible for this monolingual reviewer. The “About” page is absolutely useless in learning more about the author and the source(s) of the content. However, I did learn how to play Baccarat thanks to the “About” page. Sweet. Now I can go rake in some money at Foxwoods!

The bulk of the pulp is casino news, industry news, insider information that doesn’t really HELP the novice or n00b player get in on the games and how they’re played.

I found the site boring and borderline useless. The site has archives for April and May so there is not a vast amount of content to read and review. I am not sure what the mission of the site is, or why it is even there, in English or in Spanish, and honestly couldn’t even recommend it as a resource for anything to friends who actually are WSOP fans or card players. I give this site a 2 rating. NULL

Webcasting Business Model is a site dedicated to the business models of webcasting. Obviously quite a niche market, but the author attempts to corner that market. The biggest problem is the lack of content. Looking through the archives shows that the entire site only hosts thirteen articles since 2005. Beyond the sparse content however, there is quite a bit here for those interested in business models in general. Mostly in the form of links to related sites, but there are also book recommendations, videos and even a small glossary/dictionary.

I don’t admit to being an expert on business models, but the authors seem educated and well written. Each article is concise, topical and interesting. The authors touch on everything webcasting and business models from trends and predictions to straight-up news. The blog is also meant to be a place to provide updates for a book edited by two of the authors.

This blog is hosted by Google’s blogspot, and uses one of the basic designs. So, there’s not much to look at when reading this blog. On the upside, that can be seen as a strength so as not to detract from what content is there.

My overall impression is that this blog is more of a side project for the authors. It feels unfinished and in progress. If I were interested in business models or wanted to find out more information, this would be a good starting point. I wasn’t blown away by this blog, but certainly not turned off either.NULL

Operadaddy was submitted for review back a few months ago, when the summer was young and our heady optimism that we would get around to reviewing a pantload of blogs was in full swing.

Unfortunately, a few weeks ago Operadaddy posted his last post, and on the webpage it is his ONLY post… so I can’t go back through all of his archives and actually read and review the site.

I have to give the site a 1 rating, with an apology to Operadaddy, because I did read several entries over the summer and had full intentions of actually reviewing the site. But now I cannot. And I lament for what could have been.

I wish him the best of luck in whatever he does next, and should he reopen the archives and want a re-review, he should drop a line to TWR and we’ll hook him up, I’m sure. NULL

Oh dear. Weddings. I’ve been married nearly 17 years, so I kind of cringed when realizing I’d have to review a wedding blog. I swear if I ever have to get married again, I’m just getting my pastor to come to my backyard to do the ceremony, and I’ll have a pot-luck and I’ll spring for the wine.

While I loved my own wedding, I’ve just watched three people (my sister included) go through hell in planning their weddings. So I was a little reluctant to revisit some of the topics I knew would be presented herein.

My attitude changed rather quickly, and this was a very nice blog to visit. I realized quickly that this was not a personal blog, but a business blog supporting the Truly Wedding Favors company. As far as blogs done by businesses go, this one is a great read.

The writers provide a great deal of information to brides-to-be on all aspects of planning their wedding, not just what favors to pick. And it’s not all “buffet or sit down, which do you choose?” kinds of topics. Our blog contributors also celebrate anniversaries of couples who are in it “for the long haul.” There are entries about celebrities and weddings too, like how Shakira has too much to do to plan her wedding, and how jeesh, she’s like every other bride out there in the end, isn’t she? And if you are a famous R&B starlet, don’t forget your panties and bra under your dress when you go to your conservative family’s weddings! Yikes!

This is a beautifully laid out blog, with gorgeous complimentary colors. Very bridal in look and feel. The site navigation is easy to read and resides the left column and a wide, white readable area on the right. A link back to the corporate site store is at the top of the page, so if you’re visiting and interested in shopping, you’re right there in a matter of seconds.

It was also exciting to read about how the fires in Southern California were having a direct impact on this particular business… and I was horrified to read about the truck being looted. Having that kind of a glimpse into a business blog is really an interesting and fascinating aspect for a reader.

I have only two criticisms. First, there are several contributors to the blog, but they offer no “about us” page. A nice “about us” page would be a great addition to the site. It would let readers know who Melissa, Mercedes, Courtney, Kori Ellis, Wendy, Eric and Amber et al are and upon what authority they speak to proffering advice on weddings. The first entry by Melissa talks about why they started the blog… but it really doesn’t give us an idea who everyone is. I really like that in a blog, to get to know the thinker behind the thoughts.

Secondly, and this is a huge issue for me online, there are several instances where the blog authors do not include proper citation of resources. Entries are accentuated with lovely photographs, but no copyright is cited on them. On some entries which are obviously culled from web stories or researched from news or magazine articles, no citation is given at all. A link to the original news story online, or proper citation of source should appear at the end of the entry. There are some entries that do point to an online story, and I’d like to see that done across the board if possible. The information is all interesting, and it was fun to read. I’m just a real proponent of proper citation and would love to see that started here before the blog grows further.

I will change the category to “Business” from “Personal” because “Personal” indicates a blog written from a personal perspective on one’s life and observances. There is some of that in here, but with several links-back to the webstore of Truly Wedding Favors, it isn’t the right category.

Be sure that when I do know someone who is getting married I’ll point them in the direction of this blog for a helpful and informative (and sometimes very funny) online guide as they plug away at their plans. I give the Truly Wedding Blog a 4.0 rating.NULL