Thursday, June 29, 2006

Short Bus Special

So, I might as well apologize now because I'm the equivalent of a neurotic amoeba. Neurotic in that I'm more fiesty than normal, and amoeba in that I think only one brain cell is functioning. Hopefully the Full Throttle I just shot gunned will get things going a little better.

On today's agenda is Midvale School For the Gifted Alumni Association. If you're as confused by the title as I am, then we're in the same boat. No fucking clue. I may be wrong, but isn't from the Far Side?

Anyway, the fist thing I noticed when I opened the site is that the blogger desciption is slightly cut off. That's pretty to fix-just make the sidebar about 5px bigger than it is now. I'm a bit of a minimalist when it comes to blogland (and everything. Seriously, I only have three things on my huge "L" shaped desk, and I think that's clutter.), so I'm not really a huge fan of having double-sidebars. One one side are the links, the other side the previous posts and archives. It does make things easier to "access" though and it makes things more compact, so I totally understand why she's doing it, but it seems a bit squished. Maybe make the actual blog space (I'm not sure what it's called in your template. Sometimes it's blog box, sometimes you just putz around and magically figure it out), a little wider so that it doesn't look so squished in Firefox, and so the entire right sidebar doesn't appear at the bottom of the page in Internet Explorer. Last suggestion is perhaps putting a drop down menu for the archives. If you're interested, it's easy, and can be found here

Outside of that the template is pretty simple and easy on the eyes: white text box, black text, hyperlinks that match the background pink color, and lots-o-buttons. The header is very collegiate, and the "Pushing on the Pull Door" is hilarious. Maybe it's just me.

Content wise, she's got a lot going on, and by a lot I mean links everywhere. The first post deals with the hiatus of Sleater-Kinney (if you don't know who they are, then that's just kind of sad). She really says nothing about it, rather she just links to the content. Not the most forthcoming, but it's efficient in the "Why regurgitate it, when I can just link it" sense. Besides, she put a song up and that just makes everything better.

She mostly teeters from politics (she's seemingly a liberal, so if you're a staunch right-wing, do not, I repeat do not! go there and get all pissy about it. It's lame.), to music; however, it's not toast-esque. She keeps things fairly personable. She has a few posts about herself and what's on her mind sprinkled throughout, and she even has a few memes. I particularly liked the How Will you be Defined in the Dictionary one. Here's mine:


pussy pop --

[adjective]:

Like in nature to a train-riding hobo





Who knew train riding hobo's were so cool? I didn't!

Anyway, I like the blog for it's political insight and it's continual posting of music. I absolutely orgasm over the fact that she spells things correctly, uses correct grammar (which I'm well aware I don't, but it doesn't mean I don't recognize it when I see it), and even sites sources for all of her quotes.

My only recommendations are the above stated template issue fixes, and maybe ease up on the links. Maybe not ease up, but describe a bit more what they are and not just write "this" or "here" etc.

Also? The Clerks sequel is going to rock!

I give it mostly because the template is off in IE, otherwise I'd give it three cracked out stars.

Keep Rockin' on!

5 comments:

  1. Thanks, you pretty much caught what it's about.

    Oh, and the name of the school in the Far Side Cartoon is the Midvale School for the Gifted. Ergo... whatever. Comedians will always tell you that if you have to explain the joke, it isn't funny.

    Oh, and the quote in my sidebar? From my original review on the bitches' site. This one is much better. It actually makes sense and has a brain (and not just because I got a good review)

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  2. :) Not only is her blog readable, she's got a good head on her shoulders too.

    I dig this review site because the constructive criticism is easier to swallow than being told Im completely lame.

    which, i totally know I am and don't need any one to affirm that fact :D

    fucked though that SOMEBODY put me on the list and it wasn't me.

    i have their IP now and will return the favor forthwith :)

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  3. I started reading her blog because of the name. I have a tee shirt with that Far Side strip on it. And my wife is a gifted and talented teacher, which makes it even funnier.

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  4. You spelled receive wrong. I before E except after C... and all that. :)

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  5. OK - you're terms didn't state one entry per person - I didn't find out until after the first submission, so here are the other five...

    Michelle Knight
    My e-mail has already been submitted on the life of a stranger site.

    Shutter-Fug
    http://shutter-fug.blogspot.com/
    Documenting my return to digital photography and all that entails. Starting in photography two decades ago I stopped 'cause of the cost of film. Coming back in to digital, this blog details my various escapades and the old tricks I'm re-learning as well as the new tricks that I'm learning afresh.

    Technilife
    http://technilife.blogspot.com/
    Being a technical geek all my life, I've started to make the jump between being a geek and being someone who actually uses the junk to assist my life; and there is a hell of a gap. This blog is my comment on the various technologies and the moves made by the companies behind them that have an impact on our lives.

    Story of L
    http://storyofl.blogspot.com/
    i was named L by Master Charles, my second Master. He passed on due to the big C, but one of His orders was to detail what was happening to me. Having recently left my third Master, Master R, because he couldn't take control of me, the blog has taken on the minor crusade I'm playing fighting against the Criminal Justice and Imigration Bill, Part 5, which makes it illegal for anyone in the UK to own violent pornographic material ... but the definitions used in the law really give the police some serious shit to come down on people with; as if they hadn't been abusing the Obscene Publications act for the last fifty years!!! Ha! Anyway, like msknight.com merked lifeofastranger to be part of its structure, realbondage.co.uk does the same with this blog; it is framed in to the site.

    Shoot Green
    http://shootgreen.blogspot.com/
    Shoot Green is an attempt to lay down some tips and tricks for people who want to use a camera and get better results from it, without having to go in to DSLR world. Currently on hold because no one has bothered to ask any questions, and also I'm trying to get my hands on a Canon G10 so I can start on the next phase of writing. Yeh, I'm gonna get bitch slapped for this one, for sure.

    Linux Crusade
    http://linuxcrusade.blogspot.com/
    This is an attempt to document showing people how easy it is to use Linux and to give people an idea on how to use the operating system, install shit and get it to work for them. I mean, hey, the Microsoft tax is a bummer for a start, and all the software costs a fortune ... Windows Vista was the biggest pile of crap that Microshaft wish they'd never published and who knows what licencing headaches are going to come out with Windows 7, so I thought that having something like Linux Crusade around might actually be of use to someone.


    Yes, I've read the blog submission disclaimer.

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Grow a pair.