215th review, requested is of lilchrissi

Rating out of 10: 4

Layout etc.: (2: 1)

The design is simple, uncluttered, grey and black. The font is nice and readable. I found no broken links.

Unique: (2: 1)

Hm. This was hard category to determine. The author is a survivor of a childhood trauma and she is a single mom struggling to make it. She writes of her hassles with social services, the truant officers, her ex--basically all her life's problems.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 0)

Too many emotes. Too much slang--especially in the early entries. Too many IM conversations. Too many paragraphs that run on and on.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)

"I hate her I really really REALLY HATE HER!! She's a pyschohoseabeast!"

"So he was sweet to me and got me another beer and we sat there til last call and then we all left together and was gonna hook up til the hottie tod me he was a gangsta and had 12 warrants for his arrest and I was like awwww why did you have to tell me that??!"

"I'll be back tamarra to finish my story about the court thinger ma jigger"

"I want to live life and not waste it."

Don't we all?

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)

No, I probably would not go back to read again. This writing style is not the kind I like to read.
posted by cass on Thursday, October 02, 2003

Enjoy the updates. Reminder: If you want your diary reviewed, DO NOT post in the guestbook. Thanks! :)
posted by cass on Tuesday, September 23, 2003

214th review, requested is of I'm a Summer Girl at Heart

Rating out of 10: 6

Layout etc.: (2: 1)

I like the layout; it fits quite well with the diary title. I like the pink, green, and cream colors used. The only thing I don't really like is the small type size used in the entries. If that was boosted up a size, or changed to a serif typeface (like the title), it would be much easier to read.

Unique: (2: 0)

I wish I could say that it's not JATD (just another teen diary), but there is a lot of angst here.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 2)

None really.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)

"...my life is about as exciting as...well...crap."

"Now I sit here, dreaming and wishing that I was in love. ... Until that day comes, I’ll settle for a nice Hershey’s bar and a sappy love story."

"God…I’ve just realized how stupid 91.52% of my friends are."

[Valentine's Day] "[i]s a greeting card conspiracy to make every strong, single female suicidal..."

"It is the type of air that makes you want to curl up on the couch that’s always been in the same spot since you were a little tot and fall asleep under the whirl of the lazy ceiling fan."

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)

Maybe. I can hear the author's voice quite clearly, and I know she has a lot to say. I see a lot of potential. I especially enjoyed reading her Bio. It was well-written and descriptive. I wanted to get to know this author after reading it.
posted by cass on Tuesday, September 23, 2003

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212th review, requested is of Angelnut

Rating out of 10: 9

Layout etc.: (2: 2)

DearDiary template jazzed up with autumn leaves and flowers, in greens, browns, and mauves. I like it. What can I say, though? I like autumn! The font is easy to read, in a nice large size, and the light green is soothing to the eyes.

Unique: (2: 1)

The author is a 30-something mom, who writes about her life with two kids and a husband. Her entries often contain the mundane daily stuff we all do, but she writes so descriptively that it's actually interesting.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 2)

None. The author is very articulate.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)

"Lists are good. Planning is good, too, but you should always factor in plenty of time for spontaneous decisions."

"Forget about 'looking good for the mister'--I've got to get all dolled up for my 6-year-old son!"

"So, my husband hasn't trimmed his own toenails in almost 13 years."

From a survey: "Get along with your parent(s): Yes. I am very good at tuning people out."

"Getting divorced and looking for someone else only means you are substituting one set of problems for another."

These quotes are quotable!

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)

I would go back for another read. The author has a lot to say and makes even the boring stuff interesting.
posted by cass on Tuesday, September 23, 2003

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213th review, requested is of The New Empire Lounge

Rating out of 10: 9

Layout etc.: (2: 1)

Easy on the eyes, blog-style format. The divisions of the links could stand to be spaced out a bit.

Unique: (2: 2)

A 32-year-old man in the throes of new fatherhood. Need I say more?

Annoying writing habits: (2: 2)

None. There were a few repetitive entries, but I believe that was due to the move to the new website.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)

"Much like when I'm standing at a urinal in a crowded restroom . . . I get stage fright."

"Perhaps, if our baby turns out to be a girl, I will suddenly be overcome by an insatiable desire to dress her up like a hooker and parade her around like a show pony – I suppose anything’s possible. I can only hope if that does happen, that my lovely wife grabs me by the shoulders, looks me in the eyes and bludgeons me with a tire iron."

"Once I realized that, I was half expecting Rather to get up during the interview and jam Saddam’s glasses through his aorta. Talk about a ratings grabber . . . "

"Take a weekend sitting in a poorly aired office with no air conditioning and shrimp that was about three or so days past its prime and that, my friends, is what you call a recipe for a little bit of stinky."

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)

Yes. Several of the entries had me laughing out loud. It would be interesting to follow his parenthood odyssey.
posted by cass on Tuesday, September 23, 2003

211th review, requested is of Thru the arch

Rating out of 10: 8

Layout etc.: (2: 2)

Generally, the site is easy to navigate with clearly marked links. The light yellowish cream background was gentle on the eyes. I enjoyed the family pictures the author placed at the top of the page. The author did her own layout. The layout is almost too busy, with a couple of blinkies, links, and a tagboard, but the focus is on the main entry. Some entries have music attached to them.

Unique: (2: 2)

The author is a 47-year-old married mother of two teenagers who has multiple sclerosis. In spite of life's hardships, she maintains a positive attitude within her journal. The author has been writing in Thru the arch since March 2003, but she said in one entry that she had been writing at another site before that. Many entries contain photos of her home, herself, her family, and her neighborhood. I enjoyed seeing the people she wrote about.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 1)

The author does not use capitalization. There are frequent misspellings and typos. As a reader, I prefer conventional use of type. It would help to break some of the long paragraphs were broken up into smaller paragraphs. Overall, though, the diary was easy to read.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)

"you see, i was one of those stupid hippies that thought that no matter what you're chidren did - you never, never hit them. i know better now."

"I never made a bed until i left home when i was 19."

"i have decided this entire world is full of insane people, with the exception of me of course."

"this girl was raised in such a nice family. but from the very beginning she chose mullet heads to date."

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)

I probably would go back for another read. The author's writing style is lively and engaging and her entries are interesting.
posted by cass on Wednesday, June 18, 2003