diary_critic

2003-10-02T16:22:00.000-04:00

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.

2003-09-23T13:30:00.000-04:00

Enjoy the updates. Reminder: If you want your diary reviewed, DO NOT post in the guestbook. Thanks! :)

2003-09-23T13:21:00.000-04:00

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.

2003-09-23T13:20:00.001-04:00

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.

2003-09-23T13:20:00.000-04:00

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.

2003-06-18T16:04:00.000-04:00

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.

2003-06-05T21:40:00.000-04:00

210th review, requested is of Magic Whiskey

Rating out of 10: 9

Layout etc.: (2: 1) 1

Lovely shades of red, orange, and yellow brighten a standard DearDiary.net layout. The text is plain black, in a nice size, which makes for easy reading. I would have liked an "About Me" page, so that I could get a quick overview of the author.

Unique: (2: 2)

The author is a recovering addict and professional artist, who must work a day job to pay the rent.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 2)

None. I imagine that this author writes how she speaks.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)

"She dresses like she's about to go yodeling with her friends. The only thing missing was the accordion and the goat."

"I'd Have Rather Been Raped By Hemophilic Dwarves" (entry title)

"My only attempt to learn to drive was after mixing the intoxicating effects of Vodka and a speedball and since the police had to tow the car out of a diving pool none of my friends would lend me another car."

"...the only reason he ever took a shining to walking without dragging his knuckles through the dirt was because it freed his hands for masturbation."

These quotes are quotable!

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

I would go back for another read. The author has had her ups and downs in life and she writes about her difficulties with an air of devil-may-care, but underneath it all, the real person shines through.

2003-05-17T07:13:00.000-04:00

I am in desperate need of a 10 rated diary. Because I want to interact with all of you who read my site, I would like it very much if you would send me the address of a diary that you feel would score a 10. You can submit your site, but you don't have to tell me that it is indeed your site, the only thing you have to do is tell me why you feel the diary deserves a perfect score.

As of yet there is no deadline, when that is decided I'll post an update.

Thanks!

2003-05-15T21:49:00.000-04:00

209th review, requested is of Just an ordinary day by playingbyheart

Rating out of 10: 6

Layout etc.: (2: 1)

Although this is a standard OpenDiary site layout, I like the paintings on the opener, and also the purples used. The author has made it her own, and there are no annoying popup ads or anything. However, I hate the type used in the entries. It may not be appearing correctly on my computer screen. It looks like Courier, and some things are all squished together. It's kind of hard to read that way. Some of the paragraphs are looooong.

Unique: (2: 1)

The author is a college theatre major. She describes in detail some of her college experiences, such as studying slides, in three entries. She has even posted some of her essays and papers.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 1)

The author tends to write in a stream-of-consciousness style. It's ok, but tedious to read after a few entries.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)

"Theatre is what happens when story is screaming to get off the page."

"My life is a 24 hour cyber supermarket, silent in the late night hours."

"A peaceful world would destroy art."

"What the hell is it doing outside? Storming? Winding? Raining? Eh. I think chicago weather has pms."

I wonder about the crazy weather myself!

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

I might return if the font was easier to read and if the author breaks up some of the paragraphs.

2003-05-03T01:03:00.000-04:00

My queue (from those requested in the guestbook):

playingbyheart
magicwhiskey

Please do not make requests via the guestbook. If you want Elioise or me to review your diary, send an email to your chosen reviewer. Information is on the rules page.

Pinch-me-not and stigmatizedx will not be reviewed because the diary authors have moved their diaries elsewhere.

If either of these authors still want to be reviewed at their new locations, please email me. However, any diary reviewed must be public. I want more diaries to review, so be sure to email me.

2003-05-03T00:52:00.000-04:00

208th requested review is of Random Thoughts by HollyTree

Rating out of 10: 5

Layout etc.: (2: 0)

Ugh. Lime green on blue is not a pleasant sight for the eyes, not to mention this site is hosted by freeopendiary.com. Also ugh: the green text on the blue background---I have no idea if the font is appearing properly on my machine but it's kind of small and hard to read. Suddenly, in an early entry, the song "Puff the Magic Dragon" poured out of my computer speakers, completely drowning out my chosen CD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank GOD it was only one entry!

I do like the biography box on the opening page. A reader can learn all they need to know about the author right away.

Another minus is that the author has not updated since Feb. 25, 2003.

Unique: (2: 1)

The author is an English woman who works a night shift in a psychiatric ward. She lived in Canada for a time. She went to a boarding school when she was a kid. Some of the entries are a fun read.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 1)

The author does not use capitalization for the first few entries, then suddenly goes back to regular caps/lowercase, then back to no caps, then back to caps/lowercase. Why? Choose one style and stick to it. Other than that, the entries are lively and well-written.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)

"...i always thought people who only used lower case were being pretentious. but on here i started using it, because it made me feel like i didn't have to stand on ceremony and be correct."

Um, ok... but readers want to be able to read what you write.

"Dad, it’s parsley,’ I said, irritated. ‘I bought it yesterday. I’m going to eat it tomorrow. I’m don't need to water it!’ My dad let this pass, with a ‘well-I-won't-say-anything-but-I-know-best-and-you-should-really-water-it’ air about him."

My dad is just like that sometimes.

"Normally I would have screamed that I didn’t want a lodger in my room and I didn’t want to sleep with Mary. But I said nothing. I was beginning to realise fully that I wasn’t part of the family, and that my screams wouldn’t matter."

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

Perhaps, if she updated more often and if she changes those hideous layout colors. I like blue and I like lime green. I don't like them together. Although I see a lot of potential for an interesting read, there are too many elements right now that detract from the author's words.

2003-04-28T04:04:00.000-04:00

207th review, requested is of Inhale

Rating out of 10: 8

layout etc. (2: 1)
There is not much to say in regards to the design. It is simple, clean and crisp, but along with that can come the very dirty word, boring.

Something seen by one person as smooth can sometimes be seen as facile by someone else.

I do have a suggestion in regards to the words; increase that font size! My eyes would thank you.

What I like most: The picture.
What I like the least: The lack of a title and those little extras like a biographical page that provide some insight for the reader.

Unique: (2: 1)
Although I’ve not been very fond of poetry used in entries without some explanation, she puts a poem at the end of every entry. Most of the time they correlate with what she has written. Also, I find her entry titles (all mostly one word) catchy as well.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 2)
Trust me when I say she has tons of mistakes throughout, and I’m sure you will find some of my normal complaints, but I wasn’t bugged. You know I really wanted to be annoyed, but I just couldn’t find anything worthy of taken away even one point.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
"Morally, I could never justify war. Politically, perhaps. But even then, how can one separate morals from war and claim that it is only a political tool when it involves the very existence of life itself? Are we to say then that life, too, is nothing but a political tool?"

"It's a calm frenzy. It's the overwhelming need to kiss him with more of me. I want to draw him into me. I want him to feel what I feel when I feel his hand on the small of my back in a crowded room. I want him to comprehend the admiration I have for him when he dreams and plans and becomes. I want him to realize the desperation I feel when he turns his eyes down in shame or fear."

"I am still the piece of shit you called me out for. And I know you're right because I know you care. And I know that you were as angry as you were because you sometimes see me for who I really am. Better than this thing I pretend to be."

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)
Absolutely. She writes with feeling. You can tell that she hardly ever sits down to write without something to communicate. I really like that. This diary is evidently not some toy or adventure with publicizing something on the Internet; it is a real diary, with a heart and soul.

2003-04-25T22:52:00.000-04:00

206th review, requested is of Nick's Homepage

Rating out of 10: 6

Layout: (2: 1)
This is not the worst I’ve ever seen, but it is in serious need of some updating. The look is very old with the pre-made buttons and banners all in different fonts and colors. I’m not against the use of buttons and or gadgets of the sort, but the least you can do is update them to look a little more modern. For starters, make the fonts match.

The title, “Pointing out Life’s Unfairness since 1984” is funny, but may be a little misleading. One upon first reading may immediately figure out that the year 1984 is referring to the author’s age, but it could be taken to mean that the author has been writing the diary since 1984, which would be a really, really long time. Nevertheless I like it.

I like the idea of having a page in which you tell your readers more about yourself, but the FAQ idea where you answer some questions is not my idea of the best way to do it. Perhaps that should be changed as well.

What did I like the most? Those previous and next links!
What did I like the least? Reread the first paragraph.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 1)
We could call it rambling, but then we may hurt someone’s feelings. This annoying habit may have one upside to it, at least when he is taking a long time to get to the point, he is sometimes funny.

Unique: (2: 2)
By far the most unique thing on a diary I’ve seen in ages is his photosaga. I was mesmerized and entertained. Two thumbs up.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
“Also haven't quite calculated the Meaning of Life yet. Mind distracted again by the tiny issue of where I'm going to live next year. In case anyone who's reading this isn't a student, or it's being picked up and read by future archaeologists (I still harbour dreams of this being dissected by English Literature students in the future actually. "I particularly like the language in this sentence, his use of the word 'wank' here is clearly meant to summon up some kind of image of back and forth momentum.' No, I was actually just talking about wanking. But interesting idea.) basically, when we go to university, I think this is true for most students, we get a nice room such as my current one on campus for our first year, then in our second we are brutally kicked out into the big bad world. We have to rent a house of some kind off campus with a bunch of our fellow students. At this point, after returning from the oh-so-lovely Christmas break, we are traditionally meant to sort out where and with whom we will be living. (Did I just use every word in the world that begins with w or is it just me? Anyway”

“Fast forward to Monday night. I'm discussing my tragic loss with my mother. She seems reluctant to believe my hypothesis of interfering government agencies. (And also seemed to disapprove of my then-MSN nickname "Good news everyone, Matthew Kelly's a paedophile!") She eventually suggested that there's no way it could have gotten out of my wallet. So I should take a harder look.”

“Well, I lasted five weeks. That's half a term, everyone. I spent half a solid term up to my armpits in "university life" and finding houses and, for some reason, not getting especially drunk. Now I'm going home for a few days to spend a series of evenings in the pub. I am surely the worst student in the world. What find of student uses their term at university as a chance to detox and recover from their time at home?”

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
It is like taking a lesson in how to speak British; oh I meant to type ENGLISH. Of course that means I will go back because if nothing else, I can get a cheap laugh at someone else’s expense.

2003-04-25T22:25:00.000-04:00

Attention everyone: It may or may not be of interest to you that I have temporarily closed submissions to myself, although my newest co-reviewer would be more than happy to take your diary on.

2003-04-23T03:43:00.000-04:00

205th review, requested is of Angry Little Girl’s Journal

Rating out of 10: 7

Layout etc: : (2: 2)
I have to say that I think this is quite nifty for a livejournal. I usually don’t like much about the average livejournal layout, so I was quite impressed.

The colors are nice and make me feel calm, I think people often forget when designing that certain colors have feelings that are associated with them.

I like the way everything is; I don’t think I’d change a thing except I’d get rid of the mood indicator for reasons that should be obvious. I am reading your journal; don’t you think you could just tell me how you feel instead?

Unique: (2: 1)
Admittedly I haven’t been to many livejournals, but this one has been the most organized, and most attractive one I’ve seen so far.

Annoying writing habits (2: 1)
She says more on her userinfo page than she says throughout hers entries. I wish she had more to say. Also, I think she talks about dreams a lot more than I’m interested in.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
"Life just gets more complicated. It never occurred to me that any of my friends would be having problems regarding sex. Casual sex might be a more appropriate term--or maybe adulterous affair. No matter how much I want to help, I don't know how. It's sad to know that one of my friends have turned into a slut. Once is enough. And if she hasn't learned from that (well, she obviously hasn't 'cause she did it again) she'd keep doing and doing and doing it: the same mistake over and over."

I’m nort sure what constitutes a slut in her mind, but apparently she has some very strong views regarding pre-marital sex; strong enough to call her own friend a slut.

"My mother would've agreed to the idea of buying me a new bedroom set if it weren't for that war. Damn that war! I was browsing the latest Ikea catalog and before I tried to list everything that I planned to buy for my new bedroom look, I asked my mom if I could. Not now, she said. Not now when there's a war going on. Argh! I forgot about the war! I don't know, but I'm indifferent to the war going on. Of course, I didn't agree to the thought of it when it was planned, but now that it's happening, I just want it to end--quickly. I didn't think that the war could affect our situation here now or in the future. If worse comes to worse, she added, they might bomb us here and we would have to leave and go back home."

How cute, a plea to end war for a completely different reason: a new bedroom.

"He's not gay, that's the truth. He first fell in love with Ana, a childhood friend, sometime this year. I don't know if he still has feelings for her or anything. He courted her, she liked him back, but she said they're still too young. But I'm not gonna talk about my brother's love life, although that completely summarizes it. And also, he has this thing for older girls. Which I find a little bit disgusting. I just don't get it."

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
I probably wouldn’t, but I don’t find myself feeling too strongly either way. It is mainly full of run of the mill, “this happened to me today,” diary stuff. Of course that is what most of the diaries online are full of. I particularly want to read the journals of people who take that ordinary stuff and make it interesting to read.

2003-04-20T22:06:00.000-04:00

204th review, requested review is of Blogging with Dr. P

Rating out of 10: 1

layout etc. (2: 0)
There is absolutely nothing I like about this layout; I despise everything all the way down to the comic sans font. And speaking of font, I wonder if “Dr. P” knows that the profile thing on the left side not only clashes in color scheme, but in font as well. The background color is blah, the pictures are blah, and the link colors are the Frontpage default.

Did you expect me to be impressed?

Let me just say that everything that I have to say about this diary is going to offend someone. That is how these reviews can go.

I assume that the three images at the top of the blog are meant to be all on the same line, but for some reason the second image drops down to the second line on my screen and looks weird and out of place. I don’t really understand the pictures anyway.

Unique: (2: 1)
This is not possible. It gets a one actually for being one of the worst diaries I've been forced to read in ages.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 0)
Even when I am not forcing myself to read an entry or two because I need something to quote in this review, I can still see all the ellipses staring at me from the screen.

Quotes from the Diary: (2: 0)
"He's a great bloke is my osteopath, and he's got a great kitchen as well. In fact, over the years that I have been going to see him, he's also had several changes of cars as well. Not that I object to all his wealth he's been getting from twisting my neck & arms on a regular four weekly basis. I'd never been able to move, otherwise! But, since moving to his new house in the country I have steadily heard the progress of the bathroom renovation, and then the kitchen conversion. You'd think he could have had a plaque in there for all us twisted & madly contorted fools who have been coming to see him for so long. But wait! Maybe it's only me! Maybe I'm the only one whose been paying the plumber, the builder, the electrician for all this time. If that's the case, I think I'll just ask for a small memorial statue on a shelf above the fridge in the corner....what do you think?"

"What I want to know is : Can I 'place' piccies in the diary entries on pitas ? For those of you who have one of these weblogs, you'll know you put your diary entry in a particular 'box' and click a button - and it updates your page. But that's about it. Text only. I have no storage place elsewhere on the web, so no place to directly link an image source to."

"I had an interesting job once. In fact, I've had several interesting jobs. One of the strangest pieces of employment I had was decorating the former Bolivian embassy in Brussels, Belgium. I'll type that again just in case you thought you mis-read it....decorating the former Bolivian embassy in Brussels, Belgium." (italics his)

I can't even come up with comments.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
Not just no, but hell no. I couldn’t be bothered reading much just for the review. I was more than bored I was in a comatose state. I usually like to give every diary a fair chance, but when it becomes that much of a chore, I just can’t be bothered. My only advice is this: If you like it good, just don’t expect to see me there ever again.

2003-04-03T21:48:00.000-05:00

Here is the review I did with TranceJen. I hope you enjoy it, I had the best time interviewing her!

1. What made you start an online diary?

Boredom. Boredom and the need for an outlet. I was unaccustomed to being at home all of the time when I started my journal. I was climbing the walls and needed a place to vent.

2. Have you always kept a journal?

Yes, ever since I was six and had a treasured Snoopy journal. I love to write. I attribute a lot of that to my father, because he punished me by making me write essays when I did something wrong. I was a somewhat disobedient child, so I wrote a lot of essays. I started to love writing. Don't tell my dad that, though. Heh.

3. You know that I began my review site by getting noticed on clix and doing unrequested reviews. You know this because you were one of my first, what did you think of that review?

At the time, I remember being pretty irked. I thought that reviewing someone's journal was like reviewing someone's headspace. I thought it was strange. I've since learned to appreciate the constructive criticism. It encouraged me to learn more about HTML and design.

4. I noticed although you didn’t like my review, you still link to the site today. Want to tell me about that?

I enjoy your reviews. I think they're largely fair. And what can I say? I'm a sucker for a well-turned snarky phrase.

5. On a personal level, you’ve grown from the woman you were when I first noticed your diary and it is noticeable in your writing. Do you have any inspiring advice for those out there that want to improve their writing?

I think that the only way to improve one's writing is to write, write, write, and read, read, read. I read constantly and always have, and I think it's helped to improve my style, grammar, and vocabulary.

6. You have a very large following of fans, of which I’ve become a part. How does that make you feel? Do you find yourself tailoring to an audience?

I initially thought it was very weird that so many people read my journal. I mean, my life is fairly dull most of the time. Odd, but dull. The idea of people discussing my journal around the water cooler was a weird one. However, I've gotten to know a lot of the people who read my journal and have met some really great people, some of whom are now close friends. It's nice to be appreciated.

7. Do you feel that becoming part of the diarist community through diaryland has helped you on a personal level?

Very much so. Writing online has helped me to sort out a lot of feelings, and I've also been able to look back and see ways in which I've changed or grown. There are times in which I probably would have gone insane without a place to vent and be myself.

8. Recently you’ve had very good news regarding your health, broke up with your fiancé, and are embarking on a new life while becoming a diaryland celebrity in the process. You must be on top of the world. I’ve read it in your diary that you may want to write, do you think you will turn your diary into a book?

I don't know about "Diaryland celebrity". LOL I'm no Uncle Bob. But the book idea has been suggested many times by readers, and I have thought about it. I'm not sure whether it would fly or how I'd go about it, but it would be one hell of a way to make a living.

9. I’ve recently re-reviewed your site, what is your first response to the things I’ve said? Go ahead, bitch me out if you want.

I thought it was very fair. I get a lot of negative comments about the mouseovers, but I like them and they're my one fun little trick. So there. Ha! As far as my writing style, I write exactly the way that I talk. There are a lot of little idiosyncracies that probably don't translate well in print, but I feel that they're a part of my personality. All in all, I thought the review was very helpful.

10. You talk about being a very different kind of trance in person than the one you show us on your diary. Do you think the ranting and raving on your diary has helped you be more open in your daily life with those you love and meet along the way?

In some ways. I think having a place to vent has made me a much less stressed-out person, and that's definitely a good thing. In "real life" I am not the sort of person who wears my heart on my sleeve. I'm fairly private. I don't know whether that's good or bad.

11. There was quite a lot of people trying to figure out who I am and what diary I write at first, do you think you know who I am? This is not a trick question, but it may be omitted.

She made a guess, but we aren't going there. Sorry!

12. Is there anything else you’d like to share with everyone that reads this site? Any last words?

I guess just "thanks for reading!". That sounds lame, but it's very true.

2003-04-03T19:52:00.000-05:00

Not long ago I thought that I should re-review the journal I feel is the most improved of the earliest diaries I reviewed. It wasn't a very hard decision because I found that I had already become a regular reader of the diary that takes that prize. Here is a reprint of her original unrequested review along with the re-review I wrote only yesterday. Later today I will be posting an interview I did with her as well. Enjoy.

Old Review:
37th unrequested review is of TranceJen

Rating out of 10: 4

layout etc: (2: 1)
This layout is one step up from your average Diaryland template, except one thing: The link buttons are awful. I didn't realize people who updated their web pages this year were still using those things. Take my word for it, the goldish rectangle buttons are hideous and do not make your diary look better than say ordinary text links. Do away with them! Do anything else but use them!

Why does she have a link that says, "Powered by signmyguestbook.com?" Her diary is a diaryland diary, and there are links to the guestbook placed on the guestbook. That needs to be removed right away.
Below her archive list there are a few links and some odd pictures to go with them. They look out of place.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 1)
Giving people initials instead of making up some fake name or using their real one annoys me. If it doesn't annoy you, that's fine, but this is my CRITIQUE. So there.

These are not good: *snort*, and too-much-of-this-type-thing.

Unique: (2: 0)
Not yet anyway.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
"I swore that I wouldn't talk about this on this site, because I realize it's really fucking tedious to listen to someone bitch and moan about something so shallow as their weight, and I understand tha eating disorders are so fucking lame and passe', but fuck it. You read about my boring-assed life, so you might as well read the bad with the good."

Heartfelt writing, wish there was more like it.

"My parents are thoroughly insane, neurotic, bizarre, anal-retentive, obesessive, and crazy; but they always mean well, they always support me, and they always have hope for me. I've put them through every kind of hell a child can inflict on a parent, and they still take my phone calls every time. And even though they could have adopted any scrawny little refugee, they picked me."

"I went psycho-ballistic on the disability insurance company's answering machine today. They sent me a really crummy letter, and I just flew off the handle. So they're probably going to remain true to crap weasel form and cut my checks down to, oh, I don't know...fifty cents. Bastards."

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
I think her diary has potential, in the layout department and the writing one. But, I just don't have the time to keep her on my to read list. I enjoyed some of the entries a lot because they were really open and honest. One in particular just happens to be when she was drunk. If people would think of their diaries as a way to let loose of their writing inhibitions then they'd write a lot more interesting stuff, and have a lot more readers. You may like this one more than I did.

New Review

Rating out of 10: 9

layout etc. (2: 2)
First of all, let me start off with a little bit of history for those of you that haven’t been around since the beginning. Trance had one of the first diaries I reviewed and I believe it was her very first layout. She didn’t do so bad on her first score getting 4 out of 10. The very things that she did well then are the things that make people love her and her diary today: raw honesty. I saw potential in Trance and although I said I wasn’t adding her to my daily reads list, somehow I kept going back, and back, and then back again. Drawn in by her writing. She has a way with words. In picking my first official re-review and most improved diarist of the site, I didn’t have to think it over. It was Trance all the way.

Her new layout is very fresh. She did it herself and put it up not too long ago. I prefer it to the previous layout, although a lot of people really liked that one. As for improvements I have but one suggestion; I have a pet peeve about links. I would prefer the links be clearly labelled. The little squares at the top are cute and go well as a theme, but using Photoshop and adding text to them wouldn’t be too much to ask. I know that the hyperlink shows up in the bottom left, but I prefer not to be distracted by that.

Oh and I know I said I only have one complaint, but the inner pesky picky critic comes out when I noticed that the picture of the cubes on the left doesn’t fit perfectly. A simple resize of the photograph will fix that I think. See how the cubes on the right side of the picture get cut off? Yeah I know I’m a pain in the ass. I didn’t take any points away from her though, because in all honesty my complaints aren’t that major.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 1)
Some habits die hard. Even though I love her diary, I have to add that there are a few things that I skip over when I’m reading. She updates and updates and updates. Sometimes it takes me 30 minutes to catch up on all her new entries, and then I also skip over too many word for word repeated conversations. I could do with out a lot of those, other than that, she’s tops in my book.

Unique: (2: 2)
I have to laugh at my comments on the previous review. “Not yet anyway?” It is as if she set out to prove me wrong, and do that she did. I can’t think of a more unique diarylander. I’m sure her audience will agree with me. Trance is in every way unique and she does a great job of showing that in her diary. I’ve said I like the way she writes; she has an uncanny way of getting into your heart while making you laugh so hard you shoot coffee out your nose at the same time.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
Forgive me for using so many, but I just had to.

"I don't need a WonderBra. I need a Jesus Walking On Water Bra. I need a bra constructed of steel beams and pulleys that will hoist my tired boobs skyward."

I can relate

"I hate this waiting, this feeling of weak nervous waiting. I feel like I'm on fire. It makes me want to purge, so I did, hoping that the nervousness and fear and anger and hatred would pour out of me in a hot rush along with the calories and carbohydrates and salt and fat grams, leaving me empty and clean and satisfied.
The satisfaction never comes. It teases, it tempts, but it is always just out of my reach."

"Nothing But Fuck For You.
Fuck the SSI people. Fuck their mothers, fuck their grandmothers, fuck their uncles, fuck their second cousins, and fuck their hamsters. Fuck them, and fuck them again, and fuck them once more just for good measure.
As a disclaimer, just let me say that I've been Extremely Stressed. I am talking major emotional turmoil here. Temporarily disabled, potty training kid, company in financial ruin, parents up my butt, newly engaged, chronically sleep-deprived, and slightly weird to begin with."

I appreciate her blunt honesty, which shouldn't suprise all of you.

"I got the Magic Pill.
I got the motherfucking Magic Pill.
It's real.
He knew, he knew right away, and it's real. It's really happening.I'm going to get better. I'm going to work again, drive again, dance again, go places, do things, wake up smiling again.
It's been years since this started. It's been almost three years since I've been incapacitated.
I had lost hope. Completely. I believed that I would never get better. I thought that I would continue to get worse until I was unable to move, speak, see.
And that's probably what would have happened. I would have had a stroke. I might have been drooling in my soup by the end of the year.
And now I'm going to be fine."

Yay Jen!

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)
I read her almost every day, and the days that I don’t I kick myself because then I have to catch up on ten, or twenty entries. I’m exaggerating of course, but if you aren’t reading her diary now, I predict that you will be a regular reader very soon. We love Trance.

2003-04-01T19:31:00.000-05:00

202nd review, requested is of A day in the life

Rating out of 10: 3

layout etc. (2: 1)
I would like this if a few things were done differently. I’m not at all opposed to the romantic layout, in fact I think if your personality is reflected it is a perfect one.

Okay now on with the show. We should know by now how much I loathe in-line scrolls, especially when there is no real purpose for them. I don’t see why this layout needs it, I say get rid of it.

Plus, why is everything on the left side and not centered? It looks funny to me to have all that empty space on the right of my screen. I also think the table with the text of the diary could stand to be bigger. Remember that people are coming here to read your words.

Unique: (2: 1)
Talk about extras! Some of the things about the author are repeated throughout these, beware.

Annoying writing habits (2: 0)
I don’t know anyone personally that uses words like “homies,” and “kewl,” and frankly I’m glad that I don’t. Words and expressions are just a few of my pet peeves, but I’m sure it doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of a diary unless you let it.

She uses poems for entries and I think that one should have a separate section for those unless they are going to write out an entry of explanation.

This girl needs to learn when to take a breath and put some paragraph breaks in her writing, and she needs to remember to never center text in her entries. After she gets those two things down, she can move on to bigger things.

The favorite entry page has links to different diaryland diaries and it is confusing as to who the writer is, if it is in fact the same writer of the present diary or just some favorite entries from around diaryland. That needs to be explanined.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
“I love dancing around the house. Its good exercise and its just good, clean, fun ;).”

In my opinion she is a little young to be using phrases like “good, clean, fun”.

“I think the hardspots have given my a sense of humor because sometimes it was laugh or cry. I also think they have given me that (seems like) rare ability to see the siver lining. The good times have let me appreciate that you have to have the bad to understand the good and that there is a silver lining if you look for it. I also think that the challenges have made me stronger.”

“Today was pretty awesome. My mom had to work at the Broadway store so me and my friend Katie went to lunch with Larry and had pizza. Then Larry dropped us of at the strand where the cute guys are at. Well we were walkin around and we saw this really cute guy, he was wearin a t-shirt that had something written on the back, khaki shorts and a white hat.”

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
I read a more than a few entries when I realized I hadn’t read anything that I really liked. I then decided to go to her favorite entry page to see what I could find, and unfortunately I still wasn't impressed. So there you have it.

2003-03-23T18:16:00.000-05:00

First of all I have no idea what has happend to the server that my pictures are hosted on. I'm working on that I promise.

Okay as soon as I typed that it is back and working. I swear that when this week is over you will have me back in full swing. I mean it!!!!!!! I'm embarking on the busiest week of my life. Trust me.

Please stop requesting via the guestbook.

2003-03-20T23:19:00.000-05:00

201st review, requested is of It Never Ends...Loki's Insanity

Rating out of 10: 10

Layout etc.: (2: 2)

The green candy background is visually interesting. The text box is clear, concise, and clutter-free. All the links work. The only thing I would add is a next/previous link to the top of the page.

Unique: (2: 2)

Recipes! The author loves to cook.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 2)

None.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)

"No holidays, regular work weeks, everyday hangovers. That is the rock I stand and depend on."

"I am not responsible for obesity resulting from these recipes."

"Stupid, slow soccer moms in minivans are the ultimate enemy."

"I get the feeling he probably has body odor or something because his hair looks like he hasn’t washed it since 1977."

That last quote had me laughing out loud. The author is an excellent writer who brings her life alive on the screen.

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

Yes. She gives a glimpse into a life that is completely different from my own.

2003-03-13T22:35:00.000-05:00

200th review, requested is of A Frog's Life

Rating out of 10: 6

Layout etc.: (2: 1)

An uncluttered design makes for easy reading. The dollz on the splash page were too cutesy for my taste. I like the theme of the frog's life. The archives page is a hopeless jumble. I had to spend more than a minute trying to figure out where the links would take me. Average readers want to know what to do and where to go as soon as the archives page loads. So I gave up and read the most recent month of entries. Also, many of the links on the regular diary pages didn't lead to the correct page.

Unique: (2: 0)

This author would seem to have an interesting life. He is a college student with lots of friends and activities, but in several of the entries I read, he had a lot of angst he is/was still working through in regards to past relationships. There was a lot of Buffy/Star Trek/videogame discussion.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 2)

None.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)

"...I wish "Buffy" could live forever, all good things must come to an end. Still, the news really is a stake in my heart."

"Dexter Scott King, cookies and milk, spring break planning, and a few rounds of Literati are always the cure for angsty college blues."

"The expanse of space was more of a comfort than the cramped, suffocating world I inhabited."

I see potential for this author. He has some nice imagery in his writing.

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

I doubt I would go back for another read. I have lived my college days; I don't want to relive them. Too much drama. I suppose if you like a soap opera you may like to read this author.

2003-03-03T23:04:00.000-05:00

199th review, requested is of Pragmatist

Rating out of 10: 5

Layout etc.: (2: 1)

DearDiary.net must not give people too much of a choice in layouts. The author did change the inside pages to be black text on a green background. However, a pithy quote or a bio about the author on the index page would help give the reader a better idea about the diarist. It's readable, with previous/next links, so I can't fault it too much.

Unique: (2: 0)

I can't give it a point for uniqueness. There aren't enough entries to judge.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 2)

None.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)

"Of course, I've noticed lately, too, that police officers don't look like they're old enough to buy beer."

"People fascinate me, but I can take them only in small doses."

"They're kosher now. B-R [Baskin-Robbins] must have discovered that Jews, too, like ice cream."

"God's world is a real work of art. I just wish humans would help Him keep it that way."

These are great lines. I wish that there had been more entries like these.

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

I may or may not go back. There is definite potential here for the author to gain a following; there need to be more entries. I especially liked the entry in which she discusses going to her aunt and uncle's farm when she was a kid. More entries of that sort would have made for a more interesting read.

2003-02-27T23:43:00.000-05:00

198th requested review is of Yetzirah

Rating out of 10: 8

Layout etc.: (2: 1)

Although the layout is generic Deardiary.net template (I assume, as I don't read many diaries over there), all the entries are clearly written. The author does occasionally use colored text to make a point. I give it a one for clarity, quick-loading, and readability.

Unique: (2: 1)

From what I could deduce from her entries (as there was no Bio page), the author is a 52-year-old Jewish woman. That in itself is not your average run-of-the-mill online diarist! In several entries she talks about going to synagogue and some Jewish holidays. It was interesting to read about. Her description of baking challah bread made me hungry. There were several poems and even a four-part story. She has written daily since Dec. 2002.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 2)

None that I could see.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)

"Just do it , was the slogan of the Jews long before Nike decided to use it."

"I can only assume it was throwing a cell phone tantrum.I don't think it LIKED being left behind. I picked it up and realized I didn’t even know how to turn it off. It finally calmed down and I think it took a message. I dropped it back in it’s snarled cord pile and walked off shaking my head and laughing."

"If I wasn’t Jewish, I’d join the Amish...Wait a minute, no DSL. I will have to think that over."

"In the scribble book I am allowed to have handwriting that looks like a psychopath on a medication free day."

These are just some of the examples of the writing in this diary. I could have quoted almost the entire journal.

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

Yes, I would definitely go back for another read. Yetzirah's voice is fresh and funny. There were several entries that had me laughing out loud.

2003-02-25T23:23:00.000-05:00

197th review, requested is of Organized Anarchy

Rating out of 10: 5

layout etc. (2: 1)
Nothing special about this layout, but for a plain one, it has some originality.
There is nothing exciting about white, red and black, but the one thing I like in particular is his picture of his kitty. It is a funny picture, and then after you read the description of the cat on his cast page you’ll have a laugh too.

Previous and next links are fairly easy to do in diaryland so I highly suggest the use of them because it makes reading the diary easier.

Unique: (2: 0)
I wish I could say I found the whole diary utterly unique, but in all honesty much of this has been done before.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 2)
He makes up for his lack of uniqueness in design in his writing style. Nothing really bothered me although he does use ellipses inappropriately and misspells the occasional word. I was more than a little impressed with that.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
"There's a woman at work that's pushing forty, and her favorite artist out there is Nelly. Not my cup of tea, but more power to her. Despite her age, her many ex husbands, and children, you just can't spend a whole breaktime with her and think of her as anything but young."

"In roughly five days or so, Jackass will turn 2. Now, it seems to me we've had this cat for fucking ever, and we're talking about a fairly low-maintnance pet, here. You feed him one or twice a day, take care of his litter box every now and then, and as far as the real shit-work is concerned, that's just about it."

"Three lighters (so far): About $3
Change: $4.37 (so far)
Receipts from the year 2001: Too many to count.
The first time our bedroom has been almost clean since 2001: Priceless."

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
This diary although not one I salivate over definitely has potential to be very entertaining. It is light-hearted and humorous, which I might add is a quality I often see in men writers.

2003-02-15T19:59:00.000-05:00

"A Good Read is Hard to Find"

Hi! I'm italicplatypus, an avid reader of online journals, and I'm always on the lookout for a great new read. I like to read diaries that offer insight into the diarist's life. No subject is taboo. If you would like to be reviewed by me, email novelist@hellokitty.com. Thanks!

196th unrequested review is of jennylilly

Rating out of 10: 1

Layout etc.: (2: 1)
This diary starts out with no template whatsoever, just black text on a white background, and then switches to a generic diary-x template. Several entries use a nice blue design with a flower titled "This Is Who I Am," from Bex Designs. The last few entries use another design from Poo Designs. Generally, seeing a diary evolve from no design to a definitive design doesn't bother me, but here it seems like the author could not decide which one to use. It's especially annoying in this case because there are so few entries.

A "next" link would have been nice. She has it in the first few entries, but not in the majority. I had to keep going back to the archives to see when the next entry was, and then type the date in the browser. Over half of the entries were not titled, so I couldn't click on them.

All that said, I chose to give the layout a 1, because the entries are in a nice-sized font and are easy to read, and readability is important to me. I don't want to have to squint at something or try to figure out what cutesy-named links mean. The page loads quickly as well, which is really important to those of us who still have dial-up modems!

Unique: (2: 0)
She has a link to her homepage at AOL, which tells you more about the author than the diary itself does. That's it.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 0)
Where do I begin? In the first few entries, no punctuation or capitalization. Then in some entries, the author uses proper style. Various misspellings of common words occur throughout, but she claims she is a horrible speller. Well, ok, but spellcheck is available on most computers. These errors distract from the readability.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 0)
"Nevertheless, when I compare myself to Jesus, I find myself falling short. To be honest, I don't like bearing the cross daily. It is heavy."

Yes, the author is a fundamentalist Christian. Many of the entries are about God's word, are you saved, etc. In addition, many entries include Bible verses.

"i am so bored. im in limbo. in betwixed one phase of life to the next, and im just ready to get on with it."

Here is an example of how the majority of her diary is written. Many entries are not explained. In one, there is mention of an impending marriage; months pass with no entry at all; suddenly the marriage occurred and now the couple is expecting a baby.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
No, I would not go back for another read. I don't mind the subject matter of the fundamentalism. It would be more interesting if she wrote about her daily life and activities. I glimpsed a peek into her life in a few of the entries, but not enough to continue reading.

2003-02-15T19:02:00.000-05:00

I would like to welcome a new member of the diary critic family, italicplatypus. She will be posting a review soon, so check back.

Also, I found a problem with the code on the rules page and fixed it. My apologies to anyone out there trying to read them and finding the text unreadable unless you highlighted the page.

All fixed now.

2003-02-05T20:20:00.000-05:00

195th review, requested is of middle line

Rating out of 10: 4

layout etc. (2: 1)
This is interesting. I was at least relieved when the page opened that it wasn’t a cookie cutter layout of something I’ve seen a thousand times.

The first line under the picture contains a bad error. “Catch you breath?” Please tell me it is meant to say “you” and not your. And please tell me there is a good reason for it. Actually I believe I am the first person to point out this mistake and that saddens me some.

The exploding dog picture is cute. I know cute isn’t all that educated of a word, but that is what I thought of first. I especially like how the one giving the heart has its stick hand on its mouth.

And now you must read what I don’t like. I really don’t like that I can’t see my scrollbar. This is a very bad thing for me because I like to see where I’m at on a page so I know how far down I’ve gone and how far I’ve left to go. This is also a very bad thing on this page in particular seeing how it seems to go on forever.

Unique: (2: 1)
She provides a few extras that are worth looking at. Verse of the day, you mean bible verse? I have to admit that is brave and unique. Also, I found it interesting that one of her quotes is from a Nike ad. And finally, she has a poetry section she calls “words.”

Annoying writing habits (2: 1)
Why is she so opposed to breaking her long-ass winded paragraphs into simple and easy to read paragraphs?

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
It's been pretty busy around here, in a dull, annoying sort of way. My life basically revolves around going to school, trying to get homework done, and going to basketball games. Yep, that will be it in a nutshell, sadly.

I talk about this here a lot, but it bears some mentioning again. Just write about it in a way that isn’t so dull. That is what I like to call creative writing.

I guess I should mention that I can be very revengeful; it might take me awhile to get back to someone about a certain thing, but that's just because I'm trying to think of the best way to do it. The problem right now is that I don't know what to do with this knowledge. I'm sure I'll come up with something "creative" though. It's time that the pieces landed on my side of the table.

I plan on keeping that in mind for after this review is up. Please don’t hurt me.

Sometimes I don't like the fact that there can be great days, good days, or terrible days. If you spend this nearly-magical, awesome day with some close friends, there's little chance that you'll ever have a "great" day again because all the other days would be compared to that, and chances are they won't measure up to it. But then again, that goes vice versa. If you've had one terrible, nearly-lethal, day, all the other days would be described as at least "good" because they won't measure up to the ghastly memories of the tragic day.

Are you sure that wasn’t a Jack Handy quote?

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
I don’t see myself becoming a regular reader of middle line, but I do think she has potential. Learning how to write creatively no matter what your subject matter is the key to getting and keeping readers interested. Not an easy feat, but worth aiming for.

2003-02-01T01:06:00.000-05:00

The last time I needed someone to help me review I did this big contest. It was complete with rules and it had it's very own link on the page. This time you may call me a lazy ass because I don't care about it that much anymore, plus I didn't get a huge response.

No I'm not easy to work for. Yes I'd like to have a co-reviewer that lasts longer than the previous two. And no, you don't have to review the same way that I do.

Just send me a sample review all ready people. You know you want to.

2003-02-01T00:58:00.000-05:00

194th review, requested is of The Journal of a City Idiot

Rating out of 10: 7

layout etc. (2: 1)
I was really aggravated that I needed to review another Open Diary journal, but this one, apart from the blandness of the site’s (not the diarist's fault really) design was worth my time.

There is nothing extremely bad about the colors of the table or the marbled background, but it is just so boring. I empathize with the inability to venture out of the open diary format.

Unique: (2: 1)
Each entry is a very engrossing detailed discussion. I loved it.

Annoying writing habits (2: 1)
I am having a finding a link back to the index of this diary. That is another thing I hate about Open Diary.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
"However, though they are beautiful I can’t find a perfect one. I would feel ridiculous writing in a journal with a cover sporting a faded picture of roses, or one of delicate silvery winged faeries. You can’t write about the time you once walked into the men’s bathroom because you were too busy stalking someone to pay attention to where you were going; the roses would groan; the faeries would not approve. Similarly I can’t write in a leather bound book with the edges of the paper-gilded gold. I’d probably spill ketchup on it."

I’m a regular bound journal coveter myself.

"Suddenly I’m all right with not being brilliant. Yeah the first time I read The Chosen I wanted to start reading Freud like Danny Saunders, wanted to say that I too read seven or eight books a week, but couldn’t. Now that I’m the same age as Danny was when he started reading Freud I find that I don’t care as much. I’m not going to rush towards the library or feel insufficient because I can’t memorize German Grammar and decipher Freud’s original German writings. I am not brilliant, somewhat sentimental and emotional but that’s all right. It’s all right because I never had to learn compassion through silence. Or maybe it isn’t because Danny got a soul in the end- and let’s counter attack that statement, because at what price? Silence. No. Not me."

"Only they aren't. I'm the one whose mad, frozen up. I feel flawed next to them. I differ in appearance, handwriting, ideas, phrases, behavior, manners and morals. My package is not appealing. Their's is delightfully so. I become snobby. I tell myself that they are alike and boring. That I am unique, and different, and interesting. Original. They all write about the same things, they're all nice, and very dull, but I at least have a sense of humor. I'm human enough to be a brat, and to treasure the few math grades I have that are higher than Siri's because in every other subject on the face of this planet she leaves me in the dust. They of course, would be shocked by the pure selfishness of such sentiments."

I have to empathize. I hated high school for similar reasons.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)
This was a delightful read. I had a wonderful time reading her diary and think that she will probably produce a book one day if she is so inclined. It is always refreshing to read a diary this good by anyone, especially by someone her age. This of course is one of the joys of my hobby. Please go visit her diary, it is a must.

2003-01-28T18:36:00.000-05:00

193rd review, requested is of john-mundayne

Rating out of 10: 3

layout etc. (2: 1)
I may be wrong about this, but this looks like a template design.

It works as far as functionality is concerned, but where is the title? I love titles! Also, where is the uniqueness? That is the one major reason why I don’t like templates, they are so boring and unoriginal looking.

The only thing I find myself liking is the fact that the typing isn’t red. I appreciate that, immensely.

Sometimes the entries are ended with “pld” then after a line break comes “jm,” which I assume are initials and sometimes they are ended with one or the other, as well as a random, “tom.” What does all of that mean? A bio page would be helpful, or simply stop using so many vague initials as a start.

It seems to be a trend lately in the diaries I'm reviewing to have the archive be completely different from the main page, but hopefully anyone reading these reviews will see that is not a good idea. It is much better when all the pages have some similarity, even if it is only the background and text colors.

Unique: (2: 1)
This is a unique approach to diary writing. While not telling the reader anything really, he somehow manages to write regular entries. Not that this is so unique, but he password protected an entry and gave a hint to the password, in which I was able to figure out.

Annoying writing habits (2: 0)
The diarist tries hard to be poetic when he only ends up writing a lot of one-word sentences; that annoys me. Also, not everyone is a great speller, but we all should have access to spell check. I’m really not trying to be snarky, but at first I thought the url was clever, until I began to wonder if it too was a misspelling.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
"there has to be an upswing to everything. and. not concerdering the scientific regermarand. good and bad is what you think it is. if you want ceren to exsist bad enough, then one day she'll pop up and kiss you. with tounge. and maybe some heavy petting. but if you depend on her. you'll get fucked. loved then left in your own sauce. adding salt."

This would be even more philosophically interesting without the misspelled words.

"close your eyes and open your throat. you won't even taste it. you'll learn to like the burn. and to love the drunk. it makes lips ring ya know. the stress of one. becomes the blur of two. or three. maybe four. however many of me there could be. there's only one. he's simple. everyman. his identity is empathy. it's only a paradox when he needs something. i don't want to need.

now is not the time. god. damn. it. all. and he has. or was it cerendipity?"

"maybe i was a toa-ist lifetimes ago. that would explain my ability to surf the waves of changes. and how i always know to shut down, not move, and trust the riptide's nauseating current to deposit me some where out there. breathing. when i fall. and can feel life pushing me under. i need to know that i can trust fate."

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
This diary is a lot different from the kind I usually find myself visiting regularly. It seems to act as a place to record single thoughts without any connection to previous ones. After reading a large amount of entries I still don’t know that much about the person writing the diary. I don’t think that is an accident; I believe the writer doesn’t have any intention of letting the reader know much about him apart from his philosophical thoughts and tangential poems. Not much there to make me want to come back.

2003-01-27T22:42:00.000-05:00

192nd review, requested is of bukowskigirl

Rating out of 10: 5

layout etc. (2: 1)
This is a very simple layout and I like it mostly, except not only is it simple, but it is dull as well.

I know that some people would rather have their toenails pulled out than have to learn something about html, but in all honesty there are more snazzy approaches to the simple look than having a large photograph (a very long loading one) centered above text.

Have some fun and learn new things, things that have to do with color, text, tables and Photoshop! The list is endless really.

This format could really use a previous and next link at the top as well as the bottom of the entries as well. Remember your reader when making navigational links.

One last thing, why is the archive page completely different than the main page? I think keeping the same theme (i.e.: images) on all pages makes the diary transition better.

Unique: (2: 1)
There is nothing very unique about this one.

Annoying writing habits (2: 0)
I found a lot of misspelled words in the first entry I read; I suggest spell check. I also dislike the random poem entries. If you are going to do a poem please add some sort of explanation along with it that would really help.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
"I don't get it. I'm so wary of him, yet I am totally convinced he is the one. He smells like it, tastes like it, smiles like it. When we're happy and he looks at me it feels amazing and it feels the way I want forever to feel."

"He told us of a man in the washrroom at Elgin, who wanted to rpove he was nuts. He exclamined to no one in particular "I'm gonna eat shit!" This man shoved his hand into the yellowed water of the toilet bowl, and pulled out a large piece of fecal matter. He walked up to the mirror, fist tight around the shit and put it in front of his face. This man's maddness wasn't deep enough, because as he held the shit in front of his mouth you could see he was nervous, maybe even a few droplets of sweat ran down his forehead. But he said "Fuck it" and bit into the shit."

You can see some mistakes here, but otherwise a funny joke to include in an entry.

"Today, or was it last night? I basically asked Linus to move in with me. How insane am I? Is that? What am I thinking? Yes, Linus, the boy who broke my heart a gazillion times over. Slept with hookers, and lord knows who else...Yes the boy who urinated in my vagina after sex, yes the same boy who used to give me at least a dozen Dutch Ovens a night. I've decided the best idea would be to move in with him. I am such a prudent bitch."

Urinated? I never thought I’d say this, but I think that may be too much information.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
I actually found most of her entries to be funny and refreshing at the same time. I think that the diarist has a great start at what could be a fantastic diary. I think she needs to write more about herself and longer entries before I would bookmark it.

2003-01-24T22:13:00.000-05:00

I think I have this thing all sorted out, now just to do the other pages!

2003-01-24T17:27:00.000-05:00

Oppps. I'm changing a few things so the page is going to look a little scary for a while. Bear me patience. Thanks!

2003-01-24T01:43:00.000-05:00

I've worked hard on this new layout and decided to put up the main page before I've finished changing all the navigation links. Submitting is still as easy as writing an email! Hope everyone likes the new look.

2003-01-15T00:53:00.000-05:00

191st review, requested is of Bleeding endlessly

Rating out of 10: 2

layout etc. (2: 0)
Well one can imagine that I’m really not into the whole “morbid” diary look. Who wants to stare at a picture like that long enough to read a few months worth of diary entries? Plus, that is not the only thing there is not to like.

I hate in-line scrolls with a passion, especially ones that are this small. What is the point really? Why do you need them? They just clog up the screen and leave a very tiny space for your writing. It really is okay to have your writing fill the screen until it stops.

Why does she have a page just for diagnosis and include the same thing on her bio? It is redundant and not needed.

I understand she is trying to communicate a sense of morbid darkness with her diary, but the dark red type on the black background is not the easiest to read. I’m out of suggestions on this one because I’m not an expert on dark layouts.

Also on the technical side, some of the links that I haven’t even looked at have a line through them as if I have and this is confusing. If you are using that for a visited link, you shouldn’t design other links to be that way originally. Also, please don’t disable the right-click because I like to use it to open certain pages in new windows and sometimes may need to see if a picture will load from it’s location.

Unique: (2: 1)
On her bio page she lists a lot of disorders that she apparently has. I’d like to know if these are self-diagnosed or were diagnosed by a professional. If they were professional, then I’d have to say she is very unique.

Annoying writing habits (2: 0)
I loathe centered text, and pictures that don’t load. I also get annoyed when the only thing written is a link to “which dumb blonde are you?” I have lots more interesting things to do with my time than read stupid poles. Her writing, although short and quick to read is also filled with a lot of mistakes such as fragments and jumps between using capitalization and not.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
"She's not okay, and I am not, either. As of last night, she is aware of my obsession with blood and death. I cannot prevent myself from thinking of it. If I cannot slice my own body, then I spend my time observing online pictures of others who have. Something is wrong, and I'm only now realizing that it isn't normal. But what is 'normal'?"

"The only problem is that the depths of my mind do not form a real world. Only a world for the relief of my madness. only a world that welcomes the insane. only a world meant solely for me. As long as this is my only escape from the emotional demons of the real world, I will not ever be normal or happy. Even if I do, on occasion, experience happiness, it will not ever be real. Perhaps only the basis of something resembling an aspect of reality. either way, my escape from madness is simply put as driving myself further over the edge of sanity's remains."

"I shouldn't be c+o+m+p+l+a+i+n+i+n+g. I should be thanking whatever unnatural force out there which caused my life to gain enough substance to induce laughter. If you are an honest and understanding person, will you please be my f.r.i.e.n.d? Perhaps till the end..."

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
The writer of this diary seems to be a very troubled girl may be using her diary as a means of getting her feelings out in a safe place where she can feel accepted. Although I am not anxious to go back and read more because the sight of blood makes me woozy, I would like to point out that I see a trend of diaries exactly like this and used for this purpose. I’m sure her regular readers all find something in common with her and therefore give her diary a reason to survive. Some of the readers of this site may find something in it that they relate to as well.

2003-01-09T19:07:00.000-05:00

190th review, requested is of Sense of Non

Rating out of 10: 7

layout ect. (2: 2)
The picture is a great centrepiece; you can tell she is really talented in Photoshop. At first I thought that the entire content of the journal was going to be in the right side of the picture, and you can guess how relieved I was to find out it isn’t. I’m not sure what she is using that space for, perhaps random nonsense or other tid-bits of information?

Why is everything on the archives page flushed to the left and then the entire page is blank white in the middle? This just looks like bad designing or a terrible mistake. I see now that when you click on a month the space gets filled up with that month’s entries, but maybe some sort of explanation or something could go on the other page in the middle so that it won’t look so blank. It is not a fatal design flaw, just as suggestion.

When I clicked the link called “the peer review” I got a 404. Apparently that doesn’t exist anymore.

Overall the layout is pretty simple and easy to navigate. You’ll be surprised that I found nothing much to complain about.

Unique: (2: 2)
I am a sucker for photographs, they make reading more interesting plus she is really good with the color and black and white finishes. I also like that she took the time to divide her journal up into categories (except for the fact that some of them only have one entry). This should catch on and become popular, I only hope it does and it replaces the listing of “50 things” for a biography that everyone is doing.

Annoying Writing habits: (2: 1)
Forgive me please for finding this annoying, but I think she talks more about her son than she does about herself, and I also found the bio to be less than fulfilling.

Quotes from the Diary: (2: 1)
"I'm high on Prozac. Yes folks, I believe I am even more neurotic and insane than I was to start with. I feel incredible. I am not obsessively stressed over little things and have a general sense of well being. So much so that as I was taking my shower today, I burst out laughing with childish giddiness. I've also noticed my energy level is on turbo-boost. I think all that obsessive worrying and compulsive behavior was sapping my syrup. Life is grand!"

It is good to hear, I hate it when everyone is down on prozac.

"I've always remembered my childhood as being traumatic. But in reality, although things weren't perfect, they wern't frighteningly awful during my pipsqueak years. It wasn't until I got older that my happiness slowly rotted away into nothingness. For years, I focused on every sour lemon that tainted my youth; but now, I'm brewing up a pitcher of lemonade. After all, lemons must be good for something, right?"

"I am currently reading a book called How to Think Like Einstein, by Scott Thorpe. I recommend it to anyone who wants to turn out like me. On second thought, I don't reccomend it; the universe doesn't need another fire-breathing hamster wearing tube socks. Perhaps you should read something by Jerry Seinfeld instead."

Heeeeee, very funny.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
Well I feel for the girl because she lost a chunk of her archives recently and I really would have liked to read what she had to say in the last few weeks. I found her diary to be interesting but sometimes I felt it was too on the surface and not digging down deep enough. Although, there are times that she opens herself up like when she explains her OCD symptoms.

She has a quirky way of making you smile with the silly things she says and one must think that her talent lies in her ability to make light of things. It is worth your time.

2003-01-05T23:38:00.000-05:00

189th review, requested is of 1227—A Portrait of the Seminarian as a Young Man

Rating out of 10: 8

layout etc. (2: 2)
This is very simple, a black and white, yin and yang layout. Nothing to really complain about except for maybe one or two things, everyone knows I have to complain.

Although I’ve come to the conclusion that the diary I am looking at is one in which you have to look deeply into in order to find meaning, I am a lover of information. I want to know the meaning of (1227) and I want to know it now, I don’t want to search the entire archive to find out what it means. I also want to know what the title means, do I ask too much?

No, but seriously it is simple and it works, but simple is working its way out the door (just in case you didn't know).

The previous and next links at the bottom of the entry, although symbolic had me confused for a while. I thought they were diary titles until I realized they never change.

Unique: (2: 1)
This searching for a deeper meaning symbolism style journal is not all that unique, but somehow he finds a way to enter that realm.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 1)
Ellipses are a valid form of punctuation as someone I reviewed previously pointed out, but only when they are used correctly.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
"And all your sins are like tattoos. So much cheaper to get than they will be to erase and even then you know you will miss them. You’ll miss them and the hum of the needle lacing your skin with a life of its own. I told her today that she has no idea what it is like to be used to the idea of wishing it was all over. She has never had to start over again. She had never hurt anyone so bad that she just wants to run and run, and she has never hurt herself bad enough that she couldn’t feel it anymore. So it never makes sense to her when she catches me standing at the window while its raining and watching it break through last week’s dust and brush away the dead leaves and cigarette butts from the gutters leaving nothing but oxygen in the air. She never understands why I roll the windows down on the highway until our ears are ringing and our eyes are dry and there is nothing but the heat from the road in our heads."

This is an example of his very descriptive writing. Simply beautiful.

"They say that if it’s hot enough, nothing really bad can happen. They say it is by our sweat that the earth works itself through us, and it is by the hot wind blowing our clothes against our skin in the sun that the sky works itself through the earth. And there we are slung in between the two, endlessly apprehending both at once in wordless waves 11 hours at a time."

Amazingly I was extremely hot when I read this entry, it spoke to me.

"(She sat and listened to me make my way back confusingly through those couple days and we cried together, letting her hand rest on my back. I told her that sometimes things like that come back and I don’t know where to go to hide from them. Your first real overdose is like your first kiss in every way but you wish you could forget it.)"

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)
I liked this diary. It is beautifully written. You can tell he has a lot to write about and can feel his emotions in the words. I love the way he describes everything so clearly.

The author has a knack for writing cleverly, the only thing I feel is missing is his a providing more concrete information about himself. Putting my voyeuristic lust aside, I am pleased to say I’d visit this diary again, hoping to fit more pieces into the puzzle.

2003-01-04T21:02:00.000-05:00

Hello kiddies and Happy New Year! Things are going to be a little different around here this year so bear with me. I have lost another co-reviewer and now have a large amount of reviews to get cracking on. Would anyone that has requested a review from Talulah please contact me. And of course if you think you have what it takes to review here please feel free to write as well.

188th review, requested is of whyspered moments

Rating out of 10: 4

layout etc. (2: 1)
One can tell that a lot of hard work went into the design, and with that said I have to do my job and be honest as a critic and add that I don’t like it all that much. The ornateness is probably what drives me away, and the color doesn’t help. I prefer colors that have contrast rather than blend with one another.

I found a really great site recently that involves color. Any web designer needs to know what emotions certain colors convey so that they can use the right combination in their designs to extract the right emotions from their intended audience.

The archive although extensive is a little confusing because the date and the title do not actually match up, this was discovered quickly as I was going through and reading old entries. I am not sure how she can fix that because I don’t know what means she is using for archiving.

I have no use for all the little dots everywhere. It really aggravates me, and the reason I am saying this here is because they are literally incorporated to her entire design.

I don’t mind seeing a copyright notice at the bottom of a web page, but when it gets that long and takes up that much room, I think they’ve gone a bit overboard.

Unique: (2: 1)
The site and word of the moment thing she does at the end of her diary is an interesting added touch.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 0)
I have to mention that she doesn’t use capital letters, and that she has a lengthy explanation for that.

“so, what it comes down to is this: i think so fast, and i'm trying to keep up - this is the easiest way for me to get my thoughts out. an almost impossible task, i know, but that's why i write all in lower case. it also accounts for the fumble-fingered typos you often see.”

I don’t argue with anyone about what they prefer, I just give them my opinion about what I prefer. I would think that putting punctuation (which she seems to have no problem with) or writing at all would be a problem if you want to go with her argument. It takes me the same keystroke to capitalize a letter that it does to use a colon or other punctuation. It is something to think about no? And I also knew from the start that I was going to be seeing a lot of ellipses. Will they ever stop frightening me?

Quotes from the diary (2: 1)
“which means saxy now has to look for work again. guess what? it isn't out there. what little that is out there requires either a degree (and not in english - besides which, i'm still waiting for the damn grade change to hit the system so i can't even find a job in my field at this point because i don't yet qualify), someone who's already trained, 3-5 years of experience, a car, or any combination of the above. thing is, most them require the car regardless and we don't have one.”

“you know, my kids aren't perfect angels, but it is events like these that make me so proud of how well behaved they all are, even taz who has less control than most kids. they know if they get out of line, we won;t care about moneys spent, we're outta there. i do not tolerate misbehavior, even in public. maybe especially in public.”

“not everyone will like my writing. not everyone will be fair in their reviews either before or after it is published, but i am a good writer. i make people feel. people want to read my stuff. many of them want to see me grow as a writer and gear their comments accordingly.”

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
The more I read diaries and review them, the more I see how truly unique a diary is to the individual. I find that she writes about a wide range of things and this is good because nobody wants to read the same boring thing over and over again. I just don’t find myself interested in what she is writing, and for once I can’t think of anything to suggest that would change my mind. I give the diary a point in this section because I think that if you are out there reading the top ten on clix and find yourself wanting something different, this diary could be it. It is worth a visit, even if only once.

2002-12-16T07:58:00.000-05:00

187th review, requested is of Living in A Glass House

Rating out of 10: 5

layout etc. (2: 0)
No points for layout. Why? Because there is nothing at all original about this, it is the open diary format, which I already know that I hate. Plus it is the same thing as the previous diary I reviewed with a black background and colored text.

There is also a kink in the layout that covers up one of the ads that open diary has placed there. This distracts the eye and not only looks bad, but is not what open diary had in mind when they allowed her to use their server. The background on the index page is rather cool looking, but it only appears there and not on individual entries.

Also, if you begin to wonder why your MP3 player is screwing up and find that your computer only wants to play the beginning of one song (the file of which isn't even on your computer), let me just clear that up for you now. It is her diary playing it. It really screwed with my head for while. I don't like music that plays when you open a page, especially if it can't be turned off simply.

Unique: (2: 1)
I can’t say that nothing about the diary is unique, even though I don’t like the layout and hosting. The writer is very unique.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 1)
Do not ever write “LOL” in a diary entry. This makes me cringe. It always seems that the people who do that also feel the need to use smiley faces in their writing. This is not a chat room, this is a diary, please feel free to type normally. I’m not in a big hurry to get through the entry; I don’t need you shortening things.

Quotes from the diary (2: 1)
“I've been putting him off for over a week because Eric has been with me. What a waste. He hasn't really been WITH me. He just passes through on his way back to our old area. This morning we were in our nice comfy bed, nowhere to go, kids asleep. Instead of doing our normal Saturday morning ritual he gets out of bed and says he's going to do some errands back in Maryland. I said, "What is going on here?" letting him know I thought we'd be getting busy. He said, "Next week we'll be back to normal. I'm just too depressed." Oh. I thought sex helped with depression.”

No I think that is a different kind of exercise.

“The past few days, I've been feeling kinda "blah" about my whole guy situation. I don't want to give up on anyone, but I realize the relationships are doomed. I don't want to start a new one. I don't want to be without a guy. I'm just in limbo here. Right now I need to concentrate on getting my house and moving my family. That's the important stuff, but every now and again I have a longing for closeness, affection, love. Keeping busy is fine during the day, but then there are alone moments when you just want someone that you can be crazy about that's equally crazy about you. Does that ever happen? It seems to me that it's always a bit one sided. One person always loves more.”

“He told me it had nothing to do with how he felt about ME. He wasn't worried about ME. He was worried about Eric. Eric works away in Virginia (btw, where the sniper is) and is gone all week. Steve doesn't trust that Eric isn't screwing around. Well, at first I wanted to defend him. Of course I know he's not screwing around. If anything, I know my husband. Pffttt...that didn't hold water even with me. I know my husband, but didn't know what he was capable of with my girls, did I? No, I don't really know him and I will not defend him. Instead, I'll go through the tests for both of our peace of minds. If you think about it, Eric is secure in thinking I'm not screwing around. He's told me he's not worried about anyone other than Bob. He knows I wouldn't ever sleep with anyone I didn't love. Guess he doesn't know me as well as he thinks either.”

There are some serious issues going on here.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)
Although I hate the Open Diary format, I have to admit I was really intrigued with this diary, which has been a hard thing to find myself feeling lately. The entries follow along like a book. I’ve been going backwards, just because that is how I start out reading (with the current entry first.) Those of you like me just finding this diary may find it enjoyable to start at the beginning and read forwards.

She has a lot of things going on in her life (apparently she is married and has a boyfriend) and writes very openly. It was a very refreshing read. She seems to have stopped writing over a month ago and I really want to hear what has happened since then.

2002-12-12T04:51:00.000-05:00

186th review, requested is of Live Life out Loud!

Rating out of 10: 4

layout etc. (2: 0)
I’m truly becoming opposed to diaries that use DearDiary.Net as their host. It is really a confusing set up, and I simply abhor it. There are lots of other places to put your diary and web hosting is not that expensive these days.

But let me not dwell on that anymore and move on. The black background is hard to do. Why? Because when you do that your text has to be some awful color and most people end up choosing unwisely. This is a case in point. Yellow on black is not so kind on the eyes after a while.

I detest the way she changes font style, size, and color all the time. I prefer things to look more uniform and clean.

Unique: (2: 1)
What is with all the pictures? They’re unique, but I’m not saying I am fond of them. I can think of other ways to show off pictures.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 1)
Aside from the font situation that I’ve already mentioned, she uses tons of ellipses. Also, she writes incredibly long sentences, which lead to incredibly long paragraphs. I hate to admit this, but it leads to me wanting to just skip over them.

Quotes from the diary (2: 1)
“All too often I force blame on myself for everyone's anger. Usually that has happened with chris. "you are manufacturing a reason to be upset" is something he says to me... when we were a couple it could be said cause i was upset about.... him getting so many speeding tickets and not paying them and then having to get pulled over and arrested for a warrant for those tickets and I have to stay up all night arranging how to get the car one friend watching the kids, another friend going to get the car with me from the pound, and then call his sister to get the bail money after trying to figure out who to call at the prison to find out because he left at 9 in the morning and called me for 20 seconds to say he was in jail and please call his temp job and tell them he wont be in.”

Take a breath and shorten those sentences!

“… she can heal someone by looking at them… the other day I had a huge bruise from going around the corner and wiping out… and she touched it and it was gone within hours. Was that faith healing? No… she is in control of her energy, and can see much more clearly what malfunction in my energy is causing a bruise, and then can energetically fix it by applying what ever energy needs to be applied to realign my bruise ti its natural state.)”

I’m not touching this one..

“being_just_beth: there are things in my diary i cant just sit and tell you
zdavidz69: you have no interest in meeting me do you
being_just_beth: you are taking it wrong
zdavidz69: if you meet me then i can maybe read some fair trade?
being_just_beth: if you had said " wow you have a diary??? can i see?"
being_just_beth: i would be like... COOL
being_just_beth: and if you saw i wrote a sonnet the day before yesterday
zdavidz69: well if you dont have time to meet me and tell me about why should i go read about you
zdavidz69: please dont talk about your diary i wont read it til we meet
zdavidz69: lets talk about you”

An entire diary entry that consists of an online conversation in which she tells someone off for not wanting to read her diary. Maybe I should try this approach to getting new readers?

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
Believe it or not, I would. It did take me a lot longer than normal to find this out though. I had to wade past a few of my pet peeves to arrive at this place, but I’m here.

She writes about a lot of interesting things as you can see from my quotes. I’ve never met anyone that believes in healing with energy, you have to admit that is a pretty interesting belief. She has been through a lot of trauma as well and is open about it in her diary. I admire someone who can write about their past hurts. You’ll find it interesting if you give it a chance the way I did.

2002-12-03T23:26:00.000-05:00

185th review, requested is of red grand am

Rating out of 10: 3

layout etc. (2: 0)
I know I am getting a horrible reputation for not liking anything at all and I don’t think this one is going to gain me any respect.

Pink on red? Does anyone else have a problem with that? It is not that it doesn’t look pretty on Valentine cards, because it does, but on my screen it makes my eyes cross after the first minute.

While I actually think holiday themes are a good idea because it can give your readers a break from the usual style of your diary, I have to say that this one is a little out of proportion.

I didn’t see the diary before the Santa picture was put up, but I’m wondering if it is only on my monitor that the picture is so big that it actually covers up her blogger banner, and the entire layout is off-center? I changed my screen size just to check if it would help any, and it didn’t. There is a problem with the layout that if kept at all needs to be fixed. When I click on the link, “miz graphics” where she apparently got her template it all seems to align properly, so I’m starting to think it is a problem making the template work with blogger.

The background color is incredibly dark for a diary; it is hard to read the black typing on it. The picture is cheeky and fun, but perhaps rather large for my taste.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 1)
Oh does she actually write? Okay so that was a bit mean, but seriously I’ve seen small entries throughout most of the first page, I’m not sure if this is habitual or just for the last few days. I could be wrong, but this doesn’t appear to be a diary. I am a diary critic; I thought people were aware of that.

Unique: (2: 0)
For her bio she has 2 lists, one of 100 things and one of 50 things. What I’m wondering here since I’ve seen this lists all over the Internet is wouldn’t it be more unique if you actually wrote a biography? Think on that.

“I love how one person does something, someone else borrows it, then someone else does then someone else does. .then Bea does.. now me... 50 things. I also can't spell tonight. Lack of sleep and food in 24 hours is making thought process very slow tonight.”

I don’t love the borrowing game, and I don’t love ellipses. Sorry.

One last thing, she seems to have a penchant for posting incredibly huge photographs. I like smaller ones with the ability to click to see a larger image if one feels the need. Try that out for size.

Quotes from the diary (2: 1)
"The interview with Reno went well today. We talked for a hour on the phone, which I take as a good sign. Told the Recruiter that if the company thinks I'm a good match, that I'll even fly out next week to meet them in person if needed."

“1) Working and having fun.
2) Being disappointed in figuring out my hours and paycheck last week and then realizing the pay covered 1 week.. not 2 and it was pretty darn good. :)”

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
She participates in a lot of writing projects like “dear x,” and “participation positives.” While on one hand I feel that these sorts of things can be good in giving us things to write about, I also feel that sometimes they can swamp us into not writing at all. Who wants to read someone’s list of positive statements for the week without an actual entry that follows?

When I come across one of those entries, instead of having something interesting to read, I find myself wondering where the rest of the entry went. In fact, I’ve been wondering if she ever writes full-length diary entries at all. My interest was not piqued while reading her blog; her intentions may not even be to write a diary and if that is the case she is doing fine. But, if she indeed does want to write a journal that is interests she should start writing more in-depth.

I did actually like some of her older entries, especially the one about her mother-in-law and Halloween. When I ignore all of the themed entries I can find things that interest me, but I’m not one for wading too often.

2002-12-03T22:36:00.000-05:00

Anyone out there interested in being a diary critic reviewer? If so, please send inquiries to me.

2002-12-01T19:27:00.000-05:00

184th review, requested is of Go Fish

Rating out of 10: 6

layout etc. (2: 1)
This site is lovely, even though it is mostly blue except for the photograph of the fish bowl at the right. That picture makes me feel calm for some reason, and the color of the background is perfect, I wouldn’t have picked a different color myself, strange isn’t it? Although the diarist didn’t do this paticular design, I still like it because it is an ingenious one.

The whole thing works well and navigates well except for not having previous and next links at the bottom of the entry, which I believe could be fixed easily enough. I’m starting to think that most people do not agree with me on this layout dilemma.
Imagine that.

There is the slight problem that the guestbook doesn’t match the main page. I don’t like the pretty picture squashed up at the top and as well the color seems to be a bit different, but I can’t say for sure. I assume that her guestbook provider is limited on how she is able to design it, but there are other guestbook providers that would allow her to use the same design as the front page. Although creatively it is okay for the design to be different, I just don’t think this one is complimentary.

A question: Why does the link to “YAACS” fall under the navigate bar? I’m not even sure what it is although I clicked on it and then became confused. I thought the things under this category were dealing with the site at hand. Maybe some explanation is due?

Also, I don’t understand the dots around the titles of the diary entries. Why do people feel they need to improvise on something like that? I don’t know.

And last but not least, I think this is one of the only “about” pages I’ve enjoyed lately. She provides a plethora of information, but it doesn’t come across as a medical history, if you know what I mean.

Unique: (2: 1)
I like the photoblog she has; I hope she puts more pictures in it.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 1)
I haven’t found any, and from the look of things I don’t think I will. Okay I found some ellipses throughout several entries, but I am prepared to ignore them for now.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
“My favorite victims customers were guys. They'd come in, all macho, wanting to get an ear pierced. The first problem arose when deciding which ear to get pierced. I don't know if this was an issue where you live, but at one time if a boy had the wrong ear pierced it meant something. Just to be a total bitch, I'd tell them it was the wrong ear that should be pierced, and they always listened to me.”

“But show me one of those absolutely horrifying surgery shows on television and I am glued to the set for the whole thing. One I remember most vividly is this little kid having something done where the doctors had to pretty much peel the kids face off. It was grotesque and sickening but I watched the whole thing.”

And do you also stop and watch at accident sites hoping to see some gore?

“But I do get a whole day off, all to myself, without Craig running around the house getting jelly on everything he touches. No, I'm not kidding. Having Craig around is almost like having a three year old -- last night he made himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, put his sandwich down directly on our coffee table, left a splotch of jelly on it, and then didn't clean it up. This morning I found out about it when I was getting ready for work [obviously before I decided not to go] when I put my hand in it. Oh, and then he denied that a) it was him, and that b) it wasn't jelly. Argh!”

Very funny indeed.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
I believe I’ve found here a diary that may have a little something for everyone. She writes a lot about her everyday life, but in an interesting way. As well, she provides the reader with entertainment outside of her daily life through links and such. I think if you read it long enough, you will find something to bring you back.

2002-11-30T18:05:00.000-05:00

183rd review, requested is of Random Frost

Rating out of 10: 6

layout etc. (2: 1)
Well, this is just not going to work. I’m only kidding, what we have here is a pretty simple layout that is probably just a template provided by blogger, and while this is not particularly creative I have to give the guy a break because of that fact. He is a guy. And this is his first web page.

Oh, and I have to mention the fact that his archive page’s color and such do not match the main page. I really think they should.

I remember my first html attempt at a diary and cringe; he has in fact done much better than I did. We are not born html savvy, but I do suggest that he take a look around the Internet at some sites that could teach him more things about html and creating himself something more innovative to display his diary.

Other than that, it works in a very basic way. Not bad, just not extraordinary. Who wouldn’t want to be more unique?

Unique: (2: 1)
It is not all that unique in the whole scheme of things, but I found things that I liked and I always consider those things to be unique. I like the random picture sharing. It provides the reader with an extra tid-bit, plus I like the short story sharing. I’d really like some more explanation at times if the stories are from real life experience or not.

Annoying writing habits (2: 1)
He doesn’t write long, detailed diary entries, but that is because this really isn’t a diary. Plus, I don’t think he provides enough personal information. Again, just something I look for in a diary, and since I am a “diary critic” and review diaries, I have my peace. Thank you.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
“I remember causing a stir with a substitute teacher in my old grade 11 high school class one day. I didn't even mean too much by what I said to cause the stir. All I said was, "Your generation screwed up everything for us." The teacher got very upset. I clearly hit a nerve.”

And just what is your generation doing for the next? Paving the roads with gold and putting down the red carpet? Come on think about it.

“A year has almost passed. Nothing really has been solved concerning the attacks, has it? And hey, the world hasn't ended yet either you Nostradamus freaks. So, while patriotic levels are peaking on the anniversary of the attack on America, I will boldly predict that during the anniversary in 2 days, the USA will attack Iraq in full force. I'm sure that would make things better for us all, wouldn't it?”

Is it funny, apologetic, or just biting?

“I miss buying my friends a round of drinks. I told your mamma I'd get you home, but I didn't say I had no car. I saw a lion he was standing alone, with a tadpole in a jar. And why get upset when I don't wave hello to you - why do you have tinted windows? You forget that I can't see you, and it's your choice. I wanted to apologize, but I saw there was no need. I'm not calling because I know that it will be inevitable that we will part ways in the future. Donkey baseball. I saw it as a child. They had a truck with a megaphone on it's roof come by the house advertising it. What were they smoking when they did that? Is a cloned human being really a human being? Doctor says that guy was in good health a year ago, I'm scared again. Evacuate. And exhale.”

I like this kind of random writing in which one lets exactly what they are thinking flow from the fingers.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)
Even though I’ve already said that there is nothing in the layout that excited me, and that this is not really a diary, but a more what I call a blog, I would have to say yes. Something about it has caught my attention. Sometimes randomness can work for the person if their randomness is actually appealing. I do highly suggest he write more in-depth pieces though to satisfy the curiosity of me if no one else. Go on; tell us all your dirty little secrets. I for one am dying to read them.

2002-11-30T02:51:00.000-05:00

182nd review, requested is of toxicephinay's online diary

Rating out of 10: 5

layout etc. (2: 1)
Although this is an open diary format and I don’t like the way they are set up, I at least have to give her a point for what appears to be creativity beyond what I’ve seen in the past at open diary.

I’m not sure if this is a template of some kind, but the colors are nice if you get over the fact that there are only two colors in the whole scheme. I love grey and white, but sometimes it is good to throw in something else for the whole eye candy experience. Perhaps a different link or title color? Come on throw a dog a bone.

I don’t like the way the index page opens up and you have to choose a diary entry to look at on the right from the calendars. This format would be better if you had a mixture of a few of the most recent entries with their links along with the calendars; that way the middle of the screen doesn’t look so empty and the matter of choosing becomes much more interesting.

Why do you link to a photo album that requires the person looking to sign up? I don’t like this at all.

I’m not sure about how open diary works, but it appears that the writer doesn’t have much choice over most things concerning the layout of their diary. This is why, if it is true, I wouldn’t suggest anyone using it unless they had no other choice.

Annoying writing habits (2: 1)
Do not write a confidential entry on a public diary and then place a stupid quiz link in the real diary entries place. Why do you think people come to your diary? Trust me, it is not to take quizzes.

Oh, and stop making your titles so huge. It is the epiphany of annoying.

Unique (2: 1)
I’ve never read a diary like this before. It is like reading a newspaper.

Quotes from the diary (2: 1)
“There are multiple cures for the common wart -- a common childhood problem. The current treatment-of-choice in many pediatricians' offices is cryotherapy -- applying liquid nitrogen to "freeze" the wart. But that has to happen every two to three weeks to truly kill the wart.”

Everything you wanted to know about warts, well not everything.

“Nicotine patches should've started a revolution in addiction patches. I need a patch for my raging caffiene addiction. I'm 17 year old, and nothing can cure this awful addiction. I just have to suffer through the excruciating caffiene migranes or give in and chug that Mountain Dew like there's no tomorrow. Sure, take a couple caffiene pills. But, then I'd be popping pills for the rest of my life. Let's just give me the 3 step patch so I can be free and my dentist will love me.”

Just a little heads up, caffeine is spelled with the e before the I, I think it is an exception to that silly rule, “an I before e except after c”.

“I've been so busy with my friends, homework, real work, and being sick that I haven't made an entry. I was sick all of this past weekend, so I'd take my sinus medicine. Man oh man, did I wish I hadn't taken it when I went to school. I fell asleep through my second and third periods. I didn't take it today, because I needed to stay awake. Even though I'm sure not taking it will be bad, but I need to stay awake in class more than I need to get better.”

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
She’s actually not a bad writer, if she could be convinced to write more often. I think she should use her journalistic style of writing more regularly when she writes about her personal life. This would make it more interesting. She seems to have a flare for that kind of writing already, so with practice she could be writing every entry as if it were earth-shattering news that people would want to read. Then of course, I would come back.

2002-11-28T23:20:00.000-05:00

181st review, requested is of Sleeping All Day

Rating out of 10: 4

layout etc. (2: 1)

I have never hated a diary purely based on color alone, but I’m starting to think that the possibility may still exist for me to do so. I don’t really know what I have against this color blue, but coupled with the white background and light blue colored links, I am starting to feel queasy looking at it. As I was stumbling through the links, I noticed someone with the webaddress of “poodesigns” designed this particular diary. I won’t make all the implications I can with that, but you get the idea.

As I stare at it longer the question as to what the purpose of all the forward slashes does keep springing to mind; is this an attempt at unique design?

I read all the way through the first entry before I realized that the only place you can go back and forth (previous and next) on the entries is up at the top right corner on the layout. This is inconvenient for me and I prefer the links to be right there at the top and bottom of the entry. It makes it so much better that way.

Color schemes are important and I don’t think switching from ice blue on every other page to melon orange for the guestbook is a good idea. Even if you don’t know html yourself, it is not hard to figure out how to at least change the code to make sure your colors match.

I know it seems like there is nothing I like about this layout, but it is not true. I think that she devotes just enough space to her writing area and I always appreciate that. With a few tweaks she could have an attractive looking site, but the writing itself is a whole other story.

Unique: (2: 1)
I am glad to see that she incorporates another page for all of her poetry rather than see it mixed among the diary entries like other people sometimes do.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 1)
She has an aversion to noun and pronoun usage. I’m not really sure why it bothers me exactly, but it is unnerving in a peculiar way.

For example, “Am really mad at Ashley for some reason.”

Who had the idea that it would be interesting to anyone to put a “to do” list above each entry? Ditch that please, it is incredibly boring.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
“‘Call Nate’ will probably be on my list of things to do forever, but it is doubtful that I will ever do it. I already have phone-phobia as it is. I see him at least once a week, but only for a few minutes, and he is always surrounded by outgoing people. I can barely get a word in before someone else (usually S.H.) drags him away."

“Painful realization.”

This is a complete sentence?

“They think it's the only reason
that caused me to self-destruct, but part of it
was wanting to be unique and the same all
at once. I'll show you my scar sometime. It's
nothing to be impressed about, but it was enough
to make my mother scowl
when I said I wanted to call you again. She
doesn't like you now. She thinks you hate me. I
know that's not true, but I want more than
that. I know you and I were meant to be
something special. I'm just waiting for you to
realize that. Please come visit me. I miss you.”

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
The truth of the matter is I wasn’t very impressed (gasp) with her diary. Maybe after reading her bio and seeing how badly she believes herself to be impressive I couldn’t stop choking back the giggles. She does have some moments where she shares her feelings on deeper levels and this is the kind of diary I enjoy reading, but she doesn’t do it often enough to keep me interested.

2002-11-11T10:49:00.000-05:00

180th review, requested is of Steel Blossom

Rating out of 10: 4

layout etc. (2: 1)
Although I like simplistic styles, this is not really my cup of tea. For starters the centered table is too small for my taste. If you are going to put your entire diary in the middle of your screen I would suggest you give it more space than she does. It is the meat of your site since this is a diary we are talking about. Plus all the other space on the page is just that, empty space.

I also don't really like the photo used (or the color purple), although I understand her motive in choosing it. It matches her title on the picture: "Do you remember the days when there were no boundaries? I do." After reading several entries though, I am not quite sure why she chooses that title or the picture. Both the kids in the picture are boys, and she is a woman. Not that it really matters, but I don't think it fits with the things she writes about.

There are a few technical problems like for instance her "cast" link takes you to her page of links and that page is a completely different style and color than her main page. It may just be my opinion, but when I see a different color scheme I usually prefer it to be on something other than a main page, and I'd like all the links to be correct. I never found the actual "cast" even though she refers to updating it in a recent entry.

Her bio is a list of 100 things about herself, while I generally don't like reading lists it was very descriptive. I'd encourage her to write out something in paragraph form using her list to remind her of things she should mention. List reading is not really a fun hobby; try it sometime I think you'll agree with me. Doesn't everyone skip over these things? If you really want me to know about you, try writing it in a very descriptive way not as a list.

She doesn't have previous and next links at the top and the bottom of her page and I think she needs it because some of her entries are very short and some of them I'd like to skip right away without having to scroll down to the end. Does that make sense?

Unique: (2: 0)
I'm sorry; I didn't find anything unique at her diary.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 1)
Do not ever do this for an entry:

"I have nothing to report. Nothing to say. And I don't feel like writing.

I'm in a blah mood. Thank you very much dreary Midwest weather.

Ugh!"

And the previous entry didn't make me enthusiastic either because it was written in monologue style. I prefer to read about conversations not scripts. Also she needs to slack off of the ellipses, but that is normally a problem on diaries these days.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
"But on days like today, I need him. I need to just be in his company. I need to feel him close to me for no logical explanation. And I need to fear him leaving so I never, never take for granted the love I've been given or the expense it came upon."

"In these few stolen moments, all is right in my little world. This is what I've helped create. This is what I help maintain day in and day out. This is the world that I am beyond lucky to call our own."

"So he grabbed it off the nightstand. And I took it out of his hand. NOW I understood why he thought I needed a vibrator. It was just as much for his enjoyment as my own. The "three of us" enjoyed our sex stint....but I think next time, me and my new little friend are going to have a little one on one time!"

Fulfilling the talk of sex requirement that people so often need when being voyeuristic and reading a diary.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
I wouldn’t go back for another read, but I don't mind recommending that my readers check it out. It is not that it is a terrible diary, but she didn't hold my interest. Maybe that is because it is mingled too much with brief intimate thoughts and then intermixed with script like writing. She is very open and talks about a wide variety of subjects that I'm sure a lot of people can relate to, which makes it an interesting read.

2002-11-05T07:11:00.000-05:00

179th review, requested is of Strange Days

Rating out of 10: 4

layout etc. (2: 1)
Oh Boy! I get to review a livejournal. I wouldn't be so pessimistic about it, if I had ever seen a livejournal that looked original and didn't have some template as the layout. Templates are boring. If livejournal doesn't offer you the opportunity to design your own webpage, (I have no idea if it does) then you should find somewhere else to host your page. I have no idea if this is actually a template, but it looks like one.

There is nothing wrong with the layout here, let me make it clear that it is okay for the purpose. But it looks like almost every other livejournal, all boxed up with a little picture at the top. The navigation is easy, you get like 20 entries per page and can go back and forth between them at the bottom.

Nothing exciting to look at though, just white background and text.

Unique: (2: 0)
It looked and is, a very ordinary livejournal.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 1)
It was a very bad sign when the first entry had a quiz in it. I hate those things with a passion. They're just stupid and I don't even understand why someone would want to know "which Beatle they are." You are not a Beatle, get over it and do something more productive with your life. Oh, and stop sharing your crazy quiz results with me.

Okay not that I got that off my chest, I didn't see the whole diary littered with quiz results thank goodness. But I did notice a trend of writing very, very small entries. I would prefer something meatier than one sentence.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
"JekyIl: There once was a lady named Shari
who found clowns incredibly scary
One day at the fair
a clown spotted her there
and she was not in the slightest bit merry
ShariHana101: cute.very cute."

This is an entire entry.

"I enjoyed today. I slept late, had incredibly vivid and strange dreams, ordered Chinese food for dinner, and hung out with some cool people."

This is one entry too.

"Middle school was weird. That was the point of my life where I felt most alienated from the rest of the population. As a matter of fact, my classmates were convinced that I was a Martian. (It didn't help that my name means "of Mars.") I was really into science fiction at the time, so this didn't bother me so much, but I didn't like being teased."

"Now, I understand that everyone has ups and downs; it's a part of life. We all get depressed. We all feel sad, lonely, hurt, angry. We all wallow every now and then. Some people, though, take it to an extreme. When I feel depressed, I may think melodramatic self-pitying thoughts, but at least I have the sense to realize the idiocy of those thoughts, and I don't feel the need to share them with the world. At most, maybe I'll post a journal entry saying "I've been feeling down lately." That adequately expresses my emotions without forcing everyone to hear about how ugly I am and how no one loves me and how I should just die. I do this because, as anyone who's ever wallowed in self-pity knows, those thoughts pass if you let them. Even if they don't, there's no reason I should bring everyone else down."

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
I have to say nothing grabbed my attention. One of the most interesting things I read was actually a list of 50 things about him (which incidently stops at 37), and we know I'm not fond of lists. I'm sure there is a lot of fascinating stuff for people to read out there who have this guy's same interests so I give it a one even though I'm not one of them.

2002-11-04T21:41:00.000-05:00

178th review, requested is of Soap

Rating out of 10: 9

layout etc. (2: 2)
This is an incredible layout. I have found a woman that knows how to use a splash page.

There are several things that are great here, let me try to name a few. First the name is really cool and fits; after you start reading it (start at the prologue) you will agree with me.

Of course, the pictures are nice; they're not too big or overwhelming, and the color scheme matches. Things that should open in new windows do, and the things that don't, don't. The archive is easy to read and to find, and every entry has a previous and next link to follow. I never found myself worried about navigation or where to find the link I wanted.

She offers an explanation of her diary that I found very interesting. Most people do not admit their underlying motives the ways she does. She sets the reader up for everything she has to offer, and allows them to choose right from the beginning if they will find it interesting.

What I like most about the diary is that there is so much to choose from. Before I even began reading the actual diary I read her unsent letters, and her random thoughts. I was already intrigued. I almost didn't stop reading to write the review, but I realized that I have got to get cracking on these reviews!

There is absolutely nothing I can give as a suggestion to improve the layout. It is perfect the way it is.

Unique: (2: 2)
She has a very good style of writing and arranging the entries into chapters. I like how it flows; the only problem is sometimes she doesn't tell you the in-between parts. I also like how she includes other sections of writing like the "unsent letters" section, and the "random thoughts" one.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 1)
I wasn't annoyed so much, but she doesn't seem to know how to end a sentence. Her sentences run on and on forever and are full of parenthetical phrases.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
"I was kneeling next to Carl, talking to him about something when I noticed Mike looking at me from the other end of the room. It was the same look he had used to lure me towards him two years ago, and I was startled to find that it still excited me. I smiled back (being polite, of course) and quickly looked away pretending to resume the conversation with Carl, which had ended a few moments before."

"Watching him watch the movie, I am thinking that I am perhaps sitting next to one of the most beautiful people I have ever met. And suddenly I understand why he is so paranoid. Why he keeps asking me if I really like him. How easy it is to be fooled by appearances."

"I remember being so cold and trying desperately to open the doors of a car parked in the lot, just so I could sit inside and be warm, and sleep. I remember two people asking me what I was doing, and then them driving off because I was crying, and in a panic and I didn't know where I wanted to go, or what I wanted to do."

Sometimes you begin to wonder if she is making it all up, or if it is really happening; It doesn't really matter though, because you can't wait to read what happens next.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)
I am hooked; Even though I know it is really a lot of boy/girl drama just like a soap opera, I'm still addicted. I will probably read the entire thing and then forget about it, since she seems to have stopped updating the story. I did go and look at her diaryland diary and her livejournal although I have to say I think it would be best if she just stuck to updating one diary. Having her newest entries all spread out like that makes it harder for me. I think it would be much better if she either started anew on the same site, with the same archive instead of moving her new diary to another site.

2002-10-24T21:46:00.000-04:00

177th review, requested is of High Life

Rating out of 10: 6

layout etc. (2: 1)
I wish I had been notified when the address changed from the old tripod one, but I am not complaining. I'm really glad she has a new address though, one without popup windows. This is a plus.

I'm not sure if anyone knows this or not, but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. I like all the colors that she uses, but the way she does it is color-overload. After two minutes my eyes were straining. The picture in itself is melting the blue right out of my eyes.

Also, I know that the new thing to do is color the scrollbar, but I prefer if it were done in a way in which I can still see the scrollbar. Thank you.

The way the layout it set up works fine for me, but the links at the side are very difficult to read. Not only are the colors (font/background) not good for reading, but the typeface of the links is too small as well. Those little dots around the links make it even more difficult. What are they there for anyway?

In the dream journal she starts off in regular typeface and then it is all in bold. I'm not sure if that is meant to be that way, it is probably an editorial error.

To find her cast you have to go under the link titled "library," while inventive, it is still very confusing. Keep in mind that if links are not clearly labeled, people may not even click them.

Unique: (2: 1)
I like how her links on the right open up in her main frame; more diarists should consider this.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 2)
I didn't find any habits that annoyed me. Truly amazing, I know.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
"I am not feeling well, and so my mother has sent me after bread and milk, but I have gone after it and just returned. I think I will retire early to my bed, the aching of my body desires it as well as the mental exasperation I now suffer. My eyes feel asleep already, now being only six in the evening, and I wish the sleep of a thousand hours. I don’t feel well enough to give attention to anything, nor do I feel ill enough to see a doctor. Such a terrible thing it is indeed to suffer in the middle of things."

"I do not understand the reason for life. Why are we humiliated and broken by the things that make us human? Why is all the world created, never to meet each other? There are too many to think that any one of them has something special, something uniquely theirs that not any other of the six billion people possesses. And yet, we depend on each other, people half way around the world we have never even met."

"The setting is school, at lunchtime, when Christina, Katy, Jen, and I usually retreat to the outdoor, concrete tables to enjoy our brief meal in the glory of nature. The glory was stifled today as I approached the already filled table with Heather in my seat. She didn't just occupy my seat, but she also loomed in part of the space that normally belongs to Jennifer. I perched over the table staring hard at her, and like a lion, I pounced. Only it didn't seem to me at the time that I had said anything terribly wrong. "So! I’m just going to sit over here. Anyone care to join me?" I stormed off and plopped down onto the hard bench of a table across from that one. Jen came following shortly after. I was glad to have finally made the point that nobody wants Heather around. Besides, you just do not sit in the only seat available with someone else’s friends!"

I have to admit this is one thing I do not miss about high school. I get the impression that this girl thinks too highly of herself in her high school world where she thinks she "owns" a seat. Just wait until the real world bites her on the behind.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
A lot of her entries are very short summations of her days, and I prefer to read diaries with longer entries. The good thing is she does provide other content on her site that the reader may find enjoyment in, such as her poetry or her dream journal.

After a while of reading I came to the conclusion that her short entries are not all that bad because she has a way of writing them that is says more than just, "I ate. I slept. I love." Anyway, she deserves at least a point for writing in a story-telling style that grabs interest.

2002-10-22T21:51:00.000-04:00

176th review, requested is of soliloquy

Rating out of 10: 5

layout etc. (2: 1)
First of all, I think she needs a title somewhere on this thing because I have no idea what it is called, I just choose part of her web address to name it. This layout is pretty nice as far as the ones I've reviewed go. All the colors match and it isn't too terribly hard to read, but I do have a few tiny suggestions.

I think she needs a title somewhere on this thing because I have no idea what it is called, I just choose part of her web address to name it.

First of all, I'd either move the links located in the middle table to the bottom and move the entry up into the top of the page (giving it more space for first view) or I'd just make that table smaller. There really is no need to have that much space around those links, and by making it that big you shove the entry down too far for the eye to fall on it naturally. And of course I think that the entry is the most important part of your layout.

I'm not fond of all links on a diary opening in a new window because I don't like having to close all kinds of links so when I opened the bio page I was disappointed. I know that my co-reviewer Talulah may have liked that, but I just don't.

I also was hoping that the diarist would explain her usage of "Baby's Black Balloon," by the Goo Goo Dolls somewhere in her bio, but she didn't so I am left wondering what deeper meaning this has for her.

Unique: (2: 1)
She has a top quality diary for her age group, and this includes her design, which I have to assume she designed.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 1)
She has some very short entries; in fact I don't think I read any longer length ones at all.

Although she doesn't overuse the ellipsis, she does have a tendency to over use the parenthesis. Not that either one of those is a bad thing in and of themselves, but overuse is and always is a very bad thing in my book.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
"I hate to say it, but I would pretty much sleep with anyone who asked me to (if I could get something out of it). I've never come close to having a boyfriend, so it's all speculation at this point anyway. I've been waiting to do have sex since I was eight or nine; even when I was a Christian, I knew I would sleep around when I got married."

Let me tell you ladies and gentlemen (if you haven't read her bio already of course), this is a fourteen year old! I need not say anything more.

"It is impossible for me to believe in a fully-conscious deity who controls every aspect of our life, but atheism is too cold and lonely for my tastes. I prefer to imagine a web of consciousness connecting every person, animal, plant, stream, rock, etc. A person may tap in to this energy web to manipulate the world through spells or prayer (though I don't expect miracles to occur)."

I have to admit she does connect her thoughts better than a lot of fourteen year olds I've known.

"I felt this overwhelming surge of self-esteem and wondered how anyone could not love me. I'm trying to hold on tight to that feeling, because it could be months before it resurfaces."

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
Although she has two things against her in this category I have to give her the one point because the diary entries I did read were rather well written when I took those things into consideration. The first thing is I normally do not keep up with diaries of authors who are this young because I just cannot relate to their lives very much at all, and the other thing is she hasn't been writing long enough. I believe though, that if she were to keep it up and practice her writing in a more thought out way like telling a story, she could end up with a very thought provoking diary that keeps readers coming back for more.

2002-10-20T14:31:00.000-04:00

175th review, requested is of No Such Thing

Rating out of 10: 1

Layout etc. (2: 1)
The layout is not very interesting but better than it used to be. If you go into the archives, assuming the links are working, you will see what I mean. The blue background with the black font is somewhat easier on the eyes than the previous choice. But not by much. I would change the font and make it a little larger. That may mean widening the column for the content of the blog but it wouldn’t be a waste of time or effort.

Make no mistakes. This is a blog, more than a journal The longest entries are ones with lyrics or poems but her entries are short, which would be fine if the short entries had much detail.

A lot of the links are not working. Maybe it was server issues because the few times they worked I ended up in a pop up window error nightmare. I had to log in and out of the site so many times to review the site, I just got fed up. If you do manage to get into the July archives, judging from the first entry, you would think that this journal has been around for a while. However, there is no link for any entries before July.

Not too surprising, very few things open in a separate window. So what would I suggest? Fix the links first and foremost. Then change the font and lighten the background just a little bit to help the reader. Naturally, I would love to see all of the links, especially the archive link, open in a different window. However, given that half the time the links didn’t open at all, their opening would have been good enough.

Still the layout isn’t nightmarishly garish nor cluttered. That has to count for something, right? It does. One point.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 0)
Lack of details, as mentioned above, annoys me. When you write about your life and then expect others to read about it, offer people details so that they can either relate to what you are saying or live vicariously through what you are saying. Add in the fact that there are spelling and grammatical errors, and you are adding insult to injury. No ellipses though. That has to count for something, right? Wrong! I don’t expect to see them so when I don’t see them you don’t gain a point for doing it right.

Unique: (2: 0)
No. The writing style lacks any substantial voice to qualify as unique. The layout is nice but not unique. There really isn’t anything standout at all about this blog. It isn’t horrible. But it isn’t wonderful.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 0)
"So this week hasn't been going too great. Today I had a few brief but great moments, and I wish it could make up for all the other not-so-great stuff.”

This is a perfect example of a quote that would have benefited from details. How was the week not great? What were the brief moments that were great? I wish I could make up some stuff to make this entry interesting, but I can’t. Or won’t.

"Emily: well i am just such a sweet girl u know! ahah .. on monday through friday.. but saturday i am a hethin(she meant "heaten").. haha”

Hint: When correcting someone else’s spelling in your journal, get it right. Haha.

"I saw Andrew yesterday for the first time in I don't know how many months. We didn't talk much at all, but he did make on interesting point. He said that college is way overrated. I just kind of nodded. I knew I'd hear that from him sooner or later. I guess it turned out to be sooner rather than later, which could be a good or bad thing.”

How did she know this? And why would it be a good or bad thing that it was sooner and not later? This is what I mean about the vagueness of the entries.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
Not likely. The entries simply lack any detail. I realize that some details missing leave something to the imagination, add a sense of mystery. But no details means that the reader, unless they know the people about whom they are reading, won’t really care about anyone, including the writer. I don’t know these people and, frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn. If the writer were to give me details so that I did give a damn, then I would read. But she doesn’t. So I don’t.

2002-10-08T14:16:00.000-04:00

174th review, requested is of My Demand

Total out of 10: 1

layout etc. (2: 0)

I haven't the faintest idea what the picture represents at the top of the diary, even after reading a few entries I still don't know. She does claim in the entry titled "about me" that she isn't one of the people in the pictures, so you tell me. I personally believe that if you are going to include images on your diary, there should be some kind of reason for them. And yes, I hear the old hats argument coming up again and again, BUT it does mean something! I am a woman of many talents, and I am wearing my reviewer's hat, so there.

If you are curious as to what the diarist looks like there is a link to pictures in the "about me" entry as well; I got lost there for a while, if you go there you'll understand. I don't get the concept of why people take Glamour Shots.

The layout of the diary is not so bad per se, but the color scheme does need a little help as well as some other style considerations. Like for instance, I have no idea what is up with all the dots before and after every title and every date and well just about everything on the diary. Of course I don't like it at all, and it is very distracting. Maybe someone thought it looked cute?

Oh and when the picture at the top does get changed, it should be centered and the writing should be easier to read.

I can't find a single previous or next link, either I'm blind as a bat or there aren't any. I need those!

Unique: (2: 0)
I'm sorry, but I didn't find anything in the unique department.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 0)
What can I possibly say here? One word: ellipses. One piece of advice: stop with the period key already!

Also, a one-word diary entry is a huge turn off in my book. If you are sorry, please go into detail about what you are sorry for. Plus, she has a habit of doing cutesy things with her font for certain words, this annoys me; I'm just not into cutesy.

I prefer short paragraphs to long ones, but all the one sentence paragraphs she has going on here make my head spin, and spin, and spin. Maybe sticking with one topic for longer than a sentence will lead to divulgence of more information?

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
"I continutally have ideas buzzing in my head...things sometimes too hard for me to comprehend. They are like butterflies...flitting around, perching themselves on flowers that seem accesible...but once you try to grab them they fly away, no matter how subtle you are."

It took me a while trying to find quotes that make any sense when standing alone, and this one has some spelling errors.

"Just let it all pour down...release everything within you and let it all flow..."

I have no idea.

"I don't change lives, produce them, or destroy them...

I have no significance.

What is so special about me? Why should I be here?

You tell me. I haven't the slightest clue."

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
Her writing, although not bad does not go into any detail. It skims the surface and never tells the reader exactly what she is talking about. Although if I knew her in person, I may find reading her diary interesting because I'd see another side of her, but from a stranger's stance I find she is not telling me a damn thing. I'm just as in the dark about who she is and what she is talking about, as I was when I opened the diary. I don't find that kind of diary provoking.

2002-10-01T10:52:00.000-04:00

173rd review, requested is of A Frogs Life: Season Five

Total out of 10: 8

layout etc. (2: 2)
I like the layout here; it is very crisp and clean. I also like his title and his television series theme, a nice idea.

His diary does follow the theme of his title and that is something worthy of points. I like the green he uses because it doesn't hurt my eyes and is easy to read.

All links seem to be in working order and each page functions properly. Not half bad. I don't really like the arrows used for previous and next links, but that is a mere preference.

A note on the bio page: This is rather generic for lack of a better term. Why copy someone else's style? The author claims he enjoys creative writing yet he copies someone else and posts up a list. I don't like these things anyway, so get creative and write something that will awe the hordes. Oh and ditch the title: "Who I Be." I don't even need to explain why.

Okay I have one last thought to share. After having a diary for so long, I think you should attempt to design your own layout. After you do that, request another review for me and I'll give you some pointers.

Annoying writing habits (2: 1)
We all know what I'm going to say in this case. I long for capital letters. I'd think someone that loves writing this much (mentioned like a thousand times in various places) would understand this desire.

Don't use Internet tests as a means of updating your diary! This is a big waste of my time, or any reader's time. Also, writing about television shows may be interesting to the writer, but usually it is not always interesting to the reader. Keep that in mind.

Unique:( 2: 2)
I find his method of outlining his archives very effective. I find that with a lot of old diaries this can get out of hand with long, long lists of entries and unexplained histories. He does a top job of showing us where the highlights are so that we don't have to search through endless entries to get a picture of who he is while reading the current selection. Thanks for that.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
"i don't want to become an adult. i'm scared and afraid. i haven't been this fearful in a long time. that is why i want my birthday to last forever. so i can experience the euphoria of celebration for a long time without things have to move on, unexpectedly, on an unpredictable and scary road. other people my age rejoice at being 18, wanting to take advantage of every "grown up" privilege they can. i'm just thankful i made it this far."

I feel the same way, and I already am an adult.

"i look out the window, and though my reflection is faint, i know that i'm confronting the real me. somewhere in that lost look that i focus on the world outside, the truth is that i don't know how to heal. that it's been so long and i still miss my buddy. i still feel so much pain. my body is tight with loss, guilt, regret. sometimes i can't breathe. i have to close my eyes and remind myself that i have a life to lead. i feel so alone."

I hate to generalize, but sometimes male diarists (disclaimer: at least the ones I have read) have a hard time sharing feelings and end up just using humor in their entries. I like that this is not the case here.

"my long sleeping heart, i threw you away. now all i want to do is sleep. when you were inside of me, i wanted to live, though you were dormant. i never felt so much passion for life even when you were cold. my long sleeping heart, what did i do to deserve you? i've rid myself of you and i now feel nothing. i feel like a robot. everything i do is reactive and responsive. she sits in the living room, smiles at me, and asks me how i'm doing. i smile back and give her a generic response. downtown, she accompanies me wherever i go, and i program myself to be good company. i come into their living room and he greets me because he hasn't seen me in ages, and i am able to feign interest in our reunion. at night, i convince myself that i am tired so that i do not think myself to sleep. thinking is bad. processing is good. doing is better. my long sleeping heart, i threw you away. i'd rather have you dying inside of me than to feel this way. to feel robotic, unloving, and unloved. alone, without you to be there."

I know it is long, but I just couldn't separate it.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
The Television series theme is a good idea, and I didn't not enjoy my stay there; it is just that I have nothing in common with this guy. I doubt I'd become a regular reader. I applaud his consistency in writing and how I see he has evolved through time. I believe that diary writing is a very good way to practice writing for people who want to publish things in the future. Keep it up, and good luck with your writing future.

2002-10-01T10:37:00.000-04:00

172nd review, requested is of Current Life of a Crazy Brit

Rating out of 10:1

layout etc. (2: 0)

Well, let's see, where to start? The top, I guess. This is one of the ugliest URLs I have ever seen. There is no way someone sitting down at the computer and thinking "I should check kat2brigid's diary" will have the patience to type that in.

Second, I have a complaint about the name of the host, Free Open Diary. Its not free if you have four permanent ads on the top of your page, and then pop ups as well. Plus it's not free in the sense that you are free to do whatever you want. From looking through some other diaries on this host, the diarist seems to be only able to change a small amount of things. All the templates are the same, except you can change the font, font colors and background colors.

Next, all the links along the top (index, recent etc) are all the host's links, not the diary's. Expecting to be taken to some sort of home page for the diarist, I am taken to the main page of The Free Open Diary. I hit 'index' and was taken to the index of diarists on this host, not an index for this particular diarist. "Recent" takes you to the most recently updated diaries, not to the most recent entries. You get the idea. And, every time I click on a diary entry I get a pop-up ad. That is so frustrating.

I know nothing about the writer, and I don't seem to be encouraged too, either. From her title, I know she is British, and in the right corner of her diary, it gives her location, age and sex. I can find no personal profile beyond that clichéd question of chat room Casanovas: "A/S/L?" Search options offered by the host include the ability to search along those lines, which lead me to wonder if this is not just a sophisticated net-dating service.

On top of this all, it is a terrible diary design. I really cannot see any benefit of using this host.

Okay, having totally torn down the design, I will now make my constructive criticism (because I am nice like that).

Choosing a diary host is an important moment for a diarist. It really depends what you are looking for. Ease of use is pretty common; most of the major sites have very simple interfaces. For the more technically gifted, there is the option of php etc. But for the novice, the best are the following.

For those who like to update often, or like the continuous scroll of the blog look, then you can't go wrong with my gracious host, Blogger. You get a nice URL, http://YOURNAME.blogspot.com, or you can have the blog uploaded to your page. You have a largish ad (see top of my page) but you can pay and have it removed. You have complete freedom with the design, but you do need to get your mind around what the call "blog code", which is like html, but not quite, and it sometimes messes up your java code.

Second, there is Diaryland, which is aimed at teenagers, as you can see from its log in page and templates. But here you can also change the html to suit your own style, with the requirement that you keep a small text link to the hosts. It auto-generates an archive page and it takes care of your Previous/Next links for you.

Another direction is LiveJournal, which is more constricted in its design options, but has more a community feel to it, with lots of features that encourage friends to link to each other diaries.

There are plenty more, check out my diary tools section. Note: Open Diary only appears on my list because it is a diary host and I wanted to give people all the options, it doesn't mean I suggest using it.

Unique: (2: 0)
It is unfortunate but true that this format leaves virtually no room for uniqueness. It would have to show up in the writing, and to be quite honest; I didn't have the energy to search for it.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 0)
They're everywhere. I found fragments and all sorts of English blunders. The importance of editing I think gets lost on a lot of diarists. You have the freedom to write like this, I have the freedom to dislike it.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
"Undressed marathon on MTV!!!!!!!! Love this show...almost as much as Clarissa Explains It All and Pete and Pete. Quality."

I thought the last two were aimed at PRE-teens. And I believe the full title is "The Adventures of Pete and Pete". But to call those shows quality in the days of The West Wing, The Sopranos and Friends just shows what sort of taste, and level of cultural depth, this girl has. And she is 19 years old.

"What brings down my elated state is the fact I have to work at Brueggers tonight and tomorrow night. Goddammit I can never win. You'd think that by me requesting off for two weeks of vacation that shows that two days before I leave might be a little hectic for me. But of course other people had to request off to get their hair or their eyebrows done so now I'm stuck closing tonight."

At least the hair and eyebrows line was funny, but then she misspelled damn.

"This week I have reacted. I have reacted against customers and managers who have treated me like I'm nothing, I have reacted to my parents' offers of help, I have reacted to true friends, and, finally I have reacted to people who have treated me like shit for a long time. At the time, it felt so good to finally say exactly what I wanted to say to those around me. To lash out and not care about the consequences of my words."

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
This is where I appear quite shallow as a diary reviewer, but it is also where I have to be the most honest. This is where the rubber meets the road as far as diaries are concerned online. If you can't give a good first impression, you won't have any readers. That is the truth of the matter, plain and simple. This diary host is way behind in the game and no one who is serious about having readers should be using it. I found it very difficult to remain interested in the diary. Some of it was because of poor writing style, but most of it was due to a poor choice of displaying that writing.

2002-09-29T19:29:00.000-04:00

171st review, requested is of The Lisa Project

Rating out of 10: 1

Layout etc. (2: 0)
I should like the layout. Classic black background with white. But I don’t. Why? Clutter. There is so much stuff on the one page that eye doesn’t know where it is supposed to focus. The fact that the journal takes up a narrow column that maybe makes up one third of the entire page doesn’t say much for the import of this being a journal site. Although it is somewhat centered, the narrowness of the journal column sort of signals to the reader that the journal is delegated to a smaller roll.

Did I mention that it isn’t even centered? Front and center would at least suggest that this is the focus of the site. But really, there is so much else here that I kept finding my eyes wandering from one place to another and another and another. There are so many links and things on the page that it would take a long time to explore just one step from the front page let alone follow several links.

I also don’t like the fonts because they change. Consistency may be the hobgoblins of little minds but when you have so much stuff going on a little consistency would make it easier to take it all in. Better yet, get rid of about 90% of the links and the site would be much more reader friendly. I commend her for having links that open in pop-up windows but this can work against you. How? The archives are painful to visit, especially when the archive opens in the tiny pop-up. It is hard enough to read the entries in the narrow column of the main page but when I am trying to read a post in a window where “but sleep is really important” is too long to be on a single line the reading of the entry becomes tedious.

Also, if you are fortunate enough to get an archive entry to open in the column then what? You are stuck. There is no direct link back to the current entry. At least none that I could fine. Maybe if there were not so many links I would have found the one I wanted most.

If nothing else, please give the text of your entries the respect you presumably believe they deserve. Get rid of most of the links and then allow your journal to dominate the page by widening the column. While you are at it, why not get rid of the splash page too? It serves no purpose but to slow down getting to all of the other stuff.

(I would love to understand the context for the cummings quote in the belated cam shot but I never did find anything to explain that to me.)

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 0)
For the sake of my limited sanity I decided not to try to read the entries in the narrow column but copied them into a word processing program and read them from there. Much nicer. Unfortunately, this did make the ubiquitous errors all the more obvious. Grammar, spelling, capitalization, etc. You name it, I found it.

Unique: (2: 1)
I wanted to like this journal. I like ferrets and I don’t mind webcams or people with webcams. But then there are the chat conversations which, rarely, are as amusing to an outsider as they are to the reader. The few times I have seen chats that were amusing I realized that the person sharing the conversation did some editing, sharing only the amusing part and not every bit that preceded and followed the funny parts. Truth is, this could be a unique journal if the writer would get rid of so much junk and just focus on the best parts.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 0)
"after we broke up, and after i knoew about his girlfriend, brandon and i went grocery shopping and had some really good conversation. at one point he said "xxxx and i are going to be together for a long time." i didnt quite get it.“

No comments from me. The quotes are mostly examples of poor spelling and grammar skills and more.

"second, considering i spent the better part of the past 6 years barely cooking, and the only things i have in this apartment that resemble condiments or spices are wasabi, soy sauce, slt, pepper, vinegar and mustard, i jums made a kickass steak, with vinegar and wasabi and soysauce and salt and pepper. yum. and i ate it with my fingers because who the fuck cares, i live alone.”

"but dammit, i have feelings, and its courtesy for friends to wish each other happy holidays even if he had done it last time he saw me, and, i sent him a message on his phone wishing him a happy easter, its pretty rude not to reciprocate.”

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
No. There simply was too much distraction for me to get focused on what matters, the journal. Maybe if there were more real entries and fewer chats, lyrics, and blog like entries, I would. Maybe if there were not so many other links and distractions on the site, I would. But the more I tried to focus on the journal to review it the more I wondered if maybe the reason for all of the other stuff was to diffuse attention from the lack of content in the journal. Or maybe I just wanted to see more of the ferrets.

2002-09-28T22:16:00.000-04:00

170th review, requested is of SteelBlossom

Rating out of 10: 7

Layout etc. (2: 2)
The layout changes as you surf around in past entries. For that reason I am going to state that I am limiting myself to the current layout.

I like the picture of Renee Zellweger as Bridget Jones. I suppose that the reference to this particular character can and will be overused if the popularity of the novel and movie continue. For all I know it is already overused. However, I haven’t run across it before so I will just give this one the benefit of the doubt and say that this is not a bad thing. And the image balances the journal layout nicely. The text itself gets framed by the image on the left and the title and links above and below.

There are not a lot of links cluttering the scene. You have a line of them at the top. They don’t open in a separate window so be prepared for that. However, she has the sense not to put all of her favorite links on the journal entry itself but has one link that leads to a list of the others.

White background works very nicely. The title and links compliment the color of Renee’s sweater in the image so it is all very pleasant to look at.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 1)
Careless spelling, ellipses, multiple exclamation marks are present. Perhaps if the posts were longer they wouldn’t be as noticeable. However, because the posts are often very short, the few mistakes are rather glaring. (One could argue that if the entries were longer the mistakes would be more frequent but I prefer to give the writer the benefit of the doubt.) There are also the occasional survey type responses but more often than not they are somewhat well thought out and not as vague as the surveys usually are so not quite as annoying as some.

Unique: (2: 1)
I like the layout. There is something about her writing style that, although not outstanding, is different from much that I read. She doesn’t write much so for her voice to be so clear in what little she writes says a lot. It does seem that she is writing a lot less now than she used to although she is now writing more often. Is this a fair trade? Not really. I would prefer to see more longer entries and fewer vague brief entries. That is my preference. This is her journal. Then again, she asked for my opinion and there it is.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
"I trust him, I do. I'm just insecure. He and this one were together for a long time, not to mention the fact that they were best friends before they started dating. Not to mention the fact that I've been told, ‘She's kind of like you. She liked having sex. With me.’ “

Yeah. That is probably something I wouldn’t want to hear from someone I was dating seriously either.
"I'm in with Mom. That's the important thing, I guess. I'm sure there's some psychoanalytical reason I feel the need to be liked by his family, but I'm not up for analyzing that right now. I'm trying to avoid being overly analytical. It just makes life so much more relaxed.

I think I need to take a page from her book. Less thinking and more relaxing. Sounds good to me.

"I just need to allow the future to unfold. I need to stop worrying and relax. My guard no longer needs to be on constant watch. And there’s no need to feel inadequate. There’s no need to feel vulnerable. Maybe, if everyone continues to tell me so, I’ll eventually start believing it. One can hope, can’t they?"

Hope springs eternal.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
Yes I would but not very often. Perhaps once a week or so. Given the brevity of the entries, reading once a week would keep me updated without having to skim or feeling lost in a deluge of entries. And since I am taking a page out of her book and trying not to think so much, I hope she will take a page out of her own book and do what she says she wants to do. “I want to go into descriptive detail about the occurrences in my life.” She has a good writing voice. I would like to hear more of it.

2002-09-22T23:14:00.000-04:00

169th review, requested is of Book of Paige

Total out of 10: 7

layout etc. (2: 1)
By now everyone should know I love a good title, but this one is not only catchy, but I like the pun in it. Nice job.

I have several pieces of advice in regards to the look of this layout that may be very helpful if heeded.

The colors are ok, in fact I find gray wonderful if used correctly. What I find here is over usage of gray. Everything is muted and hard to read when it is like that. My advice is to pick a different background color, or change the font color to classic black. That way the gray has a way to stand out and be seen without making the page look blah.

Also, the whole middle table could be eliminated and/or enlarged. I see such a waste of beautiful space with it the way it is. Her writing could be spread out across the page and it would be striking. I don't know why people feel the need to squish their writing into a box and use small fonts. Because the writing is the only thing she has on the page except her title, she could and should give it a lot more space. The table with the colored background and the huge ass border is simply just not needed.

I believe that a diary without a graphic can be pulled off, but in this case I find myself wanting to suggest some kind of picture to accompany the words. Perhaps something simple like a nice black and white picture or a charcoal drawing would be lovely.

All that stuff at the bottom of the page can be seen too easily because it is right below the last link. It takes away from the look of the page. If it is not needed, I suggest take it off altogether, but if it is, hide it by pushing it further down the page.

The links are a bit too big compared to the rest of the page and then the counter and banner ad are obnoxious, as well as the sudden switch to the default blue for links is unattractive.

Oh, I just noticed that in the archive her font sizes and colors change quite a bit, as well as the size of the table. Some of them I like better, can you guess which ones?

Annoying writing habits (2: 1)
So far, so good I have nothing to complain about. I want to take this moment to say thank you for giving your friends names, even if they are fake. But do you have to remind us that they are fake?

Small font hurts my eyes! When I was cutting and pasting the quotes I couldn't wait to enlarge it!

Unique: ( 2: 1)
Her writing is refreshing. To me, after a long list of the not-so-refreshing reviews, this is unique and greatly appreciated.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
"What was her fucking problem? Why couldn't she get her shit together? And, yes, it's good to have a career that fulfills you, but the time to want that is not when you're down to your last 77 cents, goddammit! I've been poor, believe me, but I never, ever let it get that bad. Ever. You just don't let it get that bad. You just don’t. Fucking anybody can telemarket, or work at starbucks for chrissake. She got fired from fucking starbucks. She has an advanced degree. We're not talking about a crack addict who can't get a break out of the ghetto."

Sometimes when I read a diary, I just have to sit back and agree.

"You know the kind of lovemaking where your lover just licks your entire body, with his tongue curled up into a pert little point, lazily circling closer and ever closer to that spot, but keeps near-missing it and lightly blowing near it in an incredibly hot, tantalizing, teasing way that blows your mind and makes you want to scream and melt at the same time? You know the kind of lovemaking where your lover just licks your entire body, with his tongue curled up into a pert little point, lazily circling closer and ever closer to that spot, but keeps near-missing it and lightly blowing near it in an incredibly hot, tantalizing, teasing way that blows your mind and makes you want to scream and melt at the same time? The kind of breathless fucking you wish would last forever but know it can't because it would, quite simply, kill you? Ben and Jerry's Karamel Sutra is even better than that. Ok, not quite, but close. Damn close."

This had such a good build up that I was rolling in my seat with laughter.

"My cats are like retarded children. Ming likes to lick the bed. He stands there, and he sticks his head under the dust ruffle-thingie, and he licks. And licks. It wouldn't be so bad, but what he's licking is the box spring (since he's only a foot tall), and we never took the plastic off the box spring. The sound of a cat, with his velcro tongue, licking the plastic wrapping of a box spring, is basically equivalent to the sound of a big-haired Jersey Girl filing her nails. Grating, annoying, and...incessant. I think maybe he has obsessive-compulsive disorder. He...just...can't...help...himself. I yell at him to stop, since his favorite time to lick the bed is, oh, three o'clock in the morning, and he'll stop. And he waits four or five seconds. And I think he's gonna walk away and do something else. Something quieter. But he just can't pull himself away. Liiiick. Liiiick. Liiick."

[Cue comic laughter] This use of ellipses I have to accept for the theatrical effect it gives. I'm starting to worry about myself.

"Recently, I accidentally ran into one of the people who was part of that Friday night clique. It turns out that that alcohol used to serve a purpose; it kept me from seeing that certain people are just highly pretentious buffoons, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Re-encountering this person sober really opened my eyes"

Like I said earlier, sometimes I'm just sitting here nodding.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)
How wonderful is this? I thought it would be forever before I found another diary that I could say that I would go back and read more. She has a great way of writing. It is very humorous and entertaining as well as easy to read. With a few minor changes to the layout she would have a total gem on her hands. I'm very glad she requested my opinion because it makes me feel honored that she would want to know what I thought of her blog.

2002-09-22T15:47:00.000-04:00

168th review, requested is of BeerMary

Rating out of 10: 7

Layout etc. (2: 2)
The layout is more like a blog than a true journal but the writer recognizes that this is the purpose of her journal. She says repeatedly that this is a blog, not a journal. A blog for her rants about her daily life. I like the layout. The fact that you can click a window to have links open in separate windows is a pleasant surprise. You mean someone actually knows how to do this? I was beginning to despair!

Truth is, I prefer her current layout to the new one she is creating in diary-x. I also am unclear about why someone would invite me to review one journal and layout when the plan is to move it and change it. Will my input have any impact at this point? Assuming it does, I will continue.

There is a bit of clutter with all of the links and, because I don’t like guestbooks I prefer to have them as an optional reading. If you must have a guestbook, link to it. Forcing me to see it means I have one more thing I have to ignore.

There is really so much to like. Her bio page is not only visually interesting but textually interesting as well. Her entries include links and images that are relevant to the entries. She knows that just because you know how to do something doesn’t mean you should do it. Remove some of the links or perhaps condense them and you would have a truly wonderful page.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 1)
Okay, there are a few here. Ellipses are the obvious offender. I have pointed out in the past that if you must use ellipses, and judging by their ubiquitous nature most of you think you must, then at least use them properly. MLA information can be found online to teach the proper use of eillpses (hint: spaces!) and nobody seems to know how to use them. At this point, if someone were to still abuse them but had the ability to add the spaces appropriately, I would probably be more forgiving. And although they are not used a lot, I feel like a rant of my own.

Also, Ickyta means Wichita in case you are trying to figure that one out. Also, not that it annoys me but the uninitiated ought to be warned that her language usage is, shall we say, colorful. If you offend easily, this is not the blog to read. Definitely a PG-13, if not an R, rating for this journal.

Unique: (2: 1)
The bio page is wonderfully unique. Her usage of images to complement her text without overwhelming them. Also, her voice is very clear in her writing. I think all of these qualify as good qualities to have. If the layout of the journal were more interesting, this would be a solid 2 points but, because of the clutter of links and those damned ellipses, I am leaving off the 1 point.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
"I don't know how I ended up here. I never pictured myself living in Colorado. I'm not a tree-huggin, berkenstock-wearin, granola-eatin, no-makeup-wearin, exercise freak nature lovin' hippie. But I love it here! I love my job! I love the view, the weather, the beauty."

"I'm all for human rights, but I think Norplant should be mandatory for stupid fucktards like Jennifer and Meegan's mothers. Licenses to have babies should be given. You need a license to fish, why not a license to reproduce? Stupid people should not be allowed to traumatize children. I nominate myself as the person who will determine who is too stupid to pass on their DNA."

The purpose of this blog, aside from the occasional mundane rants about traffic and such, is to vent about things that are sensitive issues and the writer doesn’t pull punches. If nothing else, these are thought provocative and I can only imagine the comments she received for this one.

"Here's an excerpt from my will:
‘And to the members of my family who talked behind my back and resented my existance... I leave my vibrator collection. Now go screw yourself.’"

I laughed aloud when I read this. I need to buy vibrators just so I can add something like this to my will.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
I am not crazy about blogs in general. I would love to see this writer focus on one well thought out entry per day rather than mini rants and asides. There are a few examples of longer, more interesting, entries but they are sprinkled with a lot of shorter ones. I would probably go back for a read occasionally but not daily. Maybe once a week. Still, the blog is more navigable than most and that is a pleasant surprise.

2002-09-21T19:39:00.000-04:00

167th review, requested is of Tufftitty

Rating out of 10: 1

Layout etc. (2: 0)
The color changes from day to day from a rather mundane blue to an eye splitting orange. Given that these colors are on opposite ends of the spectrum, this is not a very nice thing to do to the unsuspecting eye. And then you go into another page and the background is magenta with purple font? Stop it. Choose a color. Anyone who isn’t already color blind will wish they were after only a few minutes of reading this journal.

The entries are centered. Why? Do you think it is clever to not use a flush left? It isn’t clever; it is irritating. And the font is not pleasant either. Too small, for one, in the links bar on the side. The content of the entries is hard enough to read because it is centered and then this font is used. (I should mention that the earlier entries were even more garish and unreadable so there is hope for change, if not improvement.)

You won’t understand why the options to go back and forth in the journal are labeled “boy” and “girl” unless you read the user information. The links are also troublesome. I kept getting pop up error windows. I even tried using a different browser and then a different computer. If I have to stop between every window to say “yes” I won’t be linking through for very long.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 0)
There is not enough room to list them all. No capitalization. Grammar errors. Spelling errors. The list is endless. I was afraid to read too much lest I discover emoticons and ellipses abuse as well. The only positive thing I can say is that the writer does offer a glossary to help define unusual words. Of course, you would have to wade through all of the annoying writing habits to find those unusual words.

Unique: (2: 1)
The style of writing isn’t unique. The layout is not unique. The only thing unique about this journal is the writer. I won’t spoil the surprise. Really, the only reason to go read this journal is because of who this person is.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
“laura called. i love her. she is quickly becoming my girl. we were on the phone talking 3hours. and we talk about everything. sex, love, masterbation. stupid stuff. nipple hair was the highlight.”

I wish I had been able to eavesdrop on this conversation. Sounds rather interesting.

“i am tired of the people in this country pretending that 9/11 happened in a vacuum. like we are this sweet friendly carebear, who never did anything an this happens. i am sick of the "they were trying to attack our freedom." slight of hand and the lies that go with it.”

I wonder how many people will not read what this writer has to say because of the abuse of the written language?

“1)i dont care much for punctuation, although i will do my best to spell correctly. but i prefer informality in diaries, and it suits my writing..”

This is just my opinion but it does not suit your style at all. Even if it does suit your style, it probably doesn’t suit most people who will try to read your journal and leave in frustration. Besides, you don’t do your best to spell correctly otherwise you would use a spell check.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
No. As much as I wanted to learn more about this individual given the surface information provided in the writer’s explanation of himself, I can’t be bothered trying to filter through the misspellings, terrible grammar, and the style of the journal itself. The sad thing is that this journal has potential for being something great purely on the basis of the writer’s individuality. In the email I received I was asked where else could I find someone like him keeping an online journal. I wish I could find someone else because, unfortunately, I hated what I found.

2002-09-18T21:55:00.000-04:00

166th review, requested is of The Book of Jane

Total out of 10: 2

layout etc. (2: 0)
I am fond of the colors (only somewhat), but unfortunately that is about all I like about the layout and it wasn't enough to earn a point. I'm not into mammoth graphics as far as diaries are concerned, nor do I like in-line scrolls very much; I feel that the most important thing on a diary is of course the writing and when you put a massive photo up and squeeze the writing of your diary into a little box, it is drawing the reader's attention away from the main course.

And just when you think that diary reading can't get creepy, it does. While reading this diary, I often had the strange sensation that someone was watching me, that picture has got to go!

The page was designed to be best viewed on a larger screen resolution than I use, and this makes the links and the writing in the lower left corner look really squashed. When I change the resolution to see if it helps, the diary looks much poorer and actually gives even less space to the writing.

Some people like it when all links open up in new windows, I for one don't. When I go to the archive page I would prefer the entry I click on it to open in the same window so that I don't end up with a hundred open pages. I also think she should change the link color from white to something else that shows up better on that beige color she has for background, it is really hurting my eyes to try to read it.

Annoying writing habits (2: 0)
Unlike other diarists, she has mastered capital letters and full stops. Now comes the tricky chapter in the grammar book: commas.

I'm not even sure that she's ever heard of the comma, but perhaps she should look into learning what it is. I think I saw ONE comma in her whole diary. In order to avoid the comma, most of her sentences are too short or too long which leads to a lot of fragments and run-on sentences. Give it up already and succumb to your inner comma!

Unique: ( 2: 0)
She writes in a way that while I read it I'm thinking, "I wish I knew where she was going," and then she never takes me there. Every entry is a fresh, never-ending ride in which one waits for the point to be made. I wish I could call this unique, but unfortunately that is not the word I have for it. I think the right word would be: rambling.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
"And everything just has this tenuous provocative edge to it this general air of uneasiness. Like trying to fly a kite on a day just barely windy enough and although it is in the air it dips and falls at every chance. I am afraid of being melodramatic. That somehow I make this to be far bigger than it is. "

She is afraid of being melodramatic? I think she's crossed that point.

Because he was that Golden Boy for me. And my love will never change for him. No matter how much I wish it would. For the love I harbor for him is something like dangerous very much like raw and is everything like sacrilegious. As I half want to hit him and half want touch his left cheekbone for everything that Golden Boy does to me. And though I hate the feelings I love the Boy. And wouldn't change a moment of my life for all of it."

If we could clean up those fragments, we'd have great writing here.

"And nothing makes me feel less than perfect than being able to suck in my stomach to its limit and not being able to see my hip bones stick out an inch from my torso. Or seeing my eyes clear of capillaries from a blissful night of three hours plus sleep. Or captivating my mind within the realms of simple study or simple thought or simple conceptual abstract representation of the English language. And not spending three fifths of the day hearing a wistful sigh escape my lips is no way I want to live."

I kept thinking that the ongoing pessimism and negative thinking would end (being fooled by the candy apple coloring and the huge picture) but I was proven wrong. This girl is in love with her sadness, and anyone else who is sad will totally love this diary.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
For starters, the design is not really conducive to regular reading. However if a diary is written well, one can get over the hurdle of a poor design. But the content here is too erratic: Occasionally interesting, often not, often sophomoric in its "profound" statements about life and love.

I do like that it is a little darker in outlook than the usual teenybopper bubble-gum diary. This is a teenybopper 5 years in the future when the teenybopper has real problems instead of the imaginary or exaggerated high school drama. Sometimes not meaning to I'm sure, she contradicts herself in her writing and comes across as insincere. When I read a diary, I want to feel like the writer is baring their soul without indulging in mere word play to entertain me.

2002-09-15T14:50:00.000-04:00

165th requested review is of Broken Wing Angel

Rating out of 10: 4

Layout etc. (2: 1)
Banner along the top of the page of an anime girl and the words “Broken Wing Angel” are out of context. I am not sure what they mean. Still, I like the color scheme. The light blue is soothing and there really isn’t anything jarring or clashing, so that is good. Not a lot of clutter, although there seems to be a little redundancy in the links. (Is there a difference between “Reads” and the list that is in the side bar “Angels?” I found none but I may have missed something.) The font is a little small for my taste at times but I am getting older so that may just be me. The links work well although they don’t open in a separate window.

However, I do have one major complaint. Even someone who really likes Mandy Moore could not possibly listen to her for as many days, months even, as this girl has listened. Nor should she still be reading the same book for so long. I am suspicious. I think she isn’t updating this sidebar. If you aren’t going to update the sidebar remove it. It is a little insulting to anyone reading your journal unless you want them to think that your taste in music never changes and you read incredibly slowly. By not updating it you are telling a person new to the journal that you are not interested enough in your journal to keep the information updated and relevant.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 1)
There are a few too many *emotes* for my taste. I also found it a little unnerving that she keeps going back and forth on whether or not she will write in her journal. First she writes that she is taking a break because nothing interesting is going on. Then she says she may be moving the journal. Then her most recent, written from college, complains about the keyboards and using the computer lab computers. It is hard for a new reader to take a vested interest in what you are writing when they can’t know you will be there from one entry to the next. Although that doesn’t count as an annoying habit, it annoyed me. However, for the most part, the annoying habits are not that many. Lose the asterisks around the emotions and this would have been a 2.

Unique: (2: 1)
Some things I like. Not that it is unique but she has her pictures, links, and other writings accessible through working links. I think that some of the titles she gives to these other sites are interesting. I am not sure why one of the entries is given a link of its own but that is not my choice. The layout is not especially unique, given that it is a Diaryland site and presumably there is only so much you can do to create your own style through them. I would love to give it a 2 and I would if she had written more about being in college. Having gone through college myself, I know that there are interesting things happening. The coursework. The professors. The people you meet. You can’t tell me that the content of this journal couldn’t be far more detailed and interesting. If it were, then this journal would be wonderfully unique. However, it isn’t so one point lost.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
“Of course, there are also those students who are aspiring writers who believe writing is fun. They work hard to become the authors of future best-selling novels, the next William Shakespeare or J.K Rowling”

This from an entry entitled “Why I Write.” I am still trying to digest equating Rowling’s writing with that of Shakespeare but that is my problem. But this is a great entry and if more of her entries were even half as well written, this would be a great journal.

“If you've called or I called you and couldn't talk, I'm sorry. There's just so much orientation and such, but I will talk to you all soon!”

I get the impression from most of the entries that this is not a journal in the “explore your heart and soul” variety. Rather, it is a journal meant to amuse and inform her friends.

“My favorite was Iris, aesthetically was beautiful and the song is just....wow. But everything was great!! I love "Dizzy" and "Slide" and just, wow:)”

In case you forget that the writer is a teenager, she will be kind enough to remind you through writing things like this. She is a Goo Goo Dolls fan and this quote comes from her review of the concert. Actually, I went to a Goo Goo Dolls concert and was pleasantly surprised. They put on a surprisingly good show.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
I will not go back anytime soon. I will if she keeps writing and starts improving on her content. How will I know if this happens? I probably won’t. I would have to go back and read to find that out and by then, I will have found many other already interesting journals to read. That isn’t to say that this is a bad one. Just not one that I would choose to read. I am sure that there are people who would choose to read it, especially judging from the posts which seem to be addressed to her friends. (See comment above in quotes.) It is a shame, really, because she is starting college and at such an interesting time in her life. One would think she would find interesting things to write about even if she can't find an interesting way of writing it.

2002-09-10T11:30:00.000-04:00

164th review, requested is of Tigressa's sad story, I'm nobody who are you?

Total out of 10: 2

layout etc. (2: 1)
Well this should be called part II of the last review. After noticing that the sassy-one diary had tigressa.diaryland.com on the layout I went to tigressa's page. Apparently she also requested a review from me a few days later. Coincidence? I think not. Maybe she decided to give up the sassy-one diary, but then why the redesign in the last few days? And why didn't she unrequest the review from me and not waste my precious time?

What is the deal with the two diaries and the two layouts? I'm not sure, but I will review the second layout because that's how nice I am.

The guestbook is the same guestbook she uses on sassy-one. Is she just too lazy to get a new one? If you go to the guestbook from sassy-one and then click "back to my site" it takes you to tigressa, if you hit "main" you go to sassy-one.

This layout is much better than the last if you consider that she doesn't use an in-line scroll. I don't like the font because it is way too tiny, but other than that it looks fine. I can actually say I like the gray and blue combination

Annoying writing habits (2: 0)
Ditto. (See last review)

Unique:( 2: 0)
Ditto. (See last review)

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
"I spent the day sitting around, thinking about how much my life sucks. I spend all my time either staring blankly at the fucking computer screen or lying on the floor playing my CDs as loud as they'll go. I need to pull some shit together. I can't go into a new school being the same deadbeat I've always been. I don't even know what else to say, there is nothing else to say except that my life is a mess. I need to talk to Jack - people are right, our problems aren't going to go away just because we ignore each other. Somehow, it's going to come up again, and when it does, I don't know if I'm going to be able to take it. I miss Dean, but what else is new?"

Dean? I thought it was Jack? Oh it is both.

"He already knows about Kevin, but last night I told him something no one knows - how I never technically consented to having sex with him, and how held me down and I just let it happen... the only difference between what happened with him and rape is that I could have fought back more if I hadn't been so lovesick. I think it got him reasonably worked up and pissed at men who've hurt me. At least it shows he gives a damn."

"I sincerely wish that I was bi, which is pretty fucked up if you bother to think about it. Most bi people have all this "trouble" with being who they are, and getting their friends and families to accept them yada yada. But the more bi people I talk to about this, the more it sounds like horse shit to me. Everyone's bi. It's the thing to be. You can enjoy sex and romantic bonds with two groups of people, not just one. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me."

There are too many issues in these quotes, I don't think I'll touch them.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
My feelings and thoughts about this diary are pretty much the same as the other one. They are the same writer and I'm still not interested in reading it. For a fifteen year old she talks way too much about the horrors of being single and not enough about anything else. I'm still confused as to what she is trying to do with the two diaries, but maybe she'll figure it out.

2002-09-09T23:01:00.000-04:00

163rd review, requested is of Complicated, life's like this

Total out of 10: 2

layout etc. (2: 0)
To be truthful with all of you, I'm not sure what her actual title is, so I used what I thought was the title.

The layout has changed since I first looked at it, I can't tell you how relieved I am that it no longer has a picture of Shakira on it that says she is a look a like. The current design is not completely horrible if we aren't counting the fact that I detest in-line scrolls and huge pictures that are meaningless. I don't know why anyone would want to shove all his or her writing into one little box when it is the entire reason for the web site.

Maybe she hasn't been reading my reviews for very long.

Why does tigresssa.diaryland.com appear to the right on her diary when her diary is at sassy-one.diaryland.com? Does anyone else wonder this same thing? Is it just to confuse everyone?

Her guestbook and her archive links both look completely different from her main page, and completely different from each other. I prefer that at least the color schemes match if possible.

Her profile link doesn't work at all; I think she should fix that ASAP because broken links are beyond horrible. Also, I went to her next link at the bottom and they all go to her "Generic Designs," seems like a hidden agenda in messing up those links if you ask me.

Annoying writing habits (2: 1)
There are the usual ones like ellipses, but I think the most annoying thing is that she never includes enough information.

Unique:( 2: 0)
No, there is absolutely nothing unique here.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
"Laying in bed, I dragged the blade across my arm. I don't know why; I just did. And as every time before when I have resorted to this stupid shit as a means of somehow solving my problems, I felt no gratification."

She reveals bits of herself like this throughout the diary, but the entries are lacking in depth.

"Make the knots in my stomach go the fuck away... why can't I just have him? Fuck all this. Fuck how fucking complicated this is. Dear sweet Jesus please, just let me have him. I can't put into words this desperation."

"In other news.. there is no other news. This has got to be the shortest, most boring, most pointless entry I've ever written. I want to write, but there's nothing to right about. The life of a teenage nothing is so uneventful. Better make like the rest of them and go watch Justin Timberlake and the rest of the crew prance around on MTV, only to remember that I'm pretty positive none of them have a penis. Laters."

Again I say, don't tell me you have nothing to write about, just don't write that day.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
No, I simply am not interested. Sometimes I feel that she tries too hard to impress her readers with entries about sex and she doesn't write too deeply about her life. I'd find her diary a lot more interesting if she delved into writing about her feelings and her past more instead of what boy she finds cute that day. Her diary seems to tell me on the surface who she is, but I want to know more.

2002-09-04T21:21:00.000-04:00

I think I am going to start taking screen shots of diaries that I review because some people remove their entire sites after I review them. That isn't any fun, people that come to see the diary I reviewed won't get to have the full effect all of my precious time and hard work. I'll think on it. And in the meantime, I'm sorry but Thorn Roses is apparently gone, gone, gone from the internet. Sheesh, what an affect I have on people.

2002-09-03T13:10:00.000-04:00

162nd requested review is of Thorn Roses

Total out of 10: 1

layout etc. (2: 0)
Who in their right mind thinks that pink, black, green, and red go well together? This girl obviously does, but WHY is the big question I'm faced with while looking at it. I'm sorry, but I will never be able to look at red and green together without thinking of Christmas.

I loathe busy backgrounds, but this one really takes the cake. When I first opened the page, I thought I was back in 1994 when people discovered that a background didn't have to be a solid color and so they shoved as much crap as they could into it as well as experimenting with all kinds of color schemes. This thing looks very outdated and needs a new look.

When you click on her archives it takes you to a screen that is completely different without the side-bar of links. I think that every page should be somewhat uniform if it is possible.

If this is her full title, I'm a little unimpressed: "ThornRoses Journal
Writer's journal: mad meanderings of a melancholy mind...and stuff."

"And stuff?" Ahem.

There is no way to contact her anywhere on the diary, whether it be a guestbook or some kind of email address. I think at least a guestbook should be incorporated.

Annoying writing habits (2: 0)
Holy freaking ellipses batman! I mean she even has them in her TITLES. Need I say more?

Unique:( 2: 1)
Using a diary as a means of writing practice is a very good idea, but only if it involves writing about your daily life in an interesting manner. Of course, that is only in my very humble opinion.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 0)
"...I'm trying to write as much as possible. The end result will probably be shit, and only serve to make me feel worse...but I'm determined to try. What do I have to lose but sleep?"

"Well, it's Witchblade tonight atleast. Let's see, anything interesting going on in my life....no. Let's pretend there is. On my way to work this morning, as I was turning off the quiet residential streets and onto the main road some bastard in an oversized SUV cuts me off! I couldn't believe it. Usually, I'd just take a deep breath, continue on to work, and let it fester on me all fucking day...thinking of all the things I should have said to him after I ran him off the road...but not this morning. This morning I ran him off the road."

No I do not edit quotes, this is how she wrote it and how it appeared on my screen. I just cut and pasted it into my document.

"On a more mature note, (I'm getting my witchblade fix...comic on the desk, taped episode from last week on the boob-tube. Nottingham's got game) I crapped out on my writing date last friday as I sat here well into the wee hours drinking Budweiser red-necks and putting together a new look for my friend's website...he promises new material for the online mag but I'll believe it when I see it. I will, I absolutely will make tonight's trist."

What is so great about "Witchblade"?

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
Aside from the fact that it appears as if she has abandoned the journal (and there is hardly anything in it to begin with) even if she were to start writing again today, I don't think I would. I really do not like her style of writing. I know that she uses this for writing practice because she said so to me in her email, and you can tell from reading the entries. I don't think we read or write in the same circles, so therefore I do not find her writing interesting.

2002-08-27T12:20:00.000-04:00

Side note: Don't give up on me. If you have sent me an email for a review, it will get done.

161st requested review is of Udder

Total out of 10: 8

layout etc. (2: 2)
Other than the fact that for some strange reason I've starting yearning for a tall glass of milk, the layout and theme is not that bad.

I admit it is a bit cutesy for my taste, but sometimes cutesy is allowed when the person keeps it in check.

The layout features a lot of different colors that seem to go well with one another and that is good. Sometimes when people get crazy with color the effect can be a bad one, I'm glad for her that this is not the case with her diary.

Who can go wrong with the tried and true three-column layout? It works for me and is easy to navigate. My only problem with it these days is that it can sometimes over-crowd the page when there are so many links on both sides of the writing.

This is a blog with no previous and next links, which is okay, but maybe a wee suggestion from me would be to include more than 2 entries on the main page for the reader like me that will be reading more than just that day's entry. I also think that on the left side where the links are located the archive links should come before all the other stuff since it is one of the most important links on the diary.

Another suggestion from me would be to have her take about 10 entries she feels are her best at giving details about who she is and linking to them somewhere on the blog. I say this because she has so many entries that I would really like some help in finding the most significant ones.

Annoying writing habits (2: 2)
I amazingly enough have no complaints.

Unique: (2: 1)
A woman who is this fond of breast-feeding should be called unique, so therefore she gets a point.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
"In the van on the way there, I tell Dan, 'If he speaks to me, I'm warning you, I'm gonna go all Fargo on his ass.'"

Even though I loathed the movie Fargo, I still found this line funny.

"Of course, my masseuse is male, and he's really handsome. Oh, my. I can't relax: A good-looking stranger named Brian is touching my almost-naked body! I nearly burst out laughing at the very idea."

"Lonely, abandoned by family and friends, on eggshells with Dan, sleepless, edgy, sad: Tonight, I drink a cosmopolitan, because I don't know what else to do."

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
Although her writing is very real and down to earth I would have to say that I don't think I'd be a frequent reader. It is not because she doesn't write well though; so don't misread what I am saying here. One day I may be able to relate to her more than I can now and I'll have to revisit her diary.

I think that she should have, if she already doesn't have, a very large audience of women who can read along with a smile because they know exactly what she is talking about. All and all, I'd have to say she has a very well written diary. She perhaps should do as I suggested earlier though and link to some prominent entries to help the ones like me navigate through her life easier.

2002-08-22T20:39:00.000-04:00

160th requested review is of Flip

Side Note: This is Flip's second review on the site because the author requested reviews from both Talulah and Eli.

Rating out of 10: 7

Layout etc. (2: 2)
I like the layout. I am not sure what to call the color of the background (mauve, light purple? Not sure), but I like it. For the first few seconds, there was, in the center of the page, a large black box. Interesting, I thought, I wonder if it is meant to symbolize something -- the yawning abyss of the soul or some such. However, suddenly a picture pops into view. Ooops, once again I have made the mistake or having too much faith in the speed of my internet connection. It is a very cool picture too, of a young fellow doing a spectacular flip on a beach. I imagine the boy hitting the earth seconds later, breaking his back in four places, I giggle to myself at my macabre sense of humor, and I move on.

Easy navigation, the important links along the top, back and forth links at the beginning and end of each entry, and less important links (quizzes, other diaries and me (ahem!) at the bottom). I was tickled by the puffing dragon visitor counter, and I wouldn't have guessed the "Do ya love me?" link was an Amazon wish list since it was tucked away in the corner between the counter and the guestbook link. There is an imood icon, which I usually can't stand, since some people think that a little icon telling me their mood is more important than writing about their mood, but here it is small and inoffensive.

Every entry's title begins "The one where..." a la Friends, one of my favorite television programs, so she gets a thumbs up for that, as well as having a title that is actually meaningful. As you can imagine, I get to see to see a lot of archive pages in this job, and there is something nice about letting my eye scroll down an archive page and being able to know what the general subject matter of the entry will be. Too often people use a quote or obscure phrase for their title that is meaningful only to them. Sometimes I will still not know why they decided to call the entry what they did even after reading the entry two or three times. Now, I am not saying that titles are a huge deal; I am just saying that I like what this guy has done with his.

I read her profile(s), and honestly, they don't help me out much. I now know her favorite movies, music and other stuff, and I have read a couple of dozen of her favorite movie quotes (which do give a slight, if oblique, insight into her personality), but not much else. I was able to pick up that she is 16 from her cast list (only by reading her description of her 18 year old brother coupled with a comment that the brother is two years older than she is). Other than that, you have to go back and read through her entries to pick up any more information. To tell the truth, for the first thirty minutes of reading this, I thought the diarist was a guy.

A lot of diarists make the mistake in thinking that any one who reads their diary is either a) going to already know them, b) will make the effort to read almost everything they have written or c) doesn't care about the diarist as a person. This is not true. As a reviewer I like to know whom I am reviewing, and as a diary-surfer, I like to be able to tell within the first few minutes whether I have anything in common with the writer and thus whether I should invest the time and effort to absorb myself in their story. When I come to a diary for the first time, I am usually confronted with the latest entry. So I start reading, but I don't know anything about the writer, their situation, where they are, what they believe in or anything. It is like opening a novel at the 38th chapter or tuning into some long running daytime soap opera and being expected to be able to pick up the story immediately. Well, that is not always possible. So after being confused by the Current Entry, my next port of call is the Profile or About page. Here I expect everything to be given context. I expect to learn where the story is taking place, who is telling the story, who these people the writer is talking about are. It should be, to give a television analogy, similar to the "Previously on..." lead in to the show, telling me why so-and-so is important or whatever, and to the credits, where I can orientate who is whom and where is where.

So, to cut a long point short, I would suggest that this diarist (and most other diarists) add to their About page to give the first time reader a little more context.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 2)
I like her self-deprecation and I find her humor amusing. She writes well, both in the technical and creative senses. I don't see anything to fault here. Weeeeeeelllll, the one thing I didn't really like (and this is nit-picking here) is the way she breaks up some entries with a triple asterisk (***) on a new line aligned to the left. Personally, and this is probably a preference picked up from reading too many novels, but I think it would look better if the *** was center-aligned, not left aligned.

Unique: (2: 0)
Unique, well, however much I like this diary, I am sorry to say that it is not particularly unusual. While it certainly at the top of the pile, it is still on that pile. It has a pretty common design, pretty common content -- all done well (which I guess makes it different from most diaries), but all done before.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
"And for all those critics that contend that I have no emotion in my entries. Screw you. I shed a tear, man. A frickin tear. Think about it, just because a person thinks "poop stain" is a funny phrase doesn't mean that they don't have the occasional wave of emotion."

I think 'poop stain' is funny too. And I would disagree with any critic who says she has no emotion in the diary. Sure, it might not be dripping in sentimentality like some diaries, but it is definitely not cold or emotionless. Restraint and detached irony is a quality to be admired, in my book.

"And I can't even begin to explain to you how interesting I think this kid is. I would have a crush on him. I don't have crushes though. I have interests. James is MOST definately an interest."

I'll excuse the spelling error (none of us are perfect), and simply use this as an example of both the every-day-ness of this journal and the fresh way it is told.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
Yeah, I like this diary. She is clever, funny, some interesting stuff happens to her and I like the way she writes. As far as teen/high-school diaries go, this is one of the best I've seen in a while. I won't be there everyday (by its nature it is limited in scope and interest), but I will return from time to time.

2002-08-21T15:11:00.000-04:00

159th requested review is of Summer Days

Rating out of 10: 3

Layout etc. (2: 1)
Typical diaryland layout with a huge picture at the top and links scattered around. The font for the links is very small. Even worse in the archives where the dates are virtually illegible. Maybe if the color choices were different this would be easier to read but I doubt that would make a difference.

There are quite a few links, too. The top looks a little cluttered with the date and time and what she is wearing and . . . well, you get the point. There is simply too much stuff here. Do I really need to know every little detail? I don’t think so.

The picture I actually recognize. Surprising, isn’t it? It’s from a television program. (Very surprising given my total lack of television literacy.) Black background with light blue font is okay. Not sure why the font in the text of the entry doesn’t match the font for the links, etc. This is a little disorienting. I would prefer for the font to be consistent throughout. The links work which is something. Do they open in a separate window? Nope. (Invitation to all journal writers: If you wish to know how this can be done, please email me and I will happily share the html tag with you. It isn’t that hard!)

So one point for general appearance. But points off for things like poorly labeled links. A person unfamiliar with diaryland might not realize that “rags | riches” is actually a “cute” way of saying “previous | next.” Don’t assume a person reading your journal is familiar with diaryland. You would be surprised by the ignorance of people on the internet.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 0)
Emoticons aside, she uses a lot of parenthetical asides. Too many, frankly. Dashes are abused instead of the usual ellipses. And is it necessary to repeat etc.? The only time she doesn’t have parenthetical remarks or smiley faces is when the entry is either too short or cluttered up with quiz results. At least there aren’t quiz results in each and every post. Still, she has a long way to go to have a writing style that is easier to read and the quiz results should be relegated to another place.

Unique: (2: 1)
The journal itself is not especially unique but I did like one little thing. If you click on the link for scribblings you will find a collection of her writings. Everything from poetry to short stories to essays. These are actually links to journal entries in which she shared her personal writing. I only wish she did this with other things like the “song list” and the “I list.” Maybe have a link that is for the banal surveys like the one created for the poetry and essays, etc. There really isn’t a need for so many links when you can easily combine them.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
“Interesting highlight of the evening: sitting at Friendly's and having this kid in a red shirt walking past the window at our booth and pretending to be a mime. So I pretended to be one in return. He walks off. And then returns later with his "posse." Waves. Does the "call me/I'll call ya" thing. Walks off. Returns. Walks off.”

I must be easily amused because reading about this actually made me smile. Which is a good thing

“I am the first Asian American in my family tree and soon-to-be the first to ever take the SAT’s and go to an American college. I am one of the few in my lineage interested in art, theater, music, dance, and literature. My life has had its ups and downs; I’ve won awards and contests, but lost friends, and almost a sister, to the “Angel of Death.” I write in my journal to mark these monumental occasions, my feelings, and my thoughts for myself and others to come.”

Seems a good enough reason for someone to keep a journal. Unfortunately, she doesn't really dig into this potential very much.

“I also ripped the skin off my middle finger on my left hand. It really hurts. I fell whilst trying to carry the canoe. "Port it" over a dam. Ahem. Let's just say I'm, uh, not very strong. :\”

I would have liked to have read more about the kayaking but she left very little information about this trip except that it was “much fun.” Doesn’t make for much fun in reading, however.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
Probably not. It isn’t that the journal is uninteresting. There just wasn’t anything that really pulled me into this girl’s life. I would want more intimacy, more in depth exploration of her emotions, her desires, her passions. When I left from reading the journal I felt I knew so little about her, really. Based on her first entry, there is potentially much she could and should be sharing. I may have overlooked the truly emotional entries but most people won’t read each and every entry so if you can’t inspire a person to read with nearly every entry you can’t expect many people to keep coming back to read.

2002-08-13T11:51:00.000-04:00

158th requested review is of requested review is of Musings of a Mad Woman

Total out of 10: 3

layout etc. (2: 0)
I almost flatly refused to review this diary upon first glance, but a part of me hopes that she will filter through the biting comments I have to make and grow from this experience.

There are so many things wrong with this thing that I hope I can cover them all. First of all, I wonder why someone with a diary titled, "Musings of a Mad Woman," would think that pictures of Hello Kitty would be appropriate for her diary, it makes me wonder if she really is "mad"; I'm not sure that is what she wants to convey. It doesn't make any sense.

I'm not against Hello Kitty as a theme for a diary layout, but I'm not impressed with this one at all. The pinks do not match. It looks like she randomly choose different shades of pink because they were pink. All pink colors are not alike and do not look good together. This layout has way too many colors on it if you ask me.

I really do not like busy backgrounds behind text, if she felt she just had to use the Hello Kitty background, I'd suggest it be behind the main part of the layout and not the text. Leave the text area as clean and easy to read as possible so that the reader's eyes are not crossed while reading your diary. I would also suggest another font, but that is purely based on my reading preference.

The top line where the title is constantly moving may look cool the first time, but seeing it up there is a big distraction. I hope that as she grows in layout and design that she gets past those neat little tricks offered by FrontPage. I also think that the links with all the borders around them make the page look extremely cluttered.

Right now I am on the "who I am" page and I don't see a way to the archive of the diary, or a back to the current entry. I think that they are the most important links of all and they are left off for some reason. I found the link called "most recent" down the page quite a ways and it didn't work.

[inserted comment] You'll have to excuse me for not knowing that the "where I was," link led to the archive of the diary. I've said this before and this proves my point that unclearly marked diary links do not lead to promising readers. It doesn't change my opinion about the layout though.

I found the archives on the "book reviews" page, but then I saw something scrolling up the bottom of the page. What in the hell is that all about? Every page loads differently as well, sometimes the links on the side margin are at the top; sometimes they are at the bottom. The four most important links a diary has are neglected here, they are: previous and next (should be at the top and bottom), archives (found it on a random page), and the current entry link (which didn't always work).

Annoying writing habits (2: 1)
She randomly writes poetry for entries, and has a love of surveys that I just do not understand. I hate surveys. I suggest a different diary for her poems and her surveys; also some of her writing prompts are just silly.

Unique: (2: 0)
Not that I could find.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
"I remember one time when I was 19. I was in a huge fight with my boyfriend, and took a knife and cut my arms until they were dripping blood. I then left the apartment, walking around the streets with the blood still oozing from my cuts. My boyfriend sent the police after me, and they took me by ambulance to the hospital. When I spoke to the psychologist there, he wrote the incident off as a mere power struggle between my boyfriend and I, had the doctors bandage me up, and sent me along on my merry way."

"Every week starts out with the best of intentions, with the commitment to get back on the path to health. I seem unable to follow through on the promises I have made myself, and end up binging by the end of the day Tuesday, or Wednesday at the latest. I need help. I need divine guidance to help me through this."

"Take one of the article ideas you brainstormed yesterday and expand it into a rough draft.
Again I will be skipping this one since I don't write magazine articles."

This was an entire entry. Why couldn't she just not write that day?"

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
Although I wouldn't go back to read more, I still feel that she deserves a point here because she does often bare herself in her writing. I feel that it is a great attribute that she has in her ability to be honest in her writing. With some major improvements in her layout and overall style, she could have a very good diary on her hands.

2002-08-11T21:02:00.000-04:00

I have to apologize to my readers; yes I am still here, and yes I am still doing reviews. Unfortunately for the moment I am living a rather hectic life and can only get reviews done in spurts. I really appreciate the audience that I have and the requests that keep pouring in. I plan to get to them as soon as possible. In the near future the reviews will be more consistent, please be patient with me.

Right now for your reading enjoyment I am going to do something almost unheard of from me in a while, an un-requested review. I think you'll enjoy it. Think of it as my thank you gift to all of you for continuing to read.

157th unrequested review is of Beans for Breakfast

Rating out of 10: 10

layout etc. (2: 2)
In one of my late night searches through web page after web page I stumbled across this diary. At that time the design was slightly different, but nonetheless it drew my attention.

The layout is rather neat and definitely attractive. The colors suit the person I believe and do not look overly feminine, or masculine. The photograph with its aged colorization compliments it as well. It is a well thought out, well put together design.

I like the comment section, it rules out any need for the overused guest-book. I am personally a little sick of guest-books although I succumb to the use of one myself. He includes a lot of links and the occasional photograph in his entries that also add to the look of the diary.

Everything worked and everything was where it should be. There was nothing that didn't function, nor was there anything unbecoming at all about the diary. Nothing stung my eyes here; in fact it is a clean, beautiful diary.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 2)
A perfect score here folks because he just doesn't annoy me.

Unique: (2: 2)
I began following the diary on a regular basis, checking every now and then to see if there were new entries. One entry about the the card collector held my attention for quite a while, following all the entries written about this one particular person in Jeff (the author's) life.

I found it very helpful the way he chronicles his relationship with Robert by having a link to all the entries that involve him. I can tell that it is something that is constantly on his mind since there are a lot of Robert related entries.

Quotes from the Diary: (2: 2)
"Ingrid and I hadn't had one of those difficult frank discussion in awhile - the kind where I, stubbornly but honestly, had trouble understanding how everything had reached such a straining point. Instead of forgetting about them, I guess I should have wondered why it had been so long since we'd had one."

Here is where I think he could have delved into his emotions a little more to share with his readers.

"At Vivace, a girl my age sits with a large 64 piece box of crayons (not Crayola) in front of her - the size box that makes little kids jealous of each other. I keep turning to look at her, she looks like an acquaintance, but I have more of a back view than a profile view, so I can't tell if it's her. When I get up to leave, I take a good look, & it's not my friend. But it is a 20sish person sitting in a coffee shop, drinking hot cocoa & eating a banana (or at least carrying a banana around), filling in her coloring book. And that's within the range of eccentricity that I find admiral."

"So over the last couple of years he's been coming up to me and asking if I have any cards, pictures, slides, or anything for him. I always tell him no and then we'll walk a little and he'll tell me a convoluted story about finding a box of slides in a dumpster or about someone giving him their expired passport."

One about the card collector.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)
Yes, I indeed do go back to read his diary on an almost daily basis. It is one of those things that I do before disconnecting from the internet and going to sleep. It isn't really that he writes the most interesting diary I've ever read, but it is the whole package that he provides.

He writes in a way that makes me want to know more, and I go back hoping that with each new entry that I will learn something new about him.

If there is any one thing that I can say he is lacking, that would be more emotion-filled entries. His diaries that contain information about something that involves a lot of feeling tend to be rather short and I can tell he is holding back.

There you have a well deserved perfect score.

2002-08-11T16:06:00.000-04:00

156th requested review is of Dreamdust

Rating out of 10: 1

Layout etc. (2: 1)
The first page is so cluttered with stuff that one doesn’t even know where to begin. There is a calendar list of birthdays and such which includes important dates that have already passed and are therefore crossed out. I would suggest that if you are going to take the time to update them when they are past, you could just as easily remove them.

Remove them and about thirty or forty other things on this page. Scrolling quotes, quotes from lyrics, mood icons (which don’t even work), links to other sites. A message board. A counter. A poll. I mean it, if you can’t find it on the first page it isn’t because it isn’t there—it is because everything else is there too. This is simply too much stuff in the midst of everything else.

I didn’t even know I had read the journal entry. Unfortunately because the first entry I read was more a list of facts bracketed with single sentence remarks, I didn’t even know it was a journal entry. I thought it was just one more piece of information cluttered in with all the rest of the stuff. (Since writing the above the journal portion of the page is given more physical space than the rest but that doesn't change the fact that there is simply too much clutter.)

This page is simply to busy to be reader friendly. The very fact that the journal entry is relegated to a narrow column suggests that even the writer doesn’t give the journal much significance over all. Is this a journal or a dumping ground for everything else? It isn’t clear.

I am giving her one point because it is obvious this girl knows her stuff. What she doesn’t seem to know is that less is more. Get rid of about 75% of this stuff and you might have a decent, and readable page!

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 0)
Misspellings abound. I can almost forgive a misspelled word in an entry. Everyone misspells something occasionally. But to have misspelled words in nearly every entry and the content of the page itself is insulting the person who is reading your journal. I have said before that if the writer doesn’t care enough about the reader to be careful with their writing then why should anyone bother to read? And you don’t have to worry. Usually, if you don’t know how to spell nobody is going to plagiarize you letter for letter anyway.

Unique: (2: 0)
If you find the layout unique I suppose that could qualify but the content of the journal itself is not unique at all. To be ranting about Alanis Morissette’s song Ironic years after the fact that everyone and their mother has already said that the song is mis-titled is redundant bordering on uninteresting. Besides, if you are going to judge others for their inability to use a dictionary you might want to remember that people use dictionaries to check the spelling of words before writing them. She writes a goodbye saying she will be going on a camping trip and then doesn’t bother to tell you what happened on the trip itself. The cast list is not especially interesting or enlightening and is also full of spelling and grammar errors. I don’t think I found anywhere that didn’t have some sort of glaring error that could have easily been corrected.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 0)
“Yea... But you can't really blame a person for trying, huh? Hey, you think now that she's a famous bajillionaire, maybe she could afford to by herself a dictionary?”

Here is a bit about the rant on Alanis. So let us begin. If you must use ellipses there should be a space between each period. Also it is “buy” not “by.” You can look that up in a dictionary to verify this.

“Kyla Cordero~ She's a fellow superfriend! A year younger than me but I think of her as one of my most special friends. She sweet and all, I love her.”

An example from the cast list page. Again, spelling and grammar errors in a page that is permanent is really unforgivable. Sorry but that just annoys me.

“It's funny how completely confident I seem, and everyone still has yet to figure out that I am really hiding in dark shadows of insecurity. But hey, you know I wouldn't have it any other way. I like to keep 'em guessing. ::Winks::”

She doesn’t seem confident to me in her journal. Nor do I read anything that digs into the dark shadows. Basically this is a fluff piece meant to entertain or distract, I am not sure. But hey! No misspelled words, unless you count the intentional use of “’em.” And I hate the ::Winks::--but I have said as much before.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
Too much would have to change for me to say that I would. Of course, there may be more to this girl’s journal and life than is on the page—although, given the layout one would have to marvel at what else could possibly fit into her life. She apparently has a password protected journal and since she did not send me the password, I was unable to explore further than what she shared. Thus, the review can only be based on what she chose to share. What she chose wasn’t particularly intriguing or interesting. (Also, although she labels her pictures "My Uglyness" this girl is adorable. Not sure whether she is trying to buy into the typical teenaged low self-esteem or is mocking the reader.)

2002-08-10T20:13:00.000-04:00

155th requested review is of Flip

Rating out of 10: 6

Layout etc. (2: 1)
Not much remarkable here. It is a typical diaryland layout. The image is nice. Not sure what it signifies. Perhaps there was an explanation I missed in reading the archives. I like the colors used. The font is fine. Nothing remarkable one way or the other. Not remarkably great or remarkably bad. Sort of banal, really.

I do find the abundance of links at the bottom a bit annoying but they are not obtrusive. The links don’t open in a separate window. And some of the links are redundant. Still, the journal layout is acceptable because it is so basic. So no points gained for creativity or superlative navigation but none lost for clutter or annoying colors, etc.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 1)
None really. There are a few grammatical errors which are rather glaring. Not too often but often enough that I cringed a few times so one point lost for that but the more this person writes and reads, the more likely these errors will fade away.

Unique: (2: 1)
The style of writing is not remarkably unique and yet, every now and again, the writer makes an observation or comment that is unusual. I found myself smiling every now and then at the things that were in the journal. There are moments where this writer’s personality simply sparkle from the lines and although those moments are not in each and every entry they are there often enough to give one point for being unique

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
“I can wash them. But believe me, one go through the wash and my mother will find some way to fuck up the perfection that is my sweatpants.”

Not sure I understand this. When I wash my clothes, my mother has nothing to do with it because I am washing them. If she can find some way of fucking up the perfection of my sweatpants then I would have to say that I am not washing them. Maybe I am missing something very obvious here.

“When did the human race decide that public school was the appropriate approach to teaching children? Why can't change be accepted? Will we still resort to such a mediocre method of learning ten years from now? My children certainly won't. Because when I have children, I will either teach them myself or I will put them in the most free of all Montesorri schools.”

There are times when the inexperienced and opinionated voice of youth can be annoying but this is not the case with this writer. I am not saying that an older reader won’t wonder at the naiveté in what they read but the writer has a way of saying it that isn’t off-putting or overly self-righteous.

Only two quotes, I know. I did find the entry about magnetic poetry oddly amusing. And the scrolling reminder to post in the guestbook with its idle threat also amuses me.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
Yes. Although I refuse to sign the guestbook, I am likely to return for a peek into this young person’s life. I would like to read more deep thoughts but the random observations are entertaining and not all journals have to be painfully intimate. This one meets somewhere in the middle. Not just meant to entertain but also not full of raw emotions.

2002-07-31T10:01:00.000-04:00

154th requested review is of JournalLife.com
Rating out of 10: 3

layout etc: (2: 2)
As I looked at the diary I began singing the tune "Mr. Jones" from Counting Crows, "You know grey is my favorite color, I felt so symbolic yesterday." But moving on from that, I like the grey/blueness, I like it very much. The graphic that she uses is very classy and everything blends well. The picture has a certain sophistication and maturity about it. When I see a picture like that, I begin to expect a quality diary.

There wasn't much I didn't like about the look of the diary, except I felt like the side-bar of links went on forever. I know there may not be much she could do about that, except well, condense it into links she has to have on the main page and then do a separate link page for the others.
Iinstead of just listing a lot of diaries that she likes, maybe saying -why- she likes them, or what we should expect if we go to that link. Diary titles are mostly vague or poetic, and often don't tell us much of what lies within. When she gives us a list of so many pages, I am not going to go to each, but if she told me what each is about, then maybe I could choose the ones that I like.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 0)
I find the overusage of smiley faces and "LOL", mildly disturbing. I also found in some of the older months she was writing in more of a blog style, that consisted of a lot of lists and internet tests that I don't like seeing in a regular diary.

Unique: (2: 0)
Not that I can see, this diary is very much like most diaries out there.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
"Maybe it happens to everyone in their lives, but I really find that since I turned 40 I feel it more often. I wonder if there is something I am missing out there, maybe I should go back to school, start a different hobby, do volunteer work, change jobs. I don't know, maybe this is something that lots of women go through, but I really don't talk about these kinds of things with anyone at work, so I really don't know. Any ideas anyone?"

"I was so convinced that it was Thursday yesterday that if no one had told me different, I wouldn't be going to work tomorrow!LOL I still have tons of work to do for the Migration next week that it is a good thing that I do have tomorrow to work!"

See what I mean?

"I am not into self inflicted pain, and since I get my eyebrows waxed all the time I should have not have fallen for the 'no pain' words used in the commercial!LOL I now have shaved legs with two strips of very red, raw skin where I not only removed the hair but apparently took away some skin as well! LOL"

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
I looked around to try to find something that spoke me and I just couldn't find it. While this diary is probably interesting to her and her friends, there really isn't anything there that I couldn't find at a hundred other sites.

There is an indefinable quality in some people's writing that reaches out and grabs you. Call it a zing or a flash or something. Something that takes your imagination and your mind and spins you off into exciting and wonderful places. This diary doesn't have it.

2002-07-30T21:58:00.000-04:00

153rd requested review is of Daily Poetry
Rating out of 10: 5

layout etc. (2: 1)
I like the layout, but again this is one that needs a little sprucing up.

She uses pictures here and there on some of her pages, but the main page is so plain that it hurts my eyes from the glaring whiteness of it all.

I really like the way the frames work; I must say that she at least got that part figured out without any major catastrophe.

I think her previous and next links need to be named and not simply the symbols she uses.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 1)
If I see the word tonight spelled like "tonite" one more time I think I might scream. I almost got mad about the random poetry everywhere, but how could I when the name says it all?

Unique: (2: 1)
She has a very unique way of writing a diary that I've never seen before. I usually do not like lists and/or headings in the middle of an entry, but when she does it, for some reason it makes sense. It is like her mind is all over the place, but she takes you along for the ride and nobody gets lost.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
"By the time we reached the 61 cent cafe, I had settled down from happy. I gathered myself and my extra strong black coffee around a table with David and Andy -- content. A feeling that's been happening more often lately. We sipped our cheap drinks, they smoked over-taxed ciagarettes, and we complained about our minimum-paying summer jobs in summer's wilty contentedness."

After reading this entry I was forced to go make a good pot of coffee.

"Frosted mini-wheats be damned! I panickly grilled her for the date and time of disposal, while running for the rubber gloves. The old plastic plates must be saved!"

"It's nice to be out with someone at whom you can laugh at incessantly, wether it be about his brother's ferret eating his other brother's guinea pig or something else less funny. At some point tonite, we were uncontronably laughing at each other so much it was hurting. And he looked very happy and genuinely at ease, not just laughing at me cause I was being silly again. It's not something I've seen in a while, and it quite made me feel the same. My mouth still hurts from laughing."

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
This girl is a list writer if I've ever seen a list writer, but I have to admit that she had my attention. I was smiling or laughing along with a lot of her entries because she has a quirky way of writing that amuses me, even with all the lists (she even gets to roman numerals sometimes.)

You really need a cup of coffee while you read it, but I swear you'll like it.

2002-07-30T17:06:00.000-04:00

152nd requested review is of Hat on Top, Coat Below
Rating out of 10: 6

layout etc. (2: 1)
I know I've said I like simple layouts, but I didn't mean that I liked layouts that are devoid of color or anything personal.

This layout is nice and it works without any problems, except it needs something. It is missing something personal to help it stand out from the crowd of online journals out there.

I'd suggest a few things for her to spice it up. Maybe she should look online for pictures that she likes that she can change in photoshop. There are a few free photo sites out there. Or, she could take some of her own and use them.

I'd also suggest she go with a theme; her title is rather interesting, but it seems to be the only eye catching thing she has going for her right now.

Writing is where it is at for journals, but I hate to be the bearer of bad news and say that the eye can be pleased more when something looks more enticing.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 2)
Nothing stood out as ultimately annoying.

Unique: (2: 1)
I've never seen a quilt gallery before; this is a very interesting way of bringing the audience into your personal life and hobbies.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
"In my fantasy life, I’d be a full time quilter. No, scratch that, I’d be full time quilt designer. I’d have a staff to do the rest of the steps: ironing the fabric, cutting the pieces, sewing the pieces together, basting the layers, quilting, and binding. I could focus on planning the designs and playing with the pieces on my felt wall, indulging in my favorite parts of the process. Maybe I’d write a quilting book. In theory, I could write a quilting book now, but it’d have a better chance of getting it published and sold if I were a well-known quilter, which I’d have to be to have a staff to do my work for me."

So she likes quilting, maybe someone else can relate, even if I can't.

"Mom showed me the book Our Bodies, Ourselves about the same time as we had the boys in one room and girls in the other meeting at school in fifth or sixth grade, so I’d have another perspective on the whole thing. She did tell me not to show it to my friends, though; it was a bit liberal compared to the prevailing attitude where we lived. The most interesting part of the meeting at school was one girl asking our homeroom teacher what you did while you did 'it'."

What is so strange is that I've heard of this book, but I don't remember ever seeing it."

"Friday night, though, I cried because of something that even I consider stupid. Mr. Karen had Friday off and was looking for something on the kitchen counter and came across the receipt for the last time I got the oil changed in the Mustang. Looking at it to figure out what it was and where it belonged, he saw I’d gotten the air filter changed as well as chosen the more expensive synthetic oil. This puzzled him. This was not what he would have done. Why had I done it?"

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
I'd say yes, but her entries although somewhat engaging are missing something too. I 'd say it is the extra "umph" that makes the reader want to know more. I think she is holding back on all the details. Lots of times I feel like her entries end just short of telling the full story.

A lot of her journal entry ideas come from a place called "June Journal Smackdown," that she links to at the end of the entry which is okay, but I'd really like to see some fresh material coming straight from her. I'd also like to see longer entries, with things more explained than she is currently doing.

2002-07-23T11:45:00.000-04:00

Yes I know it is hard to believe, but I am actually doing a review!

151st requested review is of Chapter three
Rating out of 10: 9

layout etc. (2: 2)
Have I mentioned lately that I am a fan of the simplistic style of layout? This one was to my liking the moment it opened. The picture is a little on the large side for my usual taste, but it works for me. It has a clear title and it is not hard to see from the first glance how it all works.

She points out herself that the page is very big (and it is); I hate having a scroll bar at the bottom of my screen, but I am the one with the tiny monitor. At least it isn't a huge hinderance to the workings of the layout like some I've seen. The writing doesn't cut off and never reappear etc. It still looks lovely.

It might be just me, but the color teal chosen for the links is a bit on the bright side against the white background, but at least I can see it. Also I really wish the before and after links at the top were named, but that is just because we all know how damn picky I am.

I'm not taking away a point on this, but the after link on the entry titled "Jaded" doesn't work. I kept getting stuck there.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 2)
I like the line about capitalizing on her about the site page. It made me laugh, but no I didn't find any annoying writing habits.

Unique: (2: 1)
The "just a girl" link is her about me page. Although it doesn't always work, I like her one word usage in this instance.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
"Sometimes I think I'm wearing myself out worrying over other people. I spend so much time feeling helpless, wanting to comfort, cure, heal the people that I care so much about from a distance. All of these people that I've never even laid eyes on, never touched hands or cheeks, and yet they have taken up such a large part of my heart, so much of my thoughts."

"Words aren't enough when there is no action behind them, when I wait for literally years for you to follow through on all those words. I don't want a relationship at all if it is going to be like this. I need more. I need someone who can make time for me, who can show up physically and emotionally at least once in awhile. You don't do that. You don't even make an effort."

This was taken from an entry composed for a collab as a letter. I really like this style of writing and think it should be used in everyone's journal every now and then to spice it up. Well done.

"I can recognize this disordered thinking. I can see the weight as it drops off my frame, but I can't stop it. My stomach will not accept food. My throat rebels against the swallowing of it. I consume massive amounts of liquid to quell the pains, but they are a temporary fix, and soon my stomach is churning again and demanding more food which it will not accept. It's not that I'm anorexic, though that word was attached to me in the hospital a long time ago. It is not about my body being too big. I have a realistic view of my shape, of the amount of space that I take up. Most of the time I enjoy food. I don't count calories. It's not about calories. It's not about pounds or inches, it's about controlling myself, it's about rigidity, it's about that hunger gnawing in my belly.
I need to find a less-destructive way to control my life. I need to find less-destructive outlets to keep me sane. Then again, a little hunger now and then ever hurt anybody."

I disagree with the last line, hunger does hurt people everyday. Yet, I do understand the thinking behind the actions.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)
This is the third chapter, and I'm sure in order to learn more about the author I would have to go to the past journals. I enjoyed my time there, it was refreshing. She often paints pictures with her words, which is the best kind of journal writing. If anyone out there thinks their writing is blah (or is told it is by me) you should take note of this. Descriptive words always help the reader to visualize what you are talking about, and they make reading your diary interesting.

2002-07-20T23:15:00.000-04:00

150th requested review is of The Story of My Life

Rating out of 10: 3

Layout etc. (2: 0)
The banner includes a box with links. I hate the font. It looks fuzzy and if it is hard to read on my big monitor I can only imagine what it is like on a laptop. (I did look at it on another monitor and didn’t like it any better.) Also the image dominates the screen so much. Why? Why not just have a smaller image across the top? I prefer to see that there is a journal entry when I go to a journal, not a large image dominating the first screen. Make it smaller or lose it all together.

I am not crazy about the color choice. The darker/brighter color is behind the text of the journal and a lighter color as a frame for the image and journal. Why? Common sense suggests that you would choose the lighter background where the text is. I would encourage the person to make that change asap. Dark blue font on a bright blue background doesn’t read as easily as dark blue font on a lighter background.

As seems to be par for the course, the archives do not open in a separate window which means a lot of bouncing back and forth. But they are fairly navigable. The journal has been around for just over a year and if you click on the month and year it expands to show the various entries.

I am also not clear about the one test result that she has in every entry. I could understand if the information changed, different test results or whatever, but it doesn’t. It is just the same day after day after day. Isn’t there something else that can go here? A picture of the person who is writing the journal would be a possibility. Or a joke or quote of the day perhaps. But day after day of some superficial quiz result says nothing about the writer except that she gives too much credit to online quizzes.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 1)
When you have to type “(spelling?)” in the subject line of an entry, you know something is wrong. Use spell check. Ironically, she spelled the word in question correctly but there are so many other misspellings throughout the posts that to find one without a misspelling is more remarkable than finding one. One thing that I found annoying is how often she declares someone she knows is annoying or immature and then proceeds to rant (throw a temper tantrum, really) which only goes to prove that the writer is not as mature as she may think. (I would encourage her to read about displacement and how that which bothers you most in another person is often a reflection of qualities in yourself that you do not like.) There are ellipses, run-on sentences, and other various grammatical offenses.

Unique: (2: 0)
This journal is just like any other adolescent journal. She hates her parents. She hates herself. She hates her friends. She loves her boyfriend. She doesn’t really have a boyfriend. Her friends are okay because it was just a huge misunderstanding. Well, you get the picture. There are simply too many other journals where teenagers are whinging about their adolescent plight that this one can’t be numbered amongst the ones that are unique.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
“I am at James' house right now...all alone. He is with his friend Chris and I am cleaning his house. I just finished the downstairs and I am pooped. He is coming back a quarter to 4 so maybe I will still have time to clean the upstairs.”

I am trying to figure out why this girl is cleaning up her boyfriend’s house when they are not “officially” dating. I am not officially dating her either. Maybe I can convince her to come over to my house and clean up too. Clearly, she doesn’t have a problem with this.

“I have decided that at the end of my entries I am going to have a current music, current mood, current person that i hate, and favorite person of the day. Because Diaryland should have them anyways.”

Thankfully she did not choose to continue this rather banal and ubiquitous practice.

“After that, Jared took me to Sunset Park. It was so beautiful..there were ducks, bats, and foxes there. It was so cool. It's a very beautiful park. I am going to have to tell Dayna about this park once I start talking to that group of people again.”

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
I probably wouldn’t return for another read. The fact is that it is very difficult for adolescents to write a journal that is going to intrigue anyone who is not either a close friend or a teenager themselves. I know a very intelligent young man who has an online journal that I find incredibly boring but when we are engaged in a conversation I find many of his thoughts and ideas interesting. He hasn’t matured enough to convey really in depth emotions. Neither has this young woman. She tries. There are definitely entries that start to explore some very intimate issues but she has so many more where she is being a typical teenager, which is okay because she is a teenager, that I wouldn’t want to. I hope that she keeps writing, however. As she matures and gets more comfortable with the writing I am confident that it will improve. (The one point is for the occasional times she stops stating the obvious or throwing a temper tantrum and really explores some of her emotions about what is happening around her. Too far and few between.)

2002-07-16T20:06:00.000-04:00

149th requested review is of Pomegranate seeds
Rating out of 10: 8

layout etc. (2: 2)
I like this layout. It is simple yet creative at the same time. I appreciate the personal touches she made to it, like for example she says the picture of the pomegranate is hand drawn originally.

I also like the way she links to important entries and her bio at the bottom. This is a very nice, clean, and functional diary format.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 2)
I was able to read dozens of entries without flinching in the slightest (even though I did see the ellipsis in there a few times). Bravo!

Unique: (2: 1)
I thought the series of entries on how she and her husband met were very unique, especially since she left the last one for Valentines Day. Also, her picture and title of the diary are unique too.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
"I grabbed a handful of silky blouses and capri slacks and hurled them over the rail. Mama flung an iridescent turquoise dress into the air. Every thing in those three closets went. Dresses. Ball Gowns. Scarves. Fancy designer clothes by Gucci, Pucci, Blass and whoever. Cheap stuff off the rack and from catalogs. It didn't matter, over the porch it sailed. Bright streamers twirling in the breeze like amazon parrots, prayer flags, or animated rainbows. Drifting down onto the heads of the women waiting below."
Taken from a short story written by the diarist which was very good.

"I keep coming out of my winter funk long enough to say I'm starting to feel better, and then going right back in. I guess it's not surprising I don't want to be social and creative if I'm feeling yucchy, but I'm tired of both feeling yucchy AND hibernating. Enough already."

"Gerry threw me 3-year-old birthday party. There were pink balloons and decorations, a sesame street cake, and a clown. Everyone gave me toys as gifts. We sucked helium and talked funny, had our faces painted, and ate too much cake. I even have my sophisticated best friend on video tape wearing a party hat and dancing the hokey-pokey! Gerry had a teddy bear painted on his forehead and he made it dance by wiggling his eyebrows. The party was fabulous!"

Sounds like so much fun!

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
Overall I think she has a talent for making the even the mundane interesting, but sometimes I don't think she tries hard enough to do it. I like the entries in which she is in a story telling mode. I think she should do that more often. Although, I know how it is, everyone can get lazy. The simple truth is, nobody is going to be interesting all the time.

I really enjoyed my visit to the diary though, it kept me entertained more than most.

2002-07-14T12:36:00.000-04:00

148th unrequested review is of I Have Measured My Life Out with Coffee Spoons

Rating out of 10: 8

This is the online journal for last week’s Lady Gwenllian’s husband. I thought it would be interesting to see what the other half has to say about what is happening in their lives.

Layout etc. (2: 0)
I hate the design that follows the mouse wherever you go. It is very busy and distracting. It also interferes with the reading if your mouse is too close to the text. And since it won’t go away, you have to keep moving your mouse to read what lies beneath. (Obviously, a mouse can always manage to be in the way but theoretically you can move it off the screen. In this case, if you move it to the sidebar you still get a partial design floating over the text.) I would lose that immediately. Either make it so it only appears for a little while or create something that is only there when you move the mouse. Or just lose it. Whatever it takes. I don’t like it. (I know that he loves it because he writes about it so the odds that he will give a damn about what I say are pretty steep but I still wanted to voice my opinion on this.)

I suppose having a slow fade from one screen to another is nice but it does slow down the process and those who are not blessed with high speed computers or DSL will likely lose interest because waiting for a page to download can be enough in this day and age for some to lose interest. I would suggest removing this as well, perhaps only using it when leaving the first entry or something. It just doesn’t need to be there all the time.

I also do not like the font, although the white on the brown background makes it easy to read. The style itself is not that pleasant to the eye. His wife has a better choice simply because it isn’t oversized. I would suggest changing the font altogether to something more pleasant to the eye. If you must have it so large then use a font that looks good larger. If you must use this font, then reduce it to something so the dots over the i’s don’t look like circles.

Other than the above, the layout is fine. Yes, if you wander into the archives you have to go back and forth but at this rate I may start begrudgingly ignoring this in journals. There is a little clutter at the bottom of the screen that doesn’t need to be there but I suspect the person who keeps this online journal wouldn’t agree. The links between entries offers only the usual previous and next. As usual, I think it would be nice if this option were not isolated to the bottom of the page but were included at the top as well. After all, given that the pages are going to fade from one to the next, the quicker I can click on where I want to go the better.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 2)
Over-use of the word “whack” got tedious very quickly. The reason I am commenting on this is because his writing over-all is quite erudite and interesting. I don’t understand why he would choose to be so lazy and not use other words. Clearly he has the vocabulary to come up with a long list of adjectives other than “whack.” Otherwise, none that I noticed often enough to find remarkable.

Unique: (2: 2)
I know I didn’t say his wife’s journal was particularly unique but this man’s writing style is different from most of the journals I have read. I enjoyed the entries from the sublime to the ridiculous simply because I enjoyed reading his writing. I would like to read more of his poetry, also. What he writes about may not be profound or even outstanding but he writes it so well.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
“What is it that some of us carry in our souls, maybe it comes from our genes, that makes us perceive the world in such a way? Today driving to work the clouds briefly obscured the sun, and this wan light, bright but shadowless fell over everything. And I remembered so many other times in my life when the light looked different to me-when the world was suddenly presenting itself to me as a confusion and then negation of light and shadow.”

This is just one fine example of the type of poetic prose this man writes.

“They can sing all they want in the lion king about the circle of life-it's joy and glory. To me right now it is still just a great scary bicycle ridden by a banshee rolling over me, again and again.”

“. Lady Gwenllian noted one last pale, pale pink rose blooming right at the fence between our house and the neighbors. I realized at the same moment that the fireflies were out. I haven't noticed fireflies in a long time. So I took Baby M. out of the car and showed her the rose. Then we stood silently, me holding her and the Lady beside, for a moment, just watching the fireflies rise in the slow June twilight.”

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)
I shall have to amend this by saying that between his writing style and his wife’s strong and introspective entries, I would have to say that I will most definitely be reading both of their journals. I don’t know how many other couples are both brave (or is that foolish?) enough to have online journals but I would guess that this couple is not alone. Whether they do it better than anyone else is a question that I do not have the time to explore. I can say that I enjoyed visiting with them both. I will definitely return because it is interesting to see how highly introspective both of them are in their journals and yet how uniquely they communicate their most intimate (and not so intimate) thoughts. I found his rant about his wife and Harry Potter especially amusing. Move over, Mr, Letornau, indeed!

2002-07-10T21:02:00.000-04:00

147th requested review is of stupid envy
Rating out of 10: 1

layout etc. (2: 1)
This diary needs a title. I'll refer to it as Stupid Envy for the purposes of identification, but it unfortunately doesn't seem to have a title of it's own.

I've been incognito for a while I know, but I've looked at this diary several times in the last week or so preparing my mind for reviewing it, but my point is that there is one thing that has stuck in my mind everytime I have looked at it and that is this: creativity isn't everything.

This layout looks creative and it gets a point for trying, but I think people often forget the real reason people go to your diary. It is not to look at the pretty background or the artistic touches, it is to read your diary. For that to work, the diary needs to be more functional than it is pretty.

The first things I asked myself were: why on earth is the typing centered, and why is it on top of a graphic? I know it looks really cool and everything, but when it all comes down it is not as easy to read as it would be with a plain background behind the text, and aligned left. I am very much pro standard, basic writing principles. My eyes naturally go to the left margin when I read (maybe that is because I read so many books) but whatever the case I still feel centered text is for poetry only.

I hope those arrows on either side of the top margin are previous and next links, but if I didn't read diaries all the time maybe I wouldn't have figured that out on my own? Why don't people think of everyone when they make a diary layout? Please clearly mark your links for your readers, everyone does not know that is a previous and next link!

When I clicked on April at the top of the page it took me to a different layout completely, which I will not comment on because I do not have the time to critique every single layout this diary has gone metamorphised through. But, let me just say one thing, huge graphics are not very good for diaries. Enough said.

Oh and I had to wade through the old formats to find the bio. I suggest a major rehaul of all of this information into one completely new format, but I understand if you don't have that kind of time.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 0)
Here are a few things I found annoying, numbered because I felt like it right now:
1.) Centered text. 2.) Emoticons (why aren't those things history by now?) 3.) No capitalization. 4.) I swear there was one entry where all it said was, "I'm going to sleep now."

Unique: (2: 0)
No, nothing at all really.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 0)
"i have discovered an automated pant-wearing mechanism. i sleep pantless. and the other day, my mum wanted to come into my room. and i didn't even realise that i put my pants on and when she left my room i was still like half asleep and then i thought "oh my god, i'm not wearing any pants!" then i looked down and see that i was wearing pants. how odd. anyways."

"anyways" is a sentence now? Oh, and I don't think I get the joke if it is meant to be one.

"i had a seafood sandwich thing @ delifrance. i saw sean, leong, kx, and some other people at pyramid. i saw a woman with a tattoo of a sun on her chest. it didn't look too great.
went to see the skin specialist @ sunway hospital, but he wasn't in. have an appointment for next saturday. hrmmm. going to assunta hospital tomorrow. i paint a mural. should be quite fun. dunno how we're getting there though. i think my mum can send us pam. so yeah."

Is it that hard to type out the word at?

"ah well. then we went for lunch later, i wanted "mee sup" but the soup tasted a bit off, and that what i thought was spring onion was actually parsley or some other herb. ick. so i ordered chicken chop. fucking expensive. erm, then later we went to "bintang hyper" and blew a lot of money on tokens. i spent rm12 there. pam and sasha bought quite a lot as well. muahaha i got the high score for one of the basketball games. my score was like 41 in a minute i think. blah. and altogether we got 273 what's-it-called? erm tickets? yeah, tickets. and there's nothing worthwhile to get with the tickets. oh well. it was fun. we're going to eat at sugar bun tomorrow. yay! i haven't had it in ages."

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
From what I have read I don't know much about this girl except she is 16, and I know that she likes to write about her daily jaunts etc. with her friends. I am not that kind of diary writer, nor am I that kind of diary reader. I am beginning to see that there are a distinct few people that write a diary well enough to hold my interest.

Don't cry because I don't like your diary. My advice is to make your writing more appealing to a larger audience by adding more feeling, more story-like writing, and more in-depth stuff all around. If you aren't interested in what people like me find entertaining to read about, then forget you ever requested this review and go on about your life like normal. It won't hurt for long, I promise.

2002-07-07T14:56:00.000-04:00

146th unrequested review is of Lady Gwenllian's Lair

Rating out of 10: 5

Layout etc. (2: 1)
I either love the layout or hate it. A part of me adores it. I love the images at the top and the color and font are fine. I really like what happens when you click on a link. (Try it and you will soon see how little it takes to amuse me.) The images are great but if you are surfing the net at work and trying to kill time on a slow day, the pictures could get someone fired. I know that seems silly but if the wrong person saw those naked women scrolled across the top, some poor bored employee could get into trouble. I don't want the person keeping this journal to change anything. Leave everything as it is. But let the reader beware. If you work in some ultra-conservative office then you may offend someone nearby.

I also don't like that the links inevitably lead to pop-up windows. That is incredibly annoying. Every link practically led to another flood of pop-ups. The layouts are nice. They compliment the style of the journal well. The archives are okay. (Unfortunately, they do not open in a separate window but you can't have everything, apparently.) I would like to see them more navigable. Less hitting the back button every time. She knows how to design with frames. I know some people don't like frames but sometimes frames can make site surfing easier. I am beginning to think that archives either need to open in a separate window or be framed so that the left (or right) bar would have the list of entries and the reader could click on the entry of their choice. While I am in my little fantasy here, why not have each month to the left and when you click on it the month would expand into a list of individual entries for that month?

Okay. I shall leave my little fantasy now and say that the layout is fine until you start clicking on some of the links and have to suffer the pop-ups.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 1)
There were none that were remarkable. Actually, I would have probably been a lot harder on this journal writer because she is a Language Arts teacher so I admit that I would have held her to a higher standard. However, she doesn't give people names in her journal. Only initials. Now this is fine if you only know and refer to 26 people total. But she has a step-son, ex-husband, and a brother-in-law who all have the initial R. If you are going to type out "stepson R" or "brother-in-law R" why not just give them a name? Rick. Rod. Robert. Rasputin. It makes it easier for the reader if they have a name to give to the person so give them a name.

Unique: (2: 1)
How silly is this? I am going to say yes, because of what happens when you click on a link. But that isn't worth two full points. Frankly, other than that, this journal isn't remarkably unique, and even that I have seen before. (Just because I have seen it done elsewhere doesn't mean I don't like seeing it done here, I suppose.) The writing style isn't surprising or remarkably creative. The layout is basic so there isn't much unique there. She offers book reviews and recommendations but those are only accessible if you are willing to tolerate the pop-up windows. I would suggest she could look around and see what others have done to get some ideas but then if she were to imitate someone else that wouldn't be very unique, would it?

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
"You decide to try the phones outside one more time. It works! You break down sobbing from this tiny bit of stress that any normal person could probably handle, but not you -- you're OCD, you're hungry, and you're so relieved to finally be able to use the fucking
phone. Husband kindly says he will fix it all. You forgot your bill inside the Circle K, so you have to go back in, after the clerk scolded you, and snatch it off the counter before someone sees it and does who knows what kind of evil with the information on it.
You begin the trek home, realizing for the first time that your street has the peculiar characteristic of going uphill BOTH ways. You arrive home, strip off your sweat-drenched clothes, and discover you had $.63 the whole time."

I admit that I admire her ability to be so candid about their financial situation. I would imagine that some journal writers, especially those who make their journal public, are tempted to white wash their reality. She clearly is able to not sugar coat her reality. I think this is a good thing.

"He is immensely proud of having great-great-grandchildren. I'm not really certain exactly how many he has, but my estimation is that he has 6, including my two, and one on the way. No, I'm not pregnant. Heaven forfend!"

Okay, anyone who can use "Heaven forfend" in a journal entry correctly deserves some praise. Kudos!

She asks what "emo" is. I point her to this website: http://www.fourfa.com/ This may not be the definitive answer but it is a start. When one is a parent of little ones, one must be up on all things that may be defined as "pretentious-teen-angst-I'm-deep-because-I-think-about-death-and-write-bad-poetry-and-listen-to-crappy-music." (That quote is also from the journal so if you have a problem with what is said, email her, not me.)

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
Yes, I probably would. I can identify with the choices she and her husband are making. I can appreciate her financial struggles. And what I especially find intriguing is that she and her husband both have online journals. Judging from her entries, they read each others journals as well. Either this couple is incredibly brave or incredibly foolish. Either way, it is a curious thing to read both sides of the same coin. I don't say I definitely would because she does seem to go on and on about web design at times. Maybe I just bounced into the posts that were obsessing about these things but if I did then anyone could and online journals should be about a person's life, not about the updates on a website. Then again I write that fully aware of the sad truth that some people's lives truly do revolve around their websites. Given that she has children, I would think it is safe to say hers does not. But I could be wrong.

2002-07-02T12:10:00.000-04:00

145th requested review is of Angelgirl95
Rating out of 10: 2

layout etc. (2: 1)
I don't dislike the layout, but I don't think it is very original either. Then again, I knew it was a design by Twiggle before I even looked at the bottom right. It is not that Twiggle is a bad designer, I like her designs, but using a design made by someone else can easily make your diary seem run of the mill because that designer designs for a lot of people using her same eye for design. There is no personal touch, there is nothing uniquely -you- about it.

I am aware that people are sometimes forced by the limited number of "cool internet handles" to take the one they like and add their year of birth of birth to it. I assume that this is the case with the author of this diary, but I am not sure why she titled her diary after her internet handle.

From her profile: "I'm a 22 year old bisexual who is a manager at a major video store where my former girlfriend slept with my boss and made a baby that I now co-parent with her. Any questions?"

Yes actually, I have questions about every part of that except your age.

She really needs a cast list and a more detailed bio as much as she talks about people. It would really help if I knew who they all were.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 0)
I loathe survey/question type entries and I saw a couple on here. If you want to tell your readers things about you, try writing a witty, truth telling entry. It will work out much better that way.

I stopped bothering to count all the things that bothered me, but you can bet that was a good thing. She overuses "lol," smiley faces, ellipses, asterisks, and more. Did I say I lost count?

She also has more than a few typos that spellcheck won't pick up, like "than" instead of "then". Check out her quotes for more reference.

Unique: (2: 0)
Nothing unique about it really.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
"Something(s) a lot of people don't know about you: I love to sing, but don't do it in public, unless you get wind of my talent show tape that was done in the 9th grade (lol), I write sex stories, that I'm bisexual, that I'm a huge advocate of child abuse and neglect."

I hope she really doesn't mean that part about being "a huge advocate of child abuse and neglect," but if she doesn't that is a typo that really needs fixing.

"I realize I'm ranting and saying things that I've repeated time and time again. I have a really bad habit of doing that, but I'm pissed off. I miss Parker. I realize I haven't spoken about him much in here, but I miss him so much when I'm not near him. And you know what...Luevonna took that away from me. She *left* me, she left the life we had for a once in a lifetime chance..she's the one who lost out, not me. And if she and Eric are happy together than fine, because she's not going to have anyone else to enjoy it with and if it doesn't work out? She's not going to have anyone then either."

"I have no fucking idea why the person that I've supported almost from the beginning of the birth of Parker, who has supported through money (and a great deal, I might add) and love, who has fought everyone she loves close to her to be with the person she thought she was going to be with forever, who learned to like a man who's my boss who slept with my best friend at my workplace and then expected me to be his best pal, who, well, you get the idea.
Has Eric left his wife??? Hell no."

It does have soap opera storyline potential.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
Why wouldn't I go back? Is it that the author comes across as a teenie bopper in an adults body? Is it that she writes like she just learned "cool internet terms" like RFLMAO, LOL and : D? Is it that this girl is just plain boring? Nah, maybe the yellow just hurts my eyes.

2002-06-29T22:54:00.000-04:00

144th requested review is of a young man growing up in a time past full of changes

Rating out of 10: 5

Layout etc. (2: 1)
The layout is okay. I read in the journal where the writer is playing with the layout. This online journal hasn’t been around for very long. When he first created it there apparently was no guestbook or contact page. He has created these. The archive page only links to June 2002. Are there more entries somewhere that haven’t been linked or is this journal a fairly new entry into the world of online journals?

If this is a new journal, then there is a solid foundation here already and that is a good thing. Simple colors and simple layout work. The font is not my favorite but personal preference shouldn’t weigh too heavily. I would like to see more entries and a better link with the archive. I have said it before and I will say it again, archive links are best when they open in a separate window.

The layout has potential and perhaps, with time, there will be more links. I hope that the person keeping the journal has the sense to be careful about cluttering up the main pages with too much “stuff.” A few links can go a long way. If you end up with a lot, then create a way to link to the many links separate from the main page.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 1)
Here is the writer’s disclaimer in one entry: I apologize up front, but I never really picked up the spelling of all the medical terms there are in life. There is a good chance at least one is not spelled correctly. Please live with it. At least he said, “Please.” Truth is, I don’t have to live with it. There are enough online journals to read out there that if I don’t want to suffer your misspellings I don’t have to. Now, I am forgiving here because medical terminology can be complicated and even the best spellers would likely stumble with some words outside their area of expertise. If these medical terms were the only example, we would be okay. Unfortunately, there are others. In the biography I found a few. (You “rode” the bus, not “road” the bus.) They are few and far between so it isn’t a crisis but when you make your journal public, you have to suffer the criticism for any and all carelessness.

Unique: (2: 0)
Not especially. Although one could argue that there are not a lot of men keeping online journals let alone Mennonites. That could be an argument in and of itself for its uniqueness. His writing style is pleasant to read but not especially unique. I don’t think this writer wants his journal to be outstandingly unique, frankly. If my assumption is correct, then he won’t care that he gets no points for not being particularly unique.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
“My poor wife has to be saddled with a man that would probably kill himself if he had to do anything more than change the oil in a and I know where to go to get that done.”

It is a wise man who knows his limitations.

“As I said, I had over 40 entries that I lost, and I hope to repiece many of them together, as well as going forward with my life. Even I have the urge to sit down and write a novel, I know I better try pacing. There is a lot of set up that this site will need which it doesn't have right. I'd like to set up the archives, a contact page, maybe a guestbook.”

This may explain why there is so little content in this online journal. Gotta admire the courage of a person who asks for a review for a journal that doesn’t offer much to be reviewed.

“At church today, our normal pastor had gone on a trip to a reunion, so a guest gave the sermon. It was a women from the church who discussed what it was like to be single. It was not something I had ever thought about really. There are so many differences. Differences she took for granted, but recognized, where I hadn't even really recognized them.”

There is no doubt that this man has a deep and rich spiritual life, based on the hints that I found throughout his journal. He doesn’t bludgeon you with his beliefs. Sort of a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation. After all, some people would suggest that he isn’t as committed as he ought to be because he doesn’t say more and if he were to say more he would offend those who don’t want to hear about it.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)
Definitely. If he can continue writing about his life with the same simplicity, irony, and attention to detail, why wouldn’t I? I can overlook the typos and such only because they are not too frequent. I would like to hope that because of this review these things will eventually fade into non-existence. I would like to read more about his personal life in the journal entries. He does a great job of writing his observations about his world and his life. I would just like to hear a little bit more about his family, friends, career, etc. This is a new journal, however, so these things may be coming. This isn't dazzling writing but sometimes you don't need to be dazzled to have a good time reading.

2002-06-25T19:25:00.000-04:00

143rd requested review is of Stanky Dangly Bits
Rating out of 10: 8

layout etc. (2: 1)
With a name like that, one has to take notice.

I read through her bio and it was short enough to give me a good idea of what kind of person she is, and what kind of life she would be writing about. I'm beginning to like bio's more and more.

The layout on a whole is not bad. It needs some reorganization though I'm afraid. You see, the three table journal layout is perfect, when the tables are made the right size. This one is out of balance. I think that right table has too much attention drawn to it. I would make that less wide and have the font be smaller inside it. If it were my diary, I wouldn't want to draw all the attention over to that side. The middle table needs to be much bigger, giving the diary entries the room they need.

Also, that title is pretty out there and catchy, but it is shoved over in the left corner. I would do something different with the title, maybe acrossed the top of the diary. Also she could put something else below the graphic, a quote perhaps.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 2)
I really wasn't annoyed by anything.

Unique: (2: 1)
She has a cast page for the people in her life, and one for her pets. She also has some pictures to look at, complete with a nifty thumbnail page to choose from. I like extras like this on a diary.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
"In personal hygiene and upkeep news, I have gray roots that measure almost two inches, I took off my acrylic nails and found nail fungus and my bush needs some serious weedwacking. Aren't you happy I shared? I will not get assistance from Drunken Lawnmower Man, but thanks for asking."

I had to use this one, it made me laugh.

"Would I, after the high drama and emotions, be able to calm down and resume my life, the focus of which would be low drama and low emotional turmoil? Would I be able to hand him a gift and not demand it back, so that I could hold those things close to me, those comforting, awful things that I had made my own?"

"I need to stand firm, need to know my direction and need to not waver. This is the time for me to be honest with myself, but not tonight. Tonight, I feel like I might betray myself. Or I might be honest."

There are a lot of gems here to read, I've only chosen a few quotes from the selection.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)
She is very good at making her entries into stories and keeping me interested until the very end. It takes time and diligence to write that way, or just a love of writing. Whichever it is, she has it, and I will definitely go back for more when given time.

2002-06-23T23:47:00.000-04:00

142nd requested review is of Some Kind of Wonderful?
Rating out of 10: 2

layout etc. (2: 1)
Honestly to me, a diary's layout is secondary since the writing is primarily the reason I read it, or would continue to read it. This diary needs help in both areas, but the most help is needed in the writing department.

This design is okay I think, I like the top graphic. I don't really understand the relevance of the 60's rock singer, except that perhaps it looks cool.

She has what seems to be a month's worth of entries on one page -- if they are going to be that long, she should only show a week's worth so that the page will load more quickly.

Her navigation is almost nil, except for the blogger archives at the right. I don't normally suggest a biography, but with the way she writes she really needs one. All those links on the right look like a jumbled mess too, she needs some more organization to all of that.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 0)
I really don't like internet tests. I don't like to read them on someone's diary either. But the whole concept of a blog leans toward allowing that sort of thing. I'm not sure if this is a diary or just a blog, but it doesn't really satisfy me either way.

She has a habit of not ending her sentences. She uses ellipses in abundance and her writing is littered with slang.

Her paragraphs have no definition, they just run on and on and on. She needs to gather her thoughts and organize them better. She also needs to double space between paragraphs to help break it up more. When I read this kind of thing my eyes get crossed.

Unique: (2: 0)
She doesn't offer her readers anything that helps her stand out from the crowd. It takes a lot of effor these days to do that with the thousands of online diaries clogging up the internet.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
"Right now I'm sitting at the desk, wrapped in a blanket. My body aching, my head pounding, my ears plugged up, my throat sore.... this is what happens when you work at a daycare. Me, with my crazy life and low immune system (due to too much coffee, too little sleep, the list goes on) combined with many many sick kids results with this.."

"I'm guessing she was out with her boyfriend or something. So, instead we went to go pick up Morgan. Morgan now, is totally laid back... just like me. She's kind of a tomboy, with a pretty face, long brown hair and really skinny. We drove all over the place... We drove by Stephanie's place to see if the party had began but nobody was there...we drove to Burger King to say hi to Dan and he gave us a very nice gift...we drove to Cory's house to share the wealth (after ooo-ing and aaa-ing at his aquarium with one fish)........after that, I would have to say we stopped by Burger King like 4 more times. The funniest thing was the fact that we weren't really going anywhere."

As this seems to be going nowhere too.

"I've learned that you should always give people a chance. You'll lose out ongreat things that could have been, and won't know until you stop judging them and unless you give them a chance. Life's too short, you've got to enjoy it. Yes, you can get hurt, but sometimes you just have to take risks! Tonight was proof of a risk that turned out pretty sweet."

This was a nice beginning.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
I think she needs to evaluate the reason she keeps a diary. Does she care if people enjoy what they read? If she does, she really needs to revamp her writing style. Think about your audience. It is not that hard to do. It is not that difficult to write a diary entry with the idea that you will edit it afterwards. It is not too much to ask that she write something interesting for her audience as well as something that will satisfy the needs of self awareness that a diary can provide. Until she starts doing that, she won't have readers like me.

2002-06-23T15:37:00.000-04:00

141st requested review is of Haredawg’s Journal
Rating out of 10: 2

Layout etc. (2: 0)
I don’t think I can say this strongly enough. I hate the layout. It is like a poor man’s imitation of Open Diary—the free Open Diary that is. Since I don’t like Open Diary that much to begin with, this is not saying much at all. I often write that Open Diary’s navigation is not the best. That said, I am about to say something I thought that I would never say. Navigating in Open Diary is better than navigating in AfroDiary. At least in Open Diary there is an archive page where you can scroll around in the past. In AfroDiary you get to choose going back one entry or forward, and that’s it! Or you can hit random and end up in an entirely different diary. Not a random entry. Another diary. That is annoying!

If you go to the homepage your choices of entries to read are very limited. Maybe there is a better archive for this journal hidden somewhere but I didn’t find it. I hate the colors. I hate the font. I have the links. I have so much about this. I know that most of the fault lies with Afrodiary but the person chose this horrible place to have a journal. Move your journal to a reader friendly site. Even Free Open Diary is better than this place.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 0)
I am not sure if it is stylistic or just annoying. I mean, there are so many grammatical, spelling and other errors that one doesn’t even know where to begin. Is this some attempt at dialect? Any writer’s handbook would suggest that only the most skilled writer try to write a character’s speech in dialect. So is this writer skilled enough to make it work? No. Even as a style, if that is what it can be called, it is simply annoying.

Unique: (2: 1)
The layout isn’t. But the voice, such as it is, annoying writing habits and all, is. When you read the quotes you will see what I mean. I can sense that the writer has a sense of humor but it is drowned out in trying to have a writing style that makes the writing almost impossible to enjoy and thus the jokes just sort of sputter, gasping for air behind the flood of “style.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
“The dodge smells like stale beer and bacon fat all through Pennsylvania, Quinn at the wheel wired for sound, and I’m flapping at the window and slapping at things that ain’t even there, and somewhere in the hills we stop and climb and everything is queer and clear and we’re looking at ourselves like patrons at the museum, curious and detached and tapping our feet to some beat and pulse running through everything all at once like the fuse of some wound tight cracker, like the chi inside the charka."

There are times when the entries read more like free flow poetry. Very rough poetry. Or some performance piece. There is without a doubt a rhythm in the writing. If you read it aloud you will hear what I mean. But that doesn’t necessarily make it good.

“With the exception of it being the wife’s birthday, things were fairly normal. I mean I did hold up the starbucks for a quad breve, wrote bad paper at the last chance Texaco for a bucket of smokes, served them both to my lady fair in a lyrca harnass and spandex chaps, but it’s not like any of that was a venal sin."

Misspellings and a confused use of capitalization. Why is Texaco capitalized when Starbucks isn’t? Consistency may be the hobgoblins of little minds.

“It’s now three thirteen and any optimism for a healthy mental state has flown like so many purple monkees from my ass. And my ass has that special glow like new mothers or Lauren Bacall in that movie about the black pianist."

These sentences are amusingly quirky. What do they actually say? I am not sure. But something about purple monkeys makes me at least stop and think. So one point for slowing down my reading to try to remember what movie Lauren Bacall was in about a black pianist and how can a person who cannot spell monkeys know how to spell pianist? As I said, at least I stopped long enough to think.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
The layout alone would keep me away. Perhaps if the writing were better, I would. There are allusions to so many wonderful things that I am tempted to say yes. But then I get hit with typos and grammar errors, and I can’t help myself. I lose interest. Even vague references to obscure writers, philosophers, et al is not enough to pique my interest for a return visit.

2002-06-21T23:05:00.000-04:00

140th requested review is of The New Zero
Rating out of 10: 8

layout etc. (2: 2)
The very first thought I had was, "this is beautiful." I truly think so. I love the picture and the colors. It really looks lovely. I also think the transition to the diary entry page is also gorgeous. The graphics are perfect.

I like the splash page because she has a few other sites that she links to as well. I also like the style she uses that allows the reader to choose where they want to go first. It is not only attractive, but funtional. A very well designed diary.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 1)
I'm not sure what's with the random capitalization of the letter "I", but perhaps it is merely an oversight.

Unique: (2: 2)
I found myself after a few entries in desperate need of some background information. It wasn't all falling into place for me so I had to check out her cast list and her backstory, both of which I thought were pretty clever; I especially liked the key on her cast page.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
"I think it's wonderful that kids today can be helped. But I am glad that nobody ever tried to help me, glad beyond saying. I am glad the technology came along in time for me to explore the world of other people silently. I was given the gift of dealing with the world on my own terms and my own schedule, and I am a far richer person for my long silence."

"He's been with me through three states, more boyfriends and girlfriends than either of us care to remember, two kittens, seven residences, one college degree, and four jobs. He is completely, unabashedly, mine, and he still purrs like a buzzsaw when I pet him."

Awww.

"Just another straight girl. Just another straight girl who dreams of women, who loves sex with women, who wanted to grow old with a woman. Just another straight girl in a monogamous relationship with her boyfriend, in her comfortable little closet, who threatens nobody, who changes no minds.
Who is the very worst kind of hypocrite."

She gives me the honesty I crave for in a diary.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)
She has a lot to offer here. I would go back, if only to read more of the archives. I found some of the older entries just as interesting as the newer ones. I like how she can talk about her day and also share the nitty gritty as well. She provides a whole picture, and it kept me well entertained.

2002-06-16T16:08:00.000-04:00

I thought I would be a little more proactive in my reviewing this time. Rather than find a journal that is not good and has been bad for a while, I would find a new journal that is not living up to its potential. It wasn’t as easy as you would think to find a relatively new journal. Even if I found a new journal the person keeping the journal didn’t necessarily have personal life issues that would qualify as interesting reading. Still, I like a challenge and finally I found the perfect journal, one that is simply not living up to its potential but could be a very interesting journal to read if the writer dared to dig deep. On that note:

139th unrequested review is of A New Day
Rating out of 10: 1

Layout etc. (2: 1)
This is one of Open Dairy’s free journals so I won’t begrudge the layout too much. Color is bold red with white font. Easy to read. The usual Open Diary clutter across the top and sides. And those annoying pop-up windows! If the young girl who keeps this journal is going to keep writing I hope she will consider moving the location to a more reader friendly location. I don’t know how computer savvy she is and she will probably want to add pictures in the future. Pictures of the baby would be nice when the baby is born. But the journal is only four entries old so maybe with time she will learn to be more creative with things in her journal. I recommend keeping the simple font, maybe changing the background to a color that isn’t quite so “loud” although it is better than its being too soft with the white font. I would also read some of the other reviews, especially the good ones, and try to find as many ideas for good layouts, how to use links, insert images, etc. She is still very new to the world online journaling so hopefully she will learn more about the basics to make her journal more uniquely her own.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 0)
Grammar mistakes and misspellings abound. Too many to ignore. I would strongly encourage this writer to take the time to type out her entry and use spell-check before posting the entry into her journal. Consider it a courtesy to the reader. If you don’t want to be bothered with these things, if you don’t care about making your journal reader friendly then why bother having an online journal that anyone can read? I know for a fact that Open Diary allows you the option to have a private journal that others cannot read. Either take the time to make your journal syntactically correct or don’t bother making it public.

Unique: (2: 0)
Not now. It could be wonderfully unique if she were to actually write about her experience. Albeit, adolescent girls who are expecting a baby may not be as rare as some would hope but it would be very interesting to read about her experiences. What sacrifices will she have to make as she comes closer to term and what about after the baby is born? This could be a truly interesting and unique journal if the young girl would write about what is going on in her life and didn’t just gloss over so much. Maybe my expectations are too high but I have read journals by teenagers that are actually quite candid. This one doesn’t qualify. Hopefully as she grows into her journal she will start recording more relevant information.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 0)
“Today has started out pretty good, my best friend is comeing over tonight to spend the night because we going to a concert tomorrow morning and staying there till 1-1:30.”

Ignore the grammar and spelling and you don’t have much here. What concert? Maybe she is trying to keep some anonymity. But I don’t get a sense of any excitement here. And who is her best friend? What is her friend’s name? How did they meet? These are things that a reader new to her journaling world will want to know.

“I sat ride and listen to all they talked about, my b/f is really lucky to have a best friend like his.”

She is talking about her biking with her boyfriend and I can’t tell if the best friend was biking with them or if this conversation took place at a later time. Also, her boyfriend doesn’t have a name, description, nothing. All you know is that he is the father of her child and that she loves him. Learning about how they met, how long they have been dating, would help the reader to feel emotionally invested in the journal.

“Like my parents are divored and my dad is remarried and i don't get along with my stepmom really great but were cool, same with my step sister. I just would like to see them more but it allways seems like they don't want us to be around and they don't treat me like i'm there daughter!!! I hate that. Well i have to go.”

”I hate that.” Not much of a reaction after a sentence that ends in three exclamation marks. When she says that they don’t treat her like a daughter who is she talking about? I would assume her father and step-mother but it isn’t very clear. And she says she wants to be around them more but that they don’t want “us” around. Us who? Us, the writer and her unburned baby? The writer and her boyfriend? A little extra time and effort taken to write an entry could make the entry very interesting. How long have the parents been divorced? How long has her father been remarried? Is her mother dating. Again, there is a lot of details about which she could be writing but isn’t.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
I hope that the writer takes some of the comments into consideration. Read other online journals and you will see introductions that give some background information, some history about the person. Yes, a seventeen year old girl doesn’t have a lot of history but you can’t tell me that there isn’t something to be shared. Parents divorced. In her senior year of high school. Expecting a baby. There is a lot going on in this young woman’s life. But right now, no, I would not go back for another read. I would if she started digging into what is really happening in her life. I want to hear more about her pregnancy, about how her family feels about it, about what she and her boyfriend are planning to do with their futures. There is a lot here for her to be talking about and she barely scratches the surface. I would like to see more. A lot more

2002-06-15T15:53:00.000-04:00

138th unrequested review is of Sadan’s Journal
Rating out of 10: 7

Layout etc. (2: 1)
White background and black font. Very few links. No clutter. This is lovely. Simple and elegant for that. I did have a couple of problems with the archives and photos. I prefer some links, especially archives and photos, to open in a separate window so I can bounce in and out more easily. Also, when you click on the photos you have to keep clicking from link to link to finally get to the photos. Why not just have one link that breaks it down to different photo albums? Then the person could choose the album and scroll through thumbnails or something similar. The photo database link just puts you into yet another list of choices. And the lag ba’omer link doesn’t seem to be working. If the site was down when I tried it, that is understandable. If it is just a dead link it needs to be removed.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 2)
None that I noticed. He did use “anyways" which is sort of a pet peeve but probably not worth taking off a point since it isn’t in every journal entry.

Unique: (2: 1)
It is unique to have a young man in the military keeping a journal. Also unique is that he is from Israel so his military experience is not another American soldier’s tale. (Not that there is anything wrong with that but we are looking for what makes his journal unique, okay?) Other than that, though, there really isn’t much unique. He is a good writer, not fabulous, and the content although interesting is not mind blowing. Still, it is interesting to read about his life from his perspective.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
“It's funny how I spend my day, waiting for something to blow up."

Is it just me or is this not funny at all. Very sad, really. But real.

“Moshe Einy went back to the army this week, and got killed last night when terrorists broke into his platoon's trailer. Ron also went back to the army this week, he's in Moshe Einy's unit. Luckily enough, he was in the right place at the right time, as they say. I can't explain what I'm feeling right now."

Nor can I and I only read about it.

“I'm the last person in the world I should be angry at. I should really be angry at the other people, those who jolt me around every day, those who use me, and abuse my silly, naive will - the will to please everyone. I'm having a hard time taking care of myself. I need to be a little more selfish. People are so cruel sometimes."

I can’t imagine what this would be like, being a young man in the military at a time like this. Totally beyond my comprehension. But I begin to understand reading this journal.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)
Yes. He doesn’t update often so a person could read the journal only once a month and still pretty much keep up with things. For this reason I am giving “another read" only one point. I can’t imagine how scary it would be to go to the journal after one month and find that there was no new entry. Two months later would be even worse. It is odd how invested one can become in a person’s life without even meeting them. And that should be what happens when you read a person’s online journal. You should care enough to want to come back even if it isn't every day.

2002-06-15T15:50:00.000-04:00

I wrote the following review unaware of the concept for Diary Anon. Apparently the diary is created so that anyone can post to it. This explains the confusing jumble in the content, the change in writing style and such. However, there is nothing on the page to tell the uninitiated person what this diary is all about. A person who stumbles across the journal is bound to be confused. Although I hate them, a splash page or a banner would help to orient the random reader into the intent of the diary. Otherwise you will invite the type of confusion and criticism that follows.

137th unrequested review is of Diary Anon’s Journal
Rating out of 10:

Layout etc. (2: 1)
Not sure what to think. The image is nice but it dominates so much. It would be different if the person wrote more but some of the journal entries aren’t even as large as the image. The black and white and gray is nice. Simple font. The person is using Diaryland so when you first go in you have to close the obnoxious promotion that Diaryland slaps into any and every journal. Once the distraction is gone you pretty much have the usual layout. Entry with previous and next links at the bottom. The image has the options to go into the archives (which do not open in a separate window) and a place to message her. Exactly why the option to “add entry�Eis offered to anyone and everyone is beyond me. You can’t do it because it isn’t your journal so why is it there for everyone to see? Probably a quirk of Diaryland’s but I don’t see the point of having a link that can’t be used. A biography or some information about the writer would be nice. I realize that the person is trying to be anonymous but a little context would be nice. Gender. Age. Nothing too specific but something so that the reader has a framework in which to read the content, such as it is.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 0)
No capitalization and misspellings are the first and most obvious. But then as you go through you realize she capitalizes sometimes and sometimes she doesn’t. I don’t really think it says much about the person if their writing style is based on not using capitalization and punctuation properly but I am beginning to think it says a lot less if you can’t even make up your mind. Use them or don’t. At least make a statement with what you choose. And please, do not mistake your choice for style. To have a writing style you have to develop a unique writing voice.

Unique: (2: 0)
No. Nothing about this journal is unique. Well, maybe the picture because I haven’t seen it anywhere else but so what? It takes more than one image to make a journal unique. Content. Writing style. Anything. But the content is banal and the writing style is simply non-existent.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 0)
“i dont know why
but im obsessed with saying moo, meow, rawr, and applesauce.
that is all. �E

And? I mean should I care? Do I care? What does this say about the writer, really? Nothing.

“Soo.. not so much somewhere I can post this that no one reads. So I'll post it here. Just because.. I need to wonder.�E

I know that there is a sentence in here somewhere. A complete one even. I suppose “I need to wonder�Eis a complete thought but what is that stuff that precedes it? Aside from a blatant abuse of the English language, what is it?

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
Given that the entries themselves offered me so little to know about the person I thought I could find some information by going through the archives. Nothing. And that is the problem. This journal offers no depth or insight into the writer. I wouldn’t go back because I don’t know enough about the writer to care what happens tomorrow, next week, next month, etc. Even if she didn’t write about herself, her life, her feelings if she wrote with some real style or any depth, maybe I would want to return. But given the journal as it is and, as far as I can tell, has been for over a year, I have other journals I would rather enjoy and do enjoy.

2002-06-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

136th requested review is of Crunchy
Rating out of 10: 5

Layout etc. (2: 0)
Okay, so I opened this diary and it seemed a simple enough design. White background, peach scroll bar, in-line frame in the center with the entry, and my first thought was "Nice, but why is the actual diary part of the site relegated to a small box in the middle?" Then I noticed that the page had not finished loading. I saw in the status that a few images were on their way. "Hmm, a logo, maybe some buttons, perhaps." Nope, what I got was a big-ass background image of what appears to be some sort of scantily clad yet opaque woman superimposed over a pink and purple ocean sunset. "Ahhhh, THIS is what is more important than the diary", I thought. The diary is subtitled "Lucy in the sky with diamonds" -- woman, sky, sparkly stuff. Get it? Okay, very nice, but after a while I was just left the impression that my bandwidth and the page's design is dominated by a pretty picture that after its first impact just gets in the way. The entries scroll over the background. It is not exactly hard to read, just annoying. On top of this, more of my bandwidth is taken up with the downloading of a midi file of (yup, you guessed it) Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, I assume that it is supposed to serve as a soundtrack to the diary. Another thing that I didn't like was that my usual cursor was highjacked and replaced with the arrow plus question mark that is usually reserved for roll overs on help files. Were there any help files? Nope, but it didn't stop me getting bugged by it.

Her links are stuffed into a pull down box. Come on, you have all that space on the right hand side, use it. It would look better, it would be more accessible, and you could fit so much more in. Take advantage of the space you have and don't be

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 2)
I like her writing. She is able to tell the events of her day without lapsing into a laundry list of "Then I did this, then I went there". She uses what happens in the day as a springboard to write about her feelings or what she feels about certain things. Unfortunately, and I think she will agree with me, there are limits on the life of the average 17 year old that restrict the scope of what she can write about. Nonetheless, she does very well with the raw material that she has and is able to construct a decent entry out of the most mundane day.

Unique: (2: 0)
She has a little requirements for viewing the page: "::ie 5.0+::css::800x600::open mind::" This is becoming a pet peeve of mine. I am sick of people telling me that I need to be broad minded in order to look at their page. Look, you (third person plural) aren't that cutting edge, you aren't shocking me, and you certainly don't push any limits of taste or propriety. Get off your teenage angst hobbyhorse and recognise that you are nothing special. There are thousands of diaries like yours out there, and they are all interchangeable.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
"We were scaling guys from 1-10. Nicole may get a kick out of it, but I really don't. I think that classification of looks is rude and superficial. Althought [sic] I may joke about Retardo's ugliness, looks honestly don't matter all that much to me. OK, so I despise Ricardo, but not because of his looks. It doesn't matter if someone is hot if he's abrasive and had no intelligence."

I found the incongruity between the sensitivity to others' feelings and calling a guy "Retardo" funny.

"Life, give me something interesting to write about next time."

An all-too-common pleas among diarists.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
This is her fifth review in a week. Attention and approval whore, anyone? I have a feeling that she requests reviews in the hope of getting more hits, rather than getting any advice. Her motives for requesting aside, I liked the content (limited in scope as it was), but I didn't much care for the design. I think the writer will become a very fine diarist one day when she has the chance to write about something more than work and school.

2002-06-09T18:59:00.000-04:00

135th unrequested review is of Hidden Laughter
Rating out of 10: 9

Layout etc. (2: 1)
The layout is very simple. I am not crazy about the color choices but that is a matter of preference and has nothing to do with content. The usual complaints, however. The links are not very convenient. You have to go back and forth in the same window. I would much rather have the archives open in a different screen. Also, some of the links are not quite right. I tried to go to some April archives and ended up in March. But the journal itself is uncluttered and easy to read.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 2)
None. She writes well and is careful not to abuse the English language.

Unique: (2: 2)
Without a doubt yes. I realize that the journal doesn’t look very unique but this isn’t about the layout. This journal is unique simply because of this woman’s circumstances. Her son is mildly autistic and this mother is writing about her experiences. There is no sugar coating here. She is honest with her frustrations and her joys. Reading between every line you hear how much she loves her son and wants him to be happy.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
“Damian got upset that I didn't buckle both of his seatbelt buckles right away. He told me to do it and added, "because I don't want to fall out." It's not much, seemingly, but it's an extra step in his thinking/articulating thoughts, it's that much closer to abstraction. And it doesn't happen nearly enough.

This is the honesty about which I am talking. That this woman would admit she wants more while also celebrating the daily victory is wonderfully candid and real.

“Besides, in his story Mommy gets well and hugs her son close. What can be better than that?

Nothing is better than that, if you ask me.

“He’s got a two year old’s emotional chaos swirling around in his four year old brain. He’s teetering on the fence between wanting to be independent, all grown up, ready to tackle the world and oh-no-not-yet, let me stay a baby a few minutes-days-years longer. A few nights ago as I was rocking him, he said "Once I was a little baby, then I grew and grew and grew."

She shares these little stories about her son in every entry.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)
Without a doubt. She doesn’t update daily but just about. Certainly often enough that you feel involved in this woman’s life. She doesn’t sugar-coat nor does she over dramatize in hopes of getting pity. She writes from a rare position and writes honestly. It is interesting to read a mother’s journal about her relationship with her child which isn’t all praising and celebration. And there simply are not a lot of mother’s with children with autism, whatever degree, who is willing to expose her struggles so openly.

2002-06-07T21:46:00.000-04:00

134th requested review is of Nonsensical Gibberish
Rating out of 10: 3

layout etc. (2: 1)
The layout is not bad, but it seems to be lacking something. There is no ooomph, no pizazz. I'm not really fond of yellow backgrounds either.

I think that guys that write diaries tend to worry about looking too feminine and in the process their layout can end up looking bland. It doesn't have to be girly to be attractive. He really needs something to spice this up. I suggest searching the web for pictures of things he likes and spending a day surfing the web for design ideas, as well as a considerable amount of time spent in photoshop.

Although it seems to be lacking in spark as far as appearance is concerned, I do like how his entries are laid out. He gives his writing the space it deserves. Others could gain insight from this feature.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 0)
He writes too many lists within his journal entries. I'm not a list making person, so I do not appreciate reading them either. He also commonly repeats a word or phrase throughout his entire entry. For instance the one he wrote about his mother, he constantly uses the word "Ma Ma," instead of the pronoun she. In the current entry he repeats the phrase, "Moving Brain Syndrome (TM)" over and over.

He also has the habit of using asterisks for emphasis and abuses the ellipsis, not to mention an abundance of smiley faces.

Unique: (2: 0)
I wish I could find something, but I do not see anything unique visually, technically, or content wise.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
"What bothered me was the fact that he just sat there and *stared* at the kids. Anyway, Jen suggested that I might want to get out there which is exactly what I thought. However, at that moment, Braden had hurt himself, and Ariel brought him in. As soon as the kids came in the apt, the man stood up and walked off."

"Face it...excessive use of these mind-numbing devices are causing more & more children to be bored, listless, unimaginative, etc. It's no wonder more & more children have to be "drugged" while at school. I'm not saying there aren't some children who really have ADD/ADHD, but there is an overly high number that have been (mis-?)diagnosed in recent years. It's just a convenient way for the School System to keep kids under control."

"I'm going to start off this Entry with Two Words: Boiled crawfish. Hehe. Absolutely delicious. :) I know many of you don't share the same sentiment as I do, but IMHO it is an absolute delight to the taste buds and belly. :) Can I just say that I *love* Cajun cuisine? Needless to say, I always look forward to dining out when I go down to Louisiana. :)"

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
I don't think I will be going back. I think he said it himself in one of his entries that because he told his close friends and family about the journal he may be censoring himself. Reading an online journal for me is a journey into another person's personal thoughts. I want the dirt. I want to read the things that they wouldn't tell their friends or family. We all have dirt. We all have thoughts we wouldn't dream of telling another person. Use your diary to log those thoughts if you want to keep me reading.

2002-06-07T00:29:00.000-04:00

133rd requested review is of stephielove
Rating out of 10: 3

layout etc. (2: 2)
My first thoughts? This is a beautiful layout, great colors, neatly done. My next thought? She doesn't use capitals.

There is not much wrong with the layout. I like it very much except I would suggest a larger text because I hate squinting, even the slightest when reading something on my screen. I also don't like that she is using her diaryland profile page as her "about" page. I dislike those purple screens so much. I almost forgot one more thing, I want previous and next links at the top as well as the bottom. They help out, believe me when I say this.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 0)
We started off with a good impression that quickly led to a different one. I really don't want to come off this bitchy all the time, but I don't go for the writing style displayed here; I especially do not like reading, "so yeah" at the beginning of every paragraph. Call me a snob if you will but I think writing the way one speaks is okay for a first draft because it allows someone to get their thoughts down, but then a rewrite is in order.

I don't have to point out every single annoying writing habit this time because it may take me too long. I may be the pickiest person alive, but I really can't seem to make myself appreciate slang writing.

Unique: (2: 0)
Not much going for her on the unique side.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 0)
"We were talking and his voice gets all quiet and cute, and low and rumbly and he makes fun of me, really teasingly like he used to when we were dating... and then, he said *again* that he cant wait to see me, *and* we were talking about him donating plasma and how it really drains him, and then he has to go do pt for a long time and run like 5 miles... and im worried about him, and i kept telling him to make sure he drinks his juice and stuff, cause like he needs to replenish his body with fluids and stuff so it doesnt make him sick, and out of the middle of nowhere, he told me (a few times) thank you for caring about him, that it meant a lot to him that i worry."

I was beginning to wonder if this sentence was ever going to end, it had me worried for a minute or two.

"I cant say Im sad, but i guess Im nostalgic. Really, i shouldnt be, because this isnt even the room i moved into in the beginning of the year, where I though my roommate would be cool and she and I would be best friends and talk for the rest of our lives, and stay up till 4 in the morning having great conversations about stuff... "building strong interpersonal relationships," as chickerings 3rd vector states. Back when I thought I would get good grades and love all of my professors and where I would be molded into this amazing clarinet player. Ha. None of this has happened."

By reading this you can relive your dorm life, that is, if you had one.

"So we highlighted my hair agian tonight... arica did... whoa am I blonde, oh my god. like... ok. so my hair naturally is really light brown, and sometime this yeah I had a friend put nice blonde highlights in it, and then she re-did them winter quarter."

Do people really talk like this?

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
I did notice in my reading of her diary that she does talk about more than just the day to day boring mumbo jumbo, which is a good thing. I appreciated that quite a lot because it seems there are too many people that keep online diaries who are either incredibly boring, or really inept at being able to communicate through their diaries.

I think she can take what she has and with some improvements in her writing turn it into something better. It is a good start that puts her a head of the game in a lot of ways.

2002-06-06T01:51:00.000-04:00

132nd requested review is of Blatherings
Rating out of 10: 5

layout etc. (2: 2)
The title is catchy. I like catchy titles. They stick with you, especially when the web address matches, which makes it easier to remember. I like how she displays her title as well.

There's not much to say about the layout. I like it well enough. It is very functional which is a great thing, and it is not hard to read. There are a few things I have to mention just because it is what I do.

I don't really like centered diary text; when it is flush with a left margin it is so much easier to read, otherwise it looks like a poem.

Sometimes there can be too much of a good thing. Although I generally enjoy pictures when they accompany diary entries, having too many can be a little overwhelming. I like the section at the bottom titled, "today's blatherpics," and if she is going to use that I suggest she limit her pictures she uses in the entry to that section alone, otherwise what is it for?

Something I found hard to believe is she doesn't have an obvious link to her other webpages from the blatherings page. The little girl typing in the clouds is a link to a page that tells you all about the author. I think personally that should be made more clear, the little "ohi," in the bottom left hand corner of that picture is not what I think is clearly marked.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 1)
There are only a few I can think of right now, one is the centering of text and another is smiley faces. I think she used to abuse ellipses quite a bit in the past from what I gathered in the archives, but she has been much better at not using them in recent ones.

Unique: (2: 1)
I like the section at the bottom, "today's blatherpics," I also like how for her previous and next links at the bottom she has the title of that day's entry. If one has the time to code each page its a neat idea.

How cool is it that she made a comic about herself? I think it is pretty damn cool.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
"I went to my sister's yesterday afternoon to hang out with my nieces. It's been a very long time since I've visited with Sara and Annie during the week, and without Jeff. Annie was delighted to have me to herself during the first part of the visit while Sara was still in school."

"I made calzones for dinner last night; they actually turned out pretty well. I know I keep expressing surprise when my dinners are edible...this is much more due to the fact that it seems like such a long time since I've done regular cooking than to false modesty."

"No Urban Tapestry practice tonight. :-( Allison is busy with an after-school practice for the musical she and another teacher are working on, Joseph and the Technicoloured Dreamcoat (the show will be in May, I think)."

Lots of entries are found at this site, but I didn't find any that were really open or deep.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
If I read more than five entries in a row and I do not get any really personal information about the person, I get bored very fast. I do not read diaries to find out about the everyday things I could read anywhere. I understand that every so often there is going to be one of those days that you want to write because writing is what you do, but I don't think it should happen all the time. I know that other people feel differently, but I am following my gut on this. I probably won't be back to this site, but it doesn't mean it wasn't worth the effort to find that out.

2002-06-03T13:06:00.000-04:00

131st requested review is of Jennipurr’s Journal
Rating out of 10: 9

Layout etc. (2: 2)
Simple which is always a good thing. The main page offers you an interesting quote that gives the unaware visitor a warning: This writer likes cats. As if the title wouldn’t have given that away already. Nonetheless, I appreciated the quote. You have a quick selection of the most recent entries which you can jump into wherever you choose. At the bottom (and not too far) are links to a biography, links, archives, and more. Further still are more links to various web rings. The font is reasonably reduced so these don’t clutter the page which, given how many there are, could easily happen.

I really like the layout. I would double check some of the webrings because a few of them didn’t work for me. Either the server was down or the links are no longer active. But I like that the journal entries are so uncluttered. Pictures are created as links and the reader can follow the link or read on. They have a choice. (I happen to like having a choice, in case you haven’t noticed.)

My only complaints are so minor that can’t see taking a point off for them. She doesn’t give her in-laws “names.” I understand that most online journals try to maintain the anonymity of other people by not giving real names but nicknames are annoying. Sil-1, Sil-2, Bil-1, and Bil-2 should have real names. It makes it easier for the average reader to follow along.

Annoying Writing Habits: (2: 2)
I didn’t find any. I looked. I really did. Just couldn’t find any.

Unique: (2: 1)
Yes, sort of. There is a quietness about this journal that sort of sneaks up on you. You start to read and nothing really dramatic is going on. She is just writing about her cats, her husband, her job, her day. This doesn’t make for exciting reading. But then, I like Jane Austen sometimes and John Grisham other times. This writer would be my Jane Austen. A quiet gentle read. (Actually, I have only read one of Grisham’s novels and it wasn’t a thriller so I guess that is a bad example.)

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
“I only have one prescription – a pill I take in my overall goal of Better Living Through Chemistry. Not only does the pill cut out that pesky pregnancy issue, but it also has resulted in me never having to deal with the Cramps From Hell or the suicidal depression that often accompanies my once-a-month reminder of my glowing femininity. Yeah, I just love being a girl.”

I know this is going to sound harsh but it is nice to read a woman writing about something other than her children or grandchildren. Then again, she does write about the cats and that does start sounding somewhat the same.

“At some point during the ride home this afternoon, Richard said, with a painful laugh, "You know, this was your idea." I bobbled my head in a nod, because he was right. This *was* all my idea, and up until the last four miles it really had seemed like such a wonderful idea too. It was only during the last stretch that I began to question my wisdom, but by that time there was nothing to do but keep on going.”

In media res opening for an entry. Nicely done. Sucked me completely. At first I thought that the entry segued from another and then I realized what she was doing. I really liked this opening.

“I'm not sure when I stopped letting myself take part in storms as I once did when I was younger. I'm not sure when I stopped taking the time to go outside and stomp in puddles, with or without a raincoat, with or without the hood pulled over my head as if somehow that could keep me from becoming drenched as I tilted my head back with eyes closed to feel the water pour down on my face. I do not know when I last stopped what I was doing to go outside and watch the lightning in the sky. There have been too many obligations; too many reasons why I could not get so wet - reasons why it is not considered acceptable for adults to come in dripping wet and laughing like small children.”

Not everything she writes about is as immediate as her daily activities. It is nice to visit her youth through her adult eyes.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 2)
One of the things I try to do when I review a journal is not read just a few entries and run with the review. In fact, I don’t just read one day. I will read and reread and surf around and explore. This way I don’t risk taking out a bad day on some unsuspecting fool or being all warm and fuzzy towards someone who deserves a kick in the pants. That said, this journal grew on me in a pleasant way. At first I would have given “another read” 1 out of 2 points. Now, after letting this writer sink in slowly, I know I will go back and enjoy learning more about her and her life.

2002-05-30T14:42:00.000-04:00

130th requested review is of Kick-me
Rating out of 10: 2

layout etc. (2: 0)
This layout is all wrong and therefore I cannot bring myself to give it even one point. I know that people think that it doesn't matter what screen size they design their layout around because they use the larger screen size, but it does matter for those of us that are going to read your diary! Isn't that why the diary is online, so that other people can read it? Keep that in mind the next time you design a layout, one designed for a smaller screen size will still look GOOD on your screen, but one designed for a larger one will not look good on the rest. Remember those of us that prefer the smaller screen size please?

The first thing that is wrong is the picture is incredibly huge. Why is that? There is no need for it to be that big. I'm not even sure what the picture represents for this person anyway. And one last thing on the picture: it makes the whole thing take WAY TOO LONG to load.

Secondly the actual diary table is in turn way too small. I came here to read a diary, not stare at some incredibly large photograph. Going along with the idea that this is a diary, your font needs to be a little larger so it is easier to read.

Finally there are lots of unclear links everywhere. If I'm going to click it, please tell me where it is taking me?

The one thing about the layout I did like is the colors. I think the use of black and white was very nice.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 0)
For starters I'd appreciate it if she stopped using her diary as a means of telling me what internet tests she has taken, nothing gets on my nerves more these days. As well she writes, "haha," and "LoL" all the time. I don't like that.

I almost cringe at all of the writing habits I see repeated in journal after journal, for instance using asterisks for emphasis, ellipses everywhere, and typing actions like "*shudder*," instead of writing about the feeling itself.

One of her entries is devoted entirely to the subject of her layout. That's not really what I came to read about. Oh and have I not mentioned a thousand times that password protected entries make me want to throw shoes at my screen? Note to future diarist that request a review: please provide the reviewer with the password in the email, otherwise you will lose a point in this section no matter how wonderful your diary is.

Unique: (2: 1)
She writes poetry and I like that it is included on the website, but I'd prefer if there was more commentary about what the poem means and why it was written.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 1)
"Oh well, I guess I'm out now. Peace out, y'all. (I can't believe I just said "y'all". I've been living in Indiana too damned long- almost a year. *shudder* I feel like such a damned hick.) Tomorrow I will write a better entry, I promise. I will go back to pretending I'm a writer. It's just been a down day for me."

"All day I was thinking about tons of things I had to write about in my diary, but I didn't write them down because I figured I would remember them. I've been putting it off and putting it off all day and now I have no idea what I was going to write about. Crap. Human beings can be so stupid."

If you must write something like this, that would have been a day to not write an entry. I'm more for fewer entries than things like this.

"Let me think... what else is going on in my life? Not much, really. Everything is same old, same old. School sucks, home is boring. I want a new book to read but I never have time to go to the library."

Your life is only as boring as you make it sound, you are the writer, you write the words. Something to ponder: you can't control your life, but you can control your diary.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 0)
I looked around a bit. I stayed longer than I really wanted, to be quite honest. I wanted to find something nice to say. I think the girl who writes this must get something out of it, but I think she'd get a lot more out of it if she used it as a means of expressing herself more.

When the "Friday Five," becomes one of the interesting things about your diary, you should seriously reconsider what you are using as a means of inspiration. I highly recommend visiting one of the web sites that have writing prompts. Sit and meditate before you write, and sometimes it doesn't hurt to think about your audience; Entertain us, that is why we came to your diary.

2002-05-28T08:33:00.000-04:00

129th requested review is of Yes
Rating out of 10: 8

layout etc. (2: 2)
Although I know the diarist didn't make her own layout, she did have the choice in accepting it from the person who did make it. I think this layout really reflects the person behind the words.

If there is anything your layout should be, this is it. It should accentuate what you write. The layout should be about you too, the way your words in your diary are. I think this time it all fits; it simply comes together.

The picture makes me think of a person who is mature and cultured. She in fact calls herself a "prude" in one of her entries. Although I don't want to call her that myself I believe the simplictic, classy design fits hand in hand with the way she describes herself, which is good.

Of course there are no previous and next links at the top of the diary, but those wouldn't be hard to add if she so choose. I've never been a fan of the diaryland profile page because it is so purple and boring, but I do understand why people choose to use them.

Annoying writing habits: (2: 2)
I am at a loss for words here, it appears that she doesn't have any.

Unique: (2: 1)
Although I hate not giving two points out in this section this time, it is for good cause. She didn't design the diary herself or I'd give a huge unique point for her ability to design such a complementary layout, but I did give her points for that already.

I do find it unique that she writes well without over doing it. I find her candor heartfelt and refreshing as if she were discussing something with a friend.

Quotes from the diary: (2: 2)
"And I also get really wrapped up in the plot. I vegetate, and it's pleasurable the same way bad movies can be pleasurable. The plot is rarely filled with twists and turns, let alone wacky stylistic or ideological flourishes, but I don't mind. It's clean. There's a way for everything to work out in the end, there's a goal to look forward to. Most of all, and this is perhaps the worst of it, almost all romance novels feature fairly helpless heroines."

I have read my share of trashy romance novels too, and yet I always feel embarrassed to admit it as well. A kindred soul.

"Vaguely related: I was on my way to the library with Marisa today and in a sudden surge of exultant singleness I affirmed happily, 'The world is my meat market!'
But then I had to add, 'That would have been better if I ate meat.'"

"It's funny that this graduating from college thing is happening right now, since my body is changing too. I feel like I'm finally growing into my adult form. I've changed shape recently. In the past couple of weeks I've grown nipples. I always used to have the nipples of a young girl, pink and soft. Now they are tingly and growing little budlike tips. My breasts have grown a little, too, and I think that I am filling out a little more around the hips than I was before. I don't look so much like a preadolescent anymore. I sort of miss it, I think."

Such bare honesty.

Would I go back for another read? (2: 1)
Big surprise this time, the answer is yes and no. I liked her writing and enjoyed my time at her diary very much. I think it is has great potential to be a very good diary. What do I think it is missing? I'm not too sure, I can't put my finger on it. I think she probably needs to do a little openning herself up from the inside out. She doesn't talk much about certain areas of her life and it leaves me wondering and craving more.