Reviews

As Americans, we are often guilty of limiting our view of the world. Although we may watch CNN religiously, we are still being presented the information from a Western point of view. However, the internet gives us the opportunity to actually see world topics from a different point of view. MyScribbles: Write-ups of an Afghan is a perfect example of this opportunity. MyScribbles is a blog written by a young Afghan expat student living in Pakistan. The writer touches on many heated contemporary topics, ranging from the implications of Iraqi Democracy to the reasons why the Taliban are regrouping. MyScribbles gives a young Afghan a voice in a world that may have otherwise overlooked these important contributions.

Upon initially visiting the blog, I was greeted by an attractive WordPress template. The blog is simple, using mostly grays and whites, and fairly easy to read. However, my main suggestion would be to use a darker font and lighter background. The posts are usually quite lengthy, and the white text can take a toll on the eyes after awhile. The blog is well organized and easily navigable. The sidebar includes recent posts, links and my favorite feature, a Flickr photo album containing over fifty photos from Afghanistan. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing unique pictures, instead of the mass produced photos used by the media.

As mentioned earlier, the posts are all of substantial length, and touch on popular issues affecting not only Afghanistan, but also the world. Each one of the posts is well thought out and quite a good read. The writer exhibits a very mature writing style, along with a strong grasp of the English language. Although I only planned on reading a few posts to get a feel for the blog and its author, I found myself spending almost an hour reading through the entire blog.

Overall, I truly enjoyed taking the time to read through MyScribbles: Write-ups of an Afghan. Although the blog has only been online since March 2006, it has already had over 3,000 visitors. I hope this review will help drive more visitors to this informative and interesting blog, which will provide any visitor with a unique reading experience. I wish the writer the best of luck in his pursuit to attend Columbia University to obtain a journalism degree, and hope that the blog continues to be updated regularly.

“The Nowhere Wolf’s Vowel Movements” is a clever little blog combining original cartoons and the English language. Each day, the Nowhere Wolf has a new misadventure through his butchery of the English language.

The first thing that caught my eye about this blog was the header. The white header features a picture of the Nowhere Wolf and a cow, along with a brief introduction about the concept of the blog. The template pairs a light gray background with black text and red hyper links, which results in a simple but attractive combination.

The best feature of this blog is that it is updated every day. Too many blog owners think that they can get by with only updating two to three times a week, but if you really want to develop a loyal following, daily updates are a must. The daily posts are a single panel cartoon featuring the Nowhere Wolf in some sort of strange situation due to a single vowel being wrong in the caption. My personal favorite was, “It wasn’t so much an argument as an unbalanced runt, thought the Nowhere Wolf.” This caption is paired with a drawing of the Nowhere Wolf looking quite puzzled while staring at a pig leaning sideways. Obviously, this specific cartoon is a play on the word “rant,” with “A” being replaced by another vowel for a humorous outcome.

According to the description, the cartoons are first sketched everyday on pencil and paper, and then given life with Macromedia Freehand. The black and white cartoons are very nice and well designed. This blog is the brainchild of Paul Bowers, a freelance illustrator and designer. I’m impressed with not only his artistic skills, but also his sense of humor and creativity. I would guess that it’s no easy task to come up with a humorous caption each day that can also be sketched.

Overall, “The Nowhere Wolf’s Vowel Movements” is a clever and humorous blog that is designed perfectly for a daily visit and quick laugh to lighten the mood at the office.

What do you get when you mix photography, Canada, and a half-finished English degree? The answer is Schmutzie! “Milk money or not, here I come” combines breathtaking (and sometimes disturbing) photography with the charming ramblings of a thirty-three year old Canadian writer.

Although I’m not a huge fan of personal blogs, there was enough unique content to hold my interest for a good fifteen to twenty minutes. Schmutzie has been posting 3-5 times per week since August 2003, so her archives contain hours and hours worth of reading material. Some of my favorite posts included “A Memey Fit of Six Weird Things About Me” and “I Never Thought I Could Feel Quite Like This Without The Aid of Illegal Intoxicants.”

I can safely say Schmutzie has created one of the most attractive blogs on .Blogspot I have seen so far. She uses subtle elegance to create a reading experience that is not only enjoyable, but also easy, on the eyes. The most noticeable visual feature of the blog is the incorporation of Schmutzie’s photography within her posts. It adds a very unique touch to the blog reading experience.

I have to give kudos to Schmutzie for her generous use of links within her blog. Not only does she provide a nice collection of links in the sidebar, but she makes a conscious effort to provide her readers with plenty of interesting links within her posts.

Overall, “milk money or not, here I come” is a fun look into the life of a free spirited Canadian writer/photographer. Although I won’t be adding this blog to my list of bookmarks, I recommend that everyone take the time to browse through Schmutzie’s writing and photography.