Visual Aesthetics – 8
The blog’s overall look is very stark, only broken by images here and there. The colors are very earthy and sometimes makes it a bit hard to read the long text. I do like the use of the eagle with the American flag on its face in the header, though. I think it’s brilliant!

User Friendliness – 9
I had no problems with load time while accessing the various pages in the blog. I also like how neat the blog is, with links provided in the right column and at the top of the page. The links are not expanded – you will be taken to another page to view them, but it is not much of an issue since pages load up really quickly. One thing I want to suggest is to break up the text with more relevant photos – it’s a bit too text heavy. If you like that kind of reading, though, then you will not have any problems.

Reading Enjoyment – 10
I have to be honest – I did not have that much fun reading through the posts. I am not taking this against Barry, however, as the posts were very well-written and quite engaging. The problem, I think, is that I am not that interested in the focus of the blog. For those who are into politics and the current issues in the US, though, I think you’ll have a great time reading Barry’s posts!

Useful Info – 10
There is a LOT of food for thought in Conservative Refocus . People who like to keep abreast with current issues and who like to read about what other people think will definitely find this blog useful.

Overall Experience - 9
Conservative Refocus is very heavy in quality content – something that you may find to be a rarity these days. It does deal with specific topics, though, so it is not for everyone. For those who are looking for thought-provoking articles on current events, Conservative Refocus is the blog for you!

Visual Aesthetics – 8
The header of Bob’s Daily Blog is very striking – snow capped mountains always evoke a feeling of awe. The overall look of the blog is very clean. I think, though, that the blog could use some sprucing up in terms of photos and other visual additions.

User Friendliness – 10
Bob knows how to satisfy his readers in this respect. All the links that are needed can be found within the pages of the blog. He even has a page that contains links to other web sites that provide further information on the topics his blog features.

Reading Enjoyment – 10
One thing I can say about Bob’s Daily Blog – it is NOT boring. While I may not agree with some of the things he says, going through his posts will never be a bland experience.

Useful Info – 8
Bob’s Daily Blog has a lot of insights and opinions. Bob makes no secret of what he really thinks about things that are going on around the world. I think that is the beauty of this blog. However, some might not find much in terms of useful information here.

Overall Experience - 8
If you are interested in reading about what people think of current events, Bob’s Daily Blog should be in your bookmarks. I wager that you just might have a very interesting exchange with Bob.

Visual Aesthetics – 9
Ashin Mettacara is a very simple blog in terms of the visuals. Apart from the header, which is also stark, there isn’t much by way of visual effects. The pictures and videos contained within the site do add to the visual experience, though.

User Friendliness – 9
There is a lot of content to be found in Ashin Mettacara. They are easy on the eyes of the reader but navigation is a little bit hard as there are no sections for the chronological archives or categories. You can navigate the blog by clicking on the menu items below the header although you won’t find them arranged by category. The news and other links on the left column help a lot if you are looking for additional information.

Reading Enjoyment – 10
I wouldn’t use the term “enjoy” in its strictest sense for Ashin Mettacara for how can you enjoy reading about the plight of a whole nation? However, you will definitely find yourself reading, reading, and reading some more. Ashin Mettacara is relatively well written to provide the necessary information on what is going on in Burma.

Useful Info – 10
Ashin Mettacara’s strongest point is in the information that it offers. Seeing the real situation in Burma, from an insider’s point of view, is something else. If you are not aware of their situation, then this blog will certainly open your eyes. And if you already know some things about Burma, you will appreciate the stark honesty that can be found within the posts.

Overall Experience - 9
Ashin Mettacara is a political and social blog that is worth reading over and over again. I admire Ashin Mettacara for having the courage to spread the news to the rest of the world, knowing that he might get in trouble for doing so. I strongly encourage you to support him in any way you can, even if it’s only by reading his blog.

Visual Aesthetics – 9
The visuals of The Nut Box are simple and easy on the eyes. There are enough pictures to complement the text.

User Friendliness – 10
The Nut Box is very well-organized and easy to navigate. The pages load up quite quickly as well. I like that the posts contain a lot of relevant links.

Reading Enjoyment – 10
The topics that The Nut Box are very varied and the posts are written very well.

Useful Info – 8
Though the topics are not that practical in the usual sense of the word, one can still find a lot of interesting things to read in The Nut Box.

Overall Experience - 9
I suggest that you visit The Nut Box for a meaningful read.

Visual Aesthetics – 8
Being an informational blog, the focus is not really on the visuals. As such, there isn’t much by way of visual aids. The blog is very neat and orderly, though, making it easy on the eyes.

User Friendliness – 9
Pages load up in no time and the blog well organized, making it easy for readers to navigate. More so, the blog entries are heavily linked, providing readers with other sources of information. The links to archives and recent posts are all on the left side – easily accessible. A good addition would be links based on categories.

Reading Enjoyment – 8
People who are from Geneva or residing in Geneva would have a different opinion, I am quite sure. More so, I don’t think the aim of the blog is to entertain its readers. The blog does target a specific niche and is successful in that regard.

Useful Info – 10
No Strings Geneva is loaded with information – nothing more to be said.

Overall Experience - 8
No Strings Geneva targets a particular audience and does well in this respect. Maybe a little visualization could help spruce the blog up a bit.

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Visual Aesthetics – 8
White on black is the general theme of the Mad Irishman and though it may not be pretty, it does not look bad at all. The color scheme adds to the seriousness of the blog’s content but sometimes, the neon colored fonts hurt the eyes. The immense amount of content makes it look a bit cluttered – perhaps a little tidying up would do the trick.

User Friendliness – 8
The blog is divided into two columns, with the left one containing the main entries. These are easy to navigate and links are provided within the entries. The videos can take some time to load, however. Many other relevant information can easily be had by browsing the links on the right column. It does pose a problem if you are impatient as you would have to scroll down a lot.

Reading Enjoyment – 8
John McCain supporters would definitely have a blast reading the blog. I would say the opposite for those who support another candidate. For someone who does not have strong views in this matter, the blog is at least an interesting read.

Useful Info – 10
Definitely a lot of information can be gathered from the blog – especially for John McCain supporters.

Overall Experience -8
The Mad Irishman can look a bit better, visually, but it does deliver a message to anyone who is willing to listen.

Technorati Tags: politics, election, presidential elections, John McCain

Phonelesscord

Take a look at the tag cloud and you’ll see what this blog is mostly about – News and Politics. Of course it isn’t all that but if you can’t get enough of people’s opinions about US politics then this blog will surely satisfy your appetite.

Visual Aesthetics – 10

Really nice relaxing color scheme. Really cool header. Really witty and funny Photoshopped images.

User Friendliness – 10

Positives: Fast loading time. Highly readable text. Distinct links. Simple and organized sidebar. Negatives: None that’s glaringly irritating or wrong.

Reading Enjoyment – 9

Lots of enjoyable AND substantial posts. OK so the photoshopped images might fool you into thinking that the author just likes to mock a lot of things but if you read her entries you will find that it is just a more funny way of the author giving her piece. Whether using images or words, I enjoyed most of what I saw in this blog.

Useful Info – 8

Not too many useful info in terms of links and raw information. Each post though will give you something new (or not so new) to think about.

Overall Experience - 9

A very good blog. A peek every now and then will help you de-stress and learn something relevant. Hopefully though you don’t visit on days she tackles serious issues in a serious manner or you’ll probably get even more stressed (like I am right now because of the gang rape issue). However, even then you will leave having learned something…although not laughing.

Technorati Tags: Politics, News, Issues, Opinion, Thoughts, Photoshop, Images, Books

One Hump or Two

I had a moment of stupidity and wondered why this blog was named what it is until my sister pointed out that camels have either one or two humps. A blog about the Western Sahara, you will find that this blog isn’t really travel oriented but is more about current events and issues.

Visual Aesthetics – 9

A pretty basic template that looks clean and organized. Images are interesting and manages to capture the attention.

User Friendliness – 8

Positives: Fast loading time. Readable text. Distinct links. Very informative posts. Organized and uncluttered sidebar. Negatives: Although labels are used there are no categories in the sidebar for easier navigation by topic. No link to previous posts at the page bottom.

Reading Enjoyment – 6

An interesting and intelligent read. However the entries are mostly very serious and some are pretty dry.

Useful Info – 10

The content is very informative and relevant. Links to sites about Western Sahara can be found on the sidebar.

Overall Experience - 8

Great blog with substance. However this blog isn’t recommended if you want to do light reading. It does give one insight into what’s really happening in Western Sahara.

Technorati Tags: Western Sahara, Sahara, Current Events, Morocco, ARSO, UN, autonomy, issues, current events, MINURSO, Georgetown

The Washington Patriot

The title says it all. This blog is written by a person who knows his politics and has just recently vowed to be more balanced in his opinions by making sure he educates himself about the issues before he passes judgment. A very good resolution because because love of country plus love of truth always makes for a better patriot.

Visual Aesthetics – 8

Nothing much too see. Very very plain looking blog that makes use of white text on a black background. The profile photo gives some relief to the seriousness of it all. The plainness is however preferable to the mismatching clutter that a lot of other blogs have. This one screams simplicity and boasts it’s content over it’s look. It wouldn’t hurt to add more images though.

User Friendliness – 8

Average user friendliness with out the perks that more features bring but also without the confusion that too many features also bring. The only missing feature that I would really like to see is the use Categories.

Reading Enjoyment – 9

Very substantial and thought provoking posts. The blog has been outdated for quite sometime with the author making a return just this month after a year of silence. His latest posts are very good not just in terms of writing but also in the content itself. Be prepared for some heavy thinking since this is far from a light witty blog.

User Info – 9

Good analysis of current events and issues. Not much raw information but a lot of opinions that readers, especially his American readers, can chew on.

Overall Experience - 9

I found this to be a very good blog. The author just needs to be able to get back to blogging and post more often and his readership will surely grow.

Technorati Tags: America, USA, Opinions, Issues, Current Events, Political Correctness, Racism, Patriotism, Facts

Ironic Surrealism

According to VelvetHammer, “Ironic Surrealism is…conservative analysis and opinion, politics, news and issues. Both here at home and around the globe. With a bit of fun tossed in to lighten things up now and again.” Perfect blog summary. No need to say more.

Visual Aesthetics – 8

Very simple. Good blending of colors. Enough images to lend more interest. Not too cluttered although there are way too many links in both sidebars. The header needs a bit sprucing up since it looks very plain compared to the entire blog.

User Friendliness – 8

This blog is fairly user friendly with its fast loading time, readable posts, many features and ways to navigate between pages and posts. The categories are plenty and quite specific, which is good. The downside is that the entries are usually way too long and there are just too many link on both sidebars. Since the links are important a good idea will be to put them on a drop down list or an expandable menu. This will make the blog look less cluttered and will make it a lot easier for users to find links relevant to them.

Reading Enjoyment – 7

Very substantial posts with strong and well-formed opinions. Though you will be sure to disagree with some if not a lot of the author’s opinions (unless you share her politics) it is quite obvious from her posts that at least she keeps herself informed and don’t form her opinions out of simple bias and ignorance. Very nationalistic posts, a lot of rants, a lot of issues, a lot of current events. Problem is the entries get too long most of the times due to the way too many quotes. Though the quotes are inter-related and relevant a good coherent analysis from the author will be more interesting and useful to read. Links to the quotes or shorter quotes will make for better reading.

User Info – 10

A lot of information to be garnered here aside from mere opinions. Quotes, new clippings, announcements, and even a great listing of movies from her Celluloid Nirvana page.

Overall Experience - 8

A girl who clearly loves and is proud of her country. Not that she’s blind to it’s faults. If anything she can’t stand the problems that riddle her beloved America. A person with very conservative views her entries will surely spark a lot of ire from liberals all over America and even the world. I found her strength of character refreshing but really needed to disagree with some of her views while totally agreeing with others. If you want to think and be challenged with your political views visit this blog.

Technorati Tags: America, US Soldiers, American Troops, Issues, Current Events, News, Opinions, Conservative, Indie Films, Foreign Films