The Good The Bad & The Ugly Wednesday

Welcome to another week of The Good The Bad & The Ugly. For those of you that are discovering this weekly feature for the first time, let me tell you what it is. Every Wednesday, I introduce you to three sites or blogs I have discovered. Generally, the three sites will follow a similar theme. Don't let the ominous title fool you, all the sites are great in their own way and worthy of following and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly are just titles with twisted meanings. The Good is a site that is intriguing and you should check it out if you get a chance. The Bad is a site that will surprise you and you may find yourself checking out more than once. The Ugly is so fabulous you may find yourself addicted. This week we take a look at some author blogs and hopefully you will not only discover a new blog you like but also a new author.

The Good- is a blog I only discovered on Monday after reading an interview on Spunk on a Stick Tips.  Jamieson Wolf's self titled bloghas the subtitle "Words that satisfy every need..." I haven't had a chance to read many of his post yet, but they are very candid and give you the feel of sitting in a coffee shop or at a friends house and listening to that friend talk. The post that struck me when I first checked out the blog is last Thursday's Blind Karma. As a big believer in Karma, this post is an excellent example of what our society today is like and how doing a small thing for someone else can make your day. Hopefully it will inspire you to go out an do your own good deeds.

The Bad- is Creations by Laurel-Rain Snow. I discovered this one last week after checking out one of my commenters. Actually she has many blogs, and I haven't had a chance to look at them all yet so I decided to go withthe first one that caught me attention. Make sure when you check out her page that you click on her profile and go visit some of her others as well. I'm sure they are equally as wonderful. This blog is a mixture of reviews, meme's and musings. Those musings are short stories that are nice little pick-me-ups or distractions when you need a little break from the same old sites. With Thanksgiving being next week, check out this post.

The Ugly- is Belle Karper's Beauties and Beasts.......... Blog! Baby! Blog! . What can I say, I love this woman's style. If a man ever wanted to know what goes on in a woman's mind then he should go to this site. Karper's blog is like a running narrative of thoughts.  She is witty and sometimes sarcastic and the way she puts it down in her post has almost a random yet not disjointed feel. Just like that little voice in our heads. You know the one where we are talking to ourselves only we are glad no one can really hear us because we might sound a little nutty or maybe occasionally spastic. Only Karper doesn't sound funny or spastic, she will make you smile and often even laugh. In my book, we definitely need more sites like that. One of the first post I read on this site was This is one of the things I want to be when I grow up....

The Good The Bad and The Ugly Wednesday

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This week, The Good The Bad and The Ugly is going to highlight new bloggers and in addition to introducing you to these three great new 2009 blogs, I’m awarding each of these bloggers The Quest Award, which celebrates those blogs that may still be in their infancy but are growing. The three I’ve chosen today are not just growing but leaping into adolescence. And while this post usually ranks from The Good- ‘you should check it out if you get a chance’ to The Ugly- ‘you must visit this site’, all of today’s sites are equally compelling. So go check out these wonderful blogs and be sure to leave some comment love.

The Good- The Quiddity of Delusion was started in July. The title alone made me want to check it out. His blog is mostly short stories and flash fiction with some book reviews thrown in. His post are unique and as his profile hopes, “vicariously diverting’. His blog would not be classified as mainstream or his stories typical. His view is slightly askew of that and that is what makes his blog so refreshing and a little bit addicting. Make sure you stop by and read some of his work. While I can’t tell you what emotions will be invoked, I can almost guarantee an emotion will be.

The Bad- Writing Mommies was started in May and is written by four blogging moms. Here what you’ll find in addition to writing tips, links to writing contest/paying jobs/resources/opportunities, marketing and networking advice, you’ll find interviews and amusing anecdotes. In their side bar, they have some great gadgets such as an Autocrit Editing Wizard, The Writer’s Idea Bank and a Writer’s Quote of the Day. I discovered them through Linked-In and their post ‘The Best Writing Advice I Ever Received’ and was shocked and amused at the picture that greeted me with that post. Of course, I love that they have an email subscriber box. Being super busy, I love to follow my fellow bloggers but often don’t have time to visit, however, being able to get the latest post in my inbox is a guarantee that I’ll read every post.

The Ugly- Confessions of a Watery Tart, Hart Johnson or as her bloggers know her, Watery Tart, started her blog in June. Her ‘confessions’ are a wonderfully colorful hodge-podge of writing/publishing insights, random news & thoughts, and often humorous bits that flow from the enigmatic mind of hers. Ok, I’ll admit, I also love that she was one of the brave bloggers who took on part of Ember’s journey. And let me tell you, it was a somewhat hedonistic delight! The only negative is she doesn’t have an email subscribe button, please I beg you, I need this option. Ok, enough of my whining… but seriously, get one. This blog is one you must check out. It’s my guilty pleasure and when go there make sure you check out her Monday, Nov 2nd post ‘Dear Blog’.

The Good The Bad & The Ugly Wednesday

Mwah-ha-ha-ha. It's only three days until Halloween, so of course this weeks, The Good The Bad & the Ugly is all about the spooky. For those of you who are new followers, The Good The Bad & The Ugly Wednesday is a look at three sites or blog with a similar theme. Despite the sound of the title it's all good on Wednesday. The Good site is an interesting site, take a peak if you have some free time. The Bad site is an even better site and worth checking out. The Ugly site is the best of the three and you should definitely go visit..... if you dare. Mwah-ha-ha-ha......

This week's "Good" is a scary site that is not for the faint of heart or the squeamish. Rotten.com is definitely a site where you will see things you've never seen before and hope you never see again, especially in real life. Many of the photos are really gross and horrific. Some are just odd. Some are just pictures and some have stories with them. Warning- if the caption sounds disgusting and repulsive, it probably is, so be careful what you click. These are real life photos and some are very graphic.

This week's "Bad" is a much less stomach turning. Scary Place is a fun site with pictures of ghosts and haunted places, stories, dark poetry, toys, happenings (tours, etc.), reviews of movies, books and sites, videos, links and more. Definitely a fun site to play on and discover some great stuff to entertain you for Halloween.

This week's "Ugly" has something for every paranormal fan. Ghosts of Earth has everything Scary Place does except the reviews. It also covers mnay other paranormal beings such as angels, vampires, werewolves, demons, ancient mysteries, and the unexplained. This site even has a game you can play. Go check it out and let it put you in the Halloween spirit!

Honorable Mention - for some scary true ghost stories you can also check out http://paranormal.lovetoknow.com/.

Happy Halloween!!! Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha..........

The Good The Bad and The Ugly Wednesday

For those of you new to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Wednesday, I give you the run down on three sites with a similar theme. The Good is an interesting site, check it out if you have a chance. The Bad (bad as in cool) is a great site and you should definitely take a look-see. Now the Ugly, is an awesome site, you should drop everything and go check it out.


If you are like me, in this economy you need all the help you can get. So this week, I'm focusing on sites that can save you money.  I'm going to deviate a little and instead of pciking three to rank from good to great, I'm going to let each represent a category. The Good will be a site for saving money by getting discounts. The Bad will be for finding something for free. And the Ugly will be where we can learn to do something ourselves to save the time and money of hiring someone else for the job.
 
The Good - We all want to save a little money these days and while there are a million coupon and discount sites to choose from. many of them are already well known, so I wanted to share one a discovered recently that you may not have heard of. The Bargainist is a great site that is updated several times a day with listings of online bargains, freebies, coupons and sales. What's even better, you don't have to register, join  or download software to enjoy it. A word of caution, unless you're seriously strapped for time, be wary fo coupon sites that offer to send you coupons for a fee,called clipping services. You can find them for free on the same coupon sites, the clipping serices use.
 
The Bad - Ever been to a swap meet? Freecycle is an online swap meet. Free cycle is organized by location and there are groups all ove rthe US. You do have to join, but if your in the market for furniture, toys, appliances, and more you can often someone who is giving away what you are looking for. It also offers a great way to get rid of stuff you no longer use by giving it to someone who wants it and keeping it out of our ever growing landfills.  Since so many bloggers  and followers love books, I have to give an honorable mention to PaperBackSwap and Paperback Exchange. PaperBack Swap is a club you join and send in your used paperbacks in exchange for credit to receive a book. You just pay the postage. Paperback Exchange has new & used books at a discount. They also offer additional discounts when you send them your used books. They also offer hard back book rentals.
 
The Ugly- Need easy to follow instructions on how to do just about anything you would normally have to pay someone to do? Everything from repairing appliances fixing car scratches & dents to cutting hair to recovering furniture to home improvement projects. I actually found two great sites. If you can't find instructions on one you are bound to find it on the other. Fix-It Club and Find How.  The beauty of these sites, in addition to saving you money on hiring someone or paying for a service call, you learn a new skill.

The Good The Bad & The Ugly Wednesday

For those of you new to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Wednesday, I give you the run down on three sites with a similar theme. The Good is an interesting site, check it out if you have a chance. The Bad (bad as in cool) is a great site and you should definitely take a look-see. Now the Ugly, is an awesome site, you should drop everything and go check it out.

This weeks The Good, The Bad and the Ugly are blogs who help the rest of us bloggers who happen to be a little techie challenged. Being new to this blogging thing, I am always seeing cool layouts, widgets, gadgets and thingies (yes, that's my favorite word for anything I don't know the official name of). Like a kid in a candy store, I , too, want all these cool thing-a-ma-bobs. Unfortunately I'm blonde and somewhat technologically challenged. Luckily, I'm not alone and the blog world is full of wonderful people willing to share their knowledge. Some of you have noticed that my blog recently went thru a transformation. I can thank the wonderful tutorials of our "Ugly" blogger for that. That and the trusted opinion of my dear friend, Crystal over at Crystal Clear Proofing, who was gracious enough to let me send her pictures and bounce ideas off of.

The Good is Blogger Tips and Tricks. A great little blog that gives you tips, tricks, links and answers questions. The post tend to be concise and brief. This site's main focus is the Blogger blogs and most of the post cover simple and basic questions for the seasoned blogger, but for those of us who are new, it's a great site to quickly check for answers.

The Bad  goes to The Real Blogger Status. This site has the nifty subtitle, "What Blogger Won't Tell You." Makes me feel all comspiratorial. ( I know probably not a real word, but it sounds omninous.) This site also gives short concise posts that cover some of the latest problems and and latest tricks and gadgets. It also provides great links to many other Blogger friendly sites to help you make the most of your Blogger Blog. Many of the tips and fixes will also work for other blog host sites. One of the great things about this site is it is user friendly no matter what country you are from or what language you speak.

The Ugly site this week has been a godsend to me and is a true find for any blogger, but especially those new bloggers who only know how to do the most basic things. Let me introduce you to LawnyDesigns, the  nearly one-stop shop for all your tips, tricks and tutorials. His posts are amazing and make blogging seem so easy a first grader could make one. He gives you step by step instructions complete with screen shots so you know what your HTML should look like. Plus, he is very diligent about helping his commentors and answering questions. So make sure you read through those as well when looking up a particular topic. You sometimes will find extra tips in them. After reviewing many of the comments that follow his posts, I noticed a recurring theme among his followers. They want him to do the tech work for them. Hey, wouldn't we all. What takes me hours would probably take him mere seconds. Okay, I'll be honest, what takes me days would probably take him mere seconds. Note *If you go to his site, and I strongly encourage everyone to head over and check it out, don't be one of those commentors who says, "can I email you my blog and you can fix it for me?", over and over when he very politely has explained that he is extremely busy but will be glad to work on your site if you wish to hire him but otherwise please just post your questions and he'll answer what he can.  The man graciously explains how to achieve great results in his post, and goes out of his way to help his commentor's, but reworking sites is something he does get paid to do, so if that is what you are looking for, by all means contact him and get a quote. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Otherwise, appreciate the gift he is putting out there for us.

Hope you find these sites as helpful as I have. Happy Blogging!!

The Good The Bad & The Ugly Wednesday

Welcome to a new week of The Good The Bad & The Ugly. If you missed the previous post, this meme each week covers three blogs or websites. Despite the sound of the title it is not to bash these sites merely to introduce sites you may not have heard of and tell you a little about them. The "good" is just a general okay site, the "bad" is a little bit better/more interesting and in theory, the "ugly" is awesome and you should check it out. If you only have time to check out one, go with the "ugly".

This week is slightly different in that not all are blogs or necessarily sites you will want to visit. They are really an experiment, based on one site I have a bad habit of accidentally ending up on. Ever had your fingers type faster than your brain thought they were and instead of going to the website you wanted you end up on some other page? Sometimes you get junk and sometimes you find something nifty. So here are some mis-typed sites to check out.

In the Good category we have the generic sites which turn out to be link sites to other sites and not that exciting or informative. If you accidentally type in blogspoy instead of blogspot or wordpredd instead of wordpress you get link pages that supply links to blog related content or website related content, respectively. Not very titillating but who knows you may end up finding a great site from one of their links.

In the Bad category, we have a variation of Livejournal.com. When you mis-type it as livejournla you get redirected to specialreport.com. This site gives you the breaking news from around the globe. They have all categories of stories, and while some of the stories seemed a bit dated it was an interesting site. I caught some stories I hadn't seen before. If you are a news junkie, definitely check it out.

Finally, the Ugly. The "Ugly" site this week is the one that inspired this weeks research as I end up on it all the time when I mis-type gmail.com. I'm sure several of you have ended up there as well. The site is gamil.com, an insider look at design. Gamil is a small design company in Raleigh, NC. After noticing that they were getting a lot of unexpected traffic, they realized that people were coming to their site by mistake. Unlike most sites that would just let that information get filed away. Gamil decided to create a blog as their home page to say "hi" to those who accidentally stumbled upon them. Their blogs are random post on different subjects, some interesting, some not. But what a great idea to acknowledge and spark some interest in people who would otherwise just retype Gmail.com and go on. One of my favorite post was the one about Alchemy bags. Bags that use old bicycle tubes to make handbags. They also have several great "green" website links to check out. Two of my favorites were Treehugger and being a gadget girl, Gizmodo. Not a bad site for an accidental stop.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Wednesday

I have decided to add a new weekly feature, I'm calling "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly". This feature will be a review of or an introduction to fellow bloggers. Don't let the title fool you, my purpose is not to bash other bloggers, so think of "bad" as the slang I grew up with (am I telling my age?)... bad means cool. And by current slang I should say "the sick" but hey, I am a movie buff, so ugly means awesome. I will try to pick three blogs that have a similar theme each week. Please leave me comments and let me know what you think of this feature and any suggestion of blog types you'd like to know more about.

For this first post I was intrigued by a blurb I saw on MSN about a thirteen year old fashionista whose blog has a huge following so I had to check out some of the teenage fashion bloggers.

The Good.... Meet Tavi Gevinson, the pint sized fashionista from Chicago. Her blog, Style Rookie, has taken the fashion world by force and she has become their new darling. She has caught the eyes of the designing sisters, Mulleavy, who are behind Rodarte and has graced the cover of British fashion magazines, Pop and Love. Her blog is full of interesting if odd fashion choices and her thirteen year old voice is charming. Is she a true fashinista? Well, considering most fashionistas have a sense of style that few who live in the real world would be seen in public wearing, then yes, she is well on her way to fitting in with the high society types. Her blog is cute, although for 99% of us, I wouldn't follow her fashion advice. What looks adorable on a thirteen year old does not translate well to those of us out of school. Her blog is definitely worth a look, as it is a fun and charming look at the world through the eyes of a young girl.

The Bad.... Meet Arabelle, the sixteen year old who describes herself as "offensive and funny." Her blog Fashion Pirates, definitely shows she has diverse interest and influence, including her godmothers, "a nun and a former "madam" in New York." She also loves anything Asian and follows Tavi's blog. Her blog is a little more sophisticated than Tavi's and her post have a more wearable sense of style, for the most part. Reading her blog is like watching one of those high school shows, The OC, One Tree Hill, etc., only with more personality. Her post are fun and flirty. If you know a girl of that age, they would definitely be in to her blog, and it might give those of us who left high school a very long time ago a glimpse into what goes through the minds of the young girls of today.

The Ugly.... Meet Jane. Jane is a sixteen year old blogger from Texas. Out of all the young fashion bloggers I researched before picking the three for this post, hers is the only one I follow. Her blog, Sea of Shoes, is like a breath of fresh air. Her blog is probably 80% pictures and they are stunning. She is enigmatic and beautiful. Out of all the bloggers, she has an incredible sense of style, which apparently she inherited from her mother, whom she features as a model in her post frequently. Both generations of women photograph fabulously. Jane also peppers beautiful non-fashion photos throughout. I think it is her love of vintage and the classy way she displays that love that captured me. She is a classic muse and should have a stunning future in the fashion world, if all self-proclaimed avant-garde fashionistas will stop taking over and presenting us with dreadful clothing looks. Definitely check out her blog, if you even remotely like fashion or great photography you'll be hooked.