Blogcritics

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Celebrity Central Website Review: Elayne Boosler - Tails Of Joy

Ruthie — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 20:56:50 EDT

Tails of Joy was founded by comedian Elayne Boosler. It's a non-profit organization that helps the smallest and neediest rescues across the country, as well as individual pet owners in need. When on tour, Elayne will donate all after-show proceeds to the area's neediest rescue group. At the foundation's website, you can make a donation or order something from the store; all money goes to the foundation. The store has something for everyone, from jewelry, videos, art work, candy, and more.Elayne has loved animals since she was a little girl. She grew up with a boxer, Carbide. Her love of boxers followed her into adulthood. She started with boxer rescue, which lead to helping all animals in need. She currently has two dogs of her own, a black lab named Wiley and a rescued boxer, Shnuffy. Shnuffy's story can be found on the news page of her site.I got to know Elayne through our mutual interest in animals. Recently she helped one of my rescued dogs. Harvey suddenly became ill early one morning. He was having full body seizures every hour. I couldn't get into the vet until that afternoon. The receptionist thought it was just epilepsy and that it wouldn't be life threatening. I told Elayne what was happening, and by the second seizure she knew Harvey was in danger. Following her advice to just go and wait in the vet's lobby, I was able to get him treated sooner. It turned out he isn't epileptic -- he had encephalitis. He is still recovering but doing much better as I write this article.Saving my dog's life isn't the end of the story. Elayne also took care of his medical bills and then some. Every week she writes checks to help animals across the country, many that wouldn't be able to get the treatment they need without her help. One of my favorite rescue stories involves a boxer named Buster. He was badly beaten and left for dead. With the help of Elayne and others, he is alive and happy in a new home.Elayne's devotion to animals is part of her everyday life. She saved my dog Harvey, and will continue to save many more in the days and years to come. It's sad that there will always be a need but knowing there are people like Elayne with Tails Of Joy out there gives me hope.

Ruthie is a celebrity webmaster and an author. She has written two books, Ugly Girl and Rescued Hearts. She spends her free time contemplating the meaning of life while watching the grass grow from her sofa on the front lawn. Ruthie818@neo.rr.com

Celebrity Central Website Review: Rosie O'Donnell

Ruthie — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 06:44:59 EDT

Rosie O'Donnell may not be on television every day, but she is online. Ro (as she likes to be called) has an online blog. She shares her thoughts on everything, tells stories of her family and shares videos, and has announced they are working on getting The Rosie O'Donnell Show on DVD.I first found Rosie online at blogspot where she kept her journal. Now her site Rosie.com houses her blog and online store. Rosie has items for sale to benefit her "Rosie's For All Kids Foundation" and "Rosie's Broadway Kids." The store has everything from clothing to toys.My favorite section is "Ask Ro." Fan can ask one question a day. Rosie says she reads all questions and picks several to answer. I've been lucky enough to have had a question answered.When it comes to Ro's blog entries, comments are turned off more than they are on. A handful of trolls hang out and stir up trouble, and as with any fan site fans feel compelled to defend her. Rosie's outspoken political views create the biggest stir, but I personally applaud her courage to express what so many feel. She is also changing the way people think about gays. Her recent HBO documentary opened viewer's eyes about the lives of gay families. Whether on TV or the internet, Rosie O'Donnell is still reaching people and changing lives.Even without a television show Rosie is still reaching out to others and giving away prizes. Several fans (me included) got a mouse pad from Rosie. She also held an essay contest and gave away tickets to her Broadway show, Fiddler on the Roof. While performing on Broadway her fans were given glimpses backstage with photos and her writings. Doing this show seemed to make Rosie happy. My guess she will be performing again. I think show business is in her blood and is required for her health.Rosie is married to Kelli O'Donnell and they have four children. It was surprising to read that even though Rosie loved television as a child, her children never watch. She said it started because their school required they don't watch TV nor play video games. Ro said it's been great for the family. The kids are more creative and the family spends more time together. Ro and her family live in New York and spend as much time as possible in Miami.

Celebrity Central Website Review: Ray Romano

Ruthie — Mon, 3 Apr 2006 01:22:19 EDT

I loved Everybody Loves Raymond. It was a real treat to find Ray Ramono The Official Website. Ray has fun videos, photos and games. You can ask Ray questions or talk to other fans on a message board.You can purchase Ray or Everyone Loves Raymond merchandise from his online store. The items are described on the site but he links to Amazon for you to purchase the item.The "Newsstand" provide current information on where you can see Ray. The "Lifeline" takes you on a journey from birth to now. His baby picture is just adorable!My favorite section is "Long Story Short". Ray tells some great stories about his life and family. But my guess is the fans will enjoy the "Leave A Message" section best. Ray answers fan questions and posts them to the site.When visiting Ray's site, be sure to check out the links. The last one listed tells a story about a friend who died at the Word Trade Center on 9/11. There is also a link to a site that fights world hunger. There are also funs links, but I like how he got serious too.If you have some free time be sure to check out Ray Romano's home on the web. It's easy to navigate with a visitor-friendly layout. Make sure you visit "Long Story Short" and read Look out e-Bay, Here Comes Joe. It's just too funny!

Celebrity Central Website Review: Halle Berry

Ruthie — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 12:59:05 EST

At the request of Rpeyton, I visited The Official Site for Halle Berry. It is an incredible site for a fabulous actress. The site is visitor-friendly and is full of information and fun.The colors and design are Hollywood glamorous. Halle leaves written and voice messages to fans. She provides charitable links as well as personal beauty tips. You can join her fan club at no cost or for a membership fee. The membership fee gets you a lot of extra goodies but the free membership is really nice too. This site is like visiting Disneyland: it will take more than a day to fully enjoy everything it has to offer. There are contests with great prizes and current news on what Halle is doing. There is a TV listings so you can catch her on the small screen. She has professional and personal photos, including some of her pets. You can sign up for her newsletter to stay informed. Halle's fans are affectionately called "Groovers." They get to know each other in Halle's chatroom on her Yahoo group. This site offers more than I have time to list!Halle is obviously in the groove with her fans. She is a rare find in Hollywood. A lot of wealthy celebrities could learn a thing or two from Halle. I was thrilled to see a SASE isn't required for her autograph. She is clearly the real deal and deserving of fan devotion.It's clear that Halle is as beautiful inside as she is on the outside. The love and respect she has for her work and her fans is clearly the motive behind this website. If I could offer an award to sites I visit, this site would receive the first one.

Celebrity Central Website Review: Wally Kurth

Ruthie — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 03:17:40 EST

Back in the late '90s I met Wally Kurth while attending a General Hospital fan club gathering. I was walking to my room and went right passed him. It wasn't the friendliest encounter. He was busy and didn't seem to have the time for fans. He was short tempered and snapped at me when I asked for a photo. He later granted the photo but the encounter left me with a bad impression. I'm one of those people who feel when you are in show business, you have to deal with fans; it's part of the job. Especially when the celebrity is walking around the hotel where the fan gathering is located.His official home online is Wally Kurth The Official Website. The site is very easy to navigate but when I was visiting the photo galleries didn't work. I'd say his site is a little bit like him, beautiful at first glance but in need of a little fine tuning.I must admit I haven't watched a soap opera in years, and I have read statements from his fans saying he is always welcoming. So my opinion on his personality is based on past experience. Even after the bad encounter I must add I loved listening to his band practice. Kurth & Taylor have an amazing sound. Wally is one hell of a singer and looks great in tight jeans. The band performs across the country and dates and locations can be found on his website.Fans who surf his official site will find video and audio clips, fan club information and a message board so they can interact with other fans. They also have copies of what appears to be every interview Wally has given. What must be a fan favorite is the section "In His Own Words," personal messages from Wally to the fans.I enjoyed my visit to wallykurth.net -- the only disappointment was the photo galleries not working. Regardless of what I may feel about his personality, Wally is easy on the eyes. Photos are a big part of any website so I hope the webmaster fixes the photo glitches soon. I'll visit again, if for no other reason than to listen to the music clips. This guy can sing!

Celebrity Central Website Review: Mariska Hargitay

Ruthie — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 03:41:25 EST

Mariska Hargitay can currently be seen as Detective Olivia Benson on Law and Order: SVU. Her official website Mariska.Com has everything to make fans happy.Mariska has the usual bio and photos, but also offers things like "Ask Mariska." Fans can submit questions and Mariska answers them. She also has a blog, used to keep fans updated on what she is doing.Mariska also talks about "The Joyful Heart Foundation," established in 2002 by Mariska to help victims of sexual assault with dolphin therapy.There is also a store on her site, you can view journals, a notebook, and a photo album with Mariska's site logo. She provides links to the NBC store for SVU items and a site for "Joyful Heart Foundation" jewelry.The site provides a self-esteem quiz and polls on topics of general interest. There are also screensavers any fan would love to have. I'm most impressed with her "Resources" section. It has links to sites that provide assistance to rape victims, those with eating disorders, and even some for sexual orientation. I'm a fan of SVU and of Mariska's. I was pleased to see that Mariska's site makes it clear she takes her position as a role model very seriously. Her site is informative but also a safe place for fans. Mariska isn't just a really good actress, she is a really good person. She appears to embrace her fan following a show like SVU brings forward. As the Public Service Announcement on her website and her foundation demonstrate, you can see Mariska cares!