"I cried when I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no feet. And then I laughed REALLY hard."

I dig a funny broad. Gilda Radner, Carol Burnett, Amy Sedaris, Dorothy Parker, Jennifer Saunders. I don't for a second believe the hype that women aren't funny. Most of my best girl friends are funny as hell, and they got to be my best friends not by being giving and generous and kind but by cracking my shit up. And then being generous. With booze. And many of the blogs I read are written by funny broads. Hell, on a good day, I think even I'm funny. But then I would, wouldn't I?

That said, humor is, like beauty, subjective. Some people like Jackass. I think people who like Jackass are jackasses. It takes all kinds.
I'll admit, today's review was a bit of a struggle for me. I wanted very much to like Laurie Kendrick. I have a thing for brash Texans, and Laurie is most definitely that.

But today, I think the joke's on me.

First, this is a terrible blog design. It looks like something a mediocre linen supply company in Des Moines would use. There is no personality. None. It's like a communion wafer: bland and you need a good swig of wine to wash it down. The post space is way too narrow. I don't mind that there are no sidebars, but why the hell is it so narrow? It makes the links in the blogroll at the bottom of the site run to two lines, which doesn't do much to showcase them. And the banner says nothing. Well, it says, "grass," and not in a good, "let's roll a peach flavored blunt and scarf M&Ms" kind of way. But what in blue blazes does a dewy blade of grass have to do with this lady? Nothing. Not a damn thing.
There are flashes of humor, but some of the grammatical and spelling snafus are distracting. (Also, I'm disappointed she didn't mention "Grrr. Argh." Is that too new?) She's a humor writer, and some of it is funny (and appalling), but then some of it is just a rambly mess with jokes and forwardy email crap and unoriginal content.

Though she posts consistently and frequently, Laurie makes the same mistake many of our submitters do: her posts are way too long. Edit, people! Look, I know. I love my words, too, and I hate to get rid of any of them, bright, shining, glorious, smart, and achingly funny as they are. But I do. Because I care about my readers, I care that my point is made, I care that I've crafted something for public consumption, and even if it is a stinking turd, at least it's a concise and well-crafted turd. (Yeah, folks. I got up on my editorial high horse again. I can't help it. And it matters. Dammit.)

I think my favorite part of the blog is "A Word from Laurie Kendrick." And this depresses me because, frankly, I know Laurie can do better. I see the potential she's got, but I just don't think she's living up to it. Get a new blog design, stat. Something that has a little of your personality, a little more flavor, especially if you want this blog to be a springboard to publication. Write your posts, ramble all you want, get it all up there on the screen, and then go back with a practiced eye and get rid of all the fluff. And only post when you've got something to say, something original. Lay off the email jokes and forwards because we all get them in our inboxes from our relatives and friends who don't have anything to say to us anymore so they send us jokes to let us know we still matter, but not that much.

Today you get a measly





because I like you and I think you have potential. Don't give up. Just get better. And resubmit when you've revised your design and gotten a little tighter. And I don't mean doing your kegels, although that's always a good idea.

(Also, you're actually being published freelance and I'm not, so I'm beginning to doubt my expertise, here. Or maybe you're not giving us the goods, maybe you're saving that for your paying clients, and if so, for shame. Give as good on your blog as you would on the printed page.)