Hobby Bloggers at the Chronicle Spark Controversy

Love that Sparkle

Online readers respond to "Lord, Save Us From Amateur Chronicle Bloggers," by Richard Connelly, Hair Balls blog, April 8:

Pathetic: I've read TexasSparkle/Rightwing Sparkle's blog a couple of times. She has her head completely stuck up where the sun don't shine. She's pathetic. Too bad the Chron doesn't give IQ tests for prospective bloggers.

Mister Truth

Censored: I read the Chron blogs fairly frequently and have maybe seen TexasSparkle highlighted once. Every day, there are liberal bloggers (Desperado and eljefebob are the most prolific) whose posts are highlighted. Both do exactly the same thing as TexasSparkle. I tend to post conservative arguments, and they censored me so many times, I have stopped posting. I really can't figure out why. In the end, I think they really don't want discussion of both sides of the issue, they just want like-minded people to reiterate what was just posted. The only liberal blogger who consistently allows others to speak is TexasLiberal and I continue to post there.

So for those of you liberals who think that you and your ilk are all about free speech, you aren't. Oh yeah, and the vast majority of the counterarguments by left-leaning posters are exactly like Steve Gilbert's. All emotion and accusation, no fact or logic.

Nate the Snake

Nate: I've tried once or twice to counter Ms. Sparkle's blog with facts and logic, but she never publishes my entries. I actually think she is afraid of facts and logic, since her blog never contains any.

Steve Gilbert

You nailed it, Richard: An unpaid hobbyist is what's wrong with the Chronicle. Way to drill down to the nut of the matter.

Matt Bramanti

Not logical: The TexasSparkle blog barely makes sense. My junior high newspaper had more intelligent commentary. For example, if the United States always has the best answer, as the blog states on Monday, and the United States elected Obama as president, then doesn't that negate any arguments she may make against Obama? I never mind seeing a rightwinger with such a poor grasp of logical argumentation and weak communication skills (Palin, for example). A party that has Palin, Rush and TexasSparkle as its spokespeople does not have a chance at winning elections or remaining viable as a major party.

damon

Values added: What's great about Sparkle is that she likes to insist that she's being persecuted for her conservative values, when she's really just being picked on for saying dumb and/or offensive things out loud.

Fallstaff

Family Cry

Online readers respond to "Drinking Pepsi Means You Support Gay Orgies, ­Totally Reasonable Texan Asserts," Hair Balls blog, by Craig Malisow, April 8:

Just say no: Oh, puleeze, Gina "Anita Bryant" Ford! Family Guy skewers everyone and all beliefs! Just say no and turn it off if it burns your ears.

Mary

Morons: Until these idiots are removed from office, the only change America will see is the weather outside the window. These people are total morons being elected into office. Either way, who cares if anyone is gay, bi, trans or straight? They aren't paying my bills; they aren't feeding me.

Appointed officials, like everyone else, have opinions, which is perfectly acceptable. But keep them to yourselves — learn when not to open your mouths. Is this stuff you talk about around the family dinner table? "Oh, did you know that soda you're drinking will make you gay?"

That statement alone should put perspective on what's really important to that official's agenda. Fire them and replace them with someone with more intelligence and respect for other humans' lives.

Mike Schneider

Historic Houston

Online readers respond to "Fighting For The Freeland Bungalows," by Richard Connelly, April 7:

Stop: This is the only historic district left in Houston that is made up of only the original homes built between 1920 and 1932. To tear down one of them leaves Houston with no intact historic district. Hasn't enough history been torn down already? It's time to stop.

Jean Taylor

Ah! The powerful temptation to tell your neighbor how he should develop his property — there's nothing more intoxicating, except the strong desire to be able to do whatever you want to do with your own property.

Jim Bowie

Not neighborly: Why must our independent Texas spirit preclude being a good neighbor? We need to think about the consequences of what we do on our properties and how it will affect our neighbors. The proposed buildings will not only adversely affect the historical nature of the area, but the structures themselves will block sunlight to the neighbors and remove any sense of privacy from their yards. I wouldn't want to buy any property close to them.

Laurel

Fight the city: I feel their pain, but I'm getting tired of always having to hear and read about people fighting developers every time their neighborhood is threatened. These people need to be fighting the city and the zoning laws that make Houston a free-for-all. Even if they win the battle this time, they'll have to keep doing it over and over as Houston continues to grow into an urban city, and this is what makes it frustrating.