Let's go a couple of times around the Brownsville Blogosphere...
What Brownsville lacks in a legitimate daily newspaper, she compensates with the number of local blogs. Covering everything from the election, to scandal, sexual innuendo, good, old fashioned chisme, and everything in between, you can click on any of them and, at least, be guaranteed a good laugh. And if the posts don't make you laugh, the comments section sure will. Here's a little trip around the dance floor so you can familiarize yourself with some of our local blogs and bloggers.
For the record, I do not know any of these bloggers personally, and my observations are based solely as a reader of these blogs.
For the record, I do not know any of these bloggers personally, and my observations are based solely as a reader of these blogs.
El Rrun Rrun
Author Juan Montoya's offering is probably the deepest of the local blogs. This is the one I go to first. This blog is a one-stop-shop for everything from local history, to works of poetry and prose, and local news. While blogs like mine will be deeply rooted in opinion, Montoya tries to offer facts whenever he can, often times posting legal documents and images pertaining to what he's writing about. Montoya is relentless when he takes on a particular subject or political candidate. In the absence of a legitimate daily newspaper, Montoya often times writes articles that are worthy of being published in what The Brownsville Herald should be, if it wasn't run by staffers who are from Harlingen and McAllen, and if it were still printed here in Brownsville. I very much enjoy reading El Rrun Rrun, and I'll continue to do so whether or not my blog tastes any success at all.
The Brownsville Observer
Jim Barton's offering has gone through some changes this election season. I don't know if it will go back to what it used to be once all the votes are counted, or if he'll continue to publish what can only be described as The Brownsville Observer "Light," but Barton's blog is a bit of a quandary. Recently, Jim Barton has allied himself with another local blogger, and BISD Trustee, Erasmo Castro. He now co-hosts the weekly Whine and Cheez podcast. It seems that Barton has made a bit of a transition to talk show host as opposed to blogger. This isn't to say there isn't any legitimate news on his blog, there his. However, the blog has definitely taken on a kinder, gentler tone. Mr. Barton also writes about his personal life quite a bit, including his blossoming relationship with his fianceΓ©. The Brownsville Observer is definitely worth a visit, albeit a different type of blog experience than it once was.
The McHale Report
There have been several incarnations of The McHale Report, going all the way back to a print version called El Rocinante. I remember picking up copies of El Rocinante and reading it as a child, feeling like I'd discovered a copy of my uncle's Playboy or a copy of MAD Magazine (which my mother absolutely hated me reading - her voice still echoes in my head, "Esa revista llena de maΓ±as!"). I didn't understand all the political references or inside jokes, but I enjoyed reading nonetheless. I wish I could say the same about The McHale Report. McHale commonly refers to Brownsville as the "Third World Capital of the United States." I've never understood why McHale does this. If Brownsville is so terrible, I don't see why he just doesn't pack up his things and head north on US 77. I'm sure he won't be missed. He seems to be joined at the hip with another RGV blogger, Duardo Paz-Martinez (I'll talk about him in a minute), and has absolutely no problem spewing his anti-Brownsville vitriol, often times regurgitating the same hatred DP-M spews on his blog. McHale is also very inappropriate, often times posting pictures of naked women and describing local politicians with colorful nicknames. I still read this blog, but I read it in the same manner people watch NASCAR races and only find it interesting when the cars wreck.
The Brownsville Voice
The Brownsville Voice is a major acid trip down a long and winding rabbit hole. It is often times difficult to understand author Bobby Wightman and his ramblings about everything from his health to local politics. His is also the most censored of the local blogs. If you don't agree with him, or if you don't stroke his ego enough, he won't approve your comments, but he will definitely take the time to call you a troll and how you're engaging in this massive conspiracy to discredit him. This disbarred former litigator loves threatening people and says he has all kinds of information that can bring every single local politician down, but his posts hardly have any substantive proof of anything. His local political analysis is also interesting, often times endorsing one candidate one month then endorsing their opponent the next. Trying to understand The Brownsville Voice is like trying to get cats to march in a parade.
The Brownsville Republic
This doesn't even count as a local blog. The author of this blog is, apparently, the most credentialed of all of them, having supposedly written for the Associated Press and The Boston Globe among others. This blog seems to be written by an angry person who does not like anything about Brownsville and seems to know even less about Brownsville politics. This blog doesn't have one redeeming quality. I guess Brownsville looks pretty different from McAllen, where its author lives. I tend not to lend any weight to the opinions of those who criticize my hometown, yet live on the other side of the Valley.
Well, there you have it. I know there are quite a few Facebook pages out there that also talk about Brownsville politics, but I have decided to keep this post to the actual blogs that are out there. I'm sure there are others as well. I just wanted to give a brief rundown of the ones I know of.
If you get a chance, read them and decide for yourselves.
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The writer of that Blog has stopped writing. FYI
ReplyDeleteMaybe so, but his analysis of the local blogs is spot on.
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