Pseudonyms, Stage Names, Catfish, Google Blogger, Duardo Paz-Martinez

Duardo Paz-Martinez

19th century female authors frequently used a masculine nom de plum or pen name to be more marketable to those who purchased books back then.  Balladeer Robert Zimmerman identified more readily with poet Dylan Thomas than he did with his Jewish shopkeeper father, thus changed his name to Bob Dylan.  Who knows why Reginald Kenneth Dwight changed his name to Elton John in 1972?  Authors and songwriters, among others, change their names or operate under pseudonyms for a variety of reasons.  Even local blogging/musical legend Jerry Mchale uses a stage name; Doc Scully.   The closest thing to an explanation might be the dramatic words of the TV show Dragnet:  "The names have been changed to protect the innocent."

If authorship allowed for fake names, the internet almost encouraged it.  News groups, chat rooms, social networking groups like MySpace and Facebook asked simply for a moniker, a handle, a screen name.  Who do you want to be?  You were welcome to add a picture, but that picture could be from your personal albums or from millions of pics out there in cyberspace.   With the right picture and soothing words, an internet catfish could even win the heart of a football star like Manti Te'o. . . . and did.  A tidbit on the internet use of the word catfish claims that cod being shipped from Alaska to the orient were found to be lethargic and atrophied until a few catfish were added to keep the cod agile.  "And then, there are people, catfish, who keep you on your toes."

Which brings us to Brownsville's latest blogging sensation;  Dos Frias.  No less than local blogger/legal expert Bobby Wightman-Cervantes has endorsed the "new" blog:

"If you have not checked out this blog - it is worth your time.

http://www.dosfrias.blogspot.com/

I have said many times, the more blogs the better - critical thinking requires many perspectives. Unlike so much of the trash we have in Brownsville written by misogynistic eunuchs, this one has perspective and flavor.

Critical thinkers do not read in search of ideas which verify their own, but for perspective so as to expand their own mind.

I love that some of his pieces are in English and some in Spanish."

Dos Frias Blog

But, is this really a new blog or just an old blogger trying out a new format, a fresh approach, another stab at the blog game?  Perhaps a clue can be found by following the suggestion at the bottom of the Dos Frias blog to "view my complete profile."  A click on that link gives little information except that the blogger has been blogging since September, 2007, a literal eternity in the blogosphere.  So, perhaps we're not dealing with a "new" blog at all, but an old blog reinvented, reformatted, resuscitated, resurrected or even regurgitated.  

I still have a bookmark to the old Paz Files, a very creative, tri-columned blog, that touched on national news, intriguing episodes about characters like Junior Bonner and featured advertisements for books penned by Patrick Alcatraz.  One of the more unpleasant themes of the Paz Files was his incessant denigration of Tony "The Turd" Chapa whom he referred to as the "worst blogger in Harlingen."  Interestingly, a short-lived blog penned by engineering student Sam Losoya, also took relentless jabs at Chapa, then faded into pornography.  

The Pretty Girl Who
Was Actually a Guy

Coincidentally, legendary blogger Jerry Mchale gave props at the time to Sam Losoya, much as he has to Gil Gamboa, the "new" kid on the blogging block.   This may very well be an inside joke among old Brownsville Herald reporters.  Or, it may be a feeble attempt to fool Brownsville's nerd extraordinaire, Tad Hasse.  In this era of the catfish, the fake Facebook account, the pretend girl or boy friend, who can be 100% sure?