About blogHOUSTON.net
blogHOUSTON.net is a frequently updated weblog that focuses on Houston politics, media, and life.
Our bloggers will be providing regular commentary on Houston politics and current events, local media, and thoughts on Houston's cultural and entertainment options.
Our inspiration comes from the now-defunct LAexaminer.com (run by blogger/journalist/musicians Ken Layne and Matt Welch) and LAobserved.com. Indeed, we owe a tip of the hat to Ken Layne, who was kind enough to pass on his wisdom to us as we started this site. It probably would be a lot better if we had taken some of his advice! So don't blame him for our shortcomings. But do buy his CD. It's good.
Beyond that, this weblog's still evolving. We hope our readers will help drive our content with their comments to our posts as well as news tips. We promise one thing: our focus will be Houston. Some estimates suggest there are now over a million blogs in existence, many of those oriented towards national politics. We think that local, topical blogs are underrepresented, and we intend to fill that niche. We're about Houston.
The obligatory technical note is in order here. blogHOUSTON.net utilizes cascading style sheets and valid xhtml 1.0 (and no tables). It is powered by Nucleus, a fine blog-oriented content management system, and punBB, an extremely lightweight and efficient message board system. All templates and static pages are 100% hand coded.
That's all we have for now, but a Frequently Asked Questions section follows. If you're wondering about something here, feel free to click on our contact link (upper right) and ask!
Weren't some of you involved with Chronically Biased?
Yes, a couple of us were. One of us actually built their site. But they were interested in broadening their scope, and we're more interested in Houston. So, here we are.
So are you going to obsess over the Houston Chronicle like those guys?
Do they still talk about the Chronicle?
"Obsess" is probably a bit strong, but yes, we envision ourselves as a media watchblog of sorts. And there's a lot to watch at that newspaper.
Does that mean you're a bunch of right-wing nutjobs also?
We are nutjobs, yes. As for our politics, you'll have to ask our individual bloggers about that.
Can I send you guys a tip about local media or local government and expect something to happen?
You can certainly send us a tip, and we'll look into it. Our crack staff cannot predict whether anything will happen. Unlike the KHOU Defenders, we're just volunteers doing this in our spare time.
What sort of tips would you like?
Sirloin. We like beef.
Seriously, anything and everything. Corruption at City Hall? Email us. Lee Brown ramming someone in his town car while scouting bandit signs in his role as mayor ex officio? Email us. Jordy Tollett fabricating memos that the owners of ttweak didn't take their National Guard physicals as ordered? Well, send that one to Dan Rather.
Seriously, if you've got some fun dirt about the city -- or you just want to recommend a good watering hole -- please feel free.
Why can't readers post new topics on your message boards?
Because they're OUR message boards. If you want to discuss our blog posts intelligently, knock yourself out. But we have no interest in hosting a message board for Houston affairs. If you're into that, you could go here, among other places.
Why do I have to register to comment? Most blogs don't require that!
We think that's the best way to promote intelligent conversation about our posts AND to thwart comment spam that is becoming more prevalent. We want our forum to be a place for polite conversation about the topics we cover, and hope registration will not dissuade intelligent commenters. Users are welcome to use a pseudonym, but registration with a valid email address will remain a requirement.
Why don't you cover more Houston sports?
We did a sports blog and podcast for a while (Bad Sports), but it was hard to sustain. There's only so much time in the day!
Can I link to blogHOUSTON.net? How?
Please do link to us! And send us an email to let us know you've done so!
You can use a simple text link, or feel free to use one of the following graphics. We do ask that you save the graphic to your own server to help save us bandwidth costs. Thanks!
If you have any difficulty saving the image or setting up a link on your site, we'd be happy to assist. Drop us an email!
Is somebody paying you guys
Ha ha ha ha ha! Good one!
Why do you use the terms "Danger Train" and "Editorial LiveJournalists?"
Because we can.
Or perhaps you're new, and wonder about the background. The "Danger Train" refers to the Main Street light rail line, which is poorly engineered in terms of safety, was plopped down on a busy street, and which has a dismal record of collisions with vehicles and people.
"Editorial LiveJournalists" refers to the Chronicle editorial board, who don't let their limitations deter them from offering error-ridden opinions on any manner of topics. The term specifically is in reference to their habit of running "Editorial Journal" columns, usually by James Howard Gibbons, that read more like the diaries of LiveJournal than what we would expect on the editorial pages of a serious newspaper (or even the Chronicle).
Do you regard yourself as a serious media criticism website?
No.
This is a blog about Houston media, politics, and life. We think of ourselves as conversation starters and opinion writers. We do comment on local media. Folks can read that however they'd like. And if you're inclined to tell us how to do "serious media criticism" (as Dwight Silverman did once), here's a better idea: Why not go start a website that does that yourself and we'll read it? We enjoy our blogging, thanks!
What haven't you posted about [X Topic]?
The short answer is that there's only so much time in the day!
While we enjoy commenting on local affairs, this is just a hobby that competes with time along with other commitments, hobbies, and interests. Furthermore, we prefer to offer an opinion of some sort on items in the news, rather than simply a blockquote followed by a comment like "We'll see what happens" or "We don't know what to think about this." While we occasionally may highlight some notable or fun news item that way, the goal is for most posts to offer an opinion about local affairs. Believe it or not, sometimes me may just not have a strong opinion on some item in the news, so you may see it blockquoted elsewhere but not here!
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