The Houston Press surveyed the local blog scene and picked out ten “Blog Stars” to highlight and profile. I’m pleased to say that they did me the honor of including me and my blog on that list. I always find it a little embarrassing to talk about myself like this, so since you’re already reading my blog, I’m going to talk about the nine other folks on their list and why you should be reading them as well.
1. Jenny Lawson, The Bloggess
The Bloggess is the funniest damn thing on the Internet. Seriously, you should stop reading this right now and go click the link and see for yourself. Just don’t be drinking any beverages while you do, or your monitor may regret it. I had the pleasure of meeting Jenny a couple of months ago at a Planned Parenthood event at which she and I and a couple other bloggers got to meet Joan Walsh, and you if you’re still here reading this you should now go read what she wrote about that experience, which she cross-posted to Open Salon and got a comment from Walsh about it. Are you still here? Go read The Bloggess.
2. Robert Boyd, The Great God Pan Is Dead
I’ve been a fan of Robert’s blog Wha’ Happen?, especially his posts where he rides his bike through an old neighborhood and takes lots of pictures of what he sees. One of the flaws of reading blogs via RSS feed is that I hadn’t visited his main page recently and thus did not know about his newer blog, which looks excellent. I’ve now added it to my subscriptions. (I’ve added all the blogs of which I was previously unaware of to my subs.)
3. Gus Allen, Swamplot
Easily the best thing to happen to Houston real estate since Michael Pollock went off the air. I’ve been a fan of Swamplot since its debut.
4. Stephanie Stradley, Texans Chick
Stephanie is one of two people on this list whom I knew in real life long before “blog” became a word. She and I went to Trinity University, and we reconnected in recent years through a mutual friend and the blog of her late sister, Debutaunt. Reading her blog has actually helped make me somewhat of a Texans fan. I can only hope to ever influence someone else’s opinion that much. You want to read some solid and entertaining football writing? Steph’s your blogger.
5. David Cobb, Houston Calling
I am not familiar with this blog. But I will be now.
6. Mark Bennett, Defending People
Mark is the other person I knew back in the day, as we were both in the MOB circa 1989 or so. We both now have kids in the same school, and I’ve run into him at a PTA meeting or two. You want to learn something about how the criminal justice system operates from someone who lives it every day, go read Mark.
7. Laura Mayes, Blog Con Queso
I met Laura at the same Planned Parenthood event where I met Jenny. I had not been reading her blog regularly before, but I will be now.
8. Albert Nurick, H-Town Chow Down and
9. Nishta Mehra, Blue Jean Gourmet
I’m not a foodie. My tastes are, sadly, rather pedestrian. Maybe reading these two will help with that.
So there you have it. My thanks to the Press for including me in such good company. Happy reading, and congrats to all the well-deserved honorees.
Have I mentioned lately that I adore you? Because I do.
I appreciate you linking directly to the blogs… I find that useful… and something that I wish the Houston Press would have done in their story.
COngratulations on the recognition. It is nice to be honored by your peers, but they are doing nothing more than a lot of us have been saying for years. OfftheKuff and Charles Kuffner are leaders when it comes to bringing information and opinion to the masses in the most dispassionate way possible and there can be no higher tribute to your work.
FOlks rad OfftheKuff because they know they get the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth without the pettiness and personal putdowns of others and their opinions and blogs that seem to be more the rule in Houston than the exception.
Here’s to a winner…..Charles Kuffner, who had the foresite years back and decided to bring us Off the Kuff. Thanks Charles
wow. I have to be the first to poo-poo this. I know and read 1 of these blogs. If Kuff is on this list then it is 2.
Now if I was listed……it would be 3…….but then again I wouldn’t be poo-poo-ing this if that had happened.
Or would I?????????????
Trent – They did actually link to the blogs in the story. The blog names are linked to the blogs in question.
Jenny and Carl – Thanks!!
Opps. You’re right. I see it know. I got distracted by all the links in the story that sent me to the Houston Press search engine. I know see that you’re right.
I’ll amend by saying thanks for making the links obvious to get to. I was getting downright frustrated reading the Press piece.
Charles-
One of the reasons that I like sports so much is that it is easy to feel strongly about things that in the big scheme of things do not matter. Creating community in total escapism.
Caring strongly about politics hurts because what happens matters a lot.
But your blog makes it hurt a little less, so it is a good read. I’m thinking you making me pay more attention to governance is a much more impressive feat than me making you root more for the Texans.
Thanks for putting your take on this list together, and your kind words. Oh, and hurray for Trinity Tigers comprising 20% of the list. I will attribute it to too many blue book tests. 🙂
-Steph
As a fellow Trinitonian alum myself, I echo what Steph said. I have been a sports journalist for almost 20 years now, and even though the Home in the Heights blog is not sports, if I do too much “real” journalism I start to get into the area of dealing with things that really matter, so back to the candy store I go.
Chuck, your blog is receiving well-deserved recognition. I was back up at Trinity earlier this week, driving by the old, temporary Trinitonian offices in the back of the chapel and thinking about the 1986 playoffs when you and I were discussing Mike Scott’s no-hitter and the Astros’ chances against the Mets in the NLCS.
What a staff we had! Evan Ramstad (WSJ) and you alone make me proud of the work we did! Good going over here. Off the Kuff is easily the most authoritative voice on local affairs and where I turn to first.
Michael Pollock is still in the air, even if he’s off the airwaves.
Congratulations, and thanks again for giving Swamplot that debut!
Gus