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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

It’s My 2 Cents — If Some Want to Leave, So Be it

People have come and gone here for most of the three-plus years that I've been doing this blog. Most of their own accord when they couldn't bend me to their will. In the past week, LCDC critics Dan Gookin and Mary Souza have indicated that they're through here b/c they didn't like the treatment they'd gotten from me, you or you and me. Larry Spencer was booted Thursday night after he called Salvation Army Major John Chamness "a liar." I don't enjoy seeing people stomp off. But I'm not going to change the way I run things here. For example, if someone wants to throw elbows here, I'll throw them back. I'd rather do that than ban someone. Some of those who stomp off to curse my name in their coffee klatches are individuals whom I have promoted at length via Huckleberries Best of the Local Blogs or elsewhere on the blog front page. Yet, all they remember is that they crossed swords with me -- and got the short end of the deal, in their estimation. They don't realize that I'm dealing with the wild dynamics of this blog while facing print deadlines every day. I'm suppose to understand them. But they don't reciprocate. As a result, I don't lose sleep over someone who stomps off here. There's always room to come back. I don't hold grudges. You can ask individuals like Green Libertarian whom I used to battle several times a week. I tossed GreenL in the cooler so many times that he probably felt like a yo-yo. Then, I mellowed. And mebbe he did, too. I'm not concerned about those who leave. They're replaced by others. Some come back -- and are welcome when they do. However, those of you who watch the occasional pitch battles here should realize that I deal with too many people here, some with cranky attitudes, to allow anyone to dump on me too long. Things would get out of hand if I did.



Huckleberries Online

D.F. Oliveria started Huckleberries Online on Feb. 16, 2004. Oliveria's Sunday print Huckleberries is a past winner of the national Herb Caen Memorial Column contest.