The natives are restless

A small(or not so small) blog brouhaha has broken out in the South Florida blogosphere. It is between Rick at Stuck on the Palmetto and Bob at The Daily Pulp. Along with Tere, these two are my favorite South Florida area bloggers.

Disclosure- I've met Bob Norman in person. Before Hurricane Ernesto came through South Florida last year, I traded telephone numbers with Rick.

The New Times, Bob Norman's employer, has named Stuck on the Palmetto best local blog two years running.

It all started last week when Rick wrote this post. Bob found it offensive, and wrote about it here. The mini-storm went on for a few days till Bob wrote the following in his comments section.

Otherwise, he's a decent blogger -- works his ass off on SotP, that's for sure. By the way, Rick, who pays your salary to blog all day?

Rick blogs annonymously. He has been asked his last name, but never divulged it. Even to me in private emails and we trade these on average every other week. Also Rick keeps his employer closely guarded. All of this I respect.

Yesterday afternoon, Rick posted the following.

The Daily Pulp's Bob Norman, who knows exactly what I do for a living, has made, what I perceive to be a threat to that anonymity and today, Critical Miami's Alesh Houdek piled on.

I'm going to be taking a break from SotP and blogging while I sort this out and try to determine what I need to do at this point. Don't know how long this is going to last, but I'll be back to let you know what I decide.

Since then not a post has been made at SOTP. Even Rick's co-blogger Alex posting anything.

Some will say Rick over reacted. I'm not so sure. Bob does alot of muckracking journalism, which by nature is confrontational. As can be seen by regular readers of his blog. I like Bob's work and been a regular reader of his for over a year. Bob made nothing more than a remark about whether Rick's employer knew he blogged from his office, but Rick assumed Bob may announce who his employer and in the process end his annonymity.

Truthfully both sides over reacted. Rick's post may have been a little tasteless, but he's not homophobic. I've made fun of being married to a Filipina. Does that make me a bigot? Funny but I'm married to one. Humor makes fun of people or things, people need to lighten up.

Bob's comment about Rick blogging from work is harmless enough on the surface. Rick should have taken it as Bob just blowing off some steam, something he does regularly. I hope cool heads will prevail, nothing has been heard from anyone on either side in about 12-15 hours. It would be a shame if we lost one of South Florida's best blogs over a misunderstanding. I think Bob would even agree to that.

Linked to- Adam, Bright & Early, DragonLady, High Desert Wanderer, Leaning Straight Up, Mark My Words, Pirate's Cove, Populist, Random Yak, Right Voices, Right Wing Nation, Rosemary, Third World County, The World According to Carl, Yankee Sailor,