In response to a recent blog on the "information gap" caused by the Fresno Bee's decision to close the Clovis Independent:

Grace del Real wrote: "In this day of online news reporting, it would be wiser to have an online version of the Clovis Independent. That is something that an enterprising person can do on their own. The free market should be the guide."

From Janet Ramsden: "I do miss the Clovis Independent, mainly for the community news, and the sports section.  I have two daughters in Clovis Unified schools who are involved in sports, and I enjoy reading about their teams and the other CUSD schools.  CUSD schools are very competitive and I miss seeing how all of the different schools measure up against each other.  The Fresno Bee does not cover Clovis sports like the Independent did.  Please bring back our access to community news for CLOVIS."

I also fielded several phone messages suggesting that maybe the Fresno State journalism department or a class at CART might make a class project out of rebuilding the Clovis news base online.

Beth Drake commented on a blog about the California state budget debacle: "Let's vote to add a proviso stating that NO ELECTED OFFICIAL will recover any pay from the period in which the budget is serving as a political football.  So, when the calendar rolls from month to month, they, too, can be delinquent on their payments and lose their credit worthiness, their cars, their homes, their outside businesses.  "What's fair is fair" the old adage goes.  Until REALITY strikes those who believe they are ethereal beings, no reasoning, threat or stab of conscience will influence the speed with which our ELECTED OFFICIALS co-operate in creating a comprehensive budget.  (And yet we keep voting for them!!)"

Finally, Louise Rogers had this to say about a blog that mentioned talking hospital beds (designed to assist in translations but also uttering reminders about staff washing their hands): "To have a piece of machinery remind me to wash my hands is more than I can appreciate.  It's kind of like the gas ATM asking if I want a car wash, and the choices are: 'yes' or 'no, thank you.'  Now since when is etiquette important to machines!!!!"