This blog is closed
Closed
The blog world is not a place I want to be right now.
[Embarrassed clarification, after three days: Whoa! I didn’t mean to imply I was ending it all. I said “right now” meaning “for a while.” Not “never again.” Maybe less than a month, maybe more, dunno.
CRN isn’t dead. I’m just taking things too seriously and need to go for more walks. Besides: I’m unemployed and 1) need to make some money, which means less time for writing blog entries and 2) Becky just ended her school year, so it’s an opportunity for uxorial companionship. Which is the perfect antidote to blog world ugliness.
I’ve spent whole hours at a time away from this machine the last few days, and it feels great.
And thanks for the notes, folks. You guys are swell. Feel free to email me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) if you want. Especially if you’d like a tour of Pinole Creek.]
[Also: what the hell. I’ll open comments here: talk among yourselves. Enjoy.]
Posted by: Chris Clarke
Note: A database glitch in 2008 ate a bunch of archived comments. Don't be offended if yours isn't here, or confused if the conversation seems disjointed. Thanks!
When I was a kid, back in the sixties, I lived in Mojave, CA, in the desert about 90 miles north of LA.
In my elementary school, they showed movies about kit foxes, and kangaroo rats, and torrential rains that came once a year. We could see with our own eyes that those school movies were true.
We thought that meant they would always be true.
We were just little kids.
Have a care.
By: By de Selby on 2007 06 16
I only “know” you through a year or two of reading your posts, but somehow I didn’t think you were gone forever. Have a great vacation!
By: By stinger on 2007 06 16
Shorter Chris Clarke:
“Even more than usual, the blogosphere is infested lately with nasty hotheaded imbeciles.
I’m gonna choose to spend my time more intelligently off-line with my loving wife.”
And they say romance is dead!
By: By omegapet on 2007 06 16
I couldn’t help but think of you today as I drove up to the Arrival gate at the Albuquerque “Sunport” (yeah, it’s an airport, so who are they kidding?) and the drive was lined with…Joshua trees! Dozens of them, all in bloom. So yeah, it’s within the altitudinal range (5500’), but dammit, it’s EAST of the Continental Divide - that’s freakin’ blaspheme!
Other than that, New Mexico is definitely a happening place. Wish there were Joshuas, but all and all, much better than Oklahoma.
By: By MBW on 2007 06 16
yeah, man…sounds good! enjoy the break. come back rested. good way to take care of your health. good example.
By: By Nezua Limón Xolagrafik-Jonez on 2007 06 16
When I read a blogger who claims to hate conflict but is constantly angry, fighting, raging, lecturing, badgering, warring, and throwing tantrums, I figure this is what turns them on. I used to take on the melodrama and now I can’t be bothered. Life’s too short.
Glad to know you’re still open for bidness. Enjoy your time away from the computer.
By: By Lesley on 2007 06 17
Lesley is correct. You complain about the meanness of the internet and yet you areconsistently one of the worst instigators of that meanness. You’re fake introspection doesn’t fool anyone.
Take a really long break, please. The internet is better off without you on it. Why don’t you go backpacking for good.
By: By anon on 2007 06 17
Par•thi•an Shot
Pronunciation: ‘pär-thE-É™n ‘shät
Noun phrase: an arrow let fly from a horse’s ass.
By: By Chris Clarke on 2007 06 17
Please. Maybe you fine people prefer that your politics be one part trashing DKos and three parts cute overloade dead dog stories
There is a war on, and al this identity politics shyte hel;ps Bush. Chris Clarke: Bush supporter.
Stay offline, chris!
By: By anon on 2007 06 17
SRSLy. STAY OFFLINE.
By: By anon on 2007 06 17
There is a war on, and al this identity politics shyte hel;ps Bush. Chris Clarke: Bush supporter.
Wow, didn’t know that merely being an Indian (and clearly, since I was working a tribal eleciton, participating in “identity politics”) makes me a Bush supporter. There must have been some wicked voter fraud going on then in Indian Country, since we voted KE04 10 to 1. Except Chad Smith, of course.
Better get Gonzales on that right away. Can you mobilize the dKossacks for that campaign?
By: By MBW on 2007 06 17
Oh whew - I didn’t think you were throwing in the towel, but it’s still good to hear it from the source. Have a lovely summer and it would be nice if you check in from time to time if you feel like it. I’ll be checking from this end. I’m in Tennessee for the summer and beautiful as the Smokies are, a big part of me is heartsick for the left coast. Loved the idea of getting a tour of Pinole Creek - made me laugh. Thanks for that, and for being so generous with your self and your time for so much of the time.
By: By in medias res on 2007 06 17
a kick in the pants to anon who misinterpreted my comment and used it to abuse Chris.
[rolls eyes] there’s no getting away from the idiots.
By: By Lesley on 2007 06 18
Here’s the thing: Lesley’s comment paralleled some of the self-criticism I’ve been engaging in, and I even sent her an email saying so kinda obliquely.
But even were that her intent: Lesley can say things like that to me, especially given her thoughtfulness and flexibility in a previous iteration of this blogspat, which impressed me to no end.
And anon cannot be said to be “abusing” me any more than a basset puppy gumming my ankle and growling could be said to be “attacking” me. The whole encounter is amusing, if spittle-flecked enough to make me look forward to a shower.
By: By Chris Clarke on 2007 06 18
ok, then. have a good shower, and a good rest. please give thistle a little rub behind the ears for me.
By: By kathy a on 2007 06 18
Thanks for being kind enough to stop by my place and send Ilyka over. You’re a gent.
I hope you enjoy the walks, the writing and the company - have a great summer.
By: By thegirlfrommarz on 2007 06 18
Chris - long time lurker who is SO happy you aren’t going away for good! Whew! Was sweating it there for a little while!
Have a great summer, hope to see you around once in a while, but have a good break from blogging. I look forward to seeing more from you in the future!
By: By cyndy on 2007 06 18
Longer “anon:” I don’t like what you have to say. If you don’t stop writing altogether, someone else might read what you have to say and might agree with part of it. This would threaten my place in the world and undermine my already sharply limited capacity to understand things. Therefore, you must stop writing.
By: By Charles on 2007 06 18
Chris, enjoy the weather, time with your wife, and life in general. Be well.
By: By Sheelzebub on 2007 06 18
Say what you want, I think anon is quite right.
After all, we can’t let identity politics divide us. We’ve got to throw our weight behind the opposition party in American politics. You know, the ones who oppose the war and are working for its end, the ones who oppose the abolition of the economic safety net, the ones who oppose the regressive tax structure being pushed on Americans, the ones fighting to hold the administration accountable for its failures in Louisiana following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
That opposition party: the one which only exists in anon’s imagination.
By: By Nullifidian on 2007 06 18
Chris, I just checked my mail and have sent a reply.
Just to clarify, at the risk of buggering it up again (which, trust me, is likely given my track record…) I was referring, in my first paragraph, to bloggers who constantly participate in flame wars. These would be people other than Chris. (I thought this would be obvious). These might be people Chris reads (and defends, out of the goodness of his heart, against trolls and other shitheads). These would be people who seem unable to let shit go.
If I’d meant to express criticism of Chris I would have been direct and said “you” and I would have communicated my thoughts differently (respectfully) and privately.
If I thought Chris was a flamer I wouldn’t read his blog much less comment in it.
By: By Lesley on 2007 06 18
I thought I felt something. Theriomorph, I loved your Shalom post.
By: By Charles on 2007 06 18
What Charles said.
I printed it out and read it to Becky last night. When I read her things she usually has one of three reactions:
1) she immediately picks it apart
2) she immediately says “that was great!”
3) She falls asleep halfway through. (Usually it’s one of my blog posts that does this.)
Last night she was quiet for a long, long time. And then started crying, her bottled-up grief for Zeke freed.
By: By Chris Clarke on 2007 06 18
keep patting yourself on the back, Chris. You and the Chris Clarke Cult. Why don’t you try writing even JUST ONE THNG that doesn’t trash your so-called allies.
Keep writing about your dead dog. the grwnups have work to do.
By: By anon on 2007 06 18
He turned into the finest, most beautiful, noble, loving, gentle being I have ever met on two legs or four.
Your beautiful, noble, and gentle love turned him, Theriomorph; gave him the best friendship any human being can offer another. At the risk of sounding cheesily sentimental, can I just say how grateful and thankful I am that you exist?
That photo at the end…the only thing that could make it better would be making it bigger, like 600 X 800.
By: By Lesley on 2007 06 18
So glad that Chris hasn’t quit for good.
Theriomorph - awesome read, heart breaking stuff. Thank you.
{{{{Shalom/Therio}}}}
By: By sravana on 2007 06 18
Damn. Another blog that looks so good I’ll have to read it regularly.
By: By Rob G on 2007 06 19
There’s a new little meme running around the internets and you’ve been tagged with it.
http://ironicusmaximus.blogspot.com/
We’d be interested to read your response, but you have to understand, we don’t get out much.
By: By Ironicus on 2007 06 19
Thermomorph = better than Chris Clarke. Not a very high bar.
By: By anon on 2007 06 19
anon—there are lots of good hobbies out there. music. pick-up sports. hiking. horticulture. painting. writing. working on cars. beading. skateboarding. crochet. restoring antiques. tutoring. photography. any of them would be more satisfying. and dude, you won’t get grounded if you don’t read this blog.
Theriomorph, very lovely stuff you have written.
By: By kathy a on 2007 06 19
Chris: Glad to see you’re not gone for good, and I look forward to your return.
Theriomorph: Just beautiful.
By: By sabotabby on 2007 06 19
Do enjoy your vacation—I’ve been hiding from rampant vexation in my own corner of the blogoverse (Knitters have flame wars. who knew?), and I can surely attest that a step away to enjoy other things makes all the difference in the world.
By: By Kate on 2007 06 20
The blog world is not a place I want to be right now.
The correct term is blogosphere. You suck at the internets.
Embarrassed clarification, after three days: Whoa! I didn’t mean to imply I was ending it all. I said “right now� meaning “for a while.� Not “never again.� Maybe less than a month, maybe more, dunno.
The “after three days” bit kind of made you sound like a reluctant, postmodern Jesus in this paragraph.
Hope you’re well, man.
By: By the_bone on 2007 06 20
You suck at the internets.
I do! Over and over! And yet I haven’t gotten drop one of milk out of the damned things.
By: By Chris Clarke on 2007 06 20
Chris, perhaps the chance to Take Your Blog to the Course (and help me promote the LPGA) will be an interesting enough challenge to write something tangentially related to the U.S. Women’s Open next week that you would enjoy doing enough to take a break from your bloggy vacation?
By: By The Constructivist on 2007 06 21
anon seems gone, but I missed him till now, so I wanna play.
<strike>Shorter</strike> distilled anon:
Listen, fucko, those of us at dKos and all us Democratic consultants aren’t cutting you those huge blogging checks so that you can write about things you want to write about! What are you, some kind of political-rhetoric-draft dodger?
Really, I just don’t understand you identity types; I mean, just because some big group that says you’re in its tent tells everything you believe in and work for to go fuck itself, doesn’t mean that you don’t owe it your undying allegiance. Now shape up, or get off my damn internets!
By: By Auguste on 2007 06 21
It never fails to amaze me how much time people have on their hands for spreading negativity. We have a local version of “anon” on our newspaper’s story chat. Someone who left our fair town which HAS seen better times. However, this person seems compelled to constantly spew out ugly comments about whatever topic happens to be printed in the daily news, much like anon who does not get how distressing his or her comments really are.
Personally, I have loved your CRN blog. Of course, Zeke drew me in. Being a lifelong dog lover, I can understand what you are dealing with in your loss of him. I’m happy that you are allowing yourself a break.
Your plant knowledge amazes me. Great photos, makes me miss my oh so short time in Northern California. When you feel ready to join the blog world or sphere again, I will be looking forward to reading more!! You say tomAto, I say Tomahto, let’s call the whole thing off…..life is to be savored, hopefully with a little olive oil and basil, perchance…..Have a great summer.
By: By Linda on 2007 06 21
A nice Bay Area place to escape to (and that you may well be aware of), but which may be one of the most obscure National “parks”, is the Eugene O’Neill Historic Site which abuts Las Trampas Park. I had no idea that he had even spent time in California - I only discovered it recently because a friend happens to live nearby.
A good place for a respite from the Long Day’s Journey Into Night of teh Internets and popular culture.
By: By JP Stormcrow on 2007 06 21
Sitting as i am in the comfort and wonder of the University of Arizona library computer center, i decided to check into CRN. Damn, missed another round of CC doing what he does best.
I logged on because i was out walking in the hot morning radiance along the boundary of Tucson and the Sonoran desert today. And there was this section of trail, lined with an amazing collection of foilage (must be a spring near) through, under, over, around, which were no less than half a dozen species of very active and happy birds. They even tolerated a visit by this two-legged and a pair of very young crows; so happy and thrilled they were to be living in such luxuriance. Maybe it was the cicada bubble that seems to have hit this region—damn loud critters, as well as big and sort of ugly. Or perhaps it was just my thinking that same refrain (what would CC be thinking to write about???). Nevertheless, here i was, thinking thoughts of days gone by it seems. Oh well
By: By spyder on 2007 06 21
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