http://faultline.org Writing and Photography from the Mojave Desert en Chris Clarke coyotecrossing@faultline.org Sat, 19 May 2012 20:28:34 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/open_letter_to_the_right_wing/#61738 This is no different than when women could not vote, blacks had no rights, and intrarace race marriage was not allowed.  It is pure foolishness.  We are one “Homo sapien” species and man or woman, black, white, gay or straight we all have the same inalienable rights.  Nothing more, nothing less.  And if you think differently, excuse me, but your are a bigot. Again, nothing more, nothing less. Wild_Bill Sat, 19 May 2012 20:28:34 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/open_letter_to_the_right_wing/#61699 Thank you so much for this post.  It seems all we hear are the braying voices and everything else just gets drowned out.  Our media thrive on conflict, and the voices of reason rarely get a chance to be heard, so I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to read words of sanity from a clearly intelligent thinker.  I want to believe there are more of us than the spreading cancer of ignorance and fear that’s washing over the country as if it were the 15th century all over again.  Sometimes I think we’re caught in an endless loop and history will never stop repeating itself.  When it doesn’t depress me, it irritates me no end, but as long as there are still those of us who refuse to remain silent, I believe we can still prevail.  At the same time, for most people it’s easier to let apathy take hold, never realizing until it’s too late that all your rights have been taken away.  I only hope we get galvanized en masse before the dark lessons of history assert themselves again. Tracey A. Tue, 15 May 2012 17:15:55 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/open_letter_to_the_right_wing/#61662 In _Animal Farm_ there’s a bit where the ideological animals are talking about how the revolution is inevitable, and some “stupid” turkeys ask, if it’s inevitable, why are we working so hard for it anyway? The arc of the universe does nothing by itself.  It’s people who make things better or worse.  Sometimes it feels like magic, like inevitability (good or bad) when a lot of us move in the same direction at the same time.  But when it comes right down to it, it’s still just individual people deciding to go in that direction. I have hope that a lot of us are getting galvanized to go in a better direction.  I don’t trust the universe to make this happen; but I do hope that I’m seeing it happening right now. MaryKaye Fri, 11 May 2012 11:09:09 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/open_letter_to_the_right_wing/#61660 And a fine joint it is, too. Worse than the braying tone of the now-disappeared comment, and maybe even worse than its snide hostility to a sincere previous commenter, was the clear mis-reading of that prior commenter’s post.  I don’t mean disagreement, I mean just flat-out 920-total-SAT (on the new scale) incompetence in reading.  Supercilious assery is bad enough, but stupid supercilious assery is clearly worthy of the 86. Of course, I’ve now thrashed on a previous (albeit absent) commenter myself.  Do what you need to do. Sherwood Harrington Thu, 10 May 2012 21:36:50 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/open_letter_to_the_right_wing/#61659 I just deleted a comment whose essence I agreed with because the person who wrote it decided the best way to make his point was to attack a previous commenter. That’s not inherently wrong, but in this case he was being a supercilious ass. On his first comment here. Thus the deletion. This blog isn’t a free for all. Be a grownup or don’t comment.  My joint my rules the end. Chris Clarke Thu, 10 May 2012 19:34:44 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/open_letter_to_the_right_wing/#61654 It’s been an emotional day in North Carolina.  Amendment 1 passed, and some of us, possibly me, started to wonder if the arc of the universe actually doesn’t bend anywhere near justice.  Instead, my poor little saddened, broken heart was telling me that it was more likely that THEY would continue winning.  And then Obama spoke, shattering my desperation and pity, filling me with hope and pride and and satisfaction.  And the cherry on the damn Sunday is this amazing letter. Thank you for sharing, and I cannot wait to share this with my friends and family to remind them that we are strong and we are many, and so long as there is hope, we will find a way to be unified and more forward together because luck doesn’t last forever. Sarah Wed, 09 May 2012 21:04:59 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/open_letter_to_the_right_wing/#61650 Thank you, thank you, thank you. J. Wed, 09 May 2012 16:05:19 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/open_letter_to_the_right_wing/#61649 There’s a song that keeps coming back to me in times like this.  It’s been around for a dozen years, and it keeps getting fresher—and louder in my head—every time.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcrAKOrHKoE Sherwood Wed, 09 May 2012 15:36:28 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/open_letter_to_the_right_wing/#61645 Damn Chris, you are a patient guy.  “Running out of patience”?  Hell, my own ‘patience tank’ has beeon on “E” since spring or maybe summer of 2009, about the time the teabaggers showed up at their Bund Meeting, aheh, excuse me “Rallies”, with guns and the cops wouldn’t touch ‘em.  This is worse than the 60’s.  This is Weimar Germany 1932 running tnot ‘33.  The Teabaggers, especially the religious types want us dead.  They really believe we are ‘the devil’.  This is how you enable people to kill other people without qualms.  They’re not killing a person, just like my late father in law wasn’t killing real people in the Ardennes in ‘44.  He was killing ‘krauts’.  By the way, now they are scared. You know what happens when a rat gets scaared?  He fights like a thing posessed.  It’s no accident that the phrase ‘fights like a cornered rat’ is out there in the verbiage.  All I can say is, the way things are going, considering how scared the teabaggers are getting, I’ve got one word of advice for Obama:  For God’s sake man, don’t go to Dallas…” Steve Gyetko Wed, 09 May 2012 09:55:32 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/vote_solar_to_tortoises_drop_dead/#61620 You’ve done your homework and are spot on with the issues surrounding industrial solar.  Big Energy and subsidy hounds are pushing industrial scale solar to fill their coffers and continue the energy monopoly they hold over us.  Time for a new paradigm and feed-in tariffs! Kim Williams Thu, 03 May 2012 11:48:54 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/vote_solar_to_tortoises_drop_dead/#61618 Excellent, eloquent, and enlightening.  Well played, Chris. JT Barnstormer Thu, 03 May 2012 07:04:39 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/mouths_of_babes_desert_solar_edition/#61598 Chris:  Saturday we were at Hidden Hills the Cathedral in the desert.  As you know basically solar Ground Zero for the Bright Source project.  At first, the plan was just to screen non commercial films to the lonely desert until i learned the plight of this area and the future of our beautiful desert through your blog. We screened films to the lonely desert and have been trying to document the story of the struggle of this pristine area, currently at risk of sacrifice for large solar energy company profits.  (Not smart solar energy) link: http://theforgottenfilmgallery.wordpress.com/  Lately, this remote area has also been heavily vandalized. Queho’s grave especially. Thank you for opening my eyes to the truth. -g G. Correli Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:11:41 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/mouths_of_babes_desert_solar_edition/#61597 Chris:  Saturday we drove to Hidden Hills the Cathedral in the desert.  As you know basically solar Ground Zero for the Bright Source project. Was vandalized heavily.  We screened films to the beautiful lonely desert and are documenting http://theforgottenfilmgallery.wordpress.com/ Thank you for opening my eyes to the truth of what is happening with these large for profit solar projects in the Southwest region.  Keep up the good fight! -g G. Correli Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:42:38 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/mouths_of_babes_desert_solar_edition/#61592 This is a story that I have longed to hear. One to ponder, one that gives hope for the future. It gives me hope. Bill Mcdonald Sun, 29 Apr 2012 21:52:21 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/mouths_of_babes_desert_solar_edition/#61591 Hey, all right!!! Dave Sun, 29 Apr 2012 15:19:25 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/vote_solar_to_tortoises_drop_dead/#61587 Bleh.  Even if you want to build giant industrial solar in the desert, There’s plenty of spolt, disrupted desert out there already.  Phoenix Metro area?  The nuclear exclusion zones in Nevada? The question I have is, why hasn’t the pristine habitat been transferred from the BLM to a conservation agency yet?  You have to expect the BLM to be into destruction of nature, they’re institutionally designed that way.  This is why land was transferred to National Wildlife Refuges, National Parks, etc. and away from the BLM. Nathanael Sat, 28 Apr 2012 06:50:04 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/vote_solar_to_tortoises_drop_dead/#61581 I think that conversation is going to be a an educational opportunity in exactly one direction. Have to give Browning credit for contacting you, though. Every day I have to engage in my little meditative moment of fantasy, in which I imagine where we would be if those who pass themselves off as protectors of the environment and/or pursuers of a better plan actually were those things. Rrr..i..i…i…i.i..i.i..ght. Janine Blaeloch Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:58:37 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/vote_solar_to_tortoises_drop_dead/#61580 I checked out their annual report and way in the back pages they have their advisers, including the BrightSource Energy main legal hired gun, Haubenstock along with Levin, a former CEC Commissioner. Nice slick brochure full of smiling young faces, bound to get other idealistic young folk aboard the solar train. A note to all you young folks thinking about climbing onto the Vote Solar bandwagon- who do you think is really running this show? Take a look, 81% of their funding is from foundations and 9% is from corporate donations, who do you think is providing a lot of the money going to these foundations? It sure ain’t coming from bake sales or car washes. Folks, you know you have struck a major painful nerve when the founder of the organization that you skewered makes the first comment you receive, wanting to talk! Keep it up, Chris! Bill Mcdonald Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:35:43 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/vote_solar_to_tortoises_drop_dead/#61578 Chris, Thank you for the post. I read every word.  As usual, I am disgusted by the solar take over of the desert.  I’m sure you’ve seen this but just in case: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0418-foxes-distemper-20120418,0,2935351.story Betsy Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:26:40 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/vote_solar_to_tortoises_drop_dead/#61577 chris- thank you for your work. i don’t think your post fairly represents what we are doing, why we are doing it, or how we are going about it.  i’d like to discuss it with you.  if you’d send me an email at adam@votesolar.org i’d like to set up a time to talk. adam Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:24:53 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/earth_day_redux/#61547 Your post on Earth Day stirred me and reverberated with how I often feel about our environmental efforts. I love your writing, Chris. Julie Michaud Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:36:50 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/earth_day_redux/#61545 interesting and well stated point of view. Beautiful and poetic writing. Enjoyed. Stacy Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:37:37 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/my_name_is_chris_and_im_aneurotypical/#61512 god help me.  god help us all ... Brian Ertz Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:58:31 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/my_name_is_chris_and_im_aneurotypical/#61510 You aren’t by any means alone. But being in the bowels of depression is a very lonely experience. Raising a daughter with bipolar taught me much. I also learned that the area under the curve is not as narrow as the medical community and our society want us to believe. And Sapolsky rocks. macrobe Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:52:29 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/my_name_is_chris_and_im_aneurotypical/#61509 Bipolar on my end. If it weren’t for lamotrigine I’m not sure I’d still be respiring. This is a good epistle, Chris. Thanks. Warren Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:28:57 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/my_name_is_chris_and_im_aneurotypical/#61507 Yes, I wondered where my friend had gone. Currently, I would say that I am experiencing the most intense and most vivid return to depression that I’ve experienced for many years, probably the worst since I thought I might die of cancer.  I could still die of it, the old crapshoot of which method of execution is on its way, but I no longer engage that particular fear nor believe it will happen in any short order.  Still, the times have infected me, like zombie saliva. Some days, I wonder if we’re all not going to wake up as some other ur-being, lurching through emotional, ecological and economic ruins grasping for some livelier creature whose fleshy vitality we hope to consume in order to survive just one more day. When I fall hard, I reach out for my most trusted friends, who don’t seem to mind my various flavors of hysteria, doom and manic, ironically absurd optimism. I’m not, clinically, bi-polar, but even while I face my depression longing for rest, I also tend to hit the accelerator in hopes that progress will alleviate my horrid all blanketing terror of not succeeding.  After losing it and yelling at my son for sabotaging his game of Battleship when he didn’t get as many hits as I got, I realized that he and I both become dysfunctional when we aren’t succeeding.  So now, I get to face the fear of not making it, while also attempting to find ways to demonstrate that you can *not succeed,* or not yet, or whatever and survive and deal with the disappointment in a better way than yelling, crying or wishing you were dead.  I only wish I could sit with a friend and commiserate.  Better than cohabitate, it is the only math in which misery added to misery sums up to less misery. Sharon Leach Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:17:20 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/my_name_is_chris_and_im_aneurotypical/#61506 Chris, I’ve been married to a depressive for just shy of 27 years now.  Like the song says, “Sometimes it’s heaven, sometimes hell, sometimes I don’t even know”.  All I know is I’d be lost without her.  She’s getting some help but she still has rough days/weeks.  Like a Harley going into a series of curves, ‘sit down, shut up and hang on’, and, realize that if I think it’s tough seeing it from the outside, it’s nothing at all comparable to being on the inside.  I just stay as supportive as possible.  There are some places that offer sliding scale or even pro bono help.  I hope you can find something like that.  Hang in there. Steve Gyetko Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:31:36 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/my_name_is_chris_and_im_aneurotypical/#61505 Oh, there you are. And yeah. Ron Sullivan Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:50:05 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/desert_solar_bingo/#61407 This is an enjoyable essay, as far as the bingo card. But it does hurt to think about how the Big Utilities will get to rape not only the consumer, but our last pristine eco-system -the deserts. Thank you for keeping your site going. If the Powers that Be wanted to, they could put wind and solar on the roof tops of every home in California and other places where it is sunny so often. Wind turbines no longer take up any more space than an attic fan, and look pretty much the same. But it is all about helping the Big Polluting interests, and taking us away from nature. Carol Joy Sun, 08 Apr 2012 19:03:52 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/the_oblivion_bridge/#61363 I find the concept of the Oblivion Bridge extremely comforting.  To remember that death begets life in so many ways is encouraging.  (Though I’ve said in the past that I wanted my ashes to be dropped in a subduction trench, so I could eventually become part of a volcano. :-) ) Karen Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:35:43 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/the_oblivion_bridge/#61362 The only “Rainbow Bridge” I had ever heard of was a posthumous-released Jimi Hendrix album in 1971. I wondered why vets were giving that out with the ashes of our well-loved pets. I hadn’t thought about that album in so many years, so I checked Wikipedia and found this: The pairing of Rainbow Bridge with The Cry of Love comprises the bulk of the most complete tracks that Hendrix was intending to release on his next (double) LP, First Rays of the New Rising Sun. I like the idea of the Rainbow Bridge being paired with The Cry of Love. That works for me. The other Rainbow Bridge is just such mindless drivel and cloying silliness. Your Oblivion Bridge is so much more comforting to me. I’m going to copy it and keep it on file. We’re all crossing that bridge. robin andrea Thu, 05 Apr 2012 09:38:56 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/the_oblivion_bridge/#61350 I had never even heard of the Rainbow Bridge until my cat died. As far as I was concerned, the Rainbow Bridge is the English name for Bifrost, the bridge made of a rainbow that connects Asgard and Midgard in Norse mythology. When I looked it up, I did think it was a sort of mythological stopgap for Christians who get told that animals don’t go to heaven. I believe in reincarnation, personally, so it didn’t really help. But I thought it was kind of people to mention it, though it is a bit schmalzy. I love your description of the constituent molecules being mixed in with everything. On days when I don’t believe in reincarnation, the imagery of dissolution into everything else is equally lovely. Yewtree Wed, 04 Apr 2012 09:22:49 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/the_oblivion_bridge/#61341 Not to mention. Even if one does entertain a belief in an afterlife, or is agnostic on the question, the Rainbow Bridge is the realm of My Little Pony.  Plastic, insipid, unnatural, egocentric and childish. I don’t know what happened to the individual identities that were Mel and Lilly when they departed this mortal coil, but I’m as sure as I could possibly be that they are not patiently waiting for me to come complete them. What am I, a dissolute Chinese emperor? For a real emetic experience, look up the self-congratulatory glurge that is the rainbow bridge for animal rescuers. H. Houlahan Tue, 03 Apr 2012 21:05:01 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/the_oblivion_bridge/#61337 Thank you! I always feel like so mean-spirited when I diss the Rainbow Bridge (though I devoted a section of my book Am I Boring My Dog to doing just that). This is a lovely way of explaining how some of us feel about The Bridge. And it’s not even mean spirited. Edie Jarolim Tue, 03 Apr 2012 14:55:35 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/the_oblivion_bridge/#61336 Beautifully put, Chris. Sheelzebub Tue, 03 Apr 2012 11:38:24 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/posted_without_comment/#61334 The year 2008 i sent about 200 of my books to various reading clubs and bloggers. Hoping for more exposure and a wider audience.  Got some good and some bad reviews. Many of the books i sent were sold back on Amazon Market Place for much less then what i could have sold them new as the publisher. To this day i still have to compete with those books for a sale on Amazon Market Place listed by fans and others. G. Tue, 03 Apr 2012 09:29:20 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/the_oblivion_bridge/#61331 Re:  “Oblivion Bridge”.  Good stuff.  If only more people could see this side of atheists, and atheism in general.  No animosity, no hostility, just a belief in non-belief, mixed, in this case, with a gentle wit and tolerance, sadly lacking in many of those who self identify as ‘people of faith’.  All too often these ‘people of faith’ are vicious, petty, mean ‘spirited’ folk, actively hostile to the notion that some of us do not subscribe to their view.  Frankly, it seems a bit odd to me that they would invest so much energy in vitriolic, vociferous attacks on the athiest community.  From here it seems like such a waste of time. Steve Gyetko Tue, 03 Apr 2012 03:37:12 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/the_oblivion_bridge/#61328 “All their component parts now gently mix into a thriving ecosystem that supports other beautiful animals as they live their own lives, just as we remember our loved ones doing in our dreams of days and times gone by.”  Nicely put, Chris, although I confess I sometimes harbor just a slight hope that at least a few of those molecules from my late grandfather’s body are coursing through the circulatory system or comprising the musculature of the wing of a sharp-eyed hawk or eagle, soaring over the rolling hills of Missouri, as was his expressed wish in his lifetime. Not that he would be aware of their presence there, of course. Jean Ossorio Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:55:49 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/holding_the_rabbit/#61317 Hi Chris, I checked out your blog today and found out about Thistle. I am so sorry for your loss, Chris. This post left me crying - In the end, Thistle needed your closeness. All the best, Julie Julie Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:24:41 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/south_of_graham_pass/#61300 Gorgeous indeed! I’ve never been Black HIlls before, therefore looks like I’m heading there soon. Thanks Mary Frank Thu, 29 Mar 2012 01:11:06 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/i_love_you_thistle/#61269 Beautiful rabbit.  Your love for animals is contagious and wonderful.  Thanks for sharing your four-legged family with all of us.  Thistle was a good friend to you.  Very sorry to hear of your loss. Cowtown Pattie Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:15:54 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/i_love_you_thistle/#61266 There are really no words, nor any amount of compassion that can console someone who has lost a dear friend, human or animal.  Keep loving things the way you do.  Your compassion is inspirational to me (and others I’m sure).  Having lost some of my best friends I have some inkling of how you must feel. Wild_Bill Mon, 26 Mar 2012 07:06:27 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/holding_the_rabbit/#61256 Hope you’re feelin’ the love.. rose Sun, 25 Mar 2012 14:58:09 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/i_love_you_thistle/#61249 Chris, it’s taken me two days to comment here; I remember losing animals that were dear to me and remembering the pain,  and it’s just hard to think about what you’re going through.  Thistle had a fine life, and through you I got a glimpse into what kind of creature a rabbit is;  you did both a fine job of caring for him and also sharing him. I’m so sorry for your loss. Karen Sat, 24 Mar 2012 14:37:37 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/about_chris/#61243 Chris, do you ever go to the desert symposium?  The one at zzyyx (sounds like a sneeze). -K Ken Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:54:41 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/i_love_you_thistle/#61242 Thistle seems gone but the beauty of your posts, and quite a bit of Thistle, is still bumping around.  In your back yard, and elsewhere.  So long, Thistle! Ken Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:51:29 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/i_love_you_thistle/#61241 That’s because I used <bink> tags. Chris Clarke Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:26:47 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/i_love_you_thistle/#61240 Something very odd and yet very appropriate: every time I load this page, that wonderful picture of Thistle twitches a little bit, as though the whole image is… hopping. Sherwood Harrington Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:22:44 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/i_love_you_thistle/#61239 Rest in peace, Thistle. Thanks for being such a great companion! CW Christopher Williams Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:49:15 -0500 http://faultline.org/site/item/i_love_you_thistle/#61233 Chris, so sorry to hear of Thistle’s passing…...I love the picture of Zeke and Thistle together, and I might add those awesome raised planters in the background.  Both Zeke and Thistle had the best kind of life…...loved. Hoping you will still be around Palms Springs at the end of April and take a trip up to Twentynine Palms, we would love to have you, Ann annietiques Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:51:57 -0500