The Russians are here

Coffee with Clark page hits this week

I have no idea why, but the number of hits on this blog in the past two days has skyrocketed, because of good people in Russia.
I haven't even written about Russia, that country that lost 9 million people defending their country from Hitler. Even though this is is a non-political blog, I wonder if they wonder what's happening in this country, when the great Russian chess master Kasperov, compares Trump to Putin and Hitler.
Don't know, but welcome Russians, and a toast to freedom loving people everywhere who fear the iron fist of ego-driven authoritarian government.

Metaphor and more--blogs to think by

An infinity of shapes and lives and meanings

Metaphor. Yesterday's post about clouds continues today, in the skies and in the blogs I read.
Today's heat made clouds unlikely , other than a general high haze, but a few have drifted across the skies. It's good that clouds are like people and snowflakes...infinitely different, never the same. That's part of the fascination of living. An infinity of shapes and lives and meanings.
And metaphor helps tell the stories, helps make them clear and relevant...one reason among many that Christ's parables were so powerful.
A metaphor master in my mind is friend and colleague Sherri Ward, and her blog, Blonde Moments illustrates that every time she writes. There's usually humor, pathos, and concluding thoughts that almost take the wind out of you. The most recent post linked zip lining and life and God. I'm Tethered. 
Another blog that always causes me to stop and think, almost as a daily devotional, is Turtle Rock Farm, published by Henry Bellmon's daughters at their Billings retreat. The most recent post  will wake you up to the sounds of summer. Read Morning symphony.
And for an upbeat, avant-garde blog full of energy and offbeat content that'll make you enjoy thinking, you should look at Really Most Sincerely, the blog of my former student Sheri Guyse, a modern media maven. Read the most recent, The Internets.

Flags, and stories of the invaded, occupied, free

 The world is full of countries that have been independent, occupied, and freed over the centuries. Among the readers of today's blogs are citizens of two of those countries, and I've experienced stories involving both--The Philippines and  Ukraine.
The Philippines have a long history and were colonized and settled by the Spanish, taken over by America, and occupied by the Japanese.

The flag is integral to that history. As a result of the Spanish American War, the country became a U.S. Territory  but the revolutionaries who had fought Spain under the flag, then declared war on America. Most hostilities ended in 1902, but some continued until 1913. In 1916 the U.S. passed the Philippine Autonomy Act, pledging independence. It was partially granted in 1935, but WWII interrupted, and Americans suffered more than 62,000 casualties and 13,000 deaths in the war against the Japanese. The Philippines were granted complete independence in 1946.
That history is vivid to me because years ago a friend of our newspaper was a doctor who had survived the Bataan Death March. His stories were chilling
The flag is different in that it twice as long as wide. The eight primary rays of the sun represent the first group of provinces to start the 1898 revolution against Spain. The three stars represent the country's three regions, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. White for equality and fraternity; blue for peace, truth and justice; red for patriotism and valor. The white and sun symbolize unity, freedom, peoples democracy and sovereignty. If the country is at war, the red stripe goes on top.

Ukraine's flag was adopted in 1918 in its short lived Ukrainian People's Republic, following the Russian Revolution, but was later changed to red and red-blue flags as part of the USSR. It was officially restored in 1992 following independence, and flag day has been celebrated since 2004 on Aug. 23.

The colors symbolize the blue skies and golden wheat fields of the steppes, but the first representations of the colors for the Ukraine go back to pre-Christian times for ceremonies and represented fire and sky.
I remember growing up that one of my fellow high school students was a blond-haired girl who had Ukrainian royal blood. Her parents and grandmother had fled the Soviets.  That made the threat of communism very real to me.

New flag from far away, and an old friend

 A surprise this morning...a new reader from far away in Kazakhstan, the 92nd on the roll of countries for Coffee with Clark. Little known here, the country is the largest landlocked country in the world, bigger than Western Europe, and only landlocked country int eh world to be in two continents, Europe and Asia. Part of the geography we were never taught, because it used to be part of the USSR.
And this week, other readers returned from very close, yet sometimes very far away culturally for us gringos, Mexico.

Similar flags, hemispheres apart

 Today's blog readers include the Polish and the Indonesians. I discovered their flags are  opposites, just like their hemispheres. Although you see the Polish coat of arms here, that is the official government flag. Elsewhere in the country it's just white over red. And in Indonesia....

Deadline assignment for blogging class

Find something in today's New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/pages/todayspaper/index.html that is of interest to you, preferably on a subject related to your blog, and post a 150-word comment about it, including the link to the article, and a related image, if you can find it.
Like this:

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/19/seeking-an-artists-touch-for-the-new-tappan-zee-bridge/?ref=todayspaper

Due by 10:45 today.

I'm global-ly astounded--countries and continents

This is a little ol' Oklahoma blog, one that continues to change as I learn more. It probably won't ever make much money because it's not a "niche" blog, though my goal this year is to develop it into selling my watercolors.

Cool graphic by first grade teacher
 Becky Laikos, teacher of the
year in Chesapeake, Va
http://eclipse.cps.k12.va.us/Schools/BMW/animated_glob.gif.

But what astounds me are the readers. Sure, most of them are from Oklahoma, and America, but the hit stats from around the world are amazing, reaching 40 countries on every continent except Antarctica. I wish I knew who the people were and  their stories.


After the United States, guess where the most readership comes from? Germany, followed by Russia! Then, United Kingdom, Netherlands, India, Slovenia, Ukraine, France and Canada.


Wish I could explain those interests. But there are others that make me even more curious, though the number of hits are relatively low--Japan, Israel, Cosa Rica, Bangledesch, Pakistan, Brazil, Australia, Egypt, Indonesia, Bosnia and Herzegovnia, United Arab Emirates, Croatia, Thailand, Philippines, Sweden, Latvia, South Korea, Spain, Italy, Chile, China, Columbia, Romania, Iran, Algeria, Turkey, Gabon, Hong Kong, Poland.

Inspiration, and a coffee shop?

Wide open skies...fellow blogger and lover of New Mexico Alan Bates of Tulsa, Yogi's Den, http://www.yogis-den.com/ changed the layout of his blog recently, including a photo of what looks like Osage County and the Great Plains. I love it, and he includes a story of one of his hobbies, geocaching. You gotta read it.

I've been tinkering with my blog, and need to do more, soon as computer whiz kid and son Travis helps me, naturally.

Creativity runs in cycles, or hard work primarily, but travel and friends and ideas all help.

Driving into Paseo yesterday I needed a cub of coffee. Two convenience stores didn't have any. So I went to the friendly folks at Picasso's cafe, a few doors up from Adelante! Gallery.

But it got me to thinking. What does Paseo not have? A coffee shop.

Oh, it used to have a dingy one where a martini bar now is, but maybe I need to consider a coffee shop there. Not that I have the money for something fancy like Coffee Slingers, or perhaps as hippie with it as Red Cup, or as evangelical as Full Cup, but maybe...

Think I could make a go of it? Wi-Fi? Sure, what else?

Osage musings, and a star

I'm assuming every blogger in Oklahoma envies and admires Ree Drummond,  thepioneerwoman.com for her award-winning blog, started in only 2006, and now to be made a movie of.

Driving to the bed and breakfast this week across the wide-open spaces of The Osage on fall break, On scenic byway U.S. 60 east of Pawhuska, Susan and I passed this gate.

I told Susan, "I'll bet that's the gate to the home of Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman."

We stayed at the Inn at Woodyard Farms Bed and Breakfast, 918-287-2699--three miles north of Pawhuska--where I had the best waffle this morning I've ever had in my life, and which does not have  a website and has been in business for 21 years and which we saw in Oklahoma Today--, and also traveled to Bartlesville, Drummond's home town, and Susan bought her bookbook at the fantastic Woolaroc, Frank Phillips' gift to Oklahoma.

New York Times bestseller--what a success story

More photos and thoughts of bed and breakfast, The Osage, and Bartlesville, and Woolaroc coming soon.

Poetry of Power, the pages of August

I wrote in April of poet Jeanetta Calhoun Mish, whose poetry book, Work is Love Made Visible, won the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum's Wrangler Award. I pet her and got a signed first edition, and discovered a new poet, for me. She writes of Oklahoma, pairing old black and white family photos with her written images.

Then I discovered she has founded Mongrel Empire Press of Norman, and publishes other writers. Her web page is www.tonguetiedwoman.com.Website for her publishing business is http://www.mongrelempirepress.org

All that said, she and others will be at Oklahoma Labor Fest next weekend in the Plaza District, reading poetry Thursday evening  with others and "personing" a book table, as she wrote me. That link: http://www.redflagpress.com/oklahomarevelator/laborfest/2010info.htm

 She's been kind enough to send me several of the books she's published for review. Most of the work she handles seems to be poetry, but not all. Here's what the books also have in common--many have black and white photos--which I identify with from my photojournalist days--and many are from Oklahoma authors.

It is exciting to "discover" so many talented poets and writers that I've missed out on over the years--and humbling, and inspirational. Susan and I "discovered" Jimmie Santiago Baca http://www.jimmysantiagobaca.com/years ago at an Albuquerque conference. He's  become sort of the old man of Chicano poetry, writing about places where I grew up, but from a different view than we gringos had.

His poetry--like those from blog-friends Kay Lawson Gilbert, Alan Bates. Ronald Rabenold and T.R. Ryan (Check their blogs on my sidebar--Old Mossy Moon, Yogi's Den, Cultured Carbon County, and From the Faraway Nearby)--and like the poets I'm reading from Mongrel Empire, stretch my mind and make me want to write--not poetry, but write.

That's the power of poetry.

Next, you're going to be amazed by the excerpts of what I'm reading.

A poet returns

K. Lawson Gilbert, blogfriend and fellow traveler, has returned after months of health imposed exile. Finally, too much pressure built up inside to be held within to hold back her images and words fortunately for all of us, on her blog "Old Mossy Moon."

I wrote her that while many of us cannot live in "artist colonies" physically to gain strength and inspiration and health from others, we are fortunate to have access to this new kind of art colony--I refuse to cal it "digital," or "blogosphere." How about "blog colony"? I don't know, suggestions? But that doesn't matter, since we can connect and feed off one another.

My blog has not withered, but waned this month. Thanks, Kay, for the transfusion.

Read these, and prepare to be stunned: http://oldmossymoon.blogspot.com/

Memorial Day

Coming this weekend..."I wish I knew Buster." Memorial Day essay. And more, from Honor Flight to DC with WWII vets.

Been busy writing for the Journal Record in OKC. Pretty Well written out, but I'll make up for it. Also start teaching my blogging class on Tuesday.

Bylined and sidelined

Yesterday marked the first birthday of my blog...and I didn't write!

When I started out, I had no idea where this was going, and then I learned  most blogs that are started just sort of evaporate for lack of continuity.

And I meant to write yesterday, for the 503rd post in the past 365 revolutions the earth has made in one trip around the sun.  But ironically, I was pooped. I'd been writing for a living.

Put out the word, "Will write for food." Given recent events, I'm trying to get money for bills for the summer when income may dry up. I've gone to work as a freelancer for the month at the Journal Record, the daily business newspaper of Oklahoma City.

I noticed they had a reporter's position open, and called the editor Ted Strueli; he hired me as a freelancer until their new hire shows up.

So yesterday, finding myself assigned energy and real estate, I scrambled to find my way to more than just the bathroom in the offices in downtown Oklahoma City. Before the day was done, I'd written a story about Chesapeake Energy's first quarter production update. The information was released at 3:35 after the stock market closed. My deadline was 5 p.m. By the time I got home about 6 p.m., I'd discovered two things, other than what "bcfe" and "mmcfe" meant. I can still report and write on deadline. And I'm pooped. So I forgot to blog, with the help of a "little something," as my friend Bob Illidge used to say.

Today, I turned out four pieces. My wife is laughing at me...now that I have to "work" for a living. I admit...being a professor is a good life. I have a renewed appreciation for journalists...most of these people are so young, but they're very good and professional, hour after hour, day after day, usually turning out at least two stories a day.

And now, as I sit down to blog, I can think back about how far this has come in a year. I never dreamed I'd be posting art, photography and more, including including long serialized narratives.

I've met lots of interesting fellow bloggers and readers. It's been a rich education in technology and ideas and people. One friend told me "I had my newspaper back," and the neat thing about this is that I can include more than I could with just black ink on newsprint. And then, to my satisfaction, I earned the best writing award in the statewide contest. It's still content!

Goals for the next year include improvement, technologically, including perhaps a web page set up. But most of all, I want more followers, regular readers...and perhaps another award.  It might happen, if my bylines as a freelancer don't sideline the blog.

"Still crazy after all these years."

Blogging right along--this summer?

Note to T.R., on his comment on my Billy Collins post:

"I think we need to organize an Okie bloggers meeting--let's not call it a convention, where we can meet, eat, burp and share ideas? What do you think? Want to try it sometime this summer?"

Are you interested? conventions cost money. Let's just meet and charge enough to pay for a meeting room somewhere? Ideas?

Excitement? Sure.

My wife often asks if I'm "excited" about such and such, and you know old journalism geezers like myself, we don't get "excited," or at least admit it.

But today, I'm excited. Winning the Best Writing category in the Okie Blog Awards made my day. I didn't even know the awards existed when I started this scree 10 months ago. The last time I won a journalism award was back in 1996 for a second place headline in the SPJ contest for a headline I wrote when copy editing at The Oklahoman: "Feds Prop/Won't Stop/Buck's Drop." 60 point, 2 col head on business page.A masterpiece on deadline! A rimrat's byline!

You are not a journalist to win awards. You are a journalist because you "bleed ink," to quote a favorite journalist. Winning an award is affirmation from your peers of excellence, an award to your ego and self esteem.

That's why we always entered the OPA Sweepstakes Awards at the Waurika News-Democrat. My "old-school" partner, Donald J. Morrison, didn't have time to enter, but I believed it was worth my effort to enter since we worked so hard. I knew quality when I saw it, and Morrison embodied that in his demands for excellence in a small weekly newspaper in a small Oklahoma County Seat. I'm proud of the fact that in my 12 years there, we won first place in our circulation category seven times, and second several times. Those old trophies are gathering dust somewhere in Waurika, or have long since been trashed. But I'm just as proud that Jeff Kaley  (one of the wittiest, best writers in the state who Morrison would have really liked) has returned the News-Democrat to the winner's status, first place last year, second this. He deserves the credit for hard work and excellence, and I am proud as a grandfather, I guess.

So today, to learn of winning the blog award for writing, I felt the old charge, and the tinge of respectability that came in congrats from students, ex-students, friends, fellow journalists. Content still counts, and journalism ain't dead, and I ain't a dinosaur. I'm still a journalist, and proud of it.

Thanks for the comments and kudos. I "only" have 38 followers on my blog  and my ego wants more, naturally. Journalism is an ego business...bylines and awards are the pay for hard work and talent. I've had up to 200 hits a day, but usually much less. Today was over 100! But that's not why I write. It just seems to come oozing out of my pores, along with watercolor and photos, unthinkable in the old days when I wrote a weekly column, "Trail Talk," at Waurika (on the Chisholm Trail). This is a discovery business. I'm still learning the technology and will make more changes this year, with the help of son Travis and colleague Zach Nash. 

I rarely dip into politics in this blog, because there's enough of that...until someone tramples on my rights as this past week. I think there's a lot of good and beauty in the world, Okies are good people whose stories need to be told, and thoughts that need to be shared. I'm thankful that this blog has helped me rediscover journalism and provide an outlet for creativity and new friends and ideas. Encore!

And tonight, wife Susan, who is also excited by the award,  is preparing  from the recipe of Mosca's in New Orleans,  Chicken a la Grande, with olive oil, garlic, rosemary, oregano and white wine. Plus a large tossed salad. Plus white wine. 

mmmmmmmmmmm

I'm excited.

http://oklahomablogawards.blogspot.com

Best Writing!

"Coffee with Clark"  won the Best Writing category in the statewide Okie Blog Awards for 2009.

 Thanks folks. I guess the old geezer can still write.

In addition, UCO grad and former student  Zach Nash, won the Best Photography blog.  http://zachnash.com/blog/

Link to the awards:


http://oklahomablogawards.blogspot.com/

Blog vote please

Help bloggers! Vote now in the Okie blog of the year contest. Coffee with Clark is a finalist in new blog and best writing, Zach Nash is a finalist in photography and design, and Erudite Redneck is a finalist in liberal leaning political. Please vote for us. To vote, go to Okie blog for the ballot. You must vote in 12 of the 24 categories...and be an Okie blogger

Vote deadline is this week, please by Feb. 14

Here's the email address for the ballot: http://2009okieblogawards@gmail.com

You must put your URL for your blog on the ballot

It's an honor to be included in the lists of finalists twice.  Each category has about 9-11 finalists. I didn't have time to look them all up, but chose enough so the vote would count. You can go to Okieblog home for the ballot categories if you wish. http://www.blogoklahoma.com/

Thanks,

 Here are my recommendations:

Best Overall Blog
The Pioneer Woman
Best Arts/Crafts Blog Tater Tots and Fire Hoses
Best Business-Related Blog
Third Degree Creative
Best Culture Blog
The Apache House
Best Blog Design
Zach Nash
Best Family Blog
Yogi's Den
Best Food Blog
The Pioneer Woman
Most Humorous Blog
Miss Wisabus
Best Kept Secret
Scissor Tales
Best New Blog of 2009
Coffee with Clark
Best Photography Blog
Zach Nash Photography
Best Political Blog (Conservative)
McCarville Report
Best Political Blog (Liberal Leaning)
Erudite Redneck
Best Representation of Oklahoma
The Pioneer Woman

Best Rural Blog
The Pioneer Woman
Best Single Topic Blog
Oklahoma Writers and Authors
Best Veteran Blogger (5+Years)
McCarville Report

Best Writing
Coffee with Clark

Coming blog header photos

Ok, these are a few of several I intend  for the coming year.

What I want to do is figure out how to have a slide show that switches every 20 seconds or so, but I haven't found the answer yet. Ideas?

Stunning, "Silence," art and poetry

MEDITATION

Just out the window,
black silhouettes of trees
remind me of those
halcyon days with you,
when we climbed out of the
cellar toward enlightenment.
Now, at a glance, the wild
birds swing into view,
obscuring the real world
of young men dying
to get home, and the
snow that falls on
our brains stays solid - never
melting into springtime.
On the ferry, we sit and
compare notes as to whom
in life has suffered the most;
men, women, boys, or girls?
Suddenly, in a revelation, you
say it is the Buddha over on
Main, who sits on his plywood
altar, surrounded by plastic
flowers, subjected to all the
passersby, who have never had
a Zen thought of their own…

--K. Lawson Gilbert

I am stunned by this gift to go with my painting. I've met this Pennsylvania poet through my blog and hers, Old Mossy Moon. Here's the link...prepare to be stunned by the depth of her poetry.

http://oldmossymoon.blogspot.com/

That's how we've connected...blogosphere, as the techies say. She loves Whitman so we have common ground. She offered to buy a watercolor for a Christmas card--which I sent, and then I did one of Old Mossy Moon just for the fun of it. Instead of a check for the art, I said, "I'll trade you a poem." Art for art. I'm stunned. Neither of us are going to retire on our art, but all art is kin. Images some of which I can't comprehend, but so...a poem is a work of art, like any other art...I don't have to comprehend...it just is. And this matches my watercolor in mood and image.

This was my Jan. 5 birthday painting, a child of frustration of being too much of a Capricorn, posted under "Capricorn days," as I listened to Simon and Garfunkel's "Sounds of Silence."

Thank you Kay. Everytime I read it, I see and feel more. Walt would be proud.