Internationally speaking, or writing

If you're interested, here are the countries, by continents, who have had readers click on Coffee with Clark over the years, in addition to the five in the previous post.
 Africa--Libya, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Ghana, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Tunisia, Togo, Mauritania, Mali, South Africa,  Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea 
Asia--China, Japan, India, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong,  Bhutan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Pakistan, Thailand, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Taiwan, Mongolia, Nepal, Kazakhstan

Central America--Panama, Guatemala, Belize, Costa Rica, Honduras
Caribbean--Trinidad and Tobago, Puerto Rico, Sint Maartin, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Caymans, Bahamas
 Europe--Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, F.Y.R.O.Macedonia, Malta, Moldova,  Monaco,  Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia,  Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia
 Indian Ocean--Maldives, Mauritius
Mideast--Israel, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Lebanon 
North America--US, Canada, Mexico
Oceania--Guam, Australia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Fiji, Philippines, Indonesia
South America--Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, French Guiana, Guyana, Uruguay

The blog at 130 "countries"--Las Vegas east

• 2-14--Palestine
• 5-14--El Salvador
• 8-14-Albania
• 8-14--Liechtenstein
• 10-3--Macau

I am continually amazed at the people around the world who click on this blog--I wish I knew who they were, and their stories. More than a year ago, I started running short posts about those countries, with brief histories, maps, stories and photos, but got "blogged" down.

And frankly, being a goal-oriented type A journalist, I slacked off because I assumed I'd about reached the limit of reach for Coffee with Clark.
I do check the stats on the blog almost daily, and have been meaning to write about more readership from Ukraine and Hong Kong, those places where freedom is under attack from authoritarian despots and brave people are risking their lives for what we Americans take for granted. More on that later.
But this week, a reader from Macau, the former Portuguese colony near Honk Kong, became someone from the 130th  country to at list click on the blog. Macau, a former hell-hole of sin, was ceded back to China in 1999 the same year Britain give up Hong Kong, which is only 64 kilometers east of it.

Macau's flag

It, with Hong Kong, is one of the two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China. With an estimated population of around 624,000 in an area of 31 square kilometers, it is the most densely populated region on the planet.
It is also the richest, and in 2006 became the world's largest gambling center, dwarfing Las Vegas.
Communist authoritarian China leaves it alone, at least so far, because of the the money (as it has Hong Kong until the current crisis.) Under the policy of "one country, two systems," China is responsible for the defense and foreign affairs, while Macau maintains its own legal system, police force, monetary system, customs policy, and immigration policy.
At the top of this post are the other countries where citizens have clicked on the blog for the first time this year--Palestine (another area of suffering), El Salvador, Albania and Liechtenstein.
If you're interested, here is my earlier post on Hong Kong from March a year ago.

Blog clog

Too much to write about in the past week, but posts on several topics are coming:
1. Went to see City Rep's "Grapes of Wrath" play at OCU Sunday. Astounding, moving. On the 75th anniversary of Steinbeck's book, I found this play perhaps the most powerful I've seen.

2. Attended the opening of Mark Zimmerman's photo show of his wife Meredith's battle with cancer, one I consider of national significance.
3. The blog at 130--Coffee with Clark just registered a reader from the 130th country to click on it...Macau.
4. News stories cropping up about the gun nuts wanting students to be able to carry guns on campus. What a tom-fool, stupid idea, of 18-year-olds being able to blow away a classroom and a prof. If it happens, I will lead a strike of professors to abandon the classrooms. Or, I will pack a gun, place it at the front of the class  in front of me, pointed at the students. The minute some pistol packing pouty, pimple-faced teeny looks like he's upset and twitches, I will take appropriate action.
Is this what these Neanderthals really want? What has happened to the fabric of our society? More coming.
5. Turns out Bill Bennett, Reagan's cultural warrior, was right, in railing against the way student financial aid is administered, saying it just allowed universities to raise tuition, and not help poorer kids. Terrific article in the NY Times about that today...college in the US is the highest priced, and while graduation rates are oaring elsewhere, they're not up much here. Here's the link: Missing the mark.
6. Australia is considering  a ban on "Hate preachers" entering the country. Doesn't apply to Australians. Quote: "By all means, let Australians who want to say stupid things can say stupid things, but there's no point in importing troublemakers." Amen.
7. More and more evidence shows that  turning off the phone, TV and tablet, and reading ink on paper helps your health and children learn to read.
8. Quote from a Christian student: "Saying all Muslims are like Isis is like saying all Christians are like Westboro Baptist Church." Amen, amen.
9. The fear-mongering media and the ebola crisis, and fears of Muslims. People wearing masks in Dallas? Ebola is not airborne--I asked a doctor. Media are flat out irresponsible on this.

Mortality and a journey, watercolor

One of the haunting photos I've taken, and written about, was this one from last December, "Mortality on my Mind," of this old gentleman walking slowly through Hafer Park. I saw him more than once, and he had a dog along. Talk about being mindful and enjoying every moment--this guy gives me inspiration. Here's that link: "Mortality."
And thus, as another year nears end, I tried painting that journey, that mortality, the metaphors of paths and autumn and gates, that we all travel.

"Mortality," 5 by 7 watercolor, 140# d'Arches

An afternoon walk--watercolor

"Afternoon" walk,  4" by 5" watercolor

Autumn afternoons  are cool and bright these days, clouds floating overhead, a path before us as we take in the passing of another year. Alone in our thoughts perhaps, but you can't help but be aware of a larger creation where all life is both sacred and simultaneous. What you see, smell and hear reveals a universe linked as one organism, but as fleeting as the seasons and afternoon shadows.
As the years go by, I'm more than aware of the multiple metaphors of a solitary afternoon autumn walk.