http://www.briancharlesclark.com A Journal of the Irrepressible Wed, 20 Aug 2008 02:52:01 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Film review by Brian Charles Clark “Of course, there were a lot of baboons in my stomach… to become a king!” King Mswati says at the beginning of this beautiful and fascinating film about the world’s last absolute monarchy. His country is at “a boiling point” as he becomes king. That ... http://www.briancharlesclark.com/without-the-king/ Science Daily reports that there has been a "major discovery" is converting solar energy to energy usable by humans. "In one hour, enough sunlight strikes the Earth to provide the entire planet's energy needs for one year," the Daily writes. The problem has always been A) efficiency of collection and ... http://www.briancharlesclark.com/giant-solar-leap-forward/ Un-spun by DJ Skrotekkki [Note: In "The Harrowing Highway," part one of the DJ's odyssey, he tries to ride the bus from Pullman to Spokane without being molested.] I stumbled around the city of screams, determined to spend the two-hour layover somewhere other than the bus station. Riverfront Park looked inviting enough, ... http://www.briancharlesclark.com/bus-stop-bedlam/ review by Brian Charles Clark Death of a Dutchman Magdalen Nabb 220 pages Soho Crime, Dec. 2007 When Magdalen Nabb died in August 2007, she left us with a dozen pieces of delightful brain candy: the Marshal Guarnaccia crime novels. The Marshal is a low-level law enforcement officer in Florence. He doesn’t consider himself very bright—indeed, ... http://www.briancharlesclark.com/death-of-a-dutchman-by-magdalen-nabb/ Last post we wrote about candidates for representative to the U.S. Congress from Washington’s 7th District. I want to give a tip of the hat to Nisi Shawl here, as it was her interpretative reading of candidate profiles that inspired us to speak out. Indeed, I want to instigate a write-in ... http://www.briancharlesclark.com/meet-the-candidates-ii-washington-gubernatorial-candidates/ commentary by Brian Charles Clark and Nisi Shawl As devout readers of just about everything that dares pass before our eyeballs, Nisi Shawl and I were talking about the recently arrived Washington Voters’ Guide. Surely a favorite of Puckleberry Houndsters nationwide for its audacious irrepressibility, this political season’s Voters’ Guide is ... http://www.briancharlesclark.com/meet-the-candidates-i-washingtons-7th-congressional-district/ Visiting with writer Nisi Shawl a couple weeks ago, I asked her what she was working on. Among other projects, she mentioned she was working on a review of Neal Stephenson's forthcoming novel, Anathem. That got my wild up, as I'm a big fan, so she let me peruse her ... http://www.briancharlesclark.com/read-more-jack-womack/ Out walking with my friend Nisi Shawl recently in Seattle, she took me by the home of Tim Fowler somewhere on East Howell Street. I was immediately gob-smacked by what I saw: a building that was more work of art than conventional dwelling. “I saw Tim's work well before I met ... http://www.briancharlesclark.com/tim-fowler%e2%80%99s-sculpture-haven/ USA Hemp Museum presents great pictures of live cannabis plants over Willie and Amy Nelson's song, "A Peaceful Solution," performed by Amy Nelson and Rattlesnake Annie. The bill was introduced by Cong. Barney Frank. H.R. 5842 is the 2008 version of the medical marijuana bill. Support the congresspeople who support ... http://www.briancharlesclark.com/249/ Un-spun by DJ Skrotekkki I boarded the bus in a slight hangover haze and sleep-deprivation daze, looking forward to snoring my way through the ride that awaited me. As soon as I settled into a seat next to the window, however, those hopes were lost. Between the seat’s build and my ... http://www.briancharlesclark.com/the-harrowing-highway/