The Creek is Running Again!

Creek Running North is back up after dealing with anonymous threats. What does the writer's dog have to say about it?

"When I brush Chris’ cactus plants
I sometimes wince or cry aloud,
But for an online thug? Fat chance.
My leg is lifted, and bow-wowed."

Threats Against a Blogger

Creek Running North, to which I have linked several times, is down. Its owner, Chris Clarke, who is an environmentalist and progressive activist, has had his dog threatened. From prior experience, Chris does not expect the police will be of any help. In a comment on Pharyngula (you'll have to scroll down), he writes:

"My blog is one of the least important things I do. Becky and Zeke are up top, and quite honestly Zeke's impending demise makes him edge Becky out, as he's edged me out in Becky's priorities. In descending order after that: a few good friends, my longer-term writing projects, political activism, my day job, hiking, my blog. I appreciate the fact that my blog has fans. But really now. My effective speech takes place at my day job and doing politics. I am not one of those people who has confused writing a blog post with political activism."

About the only thing I disagree with in that is the last sentence. If you have an audience, blogging can indeed be political activism. Although it probably won't influence decision-makers directly, it may well help awaken your fellow citizens. Chris' blogging has done this to me more than once.

This whole situation has made me think about threats to bloggers, particularly in repressive societies. The Committee to Protect Bloggers has shut down, although the people behind it are doing related work. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has some information on bloggers' rights, but it appears to be mostly written for US readers and toward avoiding civil lawsuits and other relatively mild consequences. Is there anything else out there, in the US or elsewhere?

Good luck, Chris, and I hope the creek starts running again soon.

Rediscovering a Favorite Song

I have a confession to make: I don't like Charlotte's Web. At least, I didn't care for it in the third grade, when my class read it. (I disliked all fantasy and fairy tales at the time.) However, seeing the movie was completely different and one song from the film has stayed with me to this day. And a couple of days ago, I finally got around to looking it up.

The song is called "How Very Special are We" and is a gentle, poetic lyric about the seasons and the cycle of life. There doesn't seem to be a formal site of Charlotte's Web soundtrack lyrics, but a user going by TherealRNO has posted the words to "How Very Special are We" in an Amazon.com review. There's also a short clip of the song at reelclassics.com.

Here are the words:

How very special are we
For just a moment to be
Part of life's eternal rhyme
How very special are we
To have on our family tree
Mother Earth and Father Time

The summer larks return to sing
Oh, what a gift they give
The autumn days grow short and cold
Oh, what a joy to live

He turns the seasons around and so she changes her gown
But they always look in their prime
They go on dancing their dance of ever-lasting romance
Mother Earth and Father Time

How very special are we
For just a moment to be
Part of life's eternal rhyme
How very special are we
To have on our family tree
Mother Earth and Father Time...

The autumn days grow short and cold
It's Christmastime again
The snows of winter slowly melt
The days grow long
And then

He turns the seasons around and so she changes her gown
Mother Earth and Father Time
How very special are we
For just a moment to be
Part of life's eternal rhyme