Jack Burns Lives!

Edward Abbey would have turned 80 years old today, January 29.
To mark the occassion, James Bishop published a nice article in last weekend’s Arizona Republic. It suggests that Abbey is still selling well. Not well enough for my tastes, but nothing suits me these days. I’m grumpier than ever and for good reason.
Just look around.
Michael [...]

Some bright news from the film industry… it looks like Abbey’s The Monkey Wrench Gang may finally make it to the big screen.
It was one of the announcements at the Sundance Film Festival this month.
This makes the third Abbey book that’s been made into a movie. Fire on the Mountain and The Brave Cowboy (Lonesome [...]

The Federal government has launched a propaganda campaign to label
monkeywrenchers and “eco warriors” terrorists. Not saboteurs. Not
arsonists. Terrorists.
It’s a very calculated, politicized move to play off of the irrational fear of terrorists in a propagandized populace. Similar to a corporate branding campaign, where the ultimate goal is clearly establish an image in the mind of [...]

Thanks to driving rain that started Friday night and will last until through today, Martin Luther King Day, my camping plans were washed away. That leaves me two weekends to make good on my resolution to go on at least one backpacking trip per month in 2007.
In the interim, here I am, once again [...]

I’ve always been suspicious of the USDA Organic certification process, and my bullshit detector went on full alert when larger companies starting buying smaller producers and turning them into massive food machines.
After the acquisitions, the next step was to begin the lobbying process in the hope of changing organic standards. The goal [...]

Today, the first day after the Epiphany or Twelfth Night for Christian folks, kicks off the Mardi Gras season.
Laissez les bon temps roulez, mes amis?
Mardi Gras is more than King Cakes and parties. Mardi Gras also means tons of trash, and lots of folks burning fossil fuel like there’s no tomorrow to get to New [...]