a wave-less weekend
spent with mother and son
building
veneering
laughing
napping
restlessness got the better
of me
so off on the bike
I went
Sunday city streets
have different faces
but the potholes
all
still there
monday morning rush
off to work
to edit
proof
politic
waves
are
always
welcome
wish I had something clever to say today. or maybe tell you that I went surfing before work and rode choppy waist high waves alone in the morning fog. but it wouldn’t be true at all.
I woke at 6:48. rode my bike to work in the steady rain, avoiding rooster tails coming off rear tires of every car that passed me too close for comfort. I sat at my desk and clicked, dragged, typed and backspaced. I ate lunch at my desk, trying not to splash food on the papers strewn here and everywhere.
now I’ll strain another cup of dark roast and add one spoon of sugar. I’ll sip it as I click, drag, type and backspace until it’s time to ride home again in the rain, avoiding rooster tails coming off rear tires of every car that passes so close I can touch it with my elbow.
lucky for me that B and Moe are waiting for me with open arms. lucky for me that music has been by my side all day. Chet Baker, Wolf Parade, Lawrence Arabia, The Supremes, Earth Wind & Fire, and Empire of the Sun kept the vibes irie and cool.
inspiration is like the ether. if it’s there we cannot see it. Monday night’s amazing sunset session set some ideas straight for me and left me inspired.
one: learning the nuances of a board takes time and patience
two: that patience pays off grandly as I explore new parts of a wave
three: I can slide my foot back over the fins mid-face to power through a turn –just gotta be present in the moment to remember
four: slowing the wave down and watching it while it does its thing in front of you is stupid hard
five: if I can manage to slow it down then I can surf it with more poise than a flailing monkey dancing to an accordion on old cobbled streets
on a side note –stoked to have a new side project with Drift magazine. I will be writing a jazz inspired blog a few times a month.
it's hard to think about life without the energy sources we currently use. just last night I drove 25 minutes alone in my car to a remote point break to surf powerful overhead waves at sunset. I love surfing and would not be able to do it without a car.
I ride my bike to work everyday. the reasons for it have more to do with pleasure and convenience than wanting to avoid using fossil fuels. riding my bike is not enough.
when will shit hit the fan? how much longer will our ecosystem sustain us before it starts to sputter in fits of exhaustion?
the video below highlights how Canada is managing its oil sands and water resources. the management style is that old one where maximizing profit trumps any other considerations -as opposed to valuing profit, people and environment equally.
I've said this before and I reckon most of you who come here would agree, that we as people are not separate from environment. we must come to terms with this fact and act accordingly.
the environmental movement has been painted with a green brush and many people see that colour and disassociate themselves, thinking that they are not green, that their values are red or blue.
but the environment is where we live.
it is our food, shelter and comforter. without it we won't survive, nor will our children. my son included.
what are we going to do?
H2oil animated sequences from Dale Hayward on Vimeo.
fuck Karl Rove
fuck Open Carry
fuck the American war on Iraq
fuck American economic policy
we have to be able to see that our leaders are some crazy fucking ego maniacs who could give two shits about "The American People"
my friend D$ just turned me on to these guys and I can only wish I'd come across them sooner. authentic vibes here -no posturing and no front.
feelin melancholy on a sunny saturday morning. nothin like elliot smith to set the sights straight
can't stop listening to this song this morning. winds are howling gusting from 60 to 90 kilometers. the waves are beyond big. now it's a matter of waiting...
for the swell to organize and the wind to switch.
Yours Truly Presents: The Morning Benders "Excuses" from Yours Truly on Vimeo.
most of us would not go to see a dancing bear -we would think of this 'circus' act as unethical and barbaric. yet we gladly support Sea World and other similar water parks who train their aquatic mammals to dance for spectators. why are these dancing mammals any different than the ones with fur?
the Halifax Regional Municipality will be making a public apology to the descendants of those removed from the community known as Africville for the purposes of constructing a new bridge.
the clip is quite telling. it shows how a community is marginalized over the years, the decades, and the leaders although stammering their words, explain how its OK.
this seems to be a time of apologizing. seems like it's a far enough gap that leaders are moved to make public and political amends. but is it just posturing?
I think so.
the people who were moved from Africville are still marginalized by HRM. and it's not unlikely that some strife comes from within the community. but self loathing is a characteristic present in all communities with generational poverty.
meanwhile in the suburbs someone burned a cross on the lawn of a bi-racial couples home. this is some KKK type shit way up here in Halifax.
it's not to say that Halifax is some maniacally racist place -on the contrary, for the most part, like the rest of Canada, Halifax is very tolerant. but beneath the beauty there is always a little filth.
got two two days of login in this weekend. cordless, five-over and glide and trim. you can see small kine lines comin in here. 4' @ 11 seconds is better than nottin. Blacks 'll tell ya
"when in doubt, just go. what else ya gonna do?"
"In the modern world it’s totally possible to live a completely safe existence. City riding adds thrills, danger, problem solving, social interactions, and adrenaline into my day. Better than coffee and goes well with beer."
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