last week's DIY

61 bottles of traditional red ale


board sock for my 5'8" fish -doubles as a body prophylactic

note B's print in the background. full image some other time with her permission.

home brew + winter quiver 09

India Pale Ale - 6 day primary fermentation, 15 day secondary fermantation. alcohol content around 6.5%. seems to be getting better after 4 weeks in the bottle. not as sharp and hoppy as Propeller but definitely an IPA. good at room temperature too.




6'8" Tom Neilson
6'3" Tim Patterson
5'8" Tim Stamps

diy IPA & heirlooms

my sweetest B got me a beer kit for my birthday. here is the first batch. it's an IPA and all the measurements before and after were good. tasted right too. two to three weeks in the bottle for the final sugars to give it some fizz and its testing time.

second fermentation at a steady 67F.


clean


final racking


puttin a cap on 'em


and today we picked our tomatoes. a cold north wind has been blowing for several days and the nightly temperatures are getting really low. we'll put this batch in the basement to see if they rippen. a big thanks to the man with my same name and birthdate for sprouting these beautiful heirlooms tomatoes. thanks Blacks for kickin down a few starts. sorry the summer was so foggy out your way eh.

a few good things

1. The Esteyonage has made this list before. The author is a Canadian journalist living in Monrovia, Liberia -a country where close to half of the population suffers from post traumatic stress disorder due to years of violent civil conflict. The Esteyonage is an important reminder that there is more outside of our own easy livin.

2. Wooster Collective - street art and surfing have something in common -both are fleeting. street artists create pieces which they know will be defaced or erased completely and only a memory of the work will remain. it's the same for those who seek the experience of riding waves. it's the process and the moment that matters.

3. Buk because a little surliness is good for ya.

4. Richie Havens - "sometimes I feel like a motherless child" makes me think that we may need to, as a collective society, reconsider our values. but I know we won't. so in this song I find solace.

consumer culture consumer

I went out in the rain today to get the latest issue of Surfer magazine. The issue has Joel Tuddor sitting in as a guest editor and two of his subjects are people that interest me – Richard Kenvin and Tyler Warren. I get home and sit on the couch to read as B lays quietly watching the TV, her biggest ever belly moving with the little one inside, restless as ever and just two weeks shy of first light.

I read Tuddor’s introduction. He tries to be everyman but really wants us to think he’s an intellectual. “It’s OK,” I think to myself thinking of him thinking of himself. Then I read the short interview with Lewis Samuels – a man of deep intellect with a keen understanding of modern anthropology who also happens to be a wiseass who also happens to surf. “That’s better” I think but would have rather seen a little more space devoted to the witty one. Then I finally get to the RK piece. I start to read and it’s moving fast, one word after another is scanned into my reasoning centre and it seems as if nothing registers. I vow to take a brake from the article to return when I’m more prepared. Finally I get to the Tyler Warren piece. It’s short, shy and he seems humble -the kid has style to burn. I flip through the rest of the magazine and wonder “why?”

In late summer of 1987 we packed up some of our shit and traveled from rural Isnotu, in the foothills of the Andes Mountains in Venezuela, to rural central Florida where we’d settle down to live in conservative Bartow. I was immediately drawn to skateboarding. That year would be the beginning of my new life as a consumer culture consumer.

It’s hard to say why I feel compelled to read the surf magazines and follow the surf blogs. Perhaps I want to see where I fit in, to see what lineage or legacy I’ve descended from. But I won’t find one as I come from the consumer lineage, brought into the “culture” by slick magazines and sometimes-good writing. Thrasher magazine was a staple in the late 80’s and 90’s. Thrasher sucks now, or I’m just not a teenager any more who knows.

Surfing is definitely without a doubt one of the more important aspects of my life. But like many other things surfing can be simple or full of trinkets. My childhood Catholicism came replete with its statues of saints and special rosaries and candles and church clothes. Home ownership has it’s own TV shows and magazines and clubs and self help groups and messiahs of decorating. Entrepreneurship has a zillion trinkets and books and gurus. Anything and everything can be overdone and consumed 'till we’re fat and diabetic and dying.

Or things can be simple.

Most likely I will continue to consume surf culture. There’s lots of good shit out there, especially in the blogosphere. There’s RK and RT. Somewhere else there’s Doc and Mic and Sways. But I’m not Californian. I don’t see California as my Jerusalem. Its toe headed children and surf “icons” are but silhouettes on the pages of magazines crammed with advertisements for trousers and t-shirts. I’m sure that somewhere along the line I owe something to those early pioneers of surfing. But that something is so abstract, so inconsequential, and so diluted by its own commercialization that I’m probably better off making my own way, starting from scratch. Good job Joel. You’ve reminded me to look within and that I am what I do and not what I consume.

Tia Rafaela

my Tia Rafaela is an artist. he main body of work is her life, the sculptures, paintings and poems are adornments - a frame for her masterpiece.

tally

ran 5 of 6 days since monday for a total of 18 miles. cycled every day. cooked every day. it's good to move. it's good to use my faculties and guts to enrich the days. for this I give thanks.

roots and herbs

stop

things are supposed to die -to come to a natural end.

we do.

yet we strive for some sort of legacy that we may be remembered.

old Chinaski had it right. it's a wonder how long people will wanna read about his gamblin and whorin and drinkin and fightin. about dingy LA and other failed writers and about his cars and listening to classical music on the radio while drinking beer wine whisky.

all things are naturally meant to come to an end, to fulfill the cycle of energy moving across our earths surface and through its guts, moving always and endlessly.

humans?

we like to prolong the inevitable. we like pretend like we can stop change. like we's some sorta power above the antelope when in truth modern man can't even chase the antelope.

these are the good old days no?

this dribbly rubbish inspired partly by Juana's Addicion

bike ninja vs. mr. perfect bicycle commuter man

over the last few weeks there's been an increase in bike commuters on my daily route. it's expected in spring just as there are more surfers in the water. there's one guy in particular, a middle-aged man astride a shiny new sporty street bike with flat bar and disk brakes, one of those homogeneous jobbies from one the big three bike companies. anyways, today he called me out for my swiftness at charging the yellow. I could hear him behind me, scolding in "that is ridiculous" kinda tone.

so what did I say? nothing. I just sped off on my merry way as I do every day. been communing to work by bike since 2005 when we lived in PDX. my friend Drew in PDX, originally from D.C., had always commuted and had been hit by cars twice -neither time his fault and accidents quite serious. Drew never followed the "traffic laws" on his bike.

let's face it. laws that state that cyclist should obey the same rules as motor vehicles are absurd. cyclists cannot accelerate like a motored metal box therefore they can be overrun, especially on narrow streets. a bicycle weighs nothing compared to even a small car or motorcycle so accidents caused by cyclists tend to cause little harm. and most obvious of all a bike is NOT a motor vehicle and should not be treated as such.

I know if I'm self righteous. why else have a blog? but I also value self preservation, especially in a city like Halifax where the driving public hates cyclists. so the new commuter on his shiny bike can kiss my ass, I'd rather be a bike ninja than a cripple.

listen to death

first I read about on Foulweather and then I saw it at Matt Chester's space -two of my favourite social critics. so it is that I pass it on...

death -what ever the hype that comes now what was done was done and that is what it is.

what it is

bajan diy

style + speed.

food one

food one

velo

GREENOUGH looking through the bottom



thanks to frequent rips for this one.

shakas, aloha and the responsibility of the I(ndividual)

the shaka sign is often used to symbolize the spirit of Aloha. "Aloha in the Hawaiian language means affection, love, peace, compassion and mercy."

as for the new American president I think it can be said that he brings a lot of hope and intelligence to government. but let us not forget those famous words from JFK "ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." and what is it that WE can do?

-reconsider our personal relationship to wealth and things. for it is our hunger for consumption which is in no small part responsible for inequity around the world as we gather others resources either with small dollars or by force when necessary.

-reconsider our personal relationships to "happiness" and health. for hapiness is not found in fast and "convenient" foods and hundreds of TV channels but rather in the feelings of self reliance and strong body which in turn feeds our mental health.

-and our personal relationship to social responsibility at home and abroad. let us not stand aside and watch as the genocide continues in Darfur. let us demand the end to the unjust occupation and war on Iraq. let us not let our own people suffer from poor health by allowing corporations to feed them rubbish while maintaining medical care out the financial reach of most. let us make our own things again and re-establish our traditions of craftsmanship and ingenuity. let us think for ourselves and use our voices.

diy paddle build

I made this paddle a few weeks ago. I've done a lot of rough carpentry and some finish carpentry over the years but never something like a paddle. it was very satisfying to paddle out for the first time on a new board and my own paddle.

the shaft wood is ash. I bought a six and half foot board for under $20 at a specialty hardwood store. after ripping the board I had enough material for three paddle shafts. the blade and handle are white pine. the next paddle will have better wood for the blade -I didn't wanna spend a lot on the first build. it's fairly light and the ash has great flex properties. ash is what most maritime canoe paddle builders use. lot's of the people making their own sup paddles use bass wood but I think ash is probably stronger. they cost about the same.

the dimensions are 6'3" from handle to tip (not over curve). the blade is 8" wide 16" long and set at a 14 degree angle. it has a t-handle and is assembled using Gorilla Glue epoxy and two screws. i don't think I'll use the screws on the next one. if the glue faces are well planed and matched and the joint is clamped tightly during gluing it should hold. some guys foil the blade super thin and then glass it. I rather keep it a bit simpler. it's water proofed using marine grade Spar varnish.

tools: table saw, jig saw, palm sander, two different size block planes, a sureform, and sanding block ( short 2xr wrapped in sandpaper).

a SUP specific paddle costs at least $200. this one cost me about $20. sure a carbon fiber paddle for $275 is way lighter but who cares? the light argument is played out. a heavier glassed board carries more speed than it's super light counterpart -not to mention lifespan. a steel bike (way heavier than carbon fiber) absorbs more road vibrations and lasts much longer, etc.

I will mostly use the SUP to paddle in the Halifax Harbour and to explore the coastline when it's flat. I may try and surf it a little but it's low on my list of priorities. I got this board for a couple of writing projects. the original project was shelved because the board got stuck in customs and time ran out. in the spring or early summer I will embark on a multi-day back country trip using the SUP and carrying all my gear.

waiting room

DIY: Jerk Pork

Friend asked me in a an email how to make jerk pork so I thought I'd share what I know. The real thing is cooked over green Pimento (or Allspice) branches. We can't get those round here.

You need:

allspice aka pimento in Jamdown (must have)
ginger (fresh)
bunch green onions (must have)
garlic (must have)
hot peppers (you can get habaneros or thai chillis -if it ain't hot it ain't jerk)
black pepper
salt
olive oil
lime juice
thyme (must have)

combine all -finally chopped or in a blender -stab the meat or make deep cuts with a knife - rub on the meat with your bare hands to make sure it gets everywhere - wash your hands well afterwards and especially before touching your face or taking a piss (trust me on this one, you don't wanna know) and let stand for at least over night.

BBQ slow and low -try not to let it char. Burnt meat is carcinogenic; don’t wanna add that to the sneaky tobacco and beers.

Tenderloin can be dry sometimes so you may consider not adding salt at all to the mix and putting on coarsely ground sea salt when it's almost done. Otherwise you could get some nice chops - fatty chops make for better jerk -or ribs too and chicken of course (dark meat).

If it's really hot then you know it's good. Get some Red Stripes from the LC to cool the heat.

diy

Foulweather: The Beach

I’ve been meaning to post this for a little while now. The second edition of the print zine Foulweather is out now and you should get one. The Beach, as the current volume is titled, is a collection of writing, art, and photography compiled, edited, and published by Mr. P. Lewis, author of the renowned Foulweather blog.

I was lucky enough to have my first ever essay published here. It is an account of some of my experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer in Jamaica in late 2001. One of the key attributes to the Foulweather series is that the work takes a deep look at western culture and not from a distant point or a bird’s eye view, rather from the level of the individual, questioning his actions, his lifestyle, his responsibility.

You can get Foulweather by writing directly to Mr. Lewis. You can also order it from Powell’s Books and Microcosm Publishing and the Foulweather blog.

In a time when we can type our thoughts and immediately put them out for the world to see, it is imperative that we also keep the printed word alive because although it takes paper and ink to print, it is far more sustainable in the long run that this world wide electronic web powered by coal, oil, and nuclear reactions.

board track, sidetrack, singletrack, and a whole heap 'o rubbish

No surfing this weekend and our new Neilson board shipment has been stuck at Canada Customs for over a week now. The shipping guy assures me that the paperwork error is not my fault, nor the shippers fault. Says it’s a problem with Customs. Whatever it’s flat and the 6’6” Bonzer will need at least chest high surf before I forgo the Green Machine.

Been bike crazy lately and fixin in more ways than one. I recently acquired an 80’s 10 speed with the heavy steel wheels and shitty shifters. First thing I did was strip it down and dash away the crap parts –what a heap of rubbish.

Sidetrack: this next paragraph is mostly flawed thinking and worse writing but it’s blog eh -and I thought “hey what the fuck let’s just leave it in.” You can skip it if you want.

I find that one major flaw in our consumer culture (yeah I know there’s shitloads of flaws) is that items that are specked at different price levels, like bicycles for example, have varying degrees of disposability. If you buy an “entry level” hard tail mountain bike for $500 and actually attempt to ride trails with it the wheels, drive train, and front suspension will last a few weeks before they’re trashed. I don’t understand why this happens (rationally). I know that they just wann give you a taste and make you feel all “core” because your first ride couldn’t handle your extremeness so you are forced to go back to the shop and acquire a new rig that will be able to handle your abuse. The kicker is that the level of quality you get in a bike is not truly based on your skills but rather your wallet. I just read a review of several road bikes and they had them split up into funnily named categories. There was entry level ($1000 - $1500), enthusiast ($3000), racing($12,000), comfort ($4000), and dream bike category ($8000 to $10,000). Are they kidding me? What kind of enthusiast has over $3000 to spend on a bicycle that can only be used to ride with spandex (no fender or rack mounts here people)? I like what Matt Chester says –ride your bike because you can.

Anyway, after stripping and discarding the old parts I cut and filed the top tube cable routing. I re-greased everything and reassembled the bike as a single speed using the old wheels (for now) and the chain on the two most in-line rings front and back. I inverted an old three speed bar and now have the beginnings of what will eventually be a fixed board track style bike. It will look like a turn of the century bike with one fixed gear as they had then, the only exception being lighter alloy wheels and a front brake. Once it’s completed I’ll disassemble again, paint, rebuild and it’s going on Craigslist (drop me a line if you’re interested in it, I ship anywhere in the world and buy carbon credits to offset the air I breathe out while I’m hustling the bike box to the shippers).

Meanwhile, the opposition in Bolivia is sneakily trying to create their own government, 10,000 people or more have died over the weekend from a cyclone in Burma, and the Darfur conflict is still an ongoing genocide.