In Sum:
1. Find a subject you care about
2. Do not ramble, though
3. Keep it simple
4. Have guts to cut
5. Sound like yourself
6. Say what you mean
7. Pity the readers
Brian Lam
ruby! Malcolm! Good doggies!
Posted in August 2009 …
The Shi-Tones
I just discovered by means of my and Lisa’s favorite secret yakitori joint in SF, a cool surf band called the Shi-Tones. Lisa accidentally asked the waitress, whose father is in the band, what the shit-tones were. Whatever, anyhow, listen to their rendition of Sleepwalk if you feel like falling asleep and dreaming of nice things. And here’s a link to their performance of Endless Summer’s soundtrack, live. [Archive.org]
A Simple Plumber
Not really. That’s Gerry Lopez, the famous surfer who helped pioneer surfing at Hawaii’s vicious Pipeline break. As you can see, he’s quite relaxed doing it. On top of his skill, he attributed his survival and success to choosing the right waves and having the right equipment, namely, more shorter, more narrow boards like the ones he used to make with Lightning Bolts on them. Now Gerry lives in Oregon, addicted to snowboarding, surfing the colder breaks in the Pacific Northwest. You have to wonder why anyone would move from Hawaii to Oregon, but I’m sure he has his reasons. Continue reading
Vintage Travel Posters
The Boston Public Library’s Flickr stream has filled up with these vintage travel posters. This is my favorite because sometimes, its nice to not be afraid of the ocean. Once in awhile, I like to even pretend its my friend. [Flickr via John Mahoney]
Surfing Hurricane Bill’s Swell in NYC
At first word of the Hurricane, the surf reports for NYC read “EPIC”. This video was taken yesterday, and at first, all I could think about was, oh man, they’re surfing hurricane swell! Then other surfers from SF just reminded me, hey, this looks like Ocean Beach. Yes, that’s true. Except dirtier. Also, I am reminded by that white water that I’m still a kook and belong on the beginner beaches, out of everyone’s way. There’s nothing wrong with that; being new at something is terrific because there’s a definite lesson every time you head out, from the water, the board, or fellow surfers. [Youtube]
Wave and Dive Photography Tips and Gear
At Gizmodo, we’ve done a few fun posts on water photography. First up is Clark Little, north shore surfer/photographer with less fear of the waves than others. His secrets include Nikons, housings coated in Rain X to keep the droplets away and what look like Da Fins (a pair of which I just picked up.) Then, my friend Joel Johnson wrote us a review of a diving case for an iPhone/iPod touch and a review of some Canon camcorder in a housing, which he took with him to the Channel Islands. The videos on Joel’s pieces are worth watching. [Clark Little on Giz, The Canon and H20 by Joel]
Something Bothers Me About This School of Pilot Fish
Can’t put my finger on it. [Wetpixel]
He Thought It Was a Errant Bud Light Can
Lobsters turn blue only one in 5 million; the royal variety earns its shade by processing astaxanthin, and antioxidant found in its food, better than its brethen. [LA Times]
A Monster and a Bridge
The Maltese Falcon is an obscene vessel, at 290 feet stern to bow. The sails are automated, unfurling, 5 per carbon fiber mast, automatically within 6 minutes. The entire ship is robotized, so it can be sailed by one. Here it is arriving in San Francisco, with many a sailboats keeping it company it like a pilotfish would a shark. Surprise: The boat also has a personal submarine in its belly, called the Super Falcon. [Youtube]
Get Ready
Hi there! Been reviewing the type of stuff I reviewed year 2 in my career. Feels like Groundhog Day. I’ve got a massive backlog posts I’m going to spit out one line at a time, right now.
