Brian Lam

No one gets it 100% right. So, it’s rather meaningless when we call each other hacks over rumors. When you’re up to be wrong, you’ll be up. And the internet will be waiting. With knives. And who’s going to stand up for you then? It’s better we respect each other’s work and cooperate in a linked economy rather than try to compete in a game that isn’t zero-sum. I mean, what are we even trying to compete for? It makes no sense. I have to say that things would be better if everyone understood that about the way news works these days. But I also must admit to a certain pleasure in seeing those who have pissed me off get a karmic boot up their asses. I am not proud of it, but those old instincts from days at Fairtex will probably never go away. Instead of arguing with people, or punching each other in the face, in my thirties, I find it’s best to jump into the ocean’s white water and realize we’re all floating pieces of shit powerless against something like a little wave. Some more than others.

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]

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]

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.

This edit of  some skilled street fighter combos is entertaining to anyone who’s ever struggled to pull off a supermove at just the right movement. I believe footage is from the EVO 2k9 fighting game tournament, or perhaps it’s just scripted by macro commands. Either way, a fun watch. [GameTrailers]

Carl Ekstrom shaped asymmetric surfboards, the idea being that front and backside physiology create different types of pressure on the board from toes and heels. These tail variations, and the accompanying fins, would compensate for that. Beautiful, huh? [Hydro]

I met some people who actually live in one of these houses. The road washed out above them, and because of an owner/township dispute, no one has fixed it. So they have to hike down stairs to bring down their groceries. But they don’t have to drive to surf, now, so I’d say that’s more than a fair trade.

Japan’s greatest swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi, killed one of his greatest opponents in a duel on an isolated island. His opponent wielded steel; He carved a wooden sword out of an oar on the way to the fight, which he used to crack his enemy’s skull.

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Clingstone is a 103-year-old mansion in Narragansett Bay.

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Ted Erikson made the only known swim from the shark infested Farralon islands, across 31 miles, to the Golden Gate Bridge in 1967. They wiped him down in “shark repellant grease” but I wonder how he dealt with the cold. Oh nice: his swim ended at the Dolphin rowing club in SF where he took a sauna. [YouTube via Mollusk]