Category Archives: social commentary

these absurd times: a slow project

after my morning routine today I spent a little bit of time on VBS.Tv – Vice Magazine’s web space. it’s a place where I can waste a lot of time but also find a lot of inspiration, as Vice often finds interesting people doing things which often don’t have a mass appeal but are wholehearted [...]
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back to business as usual

Ok seems the last week or so has been a wee serious. too serious for someone trying to see the humour in things. so Imma change it up a little. nihlism is for the birds and physolophising ain’t much more than old piss in a beer bottle. action is where it’s at ain’t it? to [...]
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O’Neil Coldwater Classic in Halifax?

found out today -by accident, that O’Neil is planning on hosting a 6 star contest in Halifax this fall. two years ago the guys tried hosting a contest here and the surf community vehemently opposed it. this time around there didn’t seem to be any community consultations -or at least no public community consultations. what [...]
Also posted in absurdity, halifax, surf | 6 Comments

Sion Milosky’s legacy

legacy is a word that’s played a lot of tricks on me. everything from wanting to be famous (absurd I know), to just wanting to be remembered kindly. recently the Hawaiian surfer died while surfing Mavericks in Northern California. the video below is a small tribute to Sion. it’s comprised of interviews with Sion’s friends [...]
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5 de Mayo – the day the Mexicans put a whippin on the French

The Battle of Puebla took place on 5 May 1862 near the city of Puebla during the French intervention in Mexico. The battle ended in a victory for the Mexican Army against the occupying French forces. The victory is celebrated today during the festivities of Cinco de Mayo, the 5th of May
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thrills spills and what not -review

Thrills Spills and What Not premiered at the New York Surf Film Festival last year and won best soundtrack. The surf media really didn’t know what to think of it. For the most part surf journalists gave the film respect because it came from Dane Reynolds. But its abstract concept, disjointed edits and soundtrack, and [...]
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restoring awe and reverence to our lives

he lays an increasing stress on the need to restore an epic and mythological dimension to life – a sense of awe and reverence to the world. a comment on the work of Pier Paulo Pasolini I don’t know much more about Pasolini than what I’ve just learned by way of RT’s blog. what I [...]
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Wisdom: TA

share what you’ve got -and don’t ask for anything in return.
Also posted in ego, skate | 2 Comments

RIP: Chris Doyle

this week Chris Doyle passed away. I never knew him by name but we certainly grunted hellos many times over the 3 years that I worked on Clyde Street. I would go into the liquor store after work and he’d always be out there with his chair and his sign. you see Chris was deaf [...]
Also posted in halifax | 6 Comments

today I watched and waited with swollen eye

today was a day of long glides and abrupt endings. today trying to hold onto my log in the soup I got licked in the head, above my left eye, same place where my 6′o smacked me yesterday. except today the 30 pound log split my eye like a flying knee. blood trickled down my [...]
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thinking about others

I feel a bit smug about the blog when I know that there are some really heavy things happening around the globe. I think about the people in Japan and the purgatory they’ve just been flung into and I can’t help but feel grateful that I have such a high quality of life here in [...]
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grit and the deindustrialization of America: Adam Cramer

self reliance cannot be bought. it is learned through grit, error and determination -intentionally. that is where I’d like to be headed.
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friends is friends: a few anecdotes from around

I asked you guys for stories and you sent them. thank you very much! I took excerpts and pasted them below. I didn’t add any identifying details or blog links but I’ll be happy to do so if you drop me a comment. I hope this sparks others to send in their own. mj …I [...]
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into it

it’s been a weird three weeks. I lost my job and have been on a steady hustle since then looking for a new permenent gig as well as doing some contract work. but what has really captivated me is building surfboards. you can spend your whole life and never make anything more than breakfast. lucky [...]
Also posted in absurdity, DIY, ego, health, style, surf, venezuela | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

when I think…

…about how I want to live my life, this comes to mind. cheater five from late summer 2010. I’ve lots of changes on the way. I’m on the job hunt. got any leads? please send ‘em my way. email me at rasblog at gmail.com
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redirect

gotta find a new hustle. the yard stick came down and dats dat. turn and redirect
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work

sometimes we find ourselves at a crossroads where things can go really bad or perhaps even -worse. maybe it’s not even a crossroads -maybe it’s a dirt road. I find myself there now. partly due to my own wavering and day dreaming and high hopes for human integrity. and partly due to the fact that [...]
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change: transformations

change happens slowly, over time. sometimes you don’t notice and suddenly when you do it feels like an overnight transformation. I started surfing in 1993 or thereabouts. however, I always lived 1 to 2 hours drive from surf -with a couple of exceptions – the summer of 1996 in Cocoa Beach and a few months [...]
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vision of revolution

Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can’t ride you unless your back is bent. -Martin Luther King, Jr.
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bruce knew

one does not accumulate but eliminate. it is not daily increase but daily decrease. the height of cultivation always runs to simplicity. -Bruce Lee
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resolve to lead the life I love

“love the life you live. lead the life you love.” vaugh benjamin happy new year to you all. thank you for coming here to read about my thoughts. I am grateful for this life, for the ability to express myself, and for my family and friends.
Also posted in health, music | 2 Comments

North Korea vs. South -sacred war

nuclear war is on the horizon. most of us in our 30′s and below don’t fear war of this nature. it was another generations worry. we should all think positive thoughts about this one.
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asp tour: the claim

in surfing, the claim is generally considered immature and taboo. claiming a well ridden wave is akin to bragging about owning a bright yellow Hummer. I think this is especially the case for everyday surfers, those of us who hold regular jobs and surf when we can. but what about in pro surfing? earlier in [...]
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