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Surfing Census to Study Surfing Habits

paul — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:07:30 +0000

The San Diego Union-Tribune recently reported that Surf-first.org was launched by “Surfing Magazine journalist Matt Walker in association with the Surfrider Foundation” in order to get a scientific and all-encompassing picture of “who surfers are; where they come from; what they do for work; how, when and where they surf; and where they spend their money in relation to their surfing habits.”

The study will help surfers use the same demographic and analytic information that other powerful lobby groups use when facing political and environmental issues. And why shouldn’t surfers have that ammo as well?

Surfing is not a “beach bum” sport for a minor segent of society with no real direction. The surfing community holds local, regional, national and global competitions. Surfers hold productive jobs in all levels of society. The Surfrider Foundation has made huge strides with its environmental mission. Not to mention, we have a far more unique perspective when it comes to environmental issues. (I haven’t surfed in years, but still consider myself a surfer)

I strongly urge active and inactive surfers to take the survey at Surf-first.org. The information is kept anonymous and it will help strengthen the collective voice of the surfing community.

Two Groups Can Recycle Your Old Surfboards

paul — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 01:43:54 +0000

Covered in polyurethane, your surfboard is not exactly a Green product. And when it gets old and beat up, it’s really tough to reuse it unless you can get very creative. (I’ve seen a few tables and lamps made from old boards)

ReSurf and Green Foam Blanks, two companies in Southern California, are doing something to eliminate surfboard waste and recycle the polyurethane found in boards.

Outside blog writes that these companies have found a way to pulverize old boards into a fine dust, which can be used to make new foam blanks, or possibly be used as a filler in asphalt. There’s also a great article on the Environmental News Network that provides more detail on the process.

Yankee Fisherman’s Coop Will Sell Catches Locally, Like a Farmshare

paul — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:41:04 +0000

This is a new one for me—a fish-share.

The Yankee Fisherman’s Coop of Seabrook, NH will sell locally caught fish to local retail establishments and to any customer interested in weekly shares of shrimp and lobster.

At this time, it looks like they only have shellfish packages for landlubbers like us or 20 pound packages of a broader fish assortment for retail establishments.

I would love to see them offer shares of more than just shellfish for the average shopper. A five pound selection of fish per week would be fantastic! It’s fresh, it’s easier on the environment and we’d be supporting local fisherman who have been fighting an uphill battle against fishing legislation and regulation in the last few years. A win-win in my book. (An added bonus would be a 2 pound selection of sushi-grade fish cuts)

Read more about it in our local rag, The Daily News.

Until then, there are a couple options for super-fresh fish in the area. We recommend David’s Fish Market of Salisbury, MA on Route 1 for a decent selection of fish just off the boat and held in massive holding tanks on their premises. (We’re not sure where they get the fish from, whether it’s local fisherman or beyond.) You can also occasionally get lucky if you’re hanging out at the pier/boardwalk in Newburyport Harbor near the end of the day when some fisherman will walk about trying to sell you fish straight from their catch. (Be sure to ask when they caught it, how it was preserved in the boat and to see the fish first.)

NASA Plans to View the Dark Side of the Sun

paul — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:13:07 +0000

NASA is poised to give us the first views of the dark side (far side) of the sun.

The space agency has launched the STEREO (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatories) mission, two spacecraft that will simultaneously orbit the sun to provide a complete picture of all sides at once. The first full image will come early in February.

Read more about it on the Wired Science blog.

Human Hunters are Genetically Shrinking Their Prey

paul — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:40:17 +0000

Human hunting and fishing practices are forcing an evolutionary shrinkage of prey species, reports the Wired Science blog.

Kind of a no-brainer. Throughout time, life has adapted to its environment, as well as to avoid becoming tonight’s dinner. Now that humanity has such a massive impact on the Earth, “forced” adaptations will likely increase more quickly in many ecosystems.

Random Friday Video: The Birth of Electronic News

paul — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 12:37:51 +0000

Think back to what you were doing in 1981, then imagine getting news via your home computer—if you had one.

This video of a 1981 KRON report predicts the future of news reporting on the future of the Internet.

And the best part? An S.F. Examiner editor mentions how they’re not in it to make money, when referring to his newspaper’s experimentation of an electronic version of the news. “…we’re probably not going to lose a lot but we aren’t going to make much either.”

Oh, if they only knew…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Virgin Galactic may have America’s first spaceport in New Mexico

paul — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 14:04:26 +0000

In an almost scifi start to the new year, SpaceFellowship.com writes New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson announced “Virgin Galactic has signed a 20 year lease agreement with the State of New Mexico. Virgin Galactic’s world headquarters will be established in New Mexico and its operations will be located at New Mexico’s Spaceport America, the nation’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport.”

Governor Richardson believes that the agreement, which came a few days after the FAA “issued a launch license to the New Mexico Spaceport Authority,” will make New Mexico the home of commercial space travel.

The signing of the agreement coincides with the start of Virgin Galactic’s test program of the WhiteKnightTwo launch vehicle in the Mojave Desert.

This is pretty cool news on many levels and I’m excited to see a commercial space program get off the ground. Virgin Galactic is one step closer to bringing space travel to the common citizen.

The Hoopoe: Israel’s new national bird

paul — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 14:04:51 +0000

The State of Israel finally has a national bird. Behold, the Hoopoe, chosen during this year’s celebration of the 60th anniversary of the nation’s independence.

The Hoopoe
(Photo by Dhaval Momaya, via Wikipedia)

According to a news brief from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, the bird is native to the Middle East and has an Israeli commando unit named after it.

The Hoopoe beat out other winged candidates such as the Palestine Sunbird and the Bulbul, which is also known in Hebrew as a slang term for the penis. Last year, the Bulbul was really close to being tabbed, as reported on Haaretz.com. But by late 2007, their was a small list of contenders who would be voted on by this year’s 60th anniversary celebration.

Rather than read more about it here, watch Stephen Colbert of the Colbert Report in this hilarious coverage of the nation’s new national bird.

Random Friday video: Wiener poopies and Jesus-napping

paul — Fri, 09 May 2008 11:33:20 +0000

This news item from ABC affiliate Channel 13 News is just too odd to explain. Dachshund poop, Jesus statuette-napping and feuding neighbors… You just have to watch it to believe it.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Piracy is rapidly being suppressed on the high seas–or is it?

paul — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:38:55 +0000

The governments of France, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore have something in common. They don’t fool around when it comes to piracy.

Mike Nizza reports from The Lede: Notes on the News on NYTimes.com that in 2005, the Malacca Straight, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, was considered a war zone because there was so much piracy. Using coordinated sea and air patrols, the surrounding nations quickly had things under control and the war rating by Lloyd’s of London was dropped.

View Larger Map
(The Malacca Straight is a narrow stretch of water between the Malaysian peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra.)

The area seems to be relatively pirate-free.

But the coasts of Somalia and Nigeria are still a hotbed of piratical activity. The other week a French yacht was seized by Somali pirates. The French government sent in special forces to negotiate, then double-cross the sea raiders. The crew and passengers were rescued and six of the pirates were arrested.

View Larger Map
(The coast of Somalia, also known as the Horn of Africa.)

Things in Somalia appear to be somewhat under control—for now.

Oddly enough, the British government recently offered asylum to pirates. The British Navy has been asked not to arrest the very pirates it is helping to chase down off the horn of Africa (Somalia).

Five nations are hunting pirates down with impunity, another is offering asylum. Some oceans and seas are under control and others you wouldn’t send your worst enemy. It reminds me a bit like the golden age of piracy during the age of sail, with one nation waging war and another offering a secretive license to privateer. One thing is for sure, it makes for interesting news.