So, not only are they polluting the ocean, they are also giving money to their friends

BP is using a chemical produced by its corporate partner to clean up the spill, even though it has been banned by the EPA...Oddly one of the former executives of BP is on its board.

huh.

Go figure. And here they have all those lovely commercials about how they are a clean, happy company. In fact, they're just greedy suits raping the ocean like so many others...

Story here

See that picture on my header? If this keeps happening, can kiss that goodbye...

Nothing Changes

I'm dredging this blog up again as I am totally fed up with big companies having their way with us, and flatly lying to us about their practices. Plus, our governments are full of greedy corrupt officials that can't see past their next paycheck

This really pisses me off:

Shell still going ahead with drilling operation

Surely we should learn from the problem in the Gulf that oil prodction needs to be limited and controlled even more. Our dependency on this stuff just sickens me, and now is the time to get off the petroleum nipple and move forward.

Redirect

click here

resin is fun...

well, this has been a tough one. I mean, blogging is fun, and free. You can say whatever you want, and deal with the consequences. It's the ultimate freedom of the press, in some ways.

But, how many blogs are acceptable? I mean, in this age of cutting back, and being responsible, surely multiple blogs is just a bit silly, right? I mean, who do I think I am to be spouting nonsense on two, or three blogs anyway? I'm just some goon who likes making weird and wonderful surfboards, what do I know?

So, in the interest of streamlining, and keeping the content fresh, I've decided to disontinue this particular blog and focus on the Royal blog. It makes sense anyway since my biggest rants are about boards any way...or at least it does at the moment...bah....

Thanks to everyone who checks in, and has encouraged me over the years(yeah i said it YEARS! I can't believe that).

Please tune in to the Royal blog for more of the same junk that I've been posting here, without all the linky stuff...

The Big Myth

F-ing surf industry....what a joke. I mean, since when did we start surfing to be industrious anyway?! I can hear the rants of Dora now...

Look hear, if you are trying to break into the surf industrial complex, be warned. You are going to probably work for a huge conglomerate, that may or most likely not have any ethical sense. Not to mention working a 'job' no different than any other professional. We all have our commitments, and responsibilities and therefore need to work in some way to fulfill them. Just don't think going to work for Brand Xtreme is going to be the cool job you expect it to be.

It is an incestuous, back stabbing, and greedy industry driven by ego and profit. No different than the banking sector that could be blamed for the mess we're all in now.

This is a genralisation of course, and there are still a few small innovative companies around, but as the recession deepens they may not last much longer. They don't get the coverage deserved because the bigger guys buy up all the advertising, and then claim these ideas as their own.

It is all a joke. Why would you want to be a part of that? Do you want someone to tell you how, where, and when to surf? Soul? Give me a break. That has long been sold to the Devil for chump change, bro....

incut numero 2

firing on all cylinders....6'2"x 20 3/4" incut number 2 in the works...

the great cheap board debate

It's no secret that I love making surfboards. It is also no secret that my boards aren't cheap, and that it is how I attempt to support myself, and family. And, everyone knows that cheaply produced boards are flooding the market and making this difficult for some. Some boards are garbage, some are actually well made. Hard to tell if you're learning, or new to the surfing craze.

What bothers me most about all this is what happens to all the used, second hand boards that people have moved on from, or are damaged and just left to rot. There are no environmentally friendly boards made cheaply, especially when mass produced. So, all these toxic, used boards end up where?

When I learned to surf, you bought second hand. Why would you buy a new board, when you're only going to smash it up? After getting a homemade board from a neighbor - who was going to throw it out - I worked around the house, earned my allowance and bought my 1st real board used from a real surfshop. I loved it, and when I was ready, I moved on to another board, also used. I never had much money as a kid, due to the surfing lifestyle and my loathsome attitude towards work. So all my boards were usedm got damaged, repaired and ridden over and over before being given/sold to another beginner to use. Who then progressed and traded it in for a newer board down the road.

The second hand market is busting at the seams with gems at the moment, and they're loads cheaper than if bought new. It is a great way to try out new shapes before spending loads of money on that shiny new custom shape. Plus, they don't depreciate any more.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, in this age of being green, and everyone trying to save the planet, why are we mass producing toxic equipment destined/designed to fall apart and pollute the ocean, or landfills?

in the words of a poster on MSW, if you're after a cheap board:

Buy second hand and repair and reuse, because you can't recycle....