I don't think people should be getting money just for being hot. I also don't think people should be getting money for surfing. Or for breeding really inbred dogs. I have opinions on the internet

I drive a 94 Toyota Hilux Surf, and on Monday night some dumbass tried to steal it. They broke a window but failed at breaking the key barrel.

So I'm going to leave a sign on it from now on:
Dear Fucking Idiots,
If you want to steal this truck, you don't need to break in, just call this number and I'll meet you with the keys. If you can still use your hands 5 minutes later, it's yours.

[author flagged as a spammer - redacted]

Surf's up!!

More of the story and details

"He came on television and told everyone he had seen God. So I stopped channel surfing immediately. He said that he had seen God, and God told him to raise 8 million dollars. God was broke."

I've seen it twice now--once on opening night in IMAX with co-workers and the next day with my daughter and wife in 2D at the local theatre. To be honest, I wouldn't have gone to see it again if the local theatre hadn't of gifted me with discounted tickets (around $12 US for me and the wife and $9 for the daughter).

I was deeply disappointed with the film, though I would not go so far as to say it sucks like @kulpims did. If I had to sum it up in two phrases, I'd say "tries too hard to be clever" in homages to the original films and "deeply flawed" in terms of story. It's not a terrible film by any means, but I would say its unevenness makes it good yet far from great.

It's better and worse than the prequels at the same time. Acting and pacing are far better than the prequels (but not nearly as good as the originals as has been pointed out by @ChaosEngine already).

At the same time, say what you want about Lucas's prequels but he at least tried to expand the Star Wars universe and show us new sides and aspects of it--to make it really feel like a galaxy rather than a couple of mostly uninhabited worlds like Tatooine and Hoth that we got to see in the original trilogy. This movie is a step backwards from that and played things waaaaaay too safe (partly because, as I mentioned, they were too busy trying to make themselves look clever with references to the originals and lots of "nod, nod, wink, wink, see what I did there" moments).

But it is JJ Abrams and I shouldn't have really been as shocked as I was to find out how much of the movie was copy/pasted from the originals with twists that I'm sure he thought were clever but which I just found as cringe-worthy.

Still, really loved the new characters. The daughter was definitely enthralled by Rey, but surprisingly likes her better as dune-surfing scavenger than planet-hopping adventurer.

This eliminates what I hate about surfing: waiting around for a wave. Wow. Surf forever. Like everyone else, I want to know how this works though.

http://www.vice.com/en_ca/read/will-wave-pools-make-surfing-weird-and-lame

The first steps towards making surfing an Olympic sport...

The idea is to make circular pools, never-ending waves. Too cool.

Yeah, I don't know. Jumping out of a plane with a parachute on was exciting. Getting rolled over sharp rocks by a 10 foot wave after getting caught in a rip while surfing = freaked the fuck out and spending 6 months getting over my sheer terror that it would happen again. And lucky to be alive, and I wasn't even contemplating self harm let alone suicide.

Life lessons are hard to learn when you know they're fake. Reality is the best (and unfortunately sometimes last) teacher we'll ever know.

Yes, I know. I both read your public post to him, and he contacted me. We speak almost daily, and I often surf the 'recent comments' page.

I have no issue with heated debate at all. I have serious issue when it devolves into personal insult because one party can't convince the other. Next time, when the frustration gets to you, take a break and come back later. I don't think you (or I) want a repeat of todays discourse.

Respect has been seriously damaged between us, due at least in part to your silly insults directed at me, born of your frustration at not convincing me of your point of view and in part to my qualified return of some of those insults, born from being insulted myself but still inappropriate. (It may be repaired in time, but only if your behavior changes.)
You will run up against disagreement daily here, and you really need to not take it personally when another disagrees strongly with your position, because then you'll likely respond by insulting them personally, which is specifically not allowed, and a terrible way to have any discussion.

I always favor at least understanding if not agreement, but I can't accept personal attacks born of frustration...and especially non-factual attacks against those you barely know, but have been helpful and friendly to you thus far. When the discussion devolves like that, there's nothing more to gain from it, and that's sad.

If you can stick to attacking ideas and topics and not the people putting them forth, we'll get along fine....if I see what looks like a personal attack, I can't help but speak up....if for no other reason than out of respect for the sift and it's rules.

Newt

Your video, Kelly Slater's Freakish Aerial Surf Recovery at Hurley Pro, has made it into the Top 15 New Videos listing. Congratulations on your achievement. For your contribution you have been awarded 1 Power Point.

My god, those lips are so thick it must feel like getting hit by a truck if you're caught out in the flats... and there's only 20 inches of water between you and the reef in the flats in some spots. I'm amazed there have only been 5 recorded surfing deaths at that break.