Not Surfing
09/11/11 21:36
Noise Party
Somewhere in Jersey I m NOT SURFING!!! I ve been exploring the Internet. Caught up, some, in the hype and allure of the electronic frontier, I ve rigged up my 486 with some freeware and shareware software, and I ve been OUT THERE. You know, NETTING.
Whatever you want to call it, I ve been exploring and sampling and playing.
But I have NOT been SURFING the Internet. I hate that expression. It s stupid. Used mostly -- just my guess here -- by people who can t double click a mouse, never mind participate in a global digital community. But I don t mean this to be an attack on users of the phrase, just a vent against the concept of surfing in the cybervoid .// Link ~~ marketing opportunity -- keyboard in the shape of a surfboard, should be packaged with every copy of Internet in a Box or similar one-stop shopping offerings for the would-be surf set.
Here s the thing -- I don t surf. I have a place at the Jersey Shore -- two blocks from the beach. To my surprise, as an old New England farmer, with visions of California defining my image of surfing, there is a Jersey surf culture. So I considered getting a board and jumping in the water to try my hand. But as I ve gotten older, I ve found myself having to cut back on the new things I want to try, so I can try to spend time doing all the other things I ve tried and liked and want to do better... like playing music, writing, painting, playing golf, and so on .... Besides, to surf right, you ve got to get up early and get wet and cold. Not my neighborhood, as it were. But what is surfing? Like skiing, horseback riding or similar motion/balance sports, the fundamental objective of surfing is catching the natural movement and riding it. The artistry comes in with the degree of grace and innovation that the rider brings to bear.
It s dance.
Surfing = dance on a wave; just as skiing is dance on a hill, and riding is dance on a horse.
And I don t dance. Used to. Used to love to -- danced every night. Did that for years. Then I ran out of time. Who has time to dance these days? As much joy as I get out of movement, I don t have time these days for movement without objective. So I can justify going out to play Ultimate Frisbee. But I can t justify going out dancing. And I can t justify dancing on the Internet. Or Surfing, to call it by another name. I need to have more objective than surfing the Net provides. So far, that comes in the form of communication -- electronic publishing through this Home Page and through a local BBS at the Shore // Link to Noise Party description //. And perhaps a tie to artistic and musical pursuits // Link to customax // And I will be out there. On the Net. Catching the Wave, as it were. But not surfing.
Somewhere in Jersey I m NOT SURFING!!! I ve been exploring the Internet. Caught up, some, in the hype and allure of the electronic frontier, I ve rigged up my 486 with some freeware and shareware software, and I ve been OUT THERE. You know, NETTING.
Whatever you want to call it, I ve been exploring and sampling and playing.
But I have NOT been SURFING the Internet. I hate that expression. It s stupid. Used mostly -- just my guess here -- by people who can t double click a mouse, never mind participate in a global digital community. But I don t mean this to be an attack on users of the phrase, just a vent against the concept of surfing in the cybervoid .// Link ~~ marketing opportunity -- keyboard in the shape of a surfboard, should be packaged with every copy of Internet in a Box or similar one-stop shopping offerings for the would-be surf set.
Here s the thing -- I don t surf. I have a place at the Jersey Shore -- two blocks from the beach. To my surprise, as an old New England farmer, with visions of California defining my image of surfing, there is a Jersey surf culture. So I considered getting a board and jumping in the water to try my hand. But as I ve gotten older, I ve found myself having to cut back on the new things I want to try, so I can try to spend time doing all the other things I ve tried and liked and want to do better... like playing music, writing, painting, playing golf, and so on .... Besides, to surf right, you ve got to get up early and get wet and cold. Not my neighborhood, as it were. But what is surfing? Like skiing, horseback riding or similar motion/balance sports, the fundamental objective of surfing is catching the natural movement and riding it. The artistry comes in with the degree of grace and innovation that the rider brings to bear.
It s dance.
Surfing = dance on a wave; just as skiing is dance on a hill, and riding is dance on a horse.
And I don t dance. Used to. Used to love to -- danced every night. Did that for years. Then I ran out of time. Who has time to dance these days? As much joy as I get out of movement, I don t have time these days for movement without objective. So I can justify going out to play Ultimate Frisbee. But I can t justify going out dancing. And I can t justify dancing on the Internet. Or Surfing, to call it by another name. I need to have more objective than surfing the Net provides. So far, that comes in the form of communication -- electronic publishing through this Home Page and through a local BBS at the Shore // Link to Noise Party description //. And perhaps a tie to artistic and musical pursuits // Link to customax // And I will be out there. On the Net. Catching the Wave, as it were. But not surfing.
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