Showing posts with label sand. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sand. Show all posts

Friday, October 9, 2026

Alta, Baja California slammed by storms

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Wednesday, September 23, 2026

End of Summer Beach Party Hike (9/26)


WHAT HAPPENED?
Vegan Spiritual No Meat and Mingle Party
We gathered about 10:00 am on a warm day, high tide, threat of a mysterious storm affecting the water due to some distant storm. We huddled and headed for the hills, six miles to the summit. Others biked, lounged on the sandy beach. Climbing to the first loop, some returned, whereas others soldiered on to the peak. Affirmations, a land acknowledgement to the Chumash's unceded land, and gratitude for all Nature were given at the top of the first loop. The cool breeze made the direct sun bearable, with temperatures in the upper seventies. Then we made our way down the mountain above Leo Carillo State Park to wooden tables tucked between PCH and the seashore. Dave got the BBQ grill going with Beyond Burgers and buns; Annie Vitality had a raw fruitcake; a special guest broke out his new product, vegan sorbet and gelato (the day's winner for biggest treat); everyone else had salads, rice, sauces, creams, sprouts, tofu dogs (Smart Life), cookies, and sundry creations. Lots of socializing, hugs, stories, a moving share by a Palestinian guest, who reports that Israelis (illegal occupation forces) have been changing "sewer water" signs with "drinking water" signs. Many of the Jewish anti-Zionist guests commiserated. When it was time to dance, we hit the water in high surf, rocks, and seaweed fragments as if some distant disturbance were  uprooting plants and coral.



If only all LA county beaches were paradise
Join Veggie Hikers, Vegan Spirituality, Dharma Buddhist Meditation...at summer's end for the “No Meat & Mingle” at Los Angeles' Leo Carrillo State Beach for our annual hike and vegan cookout!

Can’t make the hike? Attend the cookout BBQ (or vice versa). The hike starts at 10:00 am. The potluck cookout portion with beach BBQ starts at about 2:00 pm. Leashed dogs welcome at the beach, but not on the hiking trail.
Plant based foods are delicious
See details about the hike and where our cookout will be in the "Notes from Hosts" section. In order to participate in the potluck portion of the event, all participants must bring a ready-to-eat vegan dish to share or vegan items to grill and share (veggie kabobs, vegan burgers, tofu hotdogs, etc.) Not doing so may not seem fair to those of us who do.

VEGAN means leaving out dead animals and their byproducts, avoiding meat, fish, eggs, dairy, honey -- free of all animal byproducts.

Everyone, bring a prepared dish and food to grill to serve at least 10 people to have enough food for all to enjoy. This is a FREE event. Donations welcome but not required. Funds pay pricey Meetup dues, supplies, and other costs for future potlucks.
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Monday, July 27, 2026

Surf's up! Triple threat: wavy, hot, humid


Fat Happy Zen monk Budai can surf
Why do waves go so well with Buddhism? There's something about sex, sand, and suffering -- which one meets with while reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on the beach. But becoming a greater surfer has much more to do with wu wei (the ease of effortless flow), wushu (martial arts), and applying Taoist principles like yin and yang to Zen (jhana) Buddhist practice, which involves mindful in-the-moment awareness and radical acceptance of what is.

Southland facing a triple threat of heat, humidity, and high surf
Temperatures topping 100 inland raise fire risk
Rong-Gong Lin II (July 21, 2026, Los Angeles); Eds., Wisdom Quarterly
Super Girl Surf Fest 2026
Southern California will face a triple threat this week of dangerous heat, muggy weather and, along the coast, hazardous high waves. It may be better for surfing, but it will be risky for all beachgoers who get near the water.

"We're looking at an at least several days -- if not longer -- heat event, which can really be concerning," said meteorologist Robbie Munroe of the National Weather Service's Oxnard office. Hollywood may catch fire on the Sunset Strip from all the tourists dripping sunblock.

Prepare: World Surf League 2026
From Tuesday through next Monday, temperatures could hit 109 in Paso Robles, 108 in Lancaster, 106 in Canoga Park, 102 in Santa Clarita, 99 in Covina, 92 in DTLA, and 87 in Long Beach.

Officials warned of elevated fire danger across large swaths of SoCal starting Tuesday, with a high risk of fast-moving and "plume dominated" fires driven by heat and instability. Such blazes have large vertical growth and can spread rapidly even when not driven by the wind. More: latimes.com
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With no "self," there are only conditions.
Wisdom Quarterly's new book on going with the flow while out to sea among brutal sharks, cancerous sun, chapping wind, and rich territorial surf punks suffering from localism and getting into fights about it.

Why do waves go so well with Buddhist practice? There's something about "sex, sand, and suffering" -- which one meets with while reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy safely on the beach. But it has much more to do with wu wei, wushu, and applying Taoist principles to Zen practice.

Ancient surfboard from 1600s found in Hawaii
For instance, when out on a wave about to ride, instead of "doing," try "allowing." Go with the flow. Rather than interfering or trying to cut against the grain, embody radical acceptance of what is and ride it out. That's what Wisdom Quarterly's resident Meditation Teacher Seven says is a far better approach than struggling to dominate.

In surfing as in life, prepare for the gnarly.
Let the waves dominate so that the only thing to do is allow, allow, allow. Then in this allowing, suddenly it becomes effortless and intuitive, perfectly obvious and impossible to explain with words.

People do sometimes try to express it in words, but it all becomes a jumble of oohs and ahhs like surf slang or Himalayan shoestring spiritual seekers on ayahuasca down in the jungles of the Amazon with shamans Michael Harner.
  • Natives knew plant medicines
    As a graduate student in the 1950s, Michael Harner undertook field research on the culture of the Jívaro (Shuar) Natives of the Amazon in Ecuador [5] as he began to pursue a career as an ethnologist. His UC Berkeley doctoral dissertation (1963) became the basis for his book, The Jívaro: People of the Sacred Waterfalls [6]. In 1960-1961 he reported that he became a participant-observer by experimenting with the powerful plant medicine ayahuasca with the Conibo of the Peruvian Amazon [5]. He wrote about in the articles "The Sound of Rushing Water" (1968)[7] and "The Role of Hallucinogenic Plants in European Witchcraft" (1973)[8]. Dr. Harner, Ph.D. returned to the Native Jívaro in 1964, 1969, and 1973, at which time he learned the use of the psychoactive entheogen maikua (Datura brugmansia, jimsonweed) [5]. More
Dr. Michael Harner: shamans know their plants
There's a similar feeling to be had by skateboarding or hang gliding, BASE jumping or surviving the pit (slam dancing to a favorite song at a concert). Surfing seems very safe by comparison. It all becomes instinctive and beyond thinking. It's a good place to be just for that moment, rising above the turmoil of the mind or diving into the silence of the heart. Rumi would understand. The historical Buddha pointed out the detailed Path to it.

What is surfing?

I'dunno, Bro, looks pretty gnarly. Let's just tan.
Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual surfer (or two) uses a carefully modified wood, fiberglass, or polyurethane board to "ride" on the face, the forward section, of a swelling wave of water. This swell usually carries said surfer toward shore or to a watery death by drowning for not respecting Mother Nature enough. Waves suitable for surfing are primarily found on ocean shores. But they can also be found as standing waves in the open ocean, artificial simulators, lakes, rivers in the form of a tidal bore, or wave pools (and also in a physics experiment when a tide pool is sent back to sea). More
What's going on in the SoCal water?

Giant LA all drains into Santa Monica Bay
A few weeks ago, LA and OC beaches were being subjected to king tides, riptides, with dangerous surfing conditions for experts only. The cause this time seems to be a tropical storm elsewhere disrupting the height and frequency of waves. Surfers may love it as they avoid great white sharks, but others will find it hard to take a dip or swim. Localism is, of course, a greater danger as human sharks with a sense of entitlement circle strangers and drive them out. Expect swells, tubular conditions at The Wedge and elsewhere. Warning: Water may be a little contaminated due to crumbling infrastructure. Sharks are a tiny worry compared to the microscopic contaminants and plastic particle debris. Enjoy.
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Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Sex and Suffering in Buddhism

"Sex positive" Buddhists?
How can Wisdom Quarterly publish this? - How? It's a sex positive site. - O, makes sense
"If people start thinking freely about sex...they [might] start thinking freely about everything!"
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SlutWalk, Washington DC, USA 2012
The sex-positive movement is a social and philosophical movement that seeks to change cultural attitudes and norms around sexuality, promoting the recognition of sexuality (in the countless forms of expression) as a natural and healthy part of the human experience and emphasizing the importance of personal sovereignty, safer sex practices, and consensual sex (and sex work free of violence or coercion).

I'm straight. Don't want sex? Become a monk.
It is based on the idea that "sexuality is an important part of the human experience and it deserves respect" [1]. Although the definition of the term greatly varies among those involved in the movement, its central notion is "openness to a variety of sexual orientations, interests (or lack thereof), identities and expressions" [2].

I regret all that science and math. I really wanted to be a Hedonist with Jeffrey Epstein & Co!
    .
    The sex-positive movement also advocates for comprehensive sex education and safe sex as part of its campaign.[3] The movement generally makes no moral distinctions among types of sexual activities, regarding these choices as matters of personal preference [4]. More
     
    Rich, beautiful celebrities still have to date?

    Suffering Sandpapery Sex? Three Secrets to Juicier Lovemaking

    What makes someone sexually attractive?
    (AARP) We’ve all been there before: We’re about to get it on and — *album scratch* — our girl isn’t giving what she’s supposed to. Knowhatimsayin? Like that filthy/racy Cardi B song featuring Megan Thee Stallion. What’s up with my natural lube being a no-show? Why is this happening?

    Will my customers still like me when I'm old?
    Vaginal dryness is more common during perimenopause and after menopause. “As the reproductive portion of a woman’s life starts to come to a close, estrogen [female hormone] levels drop because it’s not necessary for you to make eggs anymore,” says Dr. Nicole E. Williams, M.D., founder of the Gynecology Institute of Chicago and author of This is How You Vagina: All About Your Vajayjay and Why You Probably Shouldn't Call It That.


    This is How You Vagina (Dr. Williams, MD)
    Estrogen helps keep the vagina well lubricated and aids in sexual intercourse, she says. So declining estrogen levels can mean vaginal dryness that causes rough discomfort or sandy pain during sex. Some women also experience a chafed or burning feeling during day-to-day activities.

    Menopause isn’t the only reason for vaginal dryness. Some other causes are medications, including antidepressants, antihistamines, and hormonal birth control pills; childbirth or breastfeeding; vaginal infections; stress. Whatever the circumstances, we’re not stuck with sandpaper-like sex. Here’s how to add more slip and slide to the ride. More: sisters.aarp.org
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    Friday, May 1, 2026

    BeachLife Festival, May 1-3, 2026 (LIVE)

    The Chainsmokers "#SELFIE" (official music video)

    BeachLife 2026 | The Weekend Playlist

    Artist Lineup | BeachLife Festival
    (BeachLife Festival) Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, May 1-3, 2026, is time for the annual BeachLife Festival. This is BeachLife 2026 (tickets at BeachLife Festival | Live Music Festival | Redondo Beach, CA, USA). Here's a weekend playlist built the old way—listening together, dropping the needle, and letting the music choose itself. It's three days by the ocean in sunny Southern California. Here is music meant to be shared with the people we come with and meet on site. In memory of Greg Browning, whose spirit is always part of the room. 📍 Redondo Beach, Cali 📅 May 1–3, 2026 🎟️. Suzanne Hoffs blew it up last year. Will The Chainsmokers or Sheryl Crow do the same this year?


    FEATURING: The Chainsmokers, Duran Duran, Grouplove, Flipturn, Fitz and the Tantrums, The Offspring, Slightly Stoopid, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Sugar Ray, SwitchFoot, Bad Suns... James Taylor and his All-Star Band, My Morning Jacket, Sheryl Crow, Peach Pit, Poolside, Mike Watt...
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