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old skateboarders passing on the baton, Skatelab RIP

I read on facebook that Skatelab skate park in Simi Valley is going to be shut down.

The first thing I want to say is that I have only visited this park a few times. And during my first visit  to Skatelab I felt that unmistakable old school skatepark feeling. If you never hung out at one of the old school skateparks you wouldn’t understand. As a matter of fact I used to get the same feeling when I localized and worked at Skatopia Skatepark (in Buena Park California back in the late 1970’s). And as im writing this post I realize that the old school feeling has nothing to do with the skateboard museum or even the park itself. Interstingly I cannot really pinpoint why the place made me feel like I was in a old school skatepark. Maybe its the person or people who made that place?

Mixed feelings about Skatelabs closure

Surprisingly, I am both sad and happy that Skatelab is closing. The reasons I am sad are probably obvious. Whereas the  reason I am happy is less obvious. It has a little to do with old skateboarders passing on the baton.

Why i’m happy about the closure

So I am happy about the closure in more of a changing of the guard sense. Which is to say  (in my opinion) old skaters and old skater culture have hindered skateboarding to some level. Look around, old skate dudes run a lot of the companies and events and in my opinion it drag them down. I for one am curious to see what things new skateboarders will come up with. For me skateboard events, products and skateparks could use a fresh perspective. I believe the younger generation will find something exciting or interesting for skateboarding. So will the old skateboarding generation hand down control to the young? My guess would be no.

Skatelab is an important part of skateboarding history

In closing, to be clear I do not think that Skatelab has held back the progression of skateboarding. I mean what I say in more of a symbolic sense. And in a perfect world the place would be preserved in an even more museum like environment. But sadly old school skateboarding history like Jazz (another American invention) will probably slip into a slumber and ultimately fade away, And maybe thats the natural way of things?

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i Had a conversation podcast by Ken Hada

Words Push Things Around
Art Podcast i had a conversation Words Push Things Around

Words Push Things Around

I few months ago I decided to give podcasts a try. You might think why podcasts? They are so stark, no pictures, no video, and no text. Instead of all the stimulating visual things that make the internet so fun podcasts  rely on sound alone. Thats right, but sound can be very interesting. And why not sound? If I were you I would not underestimate sound. Sound is glorious and the sound of words are not to bad either.

As a matter of fact words have propelled this world forward for a long time. People have used words to do really great things and really bad things. Words can change a student into a doctor, and a single person into a spouse. Words push around so many things in our world. And if you use your words at someone else they might use some towards you. Sort of like a conversation.

Conversations can be very interesting to listen to or participate in. Im not talking about conversations on Reddit, a newsgroup or your favorite web forum. Im not even talking about conversations on text or dm. Im talking about real conversations (the in person type). Conversations that have no reason, nothing to sell, and nothing to prove. Conversations that talk about art of all things. That thing we do or admire that somehow makes sense. That art thing that makes us feel a feeling or elevates us. Art conversations on things like photography, skateboarding, music, poetry, or acting.

If you made it this far you might like to listen to my conversations with my friends.  Friends  I like and respect. Friends that I believe in. I think they have interesting things to say and you might think so too. I hope you will enjoy a series of podcast I create called “i Had a conversation”

http://www.ihadaconversation.com/i-hada-a-conversation-with-john-stamos/

skateboarder Lizzie Armanto Part 1

Every Dance Is Too Long Michael Weber part 1

Photographer Rob Johnson part 1 Decisive Moments

 

 

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Shoot The Moon, ten years of video recordings

popular shoot the moon video clip

doesn’t really represent what the band was

This is a clip from my old band named Shoot The Moon. We wrote songs, played live and lived our lives together for 10 years. For me, this clip sort of lacks what the band was actually about. Im putting it up because it is (as of this writing) the most popular video.

And speaking of video wow did we create a lot of it. I have been spending the last month transferring all of this video to youtube. A task that has resurrected many feelings both old and new. I think my generation were some of the first to have a moving picture record of our daily lives? It was a expensive thing to have a camera back in the late 1980’s. Now with each generation of smartphone being cheaper and better, everyone will have a moving-picture-record of their life. I wonder if it will as strange for my son or daughter to see 10 years of their life so many years after they lived it?

For me, it is a bit strange to see 10 years of your life on video. I sometimes wonder if this is a good or bad thing? I really loved that experience and those days are so fun to watch. But video also reminds me of how scarce time is. And so I feel guilty about looking at life as opposed to living it.

If you want to see all the Shoot The Moon video go here https://www.youtube.com/kenhada

If you want to see the official Moon website go to www.shootthemoon.com

 

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Is this Stranger Things for is this Stephen King?

I just finished watching season 2 of “Stranger Things”. I liked it but I have to wonder if the reason I liked it is because it reminds me of “It”, “Stand By Me”, “Firestarter”, “The Wolves of Calla”, and “The Talisman”. The pace of the story, the characters, and even the way some of the character look, all felt like a Stephen King book or production. Don’t get me wrong thats a nice place to start but it would have been nice to experience something beyond the original creators intentions. Will I watch Stranger Things 3? Yes because aside from the rehashed stories I really like the actors in these productions.

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Spectrum Internet drops connection constantly

I just did one of those forced upgrades where the internet company takes your old modem and forces you to get a new one. Ever since the upgrade my once Time Warner Cable now Spectrum Internet drops connection about eery 20 seconds.