Lonely surf journalist gets back down to “The People’s Work” after premium surf blog Stab abdicates duty!

Afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted.

Well color me dumbb. I was stunned, this morning, after reading premium subscription surf website Stab’s heartfelt defense of “access journalism” after its Editor-in-Chief failed to ask the World Surf League Chief of Sport Jessi Miley-Dyer why former CEO Erik Logan was unceremoniously sacked whilst galavanting though Brazil.

Co-founder Sam McIntosh took to arms attempting to shred “dickheads” who would dare question the “global home of surfing” and risk losing the ability to licensing footage all while elbowing Steph Gilmore under the bus (oops).

Stab’s comment section, mostly a Wall of Positive Noise, much to my furthered shock. Many praise for brave open collaboration only punctuated by a few gems that snuck through the censors, like this one from filmmaker Paul Taubleib.

“You sold your soul for a two-hour jump on releasing a tour schedule? ‘Afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted’ – the great HL Mencken on journalism. There is a wavy line in matters of trust and access but to admittedly descend into unadulterated toadyism, and to equate a bit of discretion in personal issue with covering a league is pure embarrassing solipsism.”

Well, it is time to leave consternation behind and re-shoulder The People’s™ Work.

Afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted.

On that note, have you examined Laird Hamilton and his wife Gabby Reece lately? In a recent spot for Laird Superfood’s Pumpkin Spice creamer, the two are sipping autumn’s favorite flavor and it is, truly, impossible to tell them apart.

Not a bad thing, certainly. The couple is the very picture of health, bronze, healthy full hair.

They are also now twins.

And how do you feel about spouses transitioning into each other? A listener to The Grit! podcast wondered the same thing, today, and wrote in with his ponderings:

Gents, I’ve got a concern. I was on the sofa scrolling when I was fed an ad by Laird Superfoods. Laird’s chiseled, tanned image caught me and I stopped to watch. He was sitting at the counter and Gabby walks over with a cup of pumpkin spiced creamed coffee, sits down, and unison, they take a sip and nod approvingly at one another. And I’ll be damned if it didn’t look like Laird was looking straight into a mirror. Maybe through shared workouts, maybe through their shared diet, but Laird and Gabby have morphed into one another. Gabby’s musculature had increased, and if Laird’s sun kissed blonde locks are a mere 6 inches shorter than Gabby’s but certainly, by mid January that will match, too.

Almost aghast, I turned to share this epiphany with my wife and, lo and behold, I saw, for the first time, a version of me starting right back. We’ve been married for 22 years and if I look back at our wedding photos, there is a noticeable transition that has taken place in these two decades. We’ve swapped plenty of DNA in those years, but never did I think the results would transform our appearance. How is this happening? And, she’s gorgeous, so I shouldn’t be fighting it, but what if she’s morphs more towards me and I spoil her beauty. Science is of no help. Please boys, do you thing!

One other thing, Gabby runs his insta account!

She does.

How to navigate? David Lee Scales and I discuss, in depth, on today’s program without asking for Jessi Miley-Dyer’s approval.

Will you enjoy?

No.

But would you like to give it a try anyhow?

Thanks!