Friday, July 20, 2012

West Coast Grunion Run Proves Eternal Life


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Tune in to the Hard Work Hour with Douglas Douglas Live on Blog Talk Radio Friday mornings now at 10:00 am Pacific Coast Time.

Today's show: "West Coast Grunion Proves Eternal Life" is dedicated to The Light of Learning and brought to you by Discovery Learning Tutoring, serving California and the world with your education needs.

Also on today's show:
1) Local News
2) Other News
3) Local Loco
4) "West Coast Grunion Run Proves Eternal Life"
5) Lit Minit : "The American Nation, Volume Two : A history of the United States since 1865. John A. Garraty, Longman, NY. 2003.

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1) Local News

           Drought threatens corn crop.
           Them? Or us?
           Japan rice loyalty bitch-smacked by tsunami.
           Olympics! Can they again be a time for putting down our arms and getting down
           to the business of FUN?
           Hitler's stamp on the Olympics. Oops! Learning is fun, idn't it? Okay, he didn't
           create the Modern Olympics himself out of dried and stretched yiddish lampshade
           material. But he did have a giant effect on the event. We ignore this to our peril.

           One year since Kelly's beat-down.
         
         

2) Other News


           Duh. Shootings, panic, reloading, indifferent parents, pain, suffering, absent dieties...

3) Local Loco

4)  "West Coast Grunion Proves Eternal Life"


          Smack dab in the middle of the June grunion run, and not a shell casing or canister in
          sight (except the smashed-up and sand-filled Tecate can at my feet). What could be
          more life-affirming and hopeful than the uber-sex-filled mating ritual of Southern Califor-
          nia's favorite maritime sluts, The Grunion?


          ----------


For the uninitiated (and myself yesterday)  Leuresthes tenuis, commonly known as the California Grunion is a member of the New World silversides family,  Atheriniopsidae, along with jacksmelt and topsmelt. Their usual range extends from Point Conception, California, to Point Abreojos, Baja California. Occasionally, they are found farther north, to Monterey Bay, California, and south to San Juanico Bay, Baja California. They inhabit the nearshore waters from the surf to a depth of 60 ft. Tagging studies indicate that they do not migrate. (source California Dept. of Fish and Game website http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/grunionschedule.asp#runs)
          One of the great things growing up really stupid here in LA is that as an adult I can
          experience grunion for the first time. In my mis-spent youth we often went down to the
          shore late at night to chase the wiggly creatures, but at this writing it is not clear that we
          had ANY idea what the hell we were looking for. 


          I remember being insufficiently buzzed. That and cold. That and confused. "What are
          we doing here again?" Drinking, fighting. Yelling at the quiet people running away. More 
          drinking. Back to the car for more beer and an end to the misery of night-time beach 
          research. Not a fish in sight, copulating or not. 


          But tonight if you're lucky, you will see what I did last night under the Redondo Pier. 


          THOUSANDS of wriggling, fucking giant sardines macking hard on each other and 
          leaving her covered in his yak, then they all bail and disappear into the water. It took
          about ten minutes. I sorta couldn't believe it. It matches with a lot of sober experiences 
          as an adult. Shit actually WORKS. Twenty five years in and it still amazes me. This is
          just one in a long line of 'em. 


          Do yourself a favor. Get down to the beach real quiet around ten, with a jacket and 
          blanket and coffee. Hunker down and channel the energy of the fish that never leave
          the water at the shore. When you get where THEY think is a safe beach, back up twenty 
          feet and plop. Breath through your mouth and DON'T TALK. Is it obvious that the rule is 
          "no fires, no flashlights, no music, no loud voices" ? Should be. You are trying to guess 
          where the fertile fish chicks think is a safe place to dump their babies. Then you are 
          trying to imitate one of the grains of sand on that beach. 


          If you are as lucky as I have been, you will see a sea of jumping, crazy silver joy, lit only 
          by the moon get down to baby-making like, like, well, like nothing you have ever been
          next to, I guess. 


          Good luck, and post something here about your trip.


          Now get back to work. First a little something from Garraty.


          


5) Lit Minit : "The American Nation, Volume Two : A history of the United States since 1865. John A. Garraty, Longman, NY. 2003.



Thank you so much for reading and listening. I hope you had fun. Now:






GET BACK TO WORK !!






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"The Journey," by Douglas Whiting can be read with great love and respect and hope for your enjoyment. This time with complete endorsement, authorization, and  permission from the author, their heirs and publisher! All me!


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Notes and links from BTR show " West Coast Grunion Run Proves Eternal Life " 7/20/2012 HWH w DD

All material licensed by Creative Commons. If you want to use it, ask!

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