Making Friends With The Neighbours

My friend sent me this link from Colossal in an email the other day, and I sincerely don't know what to make of it. Photo from digggs Photo from Matthew High Photo via Megan Beginning in 1949, the area around Glass Beach became a public dump. It is hard to imagine this happening today, but back then people dumped all kinds of refuse straight into the ocean, including old cars, and their household garbage, which of course included lots of glass. By the early sixties, some attempts were made to control what was dumped, and dumping of any toxic items was banned. Finally in 1967, the North Coast Water Quality Board realized what a mistake it was and plans were begun for a new dump away from the ocean. Now, over 30 years later, Mother Nature has reclaimed this beach. Years of pounding wave action have deposited tons of polished glass onto the beach. You'll still see the occasional reminder of it earlier life, such as a rusted spark plug, but for the most part what you'll se...

(Inspired by Brine Time ) 'Lines of Flight' Despite our feelings and our needs, the way of things never really flows in one direction. They arc north and south, east and west, bending and curving in on themselves. (In)consistent, twisting, bent, warped, clean, curved, divine. Time and light have smooth curves and clean lines of flight, into the unknown. We mould these curves and lines into our lives: aesthetic, moving. They hold us still and shift us through the world, earthly and oceanic. The way of things never really flows in one direction.

(Images from ASP via Swellnet ) A confession. On no level do I get the surfing at Teahupo'o that I have been watching today. I mean, it's totally spectacular and entertaining, but in terms of it making any kind of sense or being an experience or even a concept that I can relate to in an at all realistic or rational way... I draw a blank. So even though I am enjoying sitting open-mouthed as I watch these people take off on such crazy mountains of water, there is a massive bit of my rational mind that asks, 'Why? WHY?' Because I'd like to say that I find them courageous, but then I wonder if it's not just blind stupidity! Having said that, I am endlessly amused to read various blogs where commenters ridicule those who pull back from taking off on waves that would most likely have munched them into the reef. I mean, it's a pretty rich call to make from the safety of your own couch, huh. Anyway, I don't usually get into surf comps, but this one ha...

When punk goes mariachi... Of course, I can't really post anything mariachi-related without also posting this clip now, can I!

Sunday afternoon at my bus stop, conditions were almost perfect.... If only it was water!

I could never tire of watching Isabelle Braly surf. This gorgeous photo is from Nathan Oldfield's lovely blog, Look&Sea .

I don't know much about this film, El Mar, Mi Alma . But going by this clip I am looking forward to finding out more. Whatever the case, I won't have to wait long... 'El Mar, Mi Alma', coming soon. El Mar, Mi Alma - film preview from Rebel Waltz Films on Vimeo .

...that ended with family.

An early start today...

I came across this sign as I was walking to the markets in West End this morning. It's directing non-motorised, non-cycling traffic along the river around some post-floods works. The cycle/footpath along the river got pretty decimated during all of that, so they're taking the opportunity to make some sections a bit more user friendly. I walk past it all the time, so I'm not sure why I haven't noticed it before - I've never seen another one like it. They're three such disconnected graphics though. Almost like they're from different decades of design - 60s, 80s, 90s is my guess. How great is the little skater. Looks like she's mid-flight, or about the launch off some stairs or something! Yeah Brisbane.

Because I know so little about it (i.e. nothing at all) this surfing stuff fascinates me… Excuse my naïve question, but do women surf much? Is it a male-dominated thing? This comment appeared at the bottom of one of petebowes’ beautifully written and amusing posts the other day, and I can’t really figure out whether I’m shocked, upset or kind of flattered by this question. I can’t figure out whether it’s an indictment on the ways that women are almost invisible in representations of surfing both in Australia and beyond, whether I’m sad because apparently so few women surf that they escape the notice not only of surfing culture but also of Australian beach-goers, or whether this is evidence that women are the new counter-culture of surfing: edgy, underground and unknown. What I do know is, and what I like to say in response is that yes, women surf much. Also, yes, surfing is male-dominated, but that despite this women are a vibrant, enthusiastic and dedicated membership of surfing cont...

Another piece of art that is not only thoughtful and gently political , but is beautiful as well. (By johnny& stacie , but via design is mine) . In four beautifully typeset words, johnny& stacie capture so much of what is central within my own politics and aspirations. Historically books have been burned, outlawed, banned as political, threatening and shocking. They are difficult to produce, but are easy to literally and symbolically destroy. For me, this statement - more books less bombs - is not necessarily about school or schooling, but is about education and broad thinking. What is particularly clever about the term 'books' here is that books today are about more than words on a page, but can be visual, colourful, artistic, aural and tactile. They can be hard-copy of course, but are also growing as an online, electronic resource too, which is allowing the growth of whole new multi-media options and imaginations. In this way, books evolve as educational, plea...

This weekend, I decided to take it a bit easy. I only worked a little and the work I did, I did from home. I drank a lot of wine and coffee, sat in the sun, met friends at the markets and picked up a dress I had on lay-by. It was wonderful. At one stage, I even found myself with a little extra time on my hands, so I pulled out my copy of Dear & Yonder and watched it, and realised that I'd forgotten how much surf films can be! I forgot how much pleasure there is to be derived from watching footage of waves and boards and bodies and fun and colour and light and surfing. I'd forgotten how the feelings and memories and longing that this can all bring to the surface. I'd forgotten how nice it is see great footage of great surfing. Before I realised it, I'd sat through the whole thing! So I'm back to being stoked on surf films ( again ). And then I saw Clif's post over on Kurungabaa about a new film called Thirty Thousand: A surfing odyssey from Casablanca...