Sunday, April 17, 2011

IMPERMANENCE


Surfers know about impermanence - one day you have perfect waves the next, nada. This concept is at the heart of Tibetan Buddhism; don't get too attached to anything because it wont last. It's a basic law of nature.
For the past week, three monks have been painstakingly creating a Sand Mandala in the Avalon Recreation Centre. It was an incredibly intricate design containing the essence of a powerful female energy for healing and prolonging life. And yesterday, in a beautiful dissolution ceremony, they and their head monk swept it all away.


After six days of meticulous effort, the distinctive dyed crushed marble became a swirl of grey in a matter of minutes. We were all given a little spoonful to take home with us as a reminder of the impermanence of things and that happiness is not to be found outside ourselves but within. Then the remaining granules were collected in a vase and taken over to the beach were they were poured into the ocean.
Nothing lasts forever. In the end we are all dust. So get out there and catch a few and spread the love while you can.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

NIPPLES A-GO-GO

With the advent of the Youtube channel Nellevision1 you can now view the infamous inaugural work by The Stoked 'Hell (nipple rash)'. Made in response to Tracy Moffatt's classic video 'Heaven', this 2009 perv- fest trains the gaze on women and girls performing the time honored ritual of getting in and out of wetsuits in carparks. And with the word "nipple" in its title it's getting lots of hits although you'll be hard pressed to see one in the video because lady surfers are somewhat more discrete than their male counterparts.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

SEA HAGS AHOY!

When you go on a surfing safari it's never a given that you'll get waves. When the Sea Hags went south this year we had just two measly surfs in one foot waves. Last year, however, the conditions were swellegant with lovely sparkly corduroy lines. Have a squizz at this little flick by The Stoked to see how lovely it was:

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

LEAVE A MESSAGE

There's an excellent looking new girls surf doco about to come out. The only problem is that surfer guys are already showing what dickheads they can be by leaving ridiculous comments about it. Check it out and  help address the problem by leaving your own comment.

http://surf.transworld.net/1000128655/photos/nike-60-all-girls-film-this-aint-no-chick-flick/?comment=true#idc-cover

Thursday, April 7, 2011

ONE DAY LEFT TO VOTE!

With one day left to vote in the Environmental Crusader Competition I've decided to pull out the big guns and go public via the Mud Guard (http://www.mudgeeguardian.com.au/news/local/news/general/running-stream-activist-leads-climate-change-rally/2128284.aspx?storypage=2).

This trusty publication is circulated throughout the mid-western regional council area in which our little bush town of Running Stream falls. The only trouble is they didn't get the link right at the end of the story! It's http://www.environmentalcrusader.com.au/author/nell/


Ecoloco is currently ranked 6th so let's see if it this fresh bit of publicity is enough to push it over the Facebook edge. If not, there's always the wild card call which, in the end, might just come up trumps! But whatever the outcome, it's been a great way of getting our message about the threat to our beautiful bushland out into the public sphere.

FIN FORENSICS

http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/3185178.htm

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

ENVIRONMENTAL CRUSADER


It was after watching Rob Stewart's amazing 2007 documentary 'Sharkwater' that I realised the terrible plight facing the world's sharks. Illegal fishing for their fins is driving them to extinction. The Chinese believe that when eaten the fins give them vigor but the truth is that they're basically carcinogenic cartilage. Being at the top of the ocean food chain means they build up toxins by devouring all the other seafood that has already been contaminated by our various toxic outfalls.
But this is not the subject of the short film that I've entered into the Environmental Justice Society's Environmental Crusader competition. In 'Ecoloco' I reveal some of the things I get up to as a founding member of the Running Stream Water Users Association which celebrates 20 years of activism this month.
Here's the link:
http://www.environmentalcrusader.com.au/author/nell/

If I get enough votes I might just win a trip to LA to meet Erin Brockovich!