Friday, November 30, 2012

On Being


The Godfather and I have had a running conversation about shame for a while.  Especially recently, in the last couple years, I've thought about owning my shame and being ok with the vulnerable bits that process would expose. There is a lot of clarity and a lot of power in being soft, in accepting the reality of the blow and redirecting the energy with insight.
There are few places I go where I know I'll find something that hits me just right.  On Being is one of those places that talks about things I already think about with people who sometimes think what I've thought or like to tackle topics I  hadn't thought about yet. At lunch today I went back to it for a little perspective and got this gem of a conversation.  It has so much pertinence for myself and so many people I know it is breathtaking.  I've never heard of BrenĂ© Brown, but apparently she's pretty popular. Click on the photo to listen.

The Lists

It Is In All Of Us
Bill de Blasio

Greener Grasses


Ah those green grasses. I'm always amazed at other peoples good fortune compared to my own good fortune. Much of it has to do with timing, with being born at the right time, being in the right place at that time and keeping the eyes open for a possible good time.  I think of my own life and how lucky I was to stumble in to San Francisco right around the dot-com boom and how fortunate I was when my car broke down, forcing me to get a job closer to home that turned into a bunch of tech-industry underwritten internships and night classes that opened my eyes to image making and digital video and design. How many people get to turn that sort of set-back into opportunity thanks to simple timing and location?  Dumb luck in so many ways.  Then I look at a guy like Cyrus Sutton whose ken and attitude seems to have benefitted just the same from the right place right time scenario.  Boy are he and his friends making he most out of it. And doing it well.

Today's Thought

Thursday, November 29, 2012

The Dollar Sign

Sometimes I hear a song on the radio and I think to myself, "Oh man, I love this band/composer/song writer.  Remember to remember this guy when people ask me who my favorite band/composer/song writers are." I then obsess about remembering and how great it will be to remember it when someone asks and how wonderful I'll feel to spill my secret favorite-beans.  I do the same sorta thing with film directors/films/authors.  Later, like right now later, I remember that there are these lists I'd hoped to keep current in my head only to find I'd forgotten nearly everything.  A six year old will remind you of just how much you've forgotten to keep categorized that way.
Tonight my son asked me who my favorite composer is, confidently declaring his to be Beethoven, then Bach, then Mozart before I can even answer.  I think for a moment, trying to muster something smart, trying to show a six year old that his father is better than some old tired and musty "big three." I start to say Dvorak, ponder Ravel (then remember what Ravel said about his own music, at least I sorta remember) and settle on Strauss.  I tell my son I love Strauss waltzes.  3/4 time, I say, nothing beats it. He is satisfied because my 3/4 time comment mystifies him.  Successfully showed that little twit who's boss, I think to myself. Then I realize that there are more than a few Strauss'.  There is Johan one and two, I know, and maybe there's a three and even a four.  And there are brothers in there too.  And I realize I don't know which one I like at all or even how I ought to spell Johan. The only thing I really know is that I like waltzes.  3/4 time.
I wonder what shape the Sandy Relief Recovery thing will take over time.  The media presence of the disaster has already started to wane a touch as if the whole thing is being taken care of, as if Governor Cuomo's quoted billions lost have somehow put a cap on the bleeding, as if publicly declaring a number somehow means real recovery is under way.  Well, we know how much money the world is out...


Surfing 28 States


Jocelyn

TC NYC BBURG TMRW

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Westerly Windina

This is such an interesting story. Foremost it questions where the line of adoption and inherency in identity reside. Further it asks the questions about our own prejudices and insecurities not just as people but as surfers, in a world that is so wrapped up in image and bravado.  Please help support a project that can only add to a conversation long past due.



Stacked


NY Surf Stories Super Fun


Last night was super fun. Lotsa friendly people, lotsa good movies, money raised for rebuilding. The Patagonia after party was hilarious. There was some WILD stage dancing and someone karaoke'd a rendition of Guns 'n Roses Patience that brought the house down. 
 Here is the official EBNY entry to the event. 

 

And here is a little write up...

Happening : Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ Union Pool


December 8. All proceeds going to WavesForWater.  Buyeryickets HERE


Today's Thought

Monday, November 26, 2012

This Exists


Eh, er... And this is cool.


The Twenty


Well, I've had the distinct pleasure of surfing Lefts & Rights and Rights & Lefts and the Cojos and some of the rest and I'll say it's pretty magical.  It's funny that these people who've been hoarding that land all this time, keeping both the respectful and disrespectful out of their private fiefdom are getting a friendly slap on the back over being crazy shoot firsters, but frankly it's those sorts of wackos that keep places pristine most half the time.  (And I wouldna minded being in on it all these years either.)

Happening : Otelo Burning

Critically acclaimed International Film Otelo Burning will be premiering at MIST Harlem this Wednesday, November 28th and running November 30-December 14th.




Ty Breuer will be giving a Q&A with the actors on Saturday, Dec 1st. 
Come on up and check it out.


Vans Gives Back

Change of Date:



If you know someone who could use the clothes, pass this along.  via Prize Fighter Cutlery

Winter is Coming


As the cleanup and recuperation continue, the anticipation for the oncoming winter takes on some new meanings and some new anxieties. Once the "quiet time" when only the the most stout and stoked would find solace in local waves, the ongoing relief efforts will undoubtedly make getting into the water less of a priority and maybe more of a reward.  This week Long Island Pulse is throwing a few Matt Clark coldies through the presses, reminding us of the times had and yet to be had.

Today's Thought

Happening: Searching For Tom Curren NYC


Please join us for a special screening of Sonny Miller’s cult classic surf film 
"Searching for Tom Curren" with special guests Sonny Miller and Tom Curren Q&A following the film led by New York’s Tyler Breuer.
Open bar and lite fare by Reynard
7-9pm Friday November 30th
The Screening Room at the Wythe Hotel 80 Wythe Ave. at N. 11th
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 11249
$150 per seat
To purchase tickets Pilgrim Surf + Supply between noon and 8pm 718-218-7456
All proceeds go to Waves For Water / Hurricane Sandy Relief Initiative

"Join us following the screening at Pilgrim Surf + Supply for a live acoustic performance with Tom Curren and a silent auction of one of Tom’s personal boards to benefit Waves for Water Hurricane Sandy Relief Initiative and City of Light, a non-profit organization dedicated to sustainable development in Central America." - P. S+S

Happening Tonight

It's a Monday night, you're in need of a post-Thanksgiving pickemeup.  You forgot to buy your tickets for tonight's New York Surf Stories Sandy Benefit Small-Movie-A-Thon at Anthology Film Archives. Well, come by the after-party.  Or, if it's too cold to go further than your front door and your front door is on Wythe between N3rd and Metropolitan, go see Ed Askew at Zebulon.


Notes From The Ground


Greetings...

This Sandy relief project is indeed a marathon, not a sprint. I have to continuously remind myself of this. There is so much that needs to be done, the scope is unbelievable. 

But the same way we approach our programs in other countries, I try to put our emphasis solely on what is in front of us. If that is getting something as simple as a storage container delivered to our crew in Rockaway, then so be it. We focus our attention towards the most immediate need, and once it's completed, we move on to the next task directly in front of us. It's a pragmatic and seemingly obvious action plan, but always a challenge to maintain due to the overwhelming amount of needs. It's so easy to get fragmented and pulled in a million different directions - ultimately crippling our ability to efficiently execute anything. If we maintain a laser focus - on EVERY action we make, we start to see momentum the build… and real quantifiable results over time. 

We've all heard the saying - every action has a reaction… and I’m now beginning to see, in this case especially, the positive ripple effects from the actions we've helped to initiate.

I spend most of my week in the field visiting the various local efforts we help support and I am always asking our friends and colleagues what it is they need to execute their plans this week. In disaster response and recovery, we can’t even begin to calculate the full value of human participation – of one person helping another, times thousands. Example… Michelle Cortez, at the 96th St. relief outpost in Rockaway, had a very specific request - a vehicle - something to transport goods and manpower from their outpost to the different pockets in their neighborhood that were hit hardest. It's a basic thing, but probably one of the most important pieces of the puzzle for their entire operation. 

So we immediately went out and provided a 15 person van with all but the first row of seats removed… I just got off the phone with Michelle and she said that the van has been instrumental in so many aspects of their work this past week. I use this example because of how fundamental it is - our work is not rocket science - it's problem solving. We simply find the holes in the system and fill them. And the key to finding the these holes is by spending time in these places… real time… listening to the folks from these communities day in and day out. They are the ones who know exactly what is needed in each unique circumstance - and what to expect in the coming days, weeks, and months. There are no shortcuts - good intel only comes from the ones actually living on the front lines, enduring relentless post-disaster conditions.

We can have all the experience in the world and still miss the simplest solutions because we just don't know these communities or their deeply nuanced and generational structure. That said, even though we (W4W) have a very clear long term vision for this project - one that sees things all the way through the final stages of residential and small business rebuilds - it's all the daily steps in-between (such as providing a van) that help each person succeed with what they’ve taken on. Basically, there is no small effort… for they are all links in a chain that connect us to our desired outcome.

Another very cool development this past week was working with AeroBridge who has been coordinating shipments of donated (essential) supplies via their network of privately owned Cessna's. With tail numbers in hand, we met 5 different planes, at a private airstrip in NJ… they flew in all the way from Florida and were packed to the brim with all sorts of essential supplies (cleaning supplies, food, toiletries, etc) that we then got out into the communities later that afternoon. Big shout out to Catherine Murphy and Marianne Stevenson for coordinating the effort and giving us the opportunity to be the receiving organization. We are used to collaborating with small aviation and charter boat companies to get urgent deliveries of supplies to remote locations (planes in Africa, boats in Indonesia), but it was an unexpected (and pleasant) surprise to do same thing here at home.

There are a bunch of great efforts going on all up and down the coast… but one of them I'd like to highlight is the Rockaway Plate Lunch Truck - the brainchild of Robbie Mckinley and Mike D. They were at our first round table meeting in Brooklyn and from that moment on, they knew exactly what type of aid they wanted to provide - FOOD! 

They are a shining example of people using their resources in an very targeted way. As they have deep ties to it, Mike and Robbie knew they could rally the local culinary scene… and they did just that - commandeering a food truck and getting many of the top chefs in the area (such as Sam Talbot and Ken Friedman) to head out to Rockaway and feed 500+ people, everyday. Again, a fairly simple concept, but extremely impact-full… These are exactly the types of grass roots initiatives we love to facilitate via Waves For Water. 

The food truck crew also did a Thanksgiving feast in Far Rockaway at the Challenge Prep Charter School that serviced a few hundred people from that neighborhood. In addition, we also helped to facilitate two other Thanksgiving feasts - one more in Rockaway, with a badass group called Operation SurfinBird… and the other, with a woman in NJ named Melanie Magaziner, who organized a wonderful feast for some of the LBI Sandy victims. Again, great examples of tangible efforts on the ground that we try to support day in and day out. 

As I've already stated, there are many great efforts going on up and down the coast… it's hard to name them all… but I have seen them firsthand and we will continue to do our best in supporting them. It is an absolute honor and privilege to be doing this work… and more importantly, to do it with such amazing people. I have been blown away at the dedication of so many people that did not choose this, but have risen to the occasion and truly lead their communities through such a turbulent time. 

I've attached some images from a few of the efforts this past week. 

Thanks!

- Jon Rose











This Exists


via Jon Bocksel

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Thanksgiving

Yesterday at the Starbucks in Encinitas I ordered a triple espresso.  The lady barista exclaimed "oh how does that taste?  Isn't it just too bitter?" This made me snort.

I did not grow up surfing.  I grew up wanting to surf.  There is a big difference.  It manifests itself now in my late thirties as a deep embarrassing ambivalence to all the watery rigors that actually go into surfing. It always seems to me that those who went through puberty while surfing sloughed off all the fears of moving water that naturally occurs to those who pick it up later.  This may not be true.  They may have that same gnawing shame that I have, but like the social shell one learns in public school versus the tender skin of the home-schooled, perhaps they've learned to hide their fears better than people like me.  I can't even imagine what it must be like to be someone who picked up surfing even later, in their later twenties or even thirties or forties! What fear they must have to overcome!  It boggles my mind.  I am thankful for these people.

This is the first Thanksgiving without Papa Grande.  He passed in late January and with every passing day, as legends have a tendency to do, his stature grows in my mind.  I am thankful for him still.

I have not spoken to my brothers in months.  A little less time without speaking to my father.  I am speaking to my Mother for the first time in what seems like months just this weekend.  Dear family of mine, with whom I speak so rarely and share so much avoidance, I am thankful for you.

Dana has very bad hearing.  He mumbles all the way to Cardiff Reef in the morning.  He doesn't want to get up too early either.  But I force him.  Carmel forces me to watch a little bit of Hell Or High Water after we get back from our morning surf.  The part with the twitchy Hawaiian talking about the South Side.  Oh man am I thankful for them.

I forced my son to abandon his Legos this morning and watch the waves for ten minutes.  Wifey just chastised me for being on the computer.  Oh, they are of some magical, beautiful race of aliens, those two.

Everything difficult on the East Coast seems far away if for just a few days here. All the stress of all that crap that is going on there that is my life and that I've chosen and haven't chosen to be my life and all those things that rush in unwanted and the other things I seek out but didn't realize I don't want, and all those things I know I don't want but I know I have no choice, and still all those things that simply are and are difficult and that make me sleep fitfully.  To you my friends, to all you people who have a right to expect more and have no right to expect anything at all, my mind is with you, and I can't help it and I hate it and am grateful for it somehow even if I don't know how.

Happy Thanksgiving from North County.

Surfer's For Hurricane Sandy Relief Video

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Today's Thought

ESPN Covers Waves4Water


Surf-Journo-About-Town Jeff DiNunzio came by the Zebulon-Waves For Water benefit last Friday night to talk to Jon Rose about the New York surf community's plan to help with Sandy relief efforts.  Click here to read the article.  It covers a lot of what is happening, what the community's thought process is and what Jon's intentions are.  It is worth pointing out that the situation is changing rapidly and needs are fluctuating accordingly.  It has been well-documented that clothes are no longer needed in heaps and what continues to be really important are volunteers and proper contractors willing to volunteer to help demolition and start rebuilding what can be rebuilt.  Having spoken with Tyler tonight and Mikey yesterday, there is a real danger lurking out there not just from the colder conditions but from the effects from mold-exposure, both for volunteers and for home and business owners.  Without quicker demolition and the ripping out of the old wet insulation and dry-wall, people are going to be at the mercy of some major health problems if they aren't wearing masks.  Man-power to speed up the demo process is important.  It's also worth pointing out that although I am super stoked to be mentioned in an ESPN article, my more recent story is one that will be normal for a lot of people: work & family.  I've had to work two weekends in a row and the weekdays in between and haven't been able to get out there to volunteer myself in that time.  I know this is the reality for many.  One just can't be involved all the time.  What one might do is keep it right at the front of one's brain as a possibility. Bored?  Looking for something to do?  Feeling burdened by a tough work week?  Maybe a day spent cleaning and helping and making the community better will be a perk up, if there's a chance.  It's tough with survivor's guilt and all that to not be out there as much as I feel like I should be, but I'm trying to take the opportunities as they present themselves, trying to make time whenever time is capable of being made.  The recovery effort will need help for a while, so I'm not giving up on the possibilities.  

There's a whole list of places to check in up at the top of this page right under the blog title.

Miss Reef

When a friend calls you up and asks if you'd be up for putting together some Miss Reef footage, you weigh the pluses and minuses. You know, all those pluses and minuses. Well the pluses won out. Or was it the minuses? A little recent work for Reef.

Adam Cannizzaro's Instant Gratification





I've been looking at Adam's photos for a few years.  They fluctuate between the literal figurative, and the flippantly abstract. His approach is pretty pragmatic given whatever he seems to be looking at.  It is a trained ability to see that takes time to learn, a time to add to talent, and that has a lot of value against the instant nature of our digital realm. He is offering his photos up as fundraising for the Sandy Relief effort.  Every one a perfect holiday gift.

"Hi, These are photos from the NY and NJ area, taken either with an Iphone or Canon60D and edited on Iphone. For those of you interested in purchasing any of these prints, 100% of all profits will go directly to Hurricane Sandy relief through the Waves For Water organization. You can find more information at http://www.wavesforwater.org/ Thank you for the support."

Friday, November 16, 2012

Happening: Left Coast

Hurricane Sandy T-Shirt Collecting

They're like concert tees but for a good cause.
Buy all of them and give them out as a holiday gift set.

If you know of more, let us know and we'll add them here.

Happening This Weekend



New York Surf Stories




On November Monday, November 26th, 2012 at Anthology Film Archives in lower Manhattan the NY surf community will come together to help raise funds for Hurricane Sandy Relief and Recovery. NY Surf Stories is an evening of locally produced surf films that focus on the New York surfing community. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the communities of Rockaway Beach, Long Beach and many others suffered catastrophic damage and tragedy. NY Surf Stories seeks to bring the surfing community together to show our resilience and solidarity in the face of adversity. The films selected cover a variety of genres and styles, all focusing on surfing in New York and what it means to be a surfer in this incredible community. All proceeds will go to Waves for Water, a non-profit where 100% of the fund go to those effected by Hurricane Sandy. Raffle prizes vary from a free hotel stay at Casa de Olas in Nicaragua to an R2 Wetsuit from Patagonia to many more…

The event will be co-hosted by Mikey DeTemple and Waves for Water’s Jon Rose.

New York Surf Stories Film Selection:

Shadow’s of the Same Sun by Thomas Brookins
Stacked by EJ Mcleavey-Fisher & Patrick Cummings
Rockaway Picaresque by Mikey DeTemple
Nine to Five by Justin Mackin
Rockaway Opera by Sean Greene & Zach Halberd
Hurricane Sandy Relief  by Paul De Luna
Don’t Feed The Bear Crabs : Meditations on Western Long Island by Toddy Stewart

When:            7:30PM Monday, November 26th
Where:           Anthology Film Archives,
32 Second Avenue, New York, NY (On the corner of 2nd St & 2nd Ave)
Libations & Snacks provided by: Barefoot Wine, CAYRUM, VitaCoco & KIND Healthy Snacks.
Supported by: SMASH, WAX Magazine, Surfrider Foundation NYC , Patagonia Surf Shop, Casa de Olas & York Surf.
Tickets can be purchased at www.nysurfstories.eventbrite.com
For more information contact: smashsurf@gmail.com

Today's Thought


via The Godfather

Volunteer Sandy This Weekend!

Lots to do.  From Ty Breuer:

We are maintaining our commitment this coming weekend to our beloved beaches and communities that were devastated by this storm. Those places and people are still in need of our help. Towards that end, we are heading to Long Beach this weekend to lend a hand. 

Meeting spot is UNDER THE BQE, across from Union Pool — 9AM Saturday (vans leave at 9:15). 

 WHAT TO BRING: Work clothes, boots, and gloves. Best to bring a small backpack with any essentials you might need during the day — a sandwich, water, snacks, flashlight (a headlamp is great). Things like Advil are a good idea, too. 

 SAFETY NOTE: If you plan on doing work in homes or structures that were flooded, make sure you are using a mask / respirator that has an N95 or P100 designation. These are available at the donation center in Long Beach, though if you have or can get your own, all the better. 

 LOGISTICS: We will have one van (fits 15 people) leaving from Brooklyn location, and one van leaving from Manhattan location (RSVP for that one at lbreliefmanhattan.eventbrite.com)


Thursday, November 15, 2012

Today's Thoughts



Defeat Your Enemies. Defeat Yourself.

Volunteering in Long Beach!

People are always looking for ways to help.  Rockaways, Long Island, Long Beach, Staten Island, The Jerz, Redhook, Coney Island...  If you have a few extry hours, get out there. Here is an opportunity, pass it on.


Do you have some time to help out this saturday in Long Beach?

Surfrider's Central Long Island Chapter is compiling a list of homes that need help in Long Beach and is organizing volunteers to spread out to those homes to help empty, clean up and assist the homeowners in any way possible.

While may homes have already been emptied by homeowners and scores of volunteers, family and friends, there is still SO much to do - many homes could not be emptied because they were still filled with water, others have owners that are frail and elderly, and no one has been there to assist them yet.

If you have a few hours to spare this Saturday morning, PLEASE come down to Long Beach and help out - all you need to do is show up with gloves, boots, old clothes and a willingness to help, and you will be welcomed with open arms.

Surfrider-Central Long Island will be meeting at 9:30AM in the Magnolia Blvd parking lot on the Reynolds Channel side, near the rec center and ice rink.
The address is : 150 West Bay Drive, Long Beach, NY 11561 (Down Magnolia) at the Rec Center 

Here's a link to the facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/111874445642509/

I'll be there, hope to see you there, too!

THANK YOU!!

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Mobile Disaster Relief App

Moose just posted this on Facebook and apparently it was much discussed at the Waves4Water surfy community meeting last night. Let's you drop a pin for aid and other exciting functions...


Possibly groundbreaking stuff in response to Sandy.

Zak Bush for Bergdorf & in TSJ



I met Zak Bush the other day while working with Mikey, Ty and Lisa during our initial recovery efforts collecting and taking things out to the Rockaways.  Easy to spot, he was the tall, good looking guy with the camera.  I didn't know who he was, but I do now. With a series in the latest Surfer's Journal and a spot up on the BG website, more people will end up knowing his name. I think he's been going out with the relief efforts pretty regularly and I can only assume his quiet, mellow demeanor gives everyone a lift.

Via the BG website article:

If you’ve lived in New York in recent years, you may have noticed a growing athletic trend:surfing.  From the coast of New Jersey to Long Island’s tip at Montauk, New Yorkers have found themselves drawn to our lilting tide.  Waves vary in size and accessing the perfect swell is something of an art-form  - but there’s something about our beaches that have inspired a burgeoning surf community.  You could catch them on subway, toting their unwieldy boards on the A-train; other times you can spot them ambling through the neighborhood, balancing their gear on their bicycle handlebars.  New York’s surf community is a well-rounded one, spanning from stock traders to members of the New York City Fire Department.

To complement our Resort Magazine story photographed at The Rockaways, we asked surf photographer Zak Bush to share some of his favorite Rockaway and Coney Island beach moments with 5th/58th.  Our story began weeks before Sandy even approached New York and then evolved and continued as Bush ventured to the shore to capture its tight-knit community just hours before Sandy devastated New York.  After the storm Bush tirelessly returned to the shore, donating supplies, shoveling sand and cleaning the homes of those who lost so much.  His dedication to this community reflected the general pace of the city post-Sandy: if you’re awake warm, go out and help others who need it.  While we don’t know exactly what the future of Coney Island and the Rockaways will be, we only can wish to see it restored and hope that you see this as our love story to a beach that once was and hopefully soon will be again.

Notes from the Ground


Via WAX Magazine yesterday...

Rockaway Beach Surf Club Needs as of 11/13

****NY STATE LICENSED ELECTRICIANS AND PLUMBERS WILLING TO DONATE THEIR TIME ARE HIGHLY NEEDED**** 

- Candles
- Flash Lights
- Batteries - D
- Toilet Paper
- Paper Towel
- Laundry Detergent
- Tuna Canned
- Canned Chili Meat
- Chunky Soup
- Sugar/Soy Milk/Creamer
- Shampoo
- Mops and Brooms
- Funnels 2-3 (for gas/bleach for us at RBSC)

- IKEA Shopping Bags
IKEA is giving away their big blue shopping bags so if anyone lives near an IKEA grab as many as you can so we can use them for our donation requests at the gate.

- Diesel
Finally we are looking for diesel to run our Generator if you are able to donate please message us on Facebook.

PLEASE NOTE: We cannot take clothes at this time.

VOLUNTEERS
If you are a carload or less, please just head down to the RBSC. You do not need to confirm your arrival. We are open between 10-4PM, located at 302 Beach 87th Street. Groups of 10 or more please reach out to me at davinagreene@gmail.com so we can coordinate your efforts.

An Oldie

Perusing some films for an upcoming event, I came across this old one I'd forgotten about completely. I miss the old days sometimes. The old days where Antonio and I would hang out everyday in our posh office in Soho. Easier times, simpler times...

Sourcing

It Is In All Of Us is a goldmine of information, opportunities and links to opportunities.  Besides the concerted coordinating work that is being done through the surf community (Waves4Water being the chosen fulcrum), that site has a seemingly endless array of info for needy situations and ways to communicate.  There will always be multiple avenues to help.

Monday, November 12, 2012

Today's More Important Thought


Note the A, rather than the C.
Kevin Curran's dad is something of a legend around my brain.
Kevin Curran is legendary in his own right.
Good on ya old man...
And thanks to all the vets.

Today's Thought

NYSea Beach Relief T-Shirt

Click on the pic to order

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Hipsters In My Basement and Other Far Out Tales



Jetty Hurricane Relief T-Shirt



In an effort to aid those suffering from Hurricane Sandy, we've designed a reflief t-shirt which will allow us to UNITE & REBUILD!  Profits from the sales of this custom, Jetty T-shirt will go to victims of the storm who are in direct need of assistance as well as the emergency response units who risked their lives to save others.  We will be accepting pre-orders through Friday, November 16th and at that time we will screen print & deliver the first wave of orders.  This relief effort will be focused within New Jersey.  Our thoughts lie with all who were affected by this historic and devastating storm.

Surf Art By Any Other Name

This sort of thing gonna get routine?


Granted, Venice has always lived on this edge, but I think there are a few more cities positioned on that edge than the people in power want us to know.  Certainly there are more people living on that edge than those who deny global environmental shifts would care for us to accept.  Click on the photo to see some pictures...

Zebulon Sandy Waves4Water Benefit a Gas

Zebulon opened its doors and its very big coeur on Friday for a "last-minute" fundraiser. Nass Gnawa and Mike Machemer (aka DJ Matchie) and DJ Dim Wist played dueling sets all night that imparted musical illumination and irresistible beats. We found a people-counter in the cash box and with some thumb clicks tallied up 133 donators shelling out almost two thousand dollars, all going to Waves4Water's Sandy relief effort. Zebulon's bartenders mixed up $5-donation "Sandy Daiquiris" and Jon Rose made an inspiring speech. So we danced for the rest of the night.

Photos courtesy of Lenapejoking

Friday, November 9, 2012

Notes from the Ground


From our friend Ed Cornell:

If people are showing up to Rockaway over the weekend there are is lots of organizing and signup called Team Rubicon at Beach Blvd and 123rd st.  It's run by veterans and they are really organized with demolition tools, chainsaws, generators, and a list of over a hundred places that need assistance.  
I ran around with a crew of their people yesterday and today and demo'ed a few basements, shoveled sand, pumped water, and chainsawed up stray pieces of boardwalk that had run into people's homes.  
If the crowd of people seems to get congested down at 92nd send some of the folks up that way.  Also if you know of more people that need help send them that way. If people are coming out tell them to try and bring their own lunches, contractor bags, mops, shovels, etc.  
Might see you all out there again tomorrow, and good luck! 

Dear Reader

We try to be real accurate here, choosing our words and images at least somewhat selectively, but if you ever see something incorrect, or if something sorta smells funny in a posting, do NOT hesitate to ask about it in the comments or via email and DON'T hesitate to voice a correction.
Especially as some people are looking at this blog for information... we don't want to gum up the works.

Thanks,

The Management

A Gentle Respite

It's a funny thing to look up from your work and to see your former college roommate showing up as a male model in a handplane video and then to realize it's not a handplane video at all, but a palmboard video. Either way, looking real good Geoff, you always did know the shorepound.

  

Voting in the Shadow of the Storm



Produced by Bret Sigler

Notes from The Ground


From our friend Toby Bryce:


All,

Vincent, Dez, and I ended up going out yesterday. We reported to Rockaway Beach Surf Club (RBSC) and, while we were somewhat under-utilized the first couple hours, it was interesting to see their operation (which is pretty amazing all things considered in terms of how many people they're helping as a 100% impromptu/grass-roots/volunteer relief organization) and for the afternoon we found a couple basements to demo on the 100 block of Beach 92nd.

I wish I took a picture but for those of you who worked on B92 last Sunday the progress this week has been pretty substantial. Army Corps of Engineers and NYC Sanitation Dept were clearing debris all day with front-loaders and dump trucks, and I'd say they've removed about 80% of the mess. It still looks like a war zone out there but there was at least some very visible progress over the past 4-5 days.

Couple notes:
  • If you are reporting to RBSC, here is a Facebook page that seems to be run by Davina and Brandon, who are managing things out there. https://www.facebook.com/LavaGirlSurf It has current info on what items are most needed and worth following if you intend to keep working with this group.
  • (Other pages are https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rockaway-Emergency-Plan/463945416990840?fref=tsand https://www.facebook.com/RockawayRelief?fref=ts -- one more general to Rockaways, the other more specific to the relief center at the church on Beach 129.)
  • *****Also RBSC explicitly say on the page that they have a ton of volunteers coming this weekend and can you possibly schedule yourself for next week or weekend. This is not to say you shouldn't go but something to keep in mind give our under-utilization yesterday...***** (see below)
Putting this out there as I know a number of you are thinking of / planning to go back out this weekend. 
Best,
Toby

****** Ty Breuer et al are organizing volunteers to head out from Pilgrim to Long Beach which is now more accesible to volunteers.  Given that it was so hard to get to LB for so long, relief efforts there have been slower.  Still show up at Pilgrim this weekend if you've planned on it. If you'd planned on heading out there on your own and can switch geographic gears, check out the SANDY HELP LB Facebook Page ******

Waves4Water Brooklyn Sandy Fundraiser Tonight


Drive n' Drive



Thursday, November 8, 2012

Waves4Water Sandy Fundraiser

Friday night the neighborhood good times epicenter Zebulon has opened its doors to Waves4Water and their Sandy Relief effort.  There will be recommended donation happening at the door and great times happening inside.  More info to follow, but stop by, have a drink, dance and support this cause and an organization where 100% goes to a long term, locally energized effort to aid the coastal people in New York and New Jersey in rebuilding their lives and to stay warm and dry in the coming winter.



If you can, please stop by Picture Farm beforehand and dop off a warm blanket or some some medical supplies like fever reducers.  There are a lot of sick people out in Long Beach and Rockaway who are only getting colder and sicker. 

Meet at Pilgrim and book a seat to Long Beach and there are many in need.