While listening to prominent podcast broadcaster, Josh Szeps, (when he was a guest on the Radio National “The Year That Made Me” programme), talk about how “coming out” for him was not about dealing with homophobia, discrimination or bigotry but was more about how coming out felt like being corralled into a very specific tribe that did not feel right, it reminded me of the … [Read more...]
Toxic style
Surfing is a unique sport. It can be so enthralling… so enchanting… so addictive… that, for some surfers, it can go beyond pleasurable and become a toxic experience damaging relationships, families, career, and even health. Sociologists have called this phenomenon as going past the “stoke apex”. These surfers have become victims of what journalist William Finnegan described as … [Read more...]
Are surfers sheep?
On a drizzling, dark late afternoon a few weeks back I was running on the track that links two surfing spots, The Pass and Wategos Beach. The path travels up a flight of steps, traverses a cliff line with a beautiful view of the ocean (a view that often includes sea eagles, dolphins, and whales), then passes down a second flight of stairs onto Wategos Beach below. It’s one of … [Read more...]
Walking with Nietzche – John Kaag follows in the philosopher’s footsteps
While preparing a thesis on Friedrich Nietzche, philosopher John Kaag took at trip to the Swiss Alps to experience some of the places and pastimes that influenced the 19th century Swiss/German philosopher's writing. While Nietzche didn't specifically discuss his exploration of the high mountains in his work, the impact that the mountains had on his thinking became clear to Kaag … [Read more...]
The Sporting Life of Albo
Sometimes it doesn’t pay to get out of bed. I had had one of those weeks. In between supervising burial duty for my favourite pet and negotiating several familial and automotive calamities I had the chance to talk to the bloke who might end up Australia’s next Prime Minister (about his love of sport) and, of course, something just had to go wrong. Coming from a lecturing … [Read more...]