Odd Machine...

OM Screening Reel from Odd Machine on Vimeo.

So, this company Odd Machine is located right under me in the new building I moved into. I had the pleasure of meeting one of their photographers the day I moved in.
Real great guy, gave me a short tour and said to stop in any time if I wanted to see what they do or just hang out.

Vannin' - A Documentary...

SYNOPSIS

Often thought of as the outcasts of the automotive world, Vanner's and their vans provide an extraordinary glimpse into a subculture that saw it's rise and high-water mark in the late 70's. Vans were everywhere back then. They [vans] became affordable rolling rooms filled with shag carpet, bubble windows, moon roofs, wet bars, and full size beds.
The customized van was representative of a parent's worst nightmare and a young person's dream. But, just as fast as they rose in popularity, they faded; leaving a pronounced echo on American culture. So what was and is vannin’ all about?
In July of 2012, we set out to answer that question.

This film is comprised of footage taken over the course of 6 days at the country’s largest van show and party, the 40th National Truck-In (known as the Van Nationals). They lived out of their own vans and filmed the many colorful characters that inhabit the world of Vannin'.
In the process, They learned about the history, the parties, the vans and, ultimately, the family that vanning has become.
www.vanninmovie.com
www.facebook.com/vanninmovie
Character Skateboards also made a deck promoting the documentary.

Weekend Buzz 55: Josh Harmony & Dakota Servold...

Part 1.


Part 2.

Santa Cruz Strange Notes #1...

Psychedelic Trance: The Future Sound Of America...

So, Even though I first started listening to Goa Trance in the fall of 1996 [goa spaceship 101, RTTS: deep trance & ritual beats] and (as early as '95 when I bought the Juno Reactor "Laughing Gas" single), it wasn't until the summer of '97 when this album came out that I'd found the music I'd waited my whole life to hear... I still have a few copies of this album still sealed that I snagged up when Tower Records went outta business, if you wanna buy a copy.

Help Complete Paine's Skatepark...

So, "Paine’s Park will be one of the country’s next great skate plazas, and the keystone to Franklin’s Paine Skatepark Fund’s master plan for Philadelphia skateboarding. Yes, Paine’s Park will be a skatepark, but more accurately, it will be a public place for skateboarding. Skateparks are often designed exclusively for skaters, but a public place for skateboarding aims to welcome skateboarding into multi-purpose public space and celebrate this integration. Having sparked a new type of dialogue between the skateboarding community, the City of Philadelphia and members of the design community, this project is emblematic of a vibrant city with rich cultural heritage and a promising future where space is designed to accommodate skateboarding as an important energizing force behind the life and movement of public space."

"Philadelphia is known all around the world for our long and storied history of skateboarding. However, Philadelphia is very underserved in terms of free, designated skateparks. The ratio of skaters to skateparks in Philadelphia hovers around 15,000:1 compared to basketball, for example, which is much better accommodated at 211:1. Franklin’s Paine Skatepark Fund Facebook page is actively working to close this gap between skaters and facilities and completing Paine’s Park is integral to this plan, as it will serve as a hub for skating in Philadelphia, both to local skaters, and those who come to visit our city from afar."

"In order to ensure that the park opens by this summer, we at Franklin’s Paine Skatepark Fund, need two things – decent weather, and final assorted project fees. Quite honestly, it’s very difficult to complete a $4.5 million dollar park and, of course, unexpected issues often arise during a construction process that can add to a project's overall cost. We have raised support from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the City of Philadelphia, the Tony Hawk Foundation, the Olitsky Family Foundation and countless individual contributors over the years and we are so grateful for this support. Through this Kickstarter campaign, we are now raising funds to close our final gap and finish the park in time for the summer. After over a decade of hard work and perseverance, we are thrilled to be this close to opening one of Philadelphia’s next great civic spaces, and one of the country’s next great skateparks."

"Some amazing local partners have stepped up to support this campaign, including Todd Carmichael, CEO & Co-Founder of La Colombe Torrefaction and star of Travel Channel’s Dangerous Grounds; Lorenzo Errico, Founder of Formation Skateboard Company; Ishod Wair, local professional skateboarder; artists Todd Marrone, Yis “NoseGo” Goodwin, and Todd Landaker, and Skout Media who produced our campaign video. We are so grateful for their support and are siked on the amazing original artwork that we have to offer exclusively to our kickstarter backers through these partnerships in the form of stickers, t-shirts and skate decks." - Kickstarter Page

Josh Harmony "Calico Romeo" 2013 Album...

So, I remember him as a 14 year old hyper skate rat from Napeville, Illinois that ripped.

New album by professional skateboarder, Josh Harmony.
"Calico Romeo"

Limited Edition Custom Socks...

So, I have some  limited edition custom socks for sale over at http://astrolabstudios.bigcartel.com/ if you're interested.

Jeff Phillips Boneless, R.I.P....

Jeff Phillips, photo by Grant Brittain.

Wizard Bloody Wizard...