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VICTORY CLAIMED
And Australia’s best blog is … Bridge Girl Travelling Diary! Er, yes. The expert panel also found that Antony Loewenstein runs Australia’s 10th best blog; sadly, poor Ant was beaten to sixth place by a Saab fan site.
UPDATE. Jodi Rose, winner of the bloggy prize, travels the globe recording bridge noises:
The project offers a re-interpretation of the familiar architecture of concrete and steel into an experience of metaphysical connection. Allowing for the possibility of a transformative experience of the bridge, other than the everyday pragmatic, economic and visual encounters with architecture.
The sound of singing bridges all around the globe may also strike the resonant frequency of the earth’s materials and dissolve the world. Echoing the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which was freed from material constraints when the resonant frequency was struck by the wind. Sounding the harmonic frequency within the unheard vibrations of the cables will release the voice and liberate the spirit of each bridge.
Naturally, bridge liberation requires government assistance; Jodi also draws sponsorship from publicly-funded groups like the ABC, Melbourne University, and the RTA (!!!). But is she grateful? Hell, no:
the cultural climate of this country is appalling, from government to everyday conversation … the rise of talkback radio as the dominant format (oh and the ABC is rating very highly especially for its talk shows- not that ratings were part of the charter for the national public broadcaster, but that seems to be what it comes down to these days) is symptomatic of a general belief that any kind of rigorous or in depth intellectual or cultural engagement is ‘elitist’. and that of course is self-evidently a bad thing.
this week comes the government restructure of the australia council, and under a similar rationale, both the new media arts and community cultural development boards have been ‘dissolved.’
while this is not necessarily a catastrophe, and I am assured that the funding is not being swept into other categories, but will be set aside for ‘hybrid’ practices or ‘weird sound art’ in the music board category, it is yet another instance of the slash and burn approach to infrastructure and support for challenging and innovate artforms.
Sometimes it’s hard not to feel that what you’re doing is pointless and irrelevant….
Don’t beat yourself up, Jodi. You’re an artist. People owe you a living. Let them toil away at their mundane, non-creative jobs, all to fund your transformative bridge experiences:
in general I’m head down in the studio or at the computer doing my damndest to keep this show on the road without having to go back to waitressing, or mind-numbing admin or any other mcjob. Why the hell shouldn’t I be able to earn a living using my skills and talents?
“Earn” might be the wrong word.
That’s crazy. Loewenstein’s isn’t even the tenth-best moonbat blog.
Posted by Evil Pundit on 2005 12 05 at 09:32 PM • permalinkWell, goody. I’d better bookmark it quick smart.
Posted by Tony.T.Teacher on 2005 12 05 at 09:58 PM • permalinkAny competition run by people that spent four years in college memorizing the all three Pantone book is suspect.
Posted by Pat Patterson on 2005 12 05 at 10:08 PM • permalinkPlease make all the conjugation corrections as you read my post. Obviously I can’t.
Posted by Pat Patterson on 2005 12 05 at 10:10 PM • permalinkLots of sponsors listed.
This project would not be possible without the extremely generous support of these business and individual sponsors. Eternal gratitude to you all.
Wouldn’t think that blog is really true to the spirit of blogging, you know an individual self-funded effort (ad traffic income justified). Must be a stack of other non-sponsored blogs that could use the money more.I notice the Bridge Bimbo doesn’t have a site meter- it’d be interesing to see how many moon pies actually read her dreary dross, or actually listen to her public-funded twaddle for that matter. Nearly ten years of supposedly neo-con government in this country and fucktards like her are still copping a sling of my money- her attitude sums up these people:- Why the hell shouldn’t I be able to earn a living using my skills and talents? You can- it’s called cleaning up chunder in nightclub dunnies, or any of the myriad minimum wage drugeries that are the vocation of the terminally telentless.
She sounds like a satire on or parody of contemporary avant-garde art. Sadly it appears she is not. The world is getti\ng so it is impossible to satirize or parody these moonbats. Swift would be so disappointed if he were reincarnated today.
Posted by Michael Lonie on 2005 12 05 at 10:33 PM • permalinksligtly OT
Letters, third page, first letter, Venus a good example of extreme greenhouse effect
Bugger, those Venusians buggered their planet up with their coal fired powerstations and the industrial revolution…
Waitressing would involve bringing people something they actually want. Thanks for reminding us, Jodi. We’ll treat our next waitress with more respect, as a productive member of society who is, unfortunately, unlikely to be offered any $10,000 rewards.
Posted by Assistant Village Idiot on 2005 12 05 at 10:37 PM • permalinkBridge Bimbo would just love y’all to get in contact with her, she even invites you to suggest a bridge.
I’m suggesting the Westgate, I’d just love to hear the sound of her liberating us from her drain by jumping off it.
...in general I’m head down in the studio or at the computer doing my damndest to keep this show on the road without having to go back to waitressing, or mind-numbing admin or any other mcjob. Why the hell shouldn’t I be able to earn a living using my skills and talents?
Here’s how a real poet puts it:
Why should I let the toad Work
Squat on my life?
—Philip Larkin, “Toad”Posted by The Sanity Inspector on 2005 12 05 at 11:01 PM • permalink“The sound of singing bridges all around the globe may also strike the resonant frequency of the earth’s materials and dissolve the world.” And worried about cultural climate at the same time?
Maybe they can kill two birds with one stone and work on perfecting the “brown note”, then? [Thanks South Park.]
Posted by andycanuck on 2005 12 05 at 11:29 PM • permalinkFrom Bridge Girl’s latest post:
today took a surreal turn
had to go float in thermal baths for a few hours in the rain in order to take it in properly
still haven’t opened the champagne - breakfast!
sophea arrived from helsinki, and on tuesday we celebrate Finnish Independence Day with Leipajuusto and Cloudberry Jam. maybe even finnish pancakes if the chocolate high has worn off from nigella’s insanely decadent melting babycakes. yes, I am now officially a domestic goddess - amongst many other things.So glad to know my taxes are being put to good use by this poor starving artist.
The whole online set-up is incestuous. The ABC Acoustic Arts Unit is a principal sponsor of the “singingbridges.net” web & blog site which, in turn, is owned and administered by ...
Jodi Rose
Acoustic Arts Unit GPO Box 9994
ABC Radio, SYDNEY 2001, AU
Phone: 61 2 9333 1308So, who exactly uses the public money to sponsor precisely who?
mining a similar vein -breaking news- an “artist” won the prestigious, British Turner Prize for dismantling a wooden shack,using it as a raft down a stream and then putting it back together as a shack,downstream.
Reportedly even the artist was shocked at winning the prize.
Maybe this is going a bridge too far.
would this woman be tied up with that dreadful abc programme with all the dumb,echoey,sireny,hollowfootsteppy sound effects—-I think it’s called the Deep End.Okay, I’m still recovering from the really life-changing photo of cakes that she posted on 28 November, but apart from that: did I miss something, or does bridge girl not alllow comments on her never before heard of “best” blog in the country?
As for Ant’s site: getting into the top 100 million list of best blogs would be something of a stretch.
Between the really tedious bridge girl & Ant, this is a hoax of some sort, yes? An in-joke? A paradox? Irony in neon?
28, it didn’t fall down, it was translated to a higher plane.
Oh wait, she already said that. More or less. Hmmm…
kicked the bucket
bought the farm
went to the Eternal Care Unit (MD’s say this mostly)
pushing up daisies
sleeping with the fishes (this clearly is the most apropos phrase of the bunch)Come up with some more!
ABC’s accoustic arts unit? This defies parody. Is ‘accoustic arts’ the new buzzword for what we oldies usually call ‘music’? Or does it include singing whales and white noise?
Meanwhile, in bridge girls’ pad, not a lot of domestic gods evident: “...sophea arrived from helsinki…nigella’s insanely decadent…” A cosy menage-a-trois. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course.
Posted by walterplinge on 2005 12 06 at 01:30 AM • permalinkIt gets better - fairfax’s tech blogger, Charles Wright, was one of the judges. Here is what he has to say about the award:
“It’s a highly original site. But is it Australia’s best blog? Razor was on the judging panel, and while it was in our top three, it didn’t get our No. 1 vote.
In fact, only two members of the judging panel voted it No. 1. It took the prize only because one of the judges gave it a total of 40 points - by far the most generous award by any judge - and the other 35 points. And both those judges marked between six and seven of the final 11 sites much lower than the other judges. Their spread was from 15 to 40, and from 10 to 35.
One of those judges awarded between 10 and 15 points to seven of the entries - which in our view indicates an entirely different frame of reference from the rest of the panel - and the other awarded 15 to 18 for six of them.
The other three judges marked in roughly the same band. Razor’s top vote got 31.5 points, and the bottom 19. The two judges whose votes were roughly in line with us, awarded from 33 to 22, and from 34 to 22.”
***
So if I am reading that right, two judges gave that site massive points, and hated most of the other ones, which got the bridge masturbation site over the line? What a joke
Posted by attilathepun on 2005 12 06 at 01:53 AM • permalinkJodi Rose, is that her porn name?
This had me steaming:
is symptomatic of a general belief that any kind of rigorous or in depth intellectual or cultural engagement is ‘elitist’
So, listening to bridge sounds is rigorous and intellectual cultural engagement?
While her blog reads like she is playing with herself, the only people really being played are us, the dolts who go to work everyday so that silly bints like Miz Rose can get funding to sit in a spa, eat chocolate and listen to bridges, all in the guise of ‘intellectualism’.
This has got to be a hoax.
Mind numbing drivel about noises from a bloody bridge is the Best Blog?
The judges must have either been drinking the bong water or gurgling down Bundy OP rum by the litre.
Right up there with the Walkleys for the best idiot selections of the year.
Posted by Pedro the Ignorant on 2005 12 06 at 02:23 AM • permalinkHas anyone ever seen Ant Lowenstein and Phil Olivetti in the same room?
Te only memories i have of a fucking bridge is the only I used to take me back to NYC after being outta town for the weekend. It was the Triboro. What a rotton part of the trip that was. Always bumper to bumper with traffic, no matter what time of the eve.
I can’t remember any singing or whistling on that crap bridge. The only thing I recall was the cursing from my mouth wanting to get a move on. I guess the bridge and tunnel gal thinks that was music. It wasn’t. It was the sound of angey swear words.
The sound of singing bridges all around the globe may also strike the resonant frequency of the earth’s materials and dissolve the world. Echoing the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which was freed from material constraints when the resonant frequency was struck by the wind. Sounding the harmonic frequency within the unheard vibrations of the cables will release the voice and liberate the spirit of each bridge.
And the stupid bint doesn’t realize that the original Tacoma Narrows bridge—the one that collapsed—was designed by bridge architects that were trying to out-do other bridge architects in their aesthetics. (Bridge architects just like her.)
Further, the dumb bint refuses to acknowledge that the tax-payers of Pierce County were forced to build a replacement bridge for the first bridge, the one that collapsed, and that she is so in love with.
I grew up, and currently live in, Pierce County, and that stupid fucking bitch can, quite frankly, get fucked. If she loves collapsing bridges so much, then maybe we can find one going to be destroyed somewhere in the world, and strap her stupid ass to that bridge just as they set off the TNT. That should give her a nice little orasgm.
Posted by David Crawford on 2005 12 06 at 04:42 AM • permalinkLooneyc - evidently, your application will be accepted, processed, and approved any time after 9.00 am, but before 4.51 pm, at your nearest Australian Gov’t department or agency.
Have fun with it, and please, do post photos or your work on a blog, but throw in the odd provocative and unexpected shot of an eclair, purely for the controversy, gossip, and intellectual chatter that will be engendered by such.
Jodie Rose complaining about the Howard Govt (which funds her) reminds me of my uncle bitching about the hospital food and treatment during his recent FREE hip replacement. Normal cost would’ve been $15000 Aus, but was he grateful? noooo…
These people have NO idea how good they’ve got it in Australia.Posted by Lucky Nutsacks on 2005 12 06 at 05:17 AM • permalinkIt has to be an in joke. People think train spotters are losers whats a bridge spotter then??
Arts should be funded by artists, if they love their “collective” gifts so much then they should pool any earnings and distribute it then.
Bet youd see a bit more rigour in judging and the quality of arts alltogether.Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2005 12 06 at 05:19 AM • permalinkCuckoo: “I have a sneaky feeling you don’t know who Nigella is. Wherever she is, she’s not in some Finnish log hut with an arts-grafting Aussie skank.”
Nigella… that names translates as “Oops, we wanted a boy”, right?
Wouldn’t the money spent on her listening to bridges be better spent, you know, CARING for the things? “It sounds… like crumbling cement. What deep purpose can I attribute to that?” Sheesh.Posted by MikeTheLibrarian on 2005 12 06 at 05:28 AM • permalinkHow about a grant on the study of regional linguistics in pre-developmental cognitives?
I’m teaching Magilla to speak strine. She gives the thumbs up and says ‘Good on ya!’ Next will come ‘Avagoyamug’ and she learnt ‘rat’s arse’ ages ago.
Posted by Nilknarf Arbed on 2005 12 06 at 08:53 AM • permalinkI don’t think that the bridge thing is a hoax. It’s simpler than that. My theory is that Jodi Rose is profoundly stupid, beyond the experience of the rest of us, and so we marvel.
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. - Arthur C.
ClarkeThe converse of Clarke’s statement is that if you’re dumb enough or stupid enough or enough of an intellectual, even the most commonplace technology appears to be magical. Thus, if one is dog-watching-television stupid, an ordinary bridge is magic.
34 Atillathepun
In fact, only two members of the judging panel voted it No. 1. It took the prize only because one of the judges gave it a total of 40 points - by far the most generous award by any judge - and the other 35 points. And both those judges marked between six and seven of the final 11 sites much lower than the other judges. Their spread was from 15 to 40, and from 10 to 35.
Okay so she got BOTH of her parents onto the judging panel. What I’m wondering is how long it will take before the commentary appearing in this one thread will out-mass the entire volume of bridgebimbo’s ouevre.
Posted by Stoop Davy Dave on 2005 12 06 at 11:24 AM • permalinkMTL 47
Nigella… that names translates as “Oops, we wanted a boy”, right?
Check out the photo and imagine her parents’ disappointment. They definitely did not get a boy.
Posted by Stoop Davy Dave on 2005 12 06 at 11:45 AM • permalinkThis is what Karl wanted. I have no idea why. He sees far beyond what a mere mortal such as me can see.
Of course, there’s a distinct possibility that he’s gone fucking nuts.
Posted by wronwright on 2005 12 06 at 01:32 PM • permalinkCincinnati has a singing bridge. Of course you have to drive across it to hear it sing, and it’s really the sound of your tires on the rebar. Come to think of it, that bridge is going to fall right into the Ohio River someday.
It’s one of life’s ironies that pretentious pseudo intellectuals are so good at conning money out of the public that would be better spent on actual bridge inspections and updates.
The project offers a re-interpretation of the familiar architecture of concrete and steel into an experience of metaphysical connection. Allowing for the possibility of a transformative experience of the bridge, other than the everyday pragmatic, economic and visual encounters with architecture.
The sound of singing bridges all around the globe may also strike the resonant frequency of the earth’s materials and dissolve the world. Echoing the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which was freed from material constraints when the resonant frequency was struck by the wind. Sounding the harmonic frequency within the unheard vibrations of the cables will release the voice and liberate the spirit of each bridge.
If this appeared in Social Text, everybody would just write it off as another Alan Sokal hoax.
Posted by Bruce Lagasse on 2005 12 06 at 02:49 PM • permalinkJodie posts an update :
well, winning this award sure is a good way to remind people you exist - it’s lovely hearing from so many friends. and the ratio has definitely improved for positive feedback, 11:3.
I often think that if I started writing in complete sentences with punctuation it would be easier to read; but writing in the moment gives a certain freedom.
Someone also calls it grant funded which is not the case - it was started in 2002 waay before the Australia Council started funding this project, and is entirely independent. but enough time wasted on subjective comments.
Having had this activity validated (and violated), can now go focus on some *real* work! :)
Dope.
Anzac Bridge, Sydney, Australia
This is where it all began. It was Glebe Island Bridge then. Watched it rise as I traveled to art school every day on the 441 Bus across the old bridge, a beautiful low stone structure. Magnificent in its vulgarity and magnitude, somehow it transcends being farfetched for the area it spans with the cables sweeping up into the sky. First played in 1995.When the Anzac Bridge was first opened, December 1995, the supporting cables did indeed sing, in the wind. So much so extra stays were placed vertically between the cables to eliminate the whistling effect. Where it all started indeed.
it is hard to be an artist in this country.
most of us have to go to work and pay taxes when we should be able to be kept well by the bloody oppressive government.
by the way, not using capitals is a way of making a statement against the howard government.
as a fellow performance artist, i can relate to her pain.
her blog certainly looks nice, good photos and that.
Posted by Major Anya on 2005 12 06 at 04:21 PM • permalinkBy the way, Rob, if you took that idea to the Arts Council they would either dismiss you as a sexist prat or think you are the next Dennis O’Rourke.
Posted by Major Anya on 2005 12 06 at 04:27 PM • permalinkpssst, Cal:
Check your irony meter. Is it switched on?Posted by Stoop Davy Dave on 2005 12 06 at 06:24 PM • permalinkYes, Darlene’s cool. Stoop Davy Dave on the other hand ...
Get ... out ... of ... my ... basement!
Posted by wronwright on 2005 12 06 at 06:30 PM • permalinkIt’s so difficult to recognize sarcasm on the internet sometimes. One must lay it on with a heavy hand, lightness just seems like sincere comments. Then somebody like Jodi Rose comes along and you realize that the heaviest hand with sarcasm would be inadequate to mock her with.
Stoop, have you finished drinking all that Bud yet?
Posted by Michael Lonie on 2005 12 06 at 07:03 PM • permalinkLaurie Anderson is a performance artist. Had a one hit wonder years ago but at least she supports herself. I quite like her even if half her stuff is nucking futs.
But she did a “work experience” at a McDonalds in the US.
I expected to see a usual lefty rant against “the man” and work. She had a different perspective. She commented on how liberating it was to be able to give every customer exactly what they wanted. No one had any expectations other than getting a big mac ect.
Simple but she summed up exactly why Mcdonalds is so successful in one soundbite.
I think a week at McD’s would kill bridge girl.Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2005 12 06 at 07:32 PM • permalinkI think we have ourselves the real prat here.
In this section of mixed messages I should clarify that statement by indicating that the prat I refer to would be the person who misconstrues a sarcastic comment made in jest and then goes on to criticise the author and suggest said person is imbued with a degree of prattishness.
This itself is textbook prattishness.
However, mitigating circumstances would be taken into account if said prat had spent more than about ten (10) minutes reading webdiary, where comments similar to afforementioned sarcasm are seemingly made in earnest.
Let us be alert to sarcasm and irony, lest an RFC be drafted by the Internet Society with a view to adopting SARCASM and IRONY tags in the HTML in order to preventing misguided criticism in the form of genuine prats calling non-prats prats.
Check out the latest post on “Australia’s best blog”.
Posted by Evil Pundit on 2005 12 06 at 09:32 PM • permalinkRebeccaH, please start using capitalization and punctualization. You’re giving me a headache.
Posted by wronwright on 2005 12 06 at 11:01 PM • permalinkBlogstrop
No one is going to get the “Dumb Art On Bridge” ref unless you’re from here, Dude. It’s like telling someone from Italy you live in the East Bay but you work in the City. Like, um, huh? What City? East what Bay?
Now, these are Aussies, Man. It’s Coober Pedy this and Tazzy that. And these blokes play rough. Ever watched this footy thing? No pads, Man. Just make sure you check with me before you pull any more of this Dumb Art On stuff. Aussies hate to be messed about by a couple of wankers from…the, errmm, Bay Area.
71
Get ... out ... of ... my ... basement!
Bah! At this point, I may as well! Every beer distributor in southwestern Ohio has refused to make a bulk delivery to your private residence, and those people at the State Store, don’t even get me started on those statist bastards! I was giving them your credit card number and they just harped on about how they don’t take delivery orders! Buncha bitches!
72 Michael checkvalve
Stoop, have you finished drinking all that Bud yet?
uuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrp! It wasn’t easy, man! That stuff is BAD. Far from the worst, but still plenty bad.
Anyway, I’m shuffling on. Let me just get some of these power tools into the duffel bag and pocket this card, okay, I’m off. Which way is RebeccaH’s house, and what time does she go to work?Posted by Stoop Davy Dave on 2005 12 07 at 04:06 PM • permalink
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Who in the hell could stay awake long enough to design a Saab fansite?