SquidInky

Moving House.

2008-08-30T19:52:00.003+10:00

Hello All!
The Hiatus lasted longer than I expected. with Uni assignments and a trip to the snow filling up most of my time.
In organizing i decided to switch my blog to Wordpress. I tried to transfer these posts to the new one, but the gods of the internet were not on my side, and it didn't want to work. I'm OK with that though, and think it may be for the best as I've decided to take a more focussed approach to this blog, concentrating on the art/craft etc. that I make an the art/craft etc. that inspires me.

My new blog address is: squidinky.amrichard.com.
Update your links, bookmarks and RSS feeds!
See you there.

Gone Fishin'

2008-08-01T10:15:00.008+10:00

So I'm thinking about a bit of a re-haul for this site. Just a tweak here and there. Get things into order and organised. I guess I'll be back in about a week.
In the meantime, I've been looking at comics (as research for my artist's book & graphic novel class at uni) and re-found an old favourite.

I Harth Darth stopped being produced in 2005 - but the whole series is still up to view. It's a wonderful miniature comic about the lesser know aspects of Darth Vaders life. I leave you with some classic I Harth Darth to make you chuckle until I return.

I had to make the images smaller to fit in the blog. You can view the full size strip here.

GONE FISHIN'

Darth was vexed. This was so difficult. Kill a youngling? Sure. Rule a galactic empire? Sure. Groom a cat? Sure! These were things he could do, but tell his son about the facts of life? No. Emphatically no. How was one to begin? “Son. there comes a time in every young man's life when he begins to feel a strange disturbance in the lower side of his Force.”
Maybe he would just recycle the midichlorian garbage he was fed. It was so much less embarrassing.

Meanwhile back on The Deathstar, Leia flourished under the watchful eye of her well-meaning, though slightly senile Uncle Palpatine.

On the shelf with She & Him.

2008-07-25T13:15:00.000+10:00

A friend gave me the She & Him album ‘Volume One’ recently and I haven’t been able to stop listening to it since.

The She & Him story begins when in 2006 , renowned one man band M. Ward, recorded a duet with a girl named Zooey Deschanel. A delightful recording session, the experience lead to a dialogue between the two about collaborating further. This, in turn, led to Deschanel admitting to secretly making dozens and dozens of home demos and hoarding them like acorns for the winter. Sick and tired of being stingy and secretive about music, Deschanel realized that if songs were acorns then this was indeed her wintertime: she sent the recordings to Ward and these demos became the basis for their first record, entitled Volume One.

Here is the video for ‘Why Do You Let Me Stay Here’.

I think the music is beautiful, fun and something new. Well, new in an old kind of way. It makes me think of 60’s surfer movies, Gidget, and dance socials. It makes me want to drink spiders and eat gumdrops. I’m hooked.

Foul Dinners ... the quest for ethical foods.

2008-07-24T14:23:00.003+10:00

Last night I watched about 10 minutes of the Jaimie Oliver special on Chickens and the way that they are readied for our consumption. It wasn’t much, I didn’t even make it to the really gory bits, but it was enough to make me sit-up and think, REALLY think about what I am eating, how it got to my plate, and was it worth it?

If you didn’t catch the show below is a clip from the beginning, a part that I did see, where Jaimie separates the male from the female chicks and suffocates the males in a chamber. A process used to cull the male chicks from “egg factories”.

Please be warned. This clip can be disturbing and confronting. Please do not watch if it you think you can't handle it.

Personally I don’t have an ethical problem with eating meat and animal products that have been farmed for that purpose. I do have a problem with hunting and killing for sport. However, I now want to make sure that the meat that I am eating has been treated and slaughtered in the most humane way. Working this out on supermarket shelves though, is not an easy process.

I found this article (Moving Up the Food Chain) in The Age by Cam Walker at Friends of the Earth. The article touches not only on ethical meat and dairy products, but also organic fruits and veggies and Fairtrade Imports.

But there are no simple answers when it comes to the ethics of what we eat. Our food landscape is a moral minefield of complex issues centred on the size of our foodie footprint. It's no longer enough to carry a green bag to the shops. Do you buy the organic apple or the conventional? And if you opt for the organic, should it be local or can you justify the imported?

I have a lot more research to do on this subject, to find out where exactly and how I can find ethical foods in Melbourne. I am planning to start with the Farmers Markets and other Markets in my area. I also plan to stay away from foods than contain egg products if I don’t know where those eggs come from.

According to Compassion in World Farming, each year 47 billion meat or broiler chickens are slaughtered and there are 5 billion laying hens that live mostly in cramped battery cages.
More than a billion pigs are reared for meat, many in confined environments.
Such intensive farming produces cheap milk, meat and dairy but the animals suffer.

It’s a difficult, laborious and sometimes expensive process. Without becoming Vegan I think it is almost impossible to know that you are eating ethically all the time. Added is the fact that I like to eat out ALOT, and I'm sure, knowing how or where every restaurant gets their ingredients is impossible. But being aware of the situation, and trying as much as I can in everyday life to cut down on buying unethical foods is a step in the right direction.

www.ciwf.org
www.apl.au.com
www.rspca.org.au
www.animalsaustralia.org

1,2,3,4 monsters walking 'cross the floor

2008-07-17T19:49:00.002+10:00

Found via papercut heart. This made me giggle. Oh fantastic Feist and her constant counting!

super-dooper!

Ridin' along on my push bike honey.

2008-07-16T20:38:00.005+10:00

So ... I never thought I was a bike person. I was the one with the bike collecting spiderwebs in the garage until I grew out of it and then wanted a new one that fitted, rode it for a week and the cycle started again. Well except for the awesome pink bike with streamers on the handlebars, spokie-dokes and trainging wheels, i loved that bike. But I have found something that makes me want to get on my bike and never get off. It is the gypsy bike from electra bikes and it is the most beautiful thing I have seen!

These other two bikes aren't so shabby either.

I think it is a good thing that these are in the US and I don't know if I can get them in Australia. And that I don't know how much they are. Because I would just like to look and "oooh" and "aaaah". so pretty.

What is beneath you?

2008-07-13T20:12:00.001+10:00

I love this AD campaign for the Madrid Metro. You can see the origninal in better qualitty here.

Blip!

2008-07-13T15:26:00.003+10:00

Oh how I wish I live in a house that was mine so I could paint the walls and have a bedroom like this one. Even though this is actually an art installation, still ... who doesn't want a mario bros. bedroom?

I found this via geekologie, who say they ...

don't have much information about these pictures except they're part of an art installation entitled "Landscape" and feature, well, a landscape from Super Mario Bros. The installation may or may not have been created by a woman named Antoinette J. Citizen -- which is either the coolest real name ever, or the worst porn name ever. Let's see, what else? There are some interactive question mark boxes that play Mario sound effects when you push them...

The dumbest things they say

2008-07-10T14:47:00.003+10:00

Vintage photo from Tobyotter on Flickr.

This is annoying me at the moment because I’ve had three people use it on me in the last week and I find it such a stupid thing to say to someone.
Someone recently asked me if I was going to be away in January 09 because I have gone away at that time for the past 2 years. I calmly reminded them that 2 years ago at that time I got married and 1 year ago it was my 1st anniversary (how strange is it that they fell on the same day?), and that yes, I was planning to be on holidays this year, because BAM! It will be my 2nd anniversary. This person just “pftt-ed” and said “When you have children, you won’t be able to have any more holidays!”
Now I ask you … what was this supposed to make me do? “Oh … in that case” was I supposed to say “I’ll just cancel any future plans in the off chance I have children at some stage” ??? I don’t really get it? I DON’T have children, some day sure, but right now, NONE. So I am allowed to go on holidays. In fact – isn’t this the time to be going on holidays? Because apparently I will be locked in the house once they arrive!
Two more times this has come up this week. And the next two were delivered in the same way. Someone asked me to do something, something I didn’t really need or have to do, and that something was happening at 8:00am on a Saturday – 1 hour away from where I live. That means getting up at 6:30am, ON A SATURDAY, to participate in something I wasn’t really that into. I declined on the reason that it was too early. I don’t want to get up at 6:30am on a Saturday if I don’t have to. “Well when you have kids” they said, “You won’t be able to sleep in anymore”. And your point is? I ask. I DON’T have kids, and I like to sleep in on a Saturday. I’m not about to start practicing waking up early so that I’ve got it right when the kids are here. What I’m going to do is sleep in as much as I can.
I know that people with children, LOVE to talk about their children, and LOVE to whine about the things in their life that are different and stupid now that the kids are here, so that we can feel sorry for them. But I don’t have children and I am going to go on holidays and sleep in as much as I like. SO THERE!

I met the walrus

2008-07-09T15:37:00.000+10:00

New York New York.

2008-07-07T20:41:00.002+10:00

I recently got myself an iPod nano. I had only had a shuffle before - which I used for a week or so, then quickly forgot about. You can't do anything with a shuffle ... boo! Well... one thing led to another and I am now hooked on podcasts. When the podcasts on my nano run out I grumbily switch to listening to music.

My most recent podcast addiction is New York Art Tours by Merrily Kerr.

Merrily Kerr New York Art Tours guides you directly to the best the city has to offer. Led by a professional art critic, the tours give immediate access to today’s most important and influential art.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a newcomer to the art scene or a veteran art lover; Merrily Kerr New York Art Tours will custom tailor an art tour for you. Tours cater to individuals or groups on corporate excursions, international tourists, student groups and any others wanting to sample the best art in New York City. Merrily Kerr is licensed as a Tour Guide by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs.

Here Merrily Kerr shows you the Misaki Kawai "Tiger Punch" show at Clementine Gallery.

Misaki Kawai: 'Tiger Punch' at Clementine Gallery January 2007. Kawai's slapdash painted collages take a jab at slick, manga inspired art.

I've almost made it through all of the videos there. And if you watch from the beginning you can see her baby belly grow. So perhaps that's why there haven't been any new videos lately? Hopefully there will be new videos soon.

Visit her YouTube page here.

Pretty things and stuff.

2008-07-03T18:02:00.004+10:00

WhaP! It's been a while, I don't really know what happened? I just kind of forgot to write about anything for a week or so.
But on Tuesday a pretty little package arrived on my doorstep and I was so happy.

My 'Secrets of Whimsey' print set from My Folk Lover arrived. I'm so in love with Catherine Campbell's artworks. This is the third piece I've bought and then now she's gone and released a bunch more that I'm am trying VERY hard not to buy.

The Diamond Pullovers set is FABULOUS! and ...

... I would ADORE a What a Wonderful Place to Hide original.

Sigh ... such prettiness.

Matt makes me cry.

2008-06-25T21:12:00.003+10:00

I've heard other people say this. That Matt makes them cry ... well I'm one of them. These videos bring big juicy welled-up tears to my eyes. "Laughing tears?" Aaron asked. No ... I'm not laughing, these are tears of jealousy, of amazement, of awe. Matt's videos make me realise just how vast and amazing the world is, and they make me want to stand up in the middle of my work day and announce loudly "I QUIT!" and walk out, jump on the next flight to anywhere and just keep exploring! I want an adventure.

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

If you don't know what these videos are all about or who Matt is go here. All you really need to know is that these videos are awesome, and I WILL have that adventure.

26 Things To Do Before I'm 26

2008-06-23T17:02:00.004+10:00

I spent some of my birthday money today on a copy of Lotta Jansdotters "Lotta Prints". I've been lusting after this book for ages, but hadn't yet found a copy in Australia. It was a complete fluke that I wandered past it today in Borders, whilst also holding a 30% off voucher! Hurrah! I also picked up a copy of the latest issue of Yen Magazine and when I got home the new issue of Frankie was waiting in my letterbox. A very good day indeed!

26 things to do before I'm 26

Yesterday I turned 25, and it kind of felt like just another day - (wish I got presents on every other day though) ... So it got me thinking, perhaps a list of things I want to achieve in the next year and the chance to look back at them when I turn 26 will make me realise the things I have packed into my 26th year of life. So here goes (in no particular order).

1. Use/Experiment with my screen-printing kit.
2. Run 3km.
3. Learn Spanish (Enough to have a conversation).
4. Keep my balcony garden alive until next winter.
5. Learn to make Red-Velvet cake.
6. Plan / Organize / "Make Real" our move to the UK.
7. Co-create crafty art with Jennifer (sister).
8. Open an Etsy store.
9. Keep this blog until I'm 26.
10. Post on the blog at least once a week.
11. Join / Participate in some kind of sport club.
12. Hold our first Christmas dinner at home.
13. Volunteer for something.
14. Read a book a month (post about each book).
15. Make 100 pieces of neighborhood art (post photos).*
16. Paint a canvas that is NOT for school.
17. Finish a knitting project.
18. Participate in a "fun run" (even if I'm walking it).
19. Get rid of my old car loan debt.
20. Get my wedding dress properly boxed.
21. Take a life drawing class
22. Take a ceramic/pottery class
23. Learn to make my own frame matts.
24. Visit (at least) 1 exhibition every month.
25. Drink (at least) 1 litre of water a day.
26. Get (at least) one more person to create a list like this.

* more about this one later.

They say it's your Birthday.

2008-06-22T17:40:00.003+10:00

Today is my Birthday. Yes, I am now 25 ... and that's sounds old to me. 24 seems young still and 25 feels like I officially have to be a grown up now. Feel responsibility and make long term future plans. Err ... I guess I already do some of those things, but probably without any regard for consequences. But yes, today I turned 25.

Last night I went out to dinner with the 'fam' at Añada. If you are in Melbourne, I very heartedly endorse this place. I would even go so far as to say it is the BEST spanish food I have eaten in Melbourne. And I do like my Spanish food. Ooo ... we ate chorizo, olives, lamb, patatas, prawns and oh so many more yummy yummy things. AND ... when I ordered the churros for dessert they came with a little candle on the side, and a Happy Birthday song. I was a great dinner.

And this is my birthday present collection (though I did accidentally leave out the cute-as-pie fingerless gloves my sister bought me ... oops). Presents included; a shoe book, a bag and wallet from Hudson clothes, AND my new casio illuminator watch and the AWESOME necklace from Brazil that Aaron got me. I LOVE it!

I spent my day watching Kung Fu Panda at IMAX and sitting around chatting and eating with friends. Lovely Indeed.

Stay tuned tomorrow for my "26 things I want to do before I'm 26" list.

Spun like a web

2008-06-20T19:43:00.005+10:00

Ahh ... I love this internet-weby thing we've got going here, and how aimlessly and mindlessly whilst wasting away the day at work in front of a computer you can just ever so sneakily jump from space to space discovering new exciting things to drool over and be in love with. My latest of which is this which i found from loving this.

Vivianite.net is a portal for those of you who are interested in painting and painting related fine art. We want to be your gateway to the work of artists and inform it's audience of painter related links and news.

Our mission is to inspire, inform, provoke, motivate and open up for discussion among
our audience. Vivianite.net is a non-profit website.

Vivianite is also a very rare naturally occurring blue mineral. Vivianite has been found on easel paintings and it was used to depict skies by the School of Cologne in the 13th and 14th century.

... And through Vivianite I discovered Alex Kanevsky, who's paintings are lush and rich, moving and living and I feel like I could dive right into them. Ahh ... lush, I try so hard to paint like this, and always end up with stiff sharp edges. I need to try harder.

My absolute favourite quote, (which was what made me click on the link from here) from Kanevsky is:

What would you say to an artist just starting out?

Build up you self esteem to the level that might seem unwarranted. This will help you ignore both positive and negative responses to your paintings. Both are usually misguided, since they come from the outside.

Be your most severe and devastating critic, while never doubting that you are the best thing since sliced bread.

The moment something works well and is under control - is the time to give it up and try something else.

Put all your eggs in one basket. Precarious situations produce intense results.

Forget subjective, it is mostly trivial. Go for the universal.

The flickr game

2008-06-19T20:23:00.004+10:00

Time to do a survey / meme thingy ... for lack of a better post ... at least it looks pretty.

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker.

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

P.S: I forgot to keep track of where each photo came from. Obviously they are not mine. You can find them all on flickr.

The one where I have a whinge

2008-06-18T13:21:00.001+10:00

I am just going to take a moment here to stand up and say, “Get over it!” I would like to add some extra “choice” words to the end of that sentence, but I am afraid of being censored or offending some of your delicate ears. I am sick of hearing about the latest art exhibition that is being closed down, investigated or such nonsense because of it’s “inappropriate” material. I am tired of boring, idiotic, brain-numb Bogans deciding, “what is art” and “what is appropriate”. Today the 3rd in a recent slew of controversial art shows is in the newspapers because of it’s content.

An exhibition by the Australian artist Mike Parr, which includes a film showing a live chicken being decapitated, has prompted a complaint to the RSPCA and a visit from police.

The film is being screened in a derelict building on Cockatoo Island as part of this year's Biennale of Sydney, which opens today. It is one of 17 works by Parr included in a confronting show called Mirror/Arse, which documents his "most daring and demanding" performances and explores "trauma and subjectivity".

A sign hung at the entrance to Parr's show in the island's former sailors' quarters warned visitors that the work was not suitable for anyone under 18.

read the rest here ...

Previous to this latest outcry was of course the Bill Henson exhibition and there was also another inbetween that I (for the love of trying) cannot find the name of, similar to Bill Henson, this artist showed images of her two sons.

Look ... I'm not saying I'm into these artworks, I most likely would not go and see any of these exhibitions, but that is because they are not to my particular liking, not because I am deeply offended by them. I agree, the lines are fuzzy about where they are drawn when it comes to what is "acceptable", but I am am so tired of these idiots, screaming about every little thing.

One of the good things to come from all this of late is that people are talking about art, and new art. This ... is just my two cents.

Oh ... and thanks "random arts body" for providing us with a Censorship Guide to light our way.

Topshop and Helmut Newton

2008-06-13T22:09:00.000+10:00

I love this! TopShop in London and Dublin have recreated the 'Helmut Newton Photo Machine', giving customers the opportunity to create their own fashion photography in the store. The result is some really fun, sometimes beautiful and interesting pictures that I had a great time browsing through.

Born in Berlin in 1920, Newton achieved international fame in the 1970’s while working principally for French Vogue. Renowned for the precision and glamour of his photographs as well as the striking, often controversial scenarios he chose for his models. He photographed women looking powerful, sexually predatory and available.

Staged in a bespoke photographic studio in Topshop Oxford Circus, Manchester and Dublin we will showcase Helmut Newton’s most treasured piece of photographic equipment. Working with the Helmut Newton Estate, Topshop will help bring this original 70’s photographic concept into the modern day by recreating the Helmut Newton Photo Machine instore for customers to create their own fashion moment. You can be a photographer, model and stylist, all in one. Simply walk in, pose and press a button.

This just makes me want to live in the UK even more than I do now. And shop in the UK, and walk around the UK, and create in the UK, and be all pommy and snobbish and strange like we think they are in th UK. Hopefully ... that's only 18 months away!

Check out more images from the Photo Machine here: http://www.newtonmachinetopshop.com

Free time ... and Etsy ceramics.

2008-06-10T19:35:00.000+10:00

Well, all of my assignments are done and handed in, and now I have five weeks of holidays ahead of me. Hopefully time that will be spent exploring and working on some artwork that's been in my head. I've been thinking alot about patterns and prints lately. I might even find the courage to try out my screen printing kit that I got for Christmas and still haven't used.

I thought I would share my favourite Etsy fascinations with you today though, while I clean the house (that got destroyed in the great homework cram of May/June 08) and set to work on something interesting of my own. Right now, for me, it's all about ceramics, and the more rustic looking, the better.

From left - right: Wheelthrown Mug Set Black Green Pink Turquoise by JMNPOTTERY, $39.00; Golden Rust Pitcher by alinahayes, $38.00; Miniature Clay House - A Home For Your Gnome - Aqua Orange by thelittlereddoor, $10.00; Harlequin Tumblers by JNpottery, $8.00; Oriental tea cups by bluebellbazaar, $24.00;
Pair of sundae bowls with stars by vesselsandwares, $38.00; Short White Pitcher with Raspberry Rim by JNpottery, $15.00; Twist-T-Set by MudPieCeramics, $100.00; Raku Vase by antb, $28.00; stacking mugs in mustard and olive vintage goodness by atouchofvintage, $22.00.

Under the piles and piles ...

2008-05-29T12:00:00.000+10:00

I am slowly getting on top of this homework thing. Everything is due by Monday the 9th of June (some before that) - so after then i will be free again. Horrah! Until then ... I will be stressed that I'm not going to get all this done.

Today there is a man in my bathroom, fixing the grouting so that water doesn't seep through into my kitchen and cause strange mouldy gardens to grow up the wall. Pip is very afraid of him, and also confused that I've moved her litter tray into the back room. She's not happy right now.

ROB, had a link to what I think is a fantastic project! It's called WANTS FOR SALE, and it is a painting project where an artist creates a painting of things that he wants, and then sells those paintings for the worth of the object, then buys the "want". Such as: a painting of a slice of pizza cost $3.00 and the artist went and bought that pizza with the money.

I'm also really enjoying the new FRANKIE BLOG. Frankie Magazine recently began a new Blog on their website, and it is filled with the same great finds and craftiness that you can find in the printed version of the magazine. And it's wonderful to see CATHERINE CAMPBELL'S work featured in the banner.

So I'll be back soon, after the 9th June. With real updates ... hopefully.

Not enough time.

2008-05-22T17:58:00.000+10:00

Homework has taken most of my time, being this close to the end of semester (2 weeks!) and it will be like this until then. I have so much more to do ... it overwhelms me, and instead I do nothing. I really need to buckle down though, I need to get stuff done. I have tonight and saturday reserved for writing, sunday reserved for painting and monday for collaging & folio improvement. Maybe writing it here will help me stick to this schedule.

But Eek! I have been spending my procrastination time finding new blogs and things to want. So in an effort to write something here between homework (and LOST) shifts here are my new favourite things:

Ruby Press : this one has been on my RSS feed for a long time, but for some reason I had stuck it in a really obscure section and hadn't been reading it. So it's like I just discovered it. Through Ruby Press I discovered all of the other new favourites on this list.

Vic : I'm gonna call this blog "vic" but I'm not sure what it is actually called?? But it's awesome. Absolutley stunning photography finds.

Yvestown : this probably isn't new to anyone, and i had come across yvestown before, i just had never RSS'd it and haven't seen it for a long time. But I spent a long time going back through past posts ... beautiful ... and that let me to this ...

Jeu de Paume Books : this is probably not new to some of you either ... I have seem them floating around blogs before, but goodness me! I WANT I WANT I WANT!!

Ryan Studio : Abbey Ryan creates a painting and day and then auctions them. They are usually food items, and I find them fascinating and wonderful - especially this one, which I wish I had known about sooner so I could have bid on it.

This video is from Abbey Ryan, it shows her process, painting a heirloom tomato.

Something to show you.

2008-05-19T15:44:00.000+10:00

Yay! Today my COMMAND prints from CDR - MY LITTLE UNDERGROUND - arrived! I love them, I LOVE them! The envelope got all wet and siggy from the rain, but luckily they were snug in plastic pockets inside.

I also started work on my collage pieces for my Visual Narrative subject last night. These are just "work in progress" sneak-peaks, they need the text added and also after talking to my teacher today, the perspective and distance needs to be played with a bit. But this is what I have been playing with:

Procrastination is my middle name.

2008-05-18T18:07:00.000+10:00

Ehh ... I've been lagging. I have homework, and final pieces to work on (even begin in some circumsances). There is nothing to show here yet. For my 'Visual Narrative' subject I've decided to use collage art to create the story. This method is brand new to me, so I am learning, and spending alot of time looking at how other people do it, so much better than I am right now. NOTPAPER has become an invaluable resource, and through that I found BRETT RYDER (from the UK), and fell in love with his style. So I am currently working on a few pieces, and will post them here when they are (somewhere near) ready.

ROBERT mentioned this video on his blog recently, and it really is incredible!

BluBlu created an incredible animation from his street art / wall paintings. It is mezmerizing! Visit his BLOG for more information.

Brita - My Green Bottle.

2008-05-12T19:19:00.000+10:00

I like to drink alot of water, and I hate to drink that water from a glass. It's strange, I just don't like the taste of water from a glass, I prefer to drink it from a bottle. The problem ... disposable water bottles are fast becoming (or TOO LATE ... have already become) a MAJOR environmental issue.
With the increase of water consumption, health awareness and nutrition importance for people, the amount of "disposable" water we are consuming has created a huge effect on the waste that we produce.

Brita (australia), has just started a new campaign to try and help this problem. with every new Brita water jug pack, they are giving away a free My Green Bottle. A refillable bottle to be used in conjunction with the Brita jug, so that you can have filtered water on had wherever you go, without damaging the planet.

The everyday convenience of disposable bottles are quickly becoming outweighed by their negative impact on the environment
The Facts

Australia's annual use of disposable bottles generates more than 60,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions - the same amount that 13,000 cars generate over the course of a year (Daily Telegraph 22nd November 2007)

At least 6 out of 10 PET plastic bottles used in Australia are not recycled (Australian Beverage Council)

About 200 millilitres of oil is used to produce a one litre disposable bottle, including transport and refrigeration (Dept of Environment and Climate Change) Clean Up Australia estimates the average price of bottled water is $2.53 a litre, against about a cent a litre for tap water (SMH 22nd March 2008)

Now I know, that we don't need a "My Green Bottle" to refill a water bottle with water from home and not throw the bottles we buy away, we could do this with any bottle, and any water filtration system. However, I am into gimmicks, I can be swayed by a good advertising campaign, and I love this one.

So whether it's a "My Green Bottle" or a water bottle that you bought with lunch yesterday, I think we need to become aware of just how many bottles we are throwing away every day.