What do you rate this flop?🩴❄️
it’s 5pm, I walked dogs all day, and I’m so hungry that all I can think about is gnawing on my wooden desk.
in the butter brain ———
It may surprise you that even though it’s at the top, this is the last part of the newsletter I write. Hence the somewhat unhinged voice that comes through every now and then. I really do try and be reflective and contemplative but if I’m being totally honest right now — it’s 5pm, I walked dogs all day, and I’m so hungry that all I can think about is gnawing on my wooden desk. The only thing stopping me is the paint.
So instead of the thoughts of someone munching on paint chips, let me share some lovely insights from my current read 101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think:
“Your relationship to everyone else is an extension of your relationship to yourself.”
“[Emotionally intelligent people] know that happiness is a choice, but they don’t feel the need to make it all the time.”
“The presence of indifference is a sign that you’re on the wrong path. Fear means you’re trying to move toward something you love…”
“Happiness is not experiencing something else; it’s continually experiencing what you already have in new and different ways.”
“The things you love about others are the things you love about yourself. The things you hate about others are the things you cannot see in yourself.”
It really is a lovely read, and full of things to ponder on if you are one prone to pondering. Good food for thought, and speaking of food…
Thanks for reading and as always take care and have fun out there.
<3 Alex.
butter babes ———
Meet some of our Butter Mag readers and their pets! Each week we celebrate how you or your furry friend’s adventures. Hit reply on this email if you want to share a pic, story, or just say hi! I’m always excited to learn more about you my dear reader :-)
Some excellent flop form from Rachel! Could we get a zoom in on that final pose?
Beautiful. This is exactly what the judges are looking for in an ideal flop. 11/10. Comment you rating down below!
keep butter churning ———
Join us in championing long-form storytelling! Butter Mag relies on subscribers like you to fuel our content creation. Your contribution, starting at $2/month, supports photo licensing, writer compensation, and elevates Butter Mag to new heights. Plus, subscribers enjoy perks like early access to and exclusive merchandise. Subscribe now to help change the world with the power of storytelling!
become a Butter Babe on Patreon
the butter beat ———
→ Dakota Watson, Bubba Watson’s 9-year old daughter, stole the show at the Masters Par 3 Contest when she rolled in three long range putts.
The cheer on the second putt always gets me.
→ For the first time in the sport’s history, NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship had more viewers than the men’s game. With an average of 19 million viewers that spiked to 24 million in the last 15 minutes, there were a lot of eyes on the match between South Carolina and Iowa. When it comes to the discussion of whether or not women’s sports are worth promoting, this stat is a hugely satisfying “we told you so”.
→ Queer surfer Craig Butler is making his return to the realm of competitive surfing, but needs your help to get on the road. Looking to surf World Surf League (WSL) Longboard Qualifying Series. The goal is €2,000 which will cover the cost of the WSL membership, contest entry fees, the ferry from Rosslare to Bilbao return, the ferry from Rosslare to Cornwall return, and the cost of fuel for Craig’s van to get to the events.
Craig is still the ONLY openly gay surfer in the WSL on the men’s side. He’s been set back from competing the last few years due to a series of personal life events, so we’d be stoked to see him back out doing what he loves and tearing up those waves.
Is there a story or opportunity you’d like to feature in the Butter Beat? Hit reply on this email and let me know!
from the archive ———
“The ocean is so undeniably queer,” laughed surfer KR Rose. “It’s just a fact to me. The ocean is so queer. The creatures are so colorful and weird, and so many of them are trans. There’s so many trans fish. It’s just queer. Yeah, to me, that’s a fact.”
Growing up in Upstate New York, Rose was a water baby at heart. Hours away from the closest ocean meant many, many years of competing on the swim team, but there was another water activity that they longed to try. “I was kind of obsessed with the idea [of surfing],” explained Rose. “You know Luke Perry from Beverly Hills 90201? In middle school I thought I had a crush on him, but really, I realize now that I just wanted to be him. He was like, this cool, surfer, Southern California dude, mysterious bad boy. The struggle of a trans masc gay, right? Do I have a crush on him or do I want to be him? For me, the answer is usually both! So when I moved out to California, right after college, part of the reason was that I wanted to learn to surf.”
Initially moving to one of California’s channel islands, Santa Catalina Island, Rose went from no ocean to completely surrounded by water. Unfortunately, there were no breaks to surf. The combination of settling from a cross-country move and inaccessibility to a good beginner wave meant surfing had to wait.
Then, upon becoming friends with former pro surfer and co-founder of Queer Surf, Kyla Langen, Rose was quickly handed a board and tossed out into the waves. “I remember going out for my first time ever with Kyla and her brother. I was like, wait, I don’t know what I’m doing,” laughed Rose. “Kyla laid down on the beach after drawing a surfboard in the sand, and they said, if a wave comes, you just like, paddle, paddle, paddle, and pop up. All right, let’s go. That was pretty much my lesson. I got tossed around a lot. I got tossed around for years and then finally started to figure it out. Back in 2006 Kyla was more focused on themselves surfing and let me flail around, but now they teach and train hundreds of Queer & Trans surfers each year with gear and hands on, structured lessons. They’re dedicated to helping folks out into the waves and teaching them how to surf.”