east side blog

Longest Day of the Year

2009-06-21T17:03:00.000-07:00

I am back from a trip to Sacto; I had to go to get a break from the consistent south swell that showed for two weeks straight. No - not really, going to Sacto is always lame, but the south swell part is true. Starting June 3 - the south ramped up and stayed in the overhead to chest high region. On the 13th day of the swell, the buoys read 4.6 feet from between 185 to 215 at 17 seconds. The direction was choice, and all points were firing. The Cut-Away was really fun for the whole swell - I mostly showed up on the higher tides as the wind peaked. The window offered good waves and a smaller, more experienced, crowd. Today - it's small and crowded - back to normal. It was a good start, but we're owed more.

Notes From the Field -
The second week of May begins, it’s Mother’s day. No surf today and none in near-sight. No worries. It was a beautiful day, and moms all over deserved our attention. More than anything women attend to – motherhood is the foundation of life. Like water.

First we’re told that a government health care plan could doom the insurance industry – no tears here. But in a swift move to revive the blood-drained patient, realizing that if the patient dies the blood will no longer flow, the insurance industry has offered to slow the profit train – pockets bulging - hospitals, insurance companies, drug makers and doctors plan to tell Obama they'll voluntarily slow their rate increases in coming years – one wonders why the rates increased at the rates they did – It’s plain to see. Rampant greed feeding off the fear of bad health and possible catastrophe – you must have health insurance. Now, when there is a possibility the gravy train will end, when lobby money will no longer stop the common masses from realizing their constitutional right “….domestic tranquility and the general welfare”, the insurance companies insist they can help – let’s be reasonable. The bullshit is all time.

Check the news flash - “The industry groups are trying to get on the administration bandwagon for expanded coverage now in the hope they can steer Congress away from legislation that would restrict their profitability in future years. Insurers, for example, want to avoid the creation of a government health plan that would directly compete with them to enroll middle-class workers and their families. Drug makers worry that in the future; new medications might have to pass a cost-benefit test before they can win approval. And hospitals and doctors are concerned the government could dictate what they get paid to care for any patient, not only the elderly and the poor. There's a sense among some of the groups that now may be the best time to act before public opinion, fueled by anger over costs, turns against them.”

But wait – “Healthcare industry leaders are now claiming President Obama substantially overstated their pledge this week to reduce costs.” Regarding single payer – “It’s widely acknowledged a single-payer system would put insurance companies out of business, because they wouldn’t be able to compete with its cheaper costs.”

And more news: The Pentagon budget for secret operations is now larger than the entire military budget of Britain, France or Japan.

President Barack Obama declared Wednesday he would try to block the court-ordered release of photos showing U.S. troops abusing prisoners, abruptly reversing his position out of concern the pictures would "further inflame anti-American opinion" and endanger U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Gee, I’m sure the fact that Obama thinks the pictures would inflame, and one’s own imagination, brings the combustible material and oxidizer into the explosive range. Hey man, nice shot.

“The plan would achieve Obama's goal of universal health coverage through a regulated insurance market. Insurers would agree to significant concessions such as not charging more to people with pre-existing conditions. In return, they want to quash a government-run insurance plan that Obama supports beacuse of fears the plan would put private insurers out of business.” The concern over the putting private insurers out of business – why?

“It’s like living in an ant hill.” Like cattle at the feed trough, consumers kept alive for corporations to feed on. Just enough work, but not too much; just enough free time for consuming, but not too much; just enough thought, but not too much….on and on. They need us to consume, some production, not much thought.

There are five different clusters of definitions used in the Supreme Court's case law on corruption. Each of these clusters understands the problem with corruption--the essence of the threat that it expresses--as different. The clusters can be loosely described as gravitating around these concepts: criminal bribery, inequality, drowned voices, a dispirited public, and a lack of integrity.

I would have to look back and see if I wrote anything regarding surf. That is because I cannot remember the last time I surfed anything over waist high. The glide has been a great during the interlude, but how about a week of something over waist high.

June 3, 2009: Surf starting to show from the south, 2.2 feet at 14 seconds. Long waits, cold water, wind, and kinda’ lined up, but it was great to be on the SB once again. The swell maps indicate there will be swell from the south for a few days – of course it looks like the swell will be at its biggest during this weekend. If the mid-week is any indicator, the crowds should be large – and there is a contest to boot. JTH, my friends. Now – I know I have praised Rick, Joe, et. al. for their work creating the cut-away; however, I saw Rick surfing at low tide the other day, and the kelp appears to be staging a comeback. Let’s get to work boyz – no excuses – work first, pleasure later. The reefscaping work needs attention – let’s not have it happen again.

Back to healthcare: You have heard me argue that the constitution plainly states that a primary aspect of government is health care; “…insure domestic tranquility, …..promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” It’s obvious that domestic tranquility, general welfare, and secured blessings all require healthcare. And what about socialism – here, it’s all about corporate socialism. There is a concern that if there was a government system, the number of participants would allow consumers to leverage their power and drive costs down – hence, the insurance companies couldn’t continue gouging the consumers – oh, then they say they would go out of business – so, the government must allow continuation of the artificially high profits the current market provides – socialism for corporations, capital markets for us. Proof - Republicans strongly oppose a public plan, as do private insurers, who contend it would drive them out of business. "A government-run plan would set artificially-low prices that private insurers would have no way of competing with," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday on the Senate floor. I would argue a government plan would force pricing back to where it should be, to a place where a market with true competition would drive them.

Now they are floating the idea of taxing health care benefits from employers to help pay for the uninsured. Wait a minute – I was under the impression I was already doing that. I’ve been told the 30 percent/year increases in my health insurance and escalating medical costs were due in large part to having to subsidizes all those uninsured folks going to emergency rooms and hospitals, and not paying for it. Now the brain trust wants me to pay for it thrice – once to the insurance companies, once to the medical industry, and once to the government – sounds typical.

Finally -
Count no day lost in which you waited your turn, took only your share and sought advantage over no one. -Robert Brault

Is it Summer Yet?

2009-05-03T19:20:00.000-07:00

I have not kept up with this endeavor, mostly because the surf has been dismal, I've spent my time working, I've been wringing my hands over work, the surf was still dismal, and I already spend a lot of time writing before I get the chance to write here. As my title suggests, we've had some early south swell activity. A couple weeks ago a south ground swell rolled through, weekend of course, and it produced some head high sets. Tiburones was fun, and while not as consistent as JTH, the lack of kelp made up for it. Anyone who calls Tiburones home must give thanks to those who created the cut-away. I've heard those complain that not enough effort was directed to the left - but the overwhelming consensus is significant appreciation. Let me echo with resonance - thank you boyz - Joe, Rick, and the unnamed. In the intervening days since that south swell, various small south swell windows have opened and closed. I caught a few days with the glide and went fishing on some others. We had a heat spell through some of it - some taking advantage by surfing without wet suits - I broke out the 2/3. The souths finally enticed me to take the Pavel out -it worked well and I have had some fun waves on it.

The day of reckoning came today. It's been raining, and after a day off, I decided to surf some double-up wind swell at Tiburones. A couple of guys were out - Dr. Cory was the only SB rider. Caught two waves on the Pavel before I noticed 15 guys had entered the water. A few familiars I didn't need to worry about, but a whole crew of others who I did not trust. Yes - I had only logged two waves - but it was time to go. Took off on a small insider - the only objective was getting out without an altercation. But no. LB out of control - evasive manuvers - hands out reaching for the nose of the LB - trying to hold it up before it hits me, or more importantly, my board. I heard a small collision; the kind you hear but don't feel. At this point I was on my belly trying to negotiate the shallows and head to the safety of the beach. After a close - very close - inspection, I decided I made it out of the water with just a scratch. Might not be so lucky next time. Looks like some west swell in on deck, and possibly a trip to the Ranch. We shall see.

Well, I heard someone say that the new president has been in office 100 days and the economy is still in the tank. Really - I thought he was going to fix things straight off. Typical lagger surfer - swell shows up and responsibilities are out the window. Should have known better than to elect someone from Hawaii.

I also heard the new guy is into health care reform. My gosh, what does he think? A study found that if the same medical program that congress gets was offered to the public at large, enrollment in private insurance plans would plummet. God forbid. The private insurance industry, who for another consecutive year increased my rates by 20 percent, might just fizzle out altogether. The government plan would be able to set premiums well below what private plans charge. Insurance firms endangered - not in this country - corporate socialism - not public well being.

Note From the Field:
“The wings also provide lift; a useful trait for an aircraft, but very hazardous for a car. To compensate for this, the designers have added small wings to "stick" the car to the ground, in the same way Formula 1 cars do.” The same design on a longboard, tail rocker, can compensate for the load on the nose.

Lucubrate -(LOO-kyoo-brayt) - verb intr.: To work (such as study, write, discourse) laboriously or learnedly.

“It may seem counter-intuitive, but a successful policy on international nuclear weapons security must strive to support stable possession and effective stewardship of nuclear technology. Only by stabilizing nuclear capabilities, not by eliminating them, will the world be safe from the threat of nuclear weapon use. The only time in history atomic weapons were used in warfare was when only one country possessed them in very small numbers. Stability since then through deterrence has rested on assured mutual destruction. A world with no nuclear weapons creates an unstable environment in which the first country to redeploy even one gains an extraordinary advantage.” What kind of logic is this? The author would have me believe we need nuclear weapons because if we didn’t have nuclear weapons, the globe would be unstable because someone could have them.

We still have those who argue torture is proper in the right circumstances – and that line of individuals springs from those who were in the upper echelon of our government over the past 8 years. It’s embarrassing to go from the country who would never stoop to emulate the hideous acts of inhumanity practiced by others we condemned, to being the leaders of inhumanity – not only that, we had our greatest legal minds fabricate fantasized justifications in the face of binding law to allow whatever immorality we wanted to engage in. For those other countries we condemn, it was just orders in an authoritarian setting. I include better words than my own:

“I will leave others to claim that torture, in fact, does not work, that confessions obtained under duress - such as that extracted from the heaving body of that poor Argentine braggart in some Santiago cesspool in 1973 - are useless. Or to contend that the United States had better not do that to anyone in our custody lest someday another nation or entity or group decides to treat our prisoners the same way. I find these arguments - and there are many more - to be irrefutable. But I cannot bring myself to use them, for fear of honoring the debate by participating in it.

Can't the United States see that when we allow someone to be tortured by our agents, it is not only the victim and perpetrator who are corrupted, not only the "intelligence" that is contaminated, but also everyone who looked away and said they did not know, everyone who consented tacitly to that outrage so they could sleep a little safer at night, all the citizens who did not march in the streets by the millions to demand the resignation of whoever suggested, even whispered, that torture is inevitable in our day and age, that we must embrace its darkness?
Are we so morally sick, so deaf and dumb and blind, that we do not understand this? Are we so fearful, so in love with our own security and steeped in our own pain, that we are really willing to let people be tortured in the name of America? Have we so lost our bearings that we do not realize that each of us could be the hapless Argentine who sat under the Santiago's sun, so possessed by the evil done to him that he could not stop shivering?” Ariel Dorfman, Washington Post National Weekly Edition, October 28, 2006

“You cannot disentangle the torture program from the war of aggression in Iraq – nor from the illegal wiretapping program, the corrupt war profiteering, and all the other degradations of liberty and law that have been so accelerated in the past eight years. They are all of a piece, part and parcel of a plan to expand and entrench America's "unipolar domination" of world affairs with a thoroughly militarized state led by an unaccountable, authoritarian "Unitary Executive."
This is one reason why Barack Obama is so obviously reluctant to tug on the torture thread too hard. If you tear it out, with full-scale prosecutions and top officials locked up behind bars, the whole rotten skein would fall apart. Once you start genuinely subjecting government officials – including security apparatchiks and military brass – to the full extent of the law, there would be no end to the unraveling: senators, contractors, representatives, bureaucrats, generals, lobbyists, judges, corporate chiefs – the whole edifice of Establishment power would be shaken to the core as its leading lights went down, one after the other.

Thus the mere act of applying the ordinary, bourgeois laws of the land as they stand right now would constitute a world-shaking revolution, an overthrow of the existing order every bit as radical as any ideologue's dream of mass uprising. It would be, in effect, a re-founding of the Republic – and the end of the empire, which cannot survive without continual war, lawless rule and endless corruption.” Chris Floyd, April 2009

On Black Bears in Arkansas – after almost wiping them out of existence, wildlife officials began a program to bring them back – now - "If people won't tolerate them, they won't be there for long. That's why they were gone to start with," an official said. "If we can manage them so that they have value to the human occupants that they have to share the habitat with, it's a plus, I think, to the bears. I think the hunting is a good tool to enable us to give them that kind of value." Value = killing bears – hmmm.

“A man’s got to know his limitations” Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, 1973.

2009-03-26T21:57:00.000-07:00

Art tells a great deal about a culture, and so when I spied this graphic narrative, I had to capture it for posterity. You might need to zoom in on the tailgate art - it is well worth it. Christ on the cross juxtaposed with a bathing beauty with largo features. The mission, the ranchero, and the low-ride truck. California.

A great winter storm has been pushing through for days – I even heard frogs last night! Obama on the economic stimulus bill he signed today: “This is beginning of the End.” What does this mean? More when I have time to figure it out.

A sad story and no good ending in sight – “So the government tries to recover the happy Bubble Economy years by getting debt growing again, hoping to re-inflate real estate and stock market prices. That was, after all, the Golden Age of finance capital’s world of using debt leverage to bid up the book-price of fictitious capital assets. Everyone loved it as long as it lasted. Voters thought they had a chance to become millionaires, and approved happily. And at least it made Wall Street richer than ever before – while almost doubling the share of wealth held by the wealthiest 1 per cent of America’s families. For Washington policy makers, they are synonymous with “the economy” – at least the economy for which national economic policy is being formulated these days.” No real change on the horizon – slight of hand, make people believe our economic system is viable and just needs help to get pushed out of the valley and up the hill, then things will get rolling again. No change. I really do not understand how real change will occur when it does not suit those who have the least to lose, and will always gain. It’s the same with the MIC - military industrial complex. With this picture in mind, where do the commoners turn?

The central axiom of Capitalism is that the best allocation of resources is achieved through consumers having free choice, and producers responding accordingly to meet collective consumer demand. Do consumers have free choice, and are producers responding accordingly or creating demand? It is assumed individuals and groups must act rationally in any society for their own good. What are the probabilities of that? Did Bush get elected twice? Squeeze in social justice and humane treatment. Some Marx and some Smith – like anything else – yin and yang. But, we seem to be stuck in extremes – yin over yang. The yin – in liberal theory, the market returns to each person the exact value she added into it; capitalists are just people who are very adept at saving and whose contributions are especially magnificent, and they do not take anything away from other people or the environment. Hmm.

So the President spoke to Congress and us all. The Republicans responded – and thrashed. All very typical. But this is precious - "You elected Republicans to champion limited government, fiscal discipline, and personal responsibility," Jindal said. "Instead, Republicans went along with earmarks and big government spending in Washington." All right, Republicans had controlled Congress since 1994, and they had a Republican president for the last eight years. And they “went along with earmarks and big government spending in Washington." These fuckers must think I am an idiot. What – did you guys "go along" with the Supreme Court – the only arm of government not solidified during the last eight years. Who did they "go along" with? They were in control. Once again – fuck those guys for trashing my intelligence.

Surfed today – got a couple of quick ones before the masses showed. El Segundo Bol at high tide, chest-high north-northwest swell – not a trend does one point make.

U.S. pledge of about $300 million in humanitarian aid for the war-torn Gaza Strip – we gave our hard earned cash to the Israelis to destroy Gaza, now it’s time to give our hard earned cash to rebuild Gaza. And they argue about stimulus.

Surfed a couple of times last week – weak. Seemed like a south was trying to show. Not much to say for the surf – sums up the whole season so far.

Regarding surf, one young old timer had time to think. " We need to reinvent surfing....its bottomed out into sponsorship competition jock-glorifying mass pop-culture consumptive blandness and sameness. Here are a few suggestions for us all: stop buying major label surf clothes, ignore pro-surfing, stop reading Surfer, Surfing and especially TransWorld Surfing (the surf publication for the truly ignorant). Put groms back in school. Support our local hand shapers rather than bro-dealing them into poverty or then abandoning them because you can get a board for fifty dollars cheaper somewhere else. Stop buying some float toy popout because its more "durable" ,as if durability comes anywhere near touching the soul of surfing. Stop buying some "signiture model" mass produced semi-copy of some pro's boad. If your not Kelly Slater why are you riding a board based on his? Get your own shaper, build a relationship with him, have him build boards that interest you, made for you, and for where you surf. Stop caring about what anyone else thinks of your surfing, stop commenting on others surfing, be original and have fun..if you can."

Still no surf and there are weak rumors of surf – spring is here.

Mr. Freeman withdraws nomination to intelligence position, citing pressure from Israel lobby – The reporting in the US speaks for itself – “(Freeman) ties to China and Saudi Arabia” = “Freeman is a former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, who has also served as an assistant secretary of defense and a senior diplomat in China.” NY Senator: “His statements against Israel were way over the top and severely out of step with the administration" = Freeman: “The brutal oppression of the Palestinians by Israeli occupation shows no sign of ending," and "American identification with Israel has become total." “I do not believe the National Intelligence Council could function effectively while its chair was under constant attack by unscrupulous people with a passionate attachment to the views of a political faction in a foreign country." Simple enough – Israel runs the US to the point where their citizens get more US money per person than any US citizen will see from any stimulus. And when somebody points that out – they get out.

Former President George W. Bush said on Tuesday that he won't criticize Barack Obama because the new U.S. president "deserves my silence," and said he plans to write a book about the 12 toughest decisions he made in office. I respect Bush’s comment – most respectful thing I have ever heard him say. Maybe being away from Cheney and the rest have allowed him time to consider. That said, I understand why writing a book is one of his 12 toughest decisions – he can’t write.

Finally, and from the most absurd direction for Mid-March, a real swell showed. The waves were generated from a swell that has ranged from 3.5 feet from 180 degrees at 17 seconds to 2.5 feet from 200 degrees at 14 seconds. The swell started to show on Saturday and seemed to push Monday and Tuesday – maybe even tomorrow. Surfed Tiburones, but waves looked fun all along the Point. Kelp is still hanging in there, but Tiburones is a little better thanks to Joe, Rick, and others who spent some of the swell down time landscaping the reef. Appreciate it boyz. No altercations – just quick incursions. Still haven’t tried the Pavel, and although I thought about it, I recognized I needed to get my surf legs back after the layoff. Speaking of layoffs – I hope things work out.

More on the swell season – tonight I note that cyclone Ken is turning in the south pacific – northeast of NZ. We shall see – more south coming?

Sketchy surf, and I need to get tested for drugs so I can eat. The latest bright idea from a country of bright minds – “Lawmakers in at least eight states want recipients of food stamps, unemployment benefits or welfare to submit to random drug testing.” How about testing the financial sector gang – they seem to be taking drugs, but those who are hurting the most? Dare I say – Republicanesque.

Last Word: Civilizations in decline are consistently characterized by a tendency towards standardization and uniformity. -Arnold Toynbee, historian (1889-1975) - How about surfing?

Sunset Somewhere Else

2009-02-14T22:34:00.000-08:00

Surf – none local. Travel – maybe. Beaches – rumors and some confirmed reports. Up North – mas e manos.

The fucking balls – Blackwater – denied a license to operate in Iraq by the home government, stated “it could leave the country within 72 hours but cautioned that such a move would cause more harm to the American diplomats it protects than the company itself.” Oh gee – we need them so bad – just because they massacred civilians, what are we going to do? Our own military can’t do the job anymore – only private armies can deal with it.

Comedy usually lightens the mood – which is definitely necessary for the ME, but another – you’ve got to be fucking kidding me – story has surface. The Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak proposed linking the Gaza Strip with the occupied West Bank by digging a thirty-mile tunnel through Israeli territory. Why not put all of ‘em underground? Precious.

And it doesn’t stop - a Pakistani American who owns a satellite TV company in Brooklyn has pleaded guilty to providing material aid to a terrorist organization by letting customers receive broadcasts from a Lebanese TV station tied to Hezbollah. The accused used satellite dishes on his Staten Island home to distribute television broadcasts of Al Manar, and faces up to six-and-a-half years in prison. He has lived in the United States for twenty years and is the father of five children.

Date unknown – The days pass by unmarked by any notable string of surf, hence time passes without milestones. I really couldn’t tell you when I last surfed, let alone how the surf was – it was probably marginal with too many guys out and critical length achieved. Of the sessions I have had, it seems I remember board damage over wave quality. Always hopeful, I surf.

On economics – “Modern economic theory is based on “empty-world” economics. But, in fact, today the world is full. In a “full world,” the fish catch is limited by the remaining population of fish, not by the number of fishing boats, which are man-made capital in excess supply. Oil energy is limited by geological deposits, not by the drilling and pumping capacity of man-made capital. In national income accounting, the use of man-made capital is depreciated, but the use of nature’s capital has no cost. Therefore, the using up of natural capital always results in economic growth.”

“For example, the dead zones in the Gulf of Mexico from fertilizer runoff from chemical fertilizer farming are not counted as a cost against the increase in agricultural output from chemical farming. The brown clouds that reduce light over large areas of Asia are not included as costs in the production of energy from coal. Economists continue to assume that the only limits to growth are labor, man-made capital, and consumer demand. In fact, the critical limit is ecological.” - Paul Craig Roberts, 2009.

Blackwater is now Xe – pronounced “zee” – it’s also the atomic symbol for Xenon. The name for the atom Xenon came from the Greek word for foreigner, stranger, or guest. Indeed, a parasite that invades your community or your country, and yet invited as a guest (mercenaries). Xenon “Xe” can also be used as an anesthetic. Again, you don’t know what they’re up too when you’re under. No matter, what’s in a name?

Last Word
I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are modeled after our own -- a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human frailty. -Albert Einstein, physicist, Nobel laureate (1879-1955)

Or a God who is a real estate agent -

Vole Time

2009-01-25T20:22:00.000-08:00

Pictured here is one of Penguin's favorite locals - a Vole. Or is it a rat? Ever since Rambo started the cliff erosion zone at the Hook, the Vole habitat has been threatened. Now hard to spot, the Vole is becoming as scarce as the Penguin. I think the Mayor needs to organize a protest to protect the Vole.

11 January 2009 – Beautiful day over the bay – warm offshore, wispy clouds, and a beautiful ocean. Flat.

12 January 2009 – more of the same – not bad, but waves are not part of the theme.

The Blood-Stained Monster Enters Gaza (reprinted without permission 01/11/09)
By Uri Avnery

Nearly seventy ago, in the course of World War II, a heinous crime was committed in the city of Leningrad. For more than a thousand days, a gang of extremists called “the Red Army” held the millions of the town’s inhabitants hostage and provoked retaliation from the German Wehrmacht from inside the population centers. The Germans had no alternative but to bomb and shell the population and to impose a total blockade, which caused the death of hundreds of thousands.

Some time before that, a similar crime was committed in England. The Churchill gang hid among the population of London, misusing the millions of citizens as a human shield. The Germans were compelled to send their Luftwaffe and reluctantly reduce the city to ruins. They called it the Blitz. This is the description that would now appear in the history books – if the Germans had won the war.

Absurd? No more than the daily descriptions in our media, which are being repeated ad nauseam: the Hamas terrorists use the inhabitants of Gaza as “hostages” and exploit the women and children as “human shields”, they leave us no alternative but to carry out massive bombardments, in which, to our deep sorrow, thousands of women, children and unarmed men are killed and injured.

IN THIS WAR, as in any modern war, propaganda plays a major role. The disparity between the forces, between the Israeli army - with its airplanes, gunships, drones, warships, artillery and tanks - and the few thousand lightly armed Hamas fighters, is one to a thousand, perhaps one to a million. In the political arena the gap between them is even wider. But in the propaganda war, the gap is almost infinite.

Almost all the Western media initially repeated the official Israeli propaganda line. They almost entirely ignored the Palestinian side of the story, not to mention the daily demonstrations of the Israeli peace camp. The rationale of the Israeli government (“The state must defend its citizens against the Qassam rockets”) has been accepted as the whole truth. The view from the other side, that the Qassams are a retaliation for the siege that starves the one and a half million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip, was not mentioned at all.

Only when the horrible scenes from Gaza started to appear on Western TV screens, did world public opinion gradually begin to change. True, Western and Israeli TV channels showed only a tiny fraction of the dreadful events that appear 24 hours every day on Aljazeera’s Arabic channel, but one picture of a dead baby in the arms of its terrified father is more powerful than a thousand elegantly constructed sentences from the Israeli army spokesman. And that is what is decisive, in the end.

War – every war – is the realm of lies. Whether called propaganda or psychological warfare, everybody accepts that it is right to lie for one’s country. Anyone who speaks the truth runs the risk of being branded a traitor.

The trouble is that propaganda is most convincing for the propagandist himself. And after you convince yourself that a lie is the truth and falsification reality, you can no longer make rational decisions.

An example of this process surrounds the most shocking atrocity of this war so far: the shelling of the UN Fakhura school in Jabaliya refugee camp. Immediately after the incident became known throughout the world, the army “revealed” that Hamas fighters had been firing mortars from near the school entrance. As proof they released an aerial photo which indeed showed the school and the mortar. But within a short time the official army liar had to admit that the photo was more than a year old. In brief: a falsification.

Later the official liar claimed that “our soldiers were shot at from inside the school”. Barely a day passed before the army had to admit to UN personnel that that was a lie, too. Nobody had shot from inside the school, no Hamas fighters were inside the school, which was full of terrified refugees.

But the admission made hardly any difference anymore. By that time, the Israeli public was completely convinced that “they shot from inside the school”, and TV announcers stated this as a simple fact.

So it went with the other atrocities. Every baby metamorphosed, in the act of dying, into a Hamas terrorist. Every bombed mosque instantly became a Hamas base, every apartment building an arms cache, every school a terror command post, every civilian government building a “symbol of Hamas rule”. Thus the Israeli army retained its purity as the “most moral army in the world”.

THE TRUTH is that the atrocities are a direct result of the war plan. This reflects the personality of Ehud Barak – a man whose way of thinking and actions are clear evidence of what is called “moral insanity”, a sociopathic disorder. The real aim (apart from gaining seats in the coming elections) is to terminate the rule of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. In the imagination of the planners, Hamas is an invader which has gained control of a foreign country. The reality is, of course, entirely different.

The Hamas movement won the majority of the votes in the eminently democratic elections that took place in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. It won because the Palestinians had come to the conclusion that Fatah’s peaceful approach had gained precisely nothing from Israel - neither a freeze of the settlements, nor release of the prisoners, nor any significant steps toward ending the occupation and creating the Palestinian state. Hamas is deeply rooted in the population – not only as a resistance movement fighting the foreign occupier, like the Irgun and the Stern Group in the past – but also as a political and religious body that provides social, educational and medical services.

From the point of view of the population, the Hamas fighters are not a foreign body, but the sons of every family in the Strip and the other Palestinian regions. They do not “hide behind the population”, the population views them as their only defenders.

Therefore, the whole operation is based on erroneous assumptions. Turning life into living hell does not cause the population to rise up against Hamas, but on the contrary, it unites behind Hamas and reinforces its determination not to surrender. The population of Leningrad did not rise up against Stalin, any more than the Londoners rose up against Churchill.

He who gives the order for such a war with such methods in a densely populated area knows that it will cause dreadful slaughter of civilians. Apparently that did not touch him. Or he believed that “they will change their ways” and “it will sear their consciousness”, so that in future they will not dare to resist Israel.

A top priority for the planners was the need to minimize casualties among the soldiers, knowing that the mood of a large part of the pro-war public would change if reports of such casualties came in. That is what happened in Lebanon Wars I and II.

This consideration played an especially important role because the entire war is a part of the election campaign. Ehud Barak, who gained in the polls in the first days of the war, knew that his ratings would collapse if pictures of dead soldiers filled the TV screens.

Therefore, a new doctrine was applied: to avoid losses among our soldiers by the total destruction of everything in their path. The planners were not only ready to kill 80 Palestinians to save one Israeli soldier, as has happened, but also 800. The avoidance of casualties on our side is the overriding commandment, which is causing record numbers of civilian casualties on the other side.

That means the conscious choice of an especially cruel kind of warfare – and that has been its Achilles heel. A person without imagination, like Barak (his election slogan: “Not a Nice Guy, but a Leader”) cannot imagine how decent people around the world react to actions like the killing of whole extended families, the destruction of houses over the heads of their inhabitants, the rows of boys and girls in white shrouds ready for burial, the reports about people bleeding to death over days because ambulances are not allowed to reach them, the killing of doctors and medics on their way to save lives, the killing of UN drivers bringing in food. The pictures of the hospitals, with the dead, the dying and the injured lying together on the floor for lack of space, have shocked the world. No argument has any force next to an image of a wounded little girl lying on the floor, twisting with pain and crying out: “Mama! Mama!”

The planners thought that they could stop the world from seeing these images by forcibly preventing press coverage. The Israeli journalists, to their shame, agreed to be satisfied with the reports and photos provided by the Army Spokesman, as if they were authentic news, while they themselves remained miles away from the events. Foreign journalists were not allowed in either, until they protested and were taken for quick tours in selected and supervised groups. But in a modern war, such a sterile manufactured view cannot completely exclude all others – the cameras are inside the strip, in the middle of the hell, and cannot be controlled. Aljazeera broadcasts the pictures around the clock and reaches every home.

THE BATTLE for the TV screen is one of the decisive battles of the war.
Hundreds of millions of Arabs from Mauritania to Iraq, more than a billion Muslims from Nigeria to Indonesia see the pictures and are horrified. This has a strong impact on the war. Many of the viewers see the rulers of Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority as collaborators with Israel in carrying out these atrocities against their Palestinian brothers.
The security services of the Arab regimes are registering a dangerous ferment among the peoples. Hosny Mubarak, the most exposed Arab leader because of his closing of the Rafah crossing in the face of terrified refugees, started to pressure the decision-makers in Washington, who until that time had blocked all calls for a cease-fire. These began to understand the menace to vital American interests in the Arab world and suddenly changed their attitude – causing consternation among the complacent Israeli diplomats.

People with moral insanity cannot really understand the motives of normal people and must guess their reactions. “How many divisions has the Pope?” Stalin sneered. “How many divisions have people of conscience?” Ehud Barak may well be asking.

As it turns out, they do have some. Not numerous. Not very quick to react. Not very strong and organized. But at a certain moment, when the atrocities overflow and masses of protesters come together, that can decide a war.

THE FAILURE to grasp the nature of Hamas has caused a failure to grasp the predictable results. Not only is Israel unable to win the war, Hamas cannot lose it. Even if the Israeli army were to succeed in killing every Hamas fighter to the last man, even then Hamas would win. The Hamas fighters would be seen as the paragons of the Arab nation, the heroes of the Palestinian people, models for emulation by every youngster in the Arab world. The West Bank would fall into the hands of Hamas like a ripe fruit, Fatah would drown in a sea of contempt, the Arab regimes would be threatened with collapse.

If the war ends with Hamas still standing, bloodied but unvanquished, in face of the mighty Israeli military machine, it will look like a fantastic victory, a victory of mind over matter.
What will be seared into the consciousness of the world will be the image of Israel as a blood-stained monster, ready at any moment to commit war crimes and not prepared to abide by any moral restraints. This will have severe consequences for our long-term future, our standing in the world, our chance of achieving peace and quiet. In the end, this war is a crime against ourselves too, a crime against the State of Israel.
Uri Avnery is an Israeli writer and peace activist with Gush Shalom.

As described above - not every Israeli, just like not every American, is into the ME mess. Unfortunately, our voices are unheard and our money is not within our control. THe recetn round is mostly over, and the aftermath is grusome. Now that the press can enter the war zone, horrendious stories are surfacing. So much cost, but what was bought?

13 January 2009 – It’s a capsule of summer in southern California immersed in the winter of Norcal – but still flat. Totally flat.

Bushspeak – toward the end, he’s spilling his guts. “Strong presidency” according to his assessment. Indeed, Bush has entered a place where complete and total fuckups – clusterfucks - are described as “disappointments”. It goes on: “I don’t think you can possibly get the full breadth of an administration ’til time has passed.” That means until the short memory that typifies SPB dries up and the cocksuckers that worship anything republican rewrite history. “Full breadth” – more likely ill wind.

More on your tax dollars - A new study is estimating the US government is spending at least $52 billion a year on nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons-related programs.

16 January 2009 – Building swell meanders in today, much smaller than the hype that preceded it. Tomorrow, the swell is supposed to peak, along with crowd. I went out at Segundo Bol – long period waits and lined up in a westerly short of way. Tonight, 5 feet from 290 at 20 seconds.

17, 18 January 2009 – Fun surf at the Steps but way crowded. Stayed inside and out of the way. Surfed until dark and got a couple. Great sunset - and the water was above freezing.

19 January 2009 - Tonight I went out and rode my prized thruster - near the end of the session some amp case turned and took off in front of me right as I was making a tight first bottom turn to get down the line. The guy stuffed the nose and his board launched into the bottom of my board. After the commiserate whitewash tumble, I came up and began taking stock - I felt the impact, and sure enough the last two-thirds of my board was ripped - bad. Didn't even faze the guy.

25 January 2009 - I surf and therefore I am. A plea to the LB crowd - even if critical length has been achieved, could you guys let a couple through for the SB crew? Are you fucking unconscious? Peace, Love, and LBs. Yes, there has been surf. Up and around the Point, the surf has been head-high to overhead. The Steps has seen waist to head high surf and Tiburones has seen a couple shoulder high sets - mostly closeouts. Hot Dog claimed he hopped on the train a few times at NB. Kelp is still plaguing the line-up and sometimes its worse than the masses who never cease to turn out of the woodwork. It's either global warming or surf schools. Problem is, even the shitty insiders I habitat are getting hard to get up for. Going straight is not my idea of a fun session. Remember - just one good bottom turn makes a session.

Last Word-
Be civil to all, sociable to many, familiar with few, friend to one, enemy to none. -Benjamin Franklin, statesman, author, and inventor (1706-1790)

Penguin Migrates

2009-01-11T19:32:00.000-08:00

1, 2 January 2009 - A New Year, and yet the same old day. Why the latest ME death and destruction? - (A) Hamas-run Gaza has been largely isolated from the rest of the world since the Islamic militants won parliamentary elections in 2006. Fuel embargos, border closings, food shortages, no water, no refrigeration, partial electricity, and no freedom of movement – desperation. People willing to do stupid things to survive - no excuse, just reality for caged animals; (B) On the other side, there is fear. Terror is the fear of random death and destruction – anytime, anyone. They are doing it to each other. Since the US will not be fair in this struggle, and no other countries have the balls to stride out of the mud bog of the past, it seems as if the only finality for the whole ME shit-can is to encourage the boyz using my tax dollars – the weapons I bought them – to kill every one of those mother fuckers until they have complete submission – groveling dogs looking for food. Indian reservations. Drunks. Beaten down lack of pride purged of culture no name kill them all period. Stop drawing it out. It’s costing me way too much money. Get it over with, kill them all, kill, kill, kill, kill. On a brighter note, there is no surf.

3, 4, 5 January 2009 – Surfed the Steps and between First and Second Peak over the last three days. It was small and very cold, but what’s a surfer to do? Maybe tomorrow – right? I know I’ve said this before – but really – “U.S. Marines raised the American flag over the adobe-colored buildings, which sit on a 104-acre site and has space for 1,000 employees — more than 10 times the size of any other American Embassy in the world.” At a cost of $700 million – what’s the point? Control. “The new embassy's exact dimensions are classified, but it is said to be six times larger than the U.N. complex in New York and more than 10 times the size of the new U.S. Embassy in Beijing, which at 10 acres is America's second-largest mission.” Why is so much of my hard earned money going to fund war in the ME and embassies that dwarf the U.N.? Why not work with the U.N. here in the US and at missions throughout the world? Go it alone? Control.

Three boys take over a school by force, killing two administrators. The state police and federal officials launch a retaliatory attack. Using helicopter air power, automatic weapons, and gas, the authorities first soften up the target, striking fear into the enemy. Then they storm the building and kill the terrorists. Unfortunately, there was collateral damage. More than half of the school complex was destroyed, 30 civilians were killed, and 3 police officers were killed by friendly fire. Authorities responded to the outcome saying, “The situation was caused by the terrorists.”

When asked by the press why he thought Hamas did not renew the cease-fire, our Press Undersecretary stated: I wouldn’t know, I can’t see into the minds of terrorists. Maybe this report from the ground provides insight - "People have been weakened by 18 months of blockade and siege. They've been getting very little food, electricity or heat for a long time, and so they are in a very weakened condition." – gee – do you think the people feel a little desperate? Frustrated? Lets recall this started because the Palestinians voted Hamas into power – and the US and Israel did not approve, hence, blockade and siege. Collective punishment - you chose the wrong government. Like I said –lets end it and let the Israelis kill them all. That way, the Israelis could have their state and my taxes could go toward our needs.

Verbal dry-hump

6 through 11 January – Been all but flat, although I did try Wednesday at JTH. The water and air temperatures have matched for a cold fucking set up. I heard the beaches have had waves, but I’m a loser. Last couple days have heated up weather-wise, but the surf has remained pinner. Low tide walks and a huge full moon have helped to smooth out the NSA (no surf angst). As you could probably tell, for me the ME has solidified my feelings regarding SPB. Our congress voting to unreservedly support the Israelis, no fucking matter what, and to add icing to the proverbial cake, I heard a statement from one of the Israeli military wonders that indicated once all the rockets were taken out, there would be no more terrorists. That’s right – rockets=terrorists. Of course, like dogs, nothing in their hearts and minds; no soul; no memory – just terrorist animals. If it were so simple. I know the indiscriminate rocket fire is wrong, but I understand the frustration. At some point, most of us have felt a small measure of that frustration – like when we have no control over our situation – like how our tax dollars are used. What if the UN resolutions of the past had been implemented; like recognizing the 1967 borders and the right of return. Would things be the way they are now? Would the oppressed feel so oppressed? Would the occupiers still need to occupy? Would there have been more of a memory of healing than of hate?

Whatever you think about it, you must admit that some of the more memorable times at Sharks included the shenanigans of Penguin. From oil cans to quick wit – backside bottom turns and way to much testosterone – a love affair with the Mayor – and day to day observations: “That fly got stuck in his chest hair – like a fucking Venus Flytrap---.” Gone only to return, this time he assures he will be missing for a while. He is off with his wife to the Rocky Mountains. I’m sure he’ll feel homesick and want to experience that adrenalin rush that only a LB going straight can provide – and I will work hard to get him back this summer for a fix. Good luck no matter where you end up.

Final Word
What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy? -Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948)

Drought December

2008-12-24T15:12:00.000-08:00

22, 23 November - I did not see the ocean on Saturday, but I heard the swell had dropped and there was a contest at JTH. Sunday, the swell was definitely gone, and what was left was a mix of the waning ground swell and west-northwest wind swell. It was small double-up contest surf complete with a contest. Tomorrow.

"A fool at 40 is a fool forever"

"This man represents the tragedy of aid," he said pointing to the older of the two. "While this man represents the potential of aid," he said indicating the younger man. Mr Mwenda explained that the sexagenarian was the chairman of the local parish council who had spent most of his life living off aid money, supervising projects meant to benefit the community. Today he is an alcoholic who still lives with his mother. Dysfunctional lifestyle. The younger man started selling potatoes in the village square at the age of 17. Less than 10 years later he owns the largest and busiest store in the village. He has not received one penny from aid, yet he has bought himself land and has built a house.

27 through 29 November – tripping to Irvine for a football match. Lots of people, smog-ridden air, I got sick, great football but sketchy tournament, and the fun of adventure. Two wins and a tie – we missed the championship game by goal difference. On the way back I got to see some of the swell the bros back home were telling me about. C Street was overhead and looking pretty good. Further north, the swell got smaller – Rincon was shoulder to head high, and El Capitan was pinner.

30 November – swell pushing while I was away – tonight 11.4 feet from 290 at 17 seconds. Back from LA and I’m sick.

Sustainable vs Throw Away – in every facet of human life – recalling the past because we throw the present away – all other life on this planet – this planet – lives through sustainable mechanisms - balance. The ancient foot path traveled by all creatures, from one point of living to another – broken by human progress – they throw a little away for each step of progress, but in the end all they’ve thrown away will be their end and the end for many others. Sustainable. Sustainability = Balance.

3 December – finally got back into the water today, even though sickness continued to set up house in by body. I surfed JTH with tide high and on the way out. Maybe chest high. Got a couple and reacquainted myself with the ocean. Ocean sounds bouncing into my window suggest the swell is picking up.

In reference to the auto industry, I was amused to hear that after some deep thought, CEOs are willing to work next year for a salary of $1. Wow, what a sacrifice. After receiving $23 million or so each year for the last few years: do you think they can make it? And the wise senator who asked this of the CEOs, why not have them do the hokey pokey or shimmy with a hula-hoop? These acts seem to be adequate qualifiers for a $23 billion dollar loan. I’m fuckin sure.
And Bush – “…I regret intelligence failures”. Sure, blame some esoteric process – nuclear weapons, super power, and intelligence failures? What a lethal cocktail. The buck stops at – intelligence failures. Why was I speeding? Well officer, there was an intelligence failure. I’m not responsible.

4 December – surfed the Steps, waist to head-high, but I was still feeing my illness - nothing else but coughing fits of sleep.

5 to 8 December – I went from sick to sicker and haven’t been to the ocean since. Went to the physician and found that my virus moved into a bacterial infection. The PA said my throat looked “nasty”. Antibiotics to the call – we shall see. Anyway, I am shut down.

9 to 16 December – One surf last week that lasted 5 waves, not because I was out of energy, but the surf just disappeared. The antibiotics got me back on my feet, and I feel like my health is back – but I haven’t seen a wave for days. We’ve had a strange mix of cold stormy weather with little swell. I’ve checked the buoys, and they show swell is in the water, but the direction indicates the swell is coming in from Oakland. Today was cloudy and sunny, and the ocean shimmered silver. Framing the Bay were snow-covered mountains. Today, I’ve been married 30 years, and for those that surf hardcore, you will recognize this as an accomplishment. Not on my part, but on the part of the person who stuck by me when all that mattered was surf. Today, I am very happy.

I heard about an interview done with Cheney. Unfuckingbelievable. The guy’s directly responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands, torture conducted by Americans, and constitutional abuses, and he admits it with an arrogance unmatched by anyone I can remember – except Bush and the rest of his henchmen. And the shoe-chucking incident – you could literally feel the guys frustration. There are those in government that deserve the shoe treatment – and wouldn’t it be wonderful to oblige. Then the news that another official with a corporate agenda tried to undermine Endangered Species Act; editing reports and applying pressure on scientists in order to advance corporate over animals; resigns when she gets caught when ultimately she should be going to jail. In fact, now that this whole Bush clusterfuck is coming to an end, and they figure no one’s going to do anything about their total disregard for the rule of law, they are flaunting it in our collective faces. So fucking what – what are you gonna do about it?

17 to 24 December – FLAT – Just Flat. Except today it’s stormy victory at sea. Other than that, I’m still struggling to kick this cold/plague type condition. On the bright side, a five-year wait has ended. I have taken receipt of a 5’ 8” Pavel Speed Dialer. The craftsmanship is of the highest quality and the board looks like it will be really fun. The glass job is one of the best I have ever seen – down to the resin pin strips, glass rope cord cleat, and wedge stringer. It’s custom. But how do I ride it? You can envision the whole scene. Nice walls at Tiburones, light crowd, and the maiden voyage. Racing down the line, just kicking it into gear when some lame-ass LB drops in going straight. Evasive maneuvers are executed, but in the end a collision occurs. The inevitable “sorry” is uttered before I go ballistic. Ralph? Alternatively, I could hang it on the wall and daydream. Is this possibly one of the most difficult decisions of my life?

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice occurred on December 21, 2008 at 12:04 UT (Universal Time). The longest night of the year, and the next day, light triumphs over darkness. It is truly incredible how this day has been celebrated and honored by all cultures since the beginning of humanity. I look forward to this day because it means the battle between night and day is over and spring is to come – the beginning of my favorite surf season. Whatever the reasons, it all comes down to daylight; a time to groove on what was accomplished or not during the previous span of daylight, and a time to look forward to the next cycle. In the best of pagan traditions, Happy New Daylight and I hope the next cycle treats you and yours well.

Last Word-
War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today. -John F. Kennedy, 35th US president (1917-1963)

Plek

2008-11-24T00:10:00.000-08:00

“A new study published recently in the journal Science suggested that a fishery can be saved by giving those who harvest the sea a guaranteed share of its bounty, rather than having them compete to see who can extract the most the fastest.” Another example that shows free market thinking is not the end-all as envisioned by some economists.

11 November – As evening fills in, so does the swell – 8 feet from 310 at 14 seconds - a little steep for getting around the Point, but sure to generate some refraction.

12 November – Surfed an evening session at the Steps – low-tide-kelp-ridden – fun. Got to say – moonrise on one side and sunset on the other – doesn’t get better than that.

13 November – Surf shrank a bit, and while there was water there were some waves. But, as some of you may have witnessed, my dad was in town. We walked the Point; spoke of times past and times future. The guy’s 80, but doesn’t look much older than 65. Putting myself in his place, I figured I have a future in the LB glide, if I’m so lucky. Back to the surf – the buoys say: 8.3 feet from 285 at 14 seconds mixed with 1.2 feet from 225 at 17 seconds – I just didn’t see it.

The Supreme Court renders a decision on Navy sonar and harm to whales: “We do not discount the importance of plaintiffs’ ecological, scientific, and recreational interests in marine mammals,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority. “Those interests, however, are plainly outweighed by the Navy’s need to conduct realistic training exercises to ensure that it is able to neutralize the threat posed by enemy submarines.” What bothers me most – is the clear consideration that the whales are not a relevant life form – whereas human beings are the only relevant life form - truly a Christian tradition. Notice the language – “importance of plaintiffs’ ecological, scientific, and recreational interests in marine mammals” – nothing about the welfare of the affected life forms. Nada. In the balance was the interest of people involved in ecological, scientific, and recreational endeavors weighed against the interest of the Navy (people) to “neutralize the threat posed by enemy submarines (people)”. Nowhere is the idea that beings, no better than ourselves, are in the balance – the whales. Their personal safety, habitat, families, play, food, and procreation - nada.

There is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it does not teach them to be good and kind to other animals as well as humans, it is all a sham. -Anna Sewell, writer (1820-1878)

Palin said it was the responsibility of Republican governors to ensure that Obama's administration did not exert too much control over the US healthcare system. – Fuckin’ A – let’s keep getting screwed by corporate profits for something that is a constitutional benefit – force corporate pricing for medication, force HSA – more cash for banks at our expense – Corpgov - let’s see how many middle men we can setup to profit from keeping the US public healthy and provide help when folks are ill.

More proof that Corpgov does not live in the sphere of the “free market” - The socialism elite saved once again by Corpgov – massacre and contracts - Blackwater has yet to be charged or hit with any other punitive action over the unprovoked massacre of seventeen Iraqi civilians in Baghdad’s Nissour Square on September 16, 2007. The company has received more than $1.2 billion in government contracts since then.

14 November – Surfed small low tide kelp ridden Second Bowl at sunset. This morning, the lot was full – the Internet swell was in. Being a virtual event – it didn’t necessarily mean there were waves. Given the choice between people and kelp – I went with kelp. At least it’s static, semi soft, and doesn’t talk back. Of course kelp does have attitude. True local. Anyway, got a few. The buoys show 8 feet from 275 at 12 seconds, but on the ground things looked a lot different. More like from 315. I’m not sure, but I think tomorrow holds the promise of more Internet swell.

15 November – Beautiful day – hot n’ glassy – buoys show 6.1 feet from 290 at 14 seconds. The top of the Point looks like it’s getting waves, but just like the economy, the trickle down effect is non-existent. The Steps just weren’t getting it. That didn’t stop the Interlopers from traveling. I turned some soil over in the garden and later this afternoon I’m off to watch the U16 Breakers Academy team play the LA Galaxy U16 team. Beach breaks?

16 and 17 November – Still beautiful – still hot n’ glassy - buoys – nada. Nothing more to be said.

Prolix – tediously wordy - herein?

18 November – It was pitiful, but I had to get a “training” session in at Segundo Bol. I can sum it up as charging a couple of shin-snappers. This epic surf session was followed by a change in the weather – hot to cold off a cliff.

19 November – Flat and cold.

Ali Hamza al-Bahlu - He is accused of three war crimes: Conspiracy, as an alleged member of al Qaeda who ran Osama bin Laden's media operations in Afghanistan and made, among other things, a recruiting film that glorified the suicide bombing of the destroyer USS Cole; Solicitation to Commit Murder of Protected Persons and Providing Material Support for Terrorism. He allegedly also served as a member of bin Laden's security detail. Life in prison.

Salim Hamdan – Saddam’s driver - he was arrested at a road block in Afghanistan in November 2001 with two surface-to-air missiles in his car, and found guilty on the charge of providing support to al-Qaeda. 5 years in prison.

Blackwater and its Employees - According to Iraqi officials, Blackwater guards shot and killed 17 people -- including women and children -- on September 16 at Baghdad's Nusoor Square. Inquiry? Sentence? Nada. $ 92 million Fed contract - United States of Hypocrisy

20 November – Flat – but the beautiful weather returned.

21 November – The Internet made the prediction, and sure enough, day broke with a swell. The buoys show 11.2 feet from 275 at 14 seconds. After an unusual day in a suit and tie, I paddled out at Second Bowl. There was a hearty crowd on it, but I thought I saw a seam on the inside. While ducking the third barrage of white water, I let my board slip from my grip. The board went all the way to the narrow sand beach at the channel between Second Bowl and Third Bowl. Before my first wave I took a significant swim. Luckily, my board washed up on the sand unscathed. This whole affair gave me time to see a few waves break on the western edge of the reef at Tiburones. Having the time to reassess my options, I decided to head over to Tiburones. The seam I thought I saw at Second Bowl appeared very, very narrow. So I pressed on to Tiburones, and I got a couple. In general, Tiburones leaves me wanting when the swell direction is from the northwest; however, I do find some off the reef at the west end of the bowl. After a few waves, I lost my board again after running aground on a kelp bed. My second swim took me all the way into the Cove. After a couple more waves, I decided the sun was at the right elevation for ending the session, and paddled over to inside Second Bowl, between Second Bowl and Third Bowl. I grabbed a decent wave that raced me along toward the left off Tibuornes, and forgetting about my cordless nature, banked off the lip approaching from Tiburones. My fins broke free, I got sideways, and – I was swimming. Next thing I know, my board is heading for the shallow cave next to the main cave at Tiburones. I was swimming hard, while at the same time watching my board inch toward the cave. I was close, but the wave that lifted me toward the cave picked up my board, turned into white water, and disappeared into the cave with my board in tow. I couldn’t see the board, but continued toward the cave to retrieve what was left of it. Just as I reached out, the backwash from the cave surged out and miraculously deposited my board at my fingertips. No scratches on the board, but my fins were tipped with mudstone and it looked as if the tabs on one fin were stressed. I decided it was a good idea to call it a session and let that particular board get a rest.

22, 23 November - I did not see the ocean on Saturday, but I heard the swell had dropped and there was a contest at JTH. Sunday, the swell was definitely gone, and what was left was a mix of the waning ground swell and west-northwest wind swell. It was small double-up contest surf complete with a contest. Tomorrow.

Final Word - Let your capital be simplicity and contentment. -Henry David Thoreau, naturalist and author (1817-1862)

Kelp Sliding

2008-11-11T23:28:00.000-08:00

27 – 31 October, 1 – 3 November – Sketchy surf and good weather before our first good storm came through for Halloween. I surfed a few times, Most notable was on Sunday – the storm surf mellowed and a few lined up between Second Bowl and Sharks. I ventured out an hour post high tide and got some before the pros came out to boost. It didn’t take long for the Second Bowl take off spot to have the kelp mats replaced by pro-mats. Faced with reality, I got one in and watched the proceedings. Today, nada – another storm passing through and storm surf prevailed. Tomorrow – vote. Uncertainty rules with one exception: 1,000 warriors protect the past (corporate status quo).

4 November – Small wind swell at Segundo Bol gave me some late afternoon solace, but eventually the day’s end and kelp mats had their way. What about the bundles of band saw blades that pass as kelp? Did you vote? It will be interesting to see the final tally. Spoke to Larrf – sounds like he’s doing well and was real stoked about a Takyama shaped and glassed redwood that he was orchestrating. He was also considering a glass job to the top of the church van – apparently he’s getting wet.

The headline read: “Rice can trigger severe gut reaction in infants” – At first I had to agree, Rice does trigger a severe gut reaction for me – but why focus on infants? I mean, Condi must make whole populations ill. Then I realized the headline referred to rice – the food staple. My bad.

The suffix, "-ocity" means, "having the quality of." Surfocity, wavocity, groovocity – Next?

5 November – We have a new Prez, but we have disgraced ourselves by showing disregard for a specific group of PEOPLE. On the balance, I am not satisfied. I guess it’s knida’ like the day. Beautiful weather, wind just right – but the surf was flat. On the balance – a beautiful day – why complain. Unfortunately, what a majority of the State’s population said to a small group of citizens was “fuck off”. On the balance, a poor choice. As surfers, we greet every day with the hope of waves – good or otherwise. Esperanza.

6 November – I went out even though it was pinner. Kelp mats not withstanding, I stood on a couple of knee-high slappers at Segundo Bol, felt the cold water and hot sun, and made it through another day. Tomorrow, a new experience waits. I am to show up as a juror at Federal court in San Jose. Two bouts of civic duty in one week – Just as I breath - I am an American.

7 November – Flat. 70F sun on the water flat. No worries. Arsene on football: "Every single team has more experience than we have. I don't believe strength is linked with experience. It is linked with desire, with talent, with intelligence. You can be intelligent at 18 or 20 and be stupid at 30. Every club and every player gives us a different problem and we have to be strong enough to find a solution." Yea. Still looking to the horizon.

8 November – Swell filled in during the evening, and although it was blustery, there was some good surf at The Steps, The buoys showed 12.5 feet from 300 at 12 seconds. It was tough surf, the take-off spot was narrow and guys were strewn all along the wave. I tried outside, but I had the best luck duck-diving sets and getting the in-betweeners. Tried a couple at Tiburones – but the swell direction, size, and tide conspired to make it less than what The Steps was showing. It was Sunday, and plenty of ardent worshipers were on it.

“Detroit and supporters in Congress essentially argue GM, Ford and Chrysler are too big to fail. They employ 250,000 people in the United States and support more than 4 million additional jobs in other areas of the economy.” As the statement indicates, the auto companies cannot be allowed to fail. They can design fuel-guzzling cars in the face of higher demand for oil and fixed supplies, W can provide tax breaks for those willing to buy Hummers and the like, and they don’t have to compete with foreign manufacturers. I see it like this – socialism for those in the upper tier – those who are making bank while the gas-busters are rolling off the sale’s lots. They made plenty of quick cash, dispensed with the long-term planning, and relied on the government response to the idea that jobs will be lost - “..they employ 250,000 people in the United States and support more than 4 million additional jobs in other areas of the economy”. For the legions of daily workers – it’s free-market economics – the pawns of the corporate socialists. It is the average folks and small businesses that are exposed to the free market, supply and demand, and painful market adjustments. Not the corporate infrastructure. They are too big to fail. Plus - they all got parachutes.

9 – 11 November – Surfed Sunday and Monday as the swell metered down. I kept to the low-tide kelp-ridden hours of the session, but scored a few. Also did a lot of swimming/pulling through the kelp-infested water to retrieve my board. I’ve been surfing cordless, and was ejected from the board several times as I ran aground on island mats of kelp. Have I used the word “kelp” enough? Tonight, the moon rising and the sun setting, I caught a few at Segundo Bol before night overtook day. It was fun and a bit of a challenge staying out of the grabbing brown hands. It was a beautiful evening - orange skies and water ribboned with the moon's reflection.

Exurb - A residential area outside a city and beyond its suburbs, typically inhabited by well-to-do families.

"Real breakthroughs are not found because you want to develop some new technology, but because you are curious and want to find out how the world is" -Anton Zeilinger 2008

Hi Kelly - take care Larrf

Grumpy?

2008-10-26T23:54:00.000-07:00

14 through 16 October – swell still hanging by a thread. Surfed very small, waist to knee-high, second bowl. But, the weather was unreal and the Humpbacks are spectacular.

Whether or not this crisis will mean the end of the neoliberal era will depend on political mobilization — specifically, how successful the left will be in building coalitions behind an agenda that combines egalitarianism with a stable financial system. I would say this: if the left is unable to defeat neoliberalism now, and build some version of social democracy or “leashed capitalism”, then we will never do it. …..Under neoliberalism, financial market players have become accustomed to do as they wish when the market is going up, but to get bailed out when the market is going down — privatization of profits and socialization of losses. Robert Pollin – 10/2008

20 October – Swell started to show today after a weekend of flatness. Unfortunately, it’s high tide all day. Notwithstanding, I went out at the Steps anyway. The bloated conditions kept the crowds low, and I got a couple. The swell is from the south-southwest – 1.8 feet at 17 seconds. Long waits and cold water, but – the Humpbacks were entertaining again.

“In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.” President Eisenhower, 1961

“……this is business as usual in Washington. And I think, you know, somebody like Barack Obama, you see somebody with what you would feel are probably very good intentions, and you get the sense that around the Obama kitchen table there’s a lot of heartfelt, well-meaning thought going on, and yet the machine does not care how well-meaning Barack Obama is, doesn’t care how well-meaning the voters are who hope that Barack Obama can make change. The machine is a cutthroat instrument of power. And all the rest of us are kind of cannon fodder in it.”........“And it’s not because it’s, you know, run by evil men like Dick Cheney. That’s kind of incidental. What really is happening is that you have a machine out there that has a vested interest, that simply pulses forward. And the only thing that can slow it is what Eisenhower called an alert and knowledgeable citizenry, basically all of us being deeply engaged. And we’re not, for several reasons that have to do with how our society evolved and how the American way of war took over the American way.” Eugene Jarecki on “The American Way of War: Guided Missiles, Misguided Men, and a Republic in Peril”

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the U.S. may be vulnerable to a terrorist attack during the next six months, with violent groups more likely to try to take advantage of a new president and administration. ``Any period of transition creates a greater vulnerability, meaning there's more likelihood of distraction,'' Chertoff said in an interview. ``You have to be concerned it will create an operational opportunity for terrorists.'' Solution – elect the president for life.

21 October – South/Southwest swell pouring in, fall is upon us, and so are the CWC pros. Swell numbers were 2 feet from 205 at 17 seconds to 2.6 feet from 200 at 14 seconds. I surfed Second Bowl Insides with Tenzen – Got some fun ones and for the most part stayed out of the way of the rippers. View of the day had Joe “Sheriff” Clarke piped while pushing with his small watercraft. Joe, the board, and the paddle stuffed. When the foam ball hit, the board took off and it looked pretty dangerous during the spin cycle. Joe came up grinning. I enjoyed the comment regarding my blogary. Hard hitting on the subject of my implied and stated politico, and not too happy with JTH. An important point was made – rant but no solution. Indeed. Solutions would have to encompass the majority – SPB, and I am afraid the level of awareness would have to dramatically increase for any solution to take hold. See the excerpt from Eugene Jarecki posted above. As I have stated here before, for me the solution lies in the local community. Interacting with young people, embracing visitors from outside the county and country, and life’s example and lessons. I’ve also described the core mechanism of revolutions that have taken place in India, South Africa, and Algeria. Not violence, but economic activism. Vote with your money; with your contribution to the work force; with your productivity. In the end, we need to be happy with ourselves. Let us enrich ourselves with our mutual differences. -Paul Valery, poet and philosopher (1871-1945)

22, 23, 24 October – South swell continues to show through the week; picked up again today with the buoys showing 3 feet from 185 at 17 seconds. For the most part I surfed El Segundo Bol, but I did tour Tiburones for a few. Pretty fun - heapings of Indian summer, mats of kelp, and the boyz on the beach. The Humpbacks are still hanging out in front of the Steps; they seem to be lounging in the glassy mid-morning and afternoon sun.

25, 26 October – When I first looked at the surf on Saturday, it was cranking. Long, well separated sets, sunny and glassy, and the crowd had yet to respond. I saw some bombs driving through Tiburones. Wells and a few others had it dialed. But – I had to head over the hill for football. It was a great game to watch, but we got destroyed. Heading back over the hill, my stoke started to burn. I got home, ignored the thick fog, and jammed to the Point – visions of the morning sets stuck in my head. I couldn’t even see the beach through the fog, and most of the boyz I spoke to who had just left the water told me it was bunk. Cross-chopped from an earlier fog wind, low tide and kelp matted, cold, and crowded. I just about turned to go when Hot Dog provided a re-stoke session. In the end, I went out at Tiburones, got a few double-ups, and went home feeling surfed. I repeated the low tide episode today, but no double-ups. The swell was still fun, crowds weren’t too bad, and I only got kelp-launched once – last wave. On the upside, it was freezing. The water, wind, and fog combined to chill deep. On the pro front - Nat Young, part time ripper of the left at Tiburones, won the CWC. It’s good news because not only is he a great surfer – he’s a great kid. Good manners out in the water, good attitude, and a great representative of surfing. The planets and stars have aligned.

Men build too many walls and not enough bridges. -Isaac Newton, philosopher and mathematician (1642-1727)

Voting

2008-10-16T23:06:00.000-07:00

All right - here's my spin. First, I know some of you are swayed by the "cute" and "cheeky" VP potential, but check the the possible Pres potential shown here. He surfs - what more do I have to say. He's lookin' good in the water - she's lookin' good on ice. Right. Let's look at first principle - the nation's mission statement. I've asked you to consider this before, but I've decided to simplify.

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union - Guys around the table, flasks in hand, creating a union of states that require a government - formed by the people.

Establish justice - Sitting around the table, the boyz recognize that justice, transparency, fair treatment, and treating others as you wish to be treated are principles important to the foundation of any government - or people just getting along.

Insure domestic tranquility - The boyz start feeling pretty good after a few flasks and it falls in their lap - it's good feeling good. We need to immortalize this in government. What does it take to insure domestic tranquility? Health, safety, security, food, roof over the head, a job, being part of the community - Surf? Threat of nuclear war?

Provide for the common defense - Given the situation with the Brit, there was no telling. Had to be ready to defend the nation. Considering our history, maybe we've gone a little awry here.

Promote the general welfare - The boyz recognized the fledgling nation required well educated citizens - at least as educated as those conceiving the Constitution. What else goes into one's welfare? Health care? Check out the definition of wellfare in the dictionary, This aspiration overlaps with domestic tranquility - the boyz must have been pretty lit up by this point - that said - nothing wrong with the concept.

Secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity - Well said boyz.

Anyways - I'm concerned about the pursuit of peace - internal and external. Security through understanding and helping each other out - Marine Corps replaced by the Peace Corps - eliminate nuclear weapons - a fair resolution to the middle east - treat others as we wish to be treated - allow citizens the dignity to work, live, and die - no corporate/citizen equality, lose capital punishment, rethink the drug war, war on terrorism, war on poverty, and any other wars you can dream up, environment, the rights of all creatures, sustainability, real energy solutions, financial and government transparency, privacy - I know there's more - and we can only accomplish so much each day - what about a short list?

Just dreaming - but we do have an opportunity to vote.

I Am Paying Attention

2008-10-14T21:19:00.000-07:00

I am paying attention - just not on the daily blog. Also, I figure there is already soooo much material out there in the ethersphere, my daily input would be di mimus. How about Tina Fey as Impalin? Epic. How about Palin as Impalin? How about here supporters arguing her benefits and aplitude? No one can blog this stuff. It's real TV. Like a drink of spring water in the desert, there has been surf to distract us from the politcal meyham. So---

7 September – swell actually picked up. On the buoys, it shows that it wasn’t the swell as much as the direction that kicked the swell up. Out at the Bay buoy, the swell registered 2.6 feet at 17 seconds from 210.

8 September – surf was on all day. I surfed the Steps, First Bowl, until my arms fell off and I was thermally drained. Great sets, overhead waves, patchy fog and just a breeze. The Monterey buoy showed the swell at 3.2 feet, 17 seconds, from 195. The Harvest Platform showed 3.2, 17 seconds, from 215. I think the 215 is important – the best direction for the Bay.

9 September – surfed Tiburones as the swell continued to show. Buoys showed the swell at 4 feet, 17 seconds from 195. I started at Bol Primero and then moved down to Tiburones. My first real session at Tiburones this south swell season, and it was way cool. Head high to over head and firing.

10 September – Tiburones for another helping. The swell poured through for the fourth straight day. Hot Dog, Shane Grom, Kneeboarder “shacked” Roy, Bert, Denny, Wells, and the peripheral LBs. It was great fun, started out grey and went to sun with slight wind. There were plenty of waves for all. When Tiburones is good – its way good. Boyz were splitting the right and left with stereo barrels; bombs coming through with rides down toward Privates; and the inside speedway boogie was holding. I know I speak for the boyz when I say, “I’m baked”. The buoys show about 2.4 feet at 17 seconds from 190. Second buoy check in the evening shows 3.6 feet at 14 seconds from 190 – some of my favorite numbers.

11 September – Swell a bit smaller, but still making a stand. Although work precluded me from participating, I did stop to check the Point. I saw great waves – First peak was overhead – down to Tiburones – where shoulder-high walls were cranking. Buoys stay strong 3 feet at 14 seconds from 195.

I read this on the Net - “Even in a political culture accustomed to truth-stretching, McCain's skirting of facts has stood out this week. It has infuriated and flustered Obama's campaign, and campaign pros are watching to see how much voters disregard news reports noting factual holes in the claims.” What popped out at me was the part about the voters noticing the McCain doublespeak. Lets face it, when it came to the Iraq war, and the Bushspeak that propagated the airways, it was a proven fact that the voting public, lied to as they were, bought it hook, line, and sinker. There was the mushroom cloud, mobile chem weapons labs, Al Quida, and “they’ll welcome us with flowers”. A study was done that correlated the voting public's belief in shit with their propensity to watch those news programs that most vigorously peddled the shit. Now the question is, “will the voting public question the McCain doublespeak train.” Why ask?

12 to 15 September – south swell residual slips through, and every once in a while, a slide is possible through the submarine net of kelp. That said, today’s session showed promise. The buoys read 2.3 feet, at 17 seconds from 190. I rode a few at First Bowl, and it did appear to be picking up. We shall see.

“As it happens, though, not that long ago we had a rare political moment in this country, a moment where the public sat up and took notice of economic policy -- and spoke out and made its voice heard too. When George W. Bush made it to term #2, he decided to try to privatize social security to reward his supporters on Wall Street with a new source of capital, customers, and fees. (Those would be the same people whose firms are now cratering under the weight of the bad debt they recklessly took on while Republican regulators looked the other way). But as it turned out, we Americans were not about to let our elected representatives turn over our social security taxes to Wall Street financiers to gamble with if it meant losing the guaranteed income that has allowed millions upon millions of American seniors to live out their sunset years with at least a basic measure of dignity.” I reprint this to suggest that what Bush did not accomplish for social security was accomplished with health care.

Sure, now you can have a HAS – health savings account – essentially add banks to the list of those siphoning off your health care dollars without providing health care. Supposedly you set up an account with pre-tax dollars up to a limit, and use those dollars for your very large deductible. What I found so far is the bank is charging me fees, so that my initial set-up deposit of $100 was worth $80 within a month – and I hadn’t even used it yet. So that’s how these fuckers keep you paying all their favorites off. No bid contracts with your tax money, performance out the window (the private sector can do it better – Blackwater?), privatize services, short-term profit over people.

16 September – see 15 September except for the kook who dropped in on me thereby hacking my board. Buoy shows 2.2 feet at 14 seconds from 200 degrees.

17 and 18 September – History repeats itself. Surfed First Bowl and Second Bowl. The water was pleasant, the sun was out, and, while it was windy, it wasn’t as bad as the kelp that appeared as the tide dropped. No complaints.

19 September – I’m not sure, but it appears the swell picked up. Got some bombs at First Bowl, and saw some bombs go through Second Bowl, although I only snagged a few inbetweeners at Second Bowl. For sure – not many places where consecutive days can be pulled together. We are lucky. I am lucky. I’m not sure what the ocean was giving up, but the buoys showed 2.8 feet at 14 seconds from 175 with 4.3 feet at 12 seconds from 275. In any case, the combo seemed to work.

I am sure you are all aware of the crisis in the financial sector. We, the taxpayers, will pay. Those who benefited will be mostly be untouched; the rest of us left in the slag with a higher national debt per capita and other more direct challenges. On a positive note, some of the generic media outlets – not many, but some, have surmised that if Wush got his way, privatized social security – aka – Wall Street with our Social Security Trust, SS would have been destroyed – and I don’t think Corpgov would have bailed us out. Or maybe they would have – if we can’t consume – what use are we?

20 – 24 September – Surfed the Steps on the 20th, got a couple, but you could tell the foreign students were back in town (foreign = anyone from over the hill, to the south, and to the west). The swell from Friday had all but disappeared. Surf depressed? We need a bail out.

29 & 30 September – After a lay off of five days, a small south started to show on Monday. At the end of the day, I was at home dicking around, when the Zealand at my house informed me there were waves at the Steps. I had looked at it during the day, and it was flat. But, maybe conditions had changed. I took a chance and went down with my stuff. Sure enough, a little south line rolled through First Bowl, and I could see south lines moving through 38th. I went out, low tide and kelp, but rode high and got a few before dark. I followed up today and got some fun waves at First Bowl, Second Bowl, and Tiburones. The swell before the swell is always sweet. The news is probably out, and the Internet swell is around the corner. Tonight the buoys show 2 feet at 14 seconds from 205.

1 October – Quickly – surfed the Steps; the news is out. Buoys showed mixed swell with the strength coming from a groundswell at 4.3 feet at 14 seconds from 280. It translated into waist to slightly overhead surf – a little slow at the shoulder, but fun. Supposedly more to come – masses too. Biden imPalined tomorrow. I’m going to watch a surf video – how about it DYSM?

2 October – Just five waves. Surfed Segundo Bol shoulder to just overhead. Swell seemed steep with the swell skimming past the reef providing peaky waves with all sorts of shoulder. It was windy and the weather was just waiting to go from fall to winter, At the same time it was warm and muggy. Buoys showed two swells. One from the south, 2.1 feet at 17 seconds from 200; the other was 6.5 feet at 10 seconds from 265. The masses sensed the bounty; and when I was leaving an entourage of pros had arrived. I knew the mayhem was about to begin.

3 October – Surfed Tiburones in the late afternoon. The west swell was dying, and an underlying south swell was providing support. Got a few fun ones, but critical length was quickly achieved as masses left their other pursuits. I took my leave.

4 October – No surf for me today; football was my day. Zealand told me it was small and crowded, and my first look at the buoys suggested this was so. Yes, it’s true, I never saw the ocean myself all day. I’m talking about a virtual surf check. Anyway, 11.4 feet at 14 seconds from 280.

“An American member of al-Qaida pointed to economic troubles in the United States as proof that "the enemies of Islam" face defeat” – A page out of the Ronny Regan cold war playbook?
Drill, Baby, Drill – I heard them. Drilling is safer now with the advances in technology. Heck, even the fish like the drilling platforms. Drilling off the coasts will not cause environmental damage. Wait – this just in - Hurricane Ike's winds and massive waves destroyed oil platforms, tossed storage tanks and punctured pipelines. The environmental damage only now is becoming apparent: At least a half million gallons of crude oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico and the marshes, bayous and bays of Louisiana and Texas, according to an analysis of federal data. They’re just fucking liars. Period. Smoking doesn’t cause health problems either.

6 and 7 October – Didn’t get to surf the weekend – but had great fun with my brood at the football matches. Got back to surf on Monday and Tuesday, had fun in the water, and felt like I didn’t miss a thing. Good First and Second Bowl at just overhead to chest high. And the Humpback whales clearing the water just outside, unreal.

I’m frustrated hearing people say that the O-job hasn’t articulated his plans, like there is enough time in a question and answer debate or quick campaign stop. Plus, time is required to digest. How about a webpage with the details - http://www.barackobama.com/issues/ - and McCain – I mean equal time - http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/. The difference between the two are exposed by just considering the issues listed – check it yourselves.

8 October to date - the surf disappeared only to make a quick reappearence today. Critical legnth was a factor, as well as the kooks claiming "I and I didn't see you". But they couldn't bring down a beautiful day. How about SeaGreen out in the surf ?

One should count each day a separate life. -Lucius Annaeus Seneca, philosopher (BCE 3-65 CE)

Fall is in the Air

2008-09-07T22:20:00.000-07:00

I've been busy, but have found plenty of material to chew over between work projects. Well, you know, political conventions and all. And the Fogust lull; finally broke this last week, first predicted as an internet swell - then the real thing arrived. The weather started to go off too. Great combo, but you can't always get what you want - it's high tide all day. Nevertheless, the swell got big enough to hold it. I've jotted it all down in a random sort of way, but first a short science fiction tale.
Imagine a visitor to our planet who has seen it going through the changes wrought by man and nature - mostly man. This vistor was also witness to cultural changes. He saw us lock animals away, he saw us lock each other away, he saw hope in the cultural revolution of the 60's, and saw that hope fade into the vacuum of the 80's and 90's. He saw the advent of global warming and its effects. In the end he recognizes the whole process is just that - a process. With the end of one phase, he was ready to witness the birth of another. Here's the story.

I just want to talk to you
I wont do you no harm
I just want to know about your different lives
On this people farm
I heard some of you got your families
Living in cages tall and cold
And some just stay there and dust away
Past the age of old.
Is this true?
Please let me talk to you.

I just wanna know about
The rooms behind your minds
Do I see a vacuum there
Or am I going blind?
Or is it just the remains of vibrations
And echos long ago?
Things like love the world
And let you fancy flow
Is this true?
Please let me talk to you
Let me talk to you.

I have lived here before
The days of ice
And of course this is why
I'm so concerned
And I come back to find
The stars misplaced
And the samell of a world
That is burned
A smell of a world
that is burned

Well, maybe,
Maybe it's just a change of climate
Hmm,
Well I can dig it
I can dig it baby
I just want to see

So, where do I purchase my ticket?
I'd just like a ringside seat
I want to know about the new mother earth
I want to hear and see everything

Might go well with some music.

I got an idea for the next generation surf contest - the Sharks replacement. PleasurePointSurf Virtual Surftest - The contest is to be held in one day. Contestants can surf wherever they wish along Pleasure Point. In exchange for the entry form and nominal fee for a tee and prizes, each contestant will be given a score form. After a contestant surfs a heat, or heats - wherever and whenever the heat takes place - the contestant must fill out his or her score form and submit via email. The score form will have three sections. In the first section, the contestant will score their best three waves - honor system. In the second section the contestant will provide a narrative regarding their best wave - nothing would be over-the-top. In the third section, the DYSM section, validation of the contestant's surf session, or particularly great wave, will be provided - give witness to your greatness. Once the forms are in - a judging panel will review the forms and rank the first four places. All contestant will be mentioned, and good narratives and DYSM descriptions will get posted. The prizes will be distributed at a groovy surf gig somewhere - we never really need an excuse to have a groovy surf gig - Lance - I may need your help here. I've scrapped together the all important logo - the all seeing eye - the virtual judge - above.

Now - Notes from the Field.
A new government study shows most corporations pay no income taxes in the United States. According to the Government Accountability Office, 72 percent of foreign-owned companies went at least one year without paying taxes over an eight-year period. 55 percent of US-based companies also went at least a year without paying.

Thursday, August 7, 2008 - Georgian forces and separatists in South Ossetia agree to observe a ceasefire and hold Russian-mediated talks to end their long-simmering conflict. Hours later, Georgian forces launch a surprise attack, sending a large force against the breakaway province and reaching the capital Tskhinvali. South Ossetian rebel leader Eduard Kokoity accuses Georgia of a "perfidious and base step".

A week later, Rice regarding situation in Georgia - "Georgia, whose territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty we fully respect, must be able to go back to normal life," she said. And, "The United States of America stands strongly, as the president of France just said, for the territorial integrity of Georgia. This is a member state of the United Nations and its internationally recognized borders need to be respected. The provisional ceasefire must go into place."

But a year ago;
"At least 372 Lebanese, the great majority civilians, have been killed during the conflict, which is now into its 13th day. Thirty-seven Israelis have been killed, about half of them civilians. An estimated 600,000 Lebanese have now been forced out of their homes. The Israeli offensive began after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid on 12 July. Israeli bombardments devastated Hezbollah strongholds in south Lebanon and southern Beirut, but also targeted civilian infrastructure including roads, bridges, the international airport and power stations."

Rice was not interested in Israel ceasing hostilities in the Lebanon case. "We all want to urgently end the fighting. We have absolutely the same goal," Rice said. But she added that if the violence ends only to restart within weeks, "then all of the carnage that Hezbollah launched by its illegal activities — abducting the soldiers and then launching rocket attacks — we will have gotten nothing from that."

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters July 18 that “a cease-fire is imperative and we have to keep working to reach that objective.” When asked if a cease-fire should take effect immediately, Rice responded, “We all agree that it should happen as soon as possible when conditions are conducive to do so.” Body count?

Essentially, because it served their purposes, the USAdmin allowed the Israel-Lebanon conflict to continue – no pressure. On the other hand, regarding Russia and Georgia, an immediate cease-fire is being called for. In one instance you have Ossetian separatists attacked by Georgian troops, who in turn are attacked by Russian troops backing the Ossetians. In the other instance, you have Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon attacked by Israel after Hezbollah kidnaps two soldiers– where Israel takes license to destroy much of Lebanon’s infrastructure, although they aren’t directly involved. This is a perfect example of why the globe considers the US biased, self-absorbed, hypocritical, inconsistent, confusing, and just plain untrustworthy.

And the hypocrisy doesn’t stop:
The US state department has said recognition of the two provinces' independence would be "a violation of Georgian territorial integrity" and "inconsistent with international law". No way – “… it was the United States that set an example after it invaded sovereign Iraq and overthrew the local government. It later separated Kosovo from sovereign Serbia.”

All right - can we stop the bullshit and actually act as a fair arbitrator that the global community can trust for just, noble, and humane positions? Leadership that moves away from violence – But how can we be motivated to stop violence when we are the largest suppliers of arms on the planet? What would the market say? MilitaryIndustrial Complex and peace don’t mix.
Let’s get real - Stop?

Once the propaganda machine kicks in, there is no stop. Public opinion is polluted and uninformed, and given politics for what they are, the leadership on all sides just steps to the propaganda stomp – even if they know better. And then there’s the Western Media Outlet – overpowering all other information channels so that even the globe is swayed – at least those whose ear is cupped toward the West. The Russian/Georgian conflict and the Israel/Palestinian conflict are just two examples. If you’re willing to put the time in, you can develop a full-blown story and come to a more informed opinion. After that - dismay that the rest of the voting public doesn’t want to be bothered. United Macho States of America.

A US District court has ordered former White House counsel Harriet Miers to testify and White House chief of staff Joshua Bolten to turn over documents related to the firing of federal prosecutors. The Bush administration indicated it would appeal but Justice Department lawyers said Wednesday that they will ask the court to step in quickly and temporarily put Miers' appearance on hold while the appeal plays out. If the appeals court refuses to temporarily block the testimony, it would essentially be endorsing Bates' ruling against the Bush administration. Miers likely would have to comply with the subpoena, setting a precedent that would give Congress new teeth in its investigations and weaken future presidents. What’s wrong with this outcome? I don’t understand the part about weakening the president and allowing Mier’s to skip testifying. I can’t say it enough – transparency in government is essential to our understanding of government for the people and by the people. The president or anyone of his advisers need to be honest about what they are up to. Period. It’s not a matter of presidential power. It’s about our involvement in government – if we don’t like what’s going on, we should have the ability to change it. But if the workings of government are hidden from view – How do we know if changes are necessary? Why are those in leadership positions trying to hide their actions? – Actions taken on or behalf, and supposedly for, our benefit. Get over the power trip and advocate transparency – so we are all involved.

Most of August – small south pulses at first bowl and second bowl only rideable at the right tide before tide goes to low and the kelp takes over.

29, 30 August – waist to shoulder high northwest swell with wind swell components second bowl.

2 September – buoys just showing south at 175; internet swell predicted, maybe tomorrow some strays will sneak around the corner and beat the internet.

3 September – no ‘gar – buoys still show a steep swell, and as of 2:30 pm, not much was making it around the corner.

More God talk:
• Palin told ministry students at her former church that the United States sent troops to fight in the Iraq war on a "task that is from God."
• "Our national leaders are sending them out on a task that is from God," Palin said. "That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that plan is God's plan."
• Palin also urged ministry students to pray for a plan to build a $30 billion natural gas pipeline in the state, calling it "God's will."
• Palin even told God how to get it done - "God's will has to be done in unifying people and companies to get that gas line built, so pray for that,"

4 September - south swell has arrived and the masses attend the alter. Unfortunately, I was stuck in Watsonville when the evening session was about to kick off. The Harvest Platform buoy shows 3.5 feet from 180 at 14 seconds. Tomorrow.

5 September – swell still on, it’s Friday, and throngs have made their pilgrimage. The buoys show 2.6 feet from 185 at 14 seconds. My surf check validated the buoy report, and confirmed that the beautiful weather continues. Regrettably, high tide is a factor until this evening – when the east wind may take over – I must chose the worst of two evils. I had fun at the Steps - but where did the wind swell mix come from?

Back to Palin and God. This “God’s will” thing is not good. It takes the place of hard decision-making and relieves responsibility for decisions – a perfect facade for a politician. Let’s consider an example – Palin’s fifth child. While the country is swooning about the fact that Palin is caring for a child with Down Syndrome, no one is questioning the decision to have a fifth child at 44 years old while her husband works and she ambitiously serves as governor. Decision. The decision not to practice birth control - the decision to load more human ecoprints on the globe – the decision to take a significant chance that a physically or mentally impaired child will be brought into existence – weighed against? Maybe there was no decision. Maybe it was “God’s will”. What other decisions will be left up to chance – oops, I mean “God’s will”. My take - You have free will, not God’s will, so use it wisely.

6 September – swell still on - 2.3 feet at 14 from 190. Surfed the Steps with an east wind building the easterly wind swell. Scalloped face made for a difficult session. Got a few, but didn’t feel just right.

7 September – swell actually picked up. On the buoys, it shows that it wasn’t the swell as much as the direction that kicked the swell up. Out at the Bay buoy, the swell registered 2.6 feet at 17 seconds form 210.

Though force can protect in emergency, only justice, fairness, consideration and cooperation can finally lead men to the dawn of eternal peace. -Dwight D. Eisenhower, U.S. general and 34th president (1890-1969)

Doldrums

2008-08-13T00:14:00.000-07:00

We are in the midst of another week of the doldrums. The cattle drive is over, and it's time to go into town for some razing. Some days it's so bad, you can't even get the glide on. Of course, I've heard of some local travels that turned up a couple of waves, but the price of fuel puts a damper on travel. Before the doldrums set in, we had a good string of south swell days complete with great weather and good tides. I surfed the Steps, Segundo Bol, and Tiburones - as did all my friends. No graphic altercations, several close calls, and plenty of DYSM. As I sat between sets during one session - on some days the wait was 20 minutes or more - and counted the mass number - I realized I could account for the LB session in terms of linear feet. Indeed, on one day I counted up at least 300 feet of LB clogging up Tiburones. Instead of critical mass, I'm talking in terms of critical length.

As I retrace my steps down to the Point, to work, and back home, others are treading new footpaths. A friend sent the pic of a recent trip.

It was also interesting to watch the internet swells show up - maybe not at the Point, but surely in the traffic, parking lots, and en mass. Thank Dog for the internet. Swells predicted, plans are made - must surf - must surf - must surf. Still - I love summer.

Notes From the Field.
It has happened in this country. For one reason or another, a person flips – mows down a teacher, lover, coworker – we have a saying regarding the situation - “going postal”. Usually, the misguided temporally insane individual takes his or her own life. Other times, they end up in prison – or death row. Recently, a Palestinian went “postal” and drove his bulldozer into cars, buses, and people. It was a tragedy for those who suffered injury or worse. He killed three Israelis. The event occurred in the Israeli-held portion of Jerusalem. What separates the Israeli incident from the US version is the government response. Like I said, in the US, if the perpetrator lived – it world be prison or death row. In the Israeli case, the perpetrator was killed on the spot; but that’s not enough. Israeli politicians are asking for the home district of the perpetrator to be cut off from the rest of Jerusalem. Additionally, they want residents of the district be stripped of their Israeli ID cards, they want the wall to be moved to cut the district off, and they want the home of the perpetrator, where a wife and children are left, to be demolished. Would that go over in the US? If this kind of collective punishment occurred anywhere else in the world, would the US protest?

“I am greatly concerned about the chilling effect that compliance with the committee's subpoena would have on future White House deliberations and White House cooperation with future Justice Department investigations," Mukasey wrote Bush. J H C! You’re got to be kidding me. Shouldn’t our elected leaders, our government, be chilled? That’s the point of transparency. The whole kit and caboodle should be worried anytime they break the law – just like the rest of us. And how do we know? - Transparency. They should be looking over their shoulders when they act in a way contrary to our interests. Chilled – seriously chilled.

“If rockets were raining down on my house, where my two daughters sleep, I would do anything I could to stop the rockets” – BO in Israel. Makes sense, but that’s not what’s happening. “Anything” is not happening – selective action is happening. Negotiation is not happening. Fair exchanges are not taking place. Humanity – on both sides – is not happening. Violence reduction is not happening. The elimination of oppression is not happening. “Anything I could” is restricted to military solutions, human degradation, collective punishment, isolation, and bigotry. It’s ironic that a black man, whose ancestors and comrades in SA suffered under oppression, accepts the suffering and oppression faced by Palestinians on a daily basis.

I didn’t say it – a BBC post from a world citizen ----Re: Obama backs Israel? Palestinian leaders need to adhere to international law? By far the biggest violator of international law in the entire world is Israel: extra judicial assassinations, routine torture, building a wall on someone else's land, attempting to annex territory acquired by war, transferring its civilian population to occupied territory, using human shields, firing artillery into civilian neighborhoods, denying Palestinians the right to freedom of movement...the list goes on.

Israel says it’s not going to negotiate the fate of Jerusalem until next year. Of course, the fate of Jerusalem is one of the cornerstones of any Palestinian solution. Face it – Islam’s connection to Jerusalem is just as strong as that of Judaism. Israel’s decision coincided with another demolition of a Palestinian residential building in East Jerusalem. Israeli officials say the owner hadn’t obtained the proper permits. Israel has demolished hundreds of Palestinian homes over the last decade. And we gripe about red tags. Just imagine Santa Cruz County bulldozers razing your house on a permit issue.

U.S. total operable refining capacity per day = 17,593,847 barrels => utilization = 88% - 10,000,000 barrels per day import, 5,000,000 barrels per day domestic production – 21,000,000 barrels per day US consumption - U.S. Motor Gasoline Consumption = 9,286,000 barrels/day (390 million gallons/day) - adding more oil to the numbers does not work out to more gasoline and lower prices. But what motivation does Big Oil have to increase refining capacity? Supply and demand favors the status quo. Note that last quarter ExxonMobile posted the largest profit for any corporation in history. Drill? A good election sidebar - and since most of the country does not live next to the ocean - fuck it.

The Olympics suck. A glutfest of digme videos. I'm over it.

Well, I'm sure the natives are restless, with no swell and all. And at the first sign of waves, the word "packed" just won't describe the mayhem. But count me in.

The US government's mission statement was set down in the Constitution by the Founding members. I think it's a good place to start when evaluating a candidate for a government office - like president. So - please read.

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them. -Patrick Henry, revolutionary (1736-1799

Strong Spate of South Swell

2008-06-23T17:58:00.000-07:00

Since my last - long last - log entry, there has been a week of small south in the 1 to 2-foot range from 180 to 190 degrees at about 14 seconds, a couple of weeks of fat wind swell surf, and a sprinkling of summertime weekend south for the masses. More recently, a solid two weeks of south swell kept things busy just as schools were out (or in for surf schools). During the south swell binge that just ended - last night - the swell ranged from 2 to 3.5 feet at 15 seconds from 180 to 210. To complement the good spate of south swell, the weather lined up clear and sunny. I surfed during the good, bad, and ugly days, trying to gain entry during opportune windows where crowd, swell, and vibe were aligned. Some of you may have seen me a bit frustrated - but I assure you the frustration passed as I repeated a mantra I learned from Charlie - just one good bottom turn. Well, the frustration kinda passed. Maybe I had to go home and burn effigies of all the AHs that continually burned me - as if I deserved it (well - it is possible - karma?). Anyway, I haven't given up hope. Isn't that a large part of what surf is about - hope?

While it seems like I was on blogcation - I really was not. In between long periods of diligent attention to work, I was making notes about the daily chain of events that makes no sense what-so-ever; except maybe to the throng of SPB. And here are those notes.

State and Federal authorities are investigating the shooting of sea lions along the Columbia River. Man versus Nature? No - patriotism. The sea lions were shot as they lay captured in traps. The traps were set by the Feds to remove (or destroy) these freeloading seagoing furbags. See, we can’t have these creatures wreaking havoc on the salmon fishery. If not for them, our fisheries would be teaming with the bounties of the oceans. Fortunately, some astute locals saw through the scam. Terrorists disguised as sea lions were lounging in traps until nightfall, at which time they planned to blow up the Bonneville Dam. These vigilant patriots, always keeping one eye out for suspicious behavior, noticed the sea lions eating helpless salmon climbing the fish ladders. Of course, our patriots knew better. Sea lions are found in the ocean, and there are laws about taking salmon from the Columbia River. So, while the disguised terrorists lay waiting in their lairs, our heroes shot’em up. Good thing too. Can’t do too much driving because of the cost, big and small game are becoming harder to find, and the ammo is getting stale. Nothing like an evening shoot to relax - and saving the nation at the same time. Doesn’t get better than that.

On another wonderful note, my wife noticed the Whitewash’s immediate response to the tragedy in Myanmar. A cyclone ripped through the country killing tens of thousands, demolishing homes, and destroying an already shaky infrastructure. Apparently, the Whitewash would have responded just as quickly to Hurricane Katrina if they had known. They didn’t think hurricanes were as bad as cyclones. You know, alphabetically, hurricane comes after cyclone. It’s all right now.

I listened to a BBC interview regarding stock trading in China. There was a question regarding what local investors used to assess whether or not to buy a stock, and when to sell. The interviewer asked if they considered the price to earnings ratio. No; instead they considered whether the government backed the company. With government backing, the company was likely to succeed, no matter what the price to earning ratio indicated. Between the lines, the interviewer suggested that only with tight government control could a market work this way. I considered what was said and examined our own market. Although we tout free markets and a separation between the private and public sectors, I realized here in the US, it is not much different than in China. For example, consider the military-industrial complex. Military = government. Now examine the performance of one major contractor – KBR - fraud, stealing, lost money, poor performance, and whistleblowers – all buzzwords I heard during recent Congressional hearings. Did KBR lose their contract? No. Did Blackwater lose their contract after murdering civilians? No. There are many others. So, if a company can fuck up so badly, and not lose their contract with the government, then they’ve got government backing. Not only that, they have earnings and a secure stock price; hence, don’t worry about the P/E ratio. China is no different than the US in this respect.

Bush – He and his mates are the definition of tartuffe – a hypocrite who feigns virtue, especially in religious matters.

Listen to US politicians speak at the AIPAC convention and tell me our Foreign policy is not swayed by the Israeli lobby. The US politicians fall over themselves telling the AIPAC venue that the US is Israel’s best friend. I thought a good friend was one who was not afraid to tell the truth. The US is not a good friend to Israel. A good friend would not ignore the history of Palestine, and would not ignore the injustices that occur daily. A good friend would highlight that mistreatment and oppression will only work to institutionalize hatred, frustration, helplessness, and lack of hope - the prime ingredients for acts of violence. A good friend tells it like it is. A good friend looks at the whole story.

Indeed, with AIPAC behind them, even the Israeli politicians are spouting about how they are going to attack Iran because of their supposed nuclear ambitions. The noise level has risen dramatically under the cover of the AIPAC convention. And to solidify our biased opinion, Obama stated to AIPAC, “Jerusalem will not be divided” – meanwhile, Israel continues to illegally build in East Jerusalem. Does the “smoking mushroom cloud” sound like something you’ve heard before? How about giving Israel control over the third most holy site in Islam? Dude, seriously.

A new study shows global military spending has increased by nearly 50 percent over the last decade, with the United States accounting for half the total rise. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute says governments spent more than $1.3 trillion on arms and other military costs last year. US spending also accounted for nearly half, at almost $550 billion.

Status of Forces Agreement (Sofa) – treaty to allow US free access to Iraq – period. Sofa – makes it sound like a cushy deal; relax. Hang with the Sofa while the shit hits the fan.

The 574 million acres of federal coastal water that are off-limits are believed to hold nearly 18 billion barrels of undiscovered, recoverable oil and 77 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, according to the Interior Department. The country each year uses about 7.6 billion barrels of oil and 21 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. So, essentially we plan on risking our coastal environment for a little over two years of oil.

There you have it. Notes from the field.

Finally, I heard today that Corpgov is upset over the court decision that disallows the military from indiscriminately blasting sonar waves through the ocean column. The problem is that those mammals who call the liquid ether home are subjected to extreme pain and injury. It was described that for humans, it would be like standing next to a Saturn 5 rocket at launching. Corpgov stated the courts world rather protect animals instead of people. Why not? What is the difference between us and those that live in the ocean? And the fires. So many, so soon. We hear about the loss of property - and on a positive note -we haven't heard about loss of live - human life. But what about everyone else who calls the sage brush, manzanita, and forest home? Check the picture out for some perspective.

Last Word - Patriotism, n. Combustible rubbish ready to the torch of any one ambitious to illuminate his name. In Dr. Johnson's famous dictionary patriotism is defined as the last resort of a scoundrel. With all due respect to an enlightened but inferior lexicographer I beg to submit it is the first. -Ambrose Bierce, writer (1842-1914)

Anyway

2008-04-24T20:35:00.000-07:00

It's been lightdays since my last post, and mainly its because I've been busy at work. After composing for hours on some work product, my concentration for posting evaporates. Plus, the stuff I write for work is enough to turn one to stone. An example:

"In accordance with the sampling procedure, a drill rod will be driven to the target sample depth using direct push technology. The lead drill rod will be equipped with a PRT adaptor that will allow soil gas sampling . The sampling procedure will entail drawing a soil gas sample through an expendable point holder, the PRT adaptor, sample tubing, and into a sample manifold. The sample manifold will be outfitted with stopcock valves, vacuum pressure gauges, a one-liter Summa® sample canister, and a six-liter Summa® purge canister. Initially, the Summa® canisters will be at a vacuum pressure of 15 inches of mercury (inHg). The sampling manifold will be pressure tested and approximately three volumes of gas will be purged from the manifold and boring prior to sampling. During sampling, 2-propanol will be used as a tracer to test for leaks. This is accomplished by placing gauze soaked with 2-propanol along the drill rod, and around valves, joints, and pressure regulators"

Wake up - look at the pic, and snap yourself out of the stupor you were falling into. Indeed, hours upon hours of such drivel. What about surf. Well, I've been somewhat lucky finding "the illusive window" that opens as tide, wind, swell, and humanity come into alignment and create relatively open waist- to head-high walls at Primero Bol and Segunda Bol. A few trips to Tiburones have paid off, but sometimes its seems like the masses have converged on the bullet train right without having a ticket. And how about the water temperature - a balmy 49F. Combined with the wind and extra long wait for waves, the chill factor definitely played a role in my sessions. Ultimately, we are still waiting for the first solid south swell of the southern hemisphere season. And some warmer water.

The prezican campaigns are getting into the middle innings, and the slime is beginning to ooze out from the under the podiums. It's true, I am concerned about what a candidate will do after attending church sessions where ravings may be heard between bouts of deep sleep. Or what a possible prezican will do when he finds himself alone, with no one nudging him in the ribs to remind him of the facts. And who's going to answer the phone at 3:00 am? It's all one can do to get a pants suit on. In the end, if you listen close, you will hear nothing - not even a harmony - just the same note blending into the shallows of SPB.

On the world stage I heard an interesting quote from the Israeli Defense Minister's spokesperson. Regarding the Gaza situation, it was stated, "It's unacceptable that people in Sderot are living in fear every day and the people in the Gaza Strip are living life as usual." What is life as usual? Mass retribution, travel closures, shortages of food and other goods. Fuel and electricity - maybe. Cooling, refrigeration, and clean water - maybe. Air attacks, armored bulldozers, tanks, incursions, your house gone, your children gone - hot, hungry, and alone. Low tech bottle rockets are unnerving, a risk to life and property, and indiscriminate. But what has been the damage? Low tech rockets are definitely not the way to move the situation forward, but with no outlook on going forward, the reaction is no surprise. The heavy-handed, unbalanced response from the Israeli government has no payoff except to perpetuate the situation. While the pundits in the States dis President Carter as an old fool, I'm glad he's old enough not to give a shit. He's over there trying to get people talking. Rejecting violence and instead taking up the mantle of negotiation - fair negotiations. Not someone sitting on your chest dictating terms. Thats real - something the Whitewash has no sense of.

Last Word
The fundamental delusion of humanity is to suppose that I am here and you are out there. -Yasutani Roshi, Zen master (1885-1973)

Falling Off The Cliff

2008-03-02T18:48:00.001-08:00

Just like falling off a cliff , just like a steep tide change, it seems winter is plummeting into spring. Not long ago we had a big winter storm and victory at sea; now we've got those beautiful days that usher in spring. And the surf has been non-stop. I've heard several of the boyz complain (brag) about how tired they are, or lament about how many consecutive days they've spent in the water. Not a bad thing. Surf at the Steps has ranged from solid overhead to waist high, and for the most part, tides have been cooperative. Speaking of cooperative, both surf and tide combined to create great conditions for the Valentine's Massacre. I came down to watch as some great surfers hopped on some 30-year old rockets and ripped the Steps. Ya know - 30 years ago I don't think the boyz quite rode the boards of the day like they do now. Although use of the Steps for weekend contests is out of hand, the Massacre provided some solid entertainment. Surprisingly, we've even had some early south in recent days, and Tiburones showed signs of coming back to life after the winter hibernation. A couple days ago, I surfed some solid south walls - it even brought JH down from Bol Segundo.

Know which presidential candi you want to vote for yet? The choices are slimming down - war or war. Speaking of which, I read the US just launched a new warship partly constructed of steel from the World Trade Center. Seriously, it makes me ill. Are we so small minded and void of creativity that we can only focus on fear, revenge, and power. I would have been happy to hear about some use that promoted world peace - the first of a fleet of floating hospitals we would operate to promote peace through increasing the quality of life for ourselves and others by addressing things like malnutrition, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and water borne disease. It's obvious that bringing populations to their knees does not build good will, promote world citizenship, or increase the quality of life for anyone. I use the concept of "quality of life" because it was an economic term I learned about while in school that served to convey the concept of a perfect economic condition - a relationship where both parties engaged in a transaction equally increase their quality of life. It does not seem to me the US leadership is interested in optimum.

Well, today's news suggests that the Bush legacy-push with regard to peace between Palestinians and Israel has evaporated. Too bad. He'll just have to be known for lying the US population into war, breaking the law and trying to retroactively make his indiscretion lawful, the clusterfuck called New Orleans, reversing the health-based policy regarding arsenic in water, selling off our public parks to oil and gas exploration and associated environmental degradation, using anti-science to silence the discussion regarding global warming, diverting public funds into the war machine instead of investing in the US, making torture acceptable, generally acting like the idiot he is, and erasing the separation of powers that makes our nation unique. Wow! And there's more.

The featured photo shows Capitola getting some swell.

A tyrant must put on the appearance of uncommon devotion to religion. Subjects are less apprehensive of illegal treatment from a ruler whom they consider god-fearing and pious. On the other hand, they do less easily move against him, believing that he has the gods on his side. -Aristotle, philosopher (384-322 BCE)

Mandolin Wind

2008-02-08T22:34:00.000-08:00

The mandolin wind blows in the morning, but by 10:00 the winds hit their normal pattern, and for the most part, there have been plenty of waves since I last checked in. A great west swell showed just today - but that's not it. Surf today was thinking about a beautiful day, fresh air, bottom turns, friends faces, talk story, pack-it-in life. I'm feeling for Paul - aka "Hot Dog" and his loss. His father passed young in years- no warning - a sneaker set. And just minutes after I hear the news, my father calls and tells me about heart trouble, hospital, stints, and everything is fine. Thats why I did more than just surf today. Tomorrow's not a sure thing, but sometimes I forget. Sometimes it's a freight train of news that wakes me from my stupor - hits me hard. I know something about loss, and every time someone I know suffers a loss, I do too. Just a little bit more each time, because I don't think I will ever get over missing those I love, those that have gone before me. I'm sorry Paul.

I don't have much room for anything else - no rant today. Just be thankful, breathe deeply, surf hard, and enjoy it all - everything.

Life consists in what a man is thinking of all day. -Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher (1803-1882)

It's a Beautiful Day

2008-01-01T20:23:00.000-08:00

Not the band, the day. The first day of 2008 was beautiful and was equal to any summer day - including the lack of surf. The surf not withstanding, I sat on the beach for awhile and soaked in the winter sun. Saw the Fin Hunter combing the upper edges of the tide pools and ran into a couple of Bros spending family time at the juxtaposition of sea and sand. Leading up to the new year I scored some fun surf at the Steps and Tiburones. The swell kicked in, dissipated, and reappeared. Day before yesterday I caught the Steps waist to head high with off shores grooming the lines. I went out in the late afternoon and surfed until dark - a beautiful sunset introduced the celestial sphere. At the end, four were left - Peter and a friend of Peter's on thrusters, me on the quad, and Heday on his fish. As we left the beach a set pushed through - looked like Rights at the Ranch. Thought I would try to repeat on New Year's Eve, but no dice - El Viento Diablo scalloped what would be solid chest to head high lines into close-out junk. It didn't stop Hot Dog.

I look forward to a great year, clean surf and a spirit to match. We have so much; how fortunate for us? Beyond the mountains - so much shit. The prezicans going off and the rest of the globe going through growing pains while an abusive step father looks to control every move. Corpgov recently got permission to consolidate their holdings on media - thereby assuring more control over what the masses hear and see. At a time when education is so important, and must be delivered at accelerated pace to keep up with the times, SPB will be left with a minimum of providers who will look to the bottom line before they serve the interests of the people - and remember - they will be using a public resource to get their propaganda out to the masses. Also keep in mind, there is only Corpgov - not just corporations and not just government - privatization rules.

Let's take it back to the basics - the mission statement for Corpgov - and see how they measure up. To form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity -
Establish Justice - prisons overloaded via the drug war, warrantless spying, held in captivity without charges, torture, preemptive war - others?
Domestic Tranquility - does the current tax system and pay structure contribute to general tranquility - does working all the time and worrying about the next day figure into your idea of tranquility? I'm fortunate - most are not.
Common Defense - doesn't mean starting and fighting foreign wars based on resource acquisition and cultural differences. Nor does it mean spending vast sums of money at the expense of the other elements of the mission statement.
Promote General Welfare - Medical expenses and health insurance - need I say more?
Secure the Blessings of Liberty - Some can afford to do this - I am thankful for the chance.

Our Supreme Father Prez is now attempting to shore up his legacy - good luck. A cartoonist laid his own plan - Bush's grave mustn't become a gathering place for extremists; therefore, Bush's DNA must be destroyed so it can never be cloned. First his carcass must be reduced to millions of tiny bits, the pieces must be dissolved in boiled holy water mixed with cloves of garlic and silver pellets. The residue will be smeared on the pope's crucifix, exposed to the Dali Lama's crystal eye, and wrapped in the Prophet's cloak. Then, it will be shot into the sun - no, he could pollute our sun, the source of life in the soloar system - send him to Alpha Centauri.

Last Word
Be good and you will be lonesome. -Mark Twain, author and humorist (1835-1910)

The Solstice Approaches

2007-12-21T20:00:00.000-08:00

It's the middle of December, and I'm looking forward to the solstice. The days are getting shorter- but soon the days will be getting longer. The winter swells have come and gone with no single swell lingering more than a few days. Some of the best have started out over-head from the west-northwest and finished chest-high as the swell direction shifted to the north. When conditions allow, I surf the Steps - a good take-off, fun down the line, and a blast at the finish - Tres Bol. Tiburones continues to work pretty good while the west in the northwest shows, but as the north takes over, the quality falls. Even so, sometimes it has to do. For me, the combination of local pros, kids, and the masses hanging at the fringes makes the wave at the Steps a remote possibility at times. No problem - a few bottom turns at Tiburones and I'm good until the next time. Well - actually more easily said than done.

The day before yesterday, the view from the cliff looked good, but the Steps was already holding saturation at 1:00 pm. It didn't look like many guys, but the crew was skilled and there weren't many waves getting through. I looked down toward Tiburones and saw possibilities. Meager, but possibilities. I suited up and paddled out. With Poncho on the outside, I decided to hang on the edge of the reef and catch the little walls that hugged the reef while moving down into the cove. I caught a few, looked around, and discovered there were over fifteen guys out. There were definitely not enough waves to support the hungry crew - and no chance of feeding the multitude by miracle. I found myself getting grumpy about the situation - foolish.
To save my stoke, I got out and sat on the beach to watch. Soon I was back in the groove of sun and surf. I don't often make the right choice, but this time I left the beach happy.

Yesterday the swell dropped a bit, so I tried the inside at First Peak. Got some fun waves, but the waves were long on shoulder and short on wall. Today, the swell picked up from the north-northwest, and while Segundo Bol was saturated, Tiburones offered some fun bowls. I surfed until dark and followed up with a long hot shower. One thing for sure, over the last couple of weeks the water temperature has been very chilly.

The comments from the last post suggest we have some brainiacs out there ready to opine on the Red Tide. While I tried to hit an emotional nerve, the marine scientists brought reason into the discussion. Indeed, the Red Tide had been swirling around the Bay for months. And it's true that runoff from agriculture and other human endeavors probably provides the nutrients necessary to build the Red Tide bloom. But attacking a point source versus a non-point source is so much more satisfying. You can only point a finger in a single direction. For example, it's much easier for the public to be coerced into hating Arabs or "Terrorists". A single finger pointed in a single direction. No confusion. So much simpler than having to educate people about culture, history, language, social dynamics - and allowing them to come to their own educated conclusions. I'm sure you can come up with your own examples.

Speaking of education - If you can, find and watch "Battle of Algiers", 1965. The story involves the "terrorists" (Algerian Freedom Fighters) battling to push the French colonialists out of Algeria. It's uncanny how the movie mirrors the news of the day concerning Iraq. The movie is done with actors, but it seems like you are watching a documentary - from the terrorists point of view. The story - down to the scenes of the French torturing captured Algerians - could have been depicting our present situation. The movie provides special insight into the whole dynamic, and should be required watching for the whole of Corpgov and the Whitewash. There would be no question about motivations, what constitutes occupation, and what defines torture.

Just a note on government – Size of government - Military Spending

Category; 2006 (in billions of dollars); 2006 percent of federal funds budget
Current Military Spending; 571.6; 28%
Cost of Past Wars; 263.5; 13%
Total military percent - 41%

Health Research & Services; 393.5; 19%
Responses to Poverty; 241.0; 12%
Interest on Non-Military Share of Federal Debt; 211.5; 10%
General Government; 84.6; 4%
Community & Economic Development; 112.1; 5%
Social Programs; 97.7; 5%
Science, Energy, & Environment; 50.8; 2%
Non-Military International Programs; 29.8; 1%

So while the prezcans espouse how they will decrease the size of government in one breath, and go on to state that they intend to increase the size of the military in the other, ask yourself, "what the heck are they talking about?" - "Religion?"

The picture shows the Ranch during the Big December swell. Merry Christmas.

Last Word
Human beings are perhaps never more frightening than when they are convinced beyond doubt that they are right. -Laurens van der Post, explorer and writer (1906-1996)

Winter is Here

2007-12-07T21:21:00.000-08:00

After a checkerboard of surf days - some days on, other off, we had the first macking December swell. The inshore buoy showed 17 to 20 feet at 20 seconds from the west-northwest (280) - from the cliff, it looked like a GIANT wind swell. More later. Leading up to the big event, we had a late fall south swell - probably better than anything we saw all summer. I got some fun waves as the south filled in and the masses were caught off guard. Tiburones was firing with the swell at 4.6 feet from 210 at 17 seconds - in the middle of November. As the south peaked, all the boyz converged on the bowl. Fortunately, many of the LB crew sat outside waiting for the big ones, leaving many fine waves reeling off the bowl and down the line. I did my best not to let the leftovers go to the trash. Amazingly, I made it through the south without any damage. Maybe I'm learning. Many off days and small days followed, and Hot Dog earned a Blue Ribbon. Now back to winter.

We were warned about the big swell, so I went out on Monday for a warm up. It was the first time I had been out since the weekend before, when a fun northwest at Segundo Bol was off-limits due to a contest. I got a few during the contest by combing shoulders that pushed into Three Palms. Anyway, Monday had a little size, but was wind-swell thrashed. Surfed the Steps, steep and fat with the tide dropping fast. Figured it was enough to be prepared for "The Big One". I heard the swell loud and clear on Monday night, and showed up on the cliff Tuesday morning to watch the festivities. As usual, the heavies turned out to battle the big surf. Mostly, I watched guys try to paddle out while moving down the beach in a current that equaled any high-flow river gorge. The Point was messy with mounds of water showing here and there as untouched reefs were brushed by the bottoms of large swells. Elsewhere, many deep water spots were holding. Ed showed me some pictures of Ghost Trees from the water that were unbelievable. Several tow teams were working the point - 30, 40, 50-foot wave faces? The guys riding the waves looked like fleas. Anyway - I understand pictures have filtered out through the WWW - so, check it out - don't take my word for it. I also heard the Sand Pit (SB Harbor) was going off and it was pro-central with Slater taking his pick.

I waited to surf until Wednesday, and went out at Segundo Bol and SB. I had fun, grabbed a couple bombs, and made it back to the beach unscathed. The ocean was more manageable, and conditions at the point were good. I saw many of the crew checking in - Butterscotch, Hot Dog, the up n' comers, DYSM, RasMike, Rick, the Owner, Lance is back, Mrs. Robinson, the Kid - Fly Trap had a bad back. By Thursday the swell had backed down and I got a few low-tide fun ones at the Steps. Today, the swell popped back up, but the swell direction had more north in it, thereby providing open walls, and the period - 10 seconds - kept the water moving. I surfed the Steps and SB as the tide fell out.

Now the rant -
It's amazing that the election sideshow has picked up so much momentum. Our society can barely pay attention for 10 minutes - how can we expect people to make a proper decision after being bombarded for 16 months. No wonder there is no interest on the first Tuesday of November. The population is over it. Anyway, they're just about all saying the same thing - except Paul and Kacunich - two guys the Corpgov Media Machine have ignored, labeled, and dismissed. I'm for anybody who, among other things, thinks the Peace Corps - not the Marine Corps - should be expanded, and who is ready to abolish nuclear weapons.

A new low - I mean another low - torture tapes made by the CIA destroyed before disclosure - to protect the torturers - I understand the CIA protecting their own, except when married to a diplomat who calls out the Whitewash for lying. And the intelligence that we trusted in our sprint to war with Iraq, is being labeled as suspect because it doesn't square with the Whitewash version of "Iranians must die". Oh, by the way, I just watched a football game between an Aussie team and a team from Iran - the goal scorer on the Iranian side was from Iraq - along with several of his team mates. So much for the "US vision of the Middle East".

Bob Marley recognized that the fear mongering power play has happened before and will happen again. His warning in 1976 -

When you think is peace and safety:
A sudden destruction.
Collective security for surety.
Don't forget your history;
Know your destiny;
In the abundance of water,
The fool is thirsty.
Rat Race, Rat Race, Rat Race.

So Cush and Lice are looking to pad their place in history - peace in Palestine - Eight years of opportunity - remember Lice giving the 'raelis the green light for death and destruction in Lebanon? How about packing the peace plan in a US manufactured fast food schedule of six months? I'm fucking sure. Here is a better plan for Cush's history - "Bush should never appear on any list of American presidents. When he dies, his carcass shouldn't receive a state funeral. It ought to be thrown in the trash." I can't remember who said it, but I like it.

Final Word -
If one sins against the laws of proportion and gives something too big to something too small to carry it -- too big sails to too small a ship, too big meals to too small a body, too big powers to too small a soul – the result is bound to be a complete upset. In an outburst of hubris the overfed body will rush into sickness, while the jack-in-office will rush into the unrighteousness that hubris always breeds. -Plato, philosopher (427-347 BCE)

Pic - Santa Ana Fires - provided by KB

Addendum-
What about the red tide? Varying in colors from red to orange to tea-brown, the red tide was with us for over three weeks between November and December. Now, red tide is not new, but I'm not used to seeing it in late fall/early winter for three+ weeks. My theory - why not blame the moth spray? The inert ingredients, heck - maybe the active ingredients, are like some kind of Miracle Grow for red tide. They - Corpgov - sprayed for two days during the evening hours and then it rained, washing it all into the ocean. Then - the bloom. I surfed in it and had no immediate ill effects, but I heard different stories from others. My fear? The algae make a fine hideout for bacteria - including Staph. Those little bastards scare the shit out of me. I understand there are plans for more spraying - what up?

Global Warming

2007-11-01T21:42:00.000-07:00

It seems at every turn, global warming is to blame. Is it responsible for the hideous lack of surf we have endured? I did get some waves early last week at the Ranch, and before that a few days at the Steps and Tiburones. But it seems near impossible to string more than a few days of surf together. Yes, there was the great mid-week pulse that saw Second Bowl get shredded by pros and amateurs alike. I think I counted 50+. As is my MO, I skirted around the edges and had a good time. The swell quickly scurried along its way, and we were back to rumors of surf. I lucked in to some south swell surfing the upper part of Hollister Ranch on Monday and Tuesday last week, looked for surf during the intervening period, and had a cold, chilling surf at Bol Segundo today. My Ranch trip got me to thinking about traveling - something recommended vigorously in comments to past posts.

First there's the preparation. You want to go de minimus, but you have to be prepared. Above all, there's the question of what board(s) to bring. It's not like you can go back to the house and grab another board if the one at hand is not suited to the conditions or breaks. In the end, you pack to much, struggle with more than one board, and loose sleep contemplating all the barrels you're going to score.

Next, there's traveling. Off to the airport at some sketch part of the night; a ton of shit in tow. Or how about the drive to a nearby, out-of-the-way spot. For example, my Ranch trip had me up at some ungodly hour, 3-1/2 hours on the road, few hours of surf, some sleep, more surf, and another road trip. In contrast, at home I can roll out of bed at any time, cruise only sixty seconds down the road , and get good surf - comparable to many great spots around the globe. In addition, I don't have to lug my baggage around, the trip home is short, and I can quickly hit the couch after a hot shower.

Once the initial journey is complete, the surf awaits. For some reason, I have been lucky on most of the trips I've gone on. But nothing is for certain - especially surf. One can travel to the ends of the earth - and find a lake. Of course, when you get back home, you can't let the crew know you struck out, so your story becomes embellished. Usually, it was at least overhead. Pictures help - especially ones with you ripping - Hot Dog. Remember, I am talking about us commoners. When the pros travel and strike out, there's always golf at some swank country club, hanging with the stars, outing with sponsors at sponsored events, and the inevitable secret spot that's holding waves when everywhere else is flat. At home, when you arrive at the spot and find the surf is flat, you can make the quick trip back home to hit the couch, no worse for wear.

Lodging. The surf trip usually includes some form of lodging - typically proportional to the amount of money you spend. Camping is at the low end - but great fun until you reach the age where your back needs more than a flat surface to lie on. Then, there's the high-end resort. Three squares a day, ceiling fan/air, a bed, and maybe even netting. Cocktails extra. In any case, it's not like eating and sleeping at home. I don't know about you, but my bed at home is a sacred place in which I worship the back of my eye lids for extended periods of time. There's no place like home.

Don't get me wrong - I love traveling, hanging with friends, surfing new waves, meeting new people, and expanding my horizon. I just want balance the adventure with the work.

Corpgov - the rhetoric from Corpgov never ceases to amaze me - arrogant and condescending at the same time. I am not stupid, but Corpgov must think I am. For example, consider this exchange from Ms. Lice. - "I think that there is too much concentration of power in the Kremlin. Everybody has doubts about the full independence of the judiciary." Rice after meeting with Putin - amazing coming from an administration puppet who is complicit with the largest grab for executive power in our nation's history. Independent judiciary? Lets consider the actions of our own judiciary - Hypocrisy - an understatement.

Lice goes on regarding government in Russia and the notion that citizens rights are threatened - "the rights of individuals to liberty.. the right to assembly, the right to not have to deal with the arbitrary power of the state", Ms Rice said. - Right to assembly - Republican Convention in NY - police arrest and hold protesters for over 24-hours, not fitting the infraction. Reason: control right to assembly - just one example of tactics being used. Arbitrary Powers of the State - special renditions? Consider the recent supreme court case I mentioned in an earlier post, or how about Blackwater? What about warrantless spying on US citizens or Corpgov media control and spin?
Dude, Seriously

Another thought - It dawns on me that as corporations merge, the options consumers have for dealing with companies that aren't linked to the government get fewer and fewer. While it is apparent that mergers have not benefited the consumer with better service, cost, or competition, the underlying benefit to Corpgov in gaining control over the masses is large, but mostly obscured.

The pic above shows a wave at Newport during the recent SoCal fires - it was firing onshore and offshore.

OK

What's On Deck

2007-10-11T23:59:00.001-07:00

The figure shows the "tea leaves" used to make wave predictions. The modeled storm and wave track shows a huge north/northwest swell coming our way. Internet swell or reality? Hot Dog, you took down Slater?

Internet Swell

2007-10-10T19:23:00.000-07:00

After another long spell of small to non-existent surf, a swell logged on to our domain today. The swell was about 13 feet from 295 at 12 seconds. It was fortunate for the CWC boyz and all their corporate soul - a contest with no waves doesn't get headlines. Of course the crew had been brimming about the swell for a good week before hand, the swell having been divined by their favorite internet gypsy. The pic shows Hot Dog dreaming of the session he was going to have once his internet gypsy told him a swell was coming. Needless to say, the masses welcomed the change in the ocean's surface topography. I saw some great surfing at Second Bowl - Noe, Hot Dog, SS, Kirk, DYSM, Hunter, Pat, and many other notables. Given the horde, I surfed the fringes and got a couple into the low tide.

Paint it red - a surf school partisan tried to wash the truth. Unfortunately, they can't wash it out of the lineup. As I was paddling out after a wave I watched some LB graduate paddle for a wave, stand up, and T-bone the Kid (Collin). The Kid was out test-riding his new board. When he surfaced, I thought he was going to blow a gasket, but that's not the Kid. The kid was wide-eyed, but just called the guy an idiot and started checking his board. I asked him if his head was alright, but he wasn't interested in his body injuries, the board was on his mind. Apparently the fact that his body was sandwiched between the LB and his new board saved his board.

A couple of things caught my eye since my last entry -

Chertoff - the wall along the Mexican border will improve the environment in the southwest. That will get the Sierra Club involved.

U.S. top arms seller to developing world. A follow up on our Middle East Deal. Bottom line is war makes money and peace is for pussies.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Coalition Affairs, in a official meeting with British MPs states, "I hate all Iranians" - substitute with Israelis, Jews, or Africans and its deemed a hate crime.

So - Corpgov screws up and the screwee wants accountability. Off to court. In two cases recently decided , we see there is no accountability for Corpgov. In one case, a German citizen kidnapped by the CIA, held for five months, tortured, and dumped in Albania took his case to the Supreme Court. The court decided they could not even hear the case, agreeing with the White Wash that national secrets would have to be divulged. Not even a sorry (I despise "sorry").

In another case, an Israeli military-operated bulldozer ran a US citizen over as she stood in front of a Palestinian home set for demolition. She was wearing a fluorescent orange vest in full view of the bulldozer’s driver. The girl's parents want Caterpillar held liable on grounds it knew the bulldozers were to be used to demolish homes in violation of international law. Caterpillar based its defense on proving the bulldozers were in fact paid for by U.S. military aid to Israel. More secrets.

On a brighter note, I challenged a failure to stop ticket I got in Hollister via written declaration and was found not guilty. My defense was based on an argument that the temporary stop sign I failed to stop at was of faulty design. In fact, I think they got half way through my written defense and decided it was too much to read and let me off.

Another classic statement made me stop - "It's time for gentiles to repay their debt to the Jews," said an Evangelical attending a Yom Kippur festival in Israel. "Without the Jews," he said, "there would be no patriarchs, no prophets, no messiah, no salvation." I'm a Himdu.

I'm going to admit here that I am a fan of the singing cowboy - Gene Autry. I like that old country western music, and I enjoy his simple B&W movies. Recently, I found he had a cowboy code which he provided kids who wanted to be like him. Check it out.

1. The Cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man, or take unfair advantage.

2. He must never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him.

3. He must always tell the truth.

4. He must be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals.

5. He must not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant ideas.

6. He must help people in distress.

7. He must be a good worker.

8. He must keep himself clean in thought, speech, action, and personal habits.

9. He must respect women, parents, and his nation's laws.

10. The Cowboy is a patriot.

Well - a little to straight for me, but wouldn't hurt our cowboy president to adopt a few.

A word from Ahmadinejad: "In their (Corpgov) view, human rights are tantamount to profits for their companies and their friends. The rights and dignity of the American people are also being sacrificed for the selfish desires of those holding power."

Change to the Corpgov scheme comes hard - check India chucking the British and elimination of South Africa White Rule. One common thread - non violent struggle based on hitting Corpgov were it hurts most - money. Boycotts brought Corpgov to terms with those it was suppose to serve. Here's the deal - Buy Nothing Day - November 23, 2007 (USA and Canada), November 24, 2007 (international). History shows it works. One day is a start, but it also gives notice. Voting for demons or repugnants will do little to change the current scheme.

It's the last said, but most important - Jason "Penguin" and Shane are getting married spring next year - Penguin is so stoked, he told Fly Trap he could slam him in the head with the green plank and he wouldn't get pissed off. I'm happy for them and hope they stay together for the duration - Red Tails.

Rise of Fall

2007-09-20T00:05:00.000-07:00

I've had some fun high tide surf during the last several days, waist to head high at the Steps, some Tiburones, but tonight it all went away. Hot Dog is looking good on his new bat-tail quad, I haven't seen DYSM, and the pixie squad is getting thick. The other day, about 10 minutes after school let out, the pixie line stretched from the top of the stairs all the way to the bottom. They paddled out and proceeded to hit the lineup like ants at a picnic. Entitled. The next generation. Generation-E. I can't help but notice.

Regarding Peace: Over the weekend there was a protest in DC. The protesters marched, had a "die in", hopped barricades keeping them from the Capitol steps, and got arrested. Apparently there were over 100,000 people protesting and 190 got arrested. "end the war now". What caught my eye was the news of counterprotesters - I guess pro-war protesters. I understand they chanted "U-S-A" and waved flags. What else? I mean, how do you protest for war? "1-2-3-4 we want more war!", "death and destruction now!","BOMBS NOT FLOWERS!", "peace is for pussys!", etc. Seriously, it was reported the counterprotesters were clad in camouflage, American flag bandanas, and Harley Davidson jackets (likely just bad reporting - the people who really like the war wear suits and ties and are making big dough). The counterprotesters assured; "Terrorists, we will find you and kill you" Christian like. I feel safer.

Regarding Mercenaries: I've spoken about Blackwater and other government contractors that blur the line between government and corporations. Remember, when the government says they didn't spy on you or kidnap your friend, they're telling the truth - transparent government. In reality, some corporate contractor did it for them. Well, after riding rough over the Iraqis, killing a family in a car that didn't stop when the security contractors ordered it, and general aggressive behavior,the Iraqi government told them (Blackwater) to split. Of course I didn't think it would last because there isn't really any Iraqi government - just Corpgov. Sure enough, I was proven right the next day when the Iraqi government (CorpgovUSA) backed down on their initial decision. Apparently a call from Lice is all it took. US government comes to the aid of a US corporation - ghost mercenary firm saved - I like this description: "They're famous for being very aggressive. They (Blackwater) use their machine guns like car horns. But it's not the goal to kill people." I'm fucking sure - blowing off machine guns like horns, but gee, we don't want to hurt anyone. Any idea who's behind the Iraqi Oil Law? - CorpgovUSA?

How About Iran: the jawing is worse than a loud day at the Hook. Check it.

The U.S. hasn't taken any military "options off the table." She (Lice) said that "it can't be business as usual" with Iran, a country whose president has spoken of wiping Israel off the map. (Professor Juan Cole has already made it clear that the Farsi translation that ended up with “wiping Israel off the map” was completely wrong, but that hasn’t stopped propagation of the phrase)

So Iran says: "We have drawn up a plan to strike back at Israel with our bombers if this regime (Israel) makes a silly mistake," Iran's deputy air force commander, Gen. Mohammad Alavi, said in an interview with the semiofficial Fars news agency. And Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammed Najjar told the official IRNA news agency that "we keep various options open to respond to threats. ... We will make use of them if required."

Not to be outdone - CorpgovUSA says: comment "is not constructive and it almost seems provocative." What did Corpgov say to start the jawing?

Not to be outdone by anybody: Then Israel says: "Unfortunately we are all too accustomed to this kind of bellicose, extremist and hateful language coming from Iran." Extremist and Hateful language? Who said what? I get the sense a giant clusterfuck is in the making.

I don't know what to think. I hope the surf is fun tomorrow - I need a break.