Indeed, the days are getting longer, and so it seems the kelp is too. Since I last scrawled my observations on this web log (we blog), there has been a mixture of storm surf, double-up ill-wind mixed with groundswell, and straight up groundswell. As expected, the swell has traveled from the west, west-northwest, and steep north. Out in front, we’ve had overhead waves at the TOP down to head-high and smaller from the Steps to the Gate. For my part, I have indulged in the glide at Tiburones and full-DTL at Segundo Bol and larger Tiburones. Pretty much -JTH. I am starting to get used to the kelp; the last two sessions have been low tide kelpfests at Segundo Bol. During one of those session I discovered reverse tow-in. Yes – all natural. Here’s the deal – Paddling into a low tide kelp-ridden peak, the kelp elongated perpendicular to the wave. You know what I mean. I stood up, and was dragging my hand behind me. As the wave started to fold, my hand found a thick strand of kelp that just so happened to be nearly taut. I don’t know why, but I grabbed onto the kelp strand and held on tight. Tension gripped the kelp strand as it pulled on its anchor, and it stretched. The combination of the tension pulling back and the wave moving forward swung my board around so that I was set for a run DTL. The tension and stretch of the kelp strand, location of the kelp anchor, and my position on the wave all acted to provide a whip effect – when I let go – and as luck had it, at the optimal moment – I was whipped DTL. Closest I’ll ever come to feeling the whip at the end of a tow rope. I’m sure the kids can advance this concept and add the kelp whip to the air launch and get a couple more feet. And its all natural.

The cliff stabilization project has come to the Steps, and no matter what the speculation is, things will change. The picture shows one of the losses. The steps carved into the sandstone by countless meanderings of surfers past and present. Who walked in these casts? The foot-carvings speak of a long history of formation – they were gone in 30 minutes. The path forced you to move on one step at a time. Change does the same.

Just as fast as those foot-holds were gone, I lost my father. He fell off a step stool while hanging Christmas lights and that was that. Again I was reminded of our fragile existence, what we have, and what it means to lose it. Hot Dog, you know what I mean. I was sure he had another 20 years in him – but it was not to be. I was taught as a child to pray, and I know he would want me to pray for him. But lately, religion has made me tired. My faith is worn out; all I see screams of its control and darkness, but he would want me to pray. Positive thoughts – I will put my energy into positive thoughts. We hoped for a miracle in recovery; but the miracle was his life. Today, 16 December 2009, I was married 31 years ago. Today, my father died. I spend the days thinking back over his life, as I knew it – but it doesn’t happen all at once. Without trying, a memory will flash into my mind, dwell there for a while, and disappear. I guess at some point the total sum of our time will be revealed; spotty, but providing some resolution.

The Senate passed a bill that essentially mandates that all Americans buy private health insurance. It provides subsidies to some of them, but to a large number of Americans who are quite poor and will have difficulty buying these products, it essentially forces them, on their own, under penalty of law, to purchase health insurance. This sounds like corporate socialism with citizen capitalism. Government created market demand (socialism benefiting corps) – people must buy at rate set by corporations (capitalism benefiting corps) – prices not set by market demand (socialism benefiting corps). And remember, there is no competition between insurance corps (socialism benefiting co). They’ve just agreed on how to split up the pie. Wall Street investors and the health care industry leaders – and all that pie. All those SPB that fought to be free from government run health care will be forced by law to pay the same Wall Street folks that bilked them out of a future. Enron, Banks, Wall Street – and no end in sight – good luck all. Gee – if we are going to have socialism in the mix, why can’t it be for the people instead of the corps? Like the fire department – they respond to corps and people alike. Fire protection and police protection is socialized – single payer – and it works pretty well. Does anybody recognize the similarities with what could be single payer health?

And – since October 27, when independent Senator Joe Lieberman announced that he would filibuster any healthcare reform bill that included a public option, the stock value of CIGNA has jumped 29 percent; Aetna, 27 percent; UnitedHealth, over 20 percent; and Humana, almost 14 percent. During that same period, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has risen by just over two percent. What does this say about the health care bill – proves my point. It’s all about corpgov.

Some numbers for the decade:

Millionaires in the Senate: 30 (1999); 67 (2009)

Millionaires in the House: 66 (1999); 170 (2009)

Median Household Income: $44,900 (1999); $50,303 (2008); in 1999 constant dollars $44,900 (1999); $38,924 (2008)

Defense Budget: $270.5 billion (fiscal year 1999); $680 billion (fiscal year 2010); in constant 1999 dollars $270.5 billion (fiscal year 1999); $524 billion (fiscal year 2010)

Last Words of the Year – you got all year to think about ‘em.

Going Forward: : “These are desperate times. But I don’t think we should join in with the desperation. We should conquer it. I’m fed up with this depressive attitude people have.” – Morrissey

And Our Time: Jobs reduce people. One of our lines goes ‘I’ve never had a job because I don’t want one’: jobs reduce people to absolute stupidity; they forget to think about themselves. There’s something so positive about unemployment. It’s like, Now We Can Think About Ourselves. You won’t get trapped into materialism, you won’t buy things you don’t really want…” – Morrissey

Have a brilliant 2010!!!!!