The shadows are at their longest and so is the night. Midwinter – Winter solstice – the axial tilt of the Earth’s polar hemisphere is farthest from the Sun. In days past, it was an important milestone marking a point in the year where harvest was complete, stores for winter were set to be metered out, fermented drink was ready, and feed animals met their fate. Stonehenge and Newgrange – among others – were built to observe the Midwinter milestone – given the effort – a tribute to the weight of the occasion. Importantly, from here on out – the days will be getting longer! Well, the sun isn’t up long, but it’s been bright; and the tides and swell have been cooperating. Buoys show swell at 10.8 feet from 300 at 12 seconds – and a continuing anomaly – south at 0.4 feet from 200 at 20 seconds. I’m still taking pictures and walking the dogs. Hey – did you see the lunar eclipse?

One wing of my family is full of financial wizards. They pay attention to markets and definitely make them work for their self-interest – as it should be – with soul. Vey often, they send me clips of lectures or presentations regarding the state of the economy – both global and here at home. Very interesting stuff – informative. But, one thing I notice is that most of these presentations discuss economic changes and how to make smart investments while the economies rise and fall. In other words, how to take advantage of bad times by noticing where the good times are, or are going to be, or how to take advantage of the economies in trouble. These are very intelligent people! But what concerns me is the tendency toward zombie capitalism – global zombie capitalism – where resources and people are just parameters.

People’s sleep needs can differ significantly. At the extreme, Margaret Thatcher managed on four hours of sleep a night while Albert Einstein needed 11. I’m with Einstein.

It’s like we’ve run out of ideas – today, with the Internet allowing countless brands, brand names, and domains – it appears creating a name that relates to the endeavor being promoted is near impossible. For example, kayak.com is the domain name for a business that allows one to compare and make travel arrangements. It’s a very thin thread that connects a kayak – a small one-man boat used by native Eskimos for hunting – and a travel service. There are many other examples – it’s tough to say what has already been said!

December 10, 2011 – it’s late and I hear sets. A review of the buoys shows a groundwater swell at 5.2 feet from 295 at 17 seconds. On paper, it sounds fun. Also, I expect good conditions tomorrow – if it is anything like the last couple of days – sunny, light breeze, and good tide.

Last Word: Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough. -Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd US President (1882-1945)