Still not surfing – back rehab!!!! Oh well, fun watching, taking pictures, and just walking the dogs. It’s funny, when you resolve yourself to take some time off from the surf, the relentlessly jumping monkey on your back settles in for the ride, and time opens up for other things – other thoughts. That’s not to say I don’t stare longingly at my quiver, daydream, and lust. Reports from the field suggest the crew is finding fun windows scattered through what has generally been a slow fall. The pics offer a window into “other things.”

So, you’re sitting in the lineup with the crew and you’re into a pretty good brotation. You get a little jumpy  – the thought of more people in the water flits past your mind’s eye. It’s only natural for you to look over your shoulder and up the beach. And then you see it – you recognize the way he holds his board, the way he’s running down the beach, or the board he’s got tucked under his arm – every time “he” comes out, your wave count plummets. And so does your wave quality. In fact, you get so rattled, your concentration goes to shit and you choke on your next wave. I appreciate everyone’s kind words, wishing me well and hoping my back heals quickly. At the same time, and I really appreciate this, some have to be relieved I represent one less guy running up the beach with his board under his arm. All kidding aside – really – thank you for the kind words.

Mic Check – unfuckingbelieveable – this phenomenon is one of the greatest examples of community I have ever witnessed. It’s especially bitchen’ given its rise in the techno-age. So Corpgov – take away the sound system, control the podium, put yourself at the head of the auditorium – blast your message, no matter truth and reality – and control the message. How does the community’s word get out? – Mic Check. I’ve watched several vids where Mic Check has been employed – wow!!!! So what is it? In case you’ve had your head turned elsewhere, or propaganda is you feed, Mic Check is the act of using human voices – in aggregate and in unison – to amplify a message – low tech. The storyteller loudly communicates the message to the group of people in his or her’s immediate vicinity and the group recites the story – and in doing so, amplifies the sound. Depending on the size of the venue, other groups may recite the story, thereby further amplifying the message – distribution is as wide as the audience. This gives me tremendous hope on many fronts – people are engaging in their communities, the control of the message is moving from the media, Corpgov, and the podium to the community, tech control does not mean community control, people are thinking – the list goes on! All outlets are being confronted – presidential candidates, the powerful – even the President. Mic Check!!!!

More on the demand front – Obama pressed China to crack down on intellectual piracy and to encourage domestic consumption so that the Chinese market is ripe for U.S. exports.

Interesting – “With the economy in a slump for nearly four years, corporate executives and conservative politicians have repeatedly invoked “uncertainty” as a major barrier to American job-creation. The “uncertainty” jab is a go-to talking point for any congressional Republican looking to tag President Barack Obama as a tax-raising, regulation-obsessed foe of American businesses. But according to banking data compiled by economic research firm Moebs Services, the uncertainty plaguing the American economy has nothing to do with government regulations or taxes on millionaires. It’s an uncertainty driven squarely by consumers and small-businesses who are worried about their short-term financial prospects. And it’s been going on since well before Obama took up residence in the White House.”

And – “The Fed has kept interest rates low for years, and resorted to exotic maneuvers to encourage consumers and companies to spend money and boost the economy. But since 2008, the Fed has actually paid banks to park their excess reserves at the central bank, rather than lend them out into the economy. If the Fed wanted that money to make its way to consumers and businesses and stimulate job growth, it could simply reverse its policy — instead of paying banks interest on excess reserves, it could charge them fees. At present, banks can actually make money by doing nothing with their money. If there were a penalty for doing nothing, banks would work harder to find good loan candidates.”

In my last post I mentioned the correlation between flat wages and the increase in food stamp use, and suggested that instead of citizen welfare, the food stamp program is really corporate welfare – courtesy of Corpgov. I noticed a report recently that provides further evidence – the federally funded school lunch program. Just like the food stamp program, participation in the school lunch program has dramatically increased. I posit this is not welfare for the poor and disadvantaged, it is a Corpgov subsidy to make up the difference between what business pays its employees and what it takes for employees to live – and that difference is called profit growth and is distributed up the economic pyramid. Another aspect of zombie capitalism – capitalism without soul. It happened to my sister recently. Worked at a place for 15 years, company sells to another company, and they fire the former employees so that they can bring in a new set of employees with a significant cut in labor cost (efficiency and increased productivity), and call it profit growth. This also fits into the playbook as a way to show growth without growing. How many times can this happen before corporate welfare doesn’t support the corporate model, further wage cuts are untenable, and most capital is pushed to offshore bastions of resources – both natural and labor. Now – keep breaking unions, firing people and rehiring at lower wages (look into American Airlines Bankruptcy), and forcing wages down – let inflation continue to rise (heard inflation was 3.5 percent and wage increases near 1.5 percent), and corporate welfare is the only thing left to allow profit growth and food on the plate.

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)