Yin and Yang

It has been some time since my last post. The surf has been good, work is always present, and soccer is year around. The surf really started happening on Thursday last. I caught south-swell Sharks with a small crew and had a great time on the SB. Friday the south swell filled in with head-high and over-head sets. I took the quad out and started my session by pearling up to my jaw on a great set wave at the Hook. After I regrouped, I had a great time - mostly at Sharks. It was likely all those at the Hook that saw my awesome display of pearl diving considered me expendable. On Saturday I decided I would brave the morning crowds and get some more of the "best internet swell of the year". Surfed Sharks and caught some bombs and caught some close-outs. I also caught several glimpses of black covered asses before getting blasted. After Saturday's soccer match I needed more surf - so I suited up, grabbed the quad, and bailed to Sharks. It was great - plenty of waves, small crew of friends, and no east wind. I surfed until the moon rose over the beaches. Soccer consumed Sunday - I tried to repeat Saturday evening but showed up in my suit to howling east wind. Got good waves Monday and Tuesday as the south simmered down and a west swell filled in. Today I took rest. Since I last wrote, I heard from several folks regarding the surf school issue. Some great ideas, but generally two schools of thought. The Yin: 1) surf schools offer instruction and management - else, a bunch of idiots with foam boards, or possibly hard boards, and no instructor; and 2) what's going to fill the surf school void if they were banned? More foam board rentals and hard board kooks; and 3) just lay the law down like its always been done. The Yang: ban surf schools from premier spots. Fortunately, the harmony of Yin and Yang has been the first step towards a reasonable solution - the middle ground. Communication has started between concerned surfers and the surf school owners. It appears we can work together to live together. The start was positive - more communication is slated for the future. Some other things caught my attention. Flying under the radar - especially since Katrina$$$$$ - is the news that Israel, already getting $2.3 billion a year of our tax funds, is asking for another $2.2 billion to develop areas where the 8,500 folks that left Gaza will be located. We're cutting benefits to the most needy, funding an insane war, Social Security is supposedly hurting, Katrina$$$ and Rita$$$ are going for same-sex marriage, and we're going to give $259,000 per person to Israelis who are going to the West Bank and expand settlements in violation of UN mandates and the infamous "Road Map". Dude, seriously! Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a Bush (Republican) strategist, came up with tremendous insight after touring the destruction by air. He noted "they're (homes) simply not there...I can only imagine what Hiroshima looked like 60 years ago". A natural disaster for sure - but a hurricane comes with warning, cities that lie in the hurricane highway can have specific building codes, evacuation procedures, and other precautions. The nuclear explosion at Hiroshima kept on killing for decades after the blast, there was no warning, no idea of the destruction, and was a man-made nightmare. The comparison by Mr. Barbour is small minded to say the least. It's no wonder folks in Mr. Barbour's camp advocate for more nuclear weapons and preemptive use of atomics. There's no sense of scale. I've got a start on the gallery - I have more stuff to upload - but time is another matter. Anyway - email your pictures - stories - and I'll post. Meanwhile, I will continue to dribble out what I have as fast as the surf will allow. The picture above shows the Palestinian view of freedom on a canvas of captivity. See ya in the water -  ¶ 12:17 AM