Surf School   ¶ 10:59 PM 1 comments

  Blank Page Looks like the weather will ease for about a week. Surf looked fun today - just a little brown. Unfortunately, one of those days I didn't get the opportunity until the moon came up. Buoys show a 8-foot swell from 290 to 300 degrees at 14 second - tomorrow. You may (or may not) have noticed the news that the king of Nepal sacked the elected government and took over - just sort of a vacation from organized control. While he was at it, he issued an edict outlawing any form of speech criticizing the move. Op/Ed writers in the local papers decided to ignore the edict and express themselves anyway. The newspapers for which the Op/Ed writers work carried their columns, but the columns were blank. Clean paper with an author. Nothing to say because the king's actions has said it. Needless to say, the Op/Eds are in trouble - for saying nothing. I like the idea. Look for a blank page here when the fodder for ranting becomes overwhelming. In some situations, the blank page tells us all we need to know. Surf pictures do the same.

  ¶ 10:41 PM 1 comments

  Washington's Birthday President's day does not mean we must celebrate the existence of all the presidents; there are some we should regret - I mean forget. It's Washington's birthday we set aside. The guy must have been pretty core - you always see that painting of him doing a cheater five in dead winter east coast water. Well, it's been victory at sea since Thursday. The water has been brown to blue as squalls come and go. Still, some brave the crap. Today was a beautiful day - even though the wind trashed the bay. Storm clouds massing over the Salinas Valley and bumping up against the Santa Lucia Range, the ocean surface looking like a big sheet of chain mail, and the sun making its' way toward summer. You had to be there.
Speaking about being there, looks like king w is on a pilgrimage. I saw a spinline that read "bush in Europe to repair relationship damaged by difference over the Iraq war" Yep, it's the difference that did the damage; not the children who I pay for the sake of governance. In his own spinzone, the king said "as past debates fade". Debates? What debates - I remember something like "your with us or against us". Let's go over a few of the pleasantries: Germany, France, and Russia - those who stood their ground and got it right - they were called "the axis of weasels"; fried rice said "punish France, ignore Germany, and forgive Russia"; no rebuilding contracts for France and Germany; boycott French goods; "freedom fries"; general name calling and bashing by cabinet members and congress; how can we forget "old Europe" - the folks who have had two world wars fought in their backyard. Does this sound like "difference" did the damage? fuckin' A. On another subject - check out the scene surrounding Ward Churchill. Great reality check done by Free Speech TV.
Check http://www.freespeech.org/fsitv/fscm2/genx.php?name=home - there's an interview with Ward on Free Speech TV (cable channel 27) that is very interesting. There's plenty of spin out in the main regarding this man - but he sounded pretty grounded to me (but what ground am I standing on). He spoke about the power land grab movement that has been underway since one cave man saw another, and he identified what our real homeland security plan should be "treat others as you wish to be treated" either directly or by proxy. It's hard to do - I fail all the time in the water. Christ you know it ain't easy, you know how hard it can be, the way things are goin', they're gonna to crucify me. surf check - Charlie knows how

  ¶ 9:13 PM 1 comments

  Phat Over the last couple of days, the ocean provided some storm wind swell trying for some ground swell phat peaky flat spot shore break waves. However, I'm not complaining. The surf is a place to go and feel all the good things that make the present moment wonderful. I had a great time. Without surf, family, and friends, I'd be lost in a sea of stress and trouble. I foot the bill so my country can use "enhanced interrogation methods" to protect me; we are leading the globe into another nuclear arms race; and on the near side, workshop drama never ceases to amaze me. All that being said - I'm thankful for what I got. I saw the Bird today while I was out in the water. He was flashing a shortboard from his crotch. The picture gave me an idea. DNA therapy, cloning, stem cell body modification, and plastic surgery - instead of a penis, how about a shortboard that swells on demand? Sorry ladies. Easy to travel with (strap-on), no dings (but possible surgery), and always available. Paddling and take-off would be easy enough, but I have a hard time envisioning standing and cranking a bottom turn - but not to worry, I'm sure science could work it out. What about hard rails? While I'm considering shortboard design - can anyone tell me about the pluses and minuses of thickness - dude, seriously. How about getting air?

  ¶ 11:50 PM 0 comments

  Good Bush/Bad Bush Surfed a few times since my last entry. Waist to head high second bowl with beautiful weather - the view around the bay is like no other. Even surfed Saturday and had fun - an accomplishment considering the usual mass entry into the water. Last few days have been small, and the rain is back in town. Looked at the buoys - looks like a northwest swell is in the water and heading our way - three to five days out - but will the victory at sea conditions abate?
Apparently some believe I'm bashing the current fed Cesar. What nonsense, I love good bush. Good bush takes me to a level of higher consciousness and makes me believe anything is possible. On the other hand, bad bush gives me a headache and makes me just want to couch it. You know, it's not the bush, but the drama that surrounds it. Bush is just a mindless plant blowing in the right wind; the idiot wind blowing past their teeth while they're talking.
Two guys are holding guns at each other - a stand off. One guy is holding a single shot pistol, the other is holding a machine gun - Rambo style with the whole nine yards, is wearing enough body armor so that if his adversary shoots, it will be just a flesh wound, and has a tank battalion behind him. The guy with the single shot knows he's fucked, but he's got face. How does this stand-off end? Who takes the first step to live in the present moment? Who can afford to? Maybe the guy with resources will get more tanks in an effort to really impress the face and the face will drop his gun, knowing he really has no face. Maybe Rambo will just blow the face off the globe and start over - the flesh wound is just collateral damage. Surfing allows us to live in the present moment, and it has an effect on our decisions- sometimes good - and sometimes bad (typically relative to other's expectations). In any case - it gives us an appreciation for life that is lost to many. Looking at surf tends to focus that appreciation. What do you think?

  ¶ 12:06 AM 2 comments

  Non-Newtonian Fluid Surfed low-low tide at sharks today at sunset. It was so kelpy the water was more like--(see the title). Maybe that's why it wasn't to crowded. The waves were actually fun, waist to head high, and the swell seemed to be out of the west-southwest. Checking the buoys shows two swells, one from the west at 5 feet and one from the southwest at 1.8 feet. Both swells are the long interval 15 second variety. Well, I can't help it - more on the federal budget. How can 1+1 equal -- "let's take a look at it" (senator kookmyer, republicrat, buttfuck USA). When simple math becomes a clusterfuck, you know bullshit is flying your way. It's like at a friends office. They were told their health insurance was changing. They were offered a high deductible insurance policy with participation in a medical savings account. The presentation left people in a haze, and when they asked how much, they were told "we don't know yet". Wait a minute - 1+1= "we don't know yet". You mean to tell me the employers haven't figured out exactly what the cost benefits are for the company and how much it's going to cost the employees. Just willie nillie? Sure. When they won't come clean, when you have to take a look at 1+1, you're being bamboozled. I heard one guy describing the federal budget as a "hide and seek" budget. I understand that when it comes to a surf trip, but simple math? GO surf!


  ¶ 1:08 AM 4 comments

  Small is Fun Went out Saturday at low tide and had fun on knee-high sharks - just me and a friend. Some waves I didn't even stand up. I'm sure many will agree that some of the best times are the times when it's small and just you and some friends are enjoying it. Time for conversation, trading waves, and hooting your bro. I understand the supreme fedocrat is submitting our nations budget to the zombies that inhabit the congress. Apparently, the supreme ideocrat is "slashing" funds to some "less-than-worthy" programs and hiking others. Of course the costs of war and other odds and ends are not even included in the budget. How come? We pay for the war, but it doesn't count in the budget. Gee, I pay for my house, but it's not necessary for me to budget for it. I wonder what the balance is between "less-than-worthy" and funds to continue developing nuclear weapons. And you thought we no longer had a need to develop, use, or keep nuclear weapons. Social insecurity? For those without waves or cable? Is that where my money goes? government borrowing? I just want to ride the wave all the way to the beach without falling off. Save me Mr. Wizard.


  ¶ 11:11 PM 0 comments

  It Matters Today was another beautiful day on the bay - winter? Surfed second bowl with small crew, waist to head high, clean medium tide zippers. Most fun. Still, the surf paled compared to Monday when second bowl reeled into third bowl stand up barrels. Besides the surf, another thing I remember about Monday was getting burned, and not feeling to bad about it. It was the classic situation. I caught a great wave at second bowl and was racing down the line - mach 15. As I pulled into third bowl, the wave heaved the green roof over my head - I was in a sweet barrel. Then, one of the crew taking off at third bowl decided I wasn't going to make it. He dropped in and nearly t-boned me. He bailed while I pumped out of the barrel and straightened-out. He provided the cursory "sorry man". As I paddled past him I muttered jokingly "barrel of a lifetime, but....". I still got most of the experience. Later, while I was changing in the lot, the dude came up to me and continued to apologize. He knew I was piped and he made a mistake. I appreciated his sincerity - it matters. We all end up burned - it is what it is. How we deal with the leftovers matters. Angry, worried about safety, good clean fun with a bro, a mistake, or just learning. I'm sure the Mayor has experience in this field. Recently, Goose was visiting Manhattan Beach to visit family. He brought his LB, but said it was hard to ride at the fast-paced, here and gone beach breaks of the area. I told him to hit paddleboard cove in PV. A nice easy LB wave I had seen many a senior cruise. Above paddleboard cove is an all-time winter left point break that takes any size. Here are pictures from the 1st.05 swell via KB.




  ¶ 10:35 PM 0 comments