Grumpy?

14 through 16 October – swell still hanging by a thread. Surfed very small, waist to knee-high, second bowl. But, the weather was unreal and the Humpbacks are spectacular.

Whether or not this crisis will mean the end of the neoliberal era will depend on political mobilization — specifically, how successful the left will be in building coalitions behind an agenda that combines egalitarianism with a stable financial system. I would say this: if the left is unable to defeat neoliberalism now, and build some version of social democracy or “leashed capitalism”, then we will never do it. …..Under neoliberalism, financial market players have become accustomed to do as they wish when the market is going up, but to get bailed out when the market is going down — privatization of profits and socialization of losses. Robert Pollin – 10/2008

20 October – Swell started to show today after a weekend of flatness. Unfortunately, it’s high tide all day. Notwithstanding, I went out at the Steps anyway. The bloated conditions kept the crowds low, and I got a couple. The swell is from the south-southwest – 1.8 feet at 17 seconds. Long waits and cold water, but – the Humpbacks were entertaining again.

“In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.” President Eisenhower, 1961

“……this is business as usual in Washington. And I think, you know, somebody like Barack Obama, you see somebody with what you would feel are probably very good intentions, and you get the sense that around the Obama kitchen table there’s a lot of heartfelt, well-meaning thought going on, and yet the machine does not care how well-meaning Barack Obama is, doesn’t care how well-meaning the voters are who hope that Barack Obama can make change. The machine is a cutthroat instrument of power. And all the rest of us are kind of cannon fodder in it.”........“And it’s not because it’s, you know, run by evil men like Dick Cheney. That’s kind of incidental. What really is happening is that you have a machine out there that has a vested interest, that simply pulses forward. And the only thing that can slow it is what Eisenhower called an alert and knowledgeable citizenry, basically all of us being deeply engaged. And we’re not, for several reasons that have to do with how our society evolved and how the American way of war took over the American way.” Eugene Jarecki on “The American Way of War: Guided Missiles, Misguided Men, and a Republic in Peril”

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said the U.S. may be vulnerable to a terrorist attack during the next six months, with violent groups more likely to try to take advantage of a new president and administration. ``Any period of transition creates a greater vulnerability, meaning there's more likelihood of distraction,'' Chertoff said in an interview. ``You have to be concerned it will create an operational opportunity for terrorists.'' Solution – elect the president for life.

21 October – South/Southwest swell pouring in, fall is upon us, and so are the CWC pros. Swell numbers were 2 feet from 205 at 17 seconds to 2.6 feet from 200 at 14 seconds. I surfed Second Bowl Insides with Tenzen – Got some fun ones and for the most part stayed out of the way of the rippers. View of the day had Joe “Sheriff” Clarke piped while pushing with his small watercraft. Joe, the board, and the paddle stuffed. When the foam ball hit, the board took off and it looked pretty dangerous during the spin cycle. Joe came up grinning. I enjoyed the comment regarding my blogary. Hard hitting on the subject of my implied and stated politico, and not too happy with JTH. An important point was made – rant but no solution. Indeed. Solutions would have to encompass the majority – SPB, and I am afraid the level of awareness would have to dramatically increase for any solution to take hold. See the excerpt from Eugene Jarecki posted above. As I have stated here before, for me the solution lies in the local community. Interacting with young people, embracing visitors from outside the county and country, and life’s example and lessons. I’ve also described the core mechanism of revolutions that have taken place in India, South Africa, and Algeria. Not violence, but economic activism. Vote with your money; with your contribution to the work force; with your productivity. In the end, we need to be happy with ourselves. Let us enrich ourselves with our mutual differences. -Paul Valery, poet and philosopher (1871-1945)

22, 23, 24 October – South swell continues to show through the week; picked up again today with the buoys showing 3 feet from 185 at 17 seconds. For the most part I surfed El Segundo Bol, but I did tour Tiburones for a few. Pretty fun - heapings of Indian summer, mats of kelp, and the boyz on the beach. The Humpbacks are still hanging out in front of the Steps; they seem to be lounging in the glassy mid-morning and afternoon sun.

25, 26 October – When I first looked at the surf on Saturday, it was cranking. Long, well separated sets, sunny and glassy, and the crowd had yet to respond. I saw some bombs driving through Tiburones. Wells and a few others had it dialed. But – I had to head over the hill for football. It was a great game to watch, but we got destroyed. Heading back over the hill, my stoke started to burn. I got home, ignored the thick fog, and jammed to the Point – visions of the morning sets stuck in my head. I couldn’t even see the beach through the fog, and most of the boyz I spoke to who had just left the water told me it was bunk. Cross-chopped from an earlier fog wind, low tide and kelp matted, cold, and crowded. I just about turned to go when Hot Dog provided a re-stoke session. In the end, I went out at Tiburones, got a few double-ups, and went home feeling surfed. I repeated the low tide episode today, but no double-ups. The swell was still fun, crowds weren’t too bad, and I only got kelp-launched once – last wave. On the upside, it was freezing. The water, wind, and fog combined to chill deep. On the pro front - Nat Young, part time ripper of the left at Tiburones, won the CWC. It’s good news because not only is he a great surfer – he’s a great kid. Good manners out in the water, good attitude, and a great representative of surfing. The planets and stars have aligned.

Men build too many walls and not enough bridges. -Isaac Newton, philosopher and mathematician (1642-1727)  ¶ 11:54 PM