I Confess

The weekend saw good sized surf, nice conditions, and all the people in the western states. I surfed short sessions, got a few nice ones and bailed. Today, the swell got small and the surf session was local. But - I just couldn't fit in - I couldn't groove with everyone else. I had to burn the Burner. Ranger, I confess. I don't know what came over me - it was like DYSM took control of my mind and body. I did ten Hail Marys but I still don't feel absolved.

Final Word:
"Bigmouth strikes again, and I've got no right to take my place in the human race" The Smiths, 1983.  ¶ 10:05 PM 0 comments

 

It's On

Tomorrow the Mavs contest is slated to occur. Much fanfare, a lawsuit, and hopes for good conditions and big surf. While it's a facet of surfing, I'm not that intrigued. Don't get me wrong - I respect what the surfers accomplish - it's just that for me, the fun factor is not proportional with size. Anyway, here in town it looks like the swell will wrap in and provide some fun surf - over the weekend. It was nearly flat for the week prior, with the last swell showing on - you guessed it - the weekend. And it is fortunate for all those folks who live for an xtreme weekend. Just a note for Penguin, took another surf trip to the Gate and caught a couple of fun ones. Just like old times - your favorite. Well, we've seen storms come and go, and the kelp is still matted as thick as ever; entrenched as cockroaches. Still, some great waves to be had at the right spots - Jackson was there and snapped the picture above.

Next Up: In September 2008, as the worst of the financial crisis engulfed Wall Street, George W. Bush issued a warning: "This sucker could go down." Realism at it's best - and I kinda miss it. Today I heard Olame-a state that he doesn’t begrudge the million-dollar pay-outs made to two of Wall Street’s most powerful men because, after all, “there are some baseball players who are making more than that.” Fuck You - If a high-priced baseball player - say Derek Jeter - does not perform, he's dropped. The government doesn't provide him with 20 homers and gold glove stats to see him through. He works hard, fills the stadium, and helps his team win - period. These bankers failed, got propped up by Corpgov, and then through virtually no effort or creativity of their own, received mega payouts. It's an insult to the ball players to hear this comparison of free-market values. And then this: "I, like most of the American people, don't begrudge people success or wealth. That is part of the free-market system." What free-market system is he talking about - Corporate socialism? Success? These guys lost billions of investor's money - retirement savings for countless who relied on them - they fucked up - blinded by easy profit and greed, and then got rewarded for success? SPB.

And on the foreign front - Lawyers for five Blackwater guards say they were acting in self-defense, but witnesses and family members of those killed maintain that the shooting on 16 September 2007 was unprovoked. Brought to justice in the US; District Judge Ricardo Urbina said the US justice department had used evidence prosecutors were not supposed to have. Blackwater employees escaped justice and a defending lawyer's statement celebrates: "It's tremendously gratifying to see the court allow us to celebrate the New Year the way it has, it really invigorates your belief in our court system." I am left wondering what belief he has in our justice system – moreover; I wonder what the Iraqi families who suffered losses are thinking. There is a lot of wonder - Ordinary Iraqis are left wondering at the apparent double standards of a legal system, which could pioneer rendition, imprisonment and torture based on far less evidence, but fumble a case like this.

Health care cost about $7,681 per person in 2008. Taken at face value, this means that even a single-payer program would require each American to pay $$$$. It’s clear changes in health care would have to be more encompassing than what single payer would bring. Hard negotiation leveraging a single payer market, associated innovations and moderation on costs - who knows - I understand the Japanese model contains some lessons.

At his State of the Union address, President Obama called for a three-year freeze on non-security federal discretionary spending. The Pentagon will be exempted from the freeze, as will the Department of Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs. The freeze would cover many domestic areas, including education and the environment. This is scary news – military state with no educational opportunities except if linked to the military. Essentially, lets build a castle and live in austerity and ignorance while the world moves on. This guy is a fucking joke.

I understand there is a group here in the state that wants to legalize carrying loaded guns - why? I heard it said-

“Only a man who carries a gun needs one” Angel and the Badman - 1947  ¶ 10:42 PM 0 comments

 

Longer Days and Shorter Nights

Indeed, the days are getting longer, and so it seems the kelp is too. Since I last scrawled my observations on this web log (we blog), there has been a mixture of storm surf, double-up ill-wind mixed with groundswell, and straight up groundswell. As expected, the swell has traveled from the west, west-northwest, and steep north. Out in front, we've had overhead waves at the TOP down to head-high and smaller from the Steps to the Gate. For my part, I have indulged in the glide at Tiburones and full-DTL at Segundo Bol and larger Tiburones. Pretty much -JTH. I am starting to get used to the kelp; the last two sessions have been low tide kelpfests at Segundo Bol. During one of those session I discovered reverse tow-in. Yes - all natural. Here's the deal - Paddling into a low tide kelp-ridden peak, the kelp elongated perpendicular to the wave. You know what I mean. I stood up, and was dragging my hand behind me. As the wave started to fold, my hand found a thick strand of kelp that just so happened to be nearly taut. I don't know why, but I grabbed onto the kelp strand and held on tight. Tension gripped the kelp strand as it pulled on its anchor, and it stretched. The combination of the tension pulling back and the wave moving forward swung my board around so that I was set for a run DTL. The tension and stretch of the kelp strand, location of the kelp anchor, and my position on the wave all acted to provide a whip effect - when I let go - and as luck had it, at the optimal moment - I was whipped DTL. Closest I'll ever come to feeling the whip at the end of a tow rope. I'm sure the kids can advance this concept and add the kelp whip to the air launch and get a couple more feet. And its all natural.

The cliff stabilization project has come to the Steps, and no matter what the speculation is, things will change. The picture shows one of the losses. The steps carved into the sandstone by countless meanderings of surfers past and present. Who walked in these casts? The foot-carvings speak of a long history of formation - they were gone in 30 minutes. The path forced you to move on one step at a time. Change does the same.

Just as fast as those foot-holds were gone, I lost my father. He fell off a step stool while hanging Christmas lights and that was that. Again I was reminded of our fragile existence, what we have, and what it means to lose it. Hot Dog, you know what I mean. I was sure he had another 20 years in him - but it was not to be. I was taught as a child to pray, and I know he would want me to pray for him. But lately, religion has made me tired. My faith is worn out; all I see screams of its control and darkness, but he would want me to pray. Positive thoughts – I will put my energy into positive thoughts. We hoped for a miracle in recovery; but the miracle was his life. Today, 16 December 2009, I was married 31 years ago. Today, my father died. I spend the days thinking back over his life, as I knew it – but it doesn’t happen all at once. Without trying, a memory will flash into my mind, dwell there for a while, and disappear. I guess at some point the total sum of our time will be revealed; spotty, but providing some resolution.

The Senate passed a bill that essentially mandates that all Americans buy private health insurance. It provides subsidies to some of them, but to a large number of Americans who are quite poor and will have difficulty buying these products, it essentially forces them, on their own, under penalty of law, to purchase health insurance. This sounds like corporate socialism with citizen capitalism. Government created market demand (socialism benefiting corps) – people must buy at rate set by corporations (capitalism benefiting corps) – prices not set by market demand (socialism benefiting corps). And remember, there is no competition between insurance corps (socialism benefiting co). They’ve just agreed on how to split up the pie. Wall Street investors and the health care industry leaders – and all that pie. All those SPB that fought to be free from government run health care will be forced by law to pay the same Wall Street folks that bilked them out of a future. Enron, Banks, Wall Street – and no end in sight – good luck all. Gee – if we are going to have socialism in the mix, why can’t it be for the people instead of the corps? Like the fire department – they respond to corps and people alike. Fire protection and police protection is socialized – single payer – and it works pretty well. Does anybody recognize the similarities with what could be single payer health?

And - since October 27, when independent Senator Joe Lieberman announced that he would filibuster any healthcare reform bill that included a public option, the stock value of CIGNA has jumped 29 percent; Aetna, 27 percent; UnitedHealth, over 20 percent; and Humana, almost 14 percent. During that same period, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has risen by just over two percent. What does this say about the health care bill – proves my point. It’s all about corpgov.

Some numbers for the decade:

Millionaires in the Senate: 30 (1999); 67 (2009)

Millionaires in the House: 66 (1999); 170 (2009)

Median Household Income: $44,900 (1999); $50,303 (2008); in 1999 constant dollars $44,900 (1999); $38,924 (2008)

Defense Budget: $270.5 billion (fiscal year 1999); $680 billion (fiscal year 2010); in constant 1999 dollars $270.5 billion (fiscal year 1999); $524 billion (fiscal year 2010)

Last Words of the Year - you got all year to think about 'em.

Going Forward: : "These are desperate times. But I don't think we should join in with the desperation. We should conquer it. I'm fed up with this depressive attitude people have." - Morrissey

And Our Time: Jobs reduce people. One of our lines goes 'I've never had a job because I don't want one': jobs reduce people to absolute stupidity; they forget to think about themselves. There's something so positive about unemployment. It's like, Now We Can Think About Ourselves. You won't get trapped into materialism, you won't buy things you don't really want..." - Morrissey

Have a brilliant 2010!!!!!  ¶ 7:33 PM 0 comments

 

Tea Leaves

I read the tea leaves, and as a commenter said - I was dreaming. All right, I was wrong about the swell – I heard late Tuesday it was well overhead and conditions were nice, but I have no hard evidence. I checked today, and it could have been all time – except for the east wind scallop. The pics as my witness.

In other news: Democracy Now reported - “In Honduras, a prominent supporter of the coup has won the nation’s presidential election. Porfirio Lobo, a rich landowner, received 55 percent of the vote. The election comes five months after the Honduran military ousted the democratically elected president Manuel Zelaya. The leaders of Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela and other Latin American countries say Sunday’s presidential election is invalid because it was backed by the coup leaders and could end any hope of Zelaya returning to power and completing his term, which is due to end in January. But the United States has vowed to recognize the results.No pro-Zelaya candidate ran Sunday due to a boycott of the elections called by Zelaya. Human rights groups reported widespread abuses by the Honduran military and police ahead of Sunday’s vote. In the city of San Pedro Sula, soldiers used water cannons and tear gas to break up a march by 500 unarmed protesters. On Saturday, 50 masked soldiers and police raided a collective of farmers and small scale agricultural producers known as Red Comal.” This is important because what you have is the US supporting land grab. And who knows, maybe provided support. The US is not happy with the way things are going in Central and South America. Democratically elected governments in Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, and Ecuador, to name a few, are taking back natural capital from international corporations and going socialist – considering the people in the economic deal – everyone’s welfare optimized. This is real significant since the indigenous people of these countries have been the butt-end of capitalism since colonization. I am suspicious of US intentions given corporate ties and the ease of which the US accepted a military coup and supposed election. It works out great for corporate agriculture, wealthy landowners and the like. For me, it lends credibility to accusations by leaders in Venezuela and Ecuador regarding US ties to right-wing groups active in trying to overthrow the elected governments in their countries. How does land grab fit into neoclassical economics? Consider - Two U.S. corporations—Chiquita (formerly United Fruit Company and United Brands) and Dole (formerly Standard Fruit and Steamship Company and Castle & Cooke)—hold a disproportionate amount of the country’s agricultural land.

The Obama administration has decided not to sign an international convention banning land mines. What could possibly be the explanation? Can’t deal with nuclear weapons, nor can we deal with indiscriminate killing. Pussies. There is no change. Obama – change you can believe in? All I see is a change of color.

Neo-classical economics, the flavor of policy over the last five or more decades, pushes the free market and zero regulation/intervention. Keynesian thought includes regulation – the magic hand may eat itself. Now, why would those who are firm neo-classicals, Bernanke and Geithner, go in for regulation? Yet, they were the ones in charge of regulation. Check it: “We don’t really need new rules. The rules are there. What we need are regulators willing to use them. The Fed has all the power it needs. And the very fact that Chairman Bernanke yesterday was listing all the good things they had done proves that they had the power under existing laws. He just didn’t want to use them. Tim Geithner, as head of the New York Fed, could have done whatever needed to be done, but they didn’t do it.” So, why would those who firmly believe in the market apply regulation? They won’t – they didn’t. And the punch line – they are all still manipulating the puppet strings.

Hey – spill, baby spill. Officials believe that ice plugged up a pipeline and likely caused a rupture that sent 46,000 gallons of crude oil and water gushing onto snow-covered tundra on Alaska's North Slope late last month. More worries - I mean No worries. Anytime you hear somebody say technology has reached a level where the environment is safe from human endeavors – just say no!

Did get some surf up until Sunday - couple fun ones at Tiburones and Segundo Bol, but came down with the sickness and missed the epic swell I was touting. Serves me right.

Last Word
"I like the rapid punch of solid-state for the bottom, and the rodent-gnawing distortion of the tubes on top." John Cipollina  ¶ 12:30 AM 0 comments

 

Swell Prediction

Check out the swell model at the link Pacific Swell Model on the left. Significant west swell predicted in about 6 days. The picture is a reminder of what things may look like.  ¶ 10:32 PM 1 comments

 

Balance

Which one is it - the nightmare or the wet dream? Probably a little bit of both on any given day. Just like anything else - balance - Some days I find it. Most days I don't.

The latest push for peace in the middle east - On the Israeli side, Clinton has indicated that they have eased Palestinians' freedom of movement and expressed a willingness to curtail the building of Jewish settlements in the Palestinian areas – translated: business as usual, so what do the Palestinians gain in negotiating – keep reading. The Obama administration, however, is demanding an end to all new settlement construction, something that the Israelis have refused – sound familiar? After her meeting with Abbas in Abu Dhabi, Clinton was headed for Jerusalem for talks that were expected to include not only Netanyahu but also his foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman. Here is the punch line - Lieberman suggested recently the Israelis and Palestinians come up with a long-term interim arrangement that would ensure stability, while at the same time putting off a final deal. Notice – “long term deal” and “putting off” – how long has it been already, and what will change? Game plan: in the long term the land grab will be complete and the Palestinian Reservation system established. I mean, check this statement - Lieberman has recommended leaving the toughest issues — such as the status of disputed Jerusalem and a solution for Palestinian refugees who lost homes in the conflict — "to a much later stage." Why not just say it – “later”.

Socialism refers to various theories of economic organization advocating public or direct worker ownership and administration of the means of production and allocation of resources, and a society characterized by equal access to resources for all individuals with a method of compensation based on the amount of labor expended. How does this definition compare and contrast with the mission statement for the US? That mission statement reads: “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” Lets look at each objective of the mission statement.

Form a more perfect union. Sounds socialist just saying it. Of course, a perfect union suggests equality – equal access to resources and benefits of those resources; access to health. My wife and many like her would say a perfect union means sharing – at least with respect to marriage and the family. On the other hand, some argue the market will create the perfect union and there is no need for government to be involved in creating a perfect union – i.e. regulate access to resources and benefits of those resources so that the welfare of citizens are equally enhanced. How so? Self-interest and the profit motive can better protect from market excess (move away for the perfect union) than regulations. Self-interest, profit motive, and perfect information will allow citizens to maximize their welfare. Thus, no need for socialism to force the issue. Two points of view, and the Constitution allows for that. Some think government is necessary to secure welfare for all; some think the invisible hand of the market will secure welfare for all. More likely, aspects of both schools of thought are necessary to form a more perfect union. The need for security, safety, and health are reasons for forming a union. Working together to accomplish what one cannot do alone is another reason for forming a union. Trade to focus skills and enhance the welfare of market participants – under the umbrella of the perfect union – secure, safe, and healthy.

Establish justice. We have equal justice for all – or so it is said. Publicly administered and equally allocated. Socialism. But wait – how does the market, self-interest, and the profit motive fit in? Some judges are elected (the invisible hand at work), there is a wide gap between the skills and motivation between public defenders, district attorneys (future politicians), and market-based lawyers, and the administration of justice varies with wealth. What would seemingly be a pure socialistic aspect of government is tainted with the finest aspects of capitalism. For the wealthy and corporations, it is socialism; for the rest it’s capitalism.

Insure domestic tranquility, Provide for common defense, Promote the general welfare. These all seem to be flavors of socialism. The government of the people, the perfect union, working to provide the benefits of tranquility, common defense, and general welfare to all its citizens; equal access to tranquility, common defense, and general welfare; definitely tastes like socialism. To provide for tranquility, common defense, and general welfare, the government – local, state, and federal – through our tax dollars (definitely socialism) provides police, fire protection, the military-industrial complex, social security, medicare, and parks and sanctuaries to name a few – there’s more. In further support of this notion, consider a capitalistic approach to the provision of tranquility, common defense, and general welfare. I guess with tranquility and general welfare, the capitalistic approach is top gun in the US (health care debacle), but what about a level of defense you can pay for – the invisible hand optimizing your welfare. You call the police, and they ask for your dreadit card number – or you call fly-by-night security – or you hop down to the Home Depot to pick up a day laborer?

Secure the blessings of liberty. Is our liberty a function of the socialist nature of the US, the capitalist nature, or both? Let’s look abroad. France, we are told, is very socialist – do they enjoy a lower level of liberty? Like anything else – it’s a balance of socialism and capitalism that seems to work. Those that like to have it in black and white need to go natural – check quantum mechanics, fuzzy logic, and fractals – it’s just not that way.

Regarding renewing the peace process, the Prime Minister of Israel stated the Palestinians never before entered into negotiations with a precondition (freeze settlement building). The response, from the US: “What the Prime Minister is saying is historically accurate.” So fucking what – now the Palestinians are looking after their interests? And this coming from the kings of preconditions? So, if we are getting into historical accuracy, lets look at it in total. Lets start with the concept forwarded by the Zionists that there was nobody in Palestine when they started taking over. So now, the US says - "We recognize that things have stalled. We're looking at a variety of ways that increase the interaction between the parties in some form." Gee – why not be an honest broker and call it like it is – like the rest of the globe sees it. Otherwise, forget it.

It’s been flat except for a small long period swell that filled in for a few days during the first week of November. The weather was sweet, and if you could surf in the narrow window between tide and kelp, there were some fun ones. I couldn’t swing the window, but caught the peripheral period just as the window was closing. Took my new-used LB for a glide – a hand-me-down from Kid-darrio. The plank rides real stable and I got some fun tip rides that ended too soon in shallow closeouts. Fearing I would be taking a trip to Ralph’s after an encounter with the bottom, I left before my thirst was quenched. Rumors of a swell from the northwest abound, and the swell model shows there will be a steep swell by the weekend. With the Cold Water in town, it may be possible to get some waves before the masses get finished with their pro fix. While I haven’t ventured over to the Lane to check the proceedings, pictures and video I reviewed verified there was some serious ripping going down.

A much-anticipated swell started to show on Friday, November 6, 2009. The swell had a good westerly component on Friday, so the Steps and the Cave had some good shape, with head-high sets. Most of the boyz I spoke with were still looking to Saturday for the “big swell.” Well, sure enough – 18.6 feet from 305 at 17 seconds – mixed for most of the day with a high tide that peaked above 6 feet. It’s a beautiful day with a moderate wind out of the northeast – just about offshore. A lot of water is moving down the point and the waves at the Steps and beyond are oriented almost sideways to the coast. My plan is to wait for the tide to start sucking out, and catch it at about 4 feet and falling. We shall see.

Well, everybody on the planet had the same plan – dude, seriously. I wasn’t out but 30 minutes when I turned around and there were a hundred guys in the water. From Tiburones to the Gate there were a hundred guys. I mean it was hundreds of guys. It was all too much for me and I quickly started looking for a way out. I took off on an inside bowl, but was thwarted by four guys in front of me – I went straight – and then went straight into the beach. Wow – I didn’t know that many people could fit in the ocean.

In fact - The US is the only industrialized democracy that does not ensure that all of its citizens have health care coverage. However, Washington spends vastly more on healthcare - both per person and as a share of national income as measured by Gross Domestic Product - than other industrialized democracies.

A new report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates sea lions ate 4,960 salmon and steelhead during the spring of 2009 — 2.4 percent of the fish passing the dam located near Cascade Locks, Ore. That compares to an adjusted estimate of 4,927, or 2.9 percent of the run, in 2008. We are down to counting the salmon run loss to natural predators in the thousands. Think about that. Back in the day, before dams and with open waterways, the sea lions probably didn’t even make a dent. Sea lions, birds, bears, osprey, eagles, raccoons, native tribes, and more – there were plenty of fish. Salmon season has been closed for two years for SF Bay salmon, and sea lions are a problem in the Columbia River. Maybe we are better disrupting natural processes than putting them right. And we worry about the sea lions. There’s more – “a report from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife estimates that removing the sea lions doing the most damage saved some 1,655 salmon. Department spokesman Rick Hargrave said the hazing and removal of California sea lions will continue next year with few changes. One difference will be trying to block areas near the dam where the sea lions can get out of the water to rest.” Wow – 1,655 salmon saved – impressive. Reminds me of the successes boasted by the “war on drugs” folks. Indeed, why change what works so well. Merge the two programs - Drug and Seal Enforcement Agency - DSEA.

Sunday, Cold Water Classic Weekend turned out to be the most crowded I can ever recall. I bagged Sunday after driving by the Point and seeing half the human race tipping the coast of Santa Cruz a couple inches lower into the Pacific, and twice that many rising the surface water elevation. Fortunately, Monday dawned with smaller waves and less humanity by orders of magnitude. I surfed Segundo Bol and got some fun ones. Thank goodness people have somewhere else to live.

“A new report by the Center for Responsive Politics has found that 237 members of Congress are millionaires. That’s 44 percent of the body. California Republican Darrell Issa is the richest lawmaker with a net worth estimated at just over $250 million. At least seven lawmakers have a net worth greater than $100 million.” Now, is this representation? Does this lend credibility to the phrase “Congress is out of touch”? Unfuckingbelieveable.

Again, I consider the preamble the mission statement for the US government, and I use it as a first principle to argue that one of the purposes of government to assist in health care. I believe that some brilliant people (founders) took quite a bit of time preparing a mission statement to guide their endeavors at the time, and the endeavors of future citizens. Very simple, and yet very powerful. And the link to health care - consider the words: Form a more perfect union - a group of people free of the burden of worrying about health care can more easily work toward being a perfect union. Establish justice - is it not justice that all citizens have equal opportunity to obtain health care? Insure domestic tranquility - Can one be tranquil when one is stressing over health care, worrying about financial consequences, or left at the whim of insurance corporations where profit is considered over human beings? Good health is tranquility. Promote general welfare - the health, happiness, and fortunes of a person or group - the definition says it all. Finally, secure the blessings of liberty - health and security of health is liberty - liberty from worrying about health, liberty to consider other endeavors, liberty from pain, liberty to live. In all, five out of the six objectives (common defense not necessarily relevant) in the mission statement pertain to the government's responsibility in health care.

Surf started to show Wednesday out of the northwest. Surfed the Steps just after high tide and got some fun ones before masses and kelp shut down the fun. Thursday, it was more of the same – a few waves and plenty of my friends. Surfed one down to Tiburones and stayed for a couple. On the paddle back from a small wave that took me into the cove, I looked up into the sun and saw what looked like the style master cruising toward me, but he looked a little rusty – like the tin man after a rain. I kept my eyes on him, and sure enough – it was the tin --- I mean style master. You know, life gets a little busy, the winter breeze isn’t so conducive, and there are plenty of chores to do around the house. So, you skip a couple days. A couple days turns into two weeks, and next thing you know, you forgot you surfed. You see your quiver, go by the Point, hear from the boyz, or, my gosh, check the Internet, and then remember – I surf. To verify this realization, you paddle out – but it’s not easy to dust off the cobwebs, oil the joints, find your rhythm, or find that lost step. The crew checks your first couple of waves and even they get caught wondering if you surf. You realize that if you don’t pull it together quickly, you will be crossed off the list – the list we all keep regarding our mates – you know – ah, he can’t surf, I’m going – that list. Anyway, while you appear rusty, the crew gives you the benefit of the doubt, and you end up pulling it together before you leave the water. As you walk up the beach, you remind yourself you need to get out more often – but shit, it’s getting a cold. See ya in the water Tin Man.

And the great economist said, “I no longer belief the myth that self-interest and the profit motive can better protect from market excess than regulations.”

Took a glide right before dark – it was all right, if not for the kelp – but Willie saw perfection in the glassy conditions and I took it at face value. Today, I got a quick Segundo Bol session in. Tide was coming in and a couple of sets got pushed through. It was fun, but even at the higher tide, kelp was an issue. A couple of rippers were out, but it was more inspiration and less a lockdown of the lineup. One of the rippers – compact and powerful, was, as usual, taking off 10 yards outside of my position, and even if I thought he wouldn’t be able to paddle in – he did. My gosh – I’m impressed. But, that didn’t stop me from considering what popped into my head as a perfect nickname for him – Longboard. Yes, he rides short boards, and rides them very well – but he’s like an LB that takes off 20 yards outside of where your sitting, paddling feverishly by you while you watch the bowl pass you by. Longboard – I nickname you with all due respect.

Final Word:
What is money? Go here and learn - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVkFb26u9g8&feature=fvw  ¶ 12:22 AM 0 comments

 

Backyard Pop Art

The Federal Reserve – part of this economic story – deserves a look. Their main functions: conducting the nation's monetary policy by influencing the monetary and credit conditions in the economy in pursuit of maximum employment, stable prices, and moderate long-term interest rates; supervising and regulating banking institutions to ensure the safety and soundness of the nation's banking and financial system and to protect the credit rights of consumers; maintaining the stability of the financial system and containing systemic risk that may arise in financial markets; and providing financial services to depository institutions, the U.S. government, and foreign official institutions, including playing a major role in operating the nation's payments system.

Federal Reserve System is not "owned" by anyone and is not a private, profit-making institution. Instead, it is an independent entity within the government, having both public purposes and private aspects. But – there are twelve regional privately-owned Federal Reserve Banks located in major cities throughout the nation, which divide the nation into 12 districts, acting as fiscal agents for the U.S. Treasury, each with its own nine-member board of directors. The Federal Reserve has never been audited. Dude, seriously.

“Insurance companies aren't playing nice any more. Their dire message that health care legislation will drive up premiums for people who already have coverage comes as a warning shot at a crucial point in the debate.” The solution is easy; public option or single payer will bring insurance companies to the place they should be – service – to paying customers, not stockholders and executives.

“Netanyahu, for his part, has demanded the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state — a demand the Palestinians criticize as upping the ante from previous negotiations. The Palestinians say it would discriminate against Israel's Arab minority.” Not just recognize a state, but a Jewish state. The backyard test: how would Americans take it if the majority of Christians in the US decided that we must be recognized as a Christian state, or Western Anglo state, or some other designation that leaves out some portion of the public and forces their allegiance to something other than their country. How about trying to skew the population of one of the states so that it is Christian only and is officially recognized as the Christian State of Whatever. Is it reasonable?

I eluded to war debt as being an aspect of the close of the Dutch Golden Age. The economic burden of repeated wars caused the Dutch to become one of the most heavily taxed peoples in Europe. Taxes were imposed on the transit trade in and out of the country. But as mercantile competition became stiffer, the rate of such taxation could not be safely increased, and the burden therefore fell increasingly on the consumer. Excise and other indirect taxes made the Dutch cost of living one of the highest in Europe. Sound familiar – Iraq, Afghanistan, support of Israel?

As I said, one problem with single payer or a public option is the “grasshopper and the ant” syndrome – I’m healthy and don’t use my insurance, but the slacker down the street, who doesn’t take care of himself uses more than his share – why should I pay for someone else’s benefit? Well, the latest health bill from the senate doesn’t change that situation. First, people must realize that they pay for everyone else anyway you cut it – but single payer cuts out corporate overhead, executive pay, and profit – a public option also works to limit corporate overhead, executive pay, and profit. The latest health bill requires – via fines – for everyone to buy health insurance – so, just as in the single payer model, that person who stays healthy subsidizes those who do not – and they subsidize the corporate overhead, executive pay, and profit. In fact, the corporate coffers would be stuffed with input from a young healthy population that is forced into the corporate system. Note the corporate concern: “Before the Finance Committee approved its bill, senators reduced the fines uninsured people would have to pay. The insurers argue that means many young, healthy people would remain uninsured, driving up costs for everyone else who purchases insurance — a conclusion that analysts generally agree is valid.” So – we don’t trust the government plan – instead, we trust the same folks who brought us the savings and loan crisis, Enron, military industrial complex fraud, mercenaries, sub-prime and other financial instruments, corporate socialism, and way more we know nothing of.

Surf showed up after the storm, and so did the blight of sediment. I let things sit one day – probably a worthless gesture – and paddled out Thursday. A fine day – balmy – and the surf was fun. Close frequency west-northwest swell, chest to head-high, and the rippers were all over it. Segundo Bol was a little too much for me, and I quickly rode waves down past Tiburones – a surf trip to Privates. I told Penguin about this secret spot, but he wasn’t impressed and has held it against me ever since. Anyway, the travel paid-off and I got some fun surf without the pro-effect. I saw the boyz getting ready to have another fun day in the sun today, but it was my fate to travel even further south.

Tonight I write from LA. I took 5 down and came across some interesting advertising. Apparently, congress has caused a dust bowl in the valley – at least that is what the continuum of roads signs stated. The wind was not blowing hard – and the dust was not swirling, although I have seen it pretty bad before. Instead, it was just that good ’ole Central Valley smog. Other signs regarding water were also visible along our Central Valley journey and it became apparent a water war is brewing. I think the war is between humanity – agri-business – and all other life that depends on water, like salmon, steelhead, waterfowl, and amphibians – a whole host of beings I know nothing about. I do know the salmon-business folk and the agri-business folk would have a lot to talk over. As I passed through the Valley, signs blaring, I thought about what it used to be like - uncontrolled waterways and wet lands, an aqueduct? – what flowed to the valley stayed in the valley. Grizzlies, salmon – I don’t know, but my imagination suggests a nexus of natural factors caused the occasional dust storm – Congress? Today, the Central Valley is mostly a manufactured landscape – producing unbelievable quantities of food – but sustainability? – Sustainability that includes the natural environment that use to work to reduce dust? A sustainability that includes the other beings on this planet is not in the equation. The road signs make that obvious. Onward and upward – dipped into the San Fernando Valley and it hit hard – the air quality is a joke. Bros and pros, please rejoice about where we live – the air quality, the small space enclosed between the mountains and the ocean, good surf, Redwoods, beautiful weather, the fact that we run into one another in the water and in the community – oh my gosh, I can always run this list long when I am away – especially in a place like LA.

Gee – here is an interesting fact - The total Wall Street welfare bill according to Nomi Prins, the author and former Morgan Stanley managing director, comes to more than $13 trillion. That's about 37 years worth of total welfare transfers to low-income Americans.

Surf has been fun the last few days – Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. We’ve had swell from the west-northwest and from the south-southwest. The west-northwest swell was 5 to 7 feet at 12 seconds; the south-southwest swell was 2.5 to 3 feet at 14 to 20 seconds. The numbers turned out to provide real fun, well shaped, surf, and the weather held – great fall surf. I surfed the Steps, Segundo Bol and Tiburones. I saw Goose charge a Tiburones Bowl – top to bottom – and underwater. He came up and started paddling back to the line up, and I, seeing the whole tamale, paddled over to riddle him. I found out he did a take-off dance with a young women and ended crossing her path at the nose of her board. Hence, the straight-off Adolph move. I thought it was just a full-kook maneuver, but he redeemed himself. Later in the session, I was able to talk with the young woman and inspect her board. The damage wasn’t too bad given what I witnessed, but I recommended she should take her board in to limit water intake. In a story that made me feel for her, she told me it was her only day off and she was riding a new board she had won, and the board had Tom Curren’s signature on it. Gosh – I told her about Ralph and let her know he would fix it and make it look like new – sorry Ralph – I may have set the expectations high. Later, she found me in the lot and got Ralph’s card from me. Swell model indicates a significant west swell for Thursday – oh boy.

Well – the swell continued – switched direction to west-northwest. Got some fun high tide waves a Segundo Bol and was ready to come in with that “good session vibe”. It was starting to get crowded as the tide emptied and the line up filled. I was sitting a little inside on the bowl shift – and it seemed I had a little space of my own. I was kind’a basking in the late afternoon sun waiting for a shift wave I knew was coming. I heard the jockeying around me but it still seemed far away. A wave was rolling through at the top of the bowl and I just pushed forward as the swell passed beneath me. Then – a thick shudder rifled through my board. “What the fuck?” I turned and got an eyeful of some idiot who had just punched through the wave into the bottom of my board. I flipped my board over and sure enough – just about punched through to the deck. Well – I went ballistic – veins throbbing at my neck – and a tidy string of slurs, expletives, and the lot. As my attention was turned toward thrashing the offender, JH chimed in letting the offender know that a trip to the ATM for $80 would can the situation. As I considered JH’s comments, the wile offender made his way toward Sharks. As luck would have it, an inside shifter was coming my way. I paddled hard and caught a racy wall down toward Sharks. It ended with a slap off the Sharks left and in seconds I had caught up with the board slammer. I called him in and completed his thrashing with the walk of shame. As we walked up the beach we passed several of the boys getting ready to begin their session. Each one asked about my board. I presented the evidence and pointed to the perpetrator who was hanging his head, “that idiot” I pointed out. Hot dog was the last to admonish the perp at the top of the steps. In the lot, I handed him my card – “send me the money, be honorable, or…” We shall see. I left the lot and immediately paid a visit to Ralph – now he’s got two of my boards.

Today the swell looked good at high tide, but when I went to join in the fun, I was greeted by low tide groveling. It was a beautiful evening, but the swell was moving on and the crowds weren’t. I ended up grabbing one good one before going in – “one good bottom turn” as Charlie used to say.

We are fighting terrorism in other parts of the world, but more and more, I recognize terrorist right here in town. A young boy was murdered in gang violence – and it came home – my son knew the boy from high school. It’s not the first report of gang violence this year, or last year, but it was close enough to feel. I read the letters concerning the event in the Sentinel and considered my own feelings. The letters spoke of fear – fear in walking alone, fear of certain areas of town, fear for children – and frustration – and helplessness. Fear, frustration, and helplessness – the definition of terrorism. I suggest that laws and funds that were made available in the Federal and State effort to combat terrorists and terrorism be applied at the community level to combat gang violence. In essence, we have a terrorist problem and should be eligible for State and Federal funds for resources to combat the gang violence and we should use terrorist laws to investigate and prosecute gang violence – lets not close Guantanamo Bay – lets send convicted gang terrorists there. The guys confined there now are model citizens compared to these idiots – I mean even those at Guantanamo that actually did fight Americans were fighting for their community against invaders. These gang terrorists are terrorizing their own community for no reason other than selfish bloated sick ego. Dude, seriously.

Final Word:
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith, economist (1908-2006  ¶ 10:01 PM 2 comments