San Diego Summer

This time of heat, bright light and burning fire
My skin the ocean drapes in Chinese silk.
The sea, a polished amber, mirrors sky.
The sun, near setting, blushes brightly red
while silver grunion leap to celebrate
The looming tide and I with surfer’s bliss
Will go splashing into summer’s eve.

War and Heat

Yesterday, the heat broke records all over southern California. It was 113 at Gillespie Field around noon! Care to fly in a hot little plane, anyone?

In Stratfor.com there was a special report on Why Hezbollah Fights on July 22, 2006.

Hezbollah is an organization supported both by Syria and by Iran. These two countries both have a pan-Arab vision of a United Arab Republic, but under the former it will be a secular government (as Nassar dreamt) and under the latter, it would be a religious republic (a la Khomeini).

According to this article, Hezbollah hopes to bog Israel down in the war and wear down her resources, as Iraqi resistance fighters are bogging down the US. Eventually we will bankrupt ourselves on these numerous civil wars (Afghanistan, Iraq, and Lebanon, at the moment). Like the Soviet Union in the 80s after a lengthy invasion of Afghanistan, we shall fall apart. One superpower down, another to go!

When the Romans conquered new provinces they had two military strategies for subduing the locals: the preferred one was to co-opt the natives with the benefits of Roman civilization by offering political power and Roman military support to local chieftains in exchange for the collection of tribute (taxes). If the Romans could not coerce the locals, all males over the age of 10 would be slaughtered and Roman soldiers would be given generous grants of the land with the admonition to marry a local woman, one with power, and thus repopulate the colony with sympathetic friends, cousins even! leave Roman soldiers there with grants of land to repopulate the area with friendlier allies.

I can't see the United States giving benefits to our servicemen for marrying into the local Arab population.

We should realize that we are going to lose in Iraq and that our presence will not result in a likely western-leaning regime. The sooner we exit, the better the chance for a more moderate form of government to take hold there, don't you think?

Mystery Night

Balboa Park on a humid summer's eve. Casually clad people stroll and picnick, joggers race by spitting sweat onto the asphalt, formally dressed couples head for a reception at the Old Globe Theater, and the Museum of Man hosts Kundalini who recently announced her enlightenment.

It was billed as a mystery night. The foyer of the Museum of Man was mazed with photographs of people, mostly buff young men baring their chests and their elaborate tattoos. In the background, three life-size stone stele rose to the cupola. A painted background hinted at the Mayan jungle.

Filled with light and humidity, I sat down. The crowd was mostly young, both men and women, about 30 in all.

Kundalini came out on the stage dressed in a white Nehru jacket and a maroon embroidered skirt. She was beautiful and emanated warmth and humor. She spoke and likened the spiritual path many times to dieting or getting in shape. Her method of meditation and mindfulness was the "short path." She fielded many questions. Curiously, she never hesitated before replying. She mentioned her teacher, Rama Lenz, once.

We meditated to one song and were charged with "hearing the sounds of the colors" in our head.

She spoke more and we meditated once more. The crowd was adoring. I was hot. I left at intermission, skipping the chocolate chip cookies.

It's a sharkfeed out there

I went surfing on a Monday, the day before the 4th. The surf report said that the waves were small but shapely. I checked out Sunset Cliffs (flat) and OB Pier (mushy) and decided to go out at Avalanches. From the shore it looked kind of crossed-up and closed out but when I got out there, the waves were surprisingly good. They were fast and steep with nice shoulders. When I paddled out there were 2 other surfers near the same break as me; I caught several screamingly fast lefts. All of the sudden a "school" or "pod" of young and agressive surfers on tiny potato chip boards paddled out. They began to dominate the peak. I got a little frustrated and moved north. I was in perfect position for a fantastic right that was coming my way when one of these aggro-idiots paddled furiously around me to be closer to the peak and thus claim my wave as his. I refused to buy it and took off. Since I'm on a longer board I stood up first, giving me priority on the wave. He was behind me and tried to push me off my surfboard but all that yoga and pilates did me good -- he ended up falling off his board and, since he didn't have a leash, his board was swept to shore. I looked back at him in the water and said, "that was my wave! You paddled around me and I got up first."

I'm a soul surfer from the 70s and I don't like this competitive spirit that has taken over surfing. After all, the ocean will never run out of waves. Shouldn't we share this free bounty from the sea?

Next time this happens, I'm going to take off and put on my most fiercesome scowl and growl, "Ladies first!"

4th of July

In San Diego on this holiday everyone goes to the beach! OB parking was filled up by 10:00 am this morning I imagine. Me, I ride my bike down to the beach to gawk at the crowds. The recycling scavengers were gleeful --today is a big income day for them. It is sunny, hot, and the waves are small and glassy. I adore summertime!

Riding back to my house I passed the Kaiserhof restaurant. I could hear the cheering and jeering as the customers watched Germany contend with Italy in the World Cup.