In case you missed it, above is the video from a press conference held on yesterday in Baghdad when President Bush was announcing the new security pact between Iraq and the U.S. This new security pact has American troops scheduled to be out of Iraq by 2011.

Why a shoe you ask? Well in Middle Eastern culture showing someone the underside of your shoe (and especially throwing your shoe at someone) is a major sign of disrespect. Shoes represent dirt and degradation, and if you remember well enough, when Saddam’s statue was torn down the Iraqis celebrated by beating it with their shoes.

There is a strong tie between these two events, and before Iraqi television journalist Muntadar al-Zaidi threw his shoes he stated: “This is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog,” showing his strong contempt for Bush, even though President Bush doesn’t view it that way. His naive cultural understanding doesn’t even allow him to recognize when he’s getting one of the biggest insults a Middle Eastern person could do, he just sees it as a guy throwing a shoe at him.

It’s obvious that the Iraqi people are enthused about the end of Bush’s reign, as Muntadar al-Zaidi has become a ‘folk hero’ to the Iraqi and Arab people (read all about that one here on the New York Times).

I’m not going to get on a whole big thing here about this pitiful war, but I do just want to say that it’s pretty evident that these people want us out of their country. What if things were reversed? What if Iraqis came over here to spare us of Bush, while killing innocent women and children daily? Don’t you think we’d want them out of our country as well? Can’t we just leave these people alone already.

January 20th couldn’t come sooner…

Sweet hood man. Oh yeah, your vagina’s showing dude.

Most surfers in the world will never have to brave icy surf and pull over that hood for the first time (though with today’s wetsuit technology it’s becoming easier and easier to surf year round in coldwater areas).

For Thanksgiving I headed back to the homeland and was presented with chest high, clean a-frames for a few days. And growing up in a cold climate, my body is just used to it, no matter how many years I spend in SoCal, or spent in Florida. Putting on that 5/3 is clockwork. I actually looked forward to it because when I’ve got that thing on it’s usually for some of the best sessions at home; hollow and empty.

Needless to say, upon my return back to the west coast I paddled out at Swamis the other day and was greeted by so many whackos with hoods on that I couldn’t even count them all. WTF is that all about? A hood in SoCal? Really? I mean the air and water were both hovering at a frigid 60. So coldddddddddddddd…….

Well I just think people need to man up and not be such little wankers, and more and more of them put hoods on as we get deeper into the winter months. 60 degree air and water is NOT COLD, and does not in any way whatsoever warrant a hood. Just another case in point that it takes balls to surf in Jersey year round, and just points out that lots of guys wouldn’t stand a chance.

What is wrong with the American people? Have we really become so obsessed with consumerism and getting great deals that we’ll go to all lengths to get these things?

If you have no idea what I’m talking about just check out this article about a temporary holiday Wal-Mart employee who was trampled to death on Black Friday by a mob of customers who were only looking to get bargain deals.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/29/business/29walmart.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

It’s really pathetic that America has become a land of consumers and is no longer a land of thinkers, innovators, or problem solvers. Happy Holidays, I’m sure Mr. Damour’s family won’t be. My deepest regrets go out to them, and hopefully this will make us think about what an ugly giant this whole Christmas bullshit has become.

Amidst my aimless searching of YouTube I found something pretty fitting for this blog. Cheesy, yes.

There’s always a little truth to jokes. Yes, there are people like these guys in New Jersey (solely up north). They’re usually the greaseballs being loud, obnoxious, and pumped with steroids ordering jegger bombs (though I do love me some jegger) trying to hump everything at the bar. And yes, their collars are always popped. See what New Jersey surfers put up with to get a few of those frosty, green barrels you’re always seeing?

Unless you’re charging Pipe or are Mike Stewart then you should probably just try to stand up, if they can that is. In college we successfully converted my one roommate, and he’s been normal (as normal as he can be) ever since.

This is one of my all-time favorite clips out there and I just wanted to share it with everyone else. Here’s to the dick draggers of the world. The video speaks for itself.

Our Associate Art Director Sam got this picture in an email from his mom who took the picture up in LA and it’s pretty emblematic of my feelings for all those involved. F-k it and is it over yet?

Okay, so I’ll admit, this is my first year voting. Back in ‘04 I was a fresh, 18 year-old high school senior and couldn’t give two shits about the election. In hindsight I guess I should’ve gone out and voted, but I don’t think it would’ve changed what a Bush-run America had in store with another four years.

With it being Election Day today I can honestly say I’m sick and tired of f-king hearing about this “historic election.” Aren’t all elections historic because they select a new President, who will undoubtedly become part of American history?

And all the news channels are doing recaps of this “amazing campaigning” from both sides of the election trail. I’m tired of hearing about Joe the plumber, McCain’s “comeback” in the bid for the Republican candidacy, and all those dumb-ass Saturday Night Live skits (that were aired on Thursdays???) that mock the debates word for word.

I can’t wait for November 5th and for all this bullshit to be done, though I’m a little scared for the outcome of the election and where this country will head in the future.

And in case you were wondering, I didn’t give in to the corrupt two-party system that ruins this country from the foundation up. That’s right, I voted for Ralph Nader. Some may say I’m throwing my vote away, but I shouldn’t feel peer-pressured into voting for the two candidates (whom I’m not all that fond of either of them) who get shoved into the faces of the American people just because they’ve got the connections and money when they’re not necessarily what this country needs.

But I guess the positive thing is no more Bush (though if McCain/Palin get elected it’ll be more of the same).

But that’s besides the point. I’m going to give Philly their credit where it’s due I guess. While painfully watching a few news clips from the rioting ‘phans’ last night, I saw two fights and knew that the celebration was going to get routy. Here’s a pretty good montage of some of the chaos that went down

Enjoy it Philly phans, you probably won’t win another one for 28 more years.

Now I’d like to shift the focus to the Super Bowl Champion New York football Giants. They are sitting atop the NFC, while the lowly Eagles are plopped dead last in the NFC East. Good luck Eagles, you’re going to need it seeing as how your Phillies just won a title.

Watch more YouTube videos on AOL Video

And seeing how it’s also the 50th anniversary of The Endless Summer, I’m left with a bit of reflection on Cape St. Francis (Check out the California Surf Museum’s Anniversary showing here).

With Endless Summer leading the way for surf travel across the world, 50 years later it’s a different monster, unrecognizable to the first surf travel pioneers. But today things are so simple for surfers to trek somewhere remote and score it good. It’s not even close to what those first guys had to deal with: the weird looks, surfing unknown breaks with unknown bottoms and hazzards, thumbing it along the highway for a ride, the list goes on and on. At least they didn’t have to deal with greedy airlines taking advantage of adventure seeking surfers, or shelling out a few grand for a week on a boat in Indo only to pull up to a prime spot for and get to surf it with a hundred of your best friends.

Don’t get me wrong though, there’s plenty of waves out there to be discovered, as evidenced by this “New Cape St. Francis.” But take a look at Cape St. Francis when Hynson, August, and Brown slid down the dune hill on their boards compared with what it looks like today.

Empty Cape St. Francis circa mid 60’s

Modern day Cape St. Francis

This growth and development in the area eventually ruined “the perfect wave,” turning it into a mediocre spot at best. Surf resorts can have amazing benefits, but they can also have their downsides, as exemplified with Cape St. Francis. So let’s learn from our mistakes as human beings and veer away from repeating history with this “New Cape St. Francis.”

Before I go into this year’s Series, I want to first reminisce of a time almost fifteen years to the day: October 23rd, 1993. I remember it vividly: the Philadelphia Phillies were up 6-5 in the sixth game of the World Series, and it was looking like it would be sent to a decisive Game 7. Then they brought in their infamous closer, Mitch “Wild thing” Williams to try and shut things down in the ninth inning. With one out and men on first and second, Joe Carter stepped to the plate. With the count 2-2, Carter belted one over the left field wall, winning the game with the three run shot in a fashion that every kid growing up dreams of doing.

Being on the verge of turning eight that very morning, my parents let me stay up to watch one of the greatest moments in baseball history. I will never forget the jubilant jumping around the bases by Carter and the look on Mitch Williams’ face as he pitifully carried himself off the field amongst the celebrating Blue Jays team. Being a die-hard Phillies hater, I can honestly say it was one of the happiest moments of my life, and one of the greatest birthday presents I’ve ever received. And I will always enshrine Mitch Williams and Joe Carter as two of my favorite heroes of America’s past-time sport.

So getting to this year’s Series, the Tampa Bay Rays are squaring off against the Phillies (this being Philadelphia’s first trip back to the World Series since the Wild thing incident in ’93). Though the Rays are a young team, I’m counting on them to lay down the law this year. And no doubt the Phillies will collapse similarly to the collapsing of Veterans Stadium (head here for the YouTube video of that). Lets Go Rays!

Low Vs Diamond: Tad, Anthony, Howie, Lucas, and Jon. All photos James Tull

It’s rare to find the things we were meant to be doing in life. If you do find it you never want to let it go, you want to grow with it, you want to see it blossom into the greatest thing that ever was.

With in your face chords and lyrics that characterize human emotions, the result is a sound that’s reminiscent of the beginnings of rock blending with current underground notables, showing that Low Vs Diamond has found something they can grow with.

Anthony on the guitar.

They’re amassed on the brink right now, and having released their debut album this past July, things only look bright for this crew who are roused for taking what can be theirs’. You can check them out here:

Low Vs Diamond Website

Low Vs Diamond Myspace

Last Friday I checked them out at the House of Blues when and caught up with keys and guitar guy Tad Moore for a brief look into their mindsets.

Howie after thrashing the drums.

Transworld SURF: Tell me a little bit about that big moment where music syncs with emotion?
Tad: I definitely think in scores you get an emotion of what’s going on and how to deal with the music. So we try to do that, not necessarily scoring, but more emotion in the music. That can be a sad chord or a progression. Strings help.

How do you balance looking toward the future with optimism and reflecting on loss in the songs?
You don’t want every song to be about someone you know. I think it can come out more genuine if you’re writing about more personal things though. Lucas would love to write a song about being in the mafia or something, but that’s pretending, it’s not real for us.

Tad hooking it up with an interview

You’re on Epic Records, you’ve had national television appearances with David Letterman and Jay Leno, where do you see yourselves going from here?
We’re just gonna keep touring and promoting this record as much as we can, and we’re gonna go to England next year. We’ve been there before, but it was premature, we didn’t have a record out. So we’ll be going there in the summer for the festivals and stuff. We’re doing Kimmel and Craig Ferguson in November, so more TV land.

Lucas going for it

Do the words come first or the beats?
The beats. Luke usually puts it together on the piano, then we go into the studio and jam it out for a long time.

Any band all-time that you’d love to play with?
That’s a tough one. I’d have to say the Stones. It’s my favorite stuff. They were innovative, they were the real bad asses. Beggers Banquet, Let It Bleed, the early stuff after that, you can’t beat it.

Low Vs Diamond rocking the H.O.B. in S.D.