State of Nature

Even a dolt satanic gargoyle could easily figure out that the ol' lavahead's evening agenda is always the same ol' shit. In fact, he had detailed his evening itinerary in the literary subgenius on April 28th in the "blog" titled, "Who Knew?" So, why keep repeating myself?

Much to my chagrin, I have come to the realization that my life-style will never change regardless of whether I sell the "condotel" unit or not. I am in the impoverished class and always will be. Even if I were to return to wage slavery, I will only maintain a status quo that is slightly above break-even. By the same token, as I downsize my life-style, so will my income decline. The latter is obviously a state of nature. Thus, my eventual exodus from society remains elusive.

The usefulness of the "blog" has also been tested. I find that I rarely need to comment on current affairs anymore. The alternative news sites have been doing a great job ad nauseum with little effect. Everything is going downhill fast except for consumer spending. Even sales of 4000-pound motorized chairs (read: automobiles) are up. So, what is left for the "blog"? Nada. I will only continue to compose the "blog" because I have absolutely nothing better to do. At this point in time, I am not willing to return to wage slavery. The opportunity cost of being in the proximity of satanic gargoyles and being exposed to the epidemic of the "seven sins" far outweigh the advantages of a mere pittance in wages.

I have been reduced to the equivalent life-style of the homeless. The initial shock was quite perturbing, but I am becoming more resigned to my fate. I am keenly aware of my mortality as well. Surprisingly, I am one of the few to equate myself to the homeless. I could attempt to live "high on the hog" as do most of the masses of satanic gargoyles. Yet, the time period would be short. I would end up living literally on borrowed time. In other words, I'd quickly find myself deep in debt. And, for what? The homeless utilize every available (i.e., free) resource that they can. I must do the same thing. Essentially, my quality of life will not decrease. Only convenience will be sacrificed.

One debilitating practice that I must discontinue is the nagging contemplation of the amount of money that is flowing out every month just to meet expenses. The detrimental part of that thinking occurs when I imagine what I could have purchased with that money instead. Of course, the possible benefit of the latter is the formulation of a strategy to cut superfluous costs. Nonetheless, the threat exists that I would eventually give in to faulty reasoning and purchase useless crap in order to quell my initial concerns. Perhaps I have just described the "heart and soul" of consumerism, that is, the play on the old "good cop, bad cop" theme. We strive to find a balance between the evil and rote task of paying for expenses and paying for anything else that makes us feel good. Frankly, the logic makes no sense because it is infantile in nature. Shouldn't we feel good that we can survive at all, even if just barely? What must we always try to satisfy the insatiable Id¹?

I've been listening to DI.FM Deep House, the best House Music channel, on Net Radio as much as possible. On July 15th, many of the Net Radio providers will be shutting down their streams, the details of which are cited on the SaveNetRadio site. If the shutdown occurs, that will be a sad day. There is nowhere else that I can tune into my favorite House music.

¹Id, the entity responsible for primal desires for food, sex and aggressive impulses. The Id demands immediate satisfaction. It is amoral and egocentric, ruled by the pleasure-pain principle, has no sense of time, remains completely illogical, primarily sexual in nature, and infantile in its emotional development.

Tsunami

Last night, I defrosted the tiny fridge in my prison cell (read: little shoebox) before departing for Ala Moana Center. I spent an hour or so at my safe haven, Barnes & Noble®. The hottie "bookseller" was on duty. Baby was looking fine as to be expected. When I returned to Waikiki, I did a little shopping at the detestable Food Pantry before going into lockdown in my prison cell for the rest of the evening. No, I did not purchase any cheap booze. I haven't consumed any cheap booze since the earlier part of this month. Frankly, I can no longer afford that crap.

This morning, I had to stop off at the Waikiki Banyan to pay the parking fee for my truck before heading off to town. I gave in to temptation and purchased two lard-filled Tina's® burritos for lunch from Safeway®. I can't remember when I had last feasted on the tasty artery-clogging entrée. The rest of the day was the same ol' shit.

The Fed kept short-term interest rates the same, so I was given a reprieve for another six weeks. Consumer spending is apparently continuing to rise, and the savings rate is falling even further to -1.4 percent. Only under such conditions will the Fed hold the interest rates steady. The so-called "real estate bubble" crisis has abated, or that's what we are being told. What is really happening is quite simple. The bad mortgages were "packaged" and sold with other dubious debt instruments. The losses are being absorbed by individual investors in mutual funds and participants in pension or retirement funds. When the current stock market "bubble" collapses, there will be even more victims of losses. Only the "little guy" stands to lose. That's right. Those small "corrections" of a few thousand dollars here and there that we were told to ignore as "normal market conditions" will never be replaced. Slowly, the "system" is siphoning off wealth from the masses.

Not to worry, as greed eventually wields its ugly head, the Fed will indeed lower the short-term interest rates to zero again. Cheap money will be available for the myriad "private equity" firms to use leveraged buy-outs (LBOs) to acquire, gut, and sell off what's left of any viable domestic business interests. Consumers will go berserk and squeeze the remaining equity out of their homes to "spend, spend, spend." Credit card debt will grow exponentially. And, so forth. As a saver, I am not immune from the effects of the culture of greed. Real inflation is beginning to hyperinflate because of excess "liquidity" (read: cheap money) and the cost of importing oil. Lower interest rates, for me, means that I will have less dividend income and will be forced to use savings just to survive. The tsunami of debt is going to drown all of us once its raging tide come back in.

I have been waiting for my investment IRA bond fund to recover anywhere near its NAV¹ of four years ago. So far, I have incurred about $1,200 in losses, although the fund does earn steady dividends slightly below the money market rate. The losses, I presume, have been siphoned off by the "system." Where did it go? I assume that the wealth transfer lined the pockets of the elite class.

Well, the new Apple® iPhone made its debut today. Thanks, but no thanks. I'll stick with my antiquated Palm® TX. The iPhone is slick, but it's practically useless without a constant data connection. The phone itself is expensive, but the monthly service provider fee (starting at $60) is ridiculous. The iPhone is symbolic of consumer enslavement.

Judith had sent e-mail yesterday to notify me that the Asylum was delivered its fourth and final eviction notice. Apparently, the Asylum has been in arrears with its rent payments. After Samhain took his former partner (a fellow Persian) to the cleaners, he left the fool with a huge albatross. The cash flow problems went through the roof when the Asylum lost its Title IV status for Federal financial aid, the sole source of income for the dump. Judith expects that the faculty will have to vacate the premises within a week.

¹NAV, net asset value.

Prison Life

Last night, I attempted to remain in lockdown all evening. However, I was inundated with over three straight hours of Paris Hilton coverage on CNN®. Although Paris is a hottie, I really am not too concerned about her "ordeal" in prison. It's not like Paris is coming around to do da wild thing with the ol' lavahead. Sheesh! I couldn't take that crap any longer, so I departed for Fudgepacker Park (formerly Kapi'olani Park) at 9:30pm.

I spent about an hour in Fudgepacker Park. I felt much more relaxed. There were quite a few couples walking about as opposed to the usual group of degenerates and the resident homeless population. Foolishly, I had time to reflect on my pathetic life-style. I pondered my future as a celibate monk. A feeling of despair overcame me. I came to my senses a few minutes later when I realized that I have chosen my current life-style. I could never be a part of the so-called "mainstream" society because I do not believe in the "system." I share none of its depraved "values." I do not adhere to its adulterated form of ethics. My signal to leave the park was when the powerful sprinklers abruptly showered the bench that I was sitting on with a stream of rancid water.

When I arrived back in my prison cell (read: little shoebox), I went into lockdown immediately for the remainder of the evening. I did not sleep well at all again last night. I was startled by a series of loud slams from the adjacent prison cell at 5:30am even though I had deployed the ear plugs. I was extremely groggy when I departed for town at 9am. The rest of the day was the same ol' shit.

Special! Prison "Blog" Edition. Well, with little else to discuss, I must resort to the mundane. Yes, we will finally unlock the mystery of Quagmire Prison. Nestled in the filth of Waikiki, along the sewage-clogged banks of the Ala Wai Canal, the single tower of Quagmire Prison rises, yet is dwarfed by the other adjacent hideous high-rise monstrosities. The area is known as "The Jungle," not because it resembles the tropical forests that once proliferated in the area. Rather, it is a jungle of biped simians, the dreaded satanic gargoyles.

(Prison Images No LongerAvailable)
The open-air prison compound is what visually accosts a typical visitor upon arrival at the prison. The seating is tacky but comfortable. The faux tropical decor is annoying at best. Usually, there are myriad fat slob satanic gargoyles festering the entire prison compound.

The prison recreation area is extremely small. Frankly, it is a joke. Yes, the swimming pool is that small. It is slightly larger than Paris Hilton's bathtub. If any of the fat slob satanic gargoyle inmates were to jump into the swimming pool, the total volume of water would vacate almost immediately.

The watch commander's station overlooks the entire prison compound. The garrison, comprised of one prison guard (read: security guard), is deployed by the watch commander's station. Prison operation are handled by the command center located behind the watch commander's station.

The detestable prison cell is possibly even smaller than the prison cell that Paris Hilton occupied. North and south views of the tiny cell reveal its minuscule dimensions and the tacky, albeit sparse, amenities that are provided. Can you spot the puny microwave oven? How about the miniature LCD tube? The little fridge is located in the small cabinet. The prison-issue furniture, by the way, is the culprit in the infamous slammin' soirées.

That concludes the brief tour of Quagmire Prison and the detestable conditions that the ol' lavahead must endure while incarcerated. Unfortunately, no one in the so-called "mainstream" media will be interviewing the ol' lavahead to gain his insights about the real prison of modern life.

Floating Bubbles

When I arrived back at Quagmire Prison (read: hotel) last night, I hastily decided to do the dreaded laundry chores. I was able to secure a washer immediately. However, when I returned to put my laundry in the dryer, I had to wait about 15 minutes for a dickhead to remove his items one-by-one from both of the available dryers. Each item had to patted and folded. I should have slapped his head and made him walk sideways like a crab.

Once the laundry chores were completed, I made a dash for the prison transport stop (read: bus stop). I then rode the prison transport (read: bus) to Ala Moana Center. I was completely fatigued. I sat on one of the benches along the promenade. I observed the myriad satanic gargoyles all toting large shopping bags. Quite a few of them were puffing on cigarettes. The deadly smoke permeated the air leaving me gasping for breath. Everyone was either clutching a cell phone or carrying on a conversation on their phones. A few were sitting on other benches and looking at the screens of their cell phones. In a nutshell, I just described our aggregate society and its culture.

I could not help but observe that the bipeds that comprise what was once known as the "human race" are, in reality, hideous and ugly caricatures or creatures that seem to have no place in nature. Aside from the increasingly rare young hotties, there are few aesthetically pleasing biped lifeforms amongst the masses. The new race of satanic gargoyles are truly grotesque, what with their lard-engorged bodies and sleazy kabuki-masked visages.

I spent an hour in my safe haven, Barnes & Noble®, although the hottie "bookseller" was not there. Boohoo. All was quiet when I arrived back in my prison cell (read: little shoebox). I went into lockdown immediately. I did not sleep well again. At 4:30am, I deployed the ear plugs as a preemptive measure. At 6:55am, I was startled into consciousness by a loud thud even with the ear plugs installed. Obviously, the dickhead was engaged in a slammin' soirée.

I finally got up at 8:42am this morning. Groggy as I was, my departure time was not impeded in any way. I was surprised to see John from Heald board the prison transport while I was en route to town. I was sitting way in the back. He recognized me and joined me for a few minutes. We didn't chat for very long because he alighted about two blocks further. I ended up in town and performed the same benign ritual as detailed in the literary subgenius in the "blog" of April 28th titled, "Who Knew?"

I had a chance to reflect on my modest reunion with the old gang of the Asylum. What a sad story! They had attended a meeting earlier in the morning, the same kind of meeting reminiscent of the Asylum in the days of old. From what I could tell of the grumbling, the content of the meeting was as vapid as always. The same moronic hope that the Asylum will make a turnaround and become a flagship institution was regurgitated. Promises of restored benefits packages, pay raises, and so forth were the fodder of the murmurs that I was privy to hear. When will they ever learn? That's pretty much the new face of wage slavery. Jobs are not careers. Jobs are temporary means of survival. Yet, the payoff is relatively small compared to the grief inflicted upon the lowly wage slave. I have no desire to be a part of that crap anymore.

My discourse on current events has been tempered as of late. In fact, I must reiterate that I am merely glancing through the content appearing on the alternative news sites. It's the same old thing over and over again. The alternative news punditry has been reduced to the role of "preaching to the choir." No one else seems to care. Apathy and ignorance seem to go hand-in-hand these days. Just as physical laziness creates the myriad fat gluttons who mar the landscape, mental laziness produces the kind of sloth, stupidity, and one-track mindedness to purchase endless crap made in China.

Not that ignorance is new, whether that ignorance concerns current events, our national history, or our system of government. More than twenty years ago, I administered a different little quiz to my own community college students up in Washington State, and the resulting answers were equally dismal, with lots of students not able to say which century the American Civil War took place. Students thought Calcutta was in Canada, and that Camp David was in Israel. They also thought that Ralph Nader was a baseball player, and J. Edgar Hoover invented the vacuum cleaner. A majority could not date the year Christ was born within a hundred years, though lots of them were vocal in professing their status as born-again Christians. On blank maps of the world, foreign nations were sometimes placed within the continental boundaries of the United States; i.e., Kansas was misidentified as Poland. And, among the potpourri of bad answers were these: Darwin invented gravity. Andy Warhol wrote War and Peace, Timothy Leary was Secretary of Defense in the then-current Reagan administration, Winston Churchill was a French comedian, and Nagasaki was in Viet Nam. Student estimates of the population of the planet or the United States of America were wildly off the mark˜both high and low. (Ten billion was not an uncommon guess at the population of these United States.) And though Beirut, Lebanon had just been bombed by the U.S. at the time the quiz was given, students had no idea what country that city was located in, placing it all over the globe.

The latter is an excerpt from an article by Jaime O' Neill titled, "The Triumph of Ignorance," that appeared on the Smirking Chimp site. It's a worthy read. Little wonder why I was terminated from the Diploma Mill. Little wonder why I will never return to the joke that is "higher education."

The stock market is surging once again even amidst the collapse of a couple of Bear Stearns "hedge" funds. Real estate prices continue to decline. "Consumer confidence" is down. In fact, there's nothing but a smorgasbord of bad economic news. Yet, the stock market is surging. I am more concerned about future interest rates as set by the Fed. Eventually, interest rates will have to move. Up or down? If interest rates go up, all of those great leveraged buy-outs (LBOs) would come to end. In addition, the real estate market would collapse. Consumer spending would plummet. The trade deficit would drop by natural attrition. A major recession would result.

Now, if interest rates were to drop to zero percent, then LBOs would boom. Jobs would be exported and outsourced like there's no tomorrow. Cheap money would be available to the poor satanic gargoyle consumers to borrow. Thus, the consumer spending spree could go on for a little while longer. A percentage of risky mortgages would be refinanced and possibly slow down the collapse of the so-called "real estate bubble." The stock market "bubble" would continue to inflate. The debt "bubble" would also continue to inflate. The trade deficit would continue to skyrocket. The economy would be booming, albeit propped up artificially. Given that choice, which route will the Fed pursue?

Reunion

I did not provide much detail about the frustration that I went through all day yesterday as I had to deal with an unusually high number of dickheads, morons, and typical satanic gargoyles. I was pushed to the limit of patience by a barrage of stupidity. Is that a sign of the the end times? I ended up at Barnes & Noble® again last night. The hottie "bookseller" was on duty. Baby was looking mighty fine as usual. I meandered around devoid of purpose. I went into lockdown immediately upon my return to my prison cell (read: little shoebox).

I did not sleep well at all. The moron in the next prison cell engaged in a slammin' soirée at 4:30am and again at 6:55am. I finally deployed my new ear plugs. The ear plugs worked extremely well for a very minor expense. The only drawback is that the back pressure of pushing the ear plugs into the ear canal cause some minor discomfort. I am also unable to turn my head to the side to sleep. When I finally got up at 8:15am, I immediately boxed up the useless Brookstone® Tranquil Moments® "sound therapy placebo." In other words, I decommissioned the $100 piece of shit.

At 11:45am, I made the short jaunt to the Asylum, one that I have not made in a long time. Judith had finally responded to me via e-mail last week. Thus, I was able to coordinate a time for a brief visit. When I alighted the elevator on the fourth floor, I observed that the dump was deserted. One lone student was in the student lounge. The halls were completely empty. I peered into a couple of classrooms and noted that there were only between and one and three students in the classes. I ended up at the end of the main hallway, only to discover that the faculty offices had been moved. Chip was sitting at one of the desks. He is one of the two low-level administrators left. He was not too friendly with me, which did not bother me. After all, he proved to be a sell-out just like my old buddy, Kevin. I finally found the faculty offices. James, Judith, Wayne, and Joanne eventually filtered in for an impromptu reunion. I sat and chatted with them for about an hour. Our discussion centered around the Asylum for the most part.

Samhain apparently conned his partner out of a lot of dough (estimated to be $1.7 million with only an initial investment of $700,000). The partner is now stuck with an albatross that is on the verge of collapse. The Asylum recently lost its Title IV financial aid program and its ACICS accreditation. The total enrollment is down to 44 students total. Overall, it is a sad story. The faculty are simply waiting around for the dump to close down so they can file for unemployment compensation. I had a good time talking to the old crew, although it was not like the old days. Judith is planning to move to Las Vegas. She is going there on a scouting trip in a few weeks. I urged James to pan a get-together sometime later outside the Asylum. The rest of the day was the same ol' shit. Little is getting accomplished, although I do not have any specific tasks planned.

Incidentally, I have decided that I must rid myself of Peter Peterson's book, "Running on Empty." Fortunately, I purchased it for only $5 and some change. Peterson's "private equity" firm, The Blackstone Group®, went public last week. Peterson allegedly made $1.8 billion in a single day. Peterson described the problems of structured deficits in his book, yet he is part of the "engorged machination" that I described yesterday. Pure debauchery!

Finally, I have recently discovered James Kunstler's "blog" titled "Clusterfuck Nation." Kunstler, as you may recall, is a a long time advocate of the Peak Oil movement and is the author of the very timely book, "The Long Emergency." Definitely a worthy read.

Ad Hominem

I arrived back in my prison cell (read: little shoebox) yesterday afternoon at 5:45pm after another day of the same ol' shit. I could not endure another evening in lockdown, so I ended up at Barnes & Noble®. The hottie "bookseller" was on duty. Baby was looking mighty fine. I really wasn't in the mood to meander around the bookstore. I'm not sure what I want to do anymore.

This morning, I retrieved my truck from the Waikiki Banyan parking structure and drove to Kahala Mall. As usual, I procured a cup of coffee at the Barnes & Noble® Café and meandered about the bookstore. I met moms at the front entrance at the usual time. Moms and I ate lunch at Panda Express®. I drove moms back to Hawai'i Kai after lunch. My bro was at home when we arrived. Somehow, he did not transmit his return date to his boss, so he has a few more days of vacation time. I chatted with my bro briefly before departing.

Eventually, I ended up in town to perform my usual benign routine. The faculty computer room at the Diploma Mill was still closed. Lori sent e-mail. She wants to go surfing this week. Debbie, my realtor, had called and left a message about a rental unit that she knew of. I called her back to get the details. Caroll has also corresponded by e-mail. She apparently did not take the job with the car dealership. I'm not sure how she is surviving.

I must admit that we are seeing the end days of empire, a hideously engorged machination that is likened to a bull charging to the slaughter. We grow weary waiting for the end. In the meantime, the engorged machination, the "Great Satan," devours and destroys everything in its path. The engorged machination is composed of subordinate gluttonous, biological organisms which feed off of its plunder. We can only be patient.

The moneychangers and the powers-that-be, as disciples of the sinister kahuna, have called upon their master for assistance. A variety of "smoke and mirror" tricks are being used to artificially prop up the global economy. Though, not being satisfied with the latter, the disciples wish to wreak further havoc. I urge everyone to read the article by Michel Chossudovsky titled, "Bush Directive for a "Catastrophic Emergency" in America: Building a Justification for Waging War on Iran?" The article appeared on the Global Research site. Of interest is Chossudovsky's analysis of the disturbing "National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive," NSPD-51/HSPD-20.

Given that no one ever follows my suggested links, I am not sure why I bother. Yes, Sitemeter tracks "out clicks." Am I surprised that there are zero "out clicks"? No, everyone is too busy. Or, the pathetic surrogate for news on CNN is sufficient. Let's face it. Most of us have bought into the "system." We are the "subordinate gluttonous, biological organisms" that I previously mentioned. Too busy wage slaving, too busy consuming, too busy chokin' da chicken. Alas, that is human nature, isn't it? That's why history repeats itself. That's why the moneychangers and the powers-that-be are getting away with crimes against humanity. That's why we were warned by a higher power to "Get out of Babylon!" And, that's why the end time will eventually come.

Furlough

I went into lockdown in my prison cell (read: little shoebox) immediately upon arrival at 5:45pm yesterday afternoon. By 9:30pm, I was going stir crazy. As I was preparing to leave, I noticed that a downpour has started. I had no choice but to remain in lockdown for the remainder of the evening, much to my chagrin. Sadly, I have only two evening furlough options: loiter around Fudgepacker Park (formerly Kapi'olani Park) or hang out at Barnes & Noble® in Ala Moana Center. That's it. I do not care to walk about and peruse the myriad sleazy shops that populate the Waikiki landscape.

Our consumerist culture has been designed as a complete "pay-and-go" operation. There are no other options. That is why there is so much focus on creating the ultimate mausoleum (read: tomb), a self-contained mega-complex for entertainment, eating, and a host of other support services. Those are the trappings of home "ownership," which should really just be called a trap. Little wonder why communities no longer function or exist. The shopping mall has now replaced the community, but it is superficial at best. Satanic gargoyles congregate the shopping mall "community" en masse as consuming automatons. No standard of a real community is achieved. I can then argue that the First World nations have all experienced a deterioration of social structure. Those nations are essentially rotting from within. Is that not what we observe today?

Only major tragedies seems to wake the satanic gargoyles from their coma. However, even amidst tragedy, there is little compassion or empathy. The tattered fabric of society continues to fray. The apathy and morose dereliction of humanity is at the heart of the slow implosion of culture, history, and duty. The epidemic of the "seven sins" runs unabated with the consequences just around the corner.

Lately, as I piddled around with my beloved Palm® TX, I discovered just how useless it really is. Well, I should add that I mean "useless" unless I have a reliable Wi-Fi® connection. As I have mentioned before, there is no free wireless access point that is reliable. I have never figured out the crazy scheme used in Quagmire Prison's wireless access point, although regular computers appear to have no problem. By the same token, the Apple® iPhone will essentially be useless without a constant connection to its one and only service provider. Will I break down, purchase a notebook computer, and install Ubuntu Linux on it? No, that option is not on the table.

I enjoyed being able to spend time with moms in the last two weeks while my bro and his family were away on vacation. It's been a long time since I've sat and ate dinner with moms. Nothing beats a home-cooked meal. I felt like I was really at home. Obviously, I had to ignore the fact that the house now belongs to my bro and his family. I will be back to meeting moms at Kahala Mall every Monday. If I get a chance, I will try to visit at least one other day in the week, although times will be limited.

Tears of a Clown

I spent the entire evening in lockdown in my prison cell (read: little shoebox) once I returned at 7pm last night. As of late, I have spent most of my lockdown time mesmerizing my mind with the mindless fodder on the tube. I have been watching the extremely mind-numbing coverage of what supposedly passes as "news" on CNN®. I cannot see how anyone could claim to be informed just by viewing the news on the tube. The primary focus is anything "sensational," usually scandalous celebrity crap. Timely news items are devoid of substance. Very little quantitative data is presented, if any. Too many opinions of punditry are offered in lieu of fact.

Another day of the same ol' shit. I have been purchasing a box of Nature Valley® Granola Bars, a banana, and a small cup of Seattle's Best® coffee at Safeway® for the past week. That is pretty much all that I consume during the day. I may not go back to eating the air-filled energy bars. I am not sure if my low-caloric diet is to blame, but I have been feeling rather blasé lately. I have been devoid of affect, mostly going about my days like an automaton. Only my extended visits with moms has meant anything to me. I've observed a marked similarity between myself and the various derelicts and homeless loitering conspicuously everywhere.

I suppose that many "armchair psychologists" would pipe in right now. The "self-help" crowd would be pontificating about symptoms of depression and the need to seek therapy just as they did in the days of the journal. Lack of meaning, lack of purpose, no job, all will be cited as the causation of symptoms. In addition, I am devoid of hobbies and interests. I am a social recluse as well. When my mind was much weaker and more gullible to "mainstream" thinking, I bought into the possibility of dysthymia as my affliction. However, I can no longer accept such foolishness. The modern shopping, "pay-and-go" culture is at the root of this sick society. Attempting to maintain a high "standard-of-living" and acquire false "wealth" at any cost has created an environment of high anxiety. The cultural icons of real "wealth" are flaunted in front of us, the pathetic peons, at every turn. We can never measure up, but we fruitlessly keep trying. We so desperately want to be rich and famous, so perfect, so youthful, so infantile, that we forget about how our mortality is being used against us by the moneychangers and powers-that-be. Incredible amounts of time and money must be expended in the quest to become a "winner."

The "loser" will also shell out a lot of dough. "Losers" are a large market, ripe for the picking. Healthcare and psychological services are the primary benefactors of the "losers" market. So are the authors of the myriad "self-help" and "self-improvement" books and audio CDs. The real "losers," the ones who give up and become "depressed," are an even greater market. Illicit drugs, cheap booze, psychopharmaceuticals are huge profit centers. The real "winners," the top five percent in the food chain, are laughing all the way to the bank. They are capitalizing on the insecurity of the masses.

Boredom, the mainstay of "losers" and the greatest fear of "winners," is yet another tool to separate the masses from their money. The insecurity that boredom invokes will snap anyone into action to do anything, purchase anything, to stave off its debilitating effects. Yet, what is boredom. Usually, boredom comes about during solitary time. Yes, time alone. The weak, untrained mind is unable to cope with solitary time for it depends solely on external stimuli to distract it. As I have mentioned before, boredom invokes fear of mortality. We are wasting time and missing out on something, whatever that might be. Worst of all, solitary time forces the mind to think on its own. Even a weak, untrained mind can embark on a fearful journey of discovery. The Journey of the Mind.

One could technically become insane during the Journey of the Mind. After all, the mind has the capability to transcend our physical constraints. The mind's thoughts can become tortuous. Sadly, societal trends have worked extremely hard at "infantilizing" the mind, conditioning and softening it to make it more susceptible to suggestions of consumption. We learn to take in, literally consume, everything without a single thought or question. It is a unilateral Pavlovian process that simulates the breast-feeding of milk to a child. In boredom or solitary time, there is no consumption. The milk has been cut off. The child becomes fearful and cries in anguish.

The mind offers us two options. It can aid and abet us to attain insanity. Or, it can provide the way out of insanity. The latter option requires discipline and mental regulation. I have used a steady implementation of the monk life-style in order to wean myself of external stimuli. In turn, the cyclic pain and pleasure responses will be attenuated through a natural dampening process. The end result is, more or less, a steady-state mood condition devoid of prolonged affect. Obviously, there will always be situations which prompt spiked affect responses. We have not been acculturated to accept null conditions as normal. Therefore, the normal first reaction would be horror followed by panic.

Careful introspection would yield that the steady-state null-mood condition is not one of extreme boredom. It is a peaceful state that allows the mind to relax. It also allows the mind to progress to a reflective state. In the latter state, the mind is capable of embarking on infinite journeys. The mind can also completely clear itself of thought as often done in meditation. I found that I have been able to slow my pace down even further when I accepted the steady-state condition. Even the usual annoyances have had little effect on me. And, I have benefited more from my gym workouts as well. You may have also guessed that I have described the only cure for the epidemic of the "seven sins."

I frequently become teary-eyed during the day when I reflect on the many facets of my current life and life-style. No, I am not a wimpy faggot. I am talking about tears of sadness, tears of pain, and tears of joy. I feel regret over my belated decision to return to Hawai'i from the mainland. It would not have been so bad had I been involved in something productive. I wasn't. What hurts the most is that I just could not bring myself to fly back to visit for years on end. In the 27 years that I was away, I can probably count the number of times that I visited with both hands and have surplus fingers remaining. I've discussed the latter in the journal. I am happy that I finally returned to Hawai'i to honor my parents at the least. I have had to make major sacrifices to survive here, but that is a moot point in comparison. There is pain when I think about the masses who are suffering in various parts of the planet. I cannot help but feel the pain as I read the real news on the alternative sites or in the international media.

Ever since I read Robert Fisk's book, "The Great War for Civilization," I have never been the same. As a matter of fact, I have had little interest in purchasing any of the books that I have subsequently perused. It matters little about what I can and cannot do about world events. However, I can, at the least, learn the truth about evil and avoid its snare. I doubt that anyone has followed my recommendation to read Fisk's book. As I said, I have never been the same. I have not looked at news reports, especially from the Middle East, the same. I have not been compelled to believe in the virtue of human governments. Simply put, I have come to see El Diablo walking in and about the planet. Fisk's book is not the only book that could have a profound affect on a person, although it tends to "hit home" since the events he described are continuing to unfold as we speak. I have come to ask myself, why does this evil continue? Why do we still witness the same kind of genocide, the same holocausts, that have happened since the beginning of time? With all of the accumulated knowledge, even readily available thanks to technology, why are we as barbaric and cruel or even worse than our predecessors?

Fisk titled his book, "The Great War for Civilization," though I believe that he had a cynical intent. Civilizations are, in theory, determined to improve the lot of their inhabitants. Wars do not create civilizations. Wars destroy them. There is no way to justify the streamlining of genocide. It's all too easy now, with the general peasantry being the all-encompassing "collateral damage." Even in the First World, the "useless eaters" become victims of attrition. The dividing line is always about money or resources. Oftentimes, the normal "citizen" is simply unaware of anything beyond the small bubble of the "self." Thus, a self-ingratiating form of narcissism detaches the "self" from responsibility. All too often, a financial transaction finalizes its causality upon completion. We need not look any further and, therefore, are immune from complicity. Even those who still can feel compassion are aversive to pain. Better to not know.

Politics, by and large, has become a very sick game show. The all-purpose "good cop, bad cop" theatrics have disappeared into obscurity as the ratings plunged. How could it go on any further? In the end, we were simply left with "bad cop, even worse cop." I only mention the latter because I am rather sick of it. To add insult to injury, the corruption and malfeasance has hit an all-time high. There is nothing to distinguish politics from the world of entertainment. It's big-time joke, a "country club" for and by the elite class. Even the punditry and peons who follow politics do so with the glee of a sports fan. As we witness the slickness, the overall debauchery, and the numerous superficial public relations stunts, we tend to forget about the "collateral damage." Government does not exist. We have nothing left but myriad fascist dictatorships, corporatocracies, with a cast of very lousy wannabe actors and even more pathetic wannabe comedians. And, the real joke is on us!

The myriad satanic gargoyles and minions of the sinister kahuna want to be entertained. And, that's what they get. Entertainment, however, costs a lot of money. As with every program in the entertainment world, the novelty wears off quick. That's the main reason why the general public is tired of the Iraq war. Thus, a new war, say with Iran, will be needed to revitalize the ratings.

Wealth of Fools

I reaffirmed the dismal nature of my existence as a cog in the machine of empire when I materialized back in the same mundane routine today as detailed through literary subgenius in the "blog" of April 28th titled, "Who Knew?" Even after my no-fanfare emancipation from wage slavery, I remain a simple cog. Really, who knew? Working steadfastly to exit society has not yet produced the desired result. Will it ever? I have maintained the moratorium on new purchases of useless possessions, even amidst growing temptation. I have carefully boycotted known exploiters such as Wal-Mart®, although I am certain that there no longer remains any large corporate entity that is not exploitative. Obviously, my "standard-of-living" and, hence, my "wealth," are both extremely low.

What exactly is "wealth"? And, how does it correlate to "standard-of-living"? In this nation (known as the "Great Satan" by various Third World nations), the definition of "wealth" is purely materialistic. By and large, "wealth" is the sum total of all tangible assets (i.e., material possessions). Moving further up the food chain, the addition of non-tangible financial assets enters the picture. Thus, for the masses, the accumulation of material possessions which allow them to appear affluent is the nature of "wealth." Furthermore, the masses will incur enormous amounts of debt in order to attain higher levels of perceived "wealth." Aside from the satanic origins (i.e., epidemic of the "seven sins) of greed and avarice, the desire for superficial "wealth" has its roots in our mortality, the basic thought being that we must possess all that we can or accomplish all that we can during our limited lives. If we are not successful at doing so, then we failed. The question, of course, is what exactly would we have failed at?

Are we then mistaking "standard-of-living" for "wealth"? Does the problem stem from equating "wealth" exclusively with money? In the current metamorphosis of our culture, "standard-of-living" is determined by the accrual of material possessions and the ability to pay for desired services. Nothing more, nothing less. In our increasingly superficial society, the tendency to compare our "standard-of-living" with that of our peers is high and provides the impetus to deplete our real "wealth" to outdo our competition. Thus, we are, in essence, mistakenly equating "standard-of-living" and "wealth." So much so that we actually will deplete real "wealth" in order to attain a perceived "standard-of-living" (read: false "wealth").

In my own fight against the demons of materialism, I had to realize the humiliation of appearing to be impoverished. Physical appearances tend to make strong impressions. I have very little in the way of clothing options. I now only own three board shorts and a handful of T-shirts and tank tops. I do not own a cell phone or a computer, which further makes me appear impoverished and disconnected from the so-called "mainstream." I rarely drive, option for mass transit, which further adds to the impression that I cannot afford even a beat-up 4000-pound motorized chair (read: automobile). I am also unemployed with no health insurance. The combination of those factors creates a very powerful image of a derelict, an image that will lock the ol' lavahead out of certain "privileges" of society. After all, I have forsaken the status quo "standard-of-living" and refused to acquire false "wealth." I have become a social outcast.

I have constantly reviewed the remnant of my false "wealth," specifically the "condotel" unit and my Nissan® Frontier truck, both of which are thorns in my side. In the end, neither the former or the latter have increased my "standard-of-living" or my real "wealth." Frankly, my real "wealth" has diminished. In turn, my "standard-of-living" has declined. Without understanding the true definitions of the terms involved, I would have misconstrued my position and pursued much more destructive goals.

With a minimum of material possessions, is real "wealth" simply "money in the bank"? And, what exactly is that money worth while it sits in the bank? Let's just say that "money in the bank" includes savings accounts, investment accounts, retirement accounts, pension plans, annuities, stocks, bonds, and so forth. Essentially, I am referring to "paper wealth." No real enjoyment is experienced by the accumulation and storage of "paper." Loss of all or some of that "paper" is highly probable, so it offers only moderate security. So, what good is it? The outcome of such a debate is at the heart of the whole discussion so far. Our perception of real "wealth" will determine whether we become rabid satanic gargoyle consumers or not.

Obviously, real "wealth" should also include other "intangibles" such as health and fitness, family, personal satisfaction, certain liberties, happiness, and other subjective components. Mind you, I refer to those components as "intangibles" because they are not a function of the acquisition of material possessions. They are also mutually exclusive of "paper wealth."

My discussion of this matter comes at an important juncture. I am rapidly approaching old age, and I am still grappling with elementary concepts that essentially is constricting the enjoyment of my life. I am embedded in a society that embrace values opposed to my own. I am, therefore, unable to function properly in that society. I am still too weak-minded or ignorant to believe that I have actually obtained what I have truly desired in life. My weak-mindedness is what often persuades me to keep one foot in the door rather than make a complete exit as well as dupes me into making bad decisions that set me back. Yet, sadly, being an outcast is certainly not an enjoyable experience.

The key, though, is that I am actually where I need to be at this point in time. I am in the fortunate position to find meaning and happiness without having to rely on externalities such as useless material possessions, meaningless pursuits, superficial friendships, and so forth. From the standpoint of the satanic gargoyles, I would appear to be weak misfit. A loser. Yet, why would I want to see myself in their eyes? I am driven to "Get out of Babylon." That is what I must do.

Magic Mullah

I ended up at Barnes & Noble® last night. The hottie "bookseller" was on duty. Baby has been looking really hot lately. Once I returned to my prison cell (read: little shoebox), I went into lockdown for the remainder of the evening.

Moms called early this morning to invite me to stop by in Hawai'i Kai. After retrieving my truck, I drove to Kahala Mall first. I purchased a cup of coffee in the Barnes & Noble® Café and perused a few magazines. I finally drove out to Hawai'i Kai and arrived there before noon. Moms and I ate steak barbeque plate lunches from Foodland. While moms took an after noon nap, I walked down to the gym in Koko Marina. Moms prepared Broiled Opelu, a local fish, and Zippys® chili for dinner. All in all, a nice day.

My purpose for discussing economics is simply to maintain a vigil on the corrupt nature of the world of finance. We are all being robbed blind by various forms of Ponzi schemes¹, the latest being the lure of easy credit (read: debt). The money "system" is a machination of the moneychangers and powers-that-be, the sole purpose of which was to maintain control of the masses. The current breed of the elite class may be suffering from the genetic defects of inbreeding because they are engaged in the most blatant wealth transfer to ever occur in history. The masses are being robbed blind, willingly, I might add. Thus, the masses are also complicit in their demise.

Since I currently depend solely on investment income, I must be even more vigilant. Thus, I had exchanged the last of my IRA stock mutual fund shares for IRA money market shares. I have noted that, over the years, the general advice was to maintain a portfolio of mixed investments with stock mutual funds assuming a suggested 80 percent of the portfolio. They key, we were told, is regular investing through up or down times. The average performance projections would be positive, in the range of 8 to 10 percent per year. That, of course, is a crock of shit. In the last ten years, I watched the one stock mutual fund go up significantly during the so-called "stock market bubble" and drop back to the original NAV² during the bursting of the "bubble." By the way, that's the same hype told to all 401(k) investors. And, just imagine if Shrub's plan to "privatize" Social Security was implemented. Mutual funds are not self-maintaining. An investor must take an active role in shifting from fund to fund when necessary. My current goal now is to salvage what is left of my IRA bond fund investment, which was significantly hammered as of late. When I returned to Waikiki, I went into lockdown in my prison cell for the rest of the evening.

Say what? Why don't I just go back to wage slavery? Well, that is an option that is still "on the table," just like a possible incursion into Iran. However, I really don't want to return to wage slavery. I have no aversion to work per se. I cannot tolerate the myriad satanic gargoyles that I must interact with. Wage slavery, if left unchecked, is also the "seed" that gives birth to the kind of thinking that is fueling consumerism and debt to an all-time high. There is a false sense of security amongst the satanic gargoyles that their regular paychecks are permanent. On such-and-such a day, money will magically be appear. And, the magic money will continue forever. Magic mullah, dinero, cabbage. The clever mind that then discovers the power of leveraging. Loaned money is quite easy to obtain. Student loans are the easiest. Mortgages and credit cards are just about as easy. I was able to secure several mortgages in just a couple of hours of time. My first mortgage required a lot of documentation and income verification. The mortgage for the "condotel" unit was approved way before I submitted any paperwork. Yes, it's all so easy until it backfires. However, I maintain an unusual 1:5 debt-equity ratio as reported in the net worth spreadsheet (not available). Nonetheless, it is my goal to exit the "system." I must get out of Babylon.

¹Ponzi schemes are a type of illegal pyramid scheme named for Charles Ponzi.

²NAV, net asset value.

Rubric of Idiocy

Last night, I went immediately into lockdown in my prison cell (read: little shoebox) for the entire evening yet again. Lately, I have taken to view the "sanitized" news on CNN®, which leaves a lot to be desired. Redundant, bland, often parochial, to put it mildly. When I could not take the "talking heads" banality any further, I retrieved my Palm® TX and piddled with it until the internal batteries drained to a few dull sparks. If I only I had a computer with Ubuntu Linux, I said to myself. There's the infantile urge to consume wielding its ugly head again.

Another day of the same ol' shit. As I sit in the student computer lab at the Diploma Mill, I cannot help but feel an overwhelming wave of hopelessness. Around me are the typical college students, satanic gargoyles in training, who will soon take our places as the driving force of consumerism. Random loud tones are heard as various cell phones are delivering useless text messages to their recipients. Well, that's a little better than listening to four or five intrusive cell phone conversations simultaneously, I suppose. Within minutes, the students are sitting at the computer sending off e-mail or piddling around on Myspace®. They have already inherited uncivil behavior from their parents and peers, so there is no hope that we will see the restoration of a real society in our lifetimes. The "poor student" syndrome is at the heart of the rationale for shopping at Wal-Mart®, a habit that will perpetuate far into the senior years.

That's a snapshot of the culture that we are breeding, one that promises to be even more consuming than the last. There will be no end to the consumer-driven culture. Consumer debt will continue to grow until it surpasses the GDP. I've called it a disease, the epidemic of the "seven sins," and that's what it is. Whether Peak Oil has arrived or not is inconsequential to the average satanic gargoyle. The disease reaches an advanced stage rapidly. Every day, I observe the endless streams of 4000-pound motorized chairs (read: automobiles) vying for space on the crowded roads. Every parking lot is filled with 4000-pound motorized chairs fleeting about carelessly in an effort to find a convenient parking space. When petrol reaches $10 per gallon, the traffic will be even more horrendous. Traffic now is worse than when petrol was half the cost per gallon. Thus, I am not surprised that consumers are incurring even greater debt at higher interest rates. Infantile desires have overridden common sense.

I become sickened when I hear or read various platitudes from the rabid sophist punditry that serve as meaningless apologia for the "American people." They have faith in the "American people." They believe in the "American people." They know that the "American people" are not easily duped. The believe that the "American people" are best the world has to offer. Are these fools that far detached from reality? Did they neglect to take their anti-psychotic medication? The "American people" are by far the most dumb, uncivilized, and ungrateful satanic gargoyles on the planet. By means of their gluttony, greed, and avarice, they are complicit in actions that enslave and oppress the majority of the world population (including themselves), rob the world of most of its resources, and destroy the viable ecosystems of the planet. Then, these same great "American people" wrap their evil ways in the flag and in the doctrines of their false religions (most professing to be so-called "Christians").

In my discussion yesterday, I tersely focused on China for a number of reasons, the main one being its tremendous dollar currency reserves and its holdings of dollar-based securities. The US has been trying to pressure China to manipulate its currency in an attempt to increase the cost of imported Chinese goods, a feeble attempt to slow down the trade deficit. The US can no longer manipulate the dollar. It's been devalued to its lowest point, another feeble attempt to depreciate the huge trade deficits. A stronger dollar would only serve to increase imports and decrease exports across all countries. In addition, there are severe limitations with dollar valuation since it still remains the oil trading currency. Since real inflation is a function of oil prices, the tedious relationship between the dollar and per barrel prices of oil can be devastating. Thus, the US was left with only one option: isolate the problem by forcing China to tweak its currency. Obviously, if China tweaks its currency, then it changes the entire nature of its trade with all countries.

Internal collapse of the economic "system" seems even more unlikely. Even when the total wealth of the middle class and impoverished classes is transferred to the elite class, the "system" will remain intact for a number of years, if not indefinitely. The resultant impoverished class will be populated by an extremely large, docile, and demoralized demographic base. We can only expect the former satanic gargoyles to wallow in their misery and perish silently. Whether they incurred huge sums of debt is also inconsequential because their future purchasing power will be severely limited. All of their debt will be restructured for payment over their lifetime, not likely to be "forgivable" given the new bankruptcy laws.

External collapse of the economic "system" is the most probable scenario. The current accounts deficit (i.e., trade deficit) and the national (i.e., governmental) debt will most likely be the cause with a major crisis such as Peak Oil being the catalyst. An increased war theater in the Middle East vis-à-vis Iran could also be a major catalyst. When, I keep asking myself, will the secular Apocalypse finally arrive?

Well, the long-awaited icon of stupidity will soon become reality. Rather than face the enormous Easter Island emulation of unsustainability, the "planners" have decided to have the residents pay to ship garbage from Hawai'i to the mainland, at least according to an article in the Star-Bulletin. Out of sight, out of mind ... until the invoice shows up. If we read between the lines, the message is quite clear: keep building more hotel, subdivisions, and condo projects. Infinite growth on a small island? "If you build it, they will come¹."

¹Quote from film, "Field of Dreams."

Farewell Godot

I was back to the same ol' shit again today. With the faculty computer room at the Diploma Mill being closed, I had to tote my gym bag around with me all day. In addition, there was no free generic coffee available. So, I had to purchase a cup of coffee at Safeway®, which I will have to do all week. My computer time will be accomplished in the student computer lab. Incidentally, I spend about one hour to report every single one of the 200 pieces of crap e-mail that I receive daily. That does not include the over 500 "spam" e-mail that is automatically deleted daily. Mind you, most of the crap e-mail is filtered directly to the trash. However, I still report the crap e-mail. I do not plan to detail this benign shit in the "blog" again for the rest of the week. That's the routine, shitty as it may be.

The proliferation of "spam" and crap e-mail is a sorry statement of our culture, whether we chose to believe it or not. Receiving close to 1,000 such e-mail daily is ridiculous to say the least. The nature of "spam" and crap e-mail is the solicitation of money. Every aspect of our lives is now jeopardized by the constant solicitation of money. I am sickened by the fixation we have with money. I am made to gag by the greed that has festered out of control in our culture.

I usually spend a lot of time reading the alternative news media but, frankly, I am getting sick of that shit as well. I am essentially sick and tired of everything. All I want is a very simple cost-effective life-style that infringes little upon the fragile ecosystem of the planet. I want to enjoy simple pleasures in relative solitude. As for the alternative news, it's the same ol' shit. I have decided that nothing is gong to change because of the majority rule. The majority of satanic gargoyles love the "system" and nothing will change until they are ultimately betrayed by that same "system."

I have become mentally drained with the continued discussions about the incursions into Iraq and Afghanistan. Both wars are extremely badly, no matter what propaganda is released by the "mainstream" press. Sadly, I am fatigued by the continued discussion of the logistics of both wars by the alternative media. Can't anyone get a clue? The Shrub administration remains firmly committed to both war fronts. The so-called "surge" in Iraq has already metamorphosed into a long-term escalation. Was that a surprise? Even in the face of passive public outcry, the Shrub administration, the Republicans, and the Democrats continue with the "good cop, bad cop" theatrics when it is fairly obvious that the plan to escalate the wars is the main priority. Was that a surprise? In the end, the rhetoric is no longer making sense. The justifications for war have either proven to be lies or are simply lame. In addition, there are only three truly independent nations in the region left, that being Syria, Libya, and Iran. What does that tell us? We have a "rogue" government that is no longer answering to the "American people." Can this not be made any clearer?

My contention is that we have entered into the era of Peak Oil. We are in the plateau region, which means supply and demand are at an equilibrium, albeit a shaky one. Even if production quotas were increased, there would still be an equilibrium condition because demand is increasing proportionately. Rising oil prices are a symptom, not inflation. Real inflation, if anything, is a function of rising oil prices. Thus, the answer to the "rogue" nature of government lies in the premise and validity of Peak Oil. At this time, Peak Oil has nothing to do with the aggregate quantity of crude oil remaining in the ground.

Ultimately, of course, the consumption practices of the US population is the driving force behind the instability on the planet, running the gamut of the thinly-veiled "war on terror," global pollution, global climate change, global resource depletion, global financial instability, and so forth. There is no escaping this fact. I, myself, came to further understand the precarious nature of world events when I had perused Kevin Phillips' book, "American Theocracy" for the second time. As with most of the other authors who detailed the perils of empire, Phillips delved into the subject of debt. In the foreword to the paperback edition of the book, Phillips provided a detailed update. I focused on his apparent shock at discovering that national and consumer debt as well as the current account deficit continued to climb throughout 2006 and was slated to increase unabated from that point forward. All that amidst an environment of rising interest rates! Most of the "doom and gloom" prophets had expected the US economy to have collapsed by now. Could the doomsayers have all been wrong? Are they simply foolish pessimists? Is the US just so powerful that it can do anything while suffering absolutely no repercussions?

Personally, I do not believe that the "doom and gloom" prophets were wrong. What seems to be occurring is that several nations, China in particular, are continuing to amass dollar currency reserves and are using those reserves to purchase US securities, essentially extending loans to the US. China, South Korea, and Japan will continue this practice indefinitely because it is essential that they maintain their export status quo. The kingpin is China. If and when China decides to stop purchasing US securities, then the game is over for the US. That will happen whenever the central planners have determined that China will be able to maintain its own sustainable market-driven society. Thus, in the meantime, the Chinese government is investing heavily in the nation's internal infrastructure and its military. It is almost plainly obvious that China is making rapid investments in its military because it expects a military confrontation with the US in the future. The latter is not totally incomprehensible. The Chinese central bank has refused to capitulate to US demand to manipulate its currency. China has also been blamed for many US woes as of late (e.g., tainted pet food, copyright piracy). And, the Chinese government has been wheelin' and dealin' with many resource-rich nations using "soft diplomacy" (read: money).

So, how long can the Asian nations continue to fund the US with loans? Indefinitely, I'd say. The US, naturally, gives preferential treatment to Japan and South Korea because both nations' governments and central banks kowtow to the moneychangers and powers-that-be. Only China remains the shadowy, unpredictable entity. Yes, all of that financial wizardry was made possible by the satanic gargoyle consumer, so completely infected with the epidemic of the "seven sins." The need to purchase so much useless crap at the lowest possible prices is what has brought us to this juncture. The disease has become so malignant that consumer debt continues to rise. The consumer has created the debt-driven economy. The consumer has caused the huge trade deficit. The consumer is fueling real inflation because of excessive energy consumption, most of which rely on imported resources. By the same token, a like-minded government has caused the huge national debt by invoking "endless" wars. Yes, the buck stops here, as the old adage goes.

Lastly, the homeless population in Hawai'i increased by 28.2 percent according to an article in the Honolulu Advertiser. I predicted that the homeless population was going to continue to rise as the cost of living increases exponentially in the islands. Need I say more?

Nada

This morning, I retrieved my truck from the Waikiki Banyan parking structure and drove to Ala Moana Center. I purchased a cup of coffee at Starbucks® and waited for moms near Longs®. Moms arrived at 10:30am. After moms did some shopping, we walked to the other end of the mall to eat lunch at Shirokiya. Then, I drove moms back to Hawai'i Kai. I spent the rest of the afternoon in Hawai'i Kai. As to be expected, I walked to the gym in Koko Marina to do my cardio workout while moms took a nap. My bro and his family will be returning on Friday, so this was the last day for me to spend an extended amount of time with moms. All in all, I valued the time.

When I returned to Waikiki, I went into lockdown in my prison cell (read: little shoebox) for the remainder of the evening. The rest of the "blog" for today was lost because of the shitty computer that I was typing this shit on. Frankly, I am sick of writing this crap. I will not attempt to replicate the lost verbiage.

Squeakin' By on Nothin'

Another evening of the same ol' shit has come and gone. Lockdown in my prison cell (read: little shoebox)! How can I go on with this mundanity?

Skipping my usual Sunday routine, I retrieved my truck from the Waikiki Banyan parking structure and drove out to Hawai'i Kai this morning. Once there, I went on another tanning hike up Koko Head. This time, I brought a tube of sunscreen and a bottle of water with me. I went on the hike even though I had barely recovered from the bout of sunburn last week. The hike was relaxing. On the way back down, I observed one person actually longboard surfing in Hana'uma Bay. The maximum ride that the surfer could attain was probably 50 feet. Hana'uma Bay is fairly shallow with lots of coral reefs. The surfer was able to make an abrupt turn just before the coral reefs, quite a feat with a longboard. Then, he paddled out to catch the next wave.

I spent the rest of the day in Hawai'i Kai visiting with moms. As to be expected, I walked down to the gym in Koko Marina. Moms made Curry Stew for dinner. I departed for Waikiki at 7pm. As for the rest of the evening, what can I say? I made an appearance at Barnes & Noble®. The hottie "bookseller" was on duty. Baby was looking mighty fine. I was very fatigued, so I simply meandered around the bookstore. I checked out a few Linux books as well. The main advantage of Linux, if I haven't mentioned it before, is the proliferation of young Linux hotties. E wawa! I ran into Airi, a former Diploma Mill student, at the prison transport stop (read: bus stop). I was able to chat with her for 20 minutes because the bus we were waiting for did not show up. Once back in my prison cell, I went back into lockdown.

I transferred $400 from my investment account to my local bank in order to cover more expenses. As of the beginning of this month, I have been totally reliant on the proceeds of my investment accounts. As it stands, I am only breaking even. Thus, if the interest rates were to decrease, I will be in financial chaos. I can safely say that I am one of the poor fools who are in the impoverished class. I will be part of the first or second wave of the impoverished masses to be reduced to a state of dereliction. Concurrently, the wedge that is driving the so-called "middle class" apart will finally fulfill its task. A small percentage of "middle class" satanic gargoyles will graduate to the elite class. The rest will be put in the queue slated for dereliction. In the end, we will either be in the proletariat or bourgeoisie class, the former being the most probable.

I will have no access to a computer until Tuesday, which is a blessing. I can, of course, sneak into the Apple® Store and briefly use one of the display models. Or, I can sit outside the Apple® Store and connect to the wireless network with my beloved Palm® TX. The faculty computer room at the Diploma Mill will be closed all week because new carpet is being put in. If anything, I will have to spend time in the student computer lab (just as I do on the weekends). This could have been a perfect opportunity for me to wean myself of the "blog" or commence the curtailment of regular updates. Just as a fat slob satanic gargoyle cannot resist the temptation of lard-filled Hostess® Ding Dongs, I cannot avoid "blog" gluttony. Sickening, isn't it?

Slow Motion

I spent most of the evening in lockdown in my prison cell (read: little shoebox), a deplorable compromise of my nightly ritual. Later, I became distraught and stir crazy. So, I spent an hour in the prison compound (read: hotel lobby) browsing through Mike Ruppert's book, "Crossing the Rubicon." I have been particularly interested in the projected timeline of events detailed in the book, much of which is unfolding as we speak.

After going into final lockdown in my prison cell for the night, I also perused Robert Fisk's book, "The Great War for Civilization." When events unfold in various parts of the Middle East, I refer to Fisk's book in order to review the historical perspective and possible antecedents. The violent rift between Fatah and Hamas is tearing apart the Palestinian nation. Yet, there can be no understanding of why such a violent clash came about until the history of the Palestinians, oppressed by both Zionist Israel and the US, is analyzed. The eruption of civil war in the Palestinian state is not just an act of random violence. Feelings of frustration and abandonment have been festering for decades.

I followed my usual Saturday routine as detailed in the April 28th "blog" titled, "Who Knew?" I have been making a concerted effort to slow down my pace. Believe me, the task has been difficult. The fact that I am a senior citizen has been been fully accepted by my physiology. My body seems to have no qualms about moving at a slower pace. However, my mind becomes impatient, anxious, as it were. I must consciously calm myself down. I must actually reason with myself to prove that there is no need to be in a hurry. Moving at a slow pace has its drawbacks. At times, I feel as though I am going to pass out from moving so slow. That's the beauty of moving in "slo-mo" (read: slow motion).

Desire

I was back to my old routine again today. Yeah, same ol' shit as detailed in the April 28th "blog" titled, "Who Knew?" I have spent a considerable amount of time visiting with moms in the past week. My bro and his family will return at the end of next week from their vacation. Thus, I have another week to spend additional time with moms. I cannot place a set value upon those visits, they are priceless.

Even though the world situation is apparently degenerating, I have opted to spend much of my conscious moments contemplating the purchase of a new computer. I have already identified that I am succumbing to the initial disease of consumerism, the same disease that weakens the psychological immune system to debilitating effects of the epidemic of the "seven sins."

I found that I have grown weary of my Palm® TX. It is too small and useless, I tell myself now. Yet, my only purpose for owning a computer is the "freedom" to compose of the "blog." What is more ironic is that I am fighting an internal battle to free myself of the "blog." I find that it no longer serves any purpose.

The real reason that I want to purchase a new computer is that I am essentially bored and devoid of any meaningful activity. Boredom, in and of itself, need not be a catalyst for useless purchases. However, the construct of society now only recognizes consumer transactions as valid social processes. As I have said many times before, our sole purpose is to purchase goods and services. Our existence is defined only by financial transactions. By the very nature of the latter definition, our lives are meaningless.

Even more disconcerting is that one of my objectives has been to decrease my dependence on technology, which was an essential component for my ultimate exodus from society. My latest rationalizations are even more ludicrous. A new computer will allow me to revisit an old hobby. I will be able to "nerd out" by installing and tweaking the Ubuntu Linux operating system, I tell myself. What will I do with the finished product? Most likely, I will spend time reading the alternative news sites or composing the "blog." Of course, I could resurrect my vast hurdy-gurdy DVD library since the computer will have the Totem media player. No, my rationale makes no sense.

My own manner of thought is all-pervasive in the current malignant culture. Whenever I wait at the prison transport stop (read: bus stop) at night in Ala Moana Center, I observe the sheer number of satanic gargoyles walking in single-file all loaded down with shopping bags from the Wal-Mart® superstore across the street. Although Wal-Mart® is the trendsetter for abusing wage slaves, the spendthrift consumer cares only about lower prices. The sickness of acquiring more useless crap (made in China) at the cost of our dignity is alarming. Am I any different in desiring a useless computer? Knowing that the computer will have been manufactured in China seems to be the largest deterrent for me so far. I have nothing against Communist China. However, I cannot be discussing our domestic economic perils on the one hand and purchasing excessive amounts of Chinese-produced goods on the other hand. That, my friends, would be hypocrisy.

There is a point where pain and suffering must enter the picture for those of us who have not experienced such a reality. As I have previously mentioned in the "blog," there must be some kind of equilibrium in the long run, even for abstractions such as pain and suffering. Until there is sufficient pain and suffering in this nation, nothing will change.

I can only add that the acceptance of oppression, albeit through coercion, has been voluntary. The current form of oppression was something that the "American people" wanted. The malignant life-style of the fat slob satanic gargoyle was highly desired, hence there will be no change. Sadly, a desired life-style, when obtained, is not a product of oppression no matter how malignant it is. Freedom to accept coercion is still freedom.

Twilight

I ended up at Barnes & Noble® last night. The hottie "bookseller" was on duty. Once again, baby was looking mighty fine. I was significantly distracted by baby all evening. I had no choice to procure a big-ass can of cheap brewski once I returned to Waikiki. How else can I tolerate the conditions at Quagmire Prison?

This morning, I retrieved my truck from the Waikiki Banyan parking structure and drove to Kahala Mall. I purchased a cup of coffee at the Barnes & Noble® Café and perused a few Linux magazines to waste time. I drove to Hawai'i Kai at 11:45am. Moms was already home when I arrived. I spent the afternoon in Hawai'i Kai. I drove moms to Koko Marina to do some shopping at Foodland. Then, we ate a nice lunch. I walked to the gym during moms' nap time. Later, moms and I ate Spam® and rice for dinner. Simple meals are the best. I was able to enjoy a nice chat with moms as well. I finally said good-bye at 6:45pm.

My evening was predictable. I ended up back at Barnes & Noble®. The hottie "bookseller" was on duty and looking mighty fine. I meandered about with no express purpose other than avoiding time in my prison cell (read: little shoebox). However, once I returned to Waikiki, I went directly into lockdown for the rest of the evening.

To conclude my previous discussion yesterday about the economy, I will add that I must revise my opinion on the possible economic collapse. The trigger for global economic upheaval will be the collapse of the US economy (i.e., financial "system"), the final effect emulating falling dominoes. Sadly, the US economy will most likely not collapse for an extended period of time. It will take several years of labor exportation through "globalization," immigrant and "guest worker" displacements, and "free trade" to "dichotomize" (read: pulverize) the middle class. Extended credit and debt options will also allow most wage slaves to leverage their life-styles and extend payments over their lifetime. As long as the average wage slave can amortize total purchases and payments to fall at or below net monthly income, the charade can go on forever. Asset depletion (i.e., raiding savings and retirement accounts) will also prolong the agony. My guess is that a combination of Peak Oil (or an artificially-induced oil supply reduction), a complete collapse of the so-called "real estate bubble," a major catastrophe (e.g., "terrorist" attack or natural disaster), and an escalation of war activities will be required to break the empire.

Of course, there is one way the powerless "American people" can throw a wrench in the works. At this late stage of the game, it is the only method of empowerment for the powerless, the wage slaves, the peons. As I stated yesterday, the US consumer is the driving force for the global economy. If greed, avarice, and instant gratification can be put aside for a few months, the entire "system" will collapse. That would mean a dramatic decrease in consumer spending to subsistence levels only and also require an increase in savings. It will also require a dramatic shift of assets to pay down existing debts above and beyond the minimum. I am afraid that the latter is the closest that the "American" public is able to approach activism and rebellion, but that is still too much to ask.

As an aside, I should mention that I remain undecided about purchasing a computer. If anything, I must be able to purchase the unit without the dreaded Microsoft® Windows® operating system. If the computer is packaged with the operating system, then the cost of the software license has been figured in. So far, Dell® appears to offer three systems with Ubuntu Linux installed. I don't particularly care to own a Dell® computer either.

Equinox

By late afternoon yesterday, I was feeling significantly disconnected from my environment. Nothing around me seemed to matter. From my vantage point, shopping is a force that gives us meaning. I became sickened. Family is what will give me meaning, at least for a few more years. Sadly, the family of humanity has let us all down. We have become estranged family members with very little love or respect for each other, yet we share a common beginning point. Yes, whether we are creationists or evolutionists, there is one irrefutable fact - we have all originated from one pair of common ancestors. There is no way around the latter fact given our specific genetic coding. Rather than rejoice in our common roots, we have instead established a so-called "society" aimed at self-destruction.

I ended up at Barnes & Noble® last night. I was very fatigued. I wandered about aimlessly with no idea what I was doing. However, I was cognizant enough to notice that the hottie "bookseller" was on duty. Baby was looking hot, I might add. When I returned to Waikiki, I spent an hour in the prison compound (read: hotel lobby) reading the remainder of the AARP® Magazine before going into lockdown in my prison cell (read: little shoebox).

In an attempt to slow my pace down, I have been riding the prison transport (read: bus) to Ala Moana Center in the morning. From there, I transfer to any of the prison transports bound for town. It takes me a little longer, but the journey is much more relaxed. Aside from restoring my monk haircut at the Institute of Hair Design, the rest of the day was the same ol' shit.

I have devoted several weeks to reading about our so-called "financial system," the basis of our economy. In fact, I am perusing the section about debt in Kevin Phillips' book, "American Theocracy," for the second time as well. Trying to understand "financial capitalism," the latest incarnation of capitalism, is difficult. Here is what I've come up with:

• The "American" consumer drives most of the global economy.
• Consumption comprises about 75 percent of US GDP.
• Economists and investors (read: elite class) expect the economy to continue to grow infinitely and expect corporate profits to continue to rise, neither of which will occur unless consumer spending grows as well.
• Wages for the "garden variety" wage slaves has not kept up with real inflation, thus most wage slaves must seek debt as the means to continue consumption.
• The Fed, throughout Alan Greenspan's reign, embarked on a grand experiment to transform the economy to one of serial "bubbles," which served to mask inflation with speculative increases in wealth.
• Banking reform allowed for massive deregulation of the banking industry which, in turn, created the gargantuan finance, insurance, and real estate (FIRE) corporatocracy.
• The banking and credit card lobby effected drastic changes in the bankruptcy laws, further indenturing wage slaves.
• Manufacturing and "blue collar" jobs have been exported overseas through "globalization" as means of exporting inflation.
• The manufacturing sector now only includes weapons production (i.e., "war" economy), automobiles, a select heavy industries.
• The Iraq and Afghanistan incursions keep the "war" economy afloat, but will require further escalation (i.e., incursion into Iran) to maintain the status quo.
• The packaging and selling of debt is the largest industry in the US.
• The continued growth of the debt industry requires cheap liquidity offered by low borrowing rates.
• Interest rates must be kept artificially low to maintain or increase the negative national savings rate, a prerequisite to perpetually increase consumer spending.
• Interest rates must be lowered to refuel the so-called "housing bubble" in order to maintain the serial "bubble" economy.
• The stability of financial capitalism requires extensive military backing and protection to vassal states.
• The economic conflict of interest between China and Japan must be maintained in order perpetuate the Asian subsidization of US debt.
• A new Cold War must be established in the European theater in order to keep the European states in check.

My investment IRA bond fund took a massive beating, what with the abrupt bond yield increase yesterday. The stock market tumbled as a result. The financial manipulations are originating with Japan's central bank. Obviously, the real problem is that the world financial markets are trying to either work around or appease China. Today, the stock market recovered as bond yields dropped. Retail sales are also up. Spend, spend, spend even though US home foreclosures are at an all-time high. How close are we to global financial upheaval?

Ubuntu

I have gone back to my regular routine today (refer to the "blog" of April 28th titled, "Who Knew?"), much to my chagrin. I've become quite fatigued with my need to read the alternative news sources. Frankly, I am losing my patience with all of the greedy fools who will supposedly bring about the secular Apocalypse. What is taking so damned long?

Instead, both the alternative news sources and the "mainstream" media are filled with hypothetical scenarios of "doom and gloom," including the upcoming incursion into Iran, a possible and likely epidemic, a catastrophic natural disaster, a global oil shortage, a "terrorist" attack, a new Cold War with Russia, illegal immigration woes, epidemic of illict drugs, and so forth. Bring it on already! CNN® has even begun trumpeting the idea that China is building up militarily in order to invoke a "pre-emptive" first strike on the US. The fearmongering is out of control. At the least, fear serves as a catalyst for rampant consumerism. The sheep-like consumer will be more apt to run to the store to purchase everything in sight ... or get totally hammered on cheap booze. Why, we might be in the "last days." In fact, if I had any sense, I should be out there trying to "skin up" as many young hotties as possible. Yes, we seeing a proliferation of "last days" desperation.

Now more than ever, I am finding value in "family," that is, the time I spend with moms. I am reminded of my childhood and of "growing up." I can recollect the importance of family during that time, whether it was good or bad in retrospect. Family gave me a sense of belonging and a kind of social structure that inculcated me with the values that I possess to this very day. There is also a sense of obligation and commitment, something so tragically amiss these days. When we speak of family, we often refer to familial love. There is something much more synergistic about family, something spiritual perhaps. And, whether it be our parents or our kids (if we have them), there is a deep bond that transcends genetics. Family is the most important aspect of the human struggle. I believe that family enables us to understand that there really is a Higher Source, that we are part of an even larger family that goes well beyond our physical realm. Ubuntu¹.

My tooth is giving me trouble again. It is the lower left molar furthest back. Actually, the tooth has been a source of trouble since the filling was replaced. The tooth is extremely sensitive to temperature. Often, when I bite down into hard substances like the unknown rock-like crap in the Safeway® air-filled energy bars, I experience extreme pain in the tooth. I suppose that I will have to make an appointment with the rip-off dentist. The cost will most likely be well beyond the projected cost of a new computer. Oh well. Did I really need a new computer with Ubuntu Linux installed on it?

¹Ubuntu is an African word, which has been described as "too beautiful to translate into English". The essence of Ubuntu is that "a person is a person through other people". It describes humanity as "being-with-others" and prescribes what "being-with-others" should be all about. Ubuntu emphasises sharing, consensus, and togetherness.

King Kamehameha Day 2007

Last night, moms made hot dogs for dinner. Such a simple meal, but very enjoyable. Moms had purchased huge hot dog buns by mistake. The meal was delicious nonetheless. I chatted with moms until 7pm. Then, I departed for Waikiki. Incidentally, my tanning hike yielded a terrible sunburn. Frankly, I was surprised that the one-hour hike produced sunburn of that magnitude. I can only wonder if there is anything left of the ozone layer. I ended up at Barnes & Noble® later in the evening as I had predicted. The hottie "bookseller" was back. Baby looked mighty fine. I spent an hour there. Upon my return to Waikiki, I went into "Paris Hilton lockdown" in my prison cell (read: little shoebox) for the remainder of the evening.

This morning, I retrieved my truck from the Waikiki Banyan parking structure at 9am. I drove to Kahala Mall. I purchased a large cup of coffee at the Barnes & Noble® Café and persued a few magazines. I met moms at the entrance of the mall at 10:35am. Moms and I ate lunch at Pearl's Korean Barbeque. Lunch was delicious. I drove moms back to Hawai'i Kai. I sat and chatted with moms until 1pm. Then, I walked to the gym in Koko Marina. I had no reason to go to town because today was a holiday, King Kamehameha Day, not to be confused with the drunken derelict Burger King® Kamehameha whom I had the displeasure of encountering on the prison transport (read: bus) a few months ago. I did my usual Monday workout and took a nice cool shower. I observed that the liquid soap was not watered down.

Later, I helped moms water the lawn. I also washed my truck. Moms made a small portion of leftovers for dinner. We were both still full from lunch. I chatted with moms until 7pm. Moms gave me a bag of goodies including some tangerines. I drove back to Waikiki. After parking my truck and dropping my stuff off in my prison cell, I was off to Barnes & Noble® again. The hottie "bookseller" was not on duty. Boohoo. I spent an hour basically doing nothing. After returning to Quagmire Prison, I went into "Paris Hilton lockdown" in my prison cell for the rest of the evening. I was fatigued, but my anxieties had abated significantly.

Technology Slave

I was back to my usual routine in town again today. However, I am becoming much more cognizant about my nebulous future and my fragile mental state. What exactly keeps me tethered to society? The "condotel" unit? My Nissan® Frontier Nismo truck? If anything, I could abandon both possessions and absorb the loss (about $75,000). Yes, that's a lot of dough. However, there will be a point when I may see diminishing returns. Ideally, I will have divested both before the critical times arrive.

My only real fear right now is that the Fed will give in and lower short-term interest rates to zero again, leaving me with zero income. Global inflation is increasing and many of the world's central banks are raising interest rates. We have incredible high inflation domestically, but the moneychangers and the powers-that-be have done everything possible to mask inflation by "doctoring" the figures, exporting labor expenses, and inflating both the so-called "housing bubble" and "stock market bubble." The use of speculative "wealth" has been quite successful at fooling the masses. Yet, as easily as that "wealth" comes about, it disappears quite rapidly as well.

Incidentally, my Ubuntu Linux CDs arrived. I have the 32-bit and 64-bit versions. All that's missing is a computer to install the operating system. I have debated whether I should give in to materialism and purchase a cheap notebook computer (i.e., $600 or so) and replace the operating system with Ubuntu Linux. Do I need a computer? That's the big question. For the time being, my Palm® TX seems adequate. I am not certain how long Palm® will survive. Palm®'s only savior will be the rumored new Linux operating system for its PDAs. In any case, my overall goal should be to move myself away from technology, not embrace it any further. Yes, technology is also a form of enslavement.

After my workout at the gym in town, I will immediately return to Waikiki. I will go directly to the Waikiki Banyan parking structure and retrieve my truck. Moms invited me over for dinner. I am excited to spend that time with moms. When my bro and his family return from vacation, I will no longer have that opportunity. I will go back to deconstructing my life and prepare for my ultimate exodus from society. Later this evening, I anticipate the same old stir crazy feelings to surface. Perhaps this evening will be a good time to visit my safe haven, Barnes & Noble®, eh?

Rejuvenation

I was torn between the option of venturing off to Ala Moana Center or to journey into the darkness of debauchery, Fudgepacker Park (formerly Kapi'olani Park), for the evening. Rather than deal with the crowds of shopping idiots, I decided to join the ranks of derelicts, the degenerates, and the homeless in the dismal park. I spent about an hour there, doing absolutely nothing but staring blankly out toward the vast blackened expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Every now and then, I would look toward the airport and observe the various jet airliners coming and going. I imagined the myriad satanic gargoyles herded around the airport like cattle. Each plane that departed from the airport made me feel good. That's about 200 satanic gargoyles going home. Sadly, each arriving plane obviously replaced the clowns who departed, which made me feel queasy.

When I returned to Quagmire Prison (read: hotel), I spent about an hour in the prison compound (read: hotel lobby) reading the latest issue of the AARP® Magazine. Then, I went into lockdown in my prison cell (read: little shoebox).

This morning, I retrieved my truck from the Waikiki Banyan parking structure at 10:15am. I had hastily completed a load of laundry before leaving. I arrived in Hawai'i Kai a little before 11am. I embarked on a tanning hike up Koko Head, something that I have not done in a long time. The view of Diamond Head on the horizon was breathtaking as I ascended to road to the top. I was able to get a bit of tan. Frankly, I have not been out in the sun in such a long time that I have acquired one of those pathetic "redneck" tans. Needless to say, I felt rejuvenated after the hike.

Moms did not return until about 12:40pm. Moms prepared a bunch of leftovers for lunch. At 2pm, I walked to the gym in Koko Marina while moms took a nap. I did my usual weekend cardio workout while enjoying the view of Kuapa Pond from the large windows. I purchased an expensive Starbucks® bottled coffee beverages from Foodland and sat on one of the benches to drink it. Why didn't I just purchase a real beverage at the Starbucks® a few doors down?

Moms was up when I returned. I washed my gym clothes by hand and hung the laundry up to dry. Moms prepared more of the same leftovers for dinner. I was able to chat with moms for quite a while. My bro and his family are gone for their vacation, so I will be able to spend more time with moms, which is also an excuse for me to make sure that moms is alright. I left for Waikiki at 7pm. After parking my truck, I was back in my prison cell soon enough. I felt stir crazy again. My only two options were the same as the previous night. Again, I opted to go to Fudgepacker Park. I spent most of the time contemplating my "compartmentalized" life-style. I also could not help but wonder what I am going to do when moms is gone. I have no other express purpose for being alive at this point in time.

On my way back to Quagmire Prison, I observed an unbelievable number of young hotties out carousing in their "hootchie momma" outfits. They all knew they were hotties, which gave them ample reason to emulate Paris Hilton's typical behavior. Yes, there are a lot of hotties out there, but I sure would not want to put up with the crap that they dish out? As a loser and a monk, I don't really have to worry about such nonsense. Upon my eventual return to Quagmire prison, I went into lockdown in my prison cell for the remainder of my waking hours.

Perhaps I am just suffering from that new psychopathology identified as Bush Exasperation Syndrome (BES). A brief description:

As first reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), symptoms of Bush Exasperation Syndrome include involuntary outbursts of projectile cursing whenever the name or image of President George W. Bush is flashed before sufferers of this malady. This catalytic image (or trigger) has produced bouts of explosive and uncontrollable profanity in well over half of those tested for the disease.

But reflexive and propulsive swearing is only the most benign symptom of BES. As the disease progresses, more advanced symptoms include the loss of a sense of humor, coupled with feelings of hopelessness and despair. And the number of traffic accidents is thought to have increased due to drivers losing control of their vehicles while suffering BES-related episodes.

Read about this debilitating disorder in the article titled, "Bush-Exasperation Syndrome Spreads," authored by Jaime O' Neil which appeared on the Smirking Chimp site. It's a worthy read.

Very little appears to be going on in the news, aside from the usual trivial crap à la Paris Hilton. I have no desire to know anything about Hilton. It's not like baby is coming around to do da wild thing with the ol' lavahead. Very little developments in the alternative news sources as well. The so-called "stock market bubble" has been very erratic. Naturally, my bond fund investment tanked. The dollar gained against other currencies. Shrub has decided to put the so-called "missile shield" in Poland. Well, hey! He's the "decider"!

A secret deal is being put together that encompasses NAFTA-style free trade agreements with Peru, Panama, South Korea and Colombia, and is designed to pave the pay for the passage of presidential fast track authority which lets presidents eliminate all labor, environmental and human rights provisions from trade agreements. Meanwhile, the daily cost of the Iraq incursion is $195 million to taxpayers. I have no idea what the Afghanistan incursion is costing. Yes, it's just business as usual. Sheesh!

Vow of Eternal Silence

Yet another evening in quasi-lockdown in my prison cell (read: little shoebox), the fourth night in a row. I was going stir crazy by 10:30pm, so I stepped out for some fresh air. I walked to the detestable Food Pantry and purchased a big-ass can of cheap brewski. That's about as fresh as the air gets in Waikiki. I spent the rest of my waking hours in the prison compound droppin' back the big-ass can of cheap brewski and reading the remainder of Pete Peterson's book, "Running on Empty."

Another day of the same ol' shit. I spent most of the day in front of the computer reading the various alternative news sources. Frankly, the latter is a depressing task. Finding the truth by sifting through the bullshit is a cumbersome task. Then, to digest the truth is even more difficult. It is not the purpose of the "blog" to discuss in detail my findings. Obviously, there are numerous "blogs" of varying levels of punditry and the alternative news sources themselves which do a far better job. My only observation is that everything is literally "going to hell in a handbasket." The number of crises are alarmingly increasing worldwide. We are delivering ourselves to our own destruction by several irreversible means. There is no denying such a fact.

Incidentally, Larry Chin wrote an interesting take on the "National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive," effective May 9th, that has not been discussed at all in the "mainstream" media. I mentioned it briefly in the "blog" yesterday. The article is titled, "New presidential directive gives Bush dictatorial powers.” The entire directive is provided verbatim. Does anyone care? Or, is the sale at Wal-Mart® more important?

In the US and most of the First World, complacence of the masses must be maintained, and what better way than sloth, one of the "seven sins." We rely heavily on a corrupt and morally bankrupt economic "system" to maintain the status quo, with little regard for the fact that the "system" is essentially destroying the planet and decimating a large number of life forms (including humans) to accomplish its objectives. There is no other way to describe such behavior as anything other than extreme selfishness. In the First World, the latter trait is masked by the term, "rugged individualism," a misnomer at best. Believe me, it is nothing more than selfishness in the most debased form. Frankly, in my opinion (which is not worth much), the damage is far beyond repair. An exodus from society is the only solution for those who truly wish to be spared the inevitable time of reckoning.

After viewing the Presidential debates, I came to realize that I was being visually and intellectually accosted by a bunch of "posers." Then, I reflected for a moment. The whole of society is comprised of "posers" and wannabe assholes, usually characters and caricatures of often-fictional persona non grata featured on the tube. "Posers" possess no redeeming qualities, just as the characters they emulate. They speak from both sides of their mouths. Now, as I look around me, I see nothing but "posers." With that revelation, I made a conscious decision to distance myself further from these satanic gargoyles, for that is really what they are. I must become more hermit-like, avoiding all contact with others. I must also revisit the "Vow of Silence," that is, learning to not utter one single word during the day.

Another aspect of the Presidential campaign is the recent fixation on the alleged religiosity of the candidates. I find the whole matter sickening and offensive. What's even worse is to listen to the gabacho¹ clones each profess a high degree of commitment to Christianity. To see that kind of "faith based" rhetoric in political discourse is a blatant disregard for the "separation of church and state." None of that crap should come as a surprise as Kevin Phillips had presented appalling evidence of the increasing intrusion of religion in every aspect of "American" society in his book, "American Theocracy." No matter how many times these clowns profess their faith, their "love of God," and their "accepting of Christ" in their hearts, they remain hypocrites who serve Christendom, the apostate wing of El Diablo. Nowhere is it written in the Good Book that true Christians should deeply involve themselves in the affairs and politics of the world. The Good Book warns that "the ruler of the world" is Satan. "Do not store up treasures in the world," we are admonished. Are these "Sunday-go-to-meeting Christians" even aware of what is written as law for them?

Although the topic of religion may appear to be quite boring, there is good reason why I delve into the matter especially in view of the blatant hypocrisy and blasphemy that we witness today. We are previewing a dangerous sign of prophesy, one that is certainly a prelude to Armageddon. Even if one has no religious inclination, there can be no denying that faulty religious fanaticism and nationalism are an extremely volatile mix. We can go on and on about "Islamo-Fascism" and "terrorism," yet we are totally unaware that we are fomenting the same kind of thinking in this nation. If Phillips is correct, about 60 percent of the US population are at the least "Sunday-go-to-meeting Christians" while 30 percent are hardcore dispensationalists. To hear these lost "sheep" talk is beyond chilling. This is "God's chosen nation," they offer. Nothing can change their minds, which is what the moneychangers and powers-that-be desire.

Take a good look at the so-called "churches," the actual physical edifices which house the various apostate congregations of Christendom². The gaudy temples of affluence, greed, and avarice are full of dungy idols. Worshippers are directed by evil "shepherds" and false prophets to do the deeds of El Diablo. Rather than preach humanitarian ideals, the latter agents of the sinister kahuna brainwash the masses to believe in their own salvation and superiority over "inferior" breeds. Rather than bring nations together, they foster hatred and violence "in the name of God," a name that they do not even know. How can anyone worship a deity without knowing its name? That alone is a telltale sign that the nameless god whom they worship is really Satan. Heck, even Satan quoted from the Good Book. I am far from a religious "kook," but I do know that the prophesy is being fulfilled. We, as a people, could have turned it around. However, the majority of us are infected by the epidemic of the "seven sins." The worst part about the infection is that it hides behind the façade of religion. If anyone is part of this great empire of false religion, follow the advice of the Good Book: "Get out of Babylon!"

¹Gabacho, a fat slob White Supremacist satanic gargoyle.

²Christendom, a grouping of apostate religious sects claiming to be Christian.